Chapter 16
After spending several hours moving from one demon bar to another in hopes of locating Alison, Ravyr at last insisted they call it a night. Not only was dawn less than an hour away, but Maya was exhausted.
Of course, the stubborn woman wasn’t willing to admit that the battle with Joyce, not to mention her acute sense of guilt at being forced to kill her friend, had sapped her strength. She would willingly continue the search until she collapsed if he hadn’t insisted he needed shelter.
Her weariness did have one benefit. She’d been too tired to argue when the SUV had pulled to a halt in front of the towering glass-and-steel building in Manhattan. She’d even limited her annoyance to a narrow-eyed glare when they’d entered Valen and Peri’s penthouse and a servant had led them to t he guest suite.
Choosing the bedroom on the far side of the small living room, Ravyr had taken a long shower to remove the smell from the demon clubs and pulled on a pair of jogging pants and a sweatshirt he found hanging in the closet. Then, returning to the shared space, he discovered that the shutters had firmly closed to shut out the morning light and that several lamps had been switched on, bathing the elegant silver and charcoal furnishings i n a soft glow.
Maya was already pacing the thick carpet, nibbling on a croissant that had been left on a silver tray along with fruit and freshly brewed coffee. Her hair was damp from the shower and she was wearing a satin robe that clung to her lush curves. Ravyr’s fangs lengthened as a sudden hunger sla mmed into him.
Not for croissants or coffee. It was Maya he was desp erate to taste.
Her blood. Her lips. The sweet flesh be tween her legs.
Coming to an abrupt halt, Maya slowly turned to face him. As if she could sense the desire that pulsed through the air. For a searing moment her eyes darkened with a need that matched his; a profound, ruthless passion that demanded satisfaction.
Then, narrowing her gaze in frustration, she tossed the croissant on the low coffee table, brushing the crumbs fro m her fingers.
“I can’t believe you convinced me to stay here,” she groused in accusing tones, clearly in a mood to blame him for everything wro ng in her life.
Ravyr arched a brow, strolling forward to stand directly in front of her. “I have many fine talents.” He boldly stroked a finger over her cheek. She trembled beneath his light touch, but thankfully she didn’t pull away. “A few that I hope to demonstrate very, very soon. But convincing Maya Rosen to do something she doesn’t want to do isn’t one of them.” His fingers traced the curve of her lower lip. “You’re here because you know Valen is out of town. And it’s currently safer t han your home.”
“Are you saying I’m stubborn?”
“Are you lookin g for a fight?”
She furrowed her brow before heaving a harsh sigh. “Maybe.” Another sigh. “Yes . I hate this.”
“It’s not so bad. A little posh for my taste, but I’ve stayed in worse places.”
Ravyr swept a glance over the sleek furniture and expensive paintings hung on the walls. He’d never had a permanent lair, and until now, he’d never considered putting down roots. Suddenly, he tried to imagine himself surrounded by his own belongings. It wouldn’t be like this place. Like he said, it was too posh and he wasn’t really a penthouse sort of vampire. Perhaps a cabin in the mountains. Or a coffee shop in Lind en, New Jersey.
All that really mattered was that Maya w as at his side.
Maya shivered. “I hate that the business I struggled so hard to create has been tainted. And I hate that Joyce is dead because of me.”
“No.” Ravyr’s tone was sharp. He wasn’t going to allow her to blame herself. “None of this is your fault.”
“It has to be, ” she insisted.
“Why?” He frowned down at her troubled expression. “What’s going through that cunning mind of yours?”
“Whatever is happening now is connected to the past.” Magic prickled in the air, as if Maya was struggling to leash her emoti ons. “To Batu.”
“I agree.” Ravyr knew better than to try to soothe this woman with lies. She was too smart not to realize everything happening was linked together. “But that doesn’t make yo u responsible.”
“If Batu’s here to punish me, then I have at least some blame, ” she insisted.
“We don’t even know if B atu is alive.”
Ravyr cupped her cheeks in his hands, the feel of her rough scars sending a burst of fury through him. He almost hoped his old nemesis had survived. Nothing would give him greater pleasure than destroying Batu. As slowly and with as much agonizing pa in as possible.
Her expression tightened. “What else explains wha t’s happening?”
“I don’t know, but if the bastard had escaped all those years ago, then why wait so long to hunt you down?” He deliberately paused, allowing her time to consider his words. “And most importantly, why not confront you in person? He was never a leader who made meticulous plans and set out lo ng-term goals.”
“No.” She grimaced. “He was a petulant child who indulged in constant temper tantrums and impulsively hopped from one decisi on to another.”
“Exactly.” He brushed his thumb over her cheek. “If he had survived, he would have ripped apart the world searching for you. And there wouldn’t be incompetent servants trying to kill you. He would have insisted that he destroy you with his own hands.”
“There’s a connection,” she obstinat ely maintained.
“I agree.” He gazed deep into the clear green of her eyes, for the first time noticing the emerald flecks at the center. Beautiful. “I don’t know if Batu is alive or not, but I followed the pulse of magic to this location. It’s a part of the same mystery.”
“I h ate mysteries.”
His gaze lowered to her full lips, his fangs lengthening. They were a lush invitation, promising et ernal pleasure.
“That’s odd ,” he murmured.
“Why?”
“Because you are the most intriguing, mysterious creature I’ve eve r encountered.”
She tensed, as if sensing his thoughts were no longer focused on Batu, or the danger that waited just out side the door.
“There’s no intrigue,” she protested, licking the lips he was so desperate to kiss. “I say exactly what’s on my mind and do what I believe is best for my friends and the Witch’s Brew. It’s all tediously straightforward and uncomplicated.”
“Uncomplicated?” Ravyr released a sharp laugh. This female had captured his unbeating heart from the moment he’d seen her seated on that damned balcony. Since then she’d haunted his dreams, enticed him to forget his duty to his brothers. And now she beguiled him with glimpses of a future he’d never considered a possibility.
“Why is that funny?”
“I’m laughing at myself,” he assured her.
“Because?”
He stepped close enough to feel her delicious heat seep through his clothing. The warmth spread over his chilled body, along with a tingle of magic that danced over his skin like electricity. Ravyr hissed. The sensation was excruci atingly erotic.
“All those years ago, I told myself that I had to keep a distance between us because I was at Batu’s lair to discover what he was hiding,” he confessed in low tones. “I couldn’t allow myself to be distracted by a beautiful mage, no matter how fascinating she might be.”
Pain darkened her eyes. “You accomplis hed your goal.”
Guilt sliced through him as sharp as a dagger. He’d known she was miserable. And that he had the power to sweep her off her feet and rescue her from the male’s brutal companionship. And honestly, if he could go back in time he would make a different choice. But there’d been more than one reason that any chance of a relationship h ad been doomed.
“It wasn’t just duty that kept me at a distance. I sensed the barriers you had built around yourself from the moment I walked into Batu’s lair,” he gently reminded her. “You glared at me like I was a bug you wanted to scrape off your shoe.”
She jutted her chin. “Do you blame me? Vampires dest royed my life.”
His fingers smoothed over her scars and along the obstinate contour of her jaw. She’d used her well-earned prejudice against leeches as a weapon to deny their fierce attraction. It was time to confront their complicated history and hopefully build a new future. One that included more than a relucta nt partnership.
“These barriers went deeper than your hatred for leeches,” he insisted. “You’d been betrayed by someone else. At the time I didn’t know it was yo ur own mother.”
Maya flinched, but for once she didn’t scuttle behind her defensive shield. She even allowed him to glimpse the lingering sorrow in the depths of her eyes. A small miracle.
“My mother did what she thought was best,” she forced herself to say.
“That doesn’t make it easier to be the o ne sacrificed.”
A wistful smile twisted her lips. “No, but eventually I accepted that life is filled with hard choices.”
His jaw tightened. “Some harder than others.”
She slowly nodded. “And there was a part of me that wasn’t ready to open myself to any more disappointment when you arrived at the lair. I could deal with pain and fury. Those were emotions that I understood. Anything else terrified me.”
He yearned to wrap her in his arms and pull her tight, but he wasn’t going to risk destroying the moment. This was the first time she’d allowed him to see the woman who lurked beneath the powerful mage. Vulnerable. Scarred. And yet, determi ned to survive.
“You were afraid of bei ng hurt again.”
“It took a long time to trust that I could be happy without having it ripped away,” she admitted. “And that opening my heart and my home was w orth the risk.”
Jealousy blasted through Ravyr. Or at least, he assumed the unhinged emotion was jealousy. He’d never felt it before. Why would he? He didn’t have possessions or power or a social position. He didn’t have a long-term lo ver or family.
None of the things that caused creatures to behave like a lunatic.
Not until Maya.
Gritting his teeth, he struggled to squash the sensation. Something easier said than done.
“Sharing your life with who?” he demanded. “T he Benefactor?”
She made a gratifying sound of disgust. “Certainly not. I might trust my mysterious Benefactor more than vampires.” She stopped as if considering her words. “ Marginally more than vampires,” she corrected herself. “But he’s a necessary inconvenience, not a friend.”
“Ah.” A ridiculous surge of relief rushed through him, along with his ability to use his brain. Thank the gods. “You’re talking about your partners at the Witch’s Brew.”
Her features abruptly softened. “Peri and Skye are more than partners. They ’re my family.”
There was a fierce sincerity in her voice and once again Ravyr felt a prick of an unpleasant emotion. This time it was envy rather than jealousy. He’d give anything to have her expression melt when she tho ught about him.
“You’re lucky you fou nd each other.”
A sudden sparkle chased the shadows from her eyes. “Actually, I’m not sure if it was lu ck or destiny.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I was driving through a random town late at night and I took a wrong turn,” she explained. “I was trying to circle back to the main road when I saw a woman being attacked by human thugs. Even from a distance I could sense she was a mage…a very powerful mage…but it was obvious she had no training. I stopped to help her and later invited her to join me in Jersey.” She paused, as if lost in her memories. “Still, it wasn’t until she walked through my front door that I realized how much I needed a friend. A few years later Skye appeared and I knew immediately she belonged with us.” She shrugged. “Luck or destiny, it doesn’t matter. I’m just so thankful they are a pa rt of my life.”
Despite his stab of envy, Ravyr was pleased that Maya had found her friends. They’d given her the love that she’d been denied for too long. And obviously helped her to build the Witch’s Brew into a business that m ade Maya proud.
But those same friends had found new lives with their mates. Leaving Ma ya alone again.
“And now?” he asked i n gentle tones.
She hunched her shoulders. “They’re st ill my family.”
“But you miss them.” It was a statement, not a question. He could feel the emptiness that had settled in the cente r of her heart.
“Yes, I miss them.” She grimace d. “Every day.”
He lowered his head, brushing a light kiss over her lips. “You don’t hav e to be alone.”
Lifting her hands, Maya laid them flat against his chest. “W hat about you?”
He nibbled her lower lip, allowing the tips of his fangs to scrape against h er tender skin.
“Are you asking if I have friends?”
“Do you hav e to be alone?”
It was a question that Ravyr hadn’t considered. He’d never felt the urge to join with a clan or stay in one place long enough to become acquainted with the locals. Perhaps that was why it was so easy to accept Sinjon’s offer to become his spy.
Being a loner wasn’t a sacrifice, it’d be en his nature.
“It’s comfortable,” he admitted. “I can come and go as I please without anyone depending on me.” He kissed her again, savoring the sweet softness of her lips. Then, lifting his head, he gazed down at her with blatant need. “But I hope that in the very near future I can share my life with a partner.” He pause d. “And lover.”
The scent of warm feminine desire perfumed the air, stirring his hunger to a fever pitch. But even as his arms wrapped around her waist, she pressed her hands aga inst his chest.
“Won’t your master make that dec ision for you?”
Ravyr frowned. Was that why she tried to deny the desire between them? Because she assumed he would abandon her? Not that he blamed her. He’d always believed his loyalty to Sinjon and his brothers was more important than anything. Including his own happiness.
It wasn’t until this moment that he realized that he had no intention of continuing his role as royal spy. He respected Sinjon and what he was attempting to accomplish for the vampires, but his future was bound to the woman who’d stolen his u nbeating heart.
Always assuming they managed to survive whatever was hunting Maya, he wryly conceded.
“I might not be a member of the Cabal, but I’m not a slave,” he assured her, his hands smoothing up the curve of her back. “I can walk away wh enever I want.”
A blush of awareness stained her cheeks, her eyes darkening with desire. “And wha t do you want?”
“You, Maya Rosen.” Swooping his head down, he claimed her mouth in a kiss of sheer possession. He shuddered as her lips parted, allowing him the taste of her sweet desire. And magic. So much magic. “I want y ou,” he rasped.
Her fingers curled into the thick fabric of his sweatshirt, her back arching as she pressed against his hard body.
“You left ,” she accused.
He scraped his fangs down the line of her jaw. “Never again.”
“No.” Her voice was sharp. “No promises until we’ve destroyed whoever or whatever is t hreatening me.”
He nipped at her chin, careful not to puncture her delicate skin. Not until she gave her permission.
“This isn’t a promi se,” he argued.
“It isn’t?”
“It’s destiny.”
Her fingers continued to grip his sweatshirt, her hips pushing against his thick ening erection.
“For now.”
He chuckled as he watched her accept that their desire was irresistible even as she maintained an illusion that they could control the fiery infer no. “Stubborn.”
“Relentless.”
Trailing kisses down the curve of her throat, he lowered his hands to cup her ass. “Ingredients for an interesting relationship.”
She rubbed her hips back and forth, the friction creating jolts of in tense pleasure.
“More likely a recipe for disaste r,” she warned.
“This doesn’t feel like a disaster.” His fingers dug into her soft flesh, his tongue stroking the rapid pulse at the base of her throat. A growl rumbled in his own throat. He was going to devour her. Every silken, delicious inch of her. His lips moved to trace the V of her r obe. “Or this.”
Magic swirled through the air, the silvery ribbons wrapping around them like chains. Ravyr was enchanted. He’d never been turned on by restraints during sex, but nothing was more erotic than the promise of being forever bound to this luscious mage.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Maya breathed.
“Can’t believe what is happening?”
“That I’m kiss ing a vampire.”
Reluctantly, Ravyr lifted his head to stare down at her flushed face. “Do you wa nt me to stop?”
With a gratifying determination, Maya grabbed the bottom of his sweatshirt and jerked it over his head before tossing it aside. “D on’t you dare.”
Relief cascaded through him, along with a strange sensation of gratitude. There was no mistaking the passion that burned in her emerald eyes. Right now she was seeing him as a desirable male, not a leech who’d walked away when she needed him.
He glided his hands up the curve of her back, his touch a tender apology. “I’m sorry I can’t ch ange the past.”
She held his gaze, a wistful smile touching her lips. “The past created the woman I am today. It’s never been easy, but I’m proud of wh o I’ve become.”
“I’m proud of her too,” Ravyr growled, threading his fingers through her hair as he tugged back her head to study each sweep and curve of her beautiful face. “Strong. Independen t. A survivor.”
Her lips parted in invitation. “ Let’s hope so.”
“I’m not going to hope.” His gaze lingered on the soft temptation of her mouth, imagining the feel of her lips stroking over his bare skin before wrapping around his cock. His muscles clenched in glorious anticipation. “I’m going to make damned sure that we have a future. Together. But for tonight I want to forget everything but you, Maya.”
“Forgetting is good.” She ran her hands down his chest, boldly exploring his clenched muscles. “What els e do you want?”
He feathered tiny kisses along the side of her throat. “To taste you,” he admitted with out hesitation.
“My blood?” Maya shivered, but there wasn’t fear in her scent. It wa s pure desire.
“Everything,” he growled, pressing the tips of his fangs against her skin. “Everything fro m head to toe.”
“Everything is a lot, ” she murmured.
“Yes,” he conceded w ithout apology.
“What if I’m not ready to gi ve everything?”
He didn’t bother to argue. Eventually she would accept that they were destined to be together. Until then, he fully intended to enjoy what she was wi lling to share.
Thoroughly enjoy, he assured himself, impatiently tugging at the belt wrapped around her waist. He needed this woman naked. Now. With an eagerness he did nothing to hide, Ravyr peeled away the silky robe to reveal the tre asure beneath.
Good gods above. Ravyr grunted, feeling as if he’d been punch ed in the gut.
He’d suspected she was beautifu l. But this...
She was beyond exquisite. Not just the soft breasts, crested with pink nipples. Or the narrow curve of her waist that flared toward her hips. Or even the flawless beauty of her satin-smooth skin. It was the proud angle of her shoulders and the confident smile that tou ched her lips.
This was a woman who understood that she was desirable and his approval wasn’t necessary. That realization was fiercely erotic. What could be sexier than a woman who knew who she was and w hat she wanted?
Running his hands down the curve of her spine, he savored the warm silk of her flesh before pulling her tight against hi s hard length.
“Tell me what you want from me,” he commanded as he gazed down at he r flushed face.
“I want your touch,” she whispered, her eyes smoldering with a sensual heat as she lowered her hand to wrap her fingers around his cock. She smiled when he released a muttered oath. The pleasure was so intense it bordered on pain. In the best possible way. “Your kisses,” she continued, leaning forward to brush her lips over the middle of his chest. Directly over his unbeating hear t. “Your body.”
“You can have it all,” he growled, lowering his head to trace his lips over the pillowy curve of her breast. “I’m yours. No w and forever.”
Savoring the sensation of her fingers exploring the throbbing length of his arousal, Ravyr kissed a path between her breasts. At the same time, his hands stroked down the curve of her ass and between her legs. The pungent scent of her desire filled the air, and, using her low groans to guide his touch, he dipped a finger between her soft folds.
“Ravyr.”
His name came out as a gasp and with a soft chuckle, he slid his finger into the warmth of her body. She arched in pleasure, her eyes squeezed shut even as she continued to s troke his cock.
“I’m here, Maya,” he said, his voice harsh. “I’m not g oing anywhere.”
Sliding in a second finger, he thrust them in rhythm with her strokes, and then, turning his head, he sucked her clenched nipple between his fangs, teasing it with t he sharp tips.
Raw lust sizzled between them, threatening to burn out of control, but first, he had another hunger he desperately y earned to sate.
“Maya. I need...” His desire was so vast he couldn’t even s peak the words.
“Yes, ” she breathed.
Not giving her time to reconsider, Ravyr plunged his aching fangs deep into her flesh, the taste of her blood exploding on his tongue with shocking force. It was rich with power, the magic bubbling through him with a heady intoxication. He felt drunk, his mind spinning as the blood seared through him, burning away who he’d been to create a new Ravyr. A male bonded for all eternity to this woman.
Mine . The knowledge whispered through him with absolute certainty. This woman was a part of his very soul. As if they’d been made to fit together. And without her, he knew beyond a doubt he would never be whole again.
Ravyr growled in pleasure as he continued to drink deeply from her vein. He would have laughed if he’d heard any of his brothers speak about their mates in such melodramatic terms, but it was the truth. And he would proudly proclaim his devotion to Maya Rose n far and wide.
Lost in her own pleasure, Maya tilted her head to the side to allow him greater access as he withdrew his fangs and gently licked away the pu ncture wounds.
“I need more,” he teased, nuzzling kisses up the cur ve of her neck.
“Greedy,” she chided, her voice unsteady, as if she was struggl ing to breathe.
“For you?” He lifted his head, gazing down at her with a smoldering intensity. “Alway s and forever.”
She held his gaze, an emotion so vast he couldn’t name it easing the ancient pa in in her eyes.
“ Then take me.”
That was all the invitation he needed. Grasping the back of her thighs, he lifted her off her feet in one smooth motion. Instinctively she wrapped her legs around his waist, her fingers digging into the width of his shoulders as she tilted back her head with an expressi on of surprise.
“I intend to take you, my love,” he assured her, his voice a rough rumble. “ Over and over.”
Her soft laugh brushed his cheek as he carried her forward. “Like I said...greedy.”
Ignoring the nearby couch, he instead crossed the room to press her back against the wall. Then, with an effort, he forced himself to pause and savor the sheer beauty of the woman in his arms. The elegant sweep of her features that were framed by the satin curtain of black hair, the emerald eyes that shimmered with the oldest magic of all, pure feminine temptation, and the plush cur ve of her lips.
A siren singing her song, luring him into the depths of her passion. And he was a willing victim.
Raw lust hammered against him with savage force as he parted his legs to brace himself and, with a slow, steady thrust, penetrated her body. They groaned in unison as his cock sank deep into her slick heat, her nails digging into his flesh hard enough to draw blood.
It didn’t seem possible, but the pricks of pain intensified his pleasure, and with a groan, Ravyr buried his face in the curve of her neck, his muscles corded as he thrust his hips in a delicious cadence that matched her soft pan ts of pleasure.
It was a pagan tempo. One that was as old as time...