The Chosen (9 page)

His cock pressed against her soft thigh, making it burn even
hotter. He licked and nibbled at the base of her neck, feeling her
strong pulse right below his lips. Just one bite, a little pressure, and
her sweet blood would fill his mouth.

His fingers spread her moisture around her pussy, sliding in and
out of her tight center. He ran his fingers through her lips, spreading
them and wetting them with her cream. Her moans and whimpers
fueled his own, making him thrust against her leg. His teeth grazed
her neck, and her heart beat faster—her pulse beating erratically
under his tongue. He kept a steady rhythm with his fingers in her tight
pussy—not going in fully, just teasing her. Her pussy was sopping
wet, coating his fingers as her juices made it easy for his fingers to
fuck her.

He couldn’t hold out any longer, his need to taste her too strong.

He opened his mouth, his tongue lapping at the sweetness of her skin.

Her muscles clenched around his fingers as his fangs pierced her
tender flesh. Her climax ripped through her, gripping him in a
stranglehold. He could taste her pleasure and let it wash through his
own body. Her blood was the sweetest thing he ever tasted, like a
drug he was already addicted to. The sweet liquid slipped down his
throat as his fingers plunged in a little farther His eyes snapped open
as his fingers came up against a barrier—her innocence. He
swallowed another mouthful of her sweet life-giving nectar, and he
wrenched himself off of her. As he swallowed her blood, it triggered
something in him so primal the change took over him.

His
Chosen
. She was his. The one woman that was his…

Mine.

The lone word echoed in his head as he stared at her glorious
naked form on his bed. Her back was arched, her flushed breasts
pushed up as her climax continued to course through her. Everything
inside of him screamed for him to claim her, mate her, and make her
irrevocably his for all eternity.

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She looked at him, fear taking over the pleasure filled-expression
she had. His hands landed on the cool wall, and he could only
imagine what he looked like to her. She scrambled off the bed, her
beautiful body making him go crazier with lust. He was doing
everything in his willpower to control himself, to not take her right
here on the floor. His primal side, the one that was pure instinct,
fought with his better judgment for supremacy.

She held up her hands in surrender, and his heart clenched in
regret. He was the cause of her fear, and it tore him up. He knew he
looked like a monster. His eyes were no longer blue but black and
bottomless. His body was taller and bigger, and his fangs pressed
against his bottom lip. His voice was no longer his but more distorted,
animalistic.

Her blue eyes were wide with fear, and her heart beat an erratic
rhythm. He told her to go to the bathroom and lock it. He knew he
would never harm her, could never harm her, but he couldn’t control
himself completely right now. She wrapped herself in a sheet and ran
toward the bathroom, and when he heard the door lock, relief had his
shoulders shagging. A door wouldn’t stop him if he really wanted in,
but it blocked off some of her mouthwatering scent. It took all his
willpower to pick up the phone and call his brother.

* * * *

He pulled up to the front of the home he shared with his siblings and turned the Hummer off. He sat in silence for a minute, getting himself under control and ready for who he was about to face.

Lana.

He didn’t doubt she would want to run screaming from him, but he could not allow that—could never allow that to happen. His hands clenched tightly on the steering wheel, and he looked at his home.

The house was built into the side of a mountain, hidden by the towering evergreens and pines.

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Jenika Snow

His fangs hadn’t descended fully, the idea of claiming his
Chosen
still fresh in his brain. He got out of the car and walked up the stone steps that led to the front door. He closed his eyes and closed his fingers around the doorknob. His body was already pulsing with need.

He knew what waited just behind the door, and it wouldn’t be controlled much longer. His mind was screaming at him.

Claim her.

Take her.

Make her yours.

He opened the door and walked inside, knowing instantly where Lana was. Her blood ran in his veins now, and because of that, he could find her anywhere. He shut the door and walked toward her, his destiny.

* * * *

Lana floated in and out of unconsciousness, a pleasure-filled sleep with erotic dreams of touching and kissing. She wanted to open her eyes, but she didn’t have the strength. Her arms and legs were like weights, and movement seemed impossible. She could hear sounds close by, deep voices arguing with each other in a language she couldn’t understand. One of them sounded familiar and sent desire through her. She concentrated on that one voice, trying to place where she heard it before. She became a little more awake and tried to open her eyes, but she still didn’t have the strength. He was the one who made her feel such desire, such heated arousal. The noises drifted off, and she idly thought she dreamt them.

As the sounds drifted away, the weight that held her body in place dissipated, and now she had the strength to open her eyes. She lay on her back, the room lightly lit and a crackling sound bouncing off the walls. She sat up, her head still a little foggy as she looked around. A fire was lit in front of her, the flames licking wildly through the wood.

She sat atop a massive bed with silk sheets spread across her. She ran
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her hand over the smooth material, a spark of recognition about silk sheets stabbing through her mind. An image flashed through in front of her eyes—her lying on silk sheets and intense pleasure washing through her. She flushed at the vivid images, but no matter how hard she tried, she didn’t know where those images came from.

“A fire is truly beautiful, is it not? The bright flames dancing along the wood as if it’s starving.”

She looked toward the shadowed corner where the feminine, accented voice came from. The woman sat in a chair, the fire light dancing over her small body. Curls bounced around her face, framing large, bright blue eyes that struck some kind of remembrance to Lana.

A face came to her mind—masculine and with the same blue eyes.

“Do I know you? Where am I?”

“I’m surprised Milo’s hold is no longer keeping you asleep.” She tapped her finger against her lip and smiled. “Don’t worry, your memory will come back shortly. Sooner than any others. Very interesting.”

“What are you talking about? Where am I, and who are you?”

“My name is Aniya. You are at our home, my brothers’ and mine, that is.” She stood and walked toward Lana.

“Why am I here?” Images flashed through her mind, broken pictures and words that didn’t make any sense. A large, muscular body, black eyes…fangs. The image of those teeth stood out in her mind, her brain screaming that this one image was vital. She absently touched the side of her neck, the spot tender under her fingers. She looked down and saw herself dressed in clothes that weren’t her own.

“I hope you don’t mind, but we’re about the same size, and I didn’t think he wanted you to stay naked.” She walked toward the door and grasped the handle as if she were about to leave.

“Wait! Where are you going? Please don’t leave me here.” Panic swelled inside of her. Even though she didn’t know this woman, she somehow felt calmer being around her.

“My brother will be in soon and explain everything to you.”

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Jenika Snow

“Please wait! You’re just going to leave me here? Tell me what’s going on.”

She turned around, the smile on her face sad. “Please don’t be so frightened. No one will harm you here.” She turned and left, shutting the door softly behind her.

Lana’s heart pounded hard in her chest, and her body became hot.

She scrambled off the bed and ran toward the door. Deep voices sounded outside of the door, but she couldn’t understand what they were saying. She let go of the handle and looked around the room for another way out. There were no windows in the room and only one other door. She ran toward the other door and opened it. Her heart sank as she stared at a bathroom. She didn’t bother switching a light on, just blindly searched for a weapon of some kind. Besides bars of soap and shampoo, there wasn’t anything she could use as a weapon.

She left the bathroom and searched the room, her heart racing as the door swung open. A man stood on the other side, his body massive and his gaze trained on her. She stared at his face, and all of the suppressed memories, all of the broken words and images she had been trying to sort out, became clear. Everything flashed through her mind like a movie on fast forward, and she gasped. Her fear came back ten-fold, and she twisted her fingers together as he watched her.

“Please don’t hurt me.”

Surprise flashed across his features as well as an emotion she thought was pain.

Just shut up, Lana, you’re going to make the situation worse.

She took a step back as he walked into the room and closed the door. He looked at her for a suspended second before his gaze went to the fire. As he stood there, the fire light danced over him and made him look fierce and dangerous.

“What do you want from me?” She involuntarily touched the side of her neck that tingled and throbbed. Images of their naked bodies intertwined made her flush, arousal slowly burning within her.

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“Sweet, sweet, Lana. If only I could make you not fear me.” He turned toward her and looked at her with anguish in his eyes. “But this is my fault, is it not? I am the cause of your fear. The reason you think I am here to harm you.” He shook his head and closed his eyes.

“I wish to tell you things, things you will not want to believe, but what I say is the truth.”

He walked closer to the fire and turned his back to her. Through the white shirt, his tattoo was evident. It looked like a cross or something similar, but with the lighting being so poor it was hard to tell. The only thing she could tell for sure was that it covered his entire back.

“Are you Aniya’s brother?” She didn’t know why she even cared.

From what she could remember, he was a monster. Again, the image of sharp fangs and black eyes flashed through her mind. She remembered his deep, distorted voice and flinched inwardly. As frightened as she was, she had to wonder why he hadn’t hurt her back at the apartment. Why hadn’t he hurt her when she was unconscious?

She touched the side of her neck once more, her vagina becoming instantly wet at them memory of his bite.

“Yes, that is my sister.” He turned around, his face now void of any emotion. “I live here with my three siblings. Luca and the twins, Milo and Aniya.” He held up his hands, palms outward in surrender.

“I am the eldest of the four. I am Ale…”

“Aleksei.” The name spilled out of her before she could stop herself. Flashes of them naked together, their limbs moving together, filled her head. She called out his name at the pleasure he brought her.

She flushed from the memories and turned her head away from him.

“Please look at me.”

She looked back at him, his blue eyes so intense as he watched her. “Why am I here? I didn’t do anything wrong. I just want to go home. I won’t tell anyone about anything I swear it! I have nothing to give you. Please!” The words were spoken on one breath, but her fear started a slow creep through her again.

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Jenika Snow

What if he’s the one who’s been killing those women?

“I have never harmed a female in my entire existence!” His voice boomed throughout the room.

She stepped back until she felt the wall behind her. “Please, please don’t hurt me.” She held her hands out, palms forward. How the hell had he heard her? Had she spoken out loud? No, she didn’t think so, but she must have because people couldn’t read others’ minds. Then again, people didn’t turn into fanged monsters. He relaxed immediately, and a look of anguish covered his strong features. He held his hand out as if she should just take it and walk toward him. He took a step forward and then stopped.

“I’m telling you not to fear me, and what do I do? I frighten you.”

He ran a hand through his short hair and breathed out roughly. “I was not upset with you, please know. I could never be upset with you. I’m just on edge with other things, and that is a touchy subject right now.”

He walked toward the edge of the bed and sat down, motioning for her to do the same. “Please, would you sit down and relax? I swear on my honor I won’t harm you. I just want to explain everything to you.”

He sounded sincere, but why should she believe him? She couldn’t escape with his body between the door and her. She eyed the bed and sat at the very corner, holding her body at an odd angle. A small smile lit up his face, and he took a deep breath.

“Do you need anything? Water, food, different clothes?”

She shook her head, her fingers twisting together.

“How much do you remember…from earlier?”

“Everything.” She barely said the word before she gasped. He was right in front of her the next second, his body blocking the light from the fire. In her haste to put distance between them, she ended up slipping off the bed. Before she made contact with the floor, he scooped her up and set her gently back on the bed.