A Wicked Hunger (Creatures of Darkness 1) (24 page)

After setting it aside, he dipped his head to press his lips to hers, his tongue demanding rather than asking for access. While he delved deep into the recesses of her mouth, his right palm caressed its way over her thigh and up her side to softly tease the
underside of her breast. She moaned at the sensation, her skin warming with need.

His hand cupped her chest and applied a delectable pressure. Then his mouth left hers to capture her nipple instead. Her body shook as she hissed out a whimper, arching.

She heard the sound of his belt being loosened, and another rush of heat flooded her lower regions. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought she’d taken more than a drop of his blood, but she couldn’t use that as an excuse this time. This time the frenzied lust was all hers.

As Mace rid himself of his jeans, she shoved her panties down, kicking them away. He entered her with a savage thrust, exquisite in its glorious
carnality. In the back of her mind, she was surprised by her own ferocity, her eagerness for his voracious taking. To submit in every way and let him dominate as she knew he craved.

His hips drove into her with rough abandon, and she was bewildered by the ecstasy rippling through her, the sweltering bliss that numbed her mind like nothing she’d ever felt.

It was rapturous but for one small detail. Not having his fangs in her was a new kind of anguish, one that had never before tormented her till this moment. She couldn’t think past the need to rectify the situation. Without realizing what she was doing, she heard herself pleading with Mason, begging, presenting her neck.

From somewhere deep within him, from the part of him that was purely-forged instinct, a growl ripped free. Then his fangs penetrated her taut skin. She cried out as every nuance in her body soared to the heavens, so high she didn’t think she would ever return to earth again.

* * *

Mace glanced down at Cora curled into his side. Her eyes drooped languidly, yet she smiled up at him, as though pleased. He wouldn’t have believed it if he didn’t feel it for himself.
Or if she had taken more of his blood earlier. But she actually was content, sated, maybe even a little happy.

He allowed that thought to overrule his apprehensions, though he couldn’t block them out completely. He’d believed it when she told him she cared about him. And he respected that she confessed
to only that much rather than professing undying love and attempting to play him for a fool. But she still only accepted him because she felt she had no other choice.

To her, it was him or death.

Needless to say, he was of two minds about it. Well, more like mind and body. He’d lost himself in her sweet flesh and even sweeter blood, allowing himself to go mindless while reinforcing their bond by taking her blood into him. She had matched his carnal demands avidly and given him everything he’d wanted.

Almost everything.

He’d win her heart if it took him a thousand years to do so.

Her brow rose at his possessive sentiment.

“What are you thinking?” she asked.

He ran the backs of his fingers along her jaw. “How beautiful you look.”

“Liar.”
She smiled.

When first she had offered him her body, acidic rage had nearly eroded away reason. That she would debase herself like that—when she had gone her entire life without resorting to such desperate acts—riled something in him that he couldn’t describe. 

But then that touching coyness, that lovely flush that spread over her cheeks as she’d tried to explain, had relieved all his animosity as swiftly as water through a drain.

She might not love him yet, but a part of her wanted him desperately. He had to remind himself that they’d only been together a few short days. She merely needed time to sort out her feelings. After all, he’d had months to
decipher his.

Her gaze turned suspicious, and he changed the subject. “You must be starving. When was the last time you ate?” He glanced around for some leftover fruit. When he turned back, her expression had fallen. “What is it?”

“I don’t want to go down there.” Cora fidgeted nervously at the top of the stairs wishing she had lied about the problem with her appetite. Anxiety crept up her spine. At Mason’s look, she said, “
He’s
down there.”

The moment she’d left the sanctity of their room, the deplorable situation crashed down around her again, and she was instantly ill at ease.

Trent won’t harm you.” Mace held out his hand to her, palm up.

“I don’t mean Trent.”

Mace pursed his lips. “You’re talking about Knox?”

She nodded.

“You can sense him, huh?” Mace sounded disgruntled.

She nodded again.
“A little. Not like you.”

“Just keep near me. We ne
ed to find out from Trent what might be going on with your appetite.”

“
You
can do that. You don’t need me there.”

“I’d like to prove to you that you’re safe. And
anyway, Trent won’t want to speak to you through me.” He held out his hand.

She sighed, gathering her courage. After a few calming breaths, she set her hand in his.

Downstairs, Knox relaxed on one of the couches, the bottom of his booted foot perched on the edge of the coffee table. He watched them descend, his features hardening.

Mace lifted his chin. “Where’s Trent?”

“Hunting, I suppose,” Knox replied curtly, then transferred his hateful gaze to her. “Not that I care. I’ve got a mighty hunger occupying my mind.”

She edged closer to Mace, turning her eyes down.

“Don’t,” Mace whispered to her. “Submission encourages dominance. Keep your head up.”

She began to tremble at his suggestion. By her experience, behaving otherwise brings the pain.

He turned her to him, faking an embrace as he lifted her chin with a concealed hand and said into her ear, “Keep your eyes on his, no matter what.”

She swallowed the thick lump of dread that had formed in her throat just as Mace released her. She forced her chin to remain
in the air when all it wanted to do was sink down. And for the first time in her life, her eyes sought to capture the gaze of a hostile vampire. It felt wrong in every way imaginable, but she did it.

Knox cocked his head, malicious interest lighting
up his ice-cold eyes.

Her mind protested, bombarding her with memories of the consequences from such defiance. It became too much, the tremors spreading like a gas infused wildfire. His mouth twisted into a dark grin.

Finding her limit, she shoved away from Mace and raced up the stairs.

A string of vile curses aimed at Knox spewed from Mace in a heap. “She requires tenderness, Knox!”

“And I require food.”

Mace lumbered forward and kicked the other vampire’s boot off the table.
“Over my dead body!”

“Don’t tempt me.”

Mace struggle to stow his temper and think rationally. “Look, you don’t want to be bonded to Cora. She’d prefer that as well, and it’s no big mystery that I’d like you gone. So stay away from her, leave, don’t take her blood, and don’t give her yours again. I’m sure your bond will fade, and you’ll be free before you know it.”

“Be assured, Mace, I won’t share my blood with her again,
especially
if her life is in danger. And I know better than you that the bond will fade. I don’t need you to tell me that.” Knox stood. “But I won’t resign myself to indefinite weakness. I’ll feed from the witch until I can feed from others again. I suggest you learn to accept that.”

Mace bared his fangs. “I don’t have to accept shit. I could just end you.”

“Love for you to try, mate. I’ve been looking forward to the end for a while now. But do you think you’ve got what it takes?”

They were nose to nose.

“Mace! Knox! Separate, now!”

They both backed up, the power of their sire’s command overruling their macabre
urges to beat the other bloody.

“Sit,” Trent ordered.

They claimed spots on opposite sides of the coffee table, staring daggers at each other.

Trent glanced around the room, his eyes coming to rest on Mace. “Where’s the girl?”

“She’s upstairs.” He hated leaving her by herself, but she was overwhelmed, and he could tell she wished to be left alone anyway.

Adjusting her ingrained perspective of his kind was going to be a task. She’d find more success if she could learn to assert herself
better.

“Good. I have things to discuss with you.
There’s already been new leads on Brayden’s case. Whoever’s holding him didn’t wait long to start selling his blood again through new channels. I was hoping to bring you back in to investigate.”

“Cora needs me.” He didn’t hesitate in his response. “Clearly they still want her dead, which tells me something about her is a threat to them.”

“I’ve considered that as well,” Trent replied solemnly. “And I agree with your assessment. But mostly, now that you’re bonded to her, I don’t have much of a choice. Your strength depends on her blood at the moment.” His eyes shifted to Knox. “Both of yours does.”

“You can’t be serious,” Mace protested. “Knox does nothing for the clan. His strength is inconsequential. He need not feed from her at all.”

“Everyone is an asset, Mace. He hasn’t been working for the VEA because I’ve assigned him to this cottage.”

Mace fell silent, taken aback. “Why?”

“An entity made its presence known several years back. I fear, whatever it is, it’s growing stronger.”

“A ghost,” Mace replied, deadpan. He turned to Knox and
mocked, “You’re a ghost hunter now?”

Knox sneered. “Smirk all you like, it won’t save your woman
from me.”

Mace frowned, turning to Trent. “You can’t subject her to him. She’s…delicate
. More so now than ever.”

Trent turned contemplative, leaning back in his chair. “Knox, you’ll only feed from her. You’ll not harm her in any way. Understand?”

Knox waved his hand in a show on nonchalance. “Fine, whatever.”

“You can’t be serious. Knox just being near harms her.”

“Is that so?” Mischief coated Knox’s words.

Mace gesture toward him as if proving a point.

“Enough, Mace, I’ve made my decision. You’ll both stay here with the witch.”

“Then how will I be able to help with the case?”

Trent turned roguish and then headed for the kitchen, gesturing for Mace to follow. “Knox has been working on another project here at the cottage.”

“
Oi,” Knox complained. “You’re not going to show him, are you? It’s not ready yet.”

Trent ignored him and continued to the secret panel.

Moments later, Mace and Trent descended into the cavern. Knox begrudgingly trailed behind.

“We only just finished carving out the space,” Trent declared. “Knox has been installing the power station and backup generators.”

Mace paused. “Power station? For what?”

“Our new compound.”
Trent turned a corner and disappeared through a fissure in the wall, covered by darkness. His voice echoed back at Mace, “Eventually I want to relocate the clan.”

Through the hidden alcove, and a set of heavy metal doors, Mace found himself in a large, open room, perfectly square with smooth grey walls. Light fixtures hung from recesses in the ceiling. A door on each wall led to three other rooms, all of them bare, with doors of their own.

“Impressive,” Mace said. “How far does it go?”

There’s room for the whole clan and then some,” Trent replied. “But like Knox said, it’s not ready yet.
Mostly bones at this point. However, a couple rooms are set up for communication and research. That’s how you’ll continue your work on the case. When I get back to St. Stamsworth, I’ll send you the list of new suspects.”

“
When are you’re leaving?”

“Within the hour.
I dropped my entire investigation to come see to you. Drove like a bat out of hell to get here too. I have to get back.” He retrieved his phone from his pocket and scrolled through a list of messages.

Mace recognized one of the names as belonging to the captain of the human precinct who had been all too willing to cooperate with their investigation. Captain
Avery. At the time, he had been grateful for the easy capitulation.

Now he was suspicious.

“With you gone, how am I to deal with…” Mace glanced around. “Wait, where’s Knox?”

* * *

“Sweet frightened Coraline,” Cora heard Knox purr.

Her blood stopped cold and she shot out of the bed, backing up several steps. Knox closed the door behind him and loped toward her at a leisurely pace. 

She remembered Mason's words and fought to hold Knox's gaze. “Go away.”

“But I brought something for you.” His fangs were already extended, his intention’s clear.

She gulped down the painfully hard lump that had swollen in her esophagus.

“Hold still so I can give it to you.”

Her feet ached to do just the opposite, but her legs were like two shaking sticks in stormy weather. Besides, there was nowhere to run. Knox was nearly upon her. Her pulse thumped out a rabbit’s warning, her brain not knowing how to respond to the message.

Knox shoved an object into her shaky palm just as he pulled her head to the side by the nape. His fangs bore down on her. There was a quick sting
when he penetrated her skin, then a rush of unwanted pleasure as he began to drink her in.

Mace barged into the room, the waves of his fury mingling
oddly with her pleasure. He lunged for Knox. Cora was somehow shoved out of the way as the two began to grapple. Back to her senses, she scrambled to the opposite side of the bed, using it as a barrier. Then she realized she still held what Knox had handed her: Pride and Prejudice. She gazed at the book as if it were a three-headed sloth.

Trent appeared and forced himself between Knox and Mace, quickly breaking up the brawl. Mace made sure to back up so that he was in front of her. Knox taunted him with a triumphant visage.

Cora took in the carnage, surprised by the amount of damage done in just a few seconds.

The reading desk had been knocked over, the drawers and items inside spread over the floor. The chair had been tossed as well, along with the bags of clothing Mace had brought up from the car. The bathroom door was smashed in. She
hadn’t even noticed when that had happened. Had she blacked out while Knox had his way? She brought her fingers to her neck. They came away with blood on the tips.

Mace panted like any beast would after taking on a rival. So did Knox, and though he was bleeding from his nose and lip, he appeared smug and amused, whereas Mace was concentrated rage. If Trent weren’t in command, Mace would have disemboweled Knox for her.

He was magnificent.

“The two of you
will
work this out!” Trent sliced his hand through the air as if this were a final warning. “And without killing each other. Mace, I expect you to be reasonable. Knox…don’t be an ass.” Then he surprised her by asking, “You alright, Cora?”

Her blonde hair was sweat-dampened and tangled in her face. She haphazardly brushed it back, nodding, trying her damnedest to mean it.

“Of course she’s not alright,” Mace bellowed. “Get Knox out of here. Take him with you.”

Impatiently, Trent replied, “My decision has been made.”

“Come off it, mate.” Knox extended his arms outward with his palms to the ceiling. “I was gentle, just like you said. She melted for me.”

Mace hurled himself at Knox again and managed to get his hands around his neck.

This time, instead of ordering them to stop, Trent approached and used his considerable strength to hurl them in opposite directions. They barreled into the walls on either side of Cora, causing more destruction to the room.