William (6 page)

“Nothing will keep me away from you. You’re mine, Katie.” His hands went to the apex of her thighs. Her gasp and widened eyes made William chuckle. The only way to distract her was to use her innocent body against her. He slid his finger between her molten folds with such ease that it delighted him. William wanted to drink from her, to taste her essence on his tongue.

“When I get you into my bed, I’m going to kiss every inch of your body.” He stopped and pressed his lips against her neck. Her body shook beneath his touch and he pulled his fingers from her glistening cunt. William wanted to give her everything. “I’ll drink from you and bring you to climax over and over again. When you’re in my arms I’ll want to see nothing but the beautiful, aroused flush of your skin.”

He moved his hands and lips down her body, her nipples his next target. William circled each bud before nibbling on it with his teeth. So full—beautiful and perfect.

He kissed down past her belly. Her tummy quivered and he bit into her flesh. His hands went from her rib cage and down to the smooth flesh of her thighs. Opening her wide, he gazed down at her innocent pussy glinting at him. The scent of her arousal permeated the air.

“You’re going to love me for the rest of your life,” he promised. Seconds later, he swiped his tongue from her entrance all the way up to her delicious little clit. Her taste exploded on his tongue and he growled in satisfaction. Katie White was his for the taking. Her fingers gripped his head.

William pulled away. “When you’re spread on my bed I’ll lick you until your cum explodes on my tongue.”

“What about you? I want to see you,” she begged.

He needed to release himself. In one smooth move he got to his feet and dropped his trousers. His cock stood out, firm and hard. He moaned as she licked her lips.

William took his shaft in hand and stroked himself, the tip leaking his pre-cum. He gazed down at her weeping pussy and groaned. It would be so easy to put his chivalry to bed and take her, here and now. But he couldn’t. He’d promised her and forcing himself to wait would be the greatest torture and provide him with the biggest need. No other woman would stand a chance.

He went back to her side and watched as she moved her fingers over his where he held his dick.

“Do you want to touch me?” he asked.

Katie nodded, not moving her eyes from his cock. William released his hold and allowed Katie to grasp him.

“I don’t want you to lick me,” she said. “I want you to play with me while I’m playing with you. Only, I want you to tell me what you want to do to me.”

She was slowly killing him. Her innocence astounded him. Did she have any idea how erotic she sounded?

He cupped her sex and ran his fingers over her creamy clit. She’d asked this of him and he’d give her it. She ran her hands up and down his shaft.

“I’m going to get you on my bed. Tie you up so you’ve got nowhere to go. Your legs wide, showing your wet cunt. I’ll make you wait and beg for it and then I’ll make you come so hard you’re screaming with pleasure.”

William circled her clit and ran down to her centre. He didn’t enter her. The taking of her virginity would happen in his bed. With warmth and caring and knowing that when she woke up he’d still be there, waiting for her.

“I bet you’d love to suck my cock. Maybe I’ll make you do it. In my house, where I made you mine. Would you like that?”

She grunted.

“I want your mouth on me. When you’re dripping and ready I’ll take your virginity and treasure it for all eternity.”

He fingered her pussy and watched as she came apart, her release sending his cock jerking and spilling his seed onto her body. They cried out in completion and when the feelings subsided, he wanted to do it all over again.

Katie lay panting in his arms. “That was amazing.”

“It was merely a taste of much more to come,” he said.

“Please, come and find me, William. I need you.”

“I’m here.”

Then harsh reality thrust in.

A ringing in the distance.

“Shit, not now,” William protested.

“What is it?” she asked, the laughter dimming in her eyes.

William was about to answer…when he disappeared.

He woke to the ringing of the telephone.

Chapter Four

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Adam held the struggling female as he marched her into the Valentines’ house. His youngest sister, Rose, stood waiting for him.

“Robert is waiting in the study for you,” she informed him, moving away.

“How’s Mum?” he asked, holding on to the squirming woman to stop her from escaping.

Rose sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “She’s coping as best as she can. She misses Dad and the peace he brought.”

“Where’s Dawn?” Dawn was another sister, younger than him but older than Rose.

“Out. No one knows where she goes these days.”

Adam nodded and dragged the necromancer down the hall to the study. He didn’t bother to knock. He opened the door to see some of the council members and his brother Jason.

“Where’s William?” Robert demanded as soon as he saw Adam.

“Doing his own shit. Sit,” he ordered Poppy.

He saw her fists tighten as she pulled her cape closer around her body, covering herself up.

“This thing with Katie is going to get him killed.” Robert placed his hands on his hips and stormed around the room.

“He’s going to do what he needs to do.” Adam would defend his brother’s decision. Someone had to.

The other men in the room stayed silent, glancing around at nothing, whilst avoiding eye contact.

“What did you want, Robert?” Adam kept his eyes on Poppy.

“We’ve got some information…” Robert said. Then he stopped, looking from Adam to Poppy. “Who’s the girl?”

Adam turned his gaze his brother. “She was following me and William. Says she’s a necromancer.”

“Impossible!” Jason spoke for the first time since Adam had entered the room.

“How dare you?” Poppy stood, her rage directed at the whole group.

Jason stepped across and went toe to toe with her.

“I dare because necromancers are horse shit. A bullshit theory.” The aggression came off him in waves.

“Jason, back off.” Adam pushed past him and stood between them.

“Get her out of here, Adam. She’s a waste of space,” Jason sneered.

Poppy pushed Adam out of the way and went for his brother. “You want me to prove I’m not some bullshit theory? Test me, boy, and you’ll be sorry.”

She barely reached Jason’s shoulder. She pulled her hood back and showed him her face, her eyes sparkling a vivid red as she approached him.

Adam tensed, wondering what the hell was going on with his youngest brother being aggressive to a woman. He shook his head. They really didn’t need this right now.

Poppy showed the men her scars and the power within her eyes. A true necromancer could radiate a spiritual force that helped them to find their target when raising the dead. After a nasty assignment, though, her spirit self was taking a rest—she wouldn’t be able to call it forth for a while.

Raising the dead was a dangerous business, especially raising immortals.

Poppy could sense this man’s discomfort with her. He was afraid of necromancers, frightened to believe that they might be a reality.

Shaking her head, she turned back to Adam.

“I came to help you. I’m not going to take being insulted,” she said softly, her eyes changing back to their natural colour, grey.

“We’ll talk once I’m done.” He helped her outside and found her a chair. He clearly thought she was in pain because of all of her scars. Poppy liked the help. For once, she could feel like a female with a man to take care of her.

Poppy watched him go back in and shut the heavy door behind him. She could sense the death surrounding the family. It hadn’t been long since they’d lost a loved one. Necromancers couldn’t contact spirits but they could sense them; feel them around. Whomever they had lost wasn’t passing over. If she wanted to raise the body, he would be easy to find.

Her arm tingled from Adam’s touch. She glanced at the door.

She wished she didn’t have all the scars. But some dead bodies still had another fight left in them.

Poppy didn’t understand why she was feeling emotional. She had no clue who this family was, but she couldn’t stop the reactions within her body. When fate wanted to throw her into someone’s path, there was nothing she could do to stop it.

She listened to the vampires in the other room, her body calming down as she realised she was supposed to be here. Being a necromancer heightened her hearing far above that of vampires and humans. She heard spirits from the other realm, for crying out loud. A thick wood door was nothing.

“What is your beef?” Adam asked as soon as they were in private. Jason glanced at the other men in the room as if looking for support.

“No, you don’t just stand off with a woman and expect other people to fight your battles. Be a man and take responsibility.”

Jason was the youngest male in the family and the most coddled. Even more coddled than the women. Even though Rose was the youngest of them all, she had been forced to deal with her own problems.

“She’s a necromancer,” he murmured. 

Adam pointed at him, his rage surfacing. “I don’t give a fuck what she is, you don’t take to fucking threatening a woman,” he yelled.

“Do you even remember what necromancers can do?” Jason stuttered back.

Adam threw his hands in the air as he glanced at each man individually.

“Last time I checked, brother, you were the youngest vampire in this room and had never even met a necromancer.”

Jason bowed his head, embarrassed. Adam wasn’t going to feel guilty. Jason deserved the harshness. He needed to be brought down to earth.

Robert finally spoke up. “He’s right, Jason. You shouldn’t have done that.”

“Until we know what the hell is going on, she stays.” Adam pointed to the door outside which Poppy was waiting.

Adam knew she was important in some way. What shocked him, though, was his lack of fear. He knew the rumours about necromancers controlling the dead and, with him being a vampire and all, he didn’t want her controlling him.

Poppy was obviously a warrior, from the scars dotting her hands and face. He’d bet she had scars all over her body and, in this house, she would be treated with the respect a warrior deserved. She’d been through enough.

He hated how he’d responded to her earlier. He wasn’t sickened by her scars—he admired her.

A woman of worth.

“I’ve got some information about the compound where they’re holding Katie,” Robert said to the group. “I want to know who’s in and who’s out.”

“How reliable is this info?” Adam questioned.

“A source I can trust,” he answered evasively. Since their father’s death and the start of the war, Robert had been more like a commander than a brother. Adam didn’t know how to relate to him anymore.

“You’ll need to phone William.”

“He doesn’t need to know,” Robert argued.

Running his hand through his hair, Adam tried to hold on to what precious sanity he had left.

“If you don’t involve William in a mission to rescue Katie, you will lose him. He is close to losing it already. We need to find her.” It was the best advice Adam could give.

“I’ll come as well.”

All heads in the room turned to the door.

Don was standing there in a leather jacket and blue jeans, his arms folded, everything about him the commanding soldier he’d once been.

“Well, I’ll be damned. Don Hargreaves.” Robert went over and embraced the older vampire.

“Sorry about your loss. Your father was a great man.”

“You here to kick my butt?” Adam asked.

Don chuckled, shaking his head.

“I felt this coming—war with the wolves, right?”

“Killed my father, took our witch and pretty much declared war,” Robert confirmed.

“Figured as much. You can feel the tension everywhere. I’m here to help,” Don said.

“And me.” Poppy was standing inside the door.

“What can you do?” Robert queried.

“I may be a woman, but anyone dead—young or old—I can find them and get the answers you need. You’ll need me at this compound where you think the witch is being held.”

Adam’s heart raced. He rubbed his chest. He didn’t like the thought of her going on a mission like this.

She stared at all of them. A bad-ass girl.

“I’ll call William. We do this tonight at sundown,” Robert said to the group.

Adam took Poppy by the arm and guided her out of the room, refusing to let go until he had them both safely locked away in his room.

* * * *

William glared at the light flashing on his mobile. Running a hand over his face, he mourned his return to the real world.

But he couldn’t ignore his brother for long, even if he wanted to.

Flipping open the mobile phone, he pressed it to his ear.

“Yeah?” His voice croaked and his hands were shaking. He got up from the floor and moved to the bathroom. The mirror showed him how rough and unkempt he looked.

“Will, it’s Robert.”

“I figured that one out when it flashed on the screen. Call screening, Robert,” William said to his brother with all the sarcasm he could muster.

“Whatever Will.”

“Stop calling me that.” Will was from another time—a nicer time.

“Fine, how have you been?”

“We’re going to make small talk?” William knew he was being a bastard, but he couldn’t help it.

“This is how it’s going to be between us?” Robert asked him.

“While my big brother is trying to stop me looking for my witch, yeah, expect this.” He splashed some water on his face, making sure he didn’t splash the mobile, running the water through his hair, wiping the dried blood from his face.