Wicked Road to Hel (League of Guardians 1)

“Oh God, Declan.”

He released her nipple from his mouth, blew hot air onto the wet flesh, and grabbed her chin so that she could look nowhere but into his eyes. “You belong to me. You know this.”

“Declan,” she whispered. He saw pain in her eyes and it pissed him off. “We need to talk about what happened. You are vampire now. I’m sure that’s not something you’ve aspired to.”

“What’s the issue?” His words were gentle, but the harsh need inside was rubbing him raw. He felt like he was going to break apart, like he was holding on with the thinnest of control.

“The issue?” She laughed, a hysterical bubble that echoed into the silence. “It’s bad enough the only way I could save you was to give you my blood. You are vampire and I’m sorry for that but if we do this . . .” Her eyes locked onto his and he was startled at the change in them. No longer were they blue, but they’d morphed into solid black. “

If we do this,” she began again, “if we make love I won’t be strong enough to stop the bonding process. If I bond with you your fate is sealed. We can’t take it back.”

“I’m fine with that. I’m not interested in anything before now.”

“You know nothing of my world.” The way she bit her lip was going to drive him fucking crazy. “It’s forbidden to make a vampire. Our queen banished the practice over two hundred years ago.”

Declan snorted. “That’s bullshit. I know several vampires and at least three of them have humans they’ve turned.”

Anger tingled along his flesh. It was true. He’d never taken the time to learn of the intricacies of the vampire world. But then again, vampires pretty much kept to themselves. They didn’t socialize a whole hell of a lot.

Her eyes flashed and she hissed, exposing her fangs. “They were probably turned before her edict. Vampires have several levels, a hierarchy of sorts. I am a direct descendant of the queen and per her edict, the line must remain pure. She might overlook the occasional incident with her subjects, but royalty is something different. It’s always been forbidden. Our bloodlines must remain pure, untouched by outsiders.” She shook her head. “I don’t agree with it, but it is the way of our people. Plus I’m already betrothed.”

His eyes narrowed. “Betrothed, as in fiancé?”

Ana nodded. “Aleksander . . . it was arranged a long time ago.”

His anger tripled and he could barely speak. “Where is he?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s ancient, a Viking. He came to America, took one look at me, and left.”

The fucker must be deranged. “So that’s good.”

“No, it’s complicated. Unless my queen breaks the betrothal, neither one of us can move on. She’ll never do that for someone who is forbidden.”

“I don’t care.” He didn’t. With everything going on in his world right now, he didn’t give a flying fuck about some vampire queen he’d never met or a dumb-ass Viking with no last name.

His voice lowered, his eyes darkened. “I will have you, Ana. All of you.” His fingers glowed with heat as he pulled on the magick inside. “What’s done is done.”

“There’ll be no turning back. Right now there might be a chance for you. If I explain to council that I gave my blood to save you, that I turned you because there was no choice, they might let it go. There have been exceptions over the years, but if we bond . . .”

He ran his fingers along her bare shoulders, smiled as she shuddered against his touch. “If we have sex?” His whisper was barely audible.

“We’ve exchanged blood, Declan. If we have sex, if we bond while having sex, then we’re forever linked. You will become my fledgling. I don’t think you can appreciate what that means.”

He arched a brow and carefully tugged at the edge of her shirt. “Take this off.”

She was breathing heavily. The thin veins beneath her flesh were pronounced and he saw the tips of her fangs. His cock hardened, straining against his pants, and a wave of desire rolled over him.

“Now,” he commanded harshly.

“Declan,” she whispered, “council will hunt you down. They will end you.”

His fingers arced forward and with one motion, her shirt was sliced evenly. He pushed her down into the mattress, his hands claiming the roundness that was now exposed.

She gasped but did not push him away.

“I spent six months in the bowels of District Three. Anything Lilith threw at me, I took. I did things that you can’t imagine. Things that would disgust you.” He felt like his throat was going to close. “A hundred vampires will not keep me from the one thing I desire above all else.”

His free hand tugged on the waistband of her jeans, his fingers dug into the softness that was there. “I’m done playing games, Ana.” He lowered himself until his mouth was inches from hers. “I will have you, all of you. Your body, your soul, and your mind.” Declan pulled her jeans lower. “I’ll love you now, here in this place, and there is no one who will stop me.”