ETHAN’S MATE (Book One: The Vampire Coalition) (6 page)

Ethan didn’t mind having a wedding in addition to
mating. He had gotten Brianna the finest engagement ring he could
find that would still suit her tastes for something simple and
classy. He was finding out that just about anything that branded
her as his made him ecstatic.

“I already told Brianna that you would be more than
happy to be my groomsmen for the wedding,” Ethan informed his
brother wickedly. “She has a maid of honor and two bridesmaids, so
it works out perfectly.”

Ethan grinned, flashing them an evil look, as all of
his brothers’ faces registered horror and dismay. None of them were
laughing now.

“When is it? I think I already have plans,” Nathan
grumbled.

“Me too.” Rory agreed.

“And me.” Liam said softly.

“Oh, no. If you can’t make it…you can explain to
Brianna why you can’t attend one of the most important days of her
life. I’m not doing it.” Ethan broke into a small smile as they all
frowned. His brothers really did adore Brianna and somehow she
could get away with getting them to do her bidding. It amused the
hell out of him. Like it or not, he knew they would all be
there.

There might be a few bumps along the road to
integrating their families, but it wouldn’t be that difficult.
Brianna had a human life and family. He respected that. Although
she would be a vampire’s mate after the ceremony, she would never
be completely vampire. She would need blood and she would have to
avoid the sun, but she wouldn’t have magic. Any aging would freeze
and she would keep her increased strength, but she would be between
two worlds. She would be more vampire than human, but she was
raised as a human and he didn’t expect her to leave that totally
behind.

Ethan was startled when a firm rap on the door broke
into his thoughts.

“It’s time, Ethan,” Adare informed him quietly.

His brothers all slapped him on the back. They were
leaving. Brianna might adore them, but she really didn’t want them
to witness. She had come to care for them like family and she
insisted she would rather have strangers at this particular mating
ritual as she really didn’t want her future brothers-in-law to see
her naked.

Adare was leaving too. Now that he was mated, he
could no longer watch the ceremonies like a eunuch. He and Kristin
would leave as soon as Kristin had finished her duties as an
attendant.

His brothers disappeared. Adare stood at his side,
ready to escort him to the mating chamber. Adare would await his
mate Kristin outside of the door where she would exit and they
would depart together.

Ethan tried to get control of himself, but the closer
he came to the mating chamber, the more his control seemed to slip
away. He was ready to begin an ancient vampire ritual and the magic
involved in the upcoming ceremony seemed to be building.

Adare opened the door and motioned him to enter,
stopping and leaving Ethan to continue alone.

As Ethan entered the chamber, he felt a powerful
surge of magic, but it wasn’t coming from him. This was ancient
magic, strong and powerful.

His clothing dissolved and he was suddenly dressed in
only a scrap of leather to confine his cock, held in place with
only a few strings. His member was already protesting by trying to
burst the seams.

His skin gleamed from the ancient mating oils.

He could feel that magic swirling around him,
heightening his arousal to an almost feral need. He could only
imagine what would happen once their marks touched and the ancient
words were said.

He gritted his teeth, trying not to lose complete
control while he waited for his mate to arrive.

Chapter 8

Brianna approached the mating chamber with two women
in front of her and Kristin at her side. Kristin was newly mated
and Brianna appreciated the fact that she had just been through
what Brianna was going through now. She had helped calm some of
Brianna’s nervousness.

Brianna wasn’t afraid. Hell…she had been close to
dying by the time that Ethan had entered her life. Now she was
ready to live. She would live a glorious life with Ethan by her
side.

She was dressed in the traditional, full,
transparent, ankle-length gown and it trailed along behind her as
she walked down the narrow hallway. She had chosen a scarlet red
that matched her mood today. Her hair had grown quickly, restored
to its normal shoulder length and she had left it down over her
shoulders.

Brianna had been bathed in sensual, exotic oils. Her
skin was still slick from the scented oil that had been applied
after the bath.

The women all stopped at the mating chamber door and
Kristin moved forward to pull the heavy ornate door open, moving to
the side to let Brianna enter.

Brianna stopped, her eyes sweeping the room. Ethan
stood on the platform in front of a huge, elevated bed. The bed was
covered in black silk, a few black silk pillows scattered over the
massive surface.

Brianna smiled. The chamber preparation was Ethan’s
choice. She guessed he was in a “dark” sort of mood today.

As Brianna entered the room she noticed that it was
just as Kristin had described. A circular, small room with darkened
windows all around the upper walls. They were for the observers.
The witnesses. Everything was lit with candles that were placed on
a ledge that circled the windows. She was guessing that the
witnesses would get a hell of a good view.

She locked eyes with Ethan. His were almost
completely black and intense. She longed to speak with him
telepathically, but she didn’t. She knew it only made things worse
for him when he heard her voice and couldn’t yet touch her.

Brianna could feel the electric vibrations in the
room and her hair lifted like it was blowing in the wind.

It’s ancient magic, Brianna. I’ve never heard of this
happening before. It’s probably because of my age. But it’s not
evil. Don’t be afraid.

She started as she heard Ethan growling in her mind,
surprised he could still use his magic to speak to her this way.
She could feel his need and her body responded. Her body jerked as
she was assaulted with his mating instincts. She wanted to lay on
those black sheets and satiate this vampire any way he wanted
it.

She nodded at Ethan, her eyes never leaving his, to
let him know she understood.

“Strip her.” Ethan ordered, his voice low and
commanding.

Kristin came to her side, frowning as she saw that
everything was moving. The gown swirled and Brianna’s flowing hair
fluttered as though the wind were carrying it.

Kristin hesitated, perplexed.

“It’s okay, Kristin. Do it.” Brianna whispered to her
softly.

Kristin lifted her hands to the ties of Brianna’s
gown. “Do you agree to this mating with Ethan Hale?”

“I do.” Brianna answered, her eyes burning into
Ethan’s.

Kristin released the gown and it shimmered to the
floor. She picked it up and draped it over her arm.

“Leave us.” Ethan choked out the demand.

Kristin left, Brianna’s gown still fluttering over
her arm. She closed the door and locked it behind her. The loud
click of the lock on the door should have sounded ominous, but
Brianna felt exhilarated. She was finally going to mate with
Ethan.

“Come to me.” Ethan instructed, his eyes leaving
Brianna’s to sweep over her body with hunger and desire.

Brianna eagerly responded, climbing the few steps to
arrive in front of Ethan next to the elevated bed.

Ethan didn’t touch her, but his eyes burned over her
naked body as he started reciting the ritual words of the bonding
in his native language. She didn’t understand, but she loved the
lyrical flow of the ancient language, the syllables rising and
falling. As the last word trailed off Ethan’s tongue, he lowered
his forearm to her hip and sealed their markings. She could see his
arm trembling right before he joined the marks and pressed them
firmly together.

Brianna’s body jerked. Ethan grasped her around the
waist with his other arm as the flames shot through her body,
incinerating her internally. It was incredibly painful…but erotic.
She closed her eyes and leaned against Ethan for support, his
burning body supporting hers.

She rested that way until Ethan’s soul broke free
from hers and separated, her own soul then tearing and fusing with
half of Ethan’s. Their joined marks continued to burn as Ethan’s
new, completed soul entered him through the conjoined marks, a soul
that was half of hers, half of his, but complete.

Brianna’s newly-mated soul settled quickly, finding
its old resting place. She was still hot, but the heat was now
completely sexual. She needed her mate.

Ethan’s soul did not settle so easily. He had never
had a soul before and it wandered his body restlessly, looking for
a resting place.

She watched his eyes turn red, glowing with an unholy
light. Magic swirled around them both, burning like a blue
flame.

Ethan’s need and desire seized Brianna, clenching her
gut as if she were experiencing the feelings herself.

I need to sate him. I need to take away his anguished
need to possess. I need his possession as much as he needs to
possess me. I need to help him settle his wandering soul.

“Free my cock, Brianna. Now!” The harsh baritone
undid her.

Her needs were wild and she reached down and started
ripping at the leather ties, needing the swollen, straining member
free from its confinement. It spilled into her hands, hard and
engorged. She wrapped her hands around him, stroking the hard,
silky length.

Ethan grabbed her wrist, preventing her from touching
him. He wrapped his arms around her with almost smothering
tightness and claimed her mouth in a white hot embrace. It was a
kiss of ownership, a branding. Rough and hard. She wrapped her arms
around his neck, meeting his conquering tongue with her own. He
swept every inch of her mouth and tongue with his, claiming her.
Then he picked her up and dropped her in the middle of the
silk-clad bed.

He was on her before she had a chance to take a
breath. He tied her hands to the headboard with the dangling, ready
restraints. He bound her legs, spread wide apart, with restraints
on both sides of the bottom of the bed. They had some slack, but
very little. She was completely helpless, open wide for his
desires.

He circled the bed, his red, glowing eyes burning
across her body.

“Mine. Mine. Mine.” He was grunting, as though it was
too difficult to speak, but she understood him. He seemed to find
some satisfaction just by looking at her, knowing she was his to
satisfy as he pleased.

“Yours, Ethan. All yours,” she whispered softly,
breathless with her own desires. She pulled at the restraints
holding her in place, loving the feel of being restrained for his
pleasures.

Her pussy was drenched and she could feel droplets
sliding down her thighs. She squirmed in her restraints, desperate
for him to take her. “Please, Ethan. I need you.”

He moved between her legs, roughly stuffing a pillow
beneath her hips. “Have to make you come,” he growled.

“Oh, God, yes. Make me, Ethan. I need it.” She
writhed against her bindings. Her body was on fire. She was
consumed with heat, ready to combust.

He attacked between her legs, licking her juices from
her thighs and thrusting his tongue into her vulnerable pussy. She
could hear the sound of his tongue lapping roughly, moving in the
drenched opening. She screamed as his tongue laved her clit
forcefully, moving fast and hard over the swollen bud.

His fingers slammed inside of her channel, his index
and middle finger buried in the opening.

“Oh, Ethan. Yes. Yes. Yes.” She was out of control,
consumed with the need to climax.

“Come for me,” he snarled into her pussy, not pausing
in his relentless attack on her clit, his fingers pumping wildly,
hard and deep, into her hot, slippery channel.

As if responding to his command, her stomach
hardened, seized with spasms that spread directly to her core. Had
she not been restrained, she probably would have curled into the
climax. Her whole body trembled as the force of it shook her body
like a rag doll. She fell over the edge, flying apart in a massive
explosion.

She jerked against her restraints as she rode out the
waves that were hitting her relentlessly. Ethan didn’t cease, but
continued his attack as she writhed and burned. He was a man
possessed and not nearly satisfied with her long, explosive
orgasm.

He turned his body and suddenly his massive cock was
over her face. “Take it in your mouth.”

Oh, yes. She opened as he lowered his massive member
into her moist, eager mouth. Her lips sealed as best they could
around the gigantic, swollen phallus. She could feel him groan into
her mound as his hips started pumping, fucking her mouth.

He was riding her mouth hard, shoving his cock into
her throat. She could barely breathe, but she rejoiced in his
tortured groans as she tried to swallow him.

He was working her like an insane man. His hands
gripped her thighs and spread her as much as possible. He was still
flicking over her clit in hot, wet licks as he invaded her opening
with an extra finger, plunging into her with three large digits.
She jerked as she felt the fullness and moaned around his cock as
he continued to fuck her mouth with furious strokes.

Ethan slid his other hand through her wet folds,
drenching his fingers. He slid the moisture over her anus, wetting
it with her own cream.

“Mine. Mine. Mine.” She could make out his smothered
exclamation.

His cock was pounding into her mouth now, hitting the
back of her throat. She was in a passion-induced trance and didn’t
care. She wanted him to release his passion into her. She tightened
the grip of her mouth and brought her tongue hard against his
sliding member.