Wild Hearts (Blood & Judgment #1) (5 page)

I make my way down the stairs, following the sound of laughter and chatter. I inwardly cringe. Simon has guests over. This is not good. I don’t know who they are and what their price is. Most people have one and my father can pay out.

I linger at the edge of the dining room, debating whether to enter or to just go to the kitchen and help myself to whatever blood I can find in there. Most vampires keep a stock in, just in case there isn’t an available human around.

Just as I am about to turn around, Simon calls out, “Ember.”

Fuck. He used my name. This is going from bad to worse.

“Si,” I say, sauntering in with a smile plastered on my face, my hands at the ready to fight my way out of here if necessary. I give him a glare that lets him know how angry I am, but he just smiles at me.

Sasha gives me a death stare and scoots closer to Simon, putting a possessive hand over his. I ignore her. I really don’t give a shit if she is screwing him. He has probably only gotten involved because he needed a witch to protect
me
.

“This is Jacob Stone,” Simon says, extending his hand down the long table to the man seated at the far end.

I slide my narrowed eyes down the length and then fix them on a really handsome man with bright blue eyes, dark hair and a charming smile that could remove the panties from most women. Not me though, no, all he has done is rile me up and the hunger inside me lets loose.

“Ember,” he drawls. “I’ve heard all about you. Even more beautiful than Simon said.”

“I didn’t tell him anything, Ems, ignore him,” Simon says hastily.

But the damage has been done.

In a flash, I am in front of Jacob, my hand closing around his throat as I drag him to his feet. He chokes back his surprise and coils his magic.

“Warlock,” I hiss at him, slamming him into the wall behind him and sending the chair he was seated on flying.

“Ems, wait, he’s no threat!” Simon says, getting to his feet.

I turn my head towards him, growling at him. “Don’t you get it?” I snarl at him.

“He’s here about Sasha,” Simon says quickly, coming towards me with his hands outstretched in a silent plea. “His brother is the Head of the Coven that Sasha is a member of. They were just checking up on her. That’s all.”

“Jumpy little bitch, aren’t you?” Jacob comments, peeling my hand away from his neck with a strength that I wouldn’t have given him credit for. My eyes slam straight back to his and I bare my fangs at him. To my satisfaction he pales and holds his hands up. “I don’t mean any harm.”

“
I’ll
be the judge of that,” I say to him in as menacing a tone as I can muster, slapping my hand back around his throat. I won’t be outmatched by an asshole warlock.

“Ember,” Simon says. “Let him go and come with me.”

I can hear the placating tone and I let it wash over me. If I kill this bastard, it will just complicate an already complicated situation.

“You are dead if I suddenly find myself on a plane back to England,” I spit in Jacob’s face. I realize the absurdity of my words and so does he when he smirks at me.

“I have no idea why you would suddenly find yourself on a plane back to England, sweetheart, but it won’t have anything to do with me.”

“Fine,” I growl at him and let him go.

I let Simon take me cautiously by my proffered elbow and allow him to lead me out of the dining room.

“Ember,” he says with a sigh. “Not everyone is out to get you.”

“You don’t know that,” I counter with a sniff.

“And furthermore, your ego needs to take a hit now and again. I love you, babe, but you aren’t as infamous as you seem to think you are. Especially to a bunch of witches and warlocks,” he adds with a smile.

I curl my lip at him. Asshole. “And you aren’t as hot as you seem to think you are,” I remark.

He laughs at me as we walk into the kitchen. “Oh, I am, make no mistake about that.”

“Now whose ego needs to be brought down a notch?” I say with my arms crossed, so that he can’t touch me again.

“Jacob is all right, for a warlock,” he says, ignoring my barb. “He is just here for Sasha, that’s it.”

“Humph,” I grumble and take the blood he has just passed me to warm up in the microwave. “Go back to your little friends. I need to be alone.”

“You always do,” he says quietly, but leaves me nonetheless.

I wander outside to the pool area, sipping my blood pensively. Maybe he’s right. Maybe my paranoia knows no bounds. Either way, I know I need to get out of here as soon as I can.

I scrunch my eyes up and will myself to have a vision of her that will give me a location.

Nothing. All I have done is increase my headache from an eight to a ten.

I sit on a sun lounger and then look up as I hear a noise.

“Just me,” Jacob says, with his hands held up above his head in surrender, a broad grin on his face.

“Sorry about before,” I mumble, looking away. “There’s just stuff…”

“I get ‘stuff’,” he says easily and sits next to me. “No more said.”

I throw him a grateful smile and he gives me a curious look back. I can tell he is intrigued by my sudden turnaround, but I know that you catch more flies with honey and all that. Plus, he is really hot and I am really in need of a good fuck. It’s been way too long. The fact that it’ll piss Simon off is just a bonus. I place my empty glass down on the slate table and give him my most seductive look. His eyebrows skyrocket and he licks his lips nervously.

“Thanks,” I say, scooting closer to him. “Most men wouldn’t be so easy-going about a woman attacking them so viciously.”

Jacob grins at me again. “I like strong women,” he says quietly, and curls a wayward lock of hair around my ear. “Besides, I feel there is more to your story than just Simon’s sire. I’m interested in you.”

“Hm,” I say, noncommittal, my eyes focused on his lips.

I trace my fingers lightly up his thigh, as I bring my eyes back up to his. They are hooded with desire and it spurs me on.

“Don’t worry, I won’t bite,” I say, before I crawl onto his lap.

“Ember,” he starts, as I grind myself down on him. He groans loudly and places his hands on my ass, moving me so that I rub him harder. “I don’t know what this is,” he says, “but I won’t say no.”

I didn’t think he would. Not many men can resist me when I turn on my allure. I focus on his eyes, as my hand goes in between us to unzip his jeans. He is going commando, so my hand touches him instantly.

“Mm,” I moan in his ear, as I wrap my hand around his impressive cock.

“You’re gorgeous,” Jacob says to me, turning into me so that our lips are millimeters apart. I just give him a small smile and continue to jerk him off. I want him as hard and as ready as he can possibly be for me. He leans forward to kiss me, but I turn my head slightly. I am not interested in a romantic liaison. I just want a good, quick fuck. I stand up and shimmy my panties down, dropping them to the floor. His eyes never leave mine as I climb back onto him.

“Let me taste you,” he croaks out, as his hand goes underneath my dress.

“Uh-uh,” I mutter as I let him touch me lightly.

He flicks his fingers over my pussy and finds my clit. I am already wet and his fingers glide over me with ease. I let him tease me for a few moments, but I am here for one reason only. I rise up over him and place him at my entrance.

His hands go back to my ass as I forcefully lower myself onto him. He lets out a loud moan that mixes with my soft one. I grip the back of his neck and then I ride him hard. I keep my eyes on his and I see no sign of guilt or deception or recognition or betrayal. Just a man in lust with a woman. He is either damn good, or he truly has no idea who I am.

“Ember,” he breathes, as I continue to slam myself down on him. “Let me take over.”

“No,” I say and tighten my grip with my thighs. I ignore his pounding heart and the urge to bite him. All I want from him is a release.

Seconds later, I get it. I clench around him, panting heavily.

“Fuck,” he cries, as my orgasm goes far beyond a regular one, my pussy throbbing around him again and again. “Jesus. Fuck.”

He grabs hold of me tighter as I pump up and down on him, wanting him to finish quickly now so that I can get off him and stop touching him. He lets go with a loud grunt and a satisfied smile.

“I’ve never fucked a vampire before,” he pants.

“And I have never fucked a warlock before, and I never will again,” I say with a sassy smile as I climb off him and bend to pick my panties up.

“Wait,” he says, as I walk away. “Ember, I want to see you again.”

“I don’t do seconds,” I answer him, not bothering to turn back.

“We’ll see!” he calls after me. “You won’t be able to resist coming back for another go.”

“What makes you say that?” I ask, curious enough to stop.

“That was no ordinary orgasm,” he says, standing up and doing his pants up. “I got you off good, baby.”

I stifle my snort of laughter. “Yeah, you did. But don’t flatter yourself, stud. It’s been a while. I needed it.”

“I can wait,” he says.

“I hope you’re immortal then, because it’s going to be a long wait,” I reply.

“That’s not a no,” he says smartly and I roll my eyes at him. I stalk off, giving him a little wave, which he returns with that charming smile.

I feel good. Damn good.

Now all I need is that fucking vision.

***

I saunter through the sitting room, panties still in my hand, and head towards the stairs. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Simon giving me a narrow-eyed glare from over by the dining room. I wouldn’t have put it past him to have watched us, but even if he hadn’t, he would have heard us going at it with his keen vampire hearing. He is pissed and it amuses me. I will give him what he wants before I leave here. He deserves it for helping me and not asking too many questions. But, I’ll make him stew first.

My wicked mood makes me feel hopeful for the future and when I escape back to my bedroom, I have a genuine smile on my face.

It gets wiped off pretty damn quickly though when a searing pain shoots through my head, temple to temple. I stifle my cry of pain and clutch my hand to my head, as my eyes go blurry. I am getting a vision right here, right now. They usually occur while I am sleeping and they are never quite so brutal as this one. I drop to my knees, panting with the effort of fighting off the growing nausea. Another roar of pain rips through my head and I face-plant straight into the carpet, drooling like an idiot.

I try to concentrate on what is being shown to me.

It is the usual flashes of fire and scorched earth, the massive army of Ambassadors marching their way towards us as we stand together to fight, their special Swords of Judgment flashing brightly, waiting to cut us all down.

And then I see
her
.

She is turning around rapidly, her long, red hair swinging wildly around her. She is surrounded by a pack of wolves, but they mean no harm to her. I see my own hand outstretched for her, but she doesn’t come. She is trapped in the middle. Then I see the two of us, hands joined together with another, still unknown, being.

And then everything goes black.

***

I rouse myself sometime later. I am still lying in a drooling heap on the floor and I sit up suddenly, wiping my hand across my mouth.

Eurgh
. The urge to vomit hits me hard.

I crawl on my hands and knees into the bathroom and haul myself to my feet, using the sink as leverage. Avoiding my reflection, I splash water on my face and rinse out my dry mouth. Then I hobble my stiff body back towards the bed. I must look like some kind of zombie stumbling around blindly, but I don’t care.

Bed.

Now.

I take the few precious seconds to strip my dress off and toss it neatly on a nearby chair and then I flop into bed and curl up in the fetal position.

Dawn is still hours away, but I can’t keep my eyes open any longer. The room is spinning and I need it to stop so that I can think. But my thoughts are scattered and soon I am lost in a sea of images that I have to push away and, thankfully, sleep drags me under.

***

I awake several hours later. It is daylight out, but only just. My vision continued in my sleep and I saw something that interests me. I unfold my naked body from my curled up position and groan out loud. Simon is sitting on the bed next to me, watching me with a concerned look.

“What?” I croak at him.

“I was worried about you. You came upstairs and I didn’t see you again,” he replies.

“I’m fine,” I say, pushing my tangled mop of hair out of my face.

“You look a little green around the edges,” Simon says. “I guess screwing a warlock will do that to you.”

“Fuck off, Si,” I growl at him, really not in the mood for his pissy attitude right now. “What I do is none of your business.”