Undying Hunger (24 page)

…

At least a half hour had passed before Alex and the rest of the Enclave arrived back at the mansion. Alex stood in the center of the living room and watched as Kenric, Guerin, and Michael assisted Christian up the stairs. That left her, Markus, Arran, and Elle alone to stare at one another. And every
thump
of boots ascending to the second floor seemed to thicken the room’s tension.

Arran was the first to clear his throat. “Let’s go up, too,” the blond warrior said to his mate. “There are a few more hours before dawn.”

“And what do you suggest we do with that time?” Elle rewarded him with a smile that relayed she knew exactly what he had in mind.

He sauntered over to her and slid an arm around her shoulders. “I have a few ideas.”

“I’m sure you do,” Elle said, leaning into him as if she were molding into a custom-made glove.

A pang of jealousy twisted Alex’s midsection. She didn’t begrudge her sister’s happiness. It wasn’t that. The twinge inside stemmed from fear. She was so damn afraid of becoming that vulnerable. Because there was only one man who’d ever fractured her facade. Only one man she’d ever wanted to allow inside.

“Oh my God,” Alex said and sighed. “Enough already. Please take it upstairs.”

Elle laughed, but her humor faded as her inspection wandered from Alex to the other large male in the room. Markus looked even more uncomfortable than she felt. She shifted her attention back to Alex and asked, “Are you sure?”

Alex nodded. “Yeah. You two go ahead and enjoy your downtime.” She gave her sister the best warm smile she could muster. “You deserve it.”

Her sister cupped her face. “You were awesome tonight,” she said.

“Yes, she was!” Eve appeared at the lower landing of the staircase. She brushed past Arran and Elle as they proceeded toward the second floor. “Guerin filled me in upstairs while they were working on Christian.” She strode over to Alex. “I can’t believe what you did for me. I’ll never forget this.” Eve shook her head, reached out, and clasped Alex’s upper arms. “I’ve never had anyone in my life—a true friend—until I met you. Thank you, Alex.” Eve pulled her in for a hug.

“I consider you more than a friend, Eve,” Alex managed to get out past the thick lump in her throat. “You’re very much like a sister to me. Like Elle, I’d do anything for you.”

“Same here,” Eve whispered. “You name it.”

Alex stepped back, her heart swelling. She hadn’t been sure if it would ever be possible, but she fit in here. This was her home and her family. The Enclave was where she belonged.

“You know what you can do for me?” Alex smiled up at her, blinking back the tears threatening to spill.

“What’s that?” Eve released her and propped her hands on her hips.

“Don’t ever change,” she said. “Stay safe and happy with that mate of yours.”

“Well, that I can easily and wholeheartedly agree to.”

“Good.” Alex crossed her arms.

“Eve,” Kenric called, descending the staircase.

The tall blue-eyed female glanced over her shoulder at her father.

“Would you mind giving Guerin a hand upstairs?” Kenric stepped from the landing and faced them. “I need to talk to Markus.”

The other male warrior turned his attention to the Enclave’s master and sauntered closer.

“Sure.” Eve nodded. “We’ll talk more later,” she said to Alex, then ambled toward the staircase.

“Excuse us,” Kenric said and started for the door to the library. Markus glanced her way, but without a word, followed the commander into the other room.

What would he do now? Alex made her way to the kitchen in desperate need of a drink. Except alcohol wouldn’t help to relieve her stress, so instead, she settled for coffee. Scanning the counter, she spotted a full carafe. Thank God, Michael had brewed a pot.

Would Markus stay with the Enclave? That is, if Kenric wanted him to remain with the team. Did she want him to stay? Alex grabbed a mug and poured a cup of the java, watching as the black liquid whirled inside the ceramic. The image was similar to the way her stomach felt at the thought of Markus walking away. She replaced the carafe onto the hot plate with a
clank
of glass to metal. Closing her eyes, she gripped the granite counter. Dammit. She couldn’t stand the thought of never seeing him again.

Too much had happened tonight. Her emotions were all over the place. Maybe it was a post-traumatic thing from her close call with death and from what she’d recalled about Markus and Enrique’s past.

She hadn’t remembered that detail.

Not until tonight when Enrique had made his crude comment about their former sexual connection. Closing her eyes, she was mentally transported back to her small room inside Marguerite’s lair.
Enrique is standing in the doorway, a coy smile on his face as he speaks with Markus. His insinuations are clear as to what he expects from the former warrior. And if Markus didn’t fulfill his duties in every way, Enrique would go to Marguerite and inform their Mistress of Markus’s desire for Alex.

She and Markus would have both died in that hellhole if he hadn’t gone along with Enrique’s demands. Alex swallowed hard, pushing past the dry knot in her throat at the thought of what Markus had suffered. What he’d sacrificed for her. Yes, he’d turned her against her will and had manipulated her mind. But in a sense, wasn’t that what Marguerite had done to him: taken what he believed was the last shred of his humanity? For months, the domineering female vampire had violated his mind and his body. And later, Enrique had done the same with his ultimatum. So in the end, who had been the one to actually suffer more under Marguerite’s hand?

Opening her eyes, she gripped the cup and took a long swallow of the hot liquid.

She’d been so damn hurt and angry after he’d restored her memories. However, at the time, she’d refused to take a closer look at why her rage had burned so hot. Yes, she had every reason to be mad at him. He’d hidden what he’d done to her. But what she’d felt had been different.

Her feelings for him ran too deep. She’d been so furious with Markus because, despite the pain he’d caused her, she couldn’t make herself stop loving him. The bottom of her mug hit the granite with a hard
clank
. The words repeated inside her head like a scratched vinyl record caught in a loop:
I love him
.

The decisions he’d made after he’d turned her had all been an attempt to keep her alive. He, too, had been a victim of Marguerite. He’d been lost to the power of her will.

Tightening her grip on her mug, Alex’s decision became clear. She couldn’t allow him to leave.

Not until they’d had a chance to talk.

And there was no time like the present.

Seconds later, she found herself outside the library door. Lifting her hand to knock, she noticed the door stood ajar, and Markus’s deep voice carried through the opening.

“I can’t stay here, Kenric.”

“Why? The Enclave needs you, Markus.”

“You know why,” Markus snapped. “You have your mate at your side. You can touch her, hold her. Lie beside her through the day and inhale her scent until it drives you mad with lust. And you love every minute of it because you know she’s all yours.” She pressed her cheek against the doorjamb, needing the support. “But imagine trying to exist every night in the same house with the female who’s marked your soul but you can’t have her. Can’t go anywhere near her.”

“You’re talking about Alex?”

“Yeah. Who else?”

A loud
bang
sounded as if he’d slammed his fist into a wall. She jumped.

“I’m so fucking in love with her.” He groaned, and Alex had no idea how she still remained standing since she’d forgotten how to breathe. How to tell her heart to beat.

“Problem is,” he continued, “I’m the one who took and then restored her memories, and now she hates my guts. But she deserved to know the truth. It was a risk I had to take. She had to know everything before I allowed her any closer.”

A warm wet trail ran down Alex’s cheeks, yet she didn’t remember beginning to cry. He knew returning her memories would make her pull away from him, but he’d done it anyway.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Markus needed to stop the flow of self-pity pouring out of his mouth like a damn tidal wave. Since when had he become a male ruled by his emotions? Whoever had flipped the damn switch on his emo side needed to be castrated.

“But with time…” Kenric said. And there it was. A lame attempt at trying to make him feel better.

“It’s not just that,” Markus said. “There are other things. Information came to light tonight that I’d hoped she’d never recall. But Enrique ran his mouth and made sure she remembered.”

“About what? Anything I can do to help?”

“Thanks. But no. I’d rather not get into it. I just know the info has added insult to injury between the two of us.” Markus scrubbed his palms over the rough feel of his late-day stubble. “There’s no alternative other than to get the hell away from here and out of her face. I’ll be doing us both a favor.”

“Okay. If you’re sure there’s no other way,” Kenric said, leaning both hands onto the back of the thick leather love seat. “But I want you to know that during these last few days you’ve proven yourself not just to me, but to everyone else. It’ll be a hard hit to the Enclave, personally and professionally, to lose you again.”

Damn.
This sucked bigger than hell. In more ways than one. But Alexandria had to despise him more than ever after what she’d heard, and then witnessed when he’d taken out Enrique. He was a killer. Dealing out death was what he’d been trained to do and what he did best. How could she even begin to get past it all and think of him as mate material?

“I’m sorry,” Markus said. “But I’m—”

A knock sounded at the door, cutting off the rest of his sentence. The library’s door eased open, and the last person he expected to see appeared.

“Hey there,” Alexandria said. “Sorry for the interruption.” She looked at Markus, then her gaze shifted to Kenric. “But would you mind giving me a few minutes alone with Markus? We really need to talk.”

She still wore the simple white tank top and jeans from earlier, her hair cascading around her shoulders. Her clothing wasn’t anything extraordinary, yet she stunned him. She was everything he wanted. But the last thing he could ever have.

“Sure, Alex.” Kenric nodded and, looking at Markus, said, “We can finish later.”

“Yeah,” Markus said, unable to pull his attention away from Alexandria.

Kenric brushed past Alexandria, and the door clicked shut.

Running her hand along the back of one of the chairs, Alexandria edged closer. Unable to stand the tension choking him like a noose, Markus spoke first.

“I’ve got a damn good idea of what you’re going to say.”

She drew to a halt, leaving a few feet between them, her hand curling into a fist. “Is that so?”

“You want to be sure I know exactly how you feel. So go ahead. Get it out there. Draw your line as to how it’s going to be around here.” Markus crossed his arms over his chest. “But you can relax, I’m—”

Before he could finish, Alexandria was next to him, clasping his face, lacing her fingers into his hair, pulling his head toward hers. His mind whirled in an attempt to comprehend what the hell was happening. Her lips touched his, and his nerve endings sparked, sucking the breath from his lungs. But she was there, capturing his exhale. She moaned and deepened their connection, nearly short-circuiting his brain before breaking the seal on their kiss.

“There,” she whispered against his lips. “That’s much better.”

His shaft went rock-hard. Markus groaned and reflex had him circling her arms with his hands and yanking her body next to him, sealing his mouth to hers once more.

Closer.

He rocked his hips into hers.

Dammit all to hell! He wanted her.

Here.

Now.

He needed to feel more of her. Markus released her biceps and roamed upward until he could thread his fingers into her hair. His cock bucked at the sensation. So damn soft, silky.
Shit.
He wanted to inhale the sweet scent he knew clung to the strands.

Breaking away from her lips, he breathed deeply and opened his eyes. Maybe it was the shot of cool air to his head that roused his conscience? Or maybe it was the expression on Alexandria’s face? The one that resembled a woman who wanted to give herself to a man. More than likely, the latter had shocked his brain—the gray matter residing inside his skull, not his pants—back into reality.

“Wait!” he muttered.

But Alexandria wasn’t listening. Her delicate hands were at work, attempting to shove the leather jacket off his shoulders.

This shouldn’t be happening. “Vixen…” He clasped her hands and pushed them away. “Wait,” he commanded, but he couldn’t bring himself to let her go.

“Haven’t we waited long enough?” Her eyes flashed.

Fuck…
When she spoke like that it was all he could do not to tear her clothes off and take her like his body demanded. But he couldn’t. Not until he knew for sure.

“It’s just…” he started, searching for moisture in his parched throat. “I don’t understand.” He shook his head, confusion and desire leaving him dazed. “How could—? After everything you’ve seen and heard about me— How can you…?”

“Forgive you?” she whispered. Alexandria rested a gentle palm to his cheek. “We were both victims,” she said. “I don’t hold the trump card on pain. I understand. It took time…but I understand the why, Warrior.”

Warrior.
The title had once meant something until Marguerite had gotten inside his head and forced him to turn his back on the Enclave. Then she’d used the designation as a weapon to taunt him. As if what he’d once been had been a flaw in his character, a weakness. But coming from Alexandria, there was no shame associated with the word. What he felt seemed foreign, new. Yet he recognized the emotion: pride.

“Vixen,” Markus growled, and captured her nape. “Make very sure this is what you want.” He narrowed his eyelids, and there was no way in hell his irises weren’t on fire, burning with need. Burning for her. “Because this time, I won’t be able to stop from taking you—the way I need you right now.” He lowered his head to hers, their foreheads brushing. “I want you.” The three words were a carnal fact. “I want you against the wall. Then I want you flat on your back with my cock buried so deep in your pussy that I nearly go blind from the pleasure. Except no damn way would I miss watching you come.”

Slowly, ever so slowly, he smoothed his hands down her arms. He had to take it slow. Unreel his leash one link at a time until she gave the command. She shivered, and the gooseflesh prickled his palms.

“After that,” he continued. “I’ll bend you over, take you from behind until I’ve filled you with every drop of my seed. You’ll be marked so deep there’ll be no question as to who you belong to.” Markus bent a little closer, gliding his lips across her obsidian tresses. “You’ll be mine. Not just for tonight, but for as long as I draw breath. Is that what you want?”

“I’d be lying”—her words came out breathless—“if I said it’s not all I’ve thought about.” Her hands landed on his chest, her nails biting through the cloth. “I can’t deny it any longer. I care too damn much about you.” She pulled back, and her gaze locked with his. “I’m yours, Markus,” she breathed. “I’ve always been yours.”

A sizzling bolt of heat arrowed through Markus’s body and landed in his cock. His jaw clamped tight. He had to, or he’d lose his load. And there was no fucking way he’d allow his dick to blow until it was inside her.

Several loud
thud
s crashed around him.
Books.
Her back was against the library shelves, except damn, he didn’t remember moving. All he knew was the driving need to have his skin next to hers. Her mouth on his. The soft feel of her breasts against his chest, and the sweet taste of her nipples on his tongue. “Mine,” he rasped.

“Yes,” she moaned. “All yours.”

“Again,” he demanded, mere inches from her perfect bow of a mouth.

“I’m yours,” she said, her chest rapidly rising and falling against his.

Shit.
His shaft pulsed against his zipper, demanding release.

“Yes.” The word came out more animal than human.

“Show me,” she ordered, her voice deepening to a purr. Then her hands were around his neck and she wrapped her legs around his hips. The heat of her core rode his erection. “Now, Markus,” she cried out. “Make me yours.”

Markus claimed her mouth. Hungry and hard. Fangs erupting and teeth clicking. The taste of their blood trickled over his taste buds, the flavor adding fuel to their fire.

“Fuck,” he muttered against her. “I can’t do easy, Vixen.”

“To hell with easy.”

He slid her bottom onto the massive mahogany desk on the far side of the room. With one swipe of his hand, he cleared the items from the wood in an eruption of glass and metal. Alexandria chuckled and lay back, her arms going over her head.

“Clothes off,” he gruffly commanded, and he shed his jacket, shirt, boots, then started to work on his belt. But Alexandria rose and stopped his hands with her own.

“Mine.” She lifted a brow, challenging him to claim otherwise. He may be a monster, but he wasn’t a fool.

“Yours, Vixen,” he pronounced without hesitation, and his swollen shaft jerked in agreement.

She tugged the leather strap free, and it clattered to the floor. The button and zipper came next. Cool air rushed over the head of his rod a brief second before the warmth of her palm surrounded the length. He hissed at the sensation, and his hands slapped the desk’s surface for stability.

Markus watched, enthralled, a slave to her whim as she leaned over and the wet pink tip of her tongue flicked out. She scooped the bead of pre-cum from his slit, and his molars released a squeak.

“Fuck,” he gruffed. “Killing me.”

“I haven’t forgotten the last time.” She licked her lips and tightened her hold around his girth, staggering him. Not from pain. But from the sweet, sweet pleasure. “And damn. I want more.”

A wicked smile curled her lips, and she bent closer again, ready to take him.

“Shit!” he hissed. “Hold up, baby.” Markus twisted out of her grip, and Alexandria lifted her head, frowning. “Won’t last. And I have to be inside you.”

He seized her hips and scooted her farther back on the desk. She grinned and kicked her boots off. “No more waiting,” she said, working the closure to her jeans.

Markus helped her make quick work of removing and discarding the denim.

“You don’t need this,” he said, regarding the black lace covering her folds. He slid his palms under her hips, nabbed the thin material, and tugged it free. “Or this,” he added, targeting her tank top. He pulled it over her head and tossed the soft cotton over his shoulder.

Alexandria grasped her lower lip with her teeth as he planted his hands on either side of her. She released the closure to her bra and allowed the sheer fabric to fall to her sides.

And heaven had surely fallen from the stars because an angel lay beneath him.

Her thighs parted, and the smooth feel of her legs slid around his hips, snugging the head of his cock where it most wanted to be.

“Dammit, Vixen,” he ground out, the thread on his control fraying.

“I’m yours, Markus Santini,” she proclaimed. “No more sacrifices.” Tears welled and fell from the corners of her eyes, twisting his heart.

“For you,” he said, “I’d do it all again. If only for this moment.”

Markus slid deep, burying his cock until he had nothing left to give. Her channel wrapped him, hot and tight, the sensation threatening to shatter the foundation of his sanity.

Alexandria cried out, and her nails dug into his biceps. “God…Markus.” She gasped. “Don’t stop.”

“Hang on, baby.” He drew back from her tight core, leaving only the head inside before rocking his hips and sliding back home.
Christ!

“Yes!” Her back arched.

Fucking had never been like this before: a shattering of every mental wall. She made him feel raw, exposed.

And it was euphoric.

Sex with her wasn’t a physical exercise to satisfy an itch. For once, he understood what it was to make love. It was transforming.

Over and over he pumped into her, his orgasm teetering on the brink with every thrust.
Not yet.
He needed more time.

Alexandria tossed her head back, cried out his name, and her core clamped down on his shaft. Her legs quaked around his hips. She was so damn beautiful.

“Oh, fuck!” He thrust deep, his sac tapping her bottom.

He didn’t believe it possible, but his balls tightened even more. The cum inside rammed against the crumbling barrier inside his rod, demanding escape.

Markus gripped her hips and pulled her to him. “Wrap your arms around me,” he commanded, and lifted her, his cock still buried deep. Alexandria did as instructed, clinging to him with her arms and legs. He turned on his heel and headed toward the center of the room, taking out one of the annoying dainty tables in the process. The fragile piece hit the floor behind him, showering the floor with shards of crystal.

He’d have to replace it later. The only thing that mattered at the moment was the woman in his arms. And they weren’t nearly finished.

At an oversize brown leather chair, Markus eased Alexandria to her feet. His shaft slid free, and he wanted to curse at the absence. Alex groaned and trailed her nails down his bare chest.