The Vampire Who Thirsted for a Wolf (9 page)

gasp came from Skylar, and then the rustling of sheets and clothes

sounded behind Byron. In seconds, the seahorse was by his side.

Malcolm rubbed his eyes, looking far older than Byron

remembered. “She…We were so careful. I don’t know how it

happened. She’s pregnant, Byron.”

Byron immediately understood the problem. Malcolm’s wife,

Yuki, was a blue octopus. Whenever females of her species gave birth,

they died, but at the same time, they were very protective of their

children. Malcolm and Yuki had established in the very beginning of

their relationship that they would avoid offspring altogether. Yuki’s

natural motherly instinct had been poured into her affection for

Byron’s sons, so it had all worked out in the end.

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Byron didn’t even know what to say, so he settled for a question.

“How is she?”

“Right now, she’s fine,” Malcolm replied. “Of course, she refuses

even considering giving up the child.”

“But there must be something we can do!” Skylar exclaimed.

“Medicine has advanced a lot, and now, we have the cooperation of

magical creatures. Someone is bound to help us.”

That was an excellent idea. The Sidhe royal family was very close

to Byron’s friends now, and they wouldn’t refuse a request to help

Yuki. They had healing abilities that went beyond anything Byron had

ever seen before.

“That’s what we thought,” Malcolm answered. “But we weren’t

sure how the child would be affected by magic, or an artificial birth

process. You know that our powers are tricky and erratic, and if we

lose control, we can even kill people we love.”

Yes, Byron knew all about that since he himself had been in a

similar situation. Malcolm’s and Yuki’s powers were, however, more

discreet. Some would even call those abilities insidious. They could

kill people with a touch, and while this made them very strong allies,

it also worsened Yuki’s problem.

“I don’t know if you remember, but her family didn’t like her

mating with me,” Malcolm continued. “They wanted her to live in the

same way her ancestors did, to perpetuate the species, to do her duty.”

The next words were filled with hatred and impotent anger. “To die.

Still, we decided to come to Japan, to ask for their advice.”

“What did they say?” Skylar prodded when Malcolm hesitated.

“They refused to even speak to us. Yuki was crushed. And to make

things even worse, Sophia took advantage of our absence and

escaped.”

“How?” Byron’s mind whirled with questions and fury. He had

always wanted to kill Sophia for what she’d done, but his affection for

Malcolm had kept him from actually giving the order. “I thought she

was under permanent watch.”

The Vampire Who Thirsted for a Wolf

55

“She had help. The few guards who remained alive told us that it

was a squad of vampires, Byron.”

Byron gaped. He’d have expected anything else but that.

Vampires. Why would they want to free Sophia? They had nothing to

do with her imprisonment. She wasn’t particularly powerful, so she

couldn’t be a priceless ally for anyone.

It occurred to him then that Derek and Melanie Wade were in

Japan. Soren had told Byron that Kaname Yamamoto was trustworthy,

but given the circumstances, Byron didn’t want to take any chances.

“Malcolm, come back to the States,” he told the man he still

considered his father. “We’ll arrange for the best of care for Yuki. In

the meantime, I have some people to warn.”

* * * *

Derek flipped the page of the book he was supposed to be reading

without seeing the lines. He was in a good mood, no, in an excellent

one. He’d found his mate, and the man shared his feelings. They had

bonded, and God, Derek had never been happier in his life.

Sadly, Kaname had duties to attend to, so they hadn’t been able to

stay all day in bed like they’d have liked. Derek had retreated to his

quarters, comforted by the promise that Kaname would come to him

soon. Honestly, he’d have much preferred to join the vampire

wherever Kaname went, but he understood that it wasn’t possible.

“I want that, too,
hana
,”
Kaname sent to him through their bond,

“but if you’re with me, I’d never be able to focus on anything but

you.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”
Derek teased. He’d never have thought

it, but he loved it that Kaname called him “his flower.” It should have

seemed corny, but when Kaname explained it to him, it made sense,

and it made Derek’s soul glow with happiness.

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“Not a bad thing,”
Kaname corrected him.
“If anything, it’s too

good. But I do have a responsibility to my coven, and I can’t abandon

that.”

Derek felt a pang of guilt for even momentarily forgetting about

Kaname’s role and importance for the vampire nation. Even now,

Kaname was discussing issues of coven organization with Mizuki,

and Derek realized he should probably stop pestering his mate.
”I

understand,”
he replied.
“I can be patient. I don’t want to disturb

you.”

“You never disturb me, Derek,”
Kaname whispered, and his

affection was like a warm summer breeze caressing Derek’s skin.

Kaname might not be in the room with him, but with their bond in

place, they were never truly apart.
“And I think you’ll find that I’ll be

the one to pester you.”
Kaname ushered Mizuki from his office, and

his connection with Derek went from comforting to volcanic hot,

boiling with passion.
“I thirst for you.”

Derek whimpered, the feel of Kaname’s arousal and need for him

as addictive as the vampire’s touch. Abandoning the unread book, he

palmed his cock through his trousers. Even knowing that he should

stop showering Kaname with his emotions and sensations, he couldn’t

help but consider masturbating.

Grinning to himself, Derek unzipped his pants, swiftly lowered his

underwear, and grabbed his cock in his fist. He imagined the way

Kaname had looked at him, how his dick had filled him so perfectly.

His fantasy seemed to take a life of its own as he heard Kaname’s

voice in his mind.
“Oh,
hana
, you drive me crazy. Touch yourself for

me. Fuck your hand as if it were my mouth.”

Derek knew Kaname wasn’t really there, but it didn’t seem to

matter. His body responded to Kaname’s words, and impossibly, his

dick hardened even more. Groaning, Derek rubbed his thumb over the

leaking tip, imagining it was Kaname’s touch that brought him the

pleasure. With his other hand, he massaged his sac, biting his lip to

recreate the near-painful kisses Kaname showered him with.

The Vampire Who Thirsted for a Wolf

57

All the while, Kaname never ceased talking through their bond.

“That’s it, Derek. You taste so good. You feel so good. My sweet

hana
…Come on. Harder. Rub it harder.”

Through their bond, Derek could feel that Kaname was touching

himself as well. He closed his eyes, focusing on that mind link. He

could see Kaname so clearly, almost as if the vampire were really

there, not in his office. Kaname lay on his seat, his legs spread wide,

his hand furiously working his thick, jutting shaft. His beautiful lips

parted to expose the fangs that had claimed Derek in such a deep,

profound way.
“
Hana
,”
he said.
“Give me more.”

Derek completely surrendered to his mate’s desires. He spat in his

palm and engulfed his dick in his hand, moving it to follow Kaname’s

rhythm. It wasn’t a conscious decision. It just seemed to happen, their

bodies completely in synch with each other even in this simple act. It

was almost like Derek was jacking Kaname’s dick and the other way

around.

The pleasure soared higher and higher, Derek’s climax building

like a storm that gathered energy before it unleashed its power over

the world. He was so close, so very close.
“Ah, Kaname,”
Derek

moaned.
“Yes. Just a little more.”

Kaname tweaked his own nipple through his shirt, his gravel-

filled voice invading Derek’s mind once again.
“Come,
hana
. Come

for me.”

As he spoke, Kaname squeezed his dick hard, and the sensations

echoed through Derek. With a cry, he found his peak, sending spunk

all over his shirt and even his cheek. In his mind’s eye, he saw

Kaname come as well, and his mate’s pleasure made him shudder

with an indirect climax.

Spent, he collapsed against the couch, for a few moments just

reveling in the afterglow of the orgasm. Masturbating had never been

like this, but then, sex itself was different with Kaname. He only

wished he could run to Kaname now, lick him clean, and reacquaint

himself with Kaname’s body over and over again.

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Scarlet Hyacinth

Perhaps he’d have done just that, had a knock not sounded at his

door. Derek jumped, startled that he hadn’t heard or felt the incoming

presence. He shook himself, trying to clear his thoughts. How could

he have missed his sister approach?

Cursing, Derek shot to his feet and hastened to the bathroom to

clean up. “Just a sec,” he called out. He washed off the traces of his

orgasm, tossed the dirty top in the hamper, and ran back to the

bedroom, where he pulled on the first shirt he could find. He looked

forward to telling Mel all about his mating, but really, her timing was

awful.

When he opened the door, though, her grim expression stopped

him from either berating her or expressing enthusiasm. “Sis, what’s

the matter?” he asked.

Mel pushed past him, slipping into the room and scanning it with

careful eyes. She must have smelled sex on him, in spite of him

having cleaned up, but she didn’t comment on it. “Where did you

leave your phone?” she asked instead.

Confused, Derek closed the door and tried to remember. His mind

was still fuzzy from his recent climax, but he was fairly certain he’d

had it in Kaname’s quarters. He didn’t recall putting it back into his

pocket when he’d left, though. There had been so many sweet kisses

and addicting caresses that finding the phone had slipped his mind.

“Oh, I see,” Mel said before he could come up with an actual

reply. Derek realized his thoughts must have shown on his face, but

he didn’t appreciate her judgmental tone.

“Mel, what is this all about?” he inquired. “You were so

supportive of me pursuing Kaname. How come you suddenly

disagree?”

“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” Mel replied. “Now, not

so much.”

Derek threw his hands up in exasperation. “What’s changed?

Seriously, Mel, do you have to be so cryptic?”

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59

“You’d know what’s changed if you had your phone with you.”

Mel glowered at him. “Dad called. He was already freaking out

because you weren’t answering.”

Derek decided to just shut up and stop asking questions since Mel

would obviously tell him what this was all about after she finished

nagging him. Thankfully, his sister must have realized the actual info

was more important than berating Derek for his forgetfulness. “Sophia

Bristol is free. She was aided in her escape by a squad of vampires.

They killed dozens of shifters.”

Derek had expected anything but that. For him, Sophia was a

chapter in their lives that had ended long ago. He had only met her

through his close acquaintance with the Cunninghams, and he’d never

trusted her motives. Nevertheless, he’d been as appalled as everyone

else when she’d almost killed Alexis and his son, Elian. The Bristols

had felt the same way, so there was truly no one who could have

attempted to aid in her escape. Why vampires? Why now?

Kaname’s voice drifted into Derek’s mind.
“Why, indeed,

Derek?”
As Derek connected with Kaname, he realized the vampire

was just now greeting Byron Cunningham on the phone. It seemed

that both of them had been given very little time to recover from their

quick orgasms before the world had returned to haunt them.

Undoubtedly, the shark-shifter meant to tell Kaname what Mel had