Angel of Death: Book One of the Chosen Chronicles (41 page)

Tentatively he ran his hand down her bruised shoulder to cup a large luxuriant breast. Running his thumb across her rose coloured nipple, he felt it harden in response. Encouraged by Jeanie’s catch of breath, he took her nipple in his mouth, licking and sucking at her erect nipple, feeling her heart beat faster beneath his lips until she gasped.

Releasing her breast, he trailed kisses up her neck, past the intoxicating vessel, to feast from her mouth again. He felt her hands fumbling with the buttons of his shirt and could sense her urgency matching his. Without a care to the expensively tailored clothing, he ripped it open. With her help, they push-pulled the fabric off his shoulders without releasing their kiss. It was only when he tried to get his hands free that he reluctantly broke off to quickly unclasp the cufflinks. Once free, his shirt landing next to her clothing on the floor, he grabbed her, pulling her close and kissed her again, impaling her mouth on his, driven by the touch of her skin to his.

She managed to whip off his belt. She wanted to see him, all of him. The sight of his pale naked chest drove her on in her night of discoveries, but was met with resistance when it came to taking off his trousers. Standing back, she watched as he hurriedly kicked them off and sent his socks flying.

Naked in the illumination of a single candle flame, they imbibed in each other. Her dilated eyes flashed with a mixture of trepidation and desire at the sight of his arousal.

Taking her hand in his, he led Jeanie to straddle him as he sat on the edge of the bed. He wanted her to feel secure in her ability to do what was right for her, yet he needed to be consumed by her. Gently, oh so carefully, she lowered herself onto his rigid member, her breath coming in fearful shudders until he filled her completely forcing a gasp from her lips.

The scent of her blood and the feeling of her pulse surrounded him in a soft heat that went through him like a shock wave. His eyes held hers, wide with surprise and excitement, as she slowly began to ride.

It was exquisite and he found her mouth again, moving together, filling her completely until each thrust caused her to moan. Releasing her mouth, Jeanie clutched at him as he bent her backwards to find the second best jewel. Her shocked cry as he held her with one hand and sucked, flicking his tongue on her nipple, encouraged him to plunge faster, and was rewarded by her increasing gasps.

Jeanie could not believe that it could be like this. Her hopes and fantasies of being with the Angel did not compare to the reality of having him impaling her over and over. She wanted him to devour her, as she wanted to take him deeper into herself, knowing that he had gone as far as she could allow him. Each thrust was an exquisite mixture of pain and pleasure until she realized that the pain in her legs started to override her pleasure.

Leaning up, she whispered into his ear, “My legs.”

They halted their motion and he glanced down at her kneeling legs. With a nod, he lifted her effortlessly as he stood, never disconnecting them, and turned to lay her down on the bed. Raised on his knees, her legs wrapped around his slim waist, he held her and began once more.

The gasps came unbidden to Jeanie’s lips as he drove into her. Her eyes rolled back as she clutched the insubstantial bed covers. His body an alabaster god looming above hers. Long white hair swept over her body, setting her sensitive skin afire.

All around him was the scent of her blood throbbing through her body, driving him on as her cries grew louder until he felt her begin to tighten around him. He did not know how much longer he could hold back his release as he breathed in her erotic scent.

He found her mouth once again, but it was not enough. He followed the curve of her jaw down to the throbbing vessel in her neck. The scent and the pounding heat of her heart tightly enveloped him and he knew he could hold back no longer. With a groan of release he sank his teeth into her neck.

An explosion of blood filled his mouth as Jeanie screamed her convulsing climax. The eruption of the taste, co-mingled with his own desires, rocked him and he rode the waves of his own throbbing release as more of Jeanie’s blood filled him. On they rode. Every convulsion brought more blood, fuelling his shuddering release.

Suddenly Jeanie sagged beneath him, exhausted by the throws of her body and he reluctantly pulled his mouth off of her delicious neck. The four puncture marks glared angrily at him and then began to fade. In a short while they would be nothing more than a dull ache.

Gazing into her smiling face, he tenderly kissed her and returned the smile.

“I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen ye smile,” remarked Jeanie, running her fingers along his cheeks. The smile made him appear even more youthful. “Aye, I like it. Ye should do it more often.”

A small laugh escaped his lips – another first – and he pulled out to lie down, bringing Jeanie with him.

“I love you, Jeanie Stuart,” he exclaimed before he kissed her again.

The flickering luminescence from the single candle turned the underside of the wooden canopy into a landscape mottled with light and shadow. His attention was drawn from the soothing sight by the movement beside him, and he moved his left arm, making room for Jeanie to snuggle closer. Her fingertips lightly traced the strong lean muscles of his chest. Content and truly happy for the first time in a very long time, he sighed. Wrapping her silky arm over his chest, he hugged her.

“Are you alright?” he asked, wondering at the marks on her neck that he could not see from this angle.

“Mmmm hummm,” she smiled lazily, lifting her face to see his. “Aye, I’m fine. No. Better.” She broke apart from the embrace to smooth out the worry in his face with her hand.

Her fingers felt hot to the touch and he turned his head to kiss them. “No dizziness or nausea?”

Her smile widened, exposing perfect, white mortal teeth. “Aye, ye a doctor too?” Jeanie shook her head, sending tousled curls to fall in her face and on his shoulder. “As I said, I’m better than fine and I’m no about to get up from here t’ find out.”

“Good, because I wouldn’t let you up,” he smiled, kissing the crown of her head.

A frisky sparkle set Jeanie’s eyes ablaze. “And how are ye?”

The expected question sent him into quiet contemplation. “I’m not sure,” he honestly replied. Jeanie propped herself up to stare with concern and confusion. “I am happy. Do not get me wrong. I am happier than I have been in such a very long time, and in a way I feel as if I really do not deserve it because of the danger I am. I could have easily lost control and killed you. I am afraid that maybe the next time I might. Gods! It was so hard to stop.” He looked her straight in the eye. “I want you, Jeanie. I have wanted this for such a long time – all my life it seems, and that is so very long. And now that I have finally – finally! – have it, I am suddenly afraid of having it. I also do not deserve this now, of all times, not while Notus is still in so much danger.”

Laying her head upon his smooth muscled chest, Jeanie fell silent at the fierce truth. The risks and the horror of the past few nights seemed so much like a dream. Fantastical by the unreality of the situations, Jeanie only now could begin to fully comprehend what she had stubbornly agreed to do, and how the Angel had tried to keep her in that illusion for her own good. But now that she had most of the truth, she needed to know more as she began to work out the pieces, trying to fit them together.

“Ye said earlier that the Good Father is the one who Made ye,” she murmured, “and that means he’s a va –, a Chosen too.” She felt him nod as he played with her hair. “Then who were the ones who took him? Why?”

If she could know about him and still be able to love him, she deserved to be told the rest. So Jeanie listened in silence as he told her about the Court and the Mistress who held Notus, as a tortured hostage, until he could find out how the Chosen were being poisoned and put a stop to it.

Jeanie was shocked to hear that if he failed it would mean Notus’ death as well, and she knew in her heart that must not be allowed to happen. She listened while he told her of the powder and its horrible effects, and that he and Fernando were following that line of logic in a hope that the powder would lead them to the source.

Surprised to hear him groan, Jeanie shot up. “What’s wrong?”

“I should not be here,” he confessed, sitting up. “I should be out there with Fernando. We were supposed to go to the docks. Fernando has the powder and the shipping information. If anything happens to him, and subsequently the powder and the information, I’m back to square one!”

He made a move to leave the bed but was halted by Jeanie’s hand on his pale shoulder.

“Fernando will be fine. He’s a bastard.”

Shocked at her language and the hostile tone, he let Jeanie continue.

“Bastards always come out with clean noses, so dinna fash about him. Let him do the dirty work for a change. If he gets into a bit o’ trouble it’ll be because of his arrogant mouth.”

“Why Jeanie, one would think you do not like the man.” He smiled in silent agreement. Actually he liked the idea of letting the Noble do the dirty work, and he allowed Jeanie to guide him back under the covers.

“I dinna.” Her smile was gloriously mischievous. “After all there canna be too many ways to kill a Chosen if ye are still around after so many years. I can hardly imagine livin’ to fifty!”

“How many ways do you think there are?” he asked in all curiosity.

“I guess the cross isna one since the Good Father wears one. But why the morbid question?”

“I don’t know.” He hitched a pale shoulder, sending white locks spilling. “Maybe because I have always been involved in death.” He ran his index finger down her freckle-splashed nose.

She caught his hand and gazed at the ugly scab on his palm. “I would guess cuts from iron bars?”

He snatched his hand back, and after a quick glance at the wound he balled his right hand into a fist.

“If that’s the case why did ye no want me t’ go and get ye a proper dressin’?”

“Because nobody except Notus knows,” he snapped.

Perplexed, Jeanie asked, “Knows that Chosen can –“

“No!”

Jeanie drew back at the vehemence in his voice.

The precipitance in her face sobered him. “I’m sorry Jeanie.” He shook and lowered his head. Long white hair fell to hide his face.

The fact that Jeanie had found out and even accepted the truth of his nature and quest was one thing, but he never even considered the notion of telling her about the differences between he and other Chosen. Those imperfections that have been incapacitating, even life threatening, of which only Notus had knowledge. Any defect, any sway from the norm, and that Chosen’s sentence was death.

Over the long years there had been three that had been found, that he had heard of. One who could not even go out if the moon was full because of the increased amount of natural light, and two others, Chooser and Chosen, who had taken on lupine qualities. All had died in the proscribed way; dismemberment of limbs and then left for the sun to finish them off. It was bad enough that his colouring marked him different. If others found out the true extent of that difference his fate would be the same as those other three.

Jeanie moved closer, perplexed as to why he had suddenly shut down. Brushing the soft milky hair from his face, she lifted his chin and stared at the worry creasing his brow.

“Tis alright. I forgive ye,” she soothed. “Ye dinna hae t’ tell me if ye dinna wish.”

The injury in her voice brought him to gaze into her summer eyes. The last time he had see such a vibrant green was that spring day so long ago and a new thought entered to mind. It was a decision he hoped never to make, nor ever to regret. “Jeanie, I have trusted you more in the last few hours than I have anyone else in my life, save Notus.” His mouth suddenly dry and he swallowed back the trepidation hammering his heart. “Can I trust you now never to tell anyone, Chosen or mortal, except Notus, what I am about to tell you?”

Jeanie recognized the gravity of the situation and nodded. “Ye told me that I can trust ye with my life and I do. Ye can do the same with me. I give ye my word.”