Sanibel Alpha Vampire Werewolf Menage (Fanged Romance Series Book 5.5) (20 page)

With blood soaked fingertips, Mike reached the very tip of his blade as Rannan and he spotted Oycher in full vampiric transformation, the spells of the chamber not hindering his Vojak abilities whatsoever.  Oycher stood on the highest landing with spinning discs that resembled wide-toothed saw blades at the ready. His ocher eyes glowed in the darkness, looking between Mike and Rannan.  

“Don
’
t hold back, Commander,
”
Mike insisted, his body bleeding out at the throat.

“No!
”
Jude screamed, jumping from a metal beam, gaining momentum to land on the Gryph's back.
“
You
’
ll go down with him!
”

“This I know, cousin.
”
They were about to hit the open door, and Mike met the Commanding Vojak
’
s stare head-on.
“
Tell Tatum I have loved her deeply, since I was seventeen.
”  
Oycher inclined his head and released the blades.

“I
’
ve missed a month of playtime already,
”
Mike said, arching his back.  He
’
d broken nearly every bone in his body from that damned fall, but even in his critical state, he had managed to carve Rannan
’
s beating heart from his chest with his own blade and ordered Tatum receive his offering, since he was in no shape to lay it at her feet.  Even though she wasn
’
t the type who would receive deadened hearts of her enemies grandly, she
’
d learn in time that those offerings were better than flowers.  That any dead adversary was a good adversary.  

With a smile, he patted his pocket where his grandmother
’
s ring hid, was going to slide it on her finger by dawn.

“Moon
’
s getting high,
”
Jude said, his eyes glowing silver-white.  

Mike glanced outside.
“
I can
’
t believe they held a Joint Faction Meeting on full moon, never heard of such a thing.
”

“Believe it,
”
Jude said quietly, flinching when Ardan bit his forearm.
“
Jayce is sending in undercover operatives at every Academy. If there are any other questionable Younglings, we
’
ll find them and set them to rights.
”

Mike knew Jayce wouldn
’
t order Younglings killed.
“
I heard Oycher had already approached Jayce a couple of months ago regarding the Dynasty
’
s Academies, as well.
”

“He did.
”
Jude made a face when Ardan drooled on his shirt.
“
They
’
re combining investigations, if you will.  Times are changing. Maybe we can make matters right for the little guy
’
s rule, huh?
”

“Maybe.
”

Tatum rounded the corner, her eyes immediately finding Ardan and then him.  She walked into his opened arms and kissed his shirt over his heart, a habit of hers.  When she looked up at him, she said,
“
Arian and Heath are fighting over the last rack of ribs. If you want anything else, I
’
d grab it now because food
’
s flying everywhere.
”

Mike kissed her forehead.
“
I
’
ve had enough food.
”

“I had to get out of there.
”
Renee walked in, wearing a retro ponte knit dress fresh from the sixties with matching knee-high boots. She snatched Ardan from Jude. Mike thought she looked like a tiny doll when holding him, the two-month old nearly reaching fifty pounds now.
“
Arian gets crazy when he
’
s allowed meat at the dinner table.  I
’
ll have to give him a detox bath when we get home.
”

“Are you daft, lass?
”
Mike felt his eyes bug out.
“
A werewolf needs his meat.
”

“Don
’
t worry about it, Mike,
”
Arian rumbled from the kitchen.
“
As long as Renee gets in that bath with me while naked, she can call it detoxing or whatever else she likes.
”

Dru called out,
“
I swallowed some of Arian
’
s toxic blood. I
’
ll need one of those baths, too.
”

“Boys, there
’
s a little one present. Behave.
”
Renee swung her head away from Ardan
’
s prying fingers, gold loops dangling from her ears and catching her ebony hair. She spoke softly to her nephew,
“
Tell your papa he would heal a lot faster on a vegan diet.
”

Mike
’
s stomach rolled.
“
You
’
ll be teaching him none of that!
”  
His hands spanned Tatum
’
s waist, his body craving what it hadn
’
t enjoyed completely in a while.  She
’
d pleasured him with her mouth during the past week, but he hadn
’
t been in control, hadn
’
t fucked her properly.  This would change tonight.
“
And I
’
ve healed just fine on a daily diet of meat, thank you for your concern.
”

Dru, Heath, and Arian joined them, Arian stroking his stomach in bliss.
“
You
’
d better get going,
”
Heath warned.
“
Jayce and Bren are misting inside the South marsh, meeting
’
s over.
”

Molly headed through the sliders, a phone pressed against her ear, her mouth in an angry line.
“
I told you, Mom,
”
she hissed, shooing Tatum and Mike toward the door.
“
Tatum
’
s giving Mike his sponge bath, and by the sounds of it, they
’
ll be at it all night.
”
She tapped her toe just the way Tatum did when she grew pissed.
“
Yeah?  Well, how can I not be crude when I
’
ve learned all I know from you and Granny.
”
Heath curled his arm over her shoulders, his eyes glowing silver.
“
Besides, you can
’
t take a hint.
”

Mike could smell Tatum
’
s nervousness. He'd never co-mated with Jayce and Bren yet, and she didn
’
t know what to expect. And although carnal matters came naturally to all werewolves, particularly co-mating and working around one another
’
s bodies to sate their collective Mate; Jayce, Bren, and Mike had concluded a long discussion last night when Tatum slept, regarding how they would handle their first full moon together.  However, if she had any qualms with accepting his werewolf, she needed to let him know before he went outside with her.  

Mike dipped his head, whispering against her ear,
“
Are you ready?
”
Keeping his face stoic, he hoped and prayed she wouldn
’
t ask for another month to pass before they truly started over new.

She pushed the hair from her eyes, glancing at her baby sitting team, the Gladiators who were their family.
“
Thanks, everyone, for watching over Ardan tonight.
”
She tugged Mike through the door without another word.

His breath left him.
“
When did you become so brave?
”  
He picked her up and slung her over his shoulder.

“I
’
m not,
”
she said with a giggle, smacking his ass as he descended the deck stairs.
“
I just remind myself that no matter what happens, it all seems to work out, and all that worrying I would have done doesn
’
t change my outcome one bit.
”

The surf was quiet tonight, the marsh even quieter.
“
You have that much faith?
”

“I believe in my males, Mike. I believe in you.
”
She wiggled, trying to get down as he grew taller, his muscles and bones expanding under the celestial pull, but he stayed her.
“
By the way, in the midst of your recuperation, I forgot to thank you for sending me the Gryph
’
s heart.
”

Ah, sarcasm was best served by the plush lips belonging to a bonny lass.
“
Do you still have it, love?
”

“In a jar somewhere in the back of the pantry, I think.
”

Mike grinned.
“
And what about your heart, where are you stowing it?
”

“You tell me,
”
she murmured as he slid her down his body, her legs automatically curling around his waist.
“
It
’
s in your hands.
”

His own heart gave a stutter.  Could she mean what he thought she meant?  He needed more, a confirmation of three words still unspoken by her.
“
It
’
s a beautiful night for healing love unrequited,
”
Mike coaxed, gripping the halves of her ass.  He
’
d admitted he loved her every hour after he
’
d regained consciousness, told her daily no matter who was listening.  
“
Does your conscious weigh a little heavy, lass, want to get anything off your chest?
”

Her lips pressed to his, her soft tongue seeking him out. Opening his mouth, he accepted her greedily, careful of his elongated canines. When she pulled back on a long sigh, he nipped her bottom lip, reminding her of his question. Tatum opened those incredible blue eyes of hers and searched him soul deep.
“
Everything
’
s going right, I
’
m nearly there.  And even if my love isn
’
t blindly deep as it should be, it
’
ll be soon enough.
”

Only one word stood out in that statement, the rest floating away.
“
Did you say, your love?
”

She threaded her fingers through his long hair.
“
I love you, Mike Carter.
”

If he died right now
…“
And I love you.
”

Moving away from the main house, Mike tore away her clothes and carried her to the South side of the property where Jayce and Bren waited. She pressed her mouth to his throat, sucking the pulse hammering beneath his tangy skin while unbuttoning his shirt.

“I want you so badly.
”
He nipped her chin in the way of the Were.

“I had you only once and then I had to wait for you to recover,
”
she murmured, enjoying his body as it expanded into a colossal male.
“
Knowing what you can do with your body, that was pure torture.
”  
His hands were still positioned beneath her ass, cupping her effortlessly.  When she finally reached his last button, his shirt hung open and she latched onto his nipple, sucking the dagger shaped piercing first.  She felt him tense and then tremble as she tugged with her teeth.  Moving to the other nipple, she twirled her tongue around the loop, swirling.

“Ah,
”
he warned,
“
you
’
re going to pay for that.
”

“I like paying,
”
she said around the loop. With one hand he lifted her out, taking his free hand to spank her between the legs in werewolf speed. Tatum had no idea how many smacks he inflicted on her, but the thrill shot up to her spot and she would have exploded if only he
’
d given her one more.
“
Please.
”