The Dark-Hunters (236 page)

He laughed at that. “Whatever it takes to make you happy.”

Her smile faded as seriousness set deep in her heart. “That would definitely be you.”

He kissed her again, nearly devouring her.

By the time he pulled away, she could barely breathe. “Okay,” she said quietly. “What do we need to do?”

Vane rolled over onto his back and stole her breath at the way he looked there. His tanned skin was set off to perfection against the cream sheets. His hair was loose and made him look all the more alluring. “You need to press your marked palm to mine.”

Bride laid her palm to his warm and callused one. Vane laced his fingers with hers.

“Now you have to take me into your body without my interference.”

“That’s kind of strange, but okay.”

“Not really. It was set up as a safeguard to protect our females. The Claiming can never be forced on a female. She must complete it by her own free will.”

Bride sat up on her knees and carefully straddled his lean waist. She stared down at him, wondering how this would change them.

Would it change them?

How could it not?

After this they would be mated. She would belong to him and, until the day she died, he would belong to her.

Vane took her free hand into his and kissed it gently.

Her heart pounding, Bride shifted her body until he was deep inside her. They both moaned at the sensation.

Vane ground his teeth as his hand started to heat up. It took all his willpower not to thrust against her. But this wasn’t his choice, it was hers.

“Now you have to say the following: ‘I accept you as you are, and I will always hold you close in my heart. I will walk beside you forever.’”

Bride locked gazes with him as her own palm tickled. “I accept you as you are, and I will always hold you close in my heart. I will walk beside you forever.”

Vane’s eyes darkened before he repeated the vow back to her. No sooner had he spoken them than he arched his back as if he were being racked with pain.

Bride squeaked in surprise as his canine teeth grew like something out of a vampire movie.

Vane held her still while he breathed raggedly. His entire body was tense and rigid.

“It’s okay, Bride,” he growled. “Don’t be afraid. It’s just our Claiming spell calling out the
thirio
so that we can bond our life forces together. It’ll pass in a few minutes.”

“You look like you’re in pain. Is there anything I can do?”

“Just wait for it to pass,” he panted.

“If we bond, will it stop?”

He nodded.

“Then bond with me.”

He hissed, then locked gazes with her. “Do you understand what that is, Bride? If I die, you die with me. Instantly. Unless you’re pregnant and then you will die as soon as our baby is born.”

Her heartrate tripled. But as she stared down at him, it seemed a small price to pay. Did she want to live without him? “What the heck?” she said. “If we’re going to do this, let’s go all the way with it.”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded.

Vane sat up under her. He cradled her to his chest and nuzzled her neck. “After I bite you, you’ll have to bite me back in the shoulder.”

Before she could respond, he sank his teeth into her.

Bride cried out, but not from pain. An unimaginable pleasure tore through her as she felt him swelling inside her. She thrust herself against him as a divine orgasm ripped her apart.

Her vision blurred as she felt her own fangs growing in her mouth. Something seemed to possess her until she no longer felt human.

It was …

Wonderful. The next thing she knew, she sank her teeth into Vane’s shoulder.

Wrapped in ecstasy, they held each other as their heartbeats synchronized and the room spun around. Bride had never felt this close to another being in all her life. It really was as if they were one person, united. Physically.

Spiritually. Perfectly.

Vane couldn’t breathe as he tasted her. He should never have bonded with her and yet he was so grateful that she would be with him. For the first time he understood why Anya had bonded with her mate.

He didn’t want to lose Bride. Didn’t want to even try to imagine a single day without her in it.

Now he wouldn’t.

His head swam as his orgasm faded and his teeth receded. Bride pulled away and stared at him as if she were drunk.

“Is it over?” she asked.

He nodded, then kissed her. He kissed her again. “You are mine, Bride McTierney. Now and always.”

She smiled.

Vane leaned her back on the bed and laid himself over her. He only wanted to feel her. His mate.

The reality of that encircled his heart and made him fly.

Bride cradled him with her entire body. He felt so good there. She ran her hand through his hair and started to laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“I was just thinking that it’s not every woman who gets to have her very own tamed wolf.”

His eyes twinkled. “I’m not sure I could call myself tame. Only you have that effect on me.”

“That’s what I like most of all.”

As he dipped his head down to kiss her, his phone rang. Vane pulled back with a grumble. He held his hand out and the phone flew across the room, into his grip.

Bride frowned. “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to you doing that.”

He nipped her neck playfully, then answered it.

“Hi, Aimee,” he said, then paused. He looked at her and she noted the confusion in his eyes. “Thanks, I really appreciate that. Hang on a sec.”

He pressed the mute. “It’s one of the bears at Sanctuary who is watching Fang. They’re having their own Thanksgiving celebration and have decided to temporarily lift my banishment if I want to visit Fang tonight.”

“Okay.”

“I was wondering if you’d like to go with me and meet him. I mean, he’s not really saying anything, but—”

“I’d love to meet your brother,” she said, interrupting him.

He looked relieved before he returned to the phone. “Yeah, we’ll be there in a little bit. Thanks.”

He hung up the phone and placed it on the nightstand.

Bride lay there quietly, trying to come to grips with what she had done. What had happened to them this afternoon.

“Are you sure I’m not aging? I don’t feel any differently.”

“You should be joined to me, but since I’ve never mated before, I don’t know what we should feel.”

Bride looked at her hand. Her mark was now a vibrant red. “This is different, though. What about yours?”

“Looks like yours.”

That was a good sign. “Do I have to keep drinking your blood?”

He shook his head. “Never again.”

“Good. The thought of it is really gross.”

Vane got up and pulled her out of the bed.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to bathe you, Lady Wolf, so that I can take you to Sanctuary and show you off to everyone.”

How she wished she were as beautiful as he thought she was. It was so nice to be with someone who looked at her with rose-colored glasses.

Vane led her into the bathroom and turned the shower on. Once he had the water regulated, he opened the curtain and let her enter first.

Bride felt a bit awkward. She’d never bathed with a man before. But as Vane started soaping her body, her awkwardness vanished in a wave of hot desire for him.

He looked really good naked and wet, and his hands were incredible as they slid over every inch of her body.

“You’re really talented,” she said, her breath catching as he washed between her legs.

He kissed her gently as he dropped the washcloth and used his fingers to caress her.

“You’re never satisfied, are you?” Bride asked as she felt him harden again.

“Not where you’re concerned.” He pressed her back against the cool tile wall. He lifted one of her legs up to wrap around his narrow waist before he slid into her.

Bride cried out in pleasure as he thrust against her. It wasn’t until she came that she realized she had wrapped both legs around his waist and that he was supporting her full weight as he continued to thrust.

His hair was wet and dripping as he captured her lips. He buried himself deep inside, then shuddered.

Bride was only vaguely aware of the water’s spray against her arms and legs as she watched Vane’s face. Her wolf was beautiful when he came for her. He held her effortlessly while his body continued to shudder.

After he finished, she set her legs down as he withdrew from her.

He took a ragged breath, then turned around to face the water.

Bride impulsively pressed her front to his naked back.

Vane hissed at the sensation of his Bride against him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, sliding her hands over his body. “You keep doing that and we’ll never leave this shower,” he said huskily.

“Sure we will. It won’t be much fun in here if the water turns cold.”

“True.”

Then to his delight she left him and picked up the washcloth to bathe him.

Bride had never done anything like this. It was actually a lot of fun to soap those magnificent muscles and to help rinse his body.

“You are decadent,” she breathed.

He answered that with a smile and a kiss.

After they were finished, they left the shower. Bride thought they’d have to dress, but Vane surprised her by re-dressing them in the clothes they’d worn to her parents’ house.

“How do you do that?”

Vane shrugged. “It’s like breathing. I barely think about it and poof. It’s magic.”

“I wish you would warn me a bit before you do it. I’m still getting used to all this.”

In order to please her he led her through the door and down the hallway to Fury’s room.

Vane knocked on the door.

“Yeah?” Fury called from inside.

Vane shouldered it open to find Fury with the dog on his bed. “We were heading over to Sanctuary. I was just wondering if you’d like to join us.”

“Sure. Can Cujo come?”

“I guess. We can always put him in one of the cages if he gets nervous.”

“Cages?” Bride asked.

Vane turned to face her. “Since Sanctuary has a lot of different kinds of animals in it, they have a whole room of cages in the event someone gets nasty.”

Fury and Cujo flashed out of the room.

“How do you want to go?” Vane asked her.

Bride let out a deep breath. “Beam me over, Scotty.”

Vane took her hand and flashed them to Sanctuary.

It took Bride a second to get her bearings. She’d been by this bar a million times, but had never been inside it before. There was a sign on the door that said it was closed. However, there was plenty of activity inside. At least fifty “people” were there, including Fury and Cujo, who was sniffing around various occupants.

Several tables had been pulled together to make one really long banquet table that was covered with white tablecloths. Another series of tables held more food than she had ever seen in her life. There were a dozen turkeys, twenty hams, and at least two dozen kinds of cakes and pies with every side item known and a few she couldn’t identify.

But what stunned her most was how incredibly attractive everyone there was. Jeez! It looked like a model revue.

Bride felt extremely intimidated.

“Vane,” a tall, gorgeous blond man said as he came over to them. “We were wondering if you’d make it.”

“Hey, Dev.”

Bride noticed two more “Devs” who entered the room, carrying more food.

“We’re quadruplets,” Dev said with a wicked grin. “You can tell me by this.” He pulled his T-shirt sleeve up to show her a bow-and-arrow tattoo, then he pointed out his brothers. “The mean-looking one holding the gumbo is Remi. The bashful one over there with the bear cub in his lap is Quinn, and Cherif is the one holding the platter of crab legs. Don’t worry if you can’t remember who’s who, just yell ‘quad’ and we’ll answer.”

He seemed very friendly and open.

“I’m Bride,” she said, holding out her hand to him. “Nice meeting you.”

As he shook her hand, another attractive blond man appeared behind Vane. He growled low in his throat, reminding her of a wolf.

“Don’t even think about it, Sasha,” Vane growled back, giving the man a lethal stare. “I’m in no mood for your shit.”

“Wolves,” Dev said to Bride. “The alphas have to do that dominance crap whenever they see each other. See, me, I’m a bear. We get along with most anyone. Unless you mess with us, then we rip your head off.”

Dev inclined his head to Sasha. “Why don’t you go help Papa bring out the kegs?”

Sasha came over and sniffed at Bride. He appeared to calm a degree before he looked back at Vane. “Sure, Dev. I wouldn’t want to embarrass Vane in front of his mate by defeating him.”

Vane took a step toward him until Dev cut him off.

“Go, Sasha,” Dev said sternly.

Sasha finally left.

Dev took a deep breath and grinned at her. “You should have tried a bear, Bride. Then you wouldn’t have to worry about this.”

“It’s all right. I’m rather fond of wolves.” She watched as Sasha neared Fury.

Fury came instantly to his feet with a snarl so sinister that it actually scared her. Always easygoing and a bit inept, she’d had no idea that Fury could look like that.

He was truly frightening in his wolf persona.

“Wolves apart!” a tall, slender woman said in a French accent as she came between them. “Or else I shall throw water on you both.”

Remi appeared by her side. “Do you need help,
maman?
”

“Not from you,
cher,
” she said, patting him kindly on the arm. “Go and help Jose in the kitchen.”

Remi gave the wolves a warning glare before he obeyed his mother.

Once Sasha and Fury had some distance between them, the woman came over to her and Vane.

“There you are at last.” She kissed Vane on his cheek, then turned to Bride. “I am Nicolette, but most people call me Mama.”

“Bride,” she said, shaking the bear’s hand.

Nicolette smiled up at Vane. “She is beautiful,
mon petit loup.
You have done well for yourself.”

“
Merci,
Nicolette.”

“Come,” she said, gesturing them further into the room. “Vane, introduce your mate to our people while I make sure my sons do not fight. And have no fear if you can’t remember our names, Bride. There is but one of you while we are many. You will learn them all in time.”