Chapter 29 - Ameera
29
AMEERA
“It’s good to be home,” Anson says as I pull to a stop in the driveway.
“Yes, it is.” I glance through the windshield of my Land Rover at the house that never really felt like home until Anson shared it with me.
I thought I’d never see this place again when the Executor’s sword was swinging at my neck. I shudder at what would’ve happened if Anson had been a second later. Instead, the Executor is dead, and I tasked Lucian with disposing of her remains and cleaning up the club. After the fight, Logan judged it a fair challenge and called us the unquestionable winners before making himself scarce without another word. That werewolf sure is a stony, unreadable bastard. I’m glad we’re mostly on good terms with him and his pack, and I intend to keep it that way. There’s been enough bloodshed in Unity of late.
“Speaking of home,” Dre says from the back seat, his voice slurred as if he were drunk. “I’m ready to spend the next week at home in my bed.”
I turn and smile at him, noting the dark circles under his eyes and his slumped shoulders. “You’re more than welcome to sleep here again,” I say. It’s the least I can offer the man. He’s been sleep-depriving himself for days for Anson, and I’m grateful for his friendship and loyalty to the man I love.
He shakes his head. “I appreciate the offer,” he replies. “But I need some normalcy after these last few weeks of insanity.”
“I completely understand,” I say with a nod. “I could use some of that myself.”
“We will, baby,” Anson says. “We just need to figure out what our normal is,” he adds with a grin.
“I can’t wait, zem?r,” I say with an answering smile.
We exit the vehicle just as Aydin, Samuel, and Harrison get out of my sire’s car. I’m not surprised he beat us here, since he drives more aggressively than I do. And that’s saying something considering how hard and fast I drive. Our groups converge behind my truck and Anson pulls Dre into a brief yet fierce hug before separating.
“Thanks for everything, brother,” he says, his voice rough with emotion.
Dre nods, his eyes a bit watery. “Anytime you need me, I’ll always be there.” He glances at me and smiles. “That includes both of you.”
I’m not much of a hugger, or any other display of affection, unless it’s with Anson, but I find myself approaching the detective and wrapping my arms around him. “I can never thank you enough for all you’ve done for us already,” I say after pulling away, feeling my eyes well with tears that I won’t let fall. Displays of emotion are another thing I’m unwilling to do in front of anyone but Anson.
“Just take care of each other,” he replies with a grin. “That’s thanks enough for me.” He glances around the group. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a hot date with my bed.” Then he waves a brief goodbye, strolls over to his car, and drives away in short order.
I turn to face my sire. “Will you be staying for a while?” I ask, unable to hide the hope in my voice.
“You don’t need me here,” he replies with a slight smile. “The two of you are more than capable of leading this brood. Besides, I need to get back to the Mari Mae?tri and let the other Grand Masters know what happened here. Plus, we’ll have to choose a new Executor sooner rather than later.”
“I understand,” I say, despite the lump that forms in my throat. “Thank you for everything.” I shoot a smile at Anson. “Neither of us would be here right now, if not for you.”
His smile widens, and he tilts his head in my direction as his eyes well with emotion. It’s a tremendous display of affection coming from him, so it means a lot. “You are my greatest accomplishment, Ameera. I couldn’t be more proud of the vampire you’ve become, of the progeny you’ve passed my teachings to, and I’m honored to be your sire.”
I nod, needing a moment to rein in my emotions, before saying in a rough voice, “Thank you, Sire.”
Aydin returns my nod, then gives Anson and Samuel one too before walking to his car and driving off at a fast clip that has me grinning after him. Then the rest of us make our way into the house.
Anson frowns as we enter the kitchen, then stops next to the island and glances at the exact spot on the floor where his human life ended. “I really should put another ward on the house,” he says as he looks at me.
“That can wait,” I say. “I’m sure you’d rather check on your father.”
He huffs out a breath, his brow furrowing with worry. “I want all of us to be safe.”
“We will be,” I reply, then glance at Samuel and Harrison. “Won’t we?”
“Aye, Sire,” Samuel says. “I’ll go check on the night guards and make sure they stay vigilant until their shift ends.”
Harrison nods. “And I’ll be personally supervising the day shift tomorrow, ma’am.”
I glance at Anson again. “You see?” I say. “We’ll be fine until tomorrow night.” I step closer until one of my breasts brushes against his arm, then murmur into his ear, my voice a smooth, seductive alto. “Besides, I have other plans for you after we check on your father.” I can think of no better way to celebrate our victory than to revel in each other’s bodies until sunrise.
His eyes darken and his nostrils flare at my words, then he glances at Samuel and Harrison with a grimace. I smile, kind of missing the way he would’ve blushed if he was still human.
Samuel chuckles as he approaches us, then lays a hand on Anson’s shoulder with a more serious expression. “Thank you for saving her, mate,” he says as he tilts his head toward me. “I don’t wanna bloody know what we would’ve done without her.”
“Let’s never find out,” Anson replies.
Samuel nods, then walks out of the room and tosses one last comment over his shoulder. “Have fun with those plans of yours.” He laughs all the way to the front door as Anson scowls after him.
“Ma’am, sir. If you no longer need anything from me,” Harrison says, smirking at Anson’s reaction. “I’m going to go home and get a few hours of sleep.”
“Go ahead Harrison,” I tell him. “Thank you for your assistance. We’ll see you tomorrow night.”
He nods and walks out the back door, leaving Anson and me alone in the kitchen. I take his hand, then lead him across the house and up the steps to the second floor. It’s easy enough to figure out which guest room Allen and Wai Lin are sleeping in by their steady heartbeats and slow breaths. We reach the closed door, and Anson knocks on the door with a gentle tap of his knuckles.
Allen’s sleep roughened voice calls from the other side of the door. “Come in.”
Anson opens the door and enters, and I follow him into the room just in time to see the wide grin that’s spreading across his father’s face. He and Wai Lin have apparently been sleeping fully clothed on top of the comforter. Allen flings himself off the bed and rushes toward his son, but stumbles as his legs fail him. Anson lunges forward lightning fast and catches him before he hits the floor.
“Damn, you’re fast,” Allen says with a sheepish smile.
“And you’re exhausted,” Anson replies. “You should’ve stayed in bed. You used up a lot of magical energy tonight.”
“It was worth it,” Allen replies as Anson helps him sit on the edge of the mattress.
Wai Lin is sitting up on the other side of the bed with a groggy expression. “The spell worked?”
“Perfectly,” Anson says, then raises his hand palm up and produces a small sphere of bright light an instant later.
Allen presses his lips together as Anson releases his spell, then pulls him into a fierce hug. “I’m so happy for you, son.”
Anson’s voice is choked with emotion as he says, “Thanks to you, I have everything I lost back.”
Allen glances at me as the two men pull apart. Then he reaches a hand out toward me, and I step closer to take it. “Thank you for saving my boy,” he says, his eyes glittering with tears.
“You’re very welcome,” I say as I squeeze his hand, touched by his total acceptance.
“And I’m sorry for how I treated both of you.”
“You had your reasons, Dad,” Anson replies, smiling at our clasped hands. “It’s water under the bridge now.”
“Speaking of those reasons,” Wai Lin says, grinning at Allen. “You should probably let Amber know everything turned out okay.”
I nod, then pull my phone out and hand it to Anson since he told me on the drive here that his was ruined. He places the call and puts it on speaker.
“Hello?” Amber says in a panicked voice.
“It’s me,” he says. “Dad, Wai Lin, and Ameera are all here with me too.”
“You’re all okay?”
“Alive and well, or undead and well for some of us,” Allen says with a grin, then winces as he glances at Anson and me. I smile to tell him I took no offense as Anson snorts out a laugh.
“Did the spell work?” Amber asks.
“Like a charm,” Anson answers. “Plus, I’m more powerful now than I was before.”
“Oh thank God,” his sister says.
The three of them start rehashing the night for Amber, and I duck out to give them some privacy after a brief glance with Anson. I’m ready to get out of my blood-encrusted clothes and take a shower. Thanks to Anson feeding his magic to my aura, my injuries are gone, having healed in an instant as if I’d drank blood. That’s a handy option to have as a vampire, and one I intend to keep a closely guarded secret. As the Masters of this city, we need every advantage we can get.
I head down to the basement and enter our daytime resting place. The door clicks closed behind me and I enter the bathroom and strip out of my clothes. Then I crank the shower to a near scalding temperature and step under the spray of hot water. I don’t have sore muscles to soothe like a human would, but I still find the heat relaxing after a stressful and terrifying night.
I scrub the dried blood from my skin with my favorite floral body wash, then wash my hair with my favorite shampoo and conditioner. Yes, vampires can have favorite beauty products, just like anyone else. I finish and dry off, then step out and dry my hair, feeling like myself again now that I’m clean. Then I shut off the hair dryer and I’m unsurprised when I turn to see Anson standing in the doorway. I couldn’t hear him enter our room over the dryer, but I’m so attuned to him as his sire, and even more so given our intimate connection, that I always sense him when he’s nearby.
His heated eyes travel down my nude body as he steps into the room. “You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he says, his eyes black and his fangs flashing white as he speaks.
“Then why don’t you do something about it,” I say with a smile as I set the hair dryer on the counter.
He grins, his fangs showing even more, then makes quick work of pulling off his clothes under my appreciative stare. I’ll never get over how beautiful he is, from his strong masculine features to his broad shoulders and lean, muscular body. And don’t forget that mouthwatering cock of his, already hard and jutting out at me. Everything about him is utter perfection.
He pulls his second boot off while standing on one foot amid the pile of his discarded clothes, then tosses it over his shoulder and stalks toward me. He glances at the shower before touching me. “Should I take a shower first?”
“No time,” I mutter, then surge forward and plaster my body and my lips against his.
I sink my fingers into his soft curls and ravish his mouth with all the lust and need for him that’s burning inside me. His arms snake around me and he pulls me close, and I sigh into his mouth with how wonderful his body feels against mine. We kiss and kiss and kiss until I’m buzzing with heady pleasure.
Anson presses me up against the bathroom counter, then reaches behind me and flings my hair dryer onto the floor. He picks me up, still kissing me, and sets me on the countertop, then steps between my parted legs and deepens the kiss for a few moments before breaking it. He glides his lips and tongue along the side of my neck to my chest, then down to my breasts, where he lavishes them with attention. My head lolls backward and I ride the wave of bliss as he nips and suckles at my nipples, one after the other until I’m moaning out his name.
He trails more kisses down my belly, then kneels and continues to one of my thighs before pulling away and spreading my knees apart as wide as he can. He grins up at me, then rivets his attention between my legs for several long moments.
“Perfect,” he murmurs.
He grips my hips and scoots my ass to the edge of the counter. Then he leans in to drag his tongue over my folds with a low groan of appreciation, and I gasp at the sweet, rasping sensation. Luck me, no one but Anson has ever eaten me out with this kind of enthusiasm.
Anson takes me to the brink of an orgasm, once, twice, and on the third time I’m just about to snatch him by the hair and force him to let me come. That’s when he pulls his mouth away and moves to my inner thigh. He kisses me there as his hand comes up to my pussy, then he presses his thumb against my clit and sinks his fangs into my skin. I come hard and fast as he drinks from me, my back arching as I cry out with the raw ecstasy that courses through me. By the time I come back down from the high of my orgasm, he’s licking the wound closed with a low hum of satisfaction, and only his hands on my hips are keeping my limp body from sliding off the counter.
Anson stands again and takes my mouth in a scorching kiss that tastes of blood and sex. He pulls away and looks down between us, and I follow his gaze as he takes his cock in hand and swirls the head over my already soaked core. Then he notches the head at my entrance and we both watch as he presses into me at a slow and agonizing pace that feels incredible.
“I love watching my dick sink inside you,” he says in a ragged voice, still staring at where we’re joined. “It feels so fucking good, too. Doesn’t it, baby?”
“Yes, yes!” I call, then devolve into soft keening sounds as he sinks the rest of the way inside me until our bodies are flush.
He holds me close as I revel in how full he makes me feel, how gloriously penetrated and consumed by this man. He remains still for what feels like an eternity as my need to come again builds and builds until it bursts from my mouth in a whine of frustration. Then and only then does he pull halfway out and plunge back inside me with a hard and sudden thrust that makes me see stars. He does it again and again, harder and deeper, as my pleasure builds toward another release. It won’t take long for me to get there now.
“Tell me when you’re close, baby,” he says between gritted teeth as he continues pounding into me.
Two thrusts later and I’m right there, my body strung tight in anticipation. “Now!”
He growls and changes the angle of his next thrust, unerringly hitting my G-spot as he sinks deep, and I’m catapulted over the edge. My pussy clenches tight around him as I scream out my pleasure, my back arching and my thighs clamping around his waist. Our eyes lock and I use my glamour to send a burst of the raw ecstasy coursing through me into his mind. He lets out a shuddering gasp and his orgasm hits him in the next instant, his cock pulsing in sync with my spasming core as he releases inside me with a deep guttural groan of satisfaction. It goes on and on, my glamour drawing it out, until we’re both left boneless and sated in each other’s arms.
Anson leans away, still inside me, and brushes a lock of my hair from my face with his fingers. “Now we both need a shower,” he says with a languid smile.
“You’ll have to do all the work,” I reply with hooded eyes. “You’ve rendered me useless with your sexual prowess.”
“Don’t worry, baby,” he says with a wide grin. “I’ll take care of everything.” Then he lifts me into his arms and carries me into the shower, where he proceeds to do exactly that.
After we’re both dressed in comfortable clothes, I leave the room to grab two glasses of blood from the kitchen. When I come back and enter the room, Anson is sitting crossed legged on the bed with his hands spread palm up, juggling three balls of white fire in the air above his head.
“Show off,” I say as I close the door.
He glances at me, his eyes glittering bright with magic, and smiles. “Can you blame me?”
“Not at all,” I answer as I glide over to the bed and hold one wineglass out to him. “It’s your magic to do with as you please, zem?r.”
He nods and releases the spell before taking the glass from me. “And I’ll never take it for granted again.”
I climb onto the bed and sit next to him, then hold my glass up for a toast. “To a long and lustrous future together.”
“To us,” he says with warm affection in his gaze, then we clink our glasses together and take a drink.
We chat about nothing and everything while we enjoy our meal, then we turn off the lights and crawl under the covers as dawn approaches. Our hands find each other of their own accord under the silk sheets and our fingers twine together.
“I love you,” I whisper into the comforting darkness.
“And I love you,” Anson replies with a gentle squeeze of my hand. “Forever and always.”
And then we both slip away into nothingness as the sun rises, knowing we’ll both still be next to each other when the night returns to awaken us again.