Dark Passion Rising (14 page)

 Marcus could feel her concentrating, could feel the power of the
shift tingling up from the tip of her tail to the top of her spine.  He felt
how it didn’t terrify her as it had the last two times as Tambra let her body
merge with the image she held of herself.  Marcus tried to send her his
approval and support, hoping she could feel it in her mind.

 She yelped at a sudden pain that Marcus could feel too, a flash
of terror filled her, making her fight the change.  

“
No! Don’t fight it.”

Marcus’s command rang through her mind like a lifeline in the
tempest of her pain and confusion, and he felt her grab on tightly to his
thoughts, focusing harder on what she wanted to do.

 The battle took only seconds, but it felt like hours before she
finally stood before Marcus in her human shape.  Taking a shaky breath, she
smiled tentatively up at him.  Marcus stared, dumbstruck at what he was seeing. 
His reaction spiked her fear and her pulse thundered in her temples.

“Marcus, what’s wrong?”

Marcus didn’t speak, just crossed the distance between them and
touched a finger to her hair, watching in amazement as pure white strands twined
around his finger of their own accord.  They wrapped around him like a lover’s
embrace.

“Someone bring in a mirror!” he demanded, never taking his eyes
off of Tambra.

He heard the opening of the door, a scrape of something dragging
against the concrete and being settled in place.  Glancing to his right, he
nodded to Christophe, who stood staring at Tambra with a look of awe.  He led
her to the full length mirror.

 She gasped in surprise and Marcus watched her take in the way her
skin seemed to glow a pale golden white.  Her hair too was a startling white,
tumbling around her in shimmering waves that fell all the way to the floor.  He
watched, speechless, as the mass moved around her, covering her nakedness.  Her
face was the same as always, but more defined.  Her cheekbones were higher, her
blue eyes larger and tilted up at the ends, giving her an exotic look. 

She gasped again, and Marcus watched her shaking fingers touch
her white fangs, confusion and wonder warring across her face at the changes
her Rising had wrought.

“This can’t be right.  What happened to me?” The panic in her
voice brought Marcus close, his arms wrapping around her in a soothing embrace.

 “I never had a chance to tell you, you went into the Rising so
quickly that there was no time.”

 “Tell me now, Marcus.”

“It was in your blood memories.  The last image that I saw was of
you as a baby in the arms of your mother.  She and your father were Pure Blood
Lycans and taking my blood has changed you further I’m afraid.  What you see is
your true self.  This is who you really are.”

“That’s impossible, my father …”

“The man who raised you was not your blood kin, Tambra.  It was a
ruse.  I saw the man who brought you to your father with explicit instructions
as to your special needs.  You were kept on a vegetarian diet to retard the
natural process of your Rising.”

“Did my father know?  What happened to my real parents?  Why was
I abandoned and who found me?”

Marcus held her to his chest gently, a small smile playing on his
lips.  “I don’t have all the answers yet, but together we will find them, I
promise.”

Tambra nodded, looking up at him through the mirror, admiring the
contrast of his darkness to her light.

“Then tell me what you do know.”

 “I think your father knew, or had some inkling, that you were
not a normal child.  I didn’t get a good look at the man who brought you to him
but he had a heavy Hispanic accent and he was taller than your father.”

“And what about my real parents?”

 “I believe they were killed.  From the look I got, something
serious was happening.  I will do what I can to discover what really happened.”

 She nodded, her trust in him showing plainly on her face.  Marcus
vowed silently to move heaven and hell to give her the answers she deserved.

A sound of a clearing throat brought their attention back to the
present.

“I would like to introduce you to my team, though I would have
liked this introduction to be held with you having a bit more covered.”  

Christophe hastily removed his shirt, handing it to Marcus, who
wrapped it around Tambra.

“The young man who so gallantly offered his shirt is Christophe,
he is also a vampire.  The large man in the back is Ryes.  He is a Celtic
warrior who…let’s just say has a Goddess problem.  By his side with the white
spiked hair is Zeke, our communications expert from Atlantis.  You already met
Adrian, and this is Tegan.”

 Cody silently watched from behind Ryes.  Marcus saw him catch Tambra’s
eyes and give a faint smile before he slowly moved up to Christophe’s side.  Christophe
smiled at the human then gave him a good natured punch in the arm.

 “You look good, cher.  I think your dad would be happy for you.”

 Tambra broke away from Marcus’s arms and ran to Cody, throwing
her arms around his neck in a fierce hug.

“You are still, and will always be, my friend, Cody.  Nothing
will ever change that,” she whispered in his ear.

 Cody patted her back before stepping away.   “And I will always
be there for you.  I’ve been spending time with Zeke and Christophe.  I know it
sounds corny, but I believe I can make a difference here.  That is, if Marcus
is okay with it.”

Two sets of eyes bored into Marcus and he sighed.

“You have quite a mouth on you, and I’m sure I’ll regret this,
but yes, we can use the extra help,” he agreed, shaking Cody’s outstretched
hand.

 “What about your job, Cody?  Are you going to leave Metro?”
Tambra’s brows pulled down into a frown, a look of concern shadowing her eyes.

“Nah, I’m in a great position to do both.  I can track any
paranormal activity and still do my job with no one the wiser.” He gave Tambra
a cocky grin.  “Besides, Zeke has some awesome new surveillance toys I’m
itching to get my hands on.”

Marcus let out a long suffering groan.  “Just what we need.  Another
tech geek.”

“Sir, perhaps Miss Ellis would like to shower and change into
more appropriate attire,” a British accented voice said from somewhere behind
the Enforcers.

“You?  I should have known.” Tambra grinned as the tall, silver
haired man eased through the group to stand in front of her and Marcus.  “I
thought it was strange that you didn’t have many questions.”

 “This is Alistair Brockhurst.  He sees to just about everything
around the house and is an old friend of mine,” Marcus interjected with a small
smile.

“It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Miss.  If there is
anything you might need, please do not hesitate to call.” Alistair smiled,
clasping Tambra’s hand in a warm handshake.

 “I could really use some clothes,” Tambra admitted, a flush of
color rising over her cheeks.

 “I have taken the liberty to see that your things be brought
over and placed in Mr. Valerian’s room.  Everything you require is waiting for
you, Miss Ellis,” Alistair assured her.

 “Please, call me Tambra.  I’m not a formal type of gal.” She
grinned.

A huge smile transformed Alistair’s face, making him look years
younger.

“Oh, I do like you Miss…I mean Tambra, I like you very much,” he
chuckled, darting a glance a Marcus. “You will have your hands full with this
one.  I can tell.”

“There is no doubt about that, old friend,” Marcus laughed.  “Now
if you will excuse us both.  We will all meet first thing tomorrow evening.” 
He nodded at each man before ushering Tambra up the stairs and toward his
bedroom with obvious haste.

****

Neither spoke as they made their way to Marcus’s bedroom.  That
suited Tambra just fine as it gave her time to absorb everything that had
happened.  So many things had come to light and she needed time to take it all
in.

When she had Risen and attacked Temple she had thrilled in the
power of her new form.  An animalistic side of her that she had never known
existed had reveled in the new found freedom.  She knew, deep within, that her
wolf form would have taken Temple’s life if the opportunity had been there.  It
made her uneasy.  She wasn’t a cold blooded killer, and the idea that this
other side to her nature could so effortlessly commit such an act gave her
pause.

Yet it was the sudden knowledge that she was adopted, more than
anything else, that crumbled the world around her.  She felt the sharp sting of
betrayal that her father and even Miguel, for she had no doubt who it was that
had delivered her to her father, could have kept this from her.  And for what
purpose?  She was determined to confront Miguel with what she knew as soon as
she could. 

Her tongue touched the tips of her fangs and she felt the tug as
they retracted back into her gums.  Weird.  She watched with a sense of wonder
as the white silky locks of her hair moved around her like a living entity.

 She pulled out of her musings as they passed the guest room and
reached the door to Marcus’s bedroom.  He opened the door for her and moved to
the side to make room for her to enter. 

She heard the snick of a lock behind her and looked over her
shoulder at Marcus.  He screamed sex, leaning against the door with his arms
folded across his chest and small smile playing on his full lips.

 Suddenly she felt shy and, to her horror, felt her cheeks grow
hot.

“Nice room, it’s… well, nice,” she finished lamely.  His deep
laugh made her turn to face him.

“Laugh it up, big guy.”

Raising both hands palms up in a sign of surrender, he moved
toward her and lowered his hands to her borrowed shirt.  His fingers worked the
buttons free and exposed the pale swell of her breasts.  He let the shirt fall
off her shoulders to her feet.

Without a word he bent and caught her behind the knees, lifting
her up and cradling her to his chest before striding to the bathroom.  He set
her down on the cool tile and busied himself adjusting the three shower heads
in the stall.  Warm steam soon filled the air, swirling over Tambra’s naked
body.

 “What are you doing?” she asked quizzically as he removed his
jeans.  Her eyes devoured the slabs of muscle that ran down his healing chest
to his jutting cock.  Just the sight of him made her pussy clench and go wet
with need. 

“Obviously taking a shower,” he replied wryly.  “And since we are
in the middle of a drought, I thought to do my part in water conservation.”

“Wash my back and I’ll do yours,” Tambra laughed as she stepped
into the pulsing jets of hot water.  She groaned in delight as the water
pounded on the sore muscles of her neck and back.

 “I plan on more than washing you, my sweet,” he murmured,
nuzzling her ear as his body pressed against hers.

 She moaned in pleasure as his hands found her breasts, plucking at
her sensitive nipples, his erection nestled between the cheeks of her ass.  She
almost complained as one of his hands left her breast only to slide down her
torso and land between her legs, his fingers stroking lightly through her slick
folds.

 “You’re already wet for me,” he whispered huskily, his breath
coming faster as he rubbed himself against her.

 She moved quickly, her hands scrabbling through his wet hair as
she rose up to claim his lips in a hungry kiss.  His hands cupped her ass,
pulling her up close.  She wrapped them around his hips.  He pushed her up
against the tiled wall and she looked down to see the large, plum colored hood
of his cock slip past her folds, the sight of him scorching her with need.  The
muscles of his abdomen rippled as he worked himself into her, and her hands dug
into his back as she lost herself to the pleasure that was building low in her
belly.

 He thrust home with a groan, slowly retreating only to thrust
back in again.  Their breathing grew ragged as they both rose higher, their
need becoming one pulsing drumbeat, pounding harder and harder until they found
release together. 

With tender hands they washed each other and, once dried, Marcus
led her to his bed, lying there beside her with his hand cupping her face as he
stared at her in wonder.

His voice was rough as he spoke words he never had spoken to
another woman in his life. “I give you everything that I am, Tambra.  My heart,
my soul and my body are in your keeping.  My beloved, I hold you now, and for
all time, above all others.”

 Tambra’s heart lurched in her chest at his declaration.  Her
tears rolled down her cheeks, where he brushed them away with tender hands.

“Damn but you have a way with words!” she gave a shaky laugh,
then with all her heart in her expression, she held his gaze.  “I can only say,
I love you with all my heart and soul.”

 Marcus bent his dark head and captured her lips with his in a
long, drugging kiss, filled with everything he felt in his soul.  Once again
passion rose, obscuring everything but their escalating hunger.

Chapter Thirteen

Marcus sat in the cavernous family room in a large, wing backed
chair, his long legs stretched comfortably in front of him, unable to hide his
smile of content.  He could not recall a time in his life when he felt so
complete.  Tambra was his. 

Even though she had only left to give notice on her apartment, he
missed her.  He had made her promise not to confront Miguel until he could be
there to ensure that everything went smoothly.  She had grudgingly agreed, not
liking it, but understanding his concerns. 

Marcus eyed the men in his room, noting the dark looks and
frustration simmering just below the surface of each of them.

“Alright, is there anything new to report?”

Zeke’s head popped over the top of the computer monitor, his face
grim.