“Valor,” I groaned and sank into her mouth as I stroked her clit. She was so slick and wet. My fangs ached, but I kept them behind my lips as I kissed her, strumming her faster until her breath stuttered and her muscles tightened, locking.
“Right there,” I broke our kiss, watching her eyes haze and her lips tremble as she clutched at my shoulders. I held her on that edge, memorizing everything about the moment so I could live in it for an eternity, then pushed her right over.
“Lachlan!” She shook in my arms as the waves of her orgasm took her.
I’d never seen a more beautiful sight in my life.
I withdrew my hand after I’d worked her down. She sagged in my arms, her forehead resting against mine.
“You—” she started.
“I’m fine,” I countered as the explosions outside the room ended in a booming finale. “I have everything I need.” Lifting my head, I brought my thumb to my lips and licked the taste of her from my skin.
Fucking hell. She tasted even better than she smelled, all honey and that sweet tang of citrus. I could lick at her all day and never be satisfied.
Her lips parted as she watched me suck every drop of her from my thumb, and her scent flared again as she stared at my lips with blatant hunger.
“Thank you so much for coming tonight,” a voice boomed over the loudspeakers.
Valor tensed in my arms, her gaze flying toward the door.
“On behalf of Living Pine, I can’t say enough about your generous donations to our cause. Creating a wholesome clean environment free of pollutants, is our only mission.”
“That’s Kyle,” Valor whispered, lunging out of my arms.
I caught her and helped her to the floor, then looked through a crack in the door before opening it fully. Everyone’s attention was focused off the terrace and downward.
Taking Valor’s hand, I quickly walked past the crowd in the VIP area to an empty portion of the balcony, near the north wall.
“With your help, we can make Edgemont City a shining example in this country!” Kyle stood at a small dais just inside the circular drive of the opera house, flanked by limos.
He looked exactly like the country club douchebag his social media profile made him out to be. His hair was blonde and styled like a fucking ken doll. All he needed was the ascot.
“Daphne,” Valor whispered.
There. At the edge of the door to one of the limousines stood a waif of a girl with long, strawberry blond hair. Her face was sad, her eyes downturned, and her arms were tucked in tight across her chest, like she needed to be held together, and a middle-aged man stood at her side. I filtered through the overwhelming scents of perfume and cologne around me until I singled out a light…was that violets?
That was Daphne. Now I could track her.
If I wended behind the car, they’d still see me grab her, and Valor would be left exposed. I was powerful, but I wasn’t wend-two-women-without-a-full-feeding powerful.
“We have every single one of you to—” Kyle froze as his eyes popped wide in our direction.
Fuck.
“Thank!” Kyle finished composing himself quickly and motioning behind him with his hand. “On that note, we’ll leave you to enjoy the party!”
“No!” Valor shouted as Daphne was shoved into the car, the door slamming shut.
Daphne’s scent disappeared.
Fuck my life. There was iron in that car. There was nothing I could do.
Heads swung in our direction as Valor screamed, and I scooped her into my arms. Her fists beat at my chest as she struggled to free herself, but I strode for the northern staircase as three armed guards raced from the crowd.
“In here!” Amanda, Julie’s twin called, swinging the door open.
“You have to get her!” Valor yelled. “Go!”
“There’s nothing I can do.” I broke into a run as the guards raised their guns. There was no firing back in a situation like this, where there were a hundred witnesses.
Amanda slammed the door shut behind us as we reached the stairwell.
“I won’t forget this,” I told her.
“Better not,” she answered with a grin.
“We can’t just leave her!” Valor shoved at my chest.
I banded my arms around her tight. “Close your eyes.”
The chill of the between bit at my exposed skin as I bent space, and wended us to the courtyard. A second later, grass was beneath my feet, the sound of Hawke’s racing footsteps was in my ears as he rushed toward us, and Valor’s fists still beat furiously against my chest.
I lowered her carefully to the ground, steadying her even as she railed against me. “She was right there!” she screamed. “You let them take her, and she was right there!”
“There was iron in the fucking limo, Valor. There was nothing I could do!” The ache in my chest twisted, souring at the disappointment I’d brought her.