King of Darkness (35 page)

Isabel wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing him deeper still. The change in angle made him strike all of her pleasure points. That delicious pressure coiled inside her so rapidly that she found herself almost angry at the prospect of having an orgasm. If only there was a way to draw it out, to make it last forever.

Isabel curled her head forward to rest on Thad’s shoulder. His breath was hot, heavy, and ragged against her ear, and she whispered his name over and over as she steadily approached climax. The thrum of blood resounded in Isabel’s ears, and she didn’t even try to avoid the temptation. When he threw his head back and shouted his release, she sank her elongated fangs into his exposed throat.

“Yes.” After a split second of tension, Thad’s hips bucked even harder. Wave after wave of pleasure crashed through her body. Thad’s warm blood hit her tongue at the same time her earth-shattering orgasm exploded.

After panting against Thad’s shoulder for a few beats, Isabel licked the place where she’d bitten him and quietly rested her head on the mattress. Amazing though it was, the whole thing had been over way too soon.

Thad’s blue eyes were again staring intensely into hers when Isabel finally lifted her lids. She blushed suddenly. Drinking from him had been rather presumptuous after he’d made it clear that this was the end of the road for them. “I’m sorry. I guess I should have asked first.”

Another kiss silenced her. It was sweet and tender, and when he rose up on his arms to look at her again, his gaze had softened considerably. “You never have to ask.”

God, the way he said that made it easy to forget he’d just told her to leave.

Exhaustion moved in swiftly. The previous night’s horrors, the roller coaster of emotions, and the monster orgasm had all left Isabel jittery and exhausted. She didn’t want to go to sleep yet, though, not when she might never see him again.

So maybe it was true, what they said about not appreciating what you had until it was gone. A mere twelve hours earlier, she had been chomping at the bit to leave. Now that Thad had set her free she was silently fighting the urge to throw her arms around him and weep copiously until he agreed that she should stay. But neither of them seemed to speak much. Maybe there was nothing left to say.

Be
careful
what
you
wish
for
. Hey, apparently all those well-known sayings really did exist for a reason.

Still… it
was
better for them to go their separate ways. It really was.

“It really was nice getting to know you, Thad. I, uh… I am going to miss you.” Holy
cow
, that sounded lame.

Shit, maybe it had been the wrong thing to say. He pulled back from her and retrieved his clothing, pulling it on like he was running late to be somewhere. He buttoned his pants, brow wrinkled and jaw clenched. She was wondering if there was a way for her to backpedal when he finally nodded his head slightly. “Same here.”

So that was it, then. Sliding quietly off the bed, Isabel walked over to the bathroom door to retrieve the fresh robe that had been hung there. Thad sat on the edge of the bed, head in his hands.

“Thad?”

“I have to go see Eamon’s widow. She’s pregnant, and she needs to drain the blood from his body. Before—” His voiced hitched. “Before it goes stagnant.” He pressed his lips into a thin, tight line. “I can’t even imagine having to do something like that.”

She sighed, fighting back tears and a host of other feelings. Isabel couldn’t imagine it, either. Saying good-bye to Thad was hard enough. Having to drink from your mate’s dead body… she could only hope never to know what that was like. Invisible icy fingers gripped her heart. Her whole chest tightened so that she could barely breathe. A tremor of panic went through her. Thad’s. She couldn’t let him do this alone. “I’ll come with you.”

His eyes widened. “Why would you want to do that?”

Because
maybe
I
want
to
take
care
of
you, too. While I still can.
“Might help to have another female present, you know? Besides, it’s too close to morning for travel, so it’s not like I’m going anywhere tonight.”

He nodded silently, which she read as acquiescence, so she ditched the robe and quickly threw her clothes back on. His hand wasn’t quite as warm as it should’ve been when she threaded her fingers through his.

“Let’s go,” she said quietly.

Theresa’s wailing lament for her dead mate nearly cut Thad down at the knees. Somehow, as soon as the door was closed behind him, he lost command over his entire body. Sweat slicked and trembling despite the recent upgrades to his internal furnace, he slid to the floor in an extremely un-kinglike manner. He couldn’t do this.

Literally, he couldn’t. His back was glued firmly against the inside of the front door, and his feet and legs refused to work. Even if they did, the floor in front of him blurred and wobbled, making him unsure whether he could make it down the hall before he puked or passed out.

How could he go down there and look Theresa in the eye? Any day now, she was going to be forced to put aside her grief to care for a new life. One that would grow up without a father. And that was entirely Thad’s fault.

He tried to think of something—anything—that he could possibly say or do to help her, but he had absolutely nothing. Nothing. His airway seemed to constrict until breathing was nearly impossible, and oh, sweet Jesus, had he gone fetal? He had.

Yes, ladies and gentleman, the king was having a panic attack.

“Thad.” Isabel’s hand was cool and reassuring against his skin, which was too hot and too tight for his body. “You have to get up.”

He tried to answer. Honestly, he did. But he just couldn’t quite command his lips to move. It was taking all his effort just to breathe, slow and deep, through a windpipe that had constricted to the diameter of a drinking straw.

Isabel crouched in front of him, smooth forehead pressed against his. Her hands kneaded his arms, his shoulders, and his neck. Sure fingers made tiny circles at the base of his skull. Her palm rubbed between his shoulder blades. Somehow, he managed to match her protracted inhales and exhales.

“Thad, listen. I know this is hard, but you are the king and you need to hold it together. That female down there needs you to be strong for her.”

This time he was able to make eye contact. From down the hall of Eamon and Theresa’s house, the screams had quieted to those breathy, hiccuppy noises that indicated someone was all out of tears. Isabel was right. He owed Eamon and Theresa more than cowering in the foyer.

He had to move. “I know. I’m coming.”

He braced his feet and struggled to standing. The doctor spoke again in hushed tones, and Thad almost lost it again when he realized that the doctor was preparing Theresa to drink from her mate one final time before the blood was no longer good. His stomach heaved, but he stepped forward anyway.

Damn. Well, he needed to at least show up, even if he didn’t know what else to do or what to say. He could do that much.
Would
do that much. There was no other choice. Like Isabel had said, he was king. He brushed an errant tear from the corner of his eye as he lurched down the hall, gripping Isabel’s hand.

One foot in front of the other.

Isabel took charge immediately, and for that, Thad was not only grateful but awestruck. She comforted Theresa by rubbing the female’s shoulders as she had for him. Murmured assurances and reminders that Theresa had the future of her offspring to think of. That this was what her mate would have wanted for her. Held the pregnant female’s hair back while she drank.

When all was said and done and the doctor had removed Eamon’s body, Isabel urged Theresa into bed and wiped the tears from her face. And ran those comforting fingers through Theresa’s hair until the female’s breathing evened out.

Thad stepped forward and touched a hand to Isabel’s shoulder. He couldn’t leave without saying something first. Taking Isabel’s place by the side of the bed, he knelt carefully and grasped one of Theresa’s hands. Though he did his best to remain composed, tears pooled in his eyes. He let them go. It was important that Theresa know her mate had been loved by his comrades.

“Theresa.” He cleared his throat and struggled to find the right words. “I want you to know how grateful I am for Eamon’s service. How sorry I am for his loss. And yours. I hope you’ll come to me if there is anything at all that you need.”

Theresa nodded slowly. “Thank you, Thad.” Her fingers tightened around his, and she drew a shaky breath. “He died doing what he loved. Protecting our kind meant everything to him. I’m grateful, at least, for that.” A soft palm touched the side of his face in an almost maternal gesture. “I’m sorry he won’t be here to see his child. Or for you to rule. I can tell you’re going to be a fine king.”

Her words almost completely destroyed him. He could only manage a nod and a murmured “thank you” before he and Isabel slipped out to let Theresa rest.

Isabel smiled and rubbed his arm. “You were great in there.”

Thad scoffed. “Me? No.” He didn’t have the right words to tell her how watching her in there had nearly made his heart explode. How she continued to amaze him. “You were the one who helped her through it.”

Isabel scoffed. “I didn’t do much.” She angled her head back toward the bedroom door. “She probably shouldn’t be alone right now.”

“Yeah, I’ll get someone to stand guard.”

“What about Xander? He lost a mate recently too, right? Maybe they could comfort each other.”

If it wasn’t such a serious moment, Thad would have laughed at his own stupidity. How had he not thought of that? He flipped open his cell and dialed. “Xander. Got a job for you, buddy.”

“Boy, I tell you what. Shit’s getting weirder around here than I’ve ever seen it, and that’s really saying something.”

Thad glared at Siddoh through bleary eyes, hands on his hips. His body ached; he was completely wiped mentally and physically; and his irritation at the string of events that had gone down the previous night had him itching to go back to that wall he’d punched earlier and finish redecorating. Worse, his softer side was yearning for a quiet place to wallow in his blasted self-pity. Even worse still, he hungered to go back to Isabel’s room and say things he absolutely never should.

Now Siddoh had shown up to give him more bad news, and Thad wasn’t sure he was going to be able to stay standing after he heard it. He dropped his arms and sighed deeply. “All right, Sid. Just lay it on me.”

Siddoh grimaced at the nickname he hated but continued with his commentary. “Well, I can’t reach Ty.”

Thad nodded curtly. “Yeah, I talked to Lee earlier. She’s probably just resting at her office.”

Siddoh stroked his chin thoughtfully and nodded. “Yeah, that’s probably true…” He let out a hiss of air as he trailed off. “I don’t know though. It just… something doesn’t feel right. I hate to bring this up with you, but she and I haven’t fed from each other in awhile—”

Thad’s stomach lurched and he took a step back. “Dude—”

Siddoh held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I know, I know. Just hear me out.” He ran his hand through his hair nervously. “Anyway, it’s been awhile but… I just get the sense in my gut that something’s wrong.”

Thad frowned. “You think she’s in danger? Injured?”

Shaking his head, Siddoh crossed his arms and began pacing in the foyer. “Not like that. I just… eh, it’s hard to explain. I just feel like something’s wrong. Like maybe she’s sick or whatever.”

He paused and then continued pacing, running his hand through his hair some more. “You know, for all of her strength, she drains fast. She taxed herself quite a bit out there tonight. We all like to think of her as invincible, but…”

Thad nodded, staring down at the floor in thought. He wanted to blow off Siddoh’s speculation; he needed something to be positive about, for fuck’s sake. Still, he had to admit that the idea might have validity. Siddoh still had a connection with his sister, whether Thad liked it or not. Even if it was a tenuous one.

“We have to assume she’s safe for now because it’s after dawn and there’s not much we can do. Hopefully, she’ll be feeling better in a few hours and we’ll hear from her soon. Keep your feelers out. If you get the sense she’s in trouble, let me know immediately.”

“We could send Alexia,” Siddoh suggested.

“Hell, no.” Thad shook his head purposefully. “No way can we do that. She’s human, she’s got no training, and we would have no backup to send for her if she got into trouble. I can’t believe you would even suggest that.”

Siddoh nodded slightly, suddenly looking awkward. “I know.” His hazel eyes met Thad’s. “Look, whatever you may think of me… I just want to know for certain that she’s all right.”

Thad studied his friend for a moment. This was the wrong time to ask, but his self-control had flown right the hell out the window. “So why didn’t you make a commitment to her, huh?”