Crouching Tiger, Forbidden Vampire (Love at Stake) (18 page)

She’d done it. She’d mated for the first time. A laugh bubbled up her throat. The fire was gone, and she felt so strong and free.

Russell rose from the bed and strode toward the ice chest. Keeping his back to her, he stuck a bottle of blood into the microwave and waited for it to warm up.

She rolled onto her side to admire the sight of his back and buttocks. “Thank you.”

He stiffened, but didn’t turn around, didn’t say a word.

Was he angry with her? She sat up. “Are you all right?”

He removed the bottle and took a sip. “The sun will be up in a few minutes. After I’m dead, you should call your cousin to let him know you’re all right. Xiao Fang told him you were wounded, so I’m sure he’s been worried.”

She winced. She would have to admit that she’d progressed to her second life. And Rajiv would want to know if she’d mated. He would not be thrilled that the were-tiger princess had mated with a vampire. Especially when she was engaged.

Was that why Russell was refusing to look at her? Did he feel guilty? It wasn’t his fault. She was the one who had practically forced him.

She gasped. Oh God, she had forced him. He’d tried over and over to stop her, but she hadn’t listened. She’d been totally engulfed in a feverish need to mate. “Russell, I—”

“Get some rest.” He tossed the empty bottle into a plastic bin. “We can talk when I wake up.” He strode to the far end of the cave where he’d left a blanket and pillow.

He wasn’t going to share the bed with her? Her heart sank.

“Goodnight.” He stretched out and closed his eyes.

Tears stung her eyes when his breathing stopped. “I’m so sorry.”

He had every right to be angry. He’d tried to stop her. He’d reminded her that she was engaged. And she had ignored his objections.

Rajiv would be angry, too. She’d have to explain to him that she didn’t care if her engagement fell through. She didn’t know the were-tiger prince. As far as she was concerned, he could jump in a lake.

But Russell . . . She walked over to him and adjusted his blanket. She did care about him. He was the one who believed in her, the one who filled her thoughts and pulled at her heart. It would kill her if she lost his friendship. Or lost his respect.

A tear rolled down her cheek. “Please don’t hate me. You’re my . . . my partner. My cowboy. I need you.” Her heart squeezed in her chest with a painful realization. She needed him to love her.

Because she loved him.

Chapter Nineteen

W
hen Russell woke up that evening, he found Jia asleep in the bed, wearing one of his T-shirts. There were signs that she’d been busy during the day. His clothes and coat, which he’d left soaking in the stream, were washed and drying. All the laundry had been done, and the cave cleaned up.

He lit an oil lamp, then retrieved a bottle of blood from an ice chest. As he sipped his breakfast, he wandered over to the bed to watch her sleep. He wasn’t sure what to make of what had happened. It seemed like she’d been driven by some need beyond her control. Had death traumatized her to the point that she’d had to confirm her life by having sex? Why the sudden desire to rid herself of her virginity?

How on earth was he supposed to give her up now? He’d tried to resist her. He knew better than to sleep with a woman who was engaged. But in the end, his desire had won the battle. His love for her was greater than his sense of honor.

He guzzled down the rest of his bottle and dropped it into the plastic crate with the other empty bottles. There was a primitive caveman inside him that had urged him to take her and stake his claim, as if she’d been a prized possession. And that same caveman wanted to destroy any competition.

He took a deep breath and forced his mind out of caveman mode. Jia was a strong, independent woman, and he loved that about her. The fact that he couldn’t bear to give her up was his problem. All he could do was be honest with her and try to convince her that life with a penniless vampire would be better than living in a palace with a were-tiger prince.

Shit. He was so screwed.

Even so, falling in love with her had been the best thing to happen to him in years. It made him feel hopeful and alive, instead of dead and full of hate. But he wasn’t sure how she felt. Last night, she’d seemed desperate. For him? Or just for sex?

He heated up some water and took a hot shower. He wasn’t in any hurry to wake Jia up. Not when he was afraid of what he might hear. Besides, there was no point in hunting for Han tonight. He would remain hidden until tomorrow, when it was time to lead his troops into battle.

As Russell toweled off and dressed, he considered what to do with his brother. He needed to be alone with Markos so he could talk some sense into him. So the second he spotted Markos tomorrow night, he would teleport behind him, catching him by surprise so he could kidnap him.

Without Markos there to lead the army, the soldiers would probably hesitate to attack Tiger Town. They might even desert. From what Russell had seen from the guards last night, their morale was low. They no longer wanted to die for Han and risk going to hell.

Once he and Markos were alone, they would decide the outcome of the battle. There was no need to put anyone else in danger. Russell sighed, not wanting to think about that final confrontation. Would Markos surrender and give up his plan to rule the world? Somehow Russell had to convince him to stop. If not, he would be forced to kill him.

His heart constricted in his chest.
God, help me. Spare me from that pain.
Hadn’t he been through enough?

There was a rustling sound from the bed. Jia was waking. She blinked at him sleepily, and his heart squeezed again. Was he going to lose her, too?

“I’ll go topside for a few minutes to give you privacy.” He grabbed a sword and the sat phone, then teleported out to do a perimeter check. Nothing but a few small animals that ran away as he approached.

He wondered how preparations were going at Tiger Town, but he didn’t dare call one of the Vamps, since they might teleport to him and learn the location of his hideout. So he called Howard in Transylvania.

“Guess who’s here,” Howard said. “Last night, Angus had Neona, Norjee, and Xiao Fang teleported here. Neona agreed not to take part in the battle, since she’s expecting.”

“That’s good. How is Xiao Fang?”

“He’s coming along,” Howard replied. “Neona has healed his injuries, and he’s talking to Norjee quite a bit. He hasn’t said much about his captivity, though. He keeps asking if Jia is all right. He says she was stabbed.”

“Tell him she’s fine. Her wound is completely healed.”

“That’s a relief. The poor kid is afraid to be happy. He’s worried that Darafer will find him.”

Russell winced. That was a possibility. “Is there any way to get rid of Darafer?”

“We’re not able to kill him,” Howard grumbled. “As far as I know, only the Heavenly Father and archangels can destroy him. The God Warriors can banish him back to hell, but it takes seven of them. And they can only do it if he breaks the decree of free will.”

Russell sighed. Even if he solved the situation with his brother, Darafer would remain a problem. “What’s going on at Tiger Town?”

“Angus has gathered an army of two hundred. As soon as the sun sets here, Mikhail is supposed to teleport me there.”

“Any sign of Han’s army?” Russell asked. “Do I need to spend tonight tracking them?”

“No. You can relax. Queen Nima’s owl is watching the army and having other birds report to Winifred, so Angus knows where the army is. He expects them to arrive at the Mekong River tomorrow afternoon. We figure they won’t attack until after sunset, when Han shows up.”

“Tell Angus that as soon as I spot Han, I’m kidnapping him. That should keep the army from attacking.”

There was a pause, then Howard said, “You should stand down, Russell. Don’t get involved. He’s your brother—”

“That’s why I have to do this. I can’t allow him to kill another person.”

Howard groaned. “I get that, but I don’t want you to do something you’ll regret. You’ll have to live with the consequences forever.”

“I know. Later.” Russell hung up and stood still as despair threatened to engulf him. Did he have to lose everyone he ever loved?

With a heavy heart, he teleported back into the cave.

Jia was sitting on the bed, dressed in her second set of clothes and braiding her hair. “Hi.” She smiled at him, then glanced away, her cheeks turning pink.

Great. Things were going to be awkward. “How do you feel? You look . . . beautiful, but then, you always do.”

Her blush deepened. “I’m fine.”

“Do you have enough food here to eat? When the sun sets in Transylvania, I could steal some of Howard’s donuts for you.”

That made her smile. “I’m fine, really. Just . . . embarrassed.”

“There’s no need to feel bad.” Having sex with him was embarrassing? Dammit. He plugged the sat phone in to recharge. If she apologized or called it an accident, he might lose it.

“It was my first time to die and come back.” She slipped off the bed and wandered toward the table. “I wasn’t sure what exactly would happen. I didn’t expect to shift.”

“No big deal.” He grabbed another bottle of blood from the ice chest and wrenched off the top. Not that he was hungry, but he had to keep busy or he might rip something apart. “You’re a were-tiger. You shift. No need to apologize for it.”
Not when I love you the way you are.

“I . . . hope I didn’t scare you.”

He shrugged and took a sip of cold blood.

She winced. “Rajiv warned me I might behave . . . strangely.”

“You mean like a sex goddess?”

Her mouth fell open. “No! I mean, he said I might feel an overwhelming desire to mate, but I’d never mated before, so I didn’t think—”

“You knew?” He plunked the bottle down on the table. “You knew that would happen?”

“I’m sorry! I didn’t—”

“Don’t—” He clenched his fists. “Don’t apologize.”

“I didn’t think anything would happen!” She stepped toward him. “I’m sure it was shocking for you, but it seems to be a completely normal occurrence for were-cats. Think of it as a cultural thing.”

Anger shot through him. “A
cultural
thing?”

“Yes.” She waved a dismissive hand. “It’s just something that happens when a were-cat progresses to the next life.”

“Well, thank God you had a convenient dick nearby!”

With a gasp, she stepped back.

Dammit! He slammed two handguns down on the table along with his cleaning supplies, then sat on a stool to get to work.

“Russell?”

He ignored her as he dismantled the first gun. This was worse than he had thought. She’d simply been driven by an innate need to mate. He’d just been expedient. It hadn’t meant anything personal to her at all. No wonder she was embarrassed. She’d used him. And now she intended to go on with her life, her second life, as if nothing had happened.

“Russell?”

He cleaned the handgun at vampire speed. Tomorrow night, he’d end things with his brother. She would have the revenge she wanted. And then she would be free to marry her prince.

“Russell!”

He glanced up. Damn, she was staring at him with tears in her eyes. Maybe she was taking it personally after all. He set his tools down. “What’s wrong?”

“I—” She closed her eyes with a pained look. “I made a mistake.”

Damn. Why didn’t she just cut his heart out and throw it into a blender? “I thought our night together was a cultural thing. Now it’s a mistake.”

She winced. “That’s what you think?”

He jumped to his feet. “I don’t know what the hell to think!”

She bit her lip. “I made a mistake when I acted like last night wasn’t important. I made light of it because I was trying to hide my shame.”

“You’re ashamed that you slept with me?”

“No! I’m ashamed of the crime I committed.” She squared her shoulders. “I abused you. You tried several times to stop me, but I ignored your wishes. I— I forced you to mate with me, and I—”

“Forced?”

“Yes. I know it’s unforgivable, but I hope—”

“
Forced?
” He skirted the table to stand in front of her. “You’re forgetting something really big.”

Her gaze lowered to his groin. “I don’t think so.”

He scoffed. “I’m referring to the fact that at any point last night, I could have teleported away. I stayed because I wanted to.”

She blinked. “But you kept trying to stop me.”

“Because you’re engaged. Not because I didn’t want you.” He stepped closer. “Did you force me to kiss your breasts and suck on your nipples?”

Her mouth dropped open.

“Did you force me to push you onto your back so I could thrust deeper inside you? Did you force me to have the biggest damned climax of my life?”

She stared at him, her eyes wide. “Y-you wanted to mate?”

“Yes! So you can stop apologizing or feeling ashamed. I did exactly what I wanted to do. It’s what happens when a man falls in love.”

“You mean—”

“Yes! I’m in love with you.”

She gasped, her hand covering her mouth.

He shifted his weight. Now that his heart was out, she would toss it into the blender by reminding him that she planned to marry someone else.

A tear rolled down her cheek, and she moved up close to him. “I was so afraid I had abused you. I couldn’t bear the thought that you would hate me.”

“Never. I love you.”

She gave him a wobbly smile as more tears came down her face. “That’s good. Because I love you.”

He stiffened, his breath caught in his chest. “You . . . ?”

“I finally realized it last night, but the feeling was already there. That’s why I insisted on being with you when I died.” She reached up to touch his cheek. “If I was going to need a mate, I wanted it to be you. It could be only you.”

Something hard but fragile seemed to shatter in his chest, and he cupped his hand around the back of her neck to pull her into a kiss. The sudden move caught her by surprise, so her mouth was open. He took advantage, molding his lips to hers and slipping his tongue inside.

She stiffened, most probably still surprised. He cradled her head in his hands so he could devour her mouth. God, how he needed her. His chest tightened. His groin swelled.

Her hands smoothed over his shoulders and around his neck. Soon her mouth was moving with his, her tongue was stroking his. They kissed till they were breathless and panting against each other’s lips.

He rested his brow against hers. “That’s a kiss.”

“I think I like kissing after all.”

When he opened his eyes, she was tinted pink.

She grinned. “I love it when your eyes turn red. It makes me feel so powerful.”

“You are powerful. You could destroy me with a single word.”

Her fingers delved into his hair. “What word would that be?”

“
Good-bye
.”

Her eyes widened. “Then we’ll never say it. It would destroy me, too.”

He pulled her close for another kiss. She held him tightly, kissing him back. Her body pressed against him, and his groin grew hard. After ravishing her mouth to the point that she was limp and breathless, he planted kisses along her cheek to her ear.

With a moan, she tilted her head.

He sucked her earlobe into his mouth, then whispered, “I want you naked so I can kiss you everywhere.”

“Oh.” She shivered. “Well, if you insist.” She tugged at his T-shirt, but he pulled it off before she could rip it in two.

“Wait.” She grabbed his hands when he reached for his belt. “I want to undress you.”

“Well, if you insist,” he repeated her words. “Then I’ll undress you.”

“Deal.” With a grin, she unbuckled his belt.

With vampire speed, he unknotted her belt and took off her tunic. Then he undid the drawstring on her trousers and dropped them to the ground. She was down to her panties and camisole before his trousers were unzipped.

She gave him a wry look. “Are you in a hurry?”

“Once I have you naked, I’ll go as slow as you like.”

Her golden eyes gleamed. “Well, if you insist.”

“I do, princess.”

“Cowboy.” She tugged his trousers and underwear down, and his swollen manhood popped out. “Oh, hello. I remember you.”

“You’re going to talk to it?” He kicked off his shoes and trousers.

She stroked him with her fingers. “I may do more than talk.”

“Well, if you insist.” He swooped her up to carry her to the bed. When he sat her down, he pulled the camisole up and over her head. Her breasts bounced free, round and firm, topped with plump, pink nipples.