Eternal War Rising to the South: The Beynok Vampire Series (19 page)

He pulled his fangs out and slowly moved his tongue over his marks on my neck. His movement inside of me was slow, but it was all I needed to bring me to where I wanted to be. My body released waves of unearthly pleasure.

Sorin kissed me. I could taste my blood on his tongue. “Anya, do you love me for what I am? Can you truly accept our fate?” he asked.

“Yes.”

He slit the side of his neck with a long, sharp fingernail that I knew he hadn’t had a second ago. “Then drink from me, and our blood will be bonded.

I did. I closed my mouth around the wound on his neck and drank. I sucked hard, and he pulled me closer to him even harder. Our bodies were entwined together so tightly that air wasn’t allowed to travel between us.

At first, the blood was bitter and felt harsh traveling down my throat. It felt almost as if it were cutting me from the inside out. I had to continue. The longer I sucked the less pain I felt.

My body absorbed everything he had to offer. Sorin’s blood ran through me, heavy and cold. His emotions blanketed the chill. Love, power, courage, and possessiveness spilled out through my pores. Then a shocking wave of envy, hunger, rage and hate weighed me down. I was stunned by the emotional takeover at first and slowed my sucking.

Sorin covered my ear with his mouth and whispered, “You have to accept all of me … all of what is inside of me.” He was right. I knew everything about him wasn’t a fairytale.

My body felt as if it were on an emotional roller coaster. Despite all that, I kept sucking on his neck. He would tell me when I had had enough. I wanted to seal this bond. I wanted everyone to know that this vampire belonged to me, and I belonged to him.

Sorin rolled me over on top of him and pulled his neck away from my mouth. At first, I was embarrassed about what I might look like. I could feel the blood on my chin dripping. He lifted me to an upright position so he could see me. I didn’t want him to view me looking like this, but I gave in to the increase in sexual pleasure I received while I was sitting in this upright position.

“My Beynok!” Sorin’s eyes traveled my body to my bloodstained face. “You’ve brought me pleasures and joy I never allowed myself to hope for.”

Sorin sat up to kiss me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pushed himself unimaginably further inside of me.

“I promise to protect you and to keep myself alive only to protect the part of my soul I carry that helps balance you during your rises. I will be by your side during this battle as your slave. The words in your prophecy stands true, and we are the proof. You are the Beynok princess.”

Sorin’s eyes turned black and his fangs extended. Before I knew it, he was attached to my neck again. The sensations caused by the invasion of his hardness between my legs and his fangs brought me to an escalating climax. I couldn’t help but scream his name with pleasure.

I felt a rush of possessiveness plunge into me. He released his mouth from my neck only to attach them to my lips. He pawed at my back. I could feel the power of him pulsing inside of me, release after release. The thought of having the power to cripple Sorin, a powerful beast, brought me to a climax with him.

I was exhausted and drained, literally. I snuggled next to my vampire as I ran my fingers through his short dark hair, along his squared jaw line, and over his full lips. I surprised myself the most when I ran my finger across the inside of his mouth and over his teeth.

“What are you looking for?” Sorin closed his teeth around my finger to hold it captive.

“I wanted to feel your fangs. Is that so wrong?”

“They don’t want to come out and play right now, unless you are willing to pay for another show?”

He was unbelievable. No way was I partaking in another feeding or sexual activity with him right then. Before he was able to entice me, I jumped out of the bed.

“I need a shower and some food. I feel drained, and there’s no telling what I look like.”

“You are drained?” He smiled and both dimples appeared. “What would you like for me to get you to eat?”

“Surprise me. I don’t care. The only criteria is that it be cooked.”

“Sure, I can do that. I’ll have a couple of surprises for you when you get out of the shower.”

I wasn’t even going to think about the surprises he’d mentioned. All I wanted to do was take a hot shower and think about nothing.

I sat in the tub and let the soothing water from the showerhead wash away the blood. I was almost successful in having a thought-free shower, but I knew it wouldn’t last. I wondered what his blood would do to me. What were the effects of this bond? I figured I could wait to find out, I wasn’t in any rush to learn something I might not like.

I stepped out of the bathroom with the only thing I had to cover myself, a towel. Sorin was sitting at the table and next to him was my suitcase. My sense of smell picked up on something delicious in the room, and that overrode how happy I was to see my suitcase containing clean clothes. That’s how hungry I was.

“I had your bag brought over from the hotel, along with Galloway and the others. Abadden has agreed to let us stay here under his protection for as long as we need.”

In front of the empty chair next to Sorin was a covered plate. I was taking in what he was saying, but my focus was on what was under that covered plate.

“I’m relieved they’re all safe. We have much to discuss, but first my stomach has first rights.” I sat next to Sorin at the table and vowed to myself to eat whatever was on the covered plate. Who knew when I would be able to eat again?

“Steak. You ordered me steak. Is that all you vampires think we eat?” Don’t get me wrong it looked extremely edible, and I was planning to lick the bone clean, but really. Is that all they are capable of serving?

“We tend to serve warm bloods steak for the iron. It replenishes their bodies fast. If you want something else, I can get it for you.” Sorin was reaching for the plate, and I almost wanted to bite his hand off if he so much as laid a finger on it to take it away.

“Nope, this will do. I’m starving, and you’re right, steak is the best option.” I dove into the plate forcing myself to use the utensils.

“I’m going to clean up while you eat. There’s much to discuss when we’re both finished.”

I licked my chops and the plate. Then I dressed. I was fully suited with boots and swords when Sorin came out of the bathroom. His expression revealed his surprise to see me all suited up.

“I have questions, and I hope you will answer them.” I was sitting cockeyed on one of the chairs so my swords could dangle over.

“Shoot.” He looked ready to respond to my questions with actual answers for the first time.

I spoke while he dressed. “Where have you been the last few of days?” I wanted to know the answer, and I didn’t at the same time. What if he answered with something I didn’t like? Like maybe, I’ve been on a blood binge.

“I went to see Vladimir.” Way out in left field. Not the response I was expecting at all.

“You did what? Why? Why would you risk your freedom to talk to Vladimir? The Beynoks may not want to kill you, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t capture you and use you as leverage to get me to come back to them.”

“I wanted to tell him you were safe and to see if there was any chance of peace between us and the Beynoks. I know separating you from your only known family has been hard on you. I can tell by your mood and your body reactions. Deep down you carry regret for what you did to them by leaving. I was hoping to take some burden off of you.” Sorin put on a tight, hunter green T-shirt and dark, fitted jeans, which made his butt look great, wrapped his heavy brown belt around his waist, and slid his long leather jacket on.

“Well what did he say?” Was I ready to hear that my family may have shunned me forever? Well, at least until my third rise to the west when I would be all theirs again and would have forgotten everything so many have fought to help me remember and realize.

“They will only accept you back on two conditions. You have to vow to never to see me again and live strictly by their ways and beliefs. Meaning-”

“I know what it means. Become the Beynok princess on their terms, turn my back on all the good that is here, and one day become the force to destroy it. I would become no better than Gallagher or Drago and-”

Sorin interrupted me, “Did you say Drago?” Concern was written all over his face.

“Yeah, I fought him on the roof of my hotel. He and his followers were the ones responsible for the attack on our hotel room. Plus, I think there is a traitor among Galloway’s personal guards. I think one of them helped with the attack. It’s the only way they could have known exactly where we were.”

Sorin sat down next to me at the table looking concerned. “What did Drago say to you, Anya? He is extremely dangerous.” I wasn’t done with my twenty questions yet.

“He said nothing of any importance. What’s someone going to say when they want to kill you except, I want to kill you? We’re getting off track. What else did Vladimir say? Did you go there for other reasons?” I could feel his withdrawal.

“I wanted to know if you were going to receive a gift during your rise to the south. I’m right in thinking you haven’t yet received a gift during this rise, correct?”

“No I haven’t yet received a gift during this rise. Chances are good that I won’t receive a gift if I haven’t already done so. Why would you be concerned about that? Is there something you’re not telling me?” He was clearly holding back.

“I also wanted to tell Vladimir that I will take care of you and that I’m not a crazed vampire like they think. During the short time I was near him before we left together, I was able to pick up how much he loves you by his body language. I asked him how that was possible since-”

“I wondered the same thing. What did he say?”

“Vladimir told me they rewrote you both.”

“What?”

“The Writers rewrote the two of you to love one another … to be each other’s partners in a way. Of course, they are unable to rewrite the connection our souls have. They had never tried anything like that before, and you see it didn’t work, at least not on your end. When Vladimir lost you to me, it was like losing his partner all over again. His heart is broken.” I could tell Sorin didn’t want to say what he was going to say next. There was a long pause and his face turned angry. “Vladimir told me he would wait and be patient just as I did, for you to rise again. He said the writers will be sure to erase me from your thoughts and fill you with love for him.” I could hear the jealousy in his voice.

Was what he was saying possible? It was. Beynok ways were powerful. They would be sure to do whatever was needed to restore balance to their beliefs during my next rise. Was I going to feel for Vladimir the way I felt for Sorin? No.

“No, they can’t. What will we do?”

“I’ll find you again...remind you of our love...remind you of your destiny and our faith.” He didn’t look hindered by our challenges ahead, but I could sense the smallest of fear he was fighting to hold back. Not fear of fighting and the struggles ahead, but fear of losing me.

Someone knocked on the door, and Sorin said, “I told you I had a surprise for you.” A flash of a perfect dimple appeared. “I almost forgot.” Sorin made his way to the door with only a few powerful strides. He opened the door, but I still couldn’t see who was on the other side. “Come in, my friend. Your presence is much needed.”

I had opened my senses to the body behind the door before Sorin allowed entrance. Right before my eyes, my unbelievable sense was confirmed by my view. In walked my closest friend. My eyes became blurry from tears and shock took over. The only visual I could make out through the blur was the red, green, and yellow flannel. “Yuri!” I shouted. “Oh, how I have missed you.” I jumped up and threw myself into his arms. The sweet, natural smell of his wavy, short hair filled my nose and his soft flannel shirt brushed up on my face as I tightened my grip and pulled him closer.

I was a big girl, capable of leaving home. But my leave had been so abrupt I hadn’t had time to say goodbye to the ones I loved. Having Yuri close again was something I thought would never have happen.

“So I hear your new name is Princess. Should I call you that from now on?” He had a joking, a happy tone carrying his voice.

“You can call me whatever you would like as long as you stay.”

He pulled me back so he could look at me. I grabbed a flannel sleeve and wiped away my tears so I could see his face clearly.

“Well, I guess that’s going to be a pretty long time of calling you whatever I want since I plan to stay with you as long as you’ll let me. From your reaction, I take it I can stay. So I have to come up with a really good name for you, and it’s not going to be “Princess,” that’s for sure.”

“Sorin, how did you convince him to come?” I couldn’t believe it. “Out of my whole family I think Yuri is the one who hated you the most.” I was still in complete shock.

“I did no convincing. He followed me once I left the house after speaking with Vladimir.” Sorin had shut the door for privacy and returned to his seat at the table to watch me dote all over Yuri.

Yuri cleared his throat. “I know you, Anya. I know your heart is pure. I believe in you, so whatever you believe in, I want to fight for it. My place is on whichever side you choose.” He squeezed my hands tightly in his. “I knew you wouldn’t have left with this vampire if you didn’t believe in him.” Yuri turned to Sorin with a smirk on his face. “Let’s just say I followed my nose.”