Mating Fever (8 page)

“Stephania said I needed to put it across my door and windows tonight because of the evil that would be out and about.”

“You should listen to her. She knows what’s she’s talking about. Next time you might not want to bring it around Ivan. His kind hates salt.”

“What is he?” I shifted from the pain that radiated from the wounds that he inflicted. Keaton lifted my head up and examined my bruised neck. Next he looked over my arm. Pain overwhelmed me. I hissed in a sharp breath when he was done and looked at him.

“He’s part troll and part human. Not many like him. I saved his life a long time ago. He’s been my bodyguard while I sleep. I trust him with my life. Again, it was my fault that I didn’t tell him you were coming over. He was doing what he was told. Protecting me from any intruder. Don’t hold it against him. He means well. Unlike trolls who turn to stone in the sunlight, he is immune. He’s a good ally.”

“Does he eat little kids, too?”

“No. But lots of raw meat. He is good at cleaning up if there are any bodies lying around. Do you really want to talk about him, Madi? Why are you here? Why did you pull me from my rest?”

“I-ah- didn’t realize I did. I’m sorry. I should go.” I tried to get up, but my body cried out in agony.

“It’s okay. I was dozing anyway. Besides, you’re in no condition to go anywhere. I can heal your wounds though, but there’s a price to pay.”

“What kind of price?”

He trailed a finger over my neck. “You have to spend the night with me and tell me what happened last night. We were having such a good time and then you wanted to run off.”

I shook my head. “It wasn’t you. It was me.” I glanced down at the carpet, studying the small burn holes in the rug from the fireplace.

“It’s not nothing. You mean everything to me. I’ll do anything to keep you safe. I seem to have failed at that today. I should’ve told him you were coming. That’s my fault.” He squeezed my hand, and I cried out. “I’m sorry.” He brought it to his lips and brushed a kiss across my knuckles Tears slid down my cheeks.

“You don’t have to be sorry.”

“Yes I do, because you’re suffering. That should never happen.” He bit into his wrist and offered it to me. The blood rose to the surface. He held it closer. I cradled it with my good hand and brought it to my lips. I inhaled the scent and then met his gaze. I drew in a few swallows letting the blood slide down my throat. Keaton gently took it away. The sudden pain wasn’t something I expected. Keaton clutched my hand. I rested my head against his chest and waited for it to pass. He kissed the top of my head.

“You should sleep now. The blood will take a toll on you. I’ll make sure you have something to eat when you awake.”

I tried to fight his control, but I wasn’t strong enough. The lethargy of sleep descended over me. It was almost a welcome relief. I closed my eyes and let the sleep take me away.

When I awoke, I had a stale taste in my mouth like old pennies. I glanced at the table and saw the salt and a bottle of water. I opened the bottle and took a swig. It was somewhat cold. The scent of food drifted to my nose. I got up slowly and found I felt fine after sleeping. I didn’t see Keaton anywhere, but heard pots and pans clanging downstairs. I followed the sound into the kitchen. Ivan towered over the stove cooking.

He didn’t seem to notice me while he nearly danced over the stove. It was a spectacle observing him because he was so tall and large with his claws, but he was delicate.

“I’d rather you join me than just stare. It makes me rather nervous.” He switched his gaze from the pan he was working over to me.

“Sorry.” I slipped into the kitchen. I glanced down at his feet. Small black specs dotted his tanned skin. They must have been from the salt. “I’m sorry about the salt. I didn’t know it’d hurt you. I know you were protecting Keaton when you came at me.”

He stopped and turned toward me. He gave me a small smile. “I’m sorry about that. Thanks for caring. Not many do.”

“Why not?”

“I’m an outcast. Not accepted among trolls and not among humans. My master is the only one who sees me for who I truly am. I did not mean to hurt you before. I didn’t know you were coming.”

“It’s okay. I didn’t know there was anyone here except Keaton. What are you cooking? It smells great.”

“Cooking is a hobby of mine. I get lonely, so I pass the time watching a lot of cooking shows and reading a lot of books. My master is very indulgent with providing me with what I need. I do for him what he needs doing during the day if he bids it.”

“How do you pass in the human world?”

He sighed. “Many think I have a deformity. They give me looks, but in the end they give me what I want. Sometimes I can produce enough magic to do a glamour and be seen as a human. It takes much of my energy.” He turned the burner off and began plating what was in the pans. He handed it to me.

“Please. Join me and eat dinner. The Master is out procuring his dinner for the evening. Once he returns, I will leave you for the night.”

I took the plate and the fork that was on the counter and sat with him. His weight made the chair shift, but it held him up. The fare was chicken, baby carrots in a white wine sauce with new potatoes. I dug into it, and realized I was ravenous. The first bite was magnificent and melted in my mouth. The wine sauce coated the chicken and the carrots were crisp. I ate another couple of bites and savored each one of them.

“Do you like it?”

“You should be a professional chef. It’s amazing. Keaton said that you ate mostly raw meat.”

“Thank you. Yes. That’s true for the most part, but it does not satisfy my human side. I try to balance both.”

“That’s a good thing.”

He nodded and smiled, showing me his sharp teeth. “Please eat your dinner. It’s nice to have company. Maybe we can speak again.”

“I’d like that.”

Chapter Six

After dinner that same night, Ivan showed me to the bathroom. I showered and found a robe on the back of the door. I wrapped my hair in a towel and then slipped the robe on. Keaton’s musky scent surrounded me.

I licked my lips and thought about the blood I had swallowed. It led me down the path that connected both of us. He was basking in the night, feeling the moon on my skin. It’s silvery energy feathered across my flesh. The exhaust from the cars irritated my nose. The blood pulsated through those who passed me. The sound filled my ears enough that I had to cover them and withdrew from his mind.

When I did, I was back in the house and sitting in the drawing room where he had laid me down before. Ivan had added a couple of logs to the fire so it heated the room well enough. The bookcases were filled with numerous volumes behind glass. I dared not open them since they looked old and expensive.

I went to the other double doors that were closed and opened them. Inside was his bedroom. Moonlight spilled through sheer curtains and illuminated the room. The blue and silver motif was spread throughout the room. Gauze curtains hung from the four-poster bed. The spread was dark blue with silver speckles all throughout. It looked like twilight. All the furniture was dark wood and heavy. It seemed to fit him. I trailed my fingers over the soft fabric and remembered a couple of nights ago I was here and in tons of pain. I pushed those memories away. Images of Keaton and I on the bed, making love flashed through my mind.

Curiosity got the better of me. I opened the other door at the far end of the room and saw it was his closet. I picked up one of his shirts and slid it across my face. His scent enveloped me, and it made me feel safe. I stepped away and closed the door. I had to sit down.

The pull toward him weighed on my soul. In reality, I didn’t know him that well and shouldn’t have been attracted to him the way I was. Then again nothing made sense. Monsters survived when there shouldn’t be any. And I was falling in love with one. I didn’t have a logical explanation for this any longer. Keaton was showing me that he cared. He was doing everything he could to not give into the mating fever that was probably consuming him, too. I hadn’t thought about him. How much pain was he in? He was doing everything for me, and I hadn’t said thank you.

I sank down on the bed and let the cool moonlight encompass me. I thought about what it would mean to be with him. Eventually, I would become a vampire. It frightened and intrigued me.

He was clearly lonely. I didn’t see any womanly touches in the house. It seemed it had been just him for a long time. Stephania’s words came back. She wanted me to tell Keaton what I had been hiding. That meant I had to dredge up Mark. I had to live up to my past. It was only fair to Keaton. I had to face the darkness that was part of my soul.

A cold chill caressed my neck. I felt fingers trail down the line of the robe. I glanced around but didn’t see anyone. The fingers delved lower. I arched my back when they touched my nipple. It hardened. I sensed Keaton in the room, but he wasn’t solid to me. Lips slid over my throat and another hand slithered up my inner thigh. The moan escaped my lips.

“I know you’re there.” The darkness in the room thickened. Everything went completely silent. Keaton’s musky scent enveloped me. He was there and yet not there. I peered further into the darkness to try and see him, but the shadows were stretched tight over everything. He was controlling the show now.

Coldness feathered up my spine, touching my flesh. I cried out again, feeling the heat stirring in my body. Keaton slipped the robe further down my shoulders and undid the belt. My hair lifted from one shoulder and moved to the other. His teeth nipped my flesh. I felt the curve of his fangs pressing into my skin.

“So not fair,” I murmured. “I can’t touch you.” I twisted my fingers around the coverlet and tried to hang onto reality. Subtle weight pushed against my legs to open them further. I fought it for as long as I could and then finally gave in.

“Lay back,” Keaton’s voice dragged through the room as a breeze stirred the bed curtains.

“Not until you show yourself.”

“Not going to happen. Indulge me for a little while. It’s been so long since I’ve done this.” The longing in his voice tugged on my heart.

The weight on my chest eased me back. It was too much to fight. My eyes closed. I lay back against the pillows and was allowed a moment to enjoy the softness of the bed. The bed depressed with the heaviness of another person coming to join me. Nothing appeared before me, not even the solidity of a shadow.

“Please!”

His lips swept over mine. “Trust me.”

Keaton straddled me. He spread the robe away from my body. Then he took my hands and put them above my head. The belt from my robe dangled in mid air with nothing holding it and then it slipped around my wrists. The strap tightened around my hands and then the end tied itself to one of the posts in the headboard.

His fingers trailed up my calves, and I realized that I hadn’t shaved in a couple of days. But it didn’t faze him. His light touch stroked my inner thighs. The soft caresses were on the edge of being ticklish to being painful because there was no physical presence for me to touch, and my hands were useless. Teeth replaced the lips on my leg. Keaton bit down on my skin. I arched off the bed and screamed. Wetness gushed from my pussy. His fingers pressed into my hips. His body nestled between my legs. Kisses trailed from my navel until he found my buried clit. Once his lips encompassed my throbbing bud, a groan loosened from my throat.

I clung to the belt. He slipped a finger inside of my depths and pressed against the sensitive walls. Expecting to find the matching weight of his body, I raised my hips, but there was just air. Keaton continued to pump into me and then added another finger while his tongue flicked over my clit, manipulating me faster and faster. Cries left my throat that I’d never heard myself utter before. He was driving me into a frenzy, coaxing me higher and higher until it seemed my very nerves were ablaze. My skin burned from the passion he instilled in me. White light appeared behind my eyes. It grew brighter and brighter increasing with the ecstasy he imparted to me.