Lure (14 page)

Chapter 19

Tessa

To say I didn’t have feelings for my leader was a lie. I hated him as much as I yearned for him. But nothing was right. Nothing made sense. I was a puzzle, more to myself than anyone else. There were times I heard Marko’s thoughts. I doubted he knew I was listening. Sometimes, I didn’t even know what I tapped into until time brought everything back. It always did with him. His voice was the only thing that could pull me from the perplexing abyss of my mind and center me. It unlocked secrets within myself, flooding my vision with images of fights and amazing lovemaking. What I saw as bad in the past, I clung to now, watching with fascination at our lives. Other than telling Marko tonight, no one knew I was regaining my memory. Or how much everything was coming back. And it was…with a vengeance. I was beginning to clear and the person I was becoming was one I was embracing more by the day. I wanted my Master back. I wanted…what I couldn’t have. I couldn’t have both men. I knew this and Hunter’s actions tonight showed me why. That’s what had upset me the most. I knew what I had to do.

Pressure gripped tighter around my waist, so unlike how Hunter usually slept, which was as far away from me as he could. For days, I’d tried to get him to love me. I tried fucking hard. He couldn’t. Not with the passion I was capable of. Why he was showing me any form of affection now left me trying to figure him out even more.

Thoughts weighed down his mind, I could feel it from his aura. It brought me back to the anger he harbored. I had to make things right with him, regardless of how a part of me didn’t seem to see the point of it. But he at least deserved that.
Rape
. Yes…I remembered now. The gruesome memories made my stomach turn and it wasn’t necessarily because of what happened to me. It was for him. He’d taken Sayer’s brutality to get him away from me and I wouldn’t forget it when I killed my maker.

“I’m sorry about what I did to your uncle. I…didn’t know you’d be mad.” I still didn’t understand why he was. I’d killed for him. He should be proud. Honored. That’s what I’d thought when I severed the man’s head. But Marko’s words were coming back. He and I weren’t the same. And it was something I was learning the hard way. “I’m sorry about what happened to you with Sayer, too. I really am.”

Hunter stiffened next to me, burying his face against the side of mine. “Just go to sleep, Tessa. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Sadness pulled at my chest. I hated him not being happy with me. That’s what kept me going for so long. I wanted to try to make things work, but they wouldn’t. All he ever did was look at me like I was a bad person. Hunter was never satisfied with anything I did. I kept trying to impress him. To show him as his Mistress, I’d do anything for him. Even if all he wanted was someone to talk to, like I knew he wanted most. But every conversation had him looking at me in disgust or disbelief over something I said. I couldn’t continue to witness it anymore. He was holding me back. From what, I wasn’t sure. Happiness? Peace of mind? I didn’t know. Regardless, I couldn’t stop the ache I felt for his state of mind. What did I do about him? How did I make him better while also going after what I wanted?

My eyes darted toward the door. From the soft glow of the closet light, I could see the barrier keeping us closed off from everyone. It called to me. Told me to go through it and feel out the one person I wanted to be with. Marko was out there. Marko…

I closed my eyes, feeling for our connection. My brow drew in as his words began to filter through.

“Doesn’t she see? How can she not? I’m trying so fucking hard.”
A sigh filled his mind and I waited quietly while he continued
. “What am I doing? Walking around a room she’ll never fucking come to? She doesn’t love me.”

“Yes I do.”

Silence had me waiting.

“Ma minette…”

“Red silk sheets, a closet full of clothes you believe I’ll never wear. You bathe in my soap. Do you miss me so much?”

A small groan echoed through my mind.
“You have no idea. Tessa, I…you know I love you. The pain I feel for not having you with me is the worst torture I’ve ever gone through. Such sweet torture,”
he said, trailing off.

My eyes opened and I turned more toward Hunter. His lids were down but I knew he wasn’t asleep. The vibes he threw off were ones I didn’t necessarily like. They made me defensive. They made me…angry. No, I couldn’t do this anymore. All I was doing was wasting time. Time, I didn’t have. When would I lose my memory again? The episodes were coming less and less, but they still came, regardless.

On instinct, I let my lips separate. I knew our problems were going to take a while to sort out, but I wasn’t going to contemplate over them anymore tonight. I had better things. Things I’d been secretly longing for more and more.

Tingling covered my skin as I tapped into my gift. My adrenaline began to race, making my heart thump hard in my chest. Numbness coated my throat and I pushed down the strength of my poison until I felt it was right. Slowly, I let black fog ooze from my mouth. Hunter’s body jolted and his eyes flew open, but he didn’t move.
Couldn’t
move.

“Sleep tight, my dear friend. I love you,” I whispered, leaning forward and pressing my lips to his. More crept free and I let it enter his mouth. The breaths that had come out panicked were already deepening, growing leisurely in his almost sleeping state.

“We’re going to make you better, Hunter. I promise. Tomorrow,” I said, sliding from the bed. The long, red gown I wore was one I’d never thought to sleep in before. Why I’d chosen it tonight was a mystery. Maybe my mind knew, even before I did. Only now was I starting to see the light.

I was Tessalyn Antoinette, the Black Princess. I was going to rule, right next to the man I was meant to. The one like me.

Darkness swallowed me up as my bare feet padded through the tunnel. I’d never been to Marko’s room, but I didn’t have to know where to go. His heart called to me, even from as far away as we were. Our tie, our soon-to-be bond…it was all I wanted. What I knew I needed to move forward and grow stronger. And I’d do it with him. Together, we’d be one. Just like he wanted. Like I now wanted.

Music played in the distance and it sparked an odd sense of happiness. This was right. My instincts told me that and I never went against them—ever.

I broke into the heart of the city, only to turn into the next tunnel. Lyrics I had no idea I knew flowed quietly from my mouth, echoing against the cement enclosure. Each step sent my heart racing even faster and my singing somehow soothed that. I had no reason to fear, and I didn’t. I thrived in this decision. So much so, my whole body was shaking.

Light flooded the space at the end and a tall, dark silhouette stepped into the tunnel. I didn’t wait. I couldn’t. I broke into a sprint, racing toward Marko. Toward what my clear mind said it wanted more than anything.

“Oh, Jesus,” he moaned, sweeping me into his arms and crushing his lips to mine. My arms wrapped around his neck and I thrust my tongue into his mouth, moaning at all the pent up lust and passion I carried for him. Fingers gripped my back, pulling me as close as he could get me. “What are you doing, ma minette?
What are you doing
?” There was pain was in his voice as he spun me through the door, shutting it behind him. “You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you? You’ll go back to him. You’ll leave after we’re finished.”

My head shook as I met his mouth again. I had to taste more of him. I was desperate and I couldn’t get enough. When I finally pulled back, I switched to our language. Ours, because we were right. We were each other’s pair. “I’ve chosen. Hunter and I…it’s not meant to be. We’re not the same. I see that now. I choose you. We are going to do this together. That’s what we agreed. It’s what I want. Together, we’ll rule.”

His eyes held mine and a smile broke out on his face just before he kissed me again.

“We’ll rule,” he said, pulling back and nodding. “But what about Hunter? What do you feel I should do with him? I can’t let him go, Tessa. He knows too much.”

I blinked past the possibilities. I had no idea the workings of our world, but I knew what he spoke was true. Safety of our kind was ingrained in me. It ruled just as much as Marko and I would.

“He has to be happy. That’s all I want.”

“We’ll figure it out. I promise.” He fisted the red nightgown I wore, twisting it in his hand as he turned us toward the bed. He sucked my bottom lip into his mouth and I moaned, pushing into him even more. “I never thought I’d get to experience this, here. Not so soon.”

I looked down at the bed. Although I’d heard him describe it in his mind before, I wasn’t prepared for the beauty and elegance of what was before me. I stared in awe, almost feeling like I was in a dream as he pulled back the comforter and laid me down.

No matter what he wanted, I couldn’t remain lying down. I rose to my knees, grabbing the hand holding onto his tie. Our stares held and he let me pull it free. The jacket fell to the floor at his shrug and one by one, I slid the buttons free. His pale skin drew me in and I let my mouth travel between his pecs, licking and nibbling as I moved down to trail over his defined abs. A moan vibrated his body and I let my nails push into his sides while I sank my teeth in harder.

The shirt was next to fall to the floor but I barely realized as I worked his belt free and unclasped his pants. The scent of his arousal had me pushing them down his legs and all I could do was lick my lips at the hard cock before me. To taste him…yes, I had to.

Fingers weaved through my hair, following as I lowered my head. Pre-cum beaded the thick tip and I flattened my tongue, sliding it over the smoothness.

“Oh…ma minette. Fuck.” Heavy breaths left him and he tightened his hold on my hair while I circled around his thick girth, basking in the power I held. Marko may have been my leader, but here I secretly reigned. I could feel our powers against each other’s and in this moment, he let me take the lead. For how long, I wasn’t sure. I could remember our lovemaking when I was human. He liked to fuck me roughly. And I wanted him to. I wanted him to control me as much as I controlled him.

“Tell me you love me.” I looked up, meeting his heavily lidded eyes, but I didn’t stop pleasuring him. I needed to hear the words. My vampire craved it.

“I love you.”

“To death?” I finished.

“Yes,” he smiled. “And nothing will change that.”

My stare stayed on his as I opened wide, letting his length slide over my tongue. Lower, his lids fell, but he didn’t close his eyes. That meant more to me than I could have thought. Marko wouldn’t turn his back on me. His feelings would never go away. I saw it in his depths, holding the truth as I took him to the back of my throat. Small sounds filled the room and I stored them away, never wanting to forget what I could bring him. I did this. Me. And it was coming from him. That made the moment perfect. His moans were flawless and more beautiful than any music I could ever remember hearing.

I pulled back, tracing the head of his cock over my lips. “Tell me again.”

The smile that came dazzled me. He jerked back my hair, lowering his face to hover just above mine. “I fucking love you more than any human or vampire ever will. Even death, itself, will not separate us. I won’t let it. Why, ma minette? Why won’t I let it?”

It was my turn to smile. “Because together, our love will be more immortal than we are. Amour immortel.”

“Let anyone try to tear us apart. I’ll set the world in flames before I let Sayer or Axis take you away from me. You’re consenting. You’re here and telling me you love me. Tomorrow, you may forget this, but I’m going to assure you every day of this moment we’re in right now. Even if I have to show you a million times.” His other hand came to my face, holding me even more trapped. And I loved it. “You. Are. Mine. Say it.”

“I am you. You are me…we are one.”

“Then we’ll make it official. Right now. I’m not letting you go again. I can’t.”

Marko dropped his hands and reached down, pulling up his pants. He quickly secured them before grabbing his shirt. Doubt or insecurities weren’t within me. I knew what he meant. What he wanted. I stood while he buttoned the bottom half of his shirt. Dark hair fell forward, resting on the side of his forehead as he reached for his jacket. My hand went out, stopping him.

“Like this. Just as you are now. I want to remember this night laced with our passion. Your shirt,” I said, trailing my finger down the exposed part of his chest. “Your hair, just this way.” I reached up, touching the strands next to his right eye. “Yes…like this.”

Marko pulled me into his arms, kissing me hard before he led me to the closet.

“You may be fine with me like this, but if you’re going to be my concubine, you’re not going in red. You…can’t,” he said, glancing over at me. “There are traditions, even in our world.” His hand rose to settle on a white gown resting at the very front.

“This is what you are going to wear. With this,” he said, moving to the next hanger.

A black silk robe hung down to the floor, the member’s symbol embroidered largely in gold on the back.

“I had hoped. I…prayed you’d want this. I made sure to prepare.”

My fingers rose to travel over the soft material before I pushed to my toes, gently sealing our lips. “I shall wear it then.”