Blood Destiny (34 page)

Jocelyn was appalled.

Nachari shook his head as the barrier finally came down, and he reached out to take her hand. "To this day, I haul ass when I see a porcupine."

Jocelyn couldn't help but laugh a little.

Nachari smiled. "I'm not saying any of this to frighten you, but just to make a point: If Marquis didn't care, if he didn't already accept you as family, he wouldn't bother. The male is my brother—and I love him dearly—but Marquis is an...intense...individual. He's had a really hard life. Harder than the rest of us. And honestly, I think he grows weary of living after so many centuries alone. We are all he has, all he lives for. You can never take it personally."

Nachari paused then, appearing to consider his next words carefully. "And as for Nathaniel, you can only imagine what a difficult time this is for him. He has his own fears, and rightfully so, not the least of which is your safety."

They stepped up onto the front porch. "By the way, I wanted to thank you for Braden. He wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you." The sincerity was strong in his voice, his deep forest-green eyes growing soft with appreciation. He released her hand with a reassuring squeeze.

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Jocelyn smiled. "Braden didn't deserve what was done to him in that shed." She grimaced at the memory. "It was so awful."

"I know," Nachari agreed.

The door opened, and Nathaniel stepped aside to allow Nachari entry, while blocking the way for Jocelyn. He had obviously been watching the entire time, knowing all along Nachari would release her. He closed the door behind him, shutting the two of them out on the porch.

Jocelyn averted her eyes. "Are you as mad at me as I think you are? Do you hate me now?" Despite her best efforts, the words came out choked up.

Nathaniel grunted. "I don't know whether to hug you or to take you over my knee, Jocelyn. I could kiss you...then kill you."

Jocelyn raised her eyebrows. "Don't even think about the knee thing. I've been humiliated enough for one day." Despite her best effort, there wasn't even a hint of humor in her voice.

Nathaniel managed a faint smile. "Oh, baby, I didn't mean to humiliate you. Maybe just scare some sense into you." He gently lifted her head by her chin. "I'll tell you what: How about no more suicide attempts; no more walking off with strangers; no more trying to fight vampires with silly, human weapons—silver bullets only work on werewolves, Jocelyn—

and no more holding Nachari's hand. And we'll be just fine."

Jocelyn started to protest at the first three items on his list, wanting to remind him of her very good reasons for all 321

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three, but she was stopped short by the last request. She managed a faint smile. "You're kidding, right?"

Nathaniel looked at her, but he didn't smile.

"Nathaniel, you are kidding...right?"

"I don't see any humor in the way you look at my little brother, and I don't think you should be touching anyone but me. Besides, what is all this forest green, emerald green stuff? His eyes are green, Jocelyn. Just plain green. Rather boring in my opinion." His voice never wavered.

Jocelyn frowned, perplexed. "You're crazy." It was all she could think of to say.

Nathaniel reached down and grasped her by both sides of her waist, pulling her tightly against him. "Vampires are extremely territorial by nature, Jocelyn. We're predators first—instinctive animals—never forget that."

Jocelyn looked up at him, surprised, still trying to grasp whether or not he was completely serious.

"You might not like it," he said, "but you are mine." He growled then. "I thought I might have to carve out that Dark One's heart, put it on a rotisserie, and serve it up on a platter for you. You still eat food, right? At least until your conversion." He smiled.

Jocelyn rolled her eyes. "Oh, Nathaniel...you're pathetic."

He laughed and cupped her face in his hands, declined his head, and nuzzled her hair, allowing his fangs to elongate just enough to show her he meant business. He bit down on her neck—gentle enough to show her he cared, forceful enough to cause her some pain. It was a soft reprimand, a clear warning, and a gesture of affection...all in one.

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His hands followed the contours of her body, clearly dominant in the familiar way he touched her, almost as if he really did believe he owned her. And why not? Jocelyn knew without a doubt that he did. And God help her, but at that moment, she wanted him to.

He ran his fingers down the long arc of her neck, across her slender shoulders, and slowly along her waist, possessively outlining the sides of her breasts. His thumbs lingered selfishly over the two hard peaks at the center, caressing her nipples in a slow, rhythmic circle, until they finally came to rest on her hips.

"This is all mine." His voice sounded husky. Sure of himself. "Your heart...your mind...your body. Mine to touch.

Mine to love. Mine to worship. All my territory. You belong to me. Do you understand?" He lifted her chin to force her gaze.

"I want to smell no other scent on you than my own."

Jocelyn inhaled sharply, somewhat surprised by his statements. Her body was on fire from his touch...and she realized that he meant every word. He was marking her, rubbing his scent on her, establishing his dominance over her.

And then he bit her.

And heaven help her, she almost went to her knees...wanting more.

Jocelyn had always been a strong woman: a fiercely independent, powerful personality in her own right. And she probably always would be, but she knew somewhere deep inside, this man could make her want things...do things...obey things she would mock other women for even thinking about. She wanted his complete possession.

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Gazing up into his mesmerizing eyes, she blinked, trying to keep him in focus. He was positively sinful...brutally handsome...and absolutely primitive. And then he bent to claim her mouth fiercely with his own. The deep kiss was that of an expert—strong yet gentle, demanding yet coaxing, erotic yet loving—leaving her breathless and wanting in its wake.

She felt provoked and aroused. And more than a little hungry in places she hadn't thought of in a long, long time.

"It is time for me to bring you fully into my world, Jocelyn.

I don't think I can live through another night like tonight."

Jocelyn simply stared at him.

And then she blinked....

Like some nerdy, love-sick teenager who had somehow stumbled upon a date with the star quarterback.

Dignity was becoming a rare commodity around this man, and she wasn't sure she was going to get it back any time soon. But hell, when he looked at her like that, she lost all rational thought, gave up all logic and reason.

The truth was...she was ready to be his.

She was hungry to be brought into his world.

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Jocelyn woke up late Monday evening, realizing she had slept the day away and the sun had already set. She stretched her arms and looked around the room. She was back at Nathaniel's sprawling log retreat, an architectural wonder of modern convenience, rustic decor, and soft, earthy palettes. She had never seen the master bedroom before, and the room was a sight to behold.

The entrance to the bed chamber was a twelve-foot, double-arched doorway, encased in wide hand planks of oak with subtle, mystical designs snaking throughout the natural grains. The ceiling was high and came to a peak with several heavy beams running horizontally from one end to the other.

Like the rest of the house, the room was decorated in soft earth tones of rust, amber, gold, and deep brown, giving it the appearance of an orchard of trees in the height of autumn. The furniture was made of natural wood and clearly hand carved with the same design found in the moldings that surrounded the floors, ceilings, and windows.

The lines were neat and clean, drawing the eye to the focus of the room—a large inset fireplace flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows, which displayed a breathtaking view of the forest valley as far as the eye could see.

Jocelyn pulled back the Egyptian cotton sheets and took a closer look at the four poster bed she was lying in. It was made of knotted pine and looked as if it weighed a ton. It had two thick, rounded columns at the base and an intricately 325

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carved headboard rising at least five feet from the top of the mattress at the head. The jutting crown was more like a work of art than a bed frame; it was expertly engraved with detailed carvings of forest predators: a grizzly bear, a mountain lion, and a pair of wolves, all surrounded by beautiful aspens and pines as if the animals had been captured in their natural habitat.

Jocelyn noticed a beige robe lying at the end of the bed and leisurely put it on. As she slid her left arm into the soft material, it occurred to her that the cast Kagen had made for her was gone, and her wounds were perfectly healed.

She brought her arm up to her face to study it more carefully, searching for scars or markings, any evidence at all that the terrible injuries had once been there: There were none. As she headed in the direction of the bathroom, a shadow moving in the corner caught her eye and she jumped, momentarily startled.

Nathaniel was sitting languidly in a comfortable-looking chair, his legs crossed in front of him, propped up on a matching ottoman. And he was staring directly at her...a dark look of hunger in his eyes.

He blended into the background like a jungle cat watching its prey: perfectly motionless...silent. His eyes were focused and alert, and a small smile curved around the corners of his mouth when he saw her take notice.

"Good evening, beautiful." His voice positively purred.

Jocelyn inhaled sharply as a bolt of electricity shot up her spine, causing her to shiver. That voice—that raspy, sultry, 326

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mesmerizing voice—she would never get used to the sound of it.

"Good evening," she called in return. "How long have you been sitting there?"

He shifted restlessly in the chair. "Not long." A low hiss escaped his mouth as he slowly exhaled. "You are so incredibly beautiful when you sleep."

Jocelyn blushed and turned away. "Did I sleep all day?"

He smiled. "We both did."

Jocelyn looked at the bed. She didn't remember getting into it, and she certainly didn't remember Nathaniel lying beside her. That would not be something a woman would easily forget. She clutched her robe. "How is it that you're dressed and showered, and I'm not?"

The moment it left her lips, she regretted the question; it sounded like a come-on when she had only meant it as a casual observation.

Nathaniel smirked like he was reading her mind. "You took a shower late last night. I, on the other hand, just collapsed in exhaustion." His pupils widened with that strange shifting she was beginning to find so characteristic of a vampire.

She frowned. "I don't remember taking a shower."

Nathaniel leaned forward. "Kagen gave you some pretty strong medicine for the pain in your arm since I couldn't continue to block it in my sleep. There are probably many things you do not remember."

Jocelyn's eyes grew big, but she didn't dare ask.

Surely not...

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Nathaniel laughed. "No, my love; I assure you...that you would remember."

All at once he stood up and started walking toward her—

his movement the confident glide of a predator.

Reflexively, Jocelyn took a step back. It wasn't that she was afraid of him; well, at least no more than usual. It was just the way that he moved. It sent chills down her spine and flirted with her every fight or flight instinct. She was a human, after all, and he...was not. It would take some getting used to.

Nathaniel's eyes narrowed with decadent purpose, a predator inching his way gracefully toward his prey. "You back away from me?" His faint laugh vibrated through the room, heavy with masculine amusement, and for a moment, he appeared every bit as much a lion as a man.

Jocelyn clutched her robe, watching, as her fear and excitement grew with every step he took in her direction.

He appeared to relish the increasing beat of her heart, to enjoy the subtle look of panic she knew was in her eyes, and to savor the blatant, carnal reaction he no doubt could pick-up from her scent. The room felt suddenly hot...very hot...and her body felt...uncomfortable.

A deep, delicious growl rumbled in his throat as he finally closed the distance between them and reached down to take her hand in his. He slowly brought it to his lips, kissing the inside of her palm and then her wrist, before taking a finger gently into his wickedly perfect mouth.

"You are not still afraid of me, are you?" His voice was a slow drawl, positively dripping with sin.

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Jocelyn shivered. She opened her mouth to answer, but no sound came out. Nathaniel responded immediately to the invitation: dipping his head to taste her lips, lightly sweeping a tongue inside the irresistible offering. He traced the curve of her mouth with the tip of his tongue.

"Mmm," he purred.

He cupped her face in his hands then. "Jocelyn Levi, do you have any idea how delicious you are?"

Jocelyn shook her head, blushing.

He stared into her eyes. "And your eyes are...amazing.

You truly do have the eyes of a tiger...other-worldly...the most stunning mixture of green and brown I have ever seen."

He kissed her temples and then each eyelid, one at a time.

"And the colors blend together in shadows...like maybe they're trying to hide something." He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Secrets, perhaps? Are you keeping secrets from me, Jocelyn?"