Tricked

  Careful not to jostle her, he set her on the bed.

  Her gaze dropped, and her face flushed. Shyness all but rolled off her along with a hint of panic.

  Hell. He crouched down until she faced him. “It’s okay, baby.”

  She blinked. “This is weird. I mean, you’re sexy as hell and anybody would want you, and I do. But I don’t know you.” She looked over his shoulder at the doorway. “Maybe we should get drunk.”

  The woman was adorable. He chuckled. “There’s not enough booze in the city to really get me drunk, and I’m not sure your heart could take a sedative. How about I show you what I’ve learned in four centuries?”

  Interest filtered through the embarrassment in those spectacular eyes. “You’ve got skills, huh?” A small smile played with her pink lips.

  “Yeah.” He wrapped a hand around her arm and drew her toward him, gently taking her mouth.

  She sighed against him and returned his kiss—tentatively at first and then with more strength. Her hands flattened against his chest, and she moved into him even more. She suddenly coughed.

  He leaned back. “Veronica?”

  She shuddered and clasped a hand against her chest. The color deserted her face. “Um.”

  Shit. He jumped up and ripped his clothes off, grateful he was still hard from their play on the couch. “Hurry.”

  Her eyes widened, and she stood, her fingers fumbling with her shirt.

  He could hear her heart slowing. “Sorry.” Grabbing her shirt, he ripped it down the front.

  Her chuckle was more of a wheeze.

  He yanked off her jeans, gently finding her core. Wet. She was a little wet from earlier. Thank God. “Okay. This first time is going to be quick.”

  She nodded, her lips turning blue.

  Damn it. She wasn’t getting any oxygen to her face. Her heart was only stuttering its last minutes. He paused, grasping her hips. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes,” she whispered, her eyes clear. “I want to live, Jared.”

  Good enough. He laid her back and covered her. “I’m sorry.”

  She widened her thighs. “Hurry up,” she wheezed.

  He pressed his forehead to hers, willing her heart to keep beating. Slowly, as carefully as he could, he started to enter her. She was too fucking tight—and warm. He had to halt.

  She dug her nails into his ass. “Hurry,” she whispered.

  Closing his eyes, he shoved inside her completely. She arched against him, pain on her hiss.

  “I’m so sorry,” he murmured.

  Her eyelids fluttered open. “Whoa. You’re huge,” she said, a smile playing on her pale lips.

  He coughed out a laugh. How could she joke right now? His heart warmed. So did his dick. She pulsed around him, tight and hot. Wet. Perfect. He slowly slid out to shove back in.

  She blinked. “That feels…good.” Her smile was weak but there. “Again.”

  He did as she said, setting up a good rhythm that was as gentle as he could be. She rocked against him, her ankles clasping at his back. Color slid into her face. “It’s been a while,” she said, wonder in her voice.

  He could still feel her heart stuttering, so he reached between them and rubbed her clit. Her skin was unbelievably soft against his calloused fingers.

  She arched against him again with a small cry, shutting her eyes. Part of him wanted to tell her to keep them open so he could watch her go over, but if she needed to keep them closed to get there, he’d let her.

  This time.

  Her breath caught, and her body stiffened. He rubbed harder. She dug her nails into his back and broke, her body undulating around his cock, even the waves somehow gentle.

  Relief filled him. He pounded harder, sliding his fangs down.

  Her eyes opened, and she caught their glint. Swallowing, she turned her head to the side and exposed her neck.

  The proof of her trust landed in his heart and took hold.

  He dipped and bit into the soft flesh where her shoulder met her neck, unable to stop himself from going deep. The second he pierced bone, his body shuddered, and he came.

  Energy ripped through him, around him, even at him.

  Her eyelids closed, and she gave a soft murmur.

  Tension and more energy cascaded from her as her body started to heal. So, the mating had taken. He paused, his heart thundering. “Veronica?”

  She breathed heavier, her body working in sleep.

  He was still inside her, his mind reeling. In all his life, this was not how he imagined a mating going. He chuckled. Talk about awkward. Pressing a quick kiss to her mouth, he started to make plans. “We’ll talk when you wake up.”

  Chapter 3

  Ronni awoke suddenly and sat straight up in bed. What in the world? She looked down to see an aqua-colored teddy covering her. She fingered the soft silk, wondering how she’d ended up in it, as it had been in her bottom drawer ever since she’d won it at a bachelorette party two years ago.

  Slowly, she took inventory. Her chest didn’t hurt. Wow. She could breathe. Her body kind of tingled all over.

  Memories assailed her. Jared and a quickie…and then nothing. Embarrassment flushed through her.

  She pushed from the bed and stood, her legs easily holding her up. The mating. Feeling her neck, she found the twin bite marks. Okay.

  A sound caught her attention from the other room. Now her knees weakened. She could do this. Glancing around, she saw the matching robe lying over the end of the bed. After donning it, she tied it tight, pretending it was armor. Taking several deep breaths, she moved across the room and pushed open the bedroom door. “Hello?” She moved into the living room and turned toward the kitchen.

  Jared looked up from a pan holding something that smelled delicious. His thick hair was ruffled, and his chest was bare. Muscles moved in his arms and torso, while his ripped abs caught her eye. “You’re alive.”

  Yeah. She was alive. Holy crap. How had she not taken time to appreciate his hard body? Oh, yeah. Ensuing death. She swallowed and tried to concentrate on his rugged face. “How long was I out?” she asked, her stomach rumbling.

  “Four days,” he said, nodding toward the small table set into the nook. “Come eat.”

  “Four days?” She stumbled toward the nook, remembering belatedly that she was dressed way too sexily. “Who dressed me?”

  “I did.” He dished up two plates of eggs loaded with veggies and some sort of meat. “I bathed you, too.”

  She fell into the chair. “You did what?”

  He sat across from her and lifted one massively large shoulder in a casual shrug. “It became apparent that you were going to heal yourself while sleeping, so Chalton took Olivia away for a few nights. My brother was impatient with the need to mate, and since you were saved, we all figured you needed to sleep and wouldn’t miss them anyway.”

  Ronnie took a big drink of orange juice and tried to think. So he’d bathed her. How intimate. Heat flushed into her face. “We’re mated.”

  “Yes.” He dug into his eggs, his dark gaze never leaving her face. “How are you feeling?”

  Like her brains had been scrambled just like the eggs. “Stronger. Almost normal.” She reached for a fork. “Am I immortal?”

  “Not yet. It takes a little while for humans,” he said. “But your heart sounds strong and healthy, so you’re definitely on your way. If you’re still feeling tingles, that’s your body healing itself.”

  “I am.” The polite conversation was eating at her.

  “Then you’re not all the way healed.”

  Yet she was going to live. Happiness bubbled up. “Um, thank you.” She set down the fork to meet his gaze. She was now bound for eternity to this incredibly strong and dangerous male. Wow. “I wanted to thank you for saving my life.” The man had given up a lot so she could live.

  “No problem.” He polished off his eggs, his gaze dropping to her neck. “The bite will never completely heal.”

  “Oh.” She cleared her
throat. “A little scar is a small price to pay for immortality.”

  “Isn’t it though?” he murmured thoughtfully.

  God, what was he thinking? She couldn’t read him. Or could she? Taking a deep breath, she tried to focus on his emotions.

  Strong and steel was all she got.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, kicking back in the kitchen chair.

  She shrugged. “Sometimes I can get feelings from people. I think I’m just intuitive.”

  “You’re an empath. In order to mate a vampire, you must have some sort of enhancement. Psychic, telekinetic, empathic…whatever.” He said the odd words as if they were everyday facts for him. “You’re probably a distant cousin to the witches. That’s the prevailing wisdom, anyway.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “No kidding.” At this point, she’d believe almost anything.

  “Yeah. That’s probably why you became a shrink.” He stood and took his dish to the kitchen. “Finish your breakfast. You need protein.”

  The man, or rather male, was sure bossy. She started eating anyway.

  His phone buzzed from the back pocket of his faded jeans, and he drew it out to read the face. Those broad shoulders stiffened.

  “Everything okay?” she asked, her healing heart humming.

  He texted something and then turned toward her. “Are you all right here for a bit? I have some business to take care of.”

  “Sure.” She stretched her neck. “I feel great.” Actually, she could use some alone time to really try out this immortality thing. For the first time in months, she almost felt like herself. She smiled, feeling true joy.

  His eyes flared with…hunger? “You’re stunning when you smile, Veronica.”

  Her grin faltered, and different kinds of tingles exploded through her abdomen. “Thank you.” She set her napkin on her plate. “We, ah, should probably set some ground rules when you get back.” After she thought about what she would say.

  “Agreed.” From the determined set of his jaw, he thought they might argue.

  Yeah. They might. “I’ll finish the dishes.” Craning her neck, she took stock of the disaster in her kitchen. Apparently the vampire used every pot and pan to make the eggs.

  “Thanks.” He strode past her and stopped, turning at the last minute.

  Her chest heated.

  He grasped her chin and lifted her face. “I know you’re feeling stronger, but give yourself time to keep healing. You’re not immortal yet, which makes you very fragile.” Leaning down, he brushed his lips across hers.

  Her lungs stuttered.

  He released her and crossed into the bedroom, returning while still tugging a worn T-shirt over his amazing chest.

  “Will I get fangs?” she asked, her mind still reeling.

  He snorted. “No.” By the door, he paused, turning to face her. “I’m the only one who can really bite, baby. Don’t forget it.” Then he left.

  She stared at the closed door. Was that a threat? Should a threat make her thighs weaken and her pulse race? Wait a minute. Her pulse was actually racing. She threw back her head and laughed. For goodness’ sake. She wasn’t going to die.

  Where was her cell phone? She stood and did a shimmy dance, finding it nicely charging on her counter. Hitting speed dial, she waited until Olivia answered.

  “I’m alive!” she yelled.

  “Yay!” Olivia yelled back. “I knew it. Oh, God. Can you believe it? We’re immortal. We should go skydiving.”

  “And bungie jumping. And rock climbing,” Ronni added. She paused. “Wait a minute. You’re immortal, too?”

  “Yep. Or I will be soon. We mated two nights ago.” Olivia’s voice turned dreamy. “Can you believe it? It was the most romantic night of my entire life. Chalton is beyond my dreams.”

  Aww. Ronni warmed, even as her heart hurt just a little. What would it be like to have love for eternity? She shook herself out of the self-pity. Damn it. She was lucky. “You deserve it, Olly. You really do.”

  “So do you,” Olivia said. “How was it?”

  Ronni snorted. “Totally awkward, to the point of panic.”

  Olivia chuckled. “Oh, my. That sucks. I’m sure it’ll get better.” She said something off the phone and then returned. “We’re on a private plane and will be landing in just a few minutes. I’ll grab a cab and be at our scheduled meeting in an hour. Can’t wait to see you.” She was silent for a beat, and then her voice lowered with emotion. “You’re gonna live, Ron.”

  “Yeah.” Ronni rubbed her chest. “I am.”

  Olivia yelped. “Ah, gotta go. Talk later.” The phone went dead.

  Ronni looked at the quiet device in her hand. What would love and mating be like? For the briefest of seconds, her stomach hurt. She shook herself out of the sadness. She was alive, and that was more than she’d hoped for just a week ago. For that, she could be immensely grateful.

  And she had a job to do. Her small desk in the corner caught her eye, and she hustled for it, drawing out a stack of manila files. Each one held details about somebody who might’ve had the motive and opportunity to poison her. “Now, fucker. I’m going to find you.”

  * * * *

  Jared parked his bike outside the bar, scattering slush and snow.

  “You’re gonna need to put the bike away for winter,” his youngest brother said, leaning against the crumbling brick building outside of New York City.

  “Eh.” Jared shrugged off snow and followed Theo into the old Russian bar. No pool tables, dart boards, or even bright lights. Bars were for drinking, and they’d better order vodka or risk being shot by the proprietor—a thousand-year-old Russian vampire.

  Theo motioned for two drinks and led the way to a scarred and scratched booth in the back. He sat. “So. You’ve got a mate. I can sense her on you.”

  Jared sat and nodded, reaching for the first shot. “Твоё здоровье!”

  “Your health, too.” Theo tipped back the drink.

  Jared drank, letting the booze hit his stomach.

  “How was it?” Theo asked, his dark eyes glimmering with amusement.

  Jared grinned. “Terrible. Seriously. Just awful.”

  Theo winced. “Dude. Sorry about that.”

  The waitress brought two more shots.

  “Leave the bottle,” Jared said, still chuckling, his entire world settling perfectly now that his brothers were back in his life. He waited until the woman had moved out of earshot. “Veronica is beautiful and sexy, but hell. She was dancing with death. Let’s just say it was a bit rushed.”

  Theo laughed. “That sucks, man. Have you had a chance to redeem yourself?”

  “No.” Jared rubbed his whiskered jaw. “She just woke up this morning, and I figured she needed a little space. The woman looks damn good in full health, brother.”

  Theo’s dark eyebrows rose. While his hair was a deep brown, he had the same black eyes as his older brothers. They filled with curiosity. “It sounds like you’re thinking of something permanent. I mean, together type of permanent.”

  Jared downed his second shot of expensive vodka. “I’m not thinking anything of the sort.” He’d had his one chance at love.

  “Right. Good luck with that.” Theo drew out a folded piece of paper. “On to business, then. I tracked down Saul Libscombe, and he has gone underground. While I wouldn’t have thought he’d avenge his brother’s death, who the hell knows? I’d feel better if I could find him.”

  Jared sighed and sat back in the booth. “Wonderful.” Chalton had killed Saul’s brother a few days before in self-defense. Yet another long-time family feud that just needed to be resolved, one way or another. “I don’t have time for this nonsense. Both Veronica and Olivia are new mates, and they’re not immortal yet. They’re vulnerable.”

  “I know.” Theo took another shot. “That’s why I wanted to track down Saul.”

  “Where’s mom?” Jared asked. “She needs shelter until we figure this out.”

  “She’s visiting R
ealm Headquarters,” Theo said with a grimace.

  Jared stilled. The Realm was a coalition of vampire, demon, witch, and shifter nations, and it was led by Dage Kayrs, the king. Jared had always remained away from the Realm, although Chalton worked for them. “You’re kidding me. She’s hanging with the king?”

  “Yep. Was invited and took right off. Couldn’t wait to get to know the Kayrs family.” Theo shrugged. “Chalton has lived with them for a century. I guess it’s time we got to know his friends.”

  “I have enough friends,” Jared growled.

  Theo slapped him on the back. “Now you have more. They’re good allies to have, J.”

  Maybe. He rubbed his eyes. “All right. Let’s secure Veronica and Olivia at the safe house in Nantucket until we hunt down Saul and see his intentions.”

  “The house is ready,” Theo said, his gaze caught by the vodka bottle. “I mean, if your mate is prepared to go underground for weeks, if not months.”

  Jared leaned back to study his brother. “She’s my mate. She’ll go where I tell her to go.” While they had an arranged mating, that fact was absolute. Speaking of whom, he should check on her. He reached for his phone and stared at the screen. “Humph.”

  Theo looked up. “What?”

  Jared bit his lip. “I don’t have her number.”

  Theo barked out a laugh. “You don’t have your own mate’s phone number.”

  “No.” Jared shook his head. “I should probably get that.”

  Theo started laughing too hard to reply.

  The door opened, and the hair on the back of Jared’s neck stood up. He slowly turned.

  Theo stopped laughing. “Ah, shit,” he muttered.

  Jared almost stood, but the woman who’d entered quickly crossed to reach his table. “Ginny,” he said, his mind nearly blanking.

  She pushed a red hood off her white-blonde hair, scattering snow. “Jared. I’ve been looking for you.” Her eyes were the clearest blue, and right now, they were scared.

  “Where’s your mate?” Theo nearly growled.

  She shook her head. “Dead. Nearly a century ago in a witch-shifter battle. We weren’t allies with the shifters then.”