Léopold's Wicked Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans) (36 page)

“But, Leo…”

“Look at me,” he demanded, his fingers gliding over her throat. “You pushed me when it was impossible to do. Now I expect the same from you. I’m telling you to fight. Fight for your life. Fight like hell for us.”

“I can’t,” she choked. Her eyes flashed to his. “It’s impossible. I’ve felt it…the evil.”

“I know you were shaken up today, but you’re stronger than the demon. We’re stronger. You need to make the choice to trust. Trust me. Trust what you feel inside. Trust us.” He took a deep breath, cradling his other arm around her waist. Lowering his voice, he spoke to her heart. “Be mine, Laryssa…always. Choose me. Choose us.”

A tear ran down her face as Léopold threw her words back into her face.
God, how did this happen? Doesn’t he realize I’ve already chosen him?
That I love him?

“Mon amour. Choose us,” he repeated.

“Yes,” she whispered, her eyes closing as she trembled.

“Yes,” he repeated, kissing her neck. There was nowhere the demon could take her where he wouldn’t find her. “I’ll never leave you…ever. Never again will you be alone. Have faith…in us.”

“Leo,” she breathed. “I want so bad to believe you.”

“Bond with me,” he suggested. Léopold had thought long and hard about asking her to complete the bond. He sought to mark her as his own, to take her as his mate. The instinct to do so was overwhelming. Denying the urge had become increasingly difficult. He’d known it would happen the first time he bit her. But now with her possible death looming over them, it gave him the excuse to take what he wanted. No regrets, he’d bond with her eternally. “You’re mine, Laryssa. You’ll never belong to another.”

“I…I,” Laryssa stammered, unsure of what to say. Forever binding her soul to his was certainly irrevocable.

“No matter what happens, I’ll come for you. You’ll never belong to another. You’ve already given your heart to me,” he challenged.
Amour.
He’d heard the words that played in her mind, ones she’d never confess aloud. He knew he wasn’t playing fair, but there was no other choice. He tugged on her towel until it fell to the floor. His cock brushed against her back.

“You’re mine, Laryssa. Say yes.”

Laryssa swayed in his arms, his smooth voice like a melody in her head.
Say yes.
Her instincts roared in response, telling her to accept her soul mate. Though their ages spanned centuries, their connection felt older than time itself. Impulsively, she embraced the truth in her heart.

“I’m yours,” she said, without hesitation. With her heart in his hands and his skin touching hers, desire flared. She drew a deep breath, inhaling the smell of him into her psyche. A maddening ache grew between her legs.

“Oui, mon amour. That’s it,” Léopold praised.
Goddess, she is magnificent.
Like an angel, she’d taught him to live again. He smiled as the scent of her arousal filled the room. Satisfied with her submission, he sought to devour her.

“From this day forward, we’ll be together. No fear shall befall us. No demon will separate us. This,” his hand moved to her chest, over her heart, and lightly tapped, “is mine only. And my heart is yours. Your body.” He slid his hand down over her belly. Gliding his finger into the warmth between her legs, he pressed his middle finger up into her tight channel.

“Ahhh,” she cried.

“You give to me freely. Mais oui, ma chérie. Your body blazes for me, no?”

“Leo,” she managed, groaning as he withdrew his finger.

Léopold brought his hand to his mouth, licking her cream with his tongue, then cradled her chin with his hand, pressing his coated fingers through her lips. Laryssa moaned in response, tasting herself on him.

“You belong to me…and I,” he took her hand and brought it to his cock, “belong to you.”

Laryssa’s mouth went silent, as she immersed herself in the sound of Léopold’s voice. Talking hold of his swollen shaft, she stroked her thumb over its silken skin. As she went to pump him with her hand, he spun her around to face him. Breathless, she reached to put her palms to his chest and Léopold backed her into the dresser until her bottom edged against its cool surface.

“You have no idea how much you mean to me, the gift you’ve given me,” he told her, his voice dark and smooth. Raking his fingers up into the back of her hair, his lips descended on hers. Delivering all the intensity his heart held, he kissed her, his tongue sweeping against hers. No matter what happened, he wanted her to feel the love that was growing inside him, the emotion he could not yet put into words.

Laryssa fell into his arms, consumed by his intoxicating kiss. His lips, soft and strong, claimed hers. She could taste his passion for her as his seductive tongue invaded her mouth, seeking and probing. Losing control, she matched his pace, with the need to have more of him. Biting and sucking, she moaned into his mouth.

She gasped for breath as he pulled his lips away, watching as his eyes went wild with lust, and he fell to his knees. She braced her hands on the bureau as he placed his hands on her inner thighs. Slowly and deliberately, he widened them. She panted in anticipation of how he planned to take control of her body.

“Open your legs,” he demanded.

Never taking his eyes off of hers, he dragged the tip of his tongue through her swollen lips and smiled up at her.

“Your pussy is so wet.” He licked her again and she moaned. “So sweet.” Using his fingers to spread her apart, he lightly sucked her swollen clit. “And mine.” Using his other hand, he plunged two fingers into her satiny flesh. Continuing to make love to her with his mouth, he skillfully brought her to the edge.

“Leo!” she screamed, shaking as he pleasured her. Her inner walls clamped around his fingers, and she fought to hold her release at bay. Letting go of the dresser, she plowed her fingers into his hair, drawing his face further into her pussy.

Unrelenting, he flicked his tongue lightly over her clitoris, gradually increasing his tempo and pressure. Reaching his hand behind her thigh, he clutched her hip. She bucked against him. In rhythm with his fingers, she drove her hips to his mouth. As he felt her inner walls begin to quiver around his hand, he took her protruding nub between his teeth, softly biting and then sucked her hard until she moaned in release.

“Yes. Fuck, yes. Oh, God. Leo, Leo!” she screamed as her orgasm slammed into her. Ripples of endless pleasure ran through her, and she felt him lift her onto the bed.

“Hands and knees, now,” Léopold commanded, easing her belly upward. In one smooth stroke, he thrust into her.

“Yes!” she cried, adjusting her weight so that her legs were spread for him.

“Merde, you’re so tight. Don’t move,” he grunted as her pussy quivered around his cock. The tingling sensation drove him toward his own climax. With a deep breath, he fought the urge to come.

“Fuck me!” she cried. Her forehead fell forward onto the pillow. She wiggled against him, trying to make him move. A sharp slap to her bottom, intended to punish her efforts, only served to further arouse her tender flesh. “Ahhh…yes.”

“You’re a naughty, girl, no?” He spanked her again on her other cheek, aware of how much she liked it.

“Please, Leo…” she begged.

“You really have learned no patience, have you? How I look forward to teaching you, ma chérie. Tonight, I will own every part of your sweet body,” he promised. Clutching her hips, he began to move an inch at a time. The torturous pace he set would make them both want for more.

“Leo,” she repeated as she felt him retreat, then enter her ever so slowly, making her mad with need. “Faster.”

“You feel so good…yes,” he growled. Filling her to the hilt, he stilled himself yet again. He reached for the bottle of lube under the sheets that he’d planned on using on her tonight.

“Don’t stop,” she protested. As the cold slippery gel hit her bottom, she’d expected he’d brought the plug with him. Laryssa arched her back into his caress of her bottom.

“I’m going to fuck you here tonight,” he warned. “Your ass is so beautiful.”

“But…ahhh.” Her pussy clenched down on him as he inserted a finger into her back hole. Unlike the time before, it slipped in easily, with little pressure.

“That’s it.” Léopold smiled, hearing her moan as he pressed in a second finger. He began to pump his hips once again, gritting his teeth as he sheathed himself inside of her.

“Yes, yes, yes,” Laryssa rambled, adrift in the sensation. Nothing else existed but their two bodies, joined as one in pleasure.

With a final thrust, Léopold pulled his cock all the way out of her, then coated himself in the lubrication. Circling her puckered flesh, he teased her with his fingers, and pressed the firm tip of his cock into her anus.

“Ah yeah. Take me,” he encouraged.

“Leo,” she panted. “I don’t know….I, yes, don’t stop.” She shook her long mane back and forth, adjusting to the fullness.

“Yes, yes…feel me in you, see how we’re made for each other. Push back on me,” he instructed, running his fingertips down her shoulders. Responding to her long draw of a breath, he slowly entered her until he was all the way in, his hips flush against her bottom. Gently, he fisted her locks into his hand. Her tight muscles gripped his cock, massaging every inch of his manhood. “Oh yeah.”

Relaxing into his dark intrusion, Laryssa opened herself to him. By the time he’d eased his shaft all the way inside her, she’d exhaled a breath and tried to move. As if reading her thoughts, he gently began to rock back and forth, letting her become accustomed to the sweet pressure. Laryssa rose to meet his thrusts, urging him to go faster, but he took control, forcing them to immerse themselves in the ecstasy of every long stroke. Together, they moved in sync, losing themselves to the moment.

Laryssa moaned Léopold’s name over and over again as he stretched her in the most satisfying way. She’d never felt so delightfully out of control in her life. Yet, all the while, she was aware of her power dancing through her blood. With his hand pulling her hair, the delicious sting on her scalp caused her to groan aloud. She felt his other hand slip from her hip around to her waist. Letting him direct her, she arched her back as he pulled her torso upward until she was only on her knees.

Holding her firmly around her midsection, he increased his pace. As his primal need grew, Léopold’s fangs descended and he released her hair, letting it fall to the side, revealing the long curve of her neck. Wrapping both arms around her, he found her clit once again. As he surged into her ass, he continued to stroke her hooded pearl.

“Mon amour, so fucking close,” he hissed.

“Bite me now,” she insisted, asserting her dominance. Her swollen nub pulsated as he applied more pressure and she could not keep from coming. “Leo, please.”

So near to his own climax, Léopold released a chuckle at his mate’s demand. He’d known all along that her submission would come only in the bedroom, and even then, she’d do so on her own terms. Powerful in her own right, she’d push his limits to places he’d never imagined. Yet that was why he was falling in love with her. She captivated him with her adventurous sexuality and courageous spirit. As he heard her groan in displeasure that he hadn’t heeded her, he brought his wrist to his own mouth. A quick slice of his fangs sent his blood dripping onto her back.

“We’ve chosen each other…my sweet Laryssa….” His words trailed off as he held his arm to her lips. Instinctively, she clutched it, drawing in his sanguine essence. Hissing in ecstasy, he reared his head back and sank his teeth deep into her shoulder.

Laryssa clung to Léopold, her body convulsing as her climax ripped through her. From the second his potent blood touched her tongue, she was slammed with a tsunami of foreign emotions. Centuries of memories and feelings poured over her like a massive waterfall, cleansing her, making her anew just for him. As if his thoughts were her own, they ripped through her mind.
Serenity, that he’d finally found his soul mate. Lust, his mind consumed by an insatiable hunger for only her.
She smiled as his love filled her chest. Hidden behind all of it was rage, simmering below the surface. No one would touch his mate
.

Tears streamed down her face. Positively possessed by the intimacy of their bond, she quaked in his arms. Overwhelmed, Laryssa let go of her fears, embracing his warmth. The fibers of their bond tightened around her and she knew that from this day forward, she’d never be alone again. The charismatic vampire had stolen her heart, and she’d always be his.
I love you.
The words flittered through her mind before she could even stop the thought.
Je t’aime de tout mon coeur
, she heard in response and smiled. Even though she didn’t understand his words, she knew he loved her, enough to commit to her for eternity. No matter what they faced, she knew with certainty he’d go to the ends of the Earth to keep her at his side.

After making love in the wee hours of the morning and sleeping all day, Léopold’s mind turned to killing the demon. He’d called upon both Dimitri and Ilsbeth to meet him at his home. As soon as dusk settled in, they all stood waiting by the docks. The grass was scorched from the last time the demon had shown its ugly face in his yard, and he expected that’s where it’d come again looking for Laryssa. While Ilsbeth had suggested summoning the demon where it had last surfaced in the city, Léopold refused to put anyone else in jeopardy. With the Alpha’s home warded and well-guarded, the confrontation had to occur where there were no other innocents. Above all else, he sought to keep Ava hidden.

Ilsbeth reiterated to their small group that only Laryssa, as the owner of the Tecpatl, could send the demon back to its hellish origins. Any other attempts to kill it would be done so in vain. The naiads had hidden the knife, knowing the demon could use it to break the veil of the underworld at will. Only a naiad could send it back to Satan. The witch speculated that at some point, the demon had bargained with the Aztecs, attaching its entity to the knife. Relishing in the human sacrifices, the demon used its influence to feed the killings, possessing the thoughts of those who stabbed the Tecpatl’s jagged edge into the sternums of its victims, tearing out the beating hearts of men, women and children with their bare hands. They wouldn’t be the first or last civilization to do so. But the demon, whose name was Rylion, had infused its evil into that particular weapon.