The Dark-Hunters (377 page)

“My mom liked to read,” Jack whispered. “When I was a kid, I subscribed her to one of those book clubs where you get a bunch for free, not realizing that you had to pay postage for them. She acted so excited, but I felt like a complete asshole when my sister Brynna told me Mom had to pay for the books. So I hired myself out to Erika to carry her books home from school for two months to pay Mom back.”

Ravyn looked aghast at that. “And you survived?”

Jack actually managed a tentative smile. “Well, let’s just say I earned every cent and then some.” Sniffing, he looked up at Ravyn. “Does the pain ever stop?”

There was nothing but raw agony in that dark gaze as Ravyn stared at the floor in front of them. “Not really. There will always be a part of you that misses her. You’ll see something that reminds you of her and want to tell her about it, only to realize she’s not there anymore. Then you’ll feel her loss all over again.”

Another tear fell down Jack’s cheek. “You’re not helping me, Ravyn.”

“I know, buddy.” He turned to lock sincere gazes with Jack. “But you will eventually make peace with yourself, and that’s the most important thing. Eventually, you’ll even be able to smile again when you think about her.”

Jack wiped the tears from his cheeks and drew a ragged breath. “Thanks for talking to me.”

“No problem. There’s nothing worse than being left alone to grieve. You want to talk, you know where I am.”

“The basement.”

Ravyn nodded. “You going to be okay?”

“Yeah. Tad and Jessica are handling everything. I just have to pick up Brynna when she gets here in a few hours.”

Ravyn patted him on the arm before he got up and realized that she was still there, watching them. He actually blushed before he walked past her, back down the stairs.

Susan stood there for a moment, completely overwhelmed by the tenderness she felt for him, and as it surged, she realized how easy it would be to fall in love with Ravyn. In fact, a tiny part of her was already there. Most men who’d been so callously thrown aside wouldn’t have any compassion at all for someone else.

And then she realized something else. That was why he tolerated Erika. She might make him crazy, but in his mind she was the closest thing he had to a family.

It was probably why he even tolerated her, a stranger, being with him. He knew how much she was hurting from the loss of Angie and Jimmy.

Feeling strangely weepy, she followed him down to the basement, where he was going over Jimmy’s notes. He had his back to her while he stood with the light falling down on his hair. Susan closed her eyes and inhaled the warm scent of him. Needing to be near him, she crossed the room and pressed herself against his back, then wrapped her arms around his waist.

Ravyn actually trembled at the unbounded wave of tenderness that swept through him over her actions. His emotions were roiling through him. Anger and hate over Belle’s death. Pain and compassion for Jack. And something he couldn’t even begin to fathom for Susan.

He turned in her arms to capture her lips with his. He cupped her face in his hands as he explored every inch of her decadent mouth. She tasted like honey and heaven.

Susan’s head swam as she literally ripped the shirt from Ravyn’s back. She didn’t know why, but she had to have him. Right now. Right here.

He looked down with the cutest stunned expression as she pulled his shirt down his arms. He gave her a wicked grin. “If you’re in that big of a hurry…”

Their clothes vanished.

Susan laughed even as the cold air chilled her. At least until he pulled her to him and pinned her up against the wall. Giddy with the sensation of his hard body against hers, she wrapped her legs around his waist and buried her lips against his neck to suckle his prickly skin even while her sinuses clogged.

Ravyn pressed his cheek against hers while he savored how soft and warm her body was. He loved the feeling of her legs around him, of her tiny hairs teasing his stomach while her breasts were pressed flat against his chest. It was the sweetest sensation he’d ever known.

Unable to stand it, he thrust himself deep into her body. She cried out as she dug her nails into his shoulders. He leaned his head against the wall until she started sneezing. Her body tightened around his, enhancing just how good she felt.

Until she sneezed again.

He groaned as he realized his hair was in her face. “This really sucks.” He pulled back to see her twitching her nose. “Are you okay?”

She answered with another sneeze.

Aggravated and really wanting to shave his entire body, he pulled out of her and stepped back to give her room so that she could recover.

Susan felt awful as she sniffed. Not to mention, he reminded her of a little kid who’d had all of his candy stolen. It wrung her heart. Poor Puss in Boots.

But she wasn’t going to let something so petty rob them of this moment.

Looking up at him, she pressed the back of her hand to her nose to help open the passageway so that she could breathe better.

Ravyn was just about to summon their clothes back when Susan knelt down in front of him. Before he could move, she cupped him gently in her hand.

A chill went straight up his spine at the sensation of her fingers massaging his sac. “What are you doing, Susan? You’re allergic.”

She looked up at him, licked her lips, and gave him the hottest seductive stare he’d ever seen on a woman’s face. “Some things are worth suffering for.”

And the next thing he knew, she dipped her head to gently lave the tip of him. His cock jerked in response to her warm, sweet tongue. He growled deep in his throat as she took more of him into her mouth.

His heart pounding, he buried his hand gently in her hair and leaned forward with one arm against the wall so that he could watch her. Every so often, she’d pull back to sneeze, but then she’d return to him.

In all his life, he’d never had anything touch him more. God, how he admired her, even though he knew he had no right being with her. He destroyed everything he touched, and yet he desperately wanted to stay with her. If only he could …

Susan licked her lips before she returned to him again. She loved the way he tasted. But most of all, she loved the gentle expression on his face while he watched. The feel of his hand tenderly caressing her while she pleasured him.

And when he came, she didn’t pull away. Instead, she continued until there was nothing left. She pulled back to lean against the wall so that she could look up at him. A slow, loving smile spread across his face as he stared down at her.

“You’re the best,” he breathed, fingering her lips.

She suckled his thumb. “Not really, but I’m glad you think so.”

He helped her to her feet, then turned her so that her back was to his front. He wrapped his arms around her and held her to him. She could feel him nuzzling against the back of her head.

“What’s going to happen to us, Ravyn?” she asked quietly.

“I don’t know. But right now I’m glad that you’re here with me.”

Susan ached with the knowledge that they couldn’t stay like this. And the worst of it was the fact that she couldn’t go back to her old life. She knew things about the world now that would haunt her forever.

But none of them more than the fact that she would have to deal with Ravyn in the future without being a part of his life. Why did she feel this way for a man she knew she couldn’t have? It wasn’t right for her to crave the one thing she could never claim.

Then she felt it, the soft tickle of his fangs against her neck. She groaned at how good that felt as she arched her back in expectation of what was to come.

Ravyn cupped her breasts in his hands and teased her sensitive nipples with his palm as his breath scalded her skin. Then he lowered one hand to tease her before he slowly slid himself into her one sweet inch at a time until he was buried deep inside her.

She ached with how good he felt thrusting into her. He took her hand into his and led it to his mouth so that he could nibble on her palm.

Susan couldn’t explain it, but she felt like she was a part of this man. Like they were connected. It didn’t make any sense to her. There was no explanation. She’d never felt like this in all of her life.

She didn’t feel alone. Even though tomorrow should scare her, she wasn’t afraid. Nothing seemed to matter to her while she was with Ravyn.

Ravyn inhaled the sweet fragrance of her skin. There was nothing on this earth that smelled better than his Susan. Nothing that felt better than her skin gliding against his. Her hand touching his face. Closing his eyes, he savored that precious touch.

He didn’t know how they were going to get out of this, but one thing was certain. He wasn’t going to let anything happen to her. Ever. He would give her her life back. She deserved at least that.

And then he felt her tighten around him an instant before she cried out in orgasm. He clenched his teeth and held her tight in his arms while he quickened his thrusts until he could join her there.

They were both breathing raggedly as they stood by the door. Ravyn didn’t want to move, but unfortunately his body slid from hers and left him feeling strangely vacant. He didn’t want to leave her. Not even for a second.

She turned around to smile up at him before she nibbled his bottom lip.

“You still stuffy?” he asked.

“Yes, but you’re worth it.”

He laughed at that before he kissed her. He’d barely tasted her before he felt an awful stinging pain in his palm.

His heart stopped beating at the sensation he hadn’t felt in hundreds of years.

It couldn’t be.…

Susan hissed, shaking her hand as if to cool it. “What on…” Her voice broke off as she saw on her palm what he knew was on his.

The mark.

“Ravyn?” she breathed.

His vision darkened as conflicting emotions tore through him. “I can’t mate.” Not as a Dark-Hunter. It wasn’t possible … was it?

What the hell was this?

Confusion furrowed her brow. “But that is what this is, right?”

He nodded, unable to believe his cursed luck. He was dead. How could he mate? It defied logic. He couldn’t have children, he couldn’t commit.

And after this, he wouldn’t even be able to have sex again.…

“Damn you, Fates,” he hissed.
What were they thinking?

Susan clenched her hand to conceal the ornate scroll-work. She didn’t know what she’d expected from him, but this anger sure wasn’t it. “I didn’t know I was so repugnant to you.”

The anger melted from his face. “How could you think that? But damn, Susan, do you understand what this means?”

“Yeah. You’re screwed.”

Ravyn leaned his head back. “I can’t believe this.”

“Well, look on the bright side, in this day and age if I told people you guys existed, they’d lock me up and laugh about it
with
you.”

“You’re not funny.”

She reached up to cup his face in her hand. “I know. Look, I’ll make this easy on you. You mate with me and then I can just leave and you’ll be free to, pardon the pun, cat around all you want.”

“It doesn’t work like that.”

Susan frowned. “What do you mean?”

“So long as you live, I can’t have sex with anyone
but
you. Ever.”

“And if we don’t mate, you’re a eunuch.”

“Basically, yes.”

A tremor of fear went through her as she considered what he’d just said. So long as she lived …

“You’re not going to kill me, are you?”

He looked both offended and baffled by her question. “What? Are you insane? Why would I do that?”

“Let’s see, ten seconds after I met you, you ripped out a guy’s throat, and now you’re telling me that so long as I’m alive you’re screwed. Murder seems like the best course of action for you even though
I
strongly vote against it.”

“Don’t worry. I can’t kill you. I took an oath to protect human life.”

She didn’t know what offended her most about that. The fact that he considered killing her or the fact that the only thing that kept him from it was an oath. “Well, gee, thanks, hon. I’m so glad I mean so much to you.”

His face lightened up. “I wasn’t serious.”

“Uh-huh.”

He leaned his forehead against hers and let out a frustrated breath. “I can’t believe I’m mated to someone who’s allergic to me.”

“You? I’m the one who should be having a hissy. How do I introduce you to people? Hi, this is my … what? Significant other? Mate? Pet?”

He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. “Why must every relationship I have be so damned impossible?”

Susan pulled back and tilted his head so that he met her eyes. “Hey now, defeatist talk from a catman like you? I’m the one who should be freaking out here. I mean, damn, you could give me fleas or something.”

He laughed. “I’ll give you something all right.” He popped her playfully on the rump.

“You better stop that. I could lure you out in daylight and then take you to be neutered.”

“You don’t need daylight for that. All you have to do is walk out that door and stay gone for three weeks.”

Her humor died at his dire words. “I won’t do that to you, Ravyn.”

“Why not? What does it matter anyway? We can’t live together. Acheron will never allow it.”

“He’s not stopping Cael.”

Ravyn paused as he considered that. She was right. “Have you any idea what living with me would entail?”

She wrinkled her nose as if she smelled something foul. “If you’re like most men, it probably means dirty underwear and socks on the floor. Toilet seat left up at night. You eating all my peanut butter and not telling me. But,” she said in all seriousness, “you better not expect me to clean out that cat box. Erika needs chores, too.”

He was stunned by her. She could always find humor in everything.

“Your life will be in constant danger.”

“Excuse me? Do you have amnesia? Did you miss the last four dozen attacks on us? And that’s not counting the doorjamb that almost decapitated me.”

“Susan, I’m serious.”

“So am I. I mean, yes, I would rather have had time to fall in love with you and I’d really like for you to be human. But no one’s perfect. Granted most men are dogs and not cats … and I am allergic to you—”