Embrace the Magic (The Blood Rose Series Book 2) (6 page)

Her body suddenly responded, her heart beating heavily as it did for Ethan, wanting to nourish both vampires. There could be no doubt that she recognized him as a mastyr, another sure sign that she was exactly what Ethan had called her in the vision: A blood rose.

“You’re feeling me,” Ry said, his voice husky. “Don’t hide it from me, Samantha. I know that you are. You want me.”

These words, however, brought a terrible sound from Ethan’s throat, something between a growl and a roar. Before she could shout a word of warning, Ethan charged Ry.

Blades flashed in the glow of her vision and a heavy vibration from the battle pulsed through her in waves that kept her heart beating hard in her chest, longing for either of the vampires, wanting them both, needing to give up her vital blood supply.

The rational human part wanted the vampires to stop fighting, but this new fae self rejoiced in the battle as each man levitated and spun, avoiding the strike of the blade, lunging in for a killing blow. Ethan rose higher, to gain an advantage, and flew down toward Ry at a blurring speed.

But at the last moment, Ry shifted away, his body and leathers forming a fan-like shape as he escaped Ethan’s blade. He caught Ethan’s arm and jerked, which sent Ethan into the front walkway with a terrifying thud.

Samantha cried out, but Ethan rose up off the bricks as though he’d barely felt it. Vampires were strong.

Moving fast once more, he flew almost straight up and for a split-second, she saw fear in Ry’s eye, as Ethan plowed into him. Ry’s blade fell to the ground and Ethan tackled Ry to her front lawn where he pinned him.

The next moment, the air was full of more warrior vampires, Ethan’s Guard, all wearing the traditional leather garb, floating down to her front yard to form a half-circle around Ethan and Ry.

“Now listen to me,” Ethan shouted into Ry’s face. “This woman, blood rose or not, has rights both here on earth and in Bergisson. You can’t take her against her will, you piece of shit. Do we understand each other?”

Ry breathed hard, probably because he had Ethan almost sitting on his chest, but he nodded.

Ethan drew himself up into the air and backward a few feet, giving Ry room. “You’re no longer part of the Bergisson Guard. You’re out.”

Ry rose slowly from the ground, levitating to face Ethan an equal distance in the air. Slowly, he unbuckled the leather cross-strap that angled over his chest and let it drop to the ground. Afterward, he let the long sleeveless coat fall as well, the trademark of all Guardsmen.

Samantha felt the seriousness of the situation like a second skin and each vampire looked like he’d been delivered a hard blow to the chest.

“We may as well be clear about one thing, Ethan.” Ry moved in a few inches.

Ethan’s gaze became hooded and dark. “By all means, let’s be clear.”

“I’ll have my rule back one day, you’ll see, whatever it takes.” He cast a sly glance in Samantha’s direction. He might even have winked, she wasn’t sure.

Just as Ethan lunged for Ry once more, the latter shot into the air and disappeared north toward Bergisson.

Tension held the remaining Guard immobile for several long second and only the sound of the long coats flapping in the breeze disturbed the night air.

Finn broke the silence. “What a prick.”

A round of laughter passed through the men.

Samantha still stood behind the closed screen door. She put a hand to her chest to see if she still breathed. Her lungs appeared to be working but her heart still thumped in hard beats against her ribcage.

Her gaze slid from the Guardsmen back to Ethan. Two mastyr vampires, and she wanted to feed them both.

What kind of curse was this?

But there was a material difference between the two men: Ry would take her at any cost while Ethan spoke of her freedom and her rights.

Of the two, she had no doubt which could be trusted.

Ethan issued another string of orders, which sent most of the Guard away, leaving two behind. The remaining Guardsmen rose into the air and made slow sweeps over the roof of her house and the perimeter of her front, side, and back yards.

Ethan once more approached the screen door, but he wore a scowl that brought his straight thick eyebrows resting just above his smoky gray-brown eyes. “You’re not going to want to hear this, Samantha, but I’d like you to come to Bergisson with me. Tonight. To stay in my house.” He held up both hands. “Nothing funny, but Mastyr Ry has made his position clear and right now you won’t be safe in Shreveport. Will you come with?”

Samantha stared at him, eyes wide, unable to blink. Now she was supposed to uproot herself and move into his house?

She wondered if this night could get any crazier or if maybe she’d just imagined everything. She needed to know more about what was happening to her. “Step back.”

He obeyed.

She pushed the screen door open and moving onto the front porch, grabbed his arm, squeezing tight. A vibration ripped through her. “What is that? What am I feeling? I need to understand some things here.”

“My personal frequency. We’re a world of vibrations and frequencies.”

The vibrations ebbed and flowed, almost like a conversation. Then she realized some of the vibrations emanated from her. The whole experience felt wonderful, extraordinary and completely unnerving.

Ethan winced and groaned. “Oh, God, you smell like heaven, the sweetest fruit and wine together.”

His eyes were shut as he licked his lips.

She couldn’t be imagining this sensation, a feeling of consecutive waves passing through her, tightening her abdomen and once more causing her heart to thud and her blood to flow thickly in her veins.

“And you smell like rich earthy grasses, something that grows wild on a hillside.” Her nostrils flared as he opened his eyes. “And you’re real, aren’t you?”

“I am.” His deep baritone voice enhanced the vibrations. She released his arm, a necessary act. She was feeling too much.

She shuddered as she drew back.

Turning away from him, she let the screen door slam shut. “You want me to stay in your home in Bergisson? You, the ruler of that realm?” She thought it was akin to being offered a stay at the governor’s mansion.

But at that, Ethan smiled, showing all his big beautiful teeth. “I don’t bite, except on request.”

“Now you’re going to flirt with me?”

“Only if it takes some of the sting out of the moment. Seriously, Samantha. Ry means business.”

“I can see that he does, but this is all so new, so bizarre, too much to take in.”

“You’re right. Of course.” He frowned again, something he did a lot. “Let me put it this way. Until we get this thing sorted with Ry, you’ll be safer in Bergisson than here and since it appears you’ve just discovered tonight that you have fae blood, I can try to make contact with Merhaine and bring Vojalie to stay at my house as well. She’s a very wise woman and our most powerful fae. She’ll be able to answer every question.”

Some of the tension left her body. “I have to admit, that sounds much better.”

He leaned forward. “She’ll be able to tell you everything about who you are, even about Andrea, things I wouldn’t know or have access to. She might even be able to show you around the Fae Guildhall, one of the most revered, historical buildings and organizations in our realm.”

A Fae Guildhall.

“How long do you think I’d be staying?”

“I have no way of knowing, but at least until I can secure your safety. If that means hunting Ry down and putting him in prison, then that’s what I’ll do.”

Samantha released a long, deep breath. “Could Ry bind me by force permanently if he wanted to?”

“He could wear you down, yes.” Ethan ground his jaw. “But I sure as hell won’t let him get that close.”

Of all the men she’d ever known, she was pretty sure Ethan could make good on his words. “Let me just pack a few things.”

The tension rushed out of him like a wind that passed through the screen, the sensation was that strong. “Thank you. Take all the time you need.”

*** *** ***

One of the Guardsmen held Samantha’s suitcase as Ethan showed her how to balance herself on his right foot for the flight home. He felt her nervousness as she slid her arm around his neck, arranging her grip carefully beneath the mass of his long, thick hair.

He held her tightly against him so that she could perch both of her much smaller feet on his right boot.

“We good?” he asked, his gaze sweeping the sky overhead. He didn’t think he could bear to meet her gaze in such close proximity. As it was, his control hung by a thread.

“Yes.” She even nodded and he could feel her heart beating powerfully in her chest, working to provide what he needed.

His mouth watered. Sweet Goddess did his mouth water. Her raspberry-wine scent was thick in his nose and he could smell her blood, like an elixir from heaven.

And if that wasn’t enough, her body pressed against him had ignited his personal frequency and desire for her flowed once more. He’d never been more grateful for the leather coat and snug battle leathers that right now hid one major sin.

He forced himself to breathe. “I’m going to launch now, but I have you.” He drew her tight against him.

“Do your worst.”

He liked that she showed so much courage. She’d had to process a lifetime of change in only one night.

To his Guard, he called out, “Back to Bergisson.”

The men gave a shout as they launched into the air. He followed behind in case Ry chose to attack.

He’d already warned her that if the sight of trees coming at her freaked her out, to just turn into him and close her eyes.

To the woman’s credit, however, she faced forward, as much as she could with his arm like a vise around her.

“This is amazing.”

“You aren’t afraid?”

“Not yet, but give me time.”

He smiled.

At the checkpoint, he nodded to the Guardsmen who inclined their heads in response. He pressed on, flying swiftly through the oak forest that bordered the southern lands of his realm with the northern Shreveport regions. If he continued north, his realm would open onto an expansive valley where at least a third of his population lived in the major city of Cameron.

He shifted course, however, heading east toward the wooded hills that held his main property. On the outskirts of his land was the Guard House, a home base for his troops as well as a training facility.

He heard Samantha gasp softly as he crested yet another oak laden hill, then descended toward his modern, primary residence that housed a huge, crystal embedded, glass conservatory. Large oaks on the hill behind and throughout the grounds shaded the house.

The hour was late for a human, past one in the morning, and the woods dark. “Are you able to see everything, Samantha, even though it’s night?”

“Yes, there’s a soft glow everywhere, as though the earth is lit up, like it’s early evening, with the sun barely set. How is that possible?”

“That’s realm vision so that those of us fated to remain indoors during the day can have the company of all realm-folk without massive amounts of candles or lamps. You’ll find that at least half our people have a degree of sensitivity to sunlight.”

“Your home is beautiful. The lines and materials are modern, yet you’ve used wood in big arching curves to soften the effect. The balance is perfect.”

“You speak like an artist.”

“I am. I design jewelry.”

“Ah.” As he touched down a few yards from the front door, he released her slowly. “Check your balance.”

She stepped off his foot. How reluctant he was to remove his hand from her waist, to have her arm slide from his neck. Breaking the physical connection almost
hurt
.

She turned to look up at him, blinking, her lips parted. “That was so strange. The disconnection, I mean.” She touched his chest, clearly without thinking, and his vibration rose to meet her as though greeting an old, familiar friend.

Her hand rested between his pecs. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t move. He didn’t think he could. He just wanted her touching him.

His desire for her sharpened almost painfully and again he was grateful for the coat to hide what had become very stiff and full of intention. Goddess, he was a mess.

His Guard hovered in the air at least twenty feet away. He lifted his right arm slowly, raising his palm to keep them in place. He didn’t want to break this moment with Samantha. He understood that she needed to experience his frequency right now, to take in the enormity of what a connection to a mastyr vampire would be like, to add to her understanding about the nature of what it was to be a blood rose.

He could feel how easily he could seduce her right now, to travel through his frequency to hers and to work her up sexually. It would take so little. Did she know that? Did she understand how much effort it took for him to restrain himself?

Slowly, she lifted her gaze to his. “You’re trembling,” she whispered.

He nodded, just a brief jerk of his head. “It might be best if you took your hand away now. I won’t be able to hold back much longer because I’m tempted on every level. Do you understand? The need for blood and the need for sex often come together.”

She frowned slightly as she stared at her hand, but she didn’t pull back.

He wondered why she hesitated, but if she didn’t do it soon, he swore he wouldn’t be able to answer for his conduct.

Chapter Three

Samantha knew she needed to withdraw her hand, but she didn’t want to. She felt his vibration on the tips of her fingers and she felt his call on her in every pulse of his frequency; to come to him, to lie down with him, to let him take her. His vibration had tapped into something deep inside her and she loved the way it felt, especially the intense sexual component.

But this last thought, that she wanted to climb into bed with Ethan, finally brought her to her senses.

She half-slid, half-pulled her hand away from the soft leather of his coat and the stiffer band of his cross-strap. But for a long moment, she looked into his eyes and let the experience flow through her, of who he was in his world, of his frequency, of the sheer size of him.