Last Bitten (The Emerald Night Series) (8 page)

There will be war if we break the law of Last Bitten
.

I don’t care
. . . since when have ever done what we were supposed to? Johnny . . .

She heard a laugh ring out around the room
—it was Johnny. She felt it all slipping away, her essence slipping away.

***

“Wake up, my love, wake up. I give you life. I give you mine. Open your lips, my Nia. Drink of me now.”

The blood was hot
, like a warm, buttery steak on cold night after a long day’s run in the snow. Nia drank and drank, feeling her senses come back. She opened an eye, her head upon some perfect, white pillow. She looked up to see what she knew to be her favorite painting hanging above her—a single black-and-white calla lily spiraling perfect like the cosmos. It represented her and all that she was and wanted to be.

“To new beginnings,” said Johnny
, slipping on top of her fully nude and ready.

“Oh
, Johnny, what did you do?”

“They are all dead, save a f
ew that escaped—Emelle, Daddy Dearest, a couple others. Bruce is holding the fort.”

“What’s going to happen now?”

Johnny gave her a small, warm-up kiss on the lips. “We don’t need to worry about those things just yet. The City is still ours for the time being. Seattle is our little emerald kitty. She purrs. Can you hear her? This is our wedding night, and I’ve been waiting for it for decades. Anyway, I’m sleeping with a criminal. You’re wanted for that stabbing.”

“Hana?
” Nia ran her hands along Johnny’s amazing back.

“
Yes, your old college roomie. Your picture has been spread all across the Internet and TV. It’s a setup. We have enemies within the ranks; I’ll figure it out soon enough. They’ve got your prints on that knife you stabbed me with. The same one was used on her.”

“Oh
uh . . . sorry about that, you know. I didn’t—”

He kissed her again to shut her up
. “I found it amusing.”

“You would
, wouldn’t you?” She giggled.

He nodded
. “I guess a wedding gift is in order before we get to you know.”

“For me?”

“Yes—you.”

“I want you to save Hana
. I want you to bring her with us.”

“We can’t just choose any old human,” said Johnny
.

“That is my wish
. Okay?”

“Okay
, enough chat for now. Later is later.” He spread Nia’s legs wide and entered her full force, like he was taking her for the first time. He couldn’t help it. He thrust slow and steady at first, then quicker and deeper, giving her everything he wanted to give.

“Not so fast
, Johnny boy, easy,” Nia said, rolling them so that she was on top now and he below. Her long, black hair covered the things he wanted most. He ran his hands over her soft breasts and circled in with his fingers until he reached her hard nipples, then squeezed lightly. She rode him slow, which tortured him even more, as all he wanted her to do was just give in, give in to lust and love, passion and fire, ride him down till they both washed away in a river of tears and joy. She saw the want in his face and resisted a little more so she could play with her happy little knob and join in on the extravaganza.

The
two writhed in hot bliss as she picked up the pace, and he buckled under her drive. They both let out a cry as the spasms flooded their bodies and sent them crashing down into one single pile.

“I love you,” she said
. “I’m sorry for everything, for doubting what we have.”

“I love you too,” said Johnny
, flipping her over so he could nibble at the back her silky neck and squeeze her hind. He bit in and yanked back on her hair enjoying the taste of her blood. “I’ve missed this,” he said, savoring the drops, feeling himself perk up again for another round. This time he pressed her hard against the bed and pushed into her so he could pound her away.

Nia cried out at the
intensity of it all as she hadn’t quite recovered from before. “You’re killing me,” she said as she let him do to her what he wanted, and he did.

Her husband
held her hips in place so she couldn’t move and let himself go like the animal that he was. He shuddered at the blast, and this time he fell down beside her—both falling away into a cozy nap.

Dreamland came to the Queen. She was by the blue-watered fountain again, in a white dress, chasing Johnny in circles along with the fireflies through the humid, summer night. The water roared, blocking out all other sound, even their happy laughter. As she was just about to catch him, a pair of purple eyes flashed off in the distance, mimicking the look of the bugs that danced with them. Nia ignored the other color, but it drew nearer . . .
I’m watching you.

Gasping awake, Nia floundered about the bed, confused by her space and time orientation.

“Emelle
. It’s Emelle. She’s the one.”

Johnny yanked the white
, silk blankets over them both and tucked Nia in close. “I know,” he said. “She’s been off the past few weeks before your awakening. Something happened while you were off with the humans.”

“What? What is it? Tell me?”

“Emelle. I mean, I know she’s in love with me. I can see it; I can feel it, though she has never spoken of it. She’s my third in command or was till tonight. I should have known that she would do this to you.”

“
Do what exactly?” Nia sat bolt upright worried.

“You saw her just now?”

“Yes. In my dream. Haunting me.”

“She’s planted on you
. You’re hers to command.”

“What?
I thought that was impossible as I am Queen.”

“She had First B
ite when you were in that awful circle. You were supposed to die—that was your request. But it didn’t happen. So now she has moved you in as her Last Bitten. There’s nothing she can do yet, but as the weeks pass, you will fall to her. I should have stopped them. I should have known you’d change your mind.”

“Then I will kill her,” said Nia
.

“We both will,” said J
ohnny, “otherwise the Emerald Night becomes hers as she becomes Queen.” He took Nia’s hand in his and lifted her delicate hand, kissing her emerald heart.

Lauren Ash lives in Seattle spending her time enjoying the Emerald City. She enjoys writing dark poetry as well as novels. You will find her sitting by the fire, sipping on tea while brewing up a great tale.
http://authorlaurenash.blogspot.com/
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