Embracing The Lion (Gray Bears 6) (6 page)

Gramma and Tristan hurried
out of the house and returned with a big cooler bag.

“Ta-da! I'll put it in
the freezer for you.” Gramma grinned at Rosalina and bounded
into the kitchen.

CHAPTER
THIRTEEN

Once Tara finished the whole
blood chip cookie, Gareth cleared his throat and leaned forward.
“Rosalina, I think Gramma and Ne-ma have already told you a
little about Tara's background.”

Rosalina nodded.

“Tara was drained and
given a drop of vampire blood. I gave her my blood so she would
survive. Tara can walk in direct sunlight,” Gareth rushed on,
trying to give Rosalina all the facts at one go. “She seems to
prefer normal food to fresh blood. And she doesn't seem to need as
much blood as...”

“A full vampire,”
Rosalina finished. “That's because she isn't a full vampire.”
She turned to Tara and said, “Can you provide me with a drop
of your blood? I just have to make sure.”

Tara gave a jerky nod and bit
her finger. She smeared her blood onto Rosalina's forefinger and
waited. Rosalina raised her finger to her nose and sniffed. Then
she pressed her finger to her lips and took a taste of Tara's blood.

“She's more human than
vampire,” Rosalina said at last. “She didn't take a
vampire's blood during her turning. She took your blood, Gareth. I
know what you're going to ask. The answer is no. She is not a lion
shifter like you, Gareth. She took shifter blood but that doesn't
make her a shifter. Neither is she a full vampire. You need to take
a vampire's blood to turn into a full vamp. Tara doesn't have the
powers of a vampire. She doesn't have supernatural speed and
strength, and she cannot transform into mist. But she can walk in
the sun, and essentially live as a human. The only thing is...”

“I have to drink
blood,” Tara said blandly.

“Well you don't have to
drink
it. And you don't need as much blood as a full vampire.
Just once a week will do. You can eat two blood sausages, or a
blood pie, or a pack of blood chip cookies.” Rosalina
indicated the plate of cookies in front of Tara. “That should
be more than enough.”

“Really?” Tara
gasped. “You mean...”

“Or...you could get
your sustenance from your mate.” Rosalina gave her a saucy
wink.

“Ooh!” Ne-ma put
down her coffee cup and whooped. “Sharing blood while sharing
sex is just the most orgasmic experience ever!”

“I remember you dated
that tall, dark, brooding vampire from Rosalina's coven years ago,”
Gramma exclaimed. “What's his name…?”

“Valentino,”
Ne-ma answered with a dreamy sigh. “Where is he now? He left
your coven, right?”

“Yeah. Valentino
migrated to London. The ladies in the coven were disappointed when
he left.”

“It was good while it
lasted,” Ne-ma said wistfully.

Tara saw that everyone around
the table were grinning at her and Gareth. Even Winston was giving
his brother a nudge and a punch in the arm.

“Ah, do I have to join
a coven?” Tara asked nervously.

“No. You're really
more human than vampire. In fact, you can think of yourself as a
human who just prefers her steaks extra rare. But you're welcome to
join in our coven activities,” Rosalina said. “You can
just come as a guest. Glynda and Neveah came to our barbeque just a
couple of nights ago.”

“Oh yes!” Gramma
puffed out her chest. “Neveah and I manned the barbeque, and
all the steaks were...”

“Overcooked,”
Rosalina deadpanned. “We prefer our steaks dripping with
blood, but you cooked them until they were all dry and hard!”

“But you've got to
admit that the blood sausages were cooked to perfection,” Ne-ma
insisted. “Succulent, juicy, bursting with flavor...”

“Yes, yes,”
Rosalina said with a laugh. “The sausages were perfect. Come
for our next barbeque, Tara. It's good for you to get to know other
vampires. You can make new friends, network and have fun. You'll
see that we're not at all like Lord Hugo, Phillip Lancastle and their
circle of pompous, pretentious vamps.”

Tara smiled. “Thank
you very much, Rosalina. I'd love to come.”

“Are we invited too?”
Gramma and Ne-ma asked eagerly.

“Hmm...”
Rosalina tapped her chin. “Only if you promise to stay away
from the barbeque grill.”

“Party pooper,”
Gramma sniffed.

“Don't be a spoilsport,
Rosalina,” Ne-ma pouted.

Rosalina stuck out her tongue
at them, and left them to their grumbling. She turned to Tara. “Is
there anything you'd like to know about vampires? Just ask me
anything you want. I know you served Lord Hugo for over ten years,
but—well, I'll be honest, he's not your typical vampire in this
day and age. Lord Hugo is an ancient vampire and he acts his age.
He's terribly outdated and old-fashioned.”

“And you're just the
opposite! You're so kind and warm and...normal!” Tara gushed.
“I always thought that vampires were cold and unfeeling, and
cruel...”

“Phillip Lancastle is a
psychopath. It is a crime for a vampire to attack a human. The
Sheriff will tell you that. And under the laws of my coven, any
vampire who attacks a human will be subject to the harshest
punishment.” Rosalina's black eyes flashed and Tara had a
glimpse of the tremendous strength, power and restraint that the
Master Vampire possessed.

Tara gave a faltering smile
and said, “You're a Master Vampire, but you look so young...”

Rosalina chuckled. “I
was turned in my forties. I've been a vampire for over fifty years
now. I'm actually the same age as Glynda and Neveah. We're all in
our nineties...”

“And ninety is the new
forty!” Gramma, Ne-ma and Rosalina hooted and jumped up to
twerk round the table.

There was some commotion from
the living room, and Tara saw Tristan and Jackson trying to dig their
cubs out from a big, deep flower pot in the corner.

“We better make a
move,” Gramma said. “The cubs are getting restless.”

“Are you having a coven
meeting tonight?” Ne-ma asked.

“Nope. But I have to
finish knitting those booties by tonight,” Rosalina said. “One
of my coven members is expecting twins, and she's due any time now!”

At the door, Rosalina gave
them each a hug and a kiss. “If you need anything at all,”
she told Tara. “Just come over. I'll be here.”

“Thank you, Rosalina.”
Tara shook her hand politely. Then on impulse, Tara threw her arms
around the Master Vampire and hugged her hard.

“Thank you so much! I
didn't want to live as a vampire, but you...you changed that,
Rosalina. I hated what I've become, but now that I've met you, I'm
not angry and ashamed any more. In fact, I...I'm actually proud and
happy to be considered a vampire. Thank you!”

CHAPTER
FOURTEEN

Gareth dropped Gramma and
Ne-ma off at the inn and drove home with Tara. She was silent during
the drive home, and when he glanced at her, he caught her staring at
him with a strange light in her eyes.

When he opened the front door
for her, Tara hesitated at the threshold for a moment. She turned to
him and said very quietly, “Thank you, Gareth. For
everything.”

He locked the door behind
them and pulled her to him. “Tara, talk to me. That's a lot
for you to absorb tonight. Are you okay?” He stared at her
for a long while. Was she still thinking of destroying herself? Did
she still want to die...and leave him? His grip tightened painfully
around her waist. He couldn't let her leave him. He couldn't lose
her.

Tara took a deep breath and
nodded once. “Yes. I'm okay, I'm more than okay actually.
I'm really grateful, to all of you. Thank you for saving my life,
Gareth. You gave me your blood, and you took care of me. Your
brother and sister-in-law, Gramma, Ne-ma and the whole Gray family,
stood by me and did their best to help me. And Rosalina was
wonderful! I'm just a stranger, yet all of you did so much for
me...”

“You're not a stranger,
Tara,” Gareth said hotly. “You...you are so important to
me.” He grabbed her shoulders. “My lion found you, and
it recognized you. You—you are mine, Tara. Do you...feel this
connection between us? Or do you feel nothing at all for me?”

She gasped but didn't flinch
even when his nails dug into her shoulders. “I feel for you,
Gareth. A whole lot. And it frightens me,” she whispered at
last. “I don't understand what I'm feeling, or why I'm feeling
this way. I thought it was a side effect of my turning. I've never
wanted anyone like this...” She shook her head and winced. “I
should fight this...”

“No. You shouldn't.”

Gareth tilted her chin up and
forced her to look into his eyes.

For a long while, she stared
deeply and searchingly into his eyes as she listened to the rhythm of
his heart. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around his neck and
whispered, “Kiss me, Gareth. Just once. I...I've never been
kissed before...”

Gareth dipped his head and
touched his mouth to hers in a soft, gentle kiss. His hands moved
down her body, tracing her lush, feminine curves.

Tara moaned as he swept his
tongue across her lower lip and deepened the kiss. He could feel the
pointed tip of her fangs pressing against his lips as her fangs
elongated with her spiraling passion.

The sharp point of her fang
sliced across his bottom lip and drew blood. She lapped at his blood
and shuddered as the blood slid down her throat.

Her eyes widened and Gareth
saw the sudden flash of heat and hunger in her storm gray eyes.

“Gareth...” she
breathed, clinging to him. “I need more...”

He scented her fierce arousal
and need. He growled and swung her up in his arms. Taking the
stairs three at a time, he entered his bedroom and kicked the door
shut.

“Tara, I can scent and
feel your burning, tormenting hunger. I can ease you and pleasure
you—without taking and claiming you,” he said hoarsely.
“You can take my blood...”

“Gareth, I want you,”
she panted. “I want to feel everything...”

They fell on the bed
together, her blouse and bra already shredded and fluttering to the
floor. He sheathed his claws quickly and pulled off her jeans.
Shedding his clothes, he came to her and pinned her down with his
body.

He growled at the sight of
her naked and writhing beneath him. She blinked up at him, then
gasped and fumbled clumsily for the covers.

Gareth caught her hands and
held them. “Tara, you are trying to hide from me. Why?”

“I...” She
blushed and swallowed audibly. “I've never been with a man
before, Gareth. I don't know how to pleasure you or service you...”
she stammered.

“You are not my slave,
Tara.” Gareth's voice rose. “You are nobody's slave!
You don't have to pleasure me or service me. You—are my mate!
My lion recognized you and my heart knows you. You are mine. We
share everything. Sex, blood, pain and pleasure. You're not here
just to share my bed. You will share my life and my future. You own
my heart and my life, Tara.”

Tears glinted in her eyes.
“I've never owned anything before,” she whispered. “I
never had anything that was truly my own.”

“I am yours,”
Gareth said, kissing away her tears. “I belong to you, Tara,
truly and forever.”

CHAPTER
FIFTEEN

Tara raised her hand to cup
Gareth's handsome face as he thumbed away her tears. His words were
heartfelt and honest, and she knew he had spoken the truth, yet she
could hardly believe that this strong, sweet, sexy man was hers. He
was a waking, walking wet dream, a dream come true.

But he wasn't a dream. He
was solid, hard and real. He was here, in her arms, in her life.
This fiercely protective, powerful lion had prowled into her life,
and he wasn't leaving.

Tara let her eyes roam down
his muscular body. She licked her lips as she admired the
sculptured, defined lines and angles of his body. Every hard inch of
him, was hers.

If this was a dream, she
didn't want to wake up. Ever.

When she saw his proud,
massive erection, she let out a gasp and an involuntary whimper.
Gareth was huge. His cock was thick and long, and...there was no way
she could take him into her body. She wanted desperately to feel him
inside her, but how was he going to penetrate her without splitting
her in two?

“Touch me,”
Gareth said in a low growl.

Tara knelt on the mattress
and sucked in a breath when Gareth guided her hand to his rock hard
cock. Gareth groaned when she tightened her grip around him and
began to pump her fist along the rigid length of his shaft.

A drop of milky white cum
leaked from the head of his cock and she leaned forward to lap it up
eagerly. Gareth inhaled sharply and his entire body shuddered when
she circled his cock with her tongue.