Stephen (24 page)

“
I don’t know the first thing about kids. It’s been…even holding Samuel’s baby terrifies me to no end.” He leaned back in the chair. “I would like to see you large with our child. The thought of you having my baby appeals to me.”

“
I think you’re keener about making one than having one.” He wiggled his brows at her. “What did you find out about the will and gems?”

“
The family is in dire straits, but nothing that they couldn’t have avoided. The young man came by. I had no idea that I could talk to the dead. Kind of scared me a little more than I thought it would. Anyway, he came by and asked me to give them only enough to pay the rent and their power bills. I told him that there was enough here to purchase a house and they’d never have to work again. Do you know what he said about that?”

“
He said that they needed to work for what they wanted, not to have it handed to them. I think I like your ghost.” Stephen growled, and she laughed. “Mine was a small boy who had been killed by neglect. At least your guy died of natural causes.”

They both sat in silence, she was thinking about the young boy, and he more than likely was thinking about sex. She grinned. She stood up and sat on his lap.

“
Tomorrow is the trial for Velvet. What do you suppose will come of it?” He pulled her closer to him and didn’t say anything for a long time. Clar closed her eyes and was drifting off when he finally did speak.

“
I’m going to propose that she be beheaded. We cannot take the chance on her being set free again. If she does, there will be no telling how much worse she will be.” Clar agreed with him. “It’ll have to be done by her accuser.”

Clar sat up and looked at him. “You? You’ll have to take her head off? It’s not an easy thing to do. Not even if the person is someone you don’t know. But you have a history with her. How do you feel about it?”

“
I’m…I was going to say fine, but that makes me sound like a prick. And since I’ve met you, I’m not feeling so prick-like.” He sat her on the desk and pulled his chair to her, positioning himself between her legs. “But I don’t want to think about her right now. What I want to do is have a feast and you as the main course.”

She leaned back and watched him as he pulled off her shoes and socks. She’d never have believed that it could be thought of as sexy when a man took them off for you. Her pants were next as he slowly peeled them from her body. He massaged her foot as he kissed her knees.

“
Do you have any idea how much I love the taste of you? Not just your blood or even your luscious pussy, but your skin. It tastes like what I believe heaven to be like.” He moved his mouth along the back of her knee by lifting her leg up. “And your taste gets stronger when you’re aroused.”

“
You’re making me crazy with need.” He laughed softly as he pulled her to the edge of the desk and tore her shirt open from hem to neck. “Stephen, the moment you touch me with your mouth, I’m going to come.”

“
Good.” He licked her thigh now, his tongue making a wet path to where she needed him most. When he opened her legs wider, she held her breath, knowing that she was going to need it when she screamed. “Come for me, baby. Come for me and let me drink my fill of you before I take you.”

All she could manage was a nod as her panties were torn from her hips. When he lifted her up, pulling the last of the skimpy material from beneath her, she screamed when he licked her clit. Nothing could have stopped her from coming even if he’d held a gun to her head.

He ate her. Not just her clit, but her lips and thighs. Every time he touched his fangs to her skin, she cried out. When his tongue sealed the tiny wounds she knew he was giving her, she begged him for more. Clar wasn’t sure how much more she could take when he stood up and opened his pants.

“
I’m going to fuck you.” She nodded and reached for his cock when he freed it, but he told her no. “If you touch me, even with your fingers, I’m going to come all over you, and I so desperately want to be buried deep inside of you. Lean back.”

Her body was spread out for him, her legs wide on either side of his hips, her breasts bare of anything but her hands. Lifting and squeezing at them, she watched as he leaned over her, his cock at her entrance.

“
Don’t hold back.” She told him that she couldn’t anyway. “I’m not going to last long, and I want you to have as much pleasure as you can get.”

His cock didn’t just fill her but became a part of her. When he rolled his hips into her again and again, she felt her climax pull at her. And when he touched that part of her that made her scream, she did so, crying out his name over and over as he came with her. As soon as his teeth sank into her throat, Clar cried out and felt her world tilt off its axis. Too much, her mind told her just as blackness took her.

Chapter 14

Stephen watched the council. They were still upset with him because he’d not taken the position of leader, but now Marsh was on his side and things went a good deal better. They still wanted him, but now he had an ally. Stephen looked at Clar when she reached for his hand.

“
What’s taking them so long? I would have thought this thing would have started by now. Didn’t they say it was to begin at ten sharp?” He laughed when she looked at her watch again. “It’s ten after now. What the fuck are they waiting for?”

“
Ten sharp to a vampire or any of these beings could be tomorrow.” She looked at him aghast. “I’m kidding. They have to wait on the third. Since the death of one of their members they need an odd number to make sure that they don’t have a tied vote.”

He was sure that they were having a very hard time convincing anyone to reign on this council. Just an hour ago the person they had chosen decided that it would take up too much of his time, and Samuel had enough to do right now. Stephen laughed. He was sure that Kennedy had had a great deal to do with his decision. She hated the time he spent away from home now.

The doors behind him opened and they all stood up. The third had been found apparently, and when she came through the doors, Stephen burst out laughing. Samuel, however, was not amused.

Samuel’s mother stood proud and glared at him when he laughed again when she looked his way. This was just too much for him, and he thought he was going to have to leave the room or be fined heavily. The council didn’t like it when their panel was made fun of. When they were all seated, Summer stood up.

“
As you know, there has been an opening on the council for many months now. Today, after much deliberation, I have taken on the role as head councilwoman for the paranormal. As of today, myself and the other council members, Marsh Dickerson and Penny Blackford, will preside over every case. We will also start on making the rules governing us more up-to-date, as well as fair to the ones we serve.” She looked around the room, taking a deep breath. Stephen could see what this was costing her; she was as scared as he’d ever seen the woman. “Please bring in Sally Shunt, otherwise known as one Velvet December.”

Her entrance could only be described as overdone. Much like most of her life, Velvet looked like what every human would ever think of a vampire as being, with a long, blood-red cape over a black skin-tight dress that displayed more of her than was strictly necessary. Her heels, when they could be seen under her lace, were pointed and covered in spikes. Stephen had a moment to wonder what Clarice would look like in such a pair. Then Velvet turned toward him.

“
Christ.” She had made her face up in a way that was both sad and hysterically funny. Dark lines circled her eyes so that she looked sultry and sexy. Her lips were covered in the reddest color he’d ever seen; he was not even sure that he could name it, it was so red. Rouge streaked across her cheeks, making her pale skin look all the whiter, and her nose was pierced several times with small diamond like studs.

The jewelry around her neck was a gold chain that had small vials hanging from it that he thought looked like they were blood filled. Her ears had hanging orbs dangling from them that at first glance he thought were swords, but were crosses. Each one was slightly different from the others. A total of about two dozen hung from each ear. He might have laughed if he wasn’t afraid he’d never be able to stop. He wondered what she had been thinking when she’d gotten ready for this.

“
She thinks she’s scarier.” He looked at Clarice when she whispered in his mind. “It’s sad really, but she thinks that other than a slap on the wrist, they’re going to tell her what she’d done was all right and let her go. She thinks they cannot put her to ground again.”

“
They can’t.” She looked at him when he answered her. “Once you are tried for a crime and the sentence is carried out, the same punishment cannot be applied. If it didn’t work the first time, the council seemed to think that it was meant to be or some bullshit.”

“
You’re kidding.” He told her he wasn’t. “Well, that just sucks the big one. Then what the hell are they going to do to her now? I was talking to a group of people before I came in here, and they said that the council said that they were too humane to murder their own kind. Is that true?”

“
It was. I’m not sure about this group. Summer is a wonderful person and the kindest woman I’ve ever met before you. Do I think she can carry out justice on this kind of crime? I’m not so sure.” They were asked to stand when the crimes against Velvet were read. They were longer than he’d thought, and listed among them were the death of fifty-three of her own children, humans she’d made into vampires then killed. Edward Barron was the last name to be read. Velvet was given a chance to respond to the list brought before her.

“
You think anyone cares that a few people are dead? I don’t.” She snorted. “As a matter of fact, some of those people were worse than me. And when you think about it, I did us all a favor by taking them out. As for the others, I don’t even remember doing that, so I want it taken from the list. I think it unfair that you even bring some of that shit up.”

“
How do you think the families of your victims feel about you being so cavalier about their deaths?” Velvet waved Summer off, and she continued. “What do you think people will say when we sentence you?”

“
Sentence me? For what? Killing a few people that were going to die anyway? For doing what we all should be doing?” She shook her head as if she couldn’t believe it was even a problem. “Get over yourself. Everyone knows that vampires kill. It’s what we do best.”

“
I see. And the kidnapping of Stephen Silva and his mate, Clarice Kelley, what do you have to say about that?” Velvet looked at him and Clarice when Summer asked her. Stephen was sure if she hadn’t been chained down, she would have leapt at them both. Instead, she just looked at Summer and answered her question.

“
Stephen was mine before he got it into his head to take a mate. I should have been with him instead of this fucking human turned paltry vampire. She might look good on his arm, but he has to see what I can do with myself when we’re together and know he’s made a mistake.” Velvet stood up and ran her hands down her body as she turned toward him. “See this? This is all yours when this trial is over.”

“
And what of his mate? What do you plan to do with her? I’m sure you’ve thought this out?” Velvet nodded at Summer and smiled at him again. Stephen felt his skin crawl when he thought that at one time she was his.

“
I’m going to get rid of her, of course.” Summer asked her what that meant. “Whatever it takes. I would have taken her out before, but she got away. And don’t even try to pin that shit on me, either. I know the rules and rights of mates. He was mine.”

“
But not your mate.” Velvet shrugged, but she did look decidedly more uncomfortable. “You would kill her to take her place in a man’s life that has no use for you. How on earth do you think that would work? Mates are forever, and the love between them stronger than any bond. How did you think to conquer that?”

“
Magic. I don’t have that kind right now, but I have a deal with a mage. He said he could get it for me for a price.” She looked at him and smiled. “You’d give me the money, won’t you, love? I mean, it would be for a good cause?”

“
You’re fucking nuts.” No one spoke when Clarice stood up and between him and Velvet. “You’re one sick fucking cunt if you think for one minute I’m going to let you go near him, much less try to fuck him. He’s mine and I love him.”

Stephen was too stunned to say anything. She loved him was all he could think about. But when Velvet stood up and tried to break free of the bonds that held her, he did stand. Stephen put out his hand and a burst of power slipped from him to Velvet. She froze in mid curse.