Aaron's Kiss Series Boxed Set (Books 1 - 7) (32 page)

Shade had been so surprised; she stood there when he told her to. When Billy returned with the stack of blankets, he picked her up again and carried her into the building and directly to the hidey hole she had been hiding in.

“I know, I know, you don’t need anything. But Aaron is my new master, and I’d just as soon not piss him off any more than I get the feeling you did tonight. And man, he was one pissed off vamp when he came in with Lord Colin. I’ll see you tomorrow night, Miss Doe.” With a cheeky grin and a bow, he left her standing next to her sleeping bag.

~CHAPTER TWELVE~

The next day dawned bright with the sun glinting off the new fallen snow and not a cloud in the clear blue sky. The weather man had gotten it right for a change and had been correct in his predictions. Not only had they gotten an additional nine inches over night, it looked as though there were no plans for any more snow that day either. The total snow now on the ground was eighteen inches.

Shade couldn’t see this, nor the dark Hummer parked outside her building, but she could hear a large engine.

Shade was in no condition to either appreciate or care if there were ninety feet of snow on the ground, or if the sun had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and melted it all off. Spring flowers sprouting up all over the yard beyond would have been a great surprise, but only if she had been able to see and appreciate it. The beating she had taken yesterday had really settled in and pain was her new best friend. She had no idea if one could die while lying still, but she certainly hoped it was possible right now.

The bite marks from the she-wolf were burning and bleeding again; blood was trickling down her back onto her bedding; she could feel the wetness beneath her, soaking the sleeping bag. Her broken ribs were making it difficult for her to breathe deeply much less get up from the floor where she slept. One particular bruise where she had hit a wall with her back had grown to double the size and was hot to the touch. It was not as though she could reach behind her to see it, but it was painful to touch and to roll over onto. Shade needed to either die or get up; she was hard pressed to decide which sounded better because she needed to be to work in forty-five minutes.

Shade felt Duncan’s presence as soon as he entered the building; a quick scan told her his name and that he was here to take her to work at Aaron’s request. Shade really didn’t care, nor did she wonder how Duncan knew her schedule, just that someone was here and hopefully could help her. She hoped she could get Duncan to help her up off the floor. Then maybe she would be able to keep standing without falling on her face, but she doubted it.

She couldn’t tell what Duncan was; he certainly wasn’t a bloodsucker like Colin and Aaron, so hopefully, he would help her. This was only going to work if Shade could communicate with Duncan mentally. She didn’t think shouting for him was would work either, as it would require more lung capacity than she currently had.

“Mr. Duncan, I need your help if you don’t mind, please.”
Even mentally, she sounded whiny, she thought.

“It’s just Duncan, miss. And I am at your disposal all day. Would you like the breakfast I’ve brought to you? It’s hot cakes and bacon, I believe they’re called. Miss Penny, the new cook for the house, made them especially for you.”

“No, oh God, please no. Please, I need...could you come to me, please? I hurt so badly, I can’t...please help me.”
She was sobbing now. She had tried to move on her own and hurt her ribs worse than before. If she didn’t pass out soon, she thought, she was simply going to beg him to kill her quickly when he came up the stairs.

Duncan was not a vampire with vampire speed, but he could move very quickly when he needed to. When he got to Shade’s bedside, she kept insisting over and over to him that all she needed him to do was to just help her up to a standing position. She figured once she got up and got the kinks out, moving would be easier. At least she hoped that it would.

Duncan helped her clumsily, hurting her so badly, the pain was of such magnitude that it pulled her into blackness, just as she had hoped for earlier.

~~~

Duncan felt bad for hurting the young miss. But he knew that without his “help,” Shade wouldn’t allow anyone to assist her beyond what she had asked him to do. He gently laid her back on the soiled bed. He took off his heavy coat and wrapped it as securely as he could around her small frame.

Pulling out his cell phone, Duncan called the only two vampires he knew would be up this late in the early morning. He just hoped they had enough time to get there before his master needed to seek shelter.

“Sire, it’s Duncan. The young miss I was sent to retrieve now requires immediate medical attention. I fear that I have hurt her worse in my attempts to help her rise from her bed. But I’m not sure that any type of emergency vehicle would be able to get to her because of this fretful weather. What should I do?”

“What’s happened to her, Duncan? Is it from her wounds that I... Never mind, my good man; you’re right. Sara and I will be right there. Thank you, Duncan, and good job.” Aaron had always been very generous when telling his people they did a good job. This time, however, Duncan, wasn’t sure if Aaron was thanking him for calling him, or “helping” the young miss out.

~CHAPTER THIRTEEN~

Sara had made a couple of attempts to feel Shade’s pain now that she knew Shade’s signature, but even unconscious, Shade was in too much pain and Sara could not get a clear reading from the injured girl.

When Sara and Aaron arrived by their own magic, they had been horrified at the condition Shade was in. Also, shocked at how badly Shade was bitten in some places along her body.

“Oh God, Aaron, who did this to her and why?” she asked her mate. Tears welled in her eyes and traced down her cheeks.

“I don’t know, love, but I intend to find out. I smell wolf, a she-wolf, don’t you? The girl would have had to have really pissed the wolf off for this much damage to be done to her. This is much worse than what I felt from her injuries last night. Shade must have been hiding more than I could see. She’s malnourished and needs a good, hot meal. I believe that would go a long way to helping her heal. With her being Colin’s unclaimed mate, I hesitate to give her my blood, though. It could drive him over the edge of sanity, I fear. I’m sorry to say that she will have to suffer just a little longer. At least until we can get her home to Colin.”

Sara watched as Aaron felt Shade’s pulse. He didn’t really need to do that to know Shade was weak, but old habits were hard to break. “Her pulse is strong, despite the loss of blood and her wounds. I can feel the rhythm of her heart; it sounds strong and regular as well.”

“What about my blood? Could that work for her? I hate to see her suffer any more if she doesn’t need to.” Actually, Sara hated for anyone to suffer, but she had come to like this girl, respect her, really.

Shade had guts and strength enough to stand up to a full grown wolf and enough tenderness in her to want to purchase a headstone for a little girl when she could use the money to eat and dress better. Then, Sara thought with a grin, the girl had managed to tie Sara’s second favorite vampire up into knots over their relationship.

“No, we still don’t know enough about yours to chance it yet. Hell, for all we know, she could end up pregnant too.” He grinned at her. “Wouldn’t that just set the magical world on its head?”

Aaron picked her up as gently as he could, but Shade still moaned with each movement they made down the stairs. He managed to get Shade into the back of the Hummer as gently as he could. By the time they got her laid in the back, she was screaming in pain. Aaron had made a call to Thomas Reilly just before they had left the house to tell him they had another hurt human at the mansion. The doctor suggested to Aaron that he should put her into a deep sleep until he could get to her this evening, as he was neither old enough nor strong enough to stand the sun very much and could not make it there until early evening. Aaron moved to do that. As much as he hated to, he put the girl to sleep.

Thomas was a much younger vampire than Aaron, but a very good and close friend to the MacManus household. Thomas and Sara had become very good friends and he had been a great deal of help to the master when Sara had first come to Aaron’s kiss, or his extended family as it were. Sara, too, had suffered a lot of aches and pains at another man’s hand, a madman who had tried to kill Mel.

~~~

Colin knew the moment Shade woke up. She had actually been drifting in and out of consciousness over the past three days, mostly out. He could tell she was no longer in pain. The way she had snuggled down deeper into his bed just that morning made him smile.

“Where am I and how did I get here?” she managed to croak out after several attempts to get her voice working again.

Colin smiled at the way she demanded an answer, sounding as though if she didn’t get one now, hell would be paid to the slacker—and knowing her, he figured she would be able to make it happen too.

“Welcome to my lair, Shade. This is my underground suite of rooms that I stay in at Aaron’s home. How are you feeling? Duncan called here when you passed out on him and Aaron and Sara went to bring you home. Thomas said you could have some sips of water, but not too much more until he checks you out.”

Colin has never been so relieved. Her voice, even though it was gravelly and scratchy, sounded like what he imagined an angel’s voice would sound like. Then he realized how sappy that sounded.

Colin had given Shade only a few sips of his blood, but it seemed to have healed the worse of the deeper wounds and bruises. He had wanted to give her more, but was cautious. They didn’t know enough about her powers to chance what would happen if she would take enough to heal her completely. Although Shade felt human, Thomas and the others were not sure what vampire blood might do to her at this point.

“Thomas? Assume that would be some sort of doctor? You should know I think that Duncan person is a little more devious than anyone thinks. I don’t think I passed out on him so much as he caused me to pass out.”

Colin laughed at that because that is exactly what had happened. He, for one, had thanked the man several times over the past few days whenever he chanced to leave his suite to feed.

Colin had been with her, watching and waiting for some improvement since Aaron had carried her into the mansion. Everyone had been very worried about her. They were all awaiting word from him about updates on her health.

“Yes, Thomas is our doctor. He helps out on occasion when one of the humans we know needs help. Also, he’s a very good friend of this kiss.”

Colin was leaning up on one elbow, looking down at her. He didn’t have a shirt on, and the blankets were pulled up to just his waist. He had been told he was a sinfully handsome man, his hair long enough to curl up at the ends. He had three tiny braids of hair that hung down the left side of his head. There were silver beads clamped to the ends to seal them tight. The tribal he’d had tattooed around his arm marked him as a Celt, the clan he had been a member of as a human and what his rank had been in his village long ago. His chest was bare of any hair, smooth and muscled, with an eight-pack that would have any red blooded woman drooling after. He knew this because many a woman had told him so.

“I should leave. I’ve...I’m all better. I want to go. Could I have my clothes...I really don’t know...could you please leave? I know it’s your room, but...you know it’s...you’re big. I mean, you’re tall, really tall. I don’t know that many tall people, men. I don’t know that many...shit. Could you please just let me get dressed so I can leave?”

“You’re very beautiful and cute when you’re flustered. Did you know that?” Colin grinned. “Your hair is soft, and I love the curls. Touching your skin...you have no idea how silky, smooth, and flawless it looks and feels to me. I love touching you.”

Colin moved his hand down her bare shoulder and along her arm to her hand. He picked it up and caressed her wrist with his thumb, feeling her pulse accelerate beneath his touch. He placed Shade’s hand across her stomach after a few minutes of touching it and began tracing the outline of her fingers with his on her flat abdomen. His touch was light, almost but not quite skimming the underside of her breasts.

“Oh Shade, you are so incredibly beautiful.” He wanted to kiss her, but held back, knowing that she needed to make this move. It was her turn to make the decision or not.

“I want...would you not do that? Don’t...stop that. I would like to have my clothes and for you to please stop touching me.” He could hear her heartbeat kick up, her blood rush to her breasts and particularly her nipples, heat coiling there waiting for, begging for, his touch.

He moved his hand up to her breast, not touching her, but just close enough that he could feel the heat from her skin. When her nipple puckered tight from the heat of his nearness, he moaned. “Shade…?”

Suddenly, he was on his back and she was straddled across his chest, holding his hands over his head. He didn’t move, didn’t struggle against her. His body reacted immediately to her closeness, his cock hardening, his fangs elongating.

“I said to stop touching me. You never…”

Shade was looking at him. His face was so close, and his chest mere inches from hers that he knew all he had to do was pull gently and she’d be covering him with her body. When she moved down his frame, wanting to move off of him to the floor, the sheet shifted and he was suddenly naked beneath her. He was hard, his erection pressing into her softness. For long moments, neither of them moved, never said a word, and just looked into each other’s eyes.

His body moved up of its own accord, moving against her soft folds again, moving along her body, the friction bringing a deep moan from her and a growl from him. When she hesitated, he stopped breathing for a moment, his breath catching in his chest. He didn’t want to frighten her, but he didn’t want her to stop either. Slowly, he moved his hands down and captured her, holding her by lacing her fingers into hers.

She moved down onto him again and again. On the next surge of her body’s downward motion, he moved up hard against her. Her back bowed as a moan deep within her escaped. She began riding him faster, harder, his movements meeting hers. He moved her hands to her breasts, squeezing them, showing her without words what he wanted to see her do to herself. She began massaging them, pulling at her nipples through the shirt. She never stopped pushing against him; neither of them seemed to be able to stop. He slid his hands up her thighs that were spread wider across him, then to her hips, gripping her tight, steadying her.

“Shade, I want you.” His voice was deep, husky with need, his fangs aching now, ready for her, to taste her, to sip from her.

Her answering yes came out as a hiss of breath, hardening his cock to the point of pain. He put his hands just inside of her panties and ripped them from her on her next upward motion. She moaned loud and long, and on her next move, he pulled them out from between her legs, baring her pussy and its heat to him. Her cream was coating his cock now, making the slide smoother and hotter. She was close, close to coming. He could smell her, her scent and heat making him ache with his own need, and he wanted her to come now.

“Shade, come for me. Come on my cock, baby, please come. Now.” He felt her stiffen slightly and the climax ripped through her, her body arching hard against him, coating his cock with her scent and cream. While she was still convulsing, shuddering with it, he shifted her slightly, pulling her up to her knees over him, and positioned his cock just inside the mouth of her core. He knew she was a virgin. As a vampire, he could smell her. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he wanted to come inside of her, marking her with his cum, even if he didn’t take her virginity.

But Shade had other ideas, apparently, and she pulled her shirt up and over her head and slammed down onto him in the same movement, impaling herself onto his length. Her scream of pain/pleasure was his undoing; he gripped her hips harder and flipped her onto her back, slamming his cock into her deep, riding her as she had ridden him. He nearly stopped, coming to his senses seconds before she hooked her ankles around his hips. Her hands dug deep into his shoulders, drawing blood with her short nails, pulling him deeper into her heat. His control gone, his need to make her his overwhelmed him. He nuzzled at her neck, kissing a path to her jugular, pulling the frantic pulse into his mouth, sucking.

“Please, Colin. Please.” She angled her head, exposing her throat to him, to his bite. With a quick lick of his tongue to take away most of the pain, he stuck fast and clean at her jugular. Her blood flooded his mouth, filling him with her spicy heat and essences.
Mine
, he thought,
finally mine.
He felt her climax with the first draw of his hot mouth against her skin, suckling her into him, drawing hard against her neck. This time, he went with her, spilling his seed deep into her, filling her. Her pussy tightened and milked him for every drop of his cum. He licked the small wound closed and kissed her, and kept on kissing her until their bodies went lax, but not nearly sated.