Cain's Identity (Scanguards Vampires Book 9) (32 page)

He still felt her body beneath his, still heard her heartbeat, sensed her breathing. But he knew in a few moments he would turn to ash and she would have no further protection from the sun. Only one hope remained: that there was a heaven for vampires, and that they would meet there.

“Oh, fuck!” a male voice penetrated the haze in his mind.

Cain tried to focus on it, realizing he knew the voice.

“Cain! Fuck, you look like crap!”

Involuntarily, Cain lifted his head and turned in the direction of the voice. A blurry looking Blake came rushing toward him.

Was he delirious?

Then a hand touched his arm. “Easy, easy,” Blake said. “We’ve got you. It’s all good.”

Cain’s eyes adjusted, and he suddenly noticed that it was dark in the crypt. No sunlight was entering.

“What happened?” he choked out. Beneath him, Faye breathed heavily, and he quickly braced himself on his knees to take his weight off her, Blake helping him in his weakened state.

“Nicolette and I managed to throw a tarp over the holes. Wes helped with a spell ’cause the building was too high for us to reach the roof.”

Looking up, Cain saw that indeed both holes, the one in the ceiling and the one in the wall opposite were covered with something dark. Relieved, he pulled on the hoodie covering Faye’s face. Her skin was red and covered in burns, pink tears rimmed her eyes, but her eyes met his, and he knew then that everything would be all right.

“Cain,” she murmured. “You came for me.”

“Always.”

Then she turned her head to Blake. “Thank you.”

The door opened, and two more people entered: Nicolette and Wesley. They slammed the door shut behind them.

“You guys look like you need blood,” Wes stated. “Way I see it, you’ve got three willing donors here. Take your pick.”

Cain tried to sit up, but his entire body shook. Blake put his arm around him to steady him.

“Can you get some tools to get those chains off Faye?” Cain asked, knowing she was still in pain due to the continued contact of the silver with her wrists.

“Already on it,” Wes confirmed. “John is driving the car through the main gate and bringing it closer. He’ll bring a chain cutter.”

Cain nodded. “And Abel?”

“We saw him drive away on the motorcycle. Haven is chasing him by car. But—”

The ringing of Cain’s phone interrupted him. Cain pulled it from his pocket and looked at the display. He tapped it. “Thomas?”

“Is Faye safe?”

“Yes.”

“Good, then I hope you don’t mind that we’ll defend your kingdom now.”

“Are the Mississippians attacking?”

“Yes, but they’re not only attacking us, they’re also attacking their own leader: Victor.”

Instantly Abel’s words came back to Cain. “Oh, God, that’s what Abel wanted.”

“What?”

“Abel has the Mississippi guards in his pocket. You have to save Victor!”

45

Cain looked over the heads of his subjects and other guests that were assembled in the large ballroom of the palace and brought the glass of blood to his lips, taking a sip. A feeling of relief and happiness filled him as he watched his fellow vampires and the few humans—plus one witch—mingle and finally relax after the tense hours the night before.

Next to him, Victor, the king of the Mississippi clan set his empty glass on a table nearby. “I’m very grateful to you and your men for my life.”

Cain looked at him, inclining his head by a fraction. “I’m glad Thomas was able to act so swiftly.”

Victor shook his head. “I still can’t believe it. My own men. Your brother managed to infiltrate my own king’s guards and convince them to kill me.”

“His greed for power had no bounds. He figured he could take both kingdoms in one swoop, deposing me by forcing me to withdraw the guards that were loyal to me, then letting you take the palace with your men, before your men killed you.”

Victor frowned. “Do you think it was his plan all along when he invited me to come? He spoke about peace negotiations.”

Cain scoffed. “My brother was never one for peace, though I do believe he’d planned things differently. From what John told me, I know that he was planning to pin my murder on you and your clan, thus inciting an open war . . .”

“. . . during which my guards would have stabbed me in the back.”

“Precisely,” Cain concluded.

“So why didn’t you follow Abel’s command to withdraw all your men from the palace?”

“I did.” He motioned to Thomas who stood in the crowd talking to Eddie and John. “But I’m afraid that some people just don’t know how to execute a direct order.”

Victor chuckled. “I’d call that insubordination.”

“Do I hear insubordination?” Gabriel sidled up to them. “Not too long ago I knew somebody who couldn’t take orders either.”

Cain gave the Scanguards boss a sideways smile. “That’s because that somebody isn’t meant to follow orders but give them.”

Victor nodded to Gabriel. “I hear you’re the one who killed Baltimore. Guess you couldn’t break him.”

“Oh, we broke him. That’s why Thomas took a few of the guards and hid in the palace with them. He knew something was gonna go down.”

Though Gabriel didn’t say it, Cain knew that Thomas had taken a few loyal guards and hidden in the tunnels with them to be ready to enter the palace again once he knew Faye was safe.

“Once we had all the information we needed from Baltimore, there was no reason to keep him alive,” Gabriel added.

Cain turned to Victor. “Baltimore confirmed Abel’s plan and how he was trying to manipulate you into a hostile action by letting you know that we were sheltering two of your clan members here.” He took a deep breath. “Which brings me to an issue we need to discuss.”

Victor raised his hand, interrupting him. “Before you go on, let me say this. I don’t condone the defanging of vampires. It’s beneath me.”

“Then why did you do it?”

“If I may explain something first, please.”

Cain nodded.

“My old king wasn’t much better than yours. Many of us had had enough of him and his cruelties. So we decided to get rid of him. I was chosen to succeed him. But that didn’t mean that the cruelties ended. There are still factions within our clan who follow in the old king’s footsteps. As for the defanging of those two unfortunate individuals: It wasn’t my doing. It appears that the guards that Abel turned over to his side took it upon themselves to butcher those two vampires.”

Surprised at the revelation, Cain raised an eyebrow. “You’re saying you didn’t order this?”

Victor shook his head.

“Then why were you demanding I hand David and Kathryn over to you?”

“I needed them to tell me who performed this barbaric act on them. I needed to find the traitors in my kingdom. But I couldn’t trust anybody, so I went along with the charade and called David and Kathryn traitors. I’m sorry I had to deceive you. I hope this won’t stand between us when we negotiate for peace.”

Cain set down his glass and offered his hand. “I look forward to our negotiations.”

Victor shook his hand and bowed. “Likewise. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to personally thank the man who saved my life.”

Once Victor was out of earshot, Cain addressed Gabriel. “Anything new?”

With a regretful shake of his head, Gabriel said, “I’m sorry. We lost him. Abel knows the city better than Haven. Haven never had a chance at catching him.”

Cain clenched his jaw, trying not to let this failure spoil his mood. “One day I’ll get him and make him pay for what he did.”

“If he values his life, he’ll never cross your path again,” Gabriel said and put his hand on Cain’s forearm. “Try to forget what you can’t change.” He glanced to the side from where Faye was now approaching. “You have a wonderful life ahead of you. Don’t let hate poison your happiness.”

“I won’t,” he promised Gabriel and walked to Faye, opening his arms and wrapping her into an embrace. “My queen.”

Faye looked ravishing in her long strapless red dress, the same dress she’d worn in his dream.

“My king,” she responded, her lips only inches from his.

“I think it’s time to leave.”

Faye chuckled. “You can’t leave your own welcome home party so soon. Your subjects came expressly to see you.”

“I’m the king. I can leave whenever I want.” He swept her up into his arms.

“Cain! Put me down. Everybody’s looking.”

Cain glanced at the crowd and noticed heads turning. “I don’t care.” It didn’t matter what everybody thought of him taking his mate and carrying her out of the ballroom. All that mattered was that he wanted to be alone with her now.

They had both healed thanks to Blake’s and Nicolette’s blood, and now was the time to renew their love.

Cain kicked the door to his suite shut behind him and brought his lips to Faye’s. “I had a dream.”

“Yes?”

He carried her to the bed and stopped in front of it. “You were wearing this dress, but you wore nothing underneath.”

A soft laugh rolled over her lips. “My love, you have a very wicked imagination.”

“Do I?” He laid her down on the crisp sheets. “Or do I have a very wicked wife?”

Faye batted her eyelashes at him. “Maybe you should investigate that claim of yours.”

Cain ripped his bow tie open and tossed it to the floor, then shrugged his dinner jacket off his shoulders. “Yeah, maybe I should,” he answered teasingly. “Just as soon as I’ve gotten rid of my clothes.”

Her eyes watched him as he freed himself from his shirt. “I’ve always loved you stripping for me.”

Cain found himself smiling down at her as he opened the button to his pants and slid the zipper down. “Funny, in my dream I was the one saying that.” He stepped out of his shoes and pulled his socks off, before dropping his pants.

Faye’s lips parted on a breath while she let her eyes run over his nearly naked body. Cain dropped his gaze to his boxer briefs. The outline of his erection was clearly visible underneath the black fabric. Lifting his lids a fraction, he looked at her.

“Would you like me to take those off, too?”

Her eyes glowed with undisguised lust. “Don’t be a tease. Show me what I want to see.” Her hands reached for him. “Let me feel you.”

Cain hooked his thumbs under his boxer briefs and pushed them down slowly, watching with delight how Faye’s chest lifted and how her nipples hardened under the thin silk fabric of her dress.

Cool air wafted against his cock when he finally rid himself of the last piece of clothing and stood in front of her completely naked. His chest lifted with each breath, and his heart pumped more blood into his cock, making his eager appendage point upward, tilting toward his navel.

“Is that what you want, my insatiable queen?”

Faye opened her mouth wider. Fangs now peeked from her upper gums, slowly descending to their full length. He’d never seen a more erotic sight.

“Now show me if my dream was right,” he demanded.

She stroked provocatively down her torso. Mid thigh she gathered the fabric in her hands and pulled it up higher, first revealing her calves, then her knees.

“More,” he demanded, his voice now sounding hoarse.

She complied silently and pushed the fabric higher. Her bare thighs came into view. She spread them just a little, then inched the fabric over her hips, revealing the treasure beneath.

Cain’s mouth went dry. Just like in his dream, she was bare. A dark nest of hair was all that guarded her sex. He lifted his head and connected with her gaze.

“Satisfied?” she murmured.

“In a moment both of us will be,” he promised and gripped her dress.

She helped him strip her of it by sitting up, before pressing her flat back onto the bed. He moved over her and pushed her thighs farther apart with his knee to make space for himself.

When he felt her arms come around him and pull him to her, he knew the world was right again. Without a word, he adjusted his angle and thrust into her.

A moan came over her lips, bouncing against his.

“I nearly lost you. I’ve never been so scared in my entire life,” Cain confessed and brushed his lips against hers.

“I was so scared when I lay there tied to that grave. But when I heard your voice in my head, it gave me strength.” Her hand caressed his nape, making him shiver with pleasure.

“I’ll keep you safe now, my love. Like I promised you a long time ago.”

Cain pressed his lips to hers and kissed her. His hips started moving in synch with Faye’s body, thrusting, then withdrawing, sliding in and out of her silken sheath, connecting with her. Their bond had saved them both. Without it he wouldn’t have found her in time. It had made them stronger.

The fire between them would always burn brightly, just like it did now as their movements became more urgent, more demanding, and the need for ultimate intimacy was at its highest.

Cain severed his lips from hers and let his fangs emerge, while his cock drove into her with relentless thrusts and her thighs imprisoned him in her center. Faye’s eyes glowed red, just like his. They were both driven by their most primal needs now. Only one thing could add to the pleasure already coursing through his body and rendering him boneless.

“Bite me!” he demanded and sank his fangs into her shoulder, offering her his neck.

The moment Faye’s fangs drove into his flesh, Cain shuddered violently. A bolt as strong as a thousand lightning strikes charged through his body and into the tip of his cock. He exploded.

My love, my queen, my life.

A wave washed against him, and he knew it was Faye’s orgasm that now crested.

My love, my king, my life
, she responded.

She was all he would ever need. No matter what happened to his kingdom in the future, as long as he had Faye, he would be happy.

THE END

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