Black bird a nevermore d.., p.47
Black Bird: A Nevermore Duet, page 47
His tattooed fingers gripped her mouth, his other hand binding her wrists and Sarah fought so badly against the scream she wanted to let loose while he mercilessly drove into her. All those moments she’d almost felt ashamed of how she spooked her former lovers … she suddenly found herself comforted by his lack of self-control and all the filthy ways they’d enjoy each other. Her match in every way.
He wasn’t sure what changed her mind so soon, and right now he couldn’t give a fuck less, while he plowed himself in and out of her perfect body. Every time he’d been worried about losing that hold on his self-control before she’d known what he was … she was begging him to let go of it now. She wanted him to feed on her. Asked him to. He almost gave into her pleas. It was all he could think about while he held onto that sensuous mouth and felt the strain of her trying not to cry out under his fingers. Sarah’s back bowed up; her middle pressed against him so hard he thought her spine would snap. Her legs shook on either side of him, and her tits jerked across her chest with every demanding jolt of his thrusts. She was taking every inch of him like she could still beg him for more, and he gave it to her—realizing then that it was well beyond what any human should be able to endure. For a moment, he wondered exactly what his bite had truly done to her body … to her unique blood.
Athan looked over every inch of her through his thirsty eyes and couldn’t recall ever seeing something so fucking beautiful in his very long, very empty life. What she’d just done for him … to him … no one had ever cared enough to give him that. The image of her spread wide over him and that succulent cunt swallowing him whole was enough to push him close to the edge again. She felt so fucking good. And she had dominated him with the sort of violence about her that made his blood sing. The blood he shared with her … that he was dying to taste again. They’d have to talk about it later. About what it could do to her, and if she’d even be willing to remain human if he had no other choice after biting her again than to sire her. That was a war within him that would be no easy battle.
Sarah’s legs wrapped around him, and every thought eddied out of his mind. Those smooth legs felt like ice on his heated skin, and he fucked her harder, and so much deeper at the angle she’d just allowed him. He growled under his breath and his fangs nearly broke through the skin of his lip when he felt her tighten and tremble around his cock. She had a look in her eyes like she’d held on as long as she was able and the defenseless surrender of it took him right along with her. He released her mouth, replacing it with his own, and gripping her hip with a violent thrust as he came inside her again. She craned her neck back and Athan swallowed the long moan he’d earned from her while she convulsed around him. Maybe it was only because it was her … and he had wanted her so badly for this long. Maybe it was their bond, he wasn’t sure. But as many times as he’d made a woman climax, it had never felt as divine as how she felt right now.
Neither of them could breathe. Neither one had a single thing to say when it was over. He’d released her wrists and that damned stare that always took them by surprise reeled them in while they panted like animals. Sarah’s face was flushed with satisfaction and the wind outside the cabin howled. Not a single sound came from Rhaena’s bedroom, and he hoped for their sake, this storm had drowned out enough of what they’d tried hard to conceal on this living room floor. If not, he’d be absolutely enraged that he didn’t let her blow his eardrums out while he made her scream his name. There’d be time for that … maybe when they finally had a moment alone and weren’t forced with the boundaries of being semi-polite or considerate while being stuck in a cabin with two other people.
Lay with me …
Sarah’s voice in his mind was as obliterated as the silken heaven between her legs that he was in no hurry to part with. He kept himself buried inside her and turned them on their sides to face each other against the incline of the stacked couch cushions. Her fingertip traced the couple of small tattoos he had on his face … his neck. He couldn’t stop staring at her.
“Did I cry hard enough for you?” she whispered, smiling. He smiled back at first, but snorted into a chuckle that she responded in kind with.
He kept his voice in a quiet purr and moved her hair over her shoulder, exposing that creamy, pale body. “I should have offered a sleeve, or a tissue. How very un-gentlemanly of me.”
“Yeah, you’re quite the dick.” She snickered, dropping her eyes down between them at the seeping mess they were still thoroughly enjoying. “Such …” Sarah raised her thigh and coiled her leg around the back of his. “An asshole,” she finished, pressing her hips closer. Athan felt his cock twitch.
His arm slid around her back, and he brought his other hand to her side. “I hate seeing you so upset.” She rested her hand on the side of his face, and he leaned in closer, realizing she had no intention of actually laying here. “I could offer you something to cry on now.”
“Hmm …” Sarah hummed, reaching up into his hair with a smoldering gleam in her eyes. “Isn’t that chivalrous.” She ground herself against him and he groaned, smirking at her.
“You don’t wanna rest?” he breathed against her mouth as he met her pace. He already knew the answer when her sharp breaths started coming faster, and the grip she had in his hair grew tighter.
“No, I’m too depressed,” she huffed, pressing up against him and gliding her tongue along his lip. “I think I need to cry a little more.”
“Ah.” Athan grinned, moving faster. “You let it out then, love.” He kissed her and was happy to continue existing inside her for the rest of the night if she’d let him. They’d quite literally ride out the storm until morning. It’d be a lie if he said he wasn’t fascinated by her drive. Maybe, Sarah St. James was less human than he thought.
CHAPTER 22
GIVING THANKS
The cold of the small bedroom did nothing to stifle her sweat. Nor did it help to throw her quilt off and come out of the soaked t-shirt she’d slept in. Wren didn’t budge when Rhaena eased off the bed and vigorously fanned herself, pacing across the bedroom floor. The sun started to peek through the old curtains on her window, unusually bright as she shoved them aside and squinted her eyes. At least a good three or four inches of snow had fallen through the night. The first of the year. Which meant she won the bet she’d made with Jenkins about it holding off until December. She missed him. Wondered how many times he may have tried to reach her while her phone sat dismantled in Athan’s apartment back home.
Her throat felt bone-dry and scratchy. Rhaena padded into the small bathroom and ran the water in the faucet she’d left dripping last night, happy to know that she had been right in doing so. The iciness of the splashing on her face was a subtle relief, but still not enough. Her body continued to sweat bullets, and her knees felt weak. She stripped down and stepped into the small tub, jerking the curtain around it, and running the shower on its coldest setting. She didn’t even flinch at the rush that racked her body at the temperature. When she felt herself finally come to a place of calm, she stepped out and dried off, quietly changing into something loose and breathable and cracking the door open to raid the kitchen for the gallons of water she’d stashed in the back pantry.
Two steps. Only two, and the scent slammed into her nose before she even looked down at the floor. Poe screeched, watching her eagerly from his small cage and she sneered at him before turning her attention to the half-covered bodies tangled up by the fireplace that was barely glowing with what was left of their fire. As strong as the thick smell of pure sex was in this room, Rhaena felt her heart melt at the sight. Sarah’s tattooed back was turned toward her, bare and cradled in Athan’s equally marked arms as they laid facing each other. Her hand was resting on the side of his face that was tucked adoringly beneath hers and as odd as it seemed to see either of them this way, she was so glad for it. It seemed appropriate to wake up on Thanksgiving morning and witness something to truly be thankful for. That he’d found someone to make him happy, and that what he thought was his biggest mistake, had actually saved the man that was trapped within the monster he thought himself to be.
Rhaena smiled to herself, nodding her head as she crept into the kitchen. One more day. There was only one more day to prepare these two girls for the monster she’d become soon. As she pulled the tab from around the cap of a fresh gallon jug, Rhaena glanced over to where Athan’s hand hung over Sarah’s naked back. That silver ring on his thumb glinted in the light coming in from the window. They’d have to come up with something to temper the force of her transition on Saturday night. She lifted the jug and chugged from it, downing half the gallon before lowering it back down and wiping her mouth on her wrist. She had always wondered if anyone else in her lost pack ever felt this way about what they truly were. That it never felt freeing or liberating to become something else entirely once every month. Was there anyone else like her … like Athan … that yearned only for a simple human existence? Had Athan not been a vampire, he’d never have lived long enough to meet the girl that was fated to be his mate. But deep down, Rhaena knew that wouldn’t have been the case for her.
She’d likely still be a detective, or something that allowed her to hone the skills she acquired over the years. She would have eventually met Jenkins, or perhaps some other guy that would love her for the person she was … and not the untamed wolf on the inside. Even knowing that Jenkins had uttered the words while they burned the body of an undead individual on these very lands—she still wished he didn’t have to know. That he didn’t have to bear that cross to have what they have. Until this part of her proved to be anything more than a nuisance, Rhaena would probably always wish that she could be rid of it altogether. She ran a hand through her wet hair and snuck back to her bedroom, taking the burner phone and the number she’d written down and texting Brandon.
Me: Wanted to let you know I’m safe. We’re all safe. Miss you. <3
A few minutes passed and the phone beeped with an unfamiliar tone. Wren shifted on the bed and Rhaena scrambled to silence the damned thing.
UNKNOWN: Thank God. I need you to call me.
Something like dread twisted in her gut and another wave of hot flashes soared through her. Rhaena skipped the jacket and slipped her feet into a pair of fleece-lined boots, trying hard not to wake Athan and Sarah as she snuck out the front door. She hit the call button and pressed the small phone to her ear.
“Northwood?” Brandon’s voice was a cross between relief and condolence.
“Hey. Are you at the precinct?”
“No. Cap’s got me workin’ from home. We’re working together and trying to work around the Feds. There’s a lot of shit going down up here, Rhaena.”
“Another body?”
“No, not since the day you left. It’s something else.”
“Tell me.”
“Are you at the cabin?”
“If I say yes, are you gonna be forced to tell Foley?”
“No. He wants you to lay low … especially now.”
“Why?”
“Are they all there with you?”
Rhaena was hesitant to answer, and looked through the window at Sarah and Athan who hadn’t moved. “Yes.”
“Don’t go anywhere. There’s an APB out for St. James, and Kane.”
“What?” Rhaena’s mouth dropped open and her skin tingled with nerves. “Why? They’ve done nothing wrong.”
“I know that. Cap knows it, too. It didn’t come from him. It came from Agent Foster and her team. She knows there’s something going on between them two, and with the show that St. James put on at the benefit, and that second body that looks like her … they’re trying to connect her with homicides and possible threats to a government official.”
“What are they pinning on Kane?”
“Right now, just harboring a fugitive. But he got called out this time with that bloody message at the crime scene. It don’t look good for him, either. Look, Rhaena … I know what you’ve gotta deal with on Saturday. But when it’s over, you gotta make a run for it until we can clear their names. They’ll start charging you and the other girl with the same shit, and you know it.”
“How are you planning to clear their names, Brandon?”
“They’ve already gone through his apartment, and yours. They’re going through St. James’ apartment as we speak. Cap’s got some information on Conrad Stratford and plans to go talk to his kid in person this afternoon. We’re not bringing them to the station. The motherfucker has declined comment on this shit with the benefit ever since it happened. But his kid showed up at the children’s hospital yesterday.”
“To do what?”
“I dunno. He stayed and talked to that little girl from the event for a while. Cap thinks there’s something to it. I’ve got other shit I have to look into on the other side of town.”
“What shit?”
“Black Bird Tavern, where St. James was found last month. There’s gotta be some connection. There was a dead bird shoved in that girl’s mouth a couple days ago. Somebody knows something and we gotta figure out what.”
“No. Don’t go over there. Promise me you won’t.”
“Why?”
“Just promise me. Don’t go anywhere near that place, do you understand?”
“What are you not telling me, babe?”
Just hearing it come out of his mouth made her chest ache. “It’s too much to go into right now. Don’t make any moves on that front until I talk to Athan. Deal?”
Brandon sighed. “Alright. Stay outta sight. I’ll text this number when it’s safe to chat.”
“Okay.”
“Rhaena …”
“Yeah?”
“I miss you too.”
Rhaena closed her eyes and softly smiled. “You owe me. It snowed.”
Brandon chuckled on the other end. “I make good on my debts.”
“Bye, you.”
“Later.”
They hung up and she slid the phone in her pants pocket. She took a moment and breathed a long sigh, relishing in the feel of how cold her sweat was becoming with the icy air. What the hell would they do now? It was bad enough that the Feds were hijacking their case … now one of their own—her own partner—was being tailed for arrest. Rhaena turned to look through the window again and found the blankets empty. She hoped she hadn’t been the one that had stirred them awake. She turned and hesitated when her hand rested on the doorknob. He wasn’t gonna take this well. Rhaena grit her teeth and opened the door.
Sarah was barefoot in the kitchen scooping coffee into the small setup, while Athan washed the pot out in the sink next to her. Neither one of them had noticed that Rhaena had come inside. He flicked water in her face and Sarah hit him in the shoulder, both of them snickering quietly. Rhaena couldn’t help but find it adorable. She’d never seen Athan smile at anyone like that in all the years that she’d known him. He was so happy. She couldn’t bring herself to ruin it yet. She cleared her throat and they both turned around.
“Happy turkeys.” Sarah grinned. “Coffee?”
Rhaena smiled at her knowingly and started toward the kitchen. “Please.”
Athan handed her the pot and Sarah turned back around to pour it into the back of the coffee maker. Rhaena took a seat at the small table, and he met eyes with her. “Morning.” He half-smiled, leaning against the counter.
“Morning. You’re in a spritely mood.” Rhaena couldn’t resist rubbing it in.
Sarah didn’t even turn so much as her head in their direction while she poured the water. “That’s because I fucked his brains out all night.” There wasn’t even a hint of modesty in her tone and Rhaena burst out laughing. Athan’s face flushed, and he pinched the bridge of his nose, holding onto that bashful smirk. Sarah’s grin was hysterical when she pressed the button on the coffee maker and raised on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek. “Sorry, honey,” she whispered, turning away from him and patting Rhaena’s shoulder as she passed to make her way to the bedroom.
“My girl.” Rhaena snorted, raising back up from her chair to stand in front of Athan who stood shaking his head. He crossed his arms in front of his wrinkled white t-shirt. Rhaena paused in front of him and pointed at the blankets in the living room. “Clean that up,” she chuckled. “And by clean, I mean fucking wash them. It reeks of way too much happiness in here.”
“Christ.” Athan laughed under his breath, rubbing over his face with his palms.
Brent sat on the edge of his bed with a towel wrapped around his waist, looking through medical records of his mother’s and comparing them to what little Annie’s mother had given him after he’d visited the strangely mature child at the hospital. He was beginning to understand exactly why his father had chosen this girl as his test subject with Sarah’s blood. What he wished he had were any of Sarah’s records to figure out what exactly would have happened had he not given her back that blood bag and gifted it to this dying young girl instead. Now he couldn’t even reach Sarah. He turned his beer up, finding the last swallow warm and disgusting, and rolled his eyes as he stood. The steps down to his open lower floor were cold against the bottom of his feet, and the TV was muted but still playing as he trashed the empty bottle and opened the fridge for another.
His door buzzed and he turned toward it, screwing off the cap to his beer, and not giving a single shit who was on the other side … until he opened it and came face to face with his father. Brent stilled, glaring at him. Conrad eyed the towel and then pressed his mouth in a tight line as he returned his glare.
