Chapter Eight
Shay forgot how to breathe as she watched Viper lower his head.
He moved slowly. Slowly enough that she realized he was giving her ample opportunity to say no. For a heartbeat she stiffened and he hovered over her lips, not touching as he waited for her to push him away.
But while her mind was desperately attempting to remind her that this was a vampire touching her with such care, a vampire who owned her as if she were a piece of property, her body remained stubbornly indifferent to common sense.
She needed his touch. No, she craved his touch.
The taste of his lips. The press of his skin to her own. The caress of his hands on her breasts.
She had never understood how a woman could allow herself to be seduced. Either you decided you wanted to have sex with someone, or you didn't.
In this moment, however, she understood the power of simple lust. The stark need to touch and be touched, no matter how many warnings your mind might whisper.
"You must tell me yes, pet," he murmured softly. "I will not be accused of breaking my promise. You must tell me you want this."
His voice should have jerked her back to awareness. Back to some tiny bit of sense. Instead it poured through her like a fine whiskey.
And just as intoxicating.
"Yes."
He caught the word before it ever left her lips, imprisoning her mouth in a kiss that sent a shock of heat flowing through her blood. She was prepared for pleasure, but the sheer power of it caught her off guard.
Oh, yes, this was precisely what she needed. What her body had ached for since she had first caught sight of Viper all those weeks ago.
She arched forward, drinking of the brandy that clung to his lips, and the cool maleness that was uniquely Viper. Still, she was not close enough. Her hands lifted to his chest, smoothing over the silk of his shirt.
He growled deep in his throat as he reached down to grasp his shirt and with one tug had ripped off the buttons to spread the silk wide.
"Touch me, pet," he whispered against her lips. "Let me feel your hands on me."
Shay moved back. Not in rejection, but quite simply because she wanted to see what she was touching. She had imagined what lay hidden beneath those velvet coats and silk shirts a hundred times. Now she wanted to fully appreciate the sight.
Her eyes widened and her lips parted in a silent sigh.
In the dim light his chest was broad and just as finely muscled as she had dreamed. But her dreams hadn't included the exotic dragon that had been tattooed across the ivory perfection of his skin.
In amazement she traced the golden outline of the mythical creature before brushing over the brilliant crimson wings and dark jade body.
"What is this?" she breathed.
He shuddered beneath her gentle touch, his head lowering to sweep his lips over her cheek.
"It is the mark of CuChulainn."
"Oh." Shay found it growing difficult to think as he kissed his way to the curve of her ear. "Did it hurt?"
"The tattoo?"
"Yes."
His hands trailed up her bare arms sending a rash of excitement shivering over her skin.
"No. I didn't even feel it." He gave a small nip at the lobe of her ear. "It simply appeared after my last battle in the arena."
"It marked you as a clan chief?"
"Yes."
Whatever she was about to say was lost in a haze of pleasure as his tongue ran a damp path down the line of her jaw.
"What?" he whispered.
"I don't remember."
He gave a soft chuckle as his hands drifted over her shoulders and then determinedly moved downward, pausing at the edge of her towel.
"I need to see you, pet," he murmured as he pressed his lips to the frantic pulse at the base of her neck. "I need to touch you. Say yes."
Shay shuddered as a building pressure settled in the pit of her stomach. She found it oddly erotic to be so firmly in charge of the seduction. It gave her a sense of power that she had rarely experienced. For once she was the one in control and it was as heady as the rarest aphrodisiac.
"Yes."
His fingers briefly tightened, as if he was caught off guard by her ready capitulation, and then with a slow motion he was pulling open the ends of the towel.
She shivered as the cool air hit her skin, the faintest hint of embarrassment touching her cheeks. A thick silence filled the air and at last she lifted her gaze. Any chill was seared away by the smoldering heat that filled his midnight eyes.
"By the blood of the saints," he rasped, tossing the towel aside so his fingers could boldly cup the small firmness of her breasts. "You are... perfect."
Shay's head tilted back at the sensation of his thumbs stroking over the hard points of her nipples. She wasn't perfect. She was far from perfect. Too skinny. Her skin too bronzed. Her breasts too small.
But in this moment she felt beautiful.
Beneath his predatory gaze she felt desired.
Growling deep in his throat Viper hauled her against the strength of his chest, his lips kissing a hungry path down her throat to her collarbone. He pressed hard enough for Shay to feel the sharpness of his fangs, but she made no effort to pull away.
In this moment she trusted him.
Trusted that he would not demand more of her than she was willing to offer.
Running her hands over his chest in a restless path she reveled in the satin smoothness of his skin. It was a fascinating contrast to the hardness of the muscles beneath. Like velvet draped over steel.
Intrigued with exploring his body, Shay barely noticed when Viper gently tugged her back onto the soft mattress and pressed her onto her back. Not until he bent over her to capture a nipple between his lips.
She cried out as his tongue swirled over the sensitized tip, teasing it until her back was arched in delight. Freaking hell. It felt so good. So terrifyingly good.
"Dear goddess," she moaned, shivering as his lips traced the curve between the mounds of her breasts before moving to torment her neglected nipple.
Her fingers impatiently tugged at the clasp holding back his hair, allowing the heavy curtain to spill over her in a fragrant cloud. The satin strands brushed her skin, heightening the heat that poured through her blood.
Breathe, Shay, breathe, she fiercely reminded herself, as his hands outlined the curve of her hips and down her thighs. His touch was cool, but she was melting beneath the heat flowing through her veins.
Tugging at her nipple with the edge of his teeth Viper eased his band between her legs and sought the moist heat between them.
Her hands shifted to his shoulders, her fingers unwittingly digging into his flesh as his finger stroked over the sweet spot of her pleasure. She was falling into a whirlpool of sensations that were almost overwhelming.
"Viper."
Easily sensing the faint edge of panic in her voice Viper lifted his head to nuzzle his lips just below her ear.
"Sssh... pet," be softly soothed. "I will not hurt you."
"I'm not afraid of being hurt," she rasped.
"Then what do you fear?"
She shivered as her hips instinctively lifted to press more firmly to his caressing finger.
"I don't know."
He lifted onto his elbow and peered deep into her wide eyes. "Trust me, Shay."
For a long moment she merely gazed into his beautiful face. With his silver hair tumbled over his shoulders and the muted light playing over his elegant features he looked like a decadent angel who had fallen from heaven.
Don't do it, Shay, a warning voice whispered in the back of her mind. You can't trust a vampire. Not ever.
Her lips parted, but no was not what tumbled from her lips. Instead her lashes floated downward and her arms encircled his neck in a tight grip.
"Yes."
His mouth covered hers as his hand shifted and his finger pierced her. He swallowed her cry of pleasure as her hips left the mattress and she nearly strangled him with her arms.
He was not her first lover, but nothing could have prepared her for this. Not for the smooth expertise of his talented fingers or the demanding pressure of his mouth.
She was burning from within and she couldn't make herself care. For this one fragile moment she wanted to be consumed. She wanted to be held in the arms of a man and feel what a woman was supposed to feel.
Thrusting his tongue between her willing lips Viper stroked her with an increasing intensity. Shay clutched at him as the building pressure deep inside arched her back.
She was close. So very close.
"Viper."
"I know, pet," he muttered against her mouth, his body pressing against her side until she could feel the hard thrust of his erection against her hip. "Don't fight it."
Her breath came in short gasps as the pleasure tightened and narrowed to one shimmering point. His finger pressed deep within her and at the same moment his thumb caressed over that nub of pleasure and the pressure hit a critical point.
Her entire body tightened and hovered a breathless moment out of time. And then with the force of a small explosion the bliss shattered through her and she was trembling from the unexpected force.
They lay in stunned silence for a long moment, Viper's still hard body pressed against her own. Shay felt as if she were floating. As if she had been tossed into a sea of warm water and been left to gently drift to the shore.
At her side Viper shifted to cradle her face as if she were some fragile treasure he feared to break, his lips brushing soft kisses over her cheek.
Unable to move Shay at last managed to suck in a deep breath as she gathered her shaken thoughts.
"Oh... freaking... hell..."
Viper didn't know why he was smiling as he watched Shay seated across the table from him.
No man in his right mind would be smiling when his body was hard and aching. And when he was facing the distinct possibility his frustrated need was going to be an unwelcome companion. At least for the next few hours, perhaps even days.
But even with his body in rigid protest he couldn't halt the smile curving his lips. Perhaps it was the sight of Shay's slender form so lovingly caressed by the crimson silk of her robe.
With her raven hair tumbling down her back and bronzed skin glowing against the rich material, she looked like an exotic butterfly.
Or maybe it was the amusement at the three bowls of beef stew she had managed to consume in less time than it took for him to drain his bottle of blood.
Or maybe it was the knowledge that for all of his aching frustration he had managed to breech a wall that she had surrounded about herself. She might have scuttled back behind her defenses, but he now knew that she was not invulnerable.
He had found her weakness and he wasn't about to hesitate in using it to claim her as his own.
His.
An unnerving flare of possessive satisfaction raced through him even as he wondered what the hell was the matter with him.
Devil's balls. He had clearly lost his mind, and he didn't have enough sense left to care.
Glancing up from her now empty bowl of soup Shay sent him a wary frown. "I wish you would quit doing that."
"Doing what?"
"Watching me like I'm dinner."
Viper leaned back in his seat, his gaze traveling over the length of her crimson gown.
"I wouldn't mind a bite or two."
She abruptly stilled, no doubt sensing the hunger that pulsed through his body. A hunger he no longer attempted to disguise.
"We have a bargain. No recreational blood."
"I wasn't thinking about blood."
A swift heat touched her cheeks. Viper's smile widened with a hint of male smugness. She couldn't entirety pretend to forget she had shivered her climax in his arms.
"It's almost dawn, shouldn't you be in your coffin?" she demanded.
He gave a laugh. "It has been several centuries since I was bound to the night. Although I cannot bear the sunlight, I am capable of remaining awake when I choose."
"How old are you?"
"Surely you must know that vampires rarely reveal their age?" he demanded with a lift of his brows. "It is nearly as well guarded a secret as his lair."
She shrugged as she pushed aside her empty bowl. "I've never understood why. When you're immortal it hardly matters how old you are."
"A vampire's power grows with each passing year. To know his age is to know his power."
"So the older you are the more powerful?"
Viper shrugged. He supposed he shouldn't be overly surprised with her lack of knowledge regarding vampires. Her mother had obviously attempted to keep her isolated from the world of demons.
"In theory, although we are like any other race. There will always be those who possess more strength, or even more intelligence than others, regardless of their age."
Her tongue peeked out to touch her lips. Viper swallowed a groan. He could think of several intimate places he would like that tongue to explore.
"Vampires like you?"
Viper struggled to smother the renegade images. He was suffering enough without adding to his misery.
"Yes, vampires like me."
Her features were carefully expressionless. "And that's why you're a clan chief?"
He measured his words. He sensed that any boast of overwhelming power was not going to impress this woman. Not when she was for all practical purposes completely in his control.
"In part."
"What's the other part?"
He smiled blandly. "My charming personality?"
She rolled her eyes. "Not freaking likely."
He regarded her for a long moment. "Shalotts are quite similar to vampires. Do they not choose their leader with a trial by combat?"
"I don't have the least idea." Her voice was casual, but there was a tightness to her expression that Viper didn't miss. "For all I know they pluck them out of thin air."
"Surely your parents must have told you something of your heritage?"
"I was raised as a human. My mother thought the less I was . . . exposed to the demon world the better. After my father's death I wasn't even allowed to mention the word Shalott."
Viper frowned. It was little wonder the poor woman considered herself a mongrel. Her mother had made certain of that.
"A rather narrow-minded view."
She bristled at the implied criticism. "She wanted to protect me."
"Understandable, but to deny you the history of your people was to deny you a part of yourself. Surely you must have possessed some curiosity?"
"Why should I? Having demon blood has caused me nothing but grief."
"The Shalotts are a proud and much respected race," he insisted. "Before following the dark prince in his departure from this world, they were known as the most feared assassins among demons. Even vampires feared their skills."
"That's hardly something I take comfort in"
Viper bit back his impatience. "You think humans are superior? They have a reputation for violence and wars, not to mention outright genocide on occasion. At least Shalotts never kill their own. It is their most sacred law"
A hint of grudging curiosity glinted in her eyes. "Never?"
"Never." He held her gaze. "They believe that to shed the blood of another Shalott is to condemn themselves and all of their family to the fury of their gods. It is a sin that cannot be redeemed. I could only wish vampires possessed the same belief."
Her gaze dropped as she absently toyed with her glass of wine. "Have you known many Shalotts?"
"A few. And before you ask, I did not drain them, enslave them, nor were any of them my lovers."
"Don't tell me they were some sort of demon buddies?" she demanded in disbelief.
His fangs snapped together. If she were deliberately attempting to goad him, she was doing a hell of a job.
Of course, it was more likely that her jabs were self-preservation. If she pretended she didn't care, then nothing could hurt her.
"I happen to have many demons as friends, but the Shalotts were more ... associates. A clan chief has many enemies."
Her gaze abruptly lifted. "You hired them as assassins?"
"Actually I hired them to train me," he clarified.
"Train you for what?"
"Most Shalott's are thoroughly skilled in the arts of combat and, more importantly, possess intimate knowledge of weapons." He gave a lift of his brows. "Surely your father did?"
The pride she could not completely hide flickered over her face. "Of course."
Viper hid his sudden smile. He wasn't entirely stupid.
"And you?"
"I have some experience with swords and daggers, but my father died before I could be fully trained," she confessed in cautious tones. No doubt she worried she was handing information to the enemy.
"Well, I cannot possibly claim the talent of your father, but if you would like we could train together."
Silence.
The sort of thick silence that assured him that Shay was trying to decide if he were scheming some horrid plot, or simply out of his mind.
Maybe when she figured it out she would tell him.
"Train together?" she repeated with a frown. "Are you joking?"
He shrugged. "Why not? I haven't had a decent sparring partner in years."
"Most owners aren't anxious to teach their slaves how to kill them," she said dryly.
"Do you intend to kill me?"
"It's not a decision I've made one way or another."
He gave a short, startled laugh. "You'll let me know when you do decide?"
"Perhaps."
"Not quite the reassurance I hoped for," he murmured, his gaze brushing over her beautiful features. Now this was a sparring partner that a vampire could truly sink his teeth into. "Well?"
"Well what?"
He reached out to touch her fingers. "Do you wish to train with me?"
She studied him with a guarded expression, but before she could answer the peaceful night was abruptly shattered.
In the distance an unmistakable bay echoed through the air.
They both froze. It could have been a coyote or even a stray dog howling at the fading night, but they both knew it wasn't. No mere animal could make the air shudder in fear.
"Hellhounds," she whispered.
Viper was on his feet and reaching out with his mind to his servants.
"The guards are under attack."
"Why would hellhounds attack your guards? They are no match for vampires."
He gave a sharp shake of his head, distantly sensing the battle occurring near the gates to his estate. At the moment Santiago and his crew were holding their own, but there were far too many hellhounds to kill at once. They were taking wounds that would need the healing of deep earth.
"I don't know." Reaching out he tugged her to her feet "Come."
Of course she couldn't simply follow his lead. Digging in her feet she regarded him with a worried gaze. "Where are we going?"
"There are tunnels in the basement. They will take us to the garage."
"Surely we are safer here than the garage?"
"There are cars in the garage."
Her eyes widened. "No."
Viper heaved an exasperated sigh. "What is it?"
"For God's sake, Viper, it is almost dawn," she gritted, as if he were almost too stupid to bear. "You can't be traveling around in a car."
"I cannot travel, but you can."
"You want me to leave?" She flashed him a fierce frown. "Alone?"
"I will stay here and make sure that you aren't followed."
"No. We both stay and fight."
It wasn't often that Viper found himself caught off guard. It was difficult to surprise a centuries-old vampire. But he couldn't deny a sense of astonishment.
"Shay, this isn't the time to argue." He regarded her with a stern command. "The hellhounds might not be much of a threat, but I seriously doubt that they are out there alone. Something wants you. They want you bad enough to risk a direct attack. You have to leave now."
Without warning she moved to stand directly before him, her hands on her hips.
"And what if that's what they want?"
He frowned. "What do you mean?"
"What if the hellhounds are only a diversion to make me flee here without you? Whatever is out there might be waiting for me once we're separated."
Viper growled deep in his throat. She was right. The demons might very well be attempting to separate them.
"Dammit to hell. That would explain why they attacked so close to dawn."
"And why they sent the hellhounds first."
"Yes."
He shoved his hands impatiently through his hair. It was not that he feared a fight. Hell, it had been far too long since he had enjoyed a rousing battle. But for the first time in his long life he possessed someone besides himself to worry about.
It was an unnerving sensation.
And one that he wasn't quite certain how to deal with.
Glancing about the room Shay abruptly held a hand to her heart. "Where is Levet?"
"Hunting." Viper gave a distracted shrug. "After the arrival of the hellhounds he is no doubt halfway to Chicago by now."
"Or doing something totally stupid," she muttered as she spun on her heel and headed toward the back door.
It took Viper a beat to realize she actually intended to go out and find the gargoyle. With a blur of speed he was blocking her path, regarding her with disbelief.
She could try the patience of a saint. A. mere vampire didn't have a shot in hell.
"You can't go out mere," he rasped.
A dangerous spark flared to life in the golden eyes. "Viper—"
"No. The demons have no interest in Levet. He is far safer than you are at this moment."
"We don't know that for sure." Her jaw stuck out in warning. "He's my friend and I won't leave him out there to die."
Viper briefly savored the image of tossing the aggravating woman over his shoulder and being done with it Oh, she wouldn't go quietly. She was half Shalott and she would put up a furious fight. But he felt certain that in the end he could force her to his will. Unfortunately, such a simple solution was bound to create far more difficulties than it would solve. She was only half Shalott, but she was all woman.
Cursing himself for a fool he gave an impatient shake of his head. "Go to the basement. I will retrieve your missing gargoyle."
As if waiting for the perfect cue, the door was thrust open and the tiny gargoyle waddled into the kitchen.
"There will be no need for heroics, vampire," he drawled. "I am here."
Viper frowned. "What of the hellhounds?"
Levet didn't even attempt to hide his shudder of distaste. "They have been driven off for now, but I do not doubt they will be back."
There was a movement behind the gargoyle and Viper locked gazes with the vampires that had been standing guard.
He growled deep in his throat at the sight of the blood that covered their clothing and the wounds that marred their faces.
He was clan chief. Whoever had sent the hellhounds would soon regret their fatal decision.
"Santiago, gather the other guards and take them to your lair."
The tail vampire stiffened at the command. "We will not leave you."
Viper gave a shake of his head. His guards were still young and bound closely to the night. Once the sun rose they would be unable to protect themselves.
"You are wounded and it is too close to dawn. There is nothing you can do."
Frustration shimmered through the air as the guards were forced to accept the truth of his words.
"Your human servants will soon arrive," Santiago at last muttered.
"They are no match for the demon who hunts us. We must attempt to evade him if we can." Viper laid a hand on Santiago's shoulder. "You must take care of the others, my friend. Now go."
Trapped by Viper's demand to protect the lesser vampires Santiago had little choice but to offer a grudging bow.
"As you command."
He waited until they melted into the darkness, headed for the secret lair that Santiago had built when Viper had brought him here to guard the estate. They would be safe and covered by the healing earth. Which was more than he could say, he wryly acknowledged as the distant baying echoed eerily through the air.
He turned to meet Shay's troubled gaze. "The hellhounds return. We must go."