Lords of the Were (7 page)

Let go and trust us just this little bit, okay?”

She could barely nod, so enflamed were her senses as Tim’s hand found its way down her torso to zero in on her clit. He swept through the neatly trimmed curls above her pussy and slid his long, calloused fingers inside, seeking and finding the little button that had her clutching at his muscular arms as her eyes widened.

At that same moment, Rafe licked his finger, then moved it down and inside her back hole, just the tiniest bit, making her nearly scream, but definitely not in pain. It felt so good! She’d never realized how many nerve endings lived in that dark place, but they were all firing now and fairly screaming in pleasure as he moved slowly in and out, in smooth, small motions.

“You’re nice and wet for us, Allie.” Tim smiled, his eyes sparking at her in the darkness of the room as he slid his fingers out of her pussy then brought them to his lips. “And you taste like ambrosia.” Rafe nibbled gently on her ear. “I want a taste too.” His other hand roved over her front, caging her between his palms as he dipped one long finger into her channel, moving it about until she moaned breathlessly. Sliding out, he stroked back up her body and brought his glistening finger to his lips. She could see him sucking the digit that had just been inside her as his eyes closed in enjoyment. He smacked his lips as he drew back.

“Heaven,” he agreed. “You taste divine, little priestess.” She couldn’t believe what was happening inside her and she fairly screamed with pleasure when Tim brought his hand back down to her pussy and plunged two fingers deep inside. Coupled with Rafe’s tiny penetration behind, it took only two or three long, deep strokes of Tim’s fingers to bring her the most astounding orgasm of her life. She did scream then, as she came apart in their arms as she’d never come before.

Just after dark, a time zone away, the vampire Dante idly examined his fingernails as a lone supplicant knelt before his ornate chair. Sighing, he touched the man’s shoulder with one booted foot, jerking him upright with pain as the steel toe dug in with more force than it appeared on the surface. Dante grinned in amused boredom. Such humans as managed to find him never ceased to bring at least some minor distraction from the humdrum sameness of his endless existence.

“What do you want from me?” Dante didn’t turn the force of his gaze on the human supplicant. Not yet. No, that tool would be used in time, if necessary, to gain further entertainment from the pathetic being now in front of him.

The human had the gall to stand, taking Dante by surprise. That in itself was an oddity, so he allowed the impertinence. He would see what this creature had to offer in the way of diversion before feasting on his blood and sending him on his way.

“I’m Patrick Vabian.” The way the human said his name—as if Dante were supposed to recognize it—amused the ancient one.

“Congratulations. I’m sure you’re very proud of that. Whoever you are.” The pathetic little man actually looked ticked off, showing more spirit than Dante would have credited.

“I’m Vabian the Sorcerer,” the man clarified, shooting sparks out of his hand to bounce along the far wall over Dante’s shoulder. Unalarmed,

but intrigued, Dante sat up straighter, eyeing the ballsy mortal with some interest.

“A magic user.” Dante goaded the human, pleased by his consternation when Dante refused to be impressed. “I haven’t had one of your kind come to call in many years.”

“Not since Erik the Firewitch.”

“Not many know of my past association with Erik.” Dante let a sly smile slip over his features, twin points of pearly white fangs showing just for a moment. “We had fun burning things for a while, but eventually his own fire consumed him. Pity.”

“You two did Chicago and blamed it on some old woman’s cow.” Dante tensed. “Only a few beings know the truth of that time, and most of them are dead. In fact, I killed quite a few of them myself. Makes me wonder how you learned of it.”

Vabian held his ground, impressing Dante slightly. “I put two and two together. Plus there are traces of your energies even today in old parts of the city. I grew up there. I recognized your power the moment I walked in here tonight.”

“Very good. So in addition to your little light show, you are a Sensitive?”

Vabian nodded with stiff hauteur. “One of my many skills.”

“And this interests me how?”

“Let’s just say I know you’ve never had a love for the were. I have a way for you to get a little revenge on them for killing Erik and putting a stop to your fun.” The human slitted his eyes in a way he probably thought made him look cunning. “Oh yes, I know it was a fight between Erik and a posse of were in the O’Leary’s barn.” Dante eyed the man, surprised when he didn’t back down from his rather over-the-top obnoxious stance.

“Bravo.” Dante inspected his fingernails. “So what do I care?”

“I can give you the current lords of the were. On a platter.” At this Dante’s interest finally piqued. “No one outside their tribes and clans knows who leads. It’s a closely guarded secret.”

“Not to me.”

Dante sat up in his chair, more active than he had been in years. “I’m listening.”

“There’s a network of people who make it their business to know the doings of the were.”

“And you would have me believe you are one of this society? A member of the Altor Custodis?”

“You’ve heard of us then?”

Dante waved his fingers in a gesture of boredom. “I’ve heard rumors in my day, but never have I met one who claimed to be of their number.

They watch my kind as well. I always thought it prudent to steer clear of them. I’ve had enough beings hunting me.”

“We would not hunt you.” The mage had the temerity to smile. “Not if you joined with us to hunt the were.” Dante almost remembered what it felt like to give a damn. Almost, but not quite. It had been so long since anything had managed to make an impression on him that he felt little, if anything, for the other beings inhabiting the planet. They were transient anyway. But he alone was enduring. Cursed by his immortal existence, Dante cared little for anything other than his own comfort, and even that was sorely tested at times—like this most recent imposition by the puny human magic user.

Still, Vabian offered some diversion from his endless nights and Dante rather relished the idea of pitting himself against a pack of were creatures. He didn’t like the were much. Such creatures were in fact the only beings who offered any sort of challenge to one such as he. It would be interesting to see how this human’s plans played out. Plus, the were owed him justice. They had cost him the life of his friend. They’d

killed Erik—the one human in centuries who’d gotten close to Dante. The young firewitch had been like a brother to him and his death at the hands of the were had been painful as well as unjustified. Oh yes, the were owed him justice.

For that reason, Dante would agree to lend his considerable abilities to the scheme. That and to relieve some of the incessant boredom of his existence.

Dante sighed heavily, standing from his throne. Tall and lean, he possessed a sinuous grace that had the ability to mesmerize his prey.

“All right. I’ll help you, but you must provide for me in return.” Dante crooked his finger and Vabian moved forward. For the first time, Dante read fear in the human’s eyes. Good, he thought, the magic user was finally learning to be wary of me.

“What do you want?” Vabian’s voice was thin and reedy, laced with apprehension.

“Now what does any vampire want? Your blood, magic user. I’ll help you in return for your blood.”

Strictly speaking, Dante didn’t need to feed from this human. He was well able to survive a few days between feedings and he’d fed only the day before, but the blood of gifted humans had an appealing quality. Magic users especially had tasty blood that fortified a vampire more than a normal human. Only were blood was more potent, but even over his many centuries, Dante had only tasted were blood once. And that once was enough to haunt him for the remainder of his days.

Still, it was a rare thing for a magic user to fall prey to a vampire, so this opportunity was too good to pass up. Such a delicacy as Vabian’s blood would be worth a little expenditure of energy on Dante’s part.

Vabian stepped forward, his eyes shifty. “I agree to your terms, so long as you take only a little. I need my strength to succeed in my plan.”

“But you need me for the same reason, sorcerer.” Dante licked his lips as he drew ever nearer to his prey.

Vabian nodded. “I do. Which is why I’m agreeing to supply you with small amounts of my blood. Every fifth day, you may feed. I know how powerful my sorcerer’s blood will make you and I know how long your kind can go between feedings.”

“Well aren’t you just the fount of information?” Dante sneered as he faced the shorter man. “You realize I could just take what I want and you’d be powerless to stop me.”

“Not quite powerless.” Vabian allowed sparks to sizzle from his fingertips in a gaudy display of power.

Dante bowed his head, though he knew the human was more prone to parlor tricks than anything that could truly hurt him. Dante had been a knight in the old days, a warrior through and through. Even a magic user was no match for him. Few were.

But he’d let the self-proclaimed sorcerer live with his delusions for now.

“I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt for now.” Vabian nodded, secure in his delusion as Dante felt something like a smile lingering about his lips. It was an odd sensation, one he hadn’t felt in years. The smile widened as he swooped forward to feast on the mage’s bounty. Magic user blood was sweeter than wine and had more kick than tequila. He would taste it tonight for the first time in centuries. It was a rare and wonderful delicacy.

Allie woke to a feeling of incredible warmth. In a rush, the events of the day and night before came back to her. She was a consecrated priestess-in-training now and another year older, but the most

fascinating of all the new things of the past day were holding her close between them in a huge, snuggly warm bed.

Rafe and Tim.

And she was naked.

And so were they.

She knew instinctively it was Tim’s warm chest that pillowed her cheek, his soft breath stirring the hair at the crown of her head. Just as she knew it was Rafe’s devilish hands that rested one at her hip and one cupping between her thighs. One of her legs was thrown over Tim’s thigh, his cock nestled into the groove where thigh met hip. He was warm and pulsing. And hard.

Rafe moved slightly, bringing his own hard length against the cheeks of her ass, his hand stroking lightly now over and between her folds as his dick rubbed back and forth against the softness of her butt cheeks.

He was most definitely awake.

“No sense trying to fool were senses. We knew the moment you woke, sweetheart.” Rafe’s voice rumbled into her ear as he swooped close to kiss her neck with little nibbling bites and licks that made her giggle.

“Stop that. It’s too early to be tickled.”

“Never too early to tickle you, Allie.”

Tim’s sleep roughened voice came from above her head a moment before his arm swept down to the sensitive flesh of her abdomen and started making crawling motions with his big fingers. She laughed and tried to evade four suddenly attacking, giant male hands even as her mind reeled with the idea of Tim being the least bit flirtatious. Her heart broke open with the knowledge that he’d let his ever-present guard down enough to joke with her in such a foolish, carefree way.

There was no escaping their superior strength and advanced reflexes, but if she were honest with herself, she didn’t really want to escape.

These men did more for her long-dormant libido than any man she had

even known. With only a little real experience where men were concerned, she was finding their awakening of her sexual appetites to be both frightening and titillating.

Looking down as each brother teased one of her breasts with roving fingers, she realized the titillation was both figurative and very, very literal. Suddenly the mood changed. Flirtatiousness gave way to seduction, and tickling, teasing touches turned to smooth, slow, stroking.

Allie lay back and allowed them to do what they wanted. She was too far gone to object to anything these gorgeous, caring, honorable men wanted to do to her. Sleeping in their embrace all night had softened her will and quieted her worries, though a distant voice of alarm sounded feebly in her mind. She just ignored it and luxuriated in the sexy, erotic caresses that were like none she had ever experienced before.

“Look at me, baby.” Tim’s voice coaxed rather than commanded as she raised her gaze to his. “Do you want this? Will you let us make love to you?”

Faced with the decision, she hesitated. “I’m a little afraid.” Rafe turned her face to his with one large hand cupping her cheek.

“We’d never hurt you.”

“I know.” And deep in her heart, she felt the truth of that. It was her head that was frightened.

“We won’t go too far. Just let us love you a little. Let us show you how it’ll be when you’re ready to join with us fully.” Rafe dipped his head then, licking and then sucking one of her nipples into his mouth. Allie shivered as waves of delight moved down her spine. Tim smiled rakishly at her reaction and dipped his own head to her other breast, following his twin’s lead. Of course, Tim had to take things one step further, dipping one hand down her abdomen to her

waist, then farther down to the apex of her thighs and the neat curls there.

As they pulled on her nipples, Tim parted her folds with one hand, and Rafe dipped one of his large fingers into her mouth. Liking the saltiness of his skin, she licked his finger and hummed with pleasure as Tim pushed one long finger up inside of her. He moved gently at first until she loosened for him, coating his fingers with her excitement.

Tim raised his head as Rafe’s finger popped free of her mouth and trailed wetly down her body. Rafe let go of her nipple as the men worked in concert to shift her lightly onto her side, Tim’s finger still deep within her as she faced him.