Pleasure of a Dark Prince (13 page)

But when she could take no more, he wouldn’t let her stop. “Again!” His fingers rubbed her clitoris so fast it was like he’d put a vibrator against her.

“MacRieve, oh, gods!” And she climaxed so easily for him. He kissed her once more as she cried out against his lips.

He finally broke away to say, “Watch me coming for you. I want you tae see it.” His shaft was throbbing under her fingers… he seemed in torment, his expression agonized as she worked his engorged flesh.

Then with a brutal yell, he began to ejaculate. “You madden me, Lousha.
Madden me!
” As his semen spurted before her dazed eyes, he buried his face in her hair, groaning deeply, grinding his shaft into her fist as arc after arc of seed poured from him….

When he was spent at last, he drew her hand away. As they fought to catch their breath, he leaned his forehead down to hers. “
That
was why I keep pressuring you. I knew it would be this way with you. You pleasured me well, lass. Tell me I did for you.”

She murmured, “You know you did.”

He grinned. “Oh, aye, just wanted to hear you say it. And it will only get better between us.”

She drew back, shaking her head. “We can never do this again—it was a mistake.”

“Because I’m a Lykae? We’re no’ so bad, Lousha.”

“This won’t end well between our factions. The Valkyrie are ready to go to war.” Already, Annika planned to storm Kinevane castle to retrieve Emma. They were to leave at dawn.

He gave a harsh laugh. “Again, the Lykae will no’ war with Valkyrie, no’ while I’m king.”

“That’s just it, MacRieve—you’re not.”

She spied a flare of hope in his eyes before he schooled his features. Earlier, she’d wondered how Garreth would feel about Lachlain’s return. Would he be gladdened to have his brother back? Or angered that he’d be demoted to a prince?

She should have known Garreth MacRieve loved his brother. As much as the Lykae were known for their ferocity, they were also known for their loyalty.

“If I’m king or my brother is, there will be no war.”

“MacRieve, the Valkyrie will get Emma back, and if Lachlain comes after her… he’ll lose his life. Just when he’s gotten it back.”

FOURTEEN

Yesterday, a band of Valkyrie had gone to Kinevane Castle in Scotland to retrieve Emma, but had returned empty-handed.

Today, Emma had escaped by herself. She’d found her own way home, teleporting back to Val Hall, having somehow finally learned to trace.

Now, she lay in her little princess bed… dying. Something had attacked her, something with
claws.

Lucia sat at the edge of her bed, gazing down through her tears at Emma—the niece she’d held as an infant and watched grow to womanhood. Emma’s skin was ghostly pale, her body frail and bruised. All along her side ran long gashes, as if she’d been gored by an animal. The serrated flesh around them was angry with infection.

Though Emma was an immortal, she showed no signs of regeneration. Unable to keep blood down, she was wasting away from thirst. She muttered delirious ramblings about random things: their missing queen, an obscure rebel vampire king, wars she’d never been in.

At times, Emma had screamed that she was being put into a fire.

Lucia could do nothing but watch—and remember. Like Emma, Lucia had been a young immortal on the verge of death….

Emma’s lids fluttered open, revealing frightened blue eyes. “Aunt Luce, am I dying?”
The fear in her gaze.
Lucia knew exactly what she was feeling.

“Of course not, sweet,” Lucia said, choking back a sob.

Who could have hurt Em like this? When they’d asked her, she’d answered unintelligibly. Annika was beside herself with worry, inconsolable and casting the blame at Lachlain, but Lucia knew it was not him. Gentle Emma had faced something far more horrifying than even a crazed Lykae.

Em raised a hand to Lucia.
“Please…”

Just like Lucia had pleaded a thousand years ago.
But I have no power to save her.

The pain, the fear…
I feel it as if it were yesterday.
Tears tracked down her cheeks.
Just don’t let her suffer.

Damn that bluidy dart.
Garreth slapped his neck, too late.

Outside his cell, Regin cackled. “Watch big werewolf go boom!”

As his body dropped to the floor, his last thought was:
I’m going to kill that glowing bitch….

When he came to, his hands were shackled behind him, and Regin was shoving him up and out of the cell, while Lucia quietly admonished her for being unnecessarily rough.

He must be getting inured to the tranquilizer—he was shaking off its effects much faster than before. He could have escaped, was longing to block Regin’s next hit and toss her on her arse, but he knew where they were taking him, had heard their whispers. The Valkyrie, at least, believed Lachlain was alive.

And they believed some dying vampire female named Emma was his mate. Regin and Lucia were taking Garreth to her.

Lachlain’s mate a vampire? The idea was laughable. No one had despised leeches like Lachlain.

Once they entered a bedroom upstairs, Garreth saw Annika, standing beside a bed. A female lay atop it, shivering as she fitfully slept, though she was covered to her chin with piled blankets. Her face was pale, her cheekbones jutting. She hardly looked like a proud werewolf’s queen.

Seeming to shake with rage, Annika pointed at her. “Is this who Lachlain should take his vengeance out on?”

As if Lachlain would harm an insignificant female like this. If he even lived.

“We’ve all suffered at the vampires’ hands,” Annika continued, “yet that dog thinks to punish our Emma, who is nothing but innocent and kind.” She snatched the blankets from Emma, uncovering her leg. “Look at these gashes! They won’t heal! What has he done to her? You will tell me or—”

“Christ,” he murmured. Annika had also uncovered the vampire’s neck. Was that a Lykae’s mark?
Is it my brother’s mark?
“That’s his… no, it canna be.” He strode forward, but Regin yanked on his bonds. “Let me closer,” he growled over his shoulder. “Closer, or you’ll get no help from me.”

When Garreth closed in on Emma, he lost a breath.
My brother’s claimed her.
As well as Garreth could recognize his brother’s signature, the beast within him recognized the mark as Lachlain’s.

He truly was alive.

This should be a time of jubilation, but the relief he felt was replaced by dread. Lachlain’s pale-haired little mate would not last the week.

If she succumbed, Lachlain would be lost all over again. Garreth’s voice grew deadly.
“Get her well.”

“We’ve tried everything!”

“Why will she no’ drink? Aye, Valkyrie, I hear your whispers. I know what she is. What I doona know is how she is my brother’s mate.” A vampire, a blood drinker. He gazed at Lucia. Her expression was inscrutable.

Annika answered, “Emma will never be a ‘mate’ to one of you!”

But ’twas done. A male marked his woman to keep other males away, to brand her as his. Yet since the bite was done in the throes of taking her for the first time, it could also be an indication of how much he wanted his female. Any doubt that Lachlain wanted Emma for his own vanished with one look at her neck.

Lachlain had marked
the ever-living hell
out of her. Vampire or not, he desired this female desperately.

Any thoughts of escaping vanished as well. Garreth knew he had to remain here. This was where Lachlain would be. Just a matter of time. “It has been done,” he grated. “I assure you.”

Annika struck him.

He gave her a killing look. “He’s marked her,” Garreth bit out. “He’ll be coming for her. I’m just surprised he’s no’ here already.”

Annika raised her hand again, but Emma had awakened and murmured, “Annika, don’t….”

“Force blood down her throat,” Garreth said.

“You think we have not tried that? She can’t keep it down.”

“Try other blood, then.” Though being bitten by a vampire was considered deeply shameful by Lykae, Garreth said, “Take
mine
!”

“Why do you care?”

“Because that’s my queen, and I’ll die for her.”

“Now do you believe me?” Lucia asked in a deadened tone. Hours after MacRieve’s confrontation with Annika, she was sitting outside his cage once more, watching him pacing within. “Your brother abducted her in France.”

“Aye, but he would no’ harm the female like that!”

“We know Emma was with him for weeks, and now she returns to us delirious, talking about fires and war and blood. She mumbles about Furie, our missing Valkyrie queen, and about Kristoff, the rebel vampire king. Lachlain captured Emma, and now she lies
dying
.”

MacRieve shook his head hard. “It was no’ Lachlain.”

“How do you know what he’s capable of?” Lucia asked. “You don’t know where he’s been for nearly two centuries. He could’ve been trapped somewhere, tortured. He likely was—there are rumors that Demestriu has Furie chained to the bottom of the ocean, dooming her to die and regenerate back to life over and over. Maybe he did the same or worse to your brother.” She shuddered. “Lachlain was famous for his hatred of vampires, and Emma is one. You can’t speak for him.”

“You’ll never convince me of this. I
know
my brother.”

“Annika will exact retribution for this.”

“And what will you try to do to him?” Garreth demanded. “Kill him?”

“MacRieve, you can’t just abduct one of our own and not suffer repercussions. Your clan would do the exact same thing.”

She was right. “Lachlain
will
be coming for her.”

Lucia met his gaze, her face hard, another facet of her revealed. “We’re counting on it.”

FIFTEEN

That night, Garreth shot upright on his cot. He sensed Lykae all around Val Hall. Were they planning to war with the Valkyrie to free him and retrieve their queen?

Please, gods, let his brother be one among their number….

“I’m taking Emma from this place tonight,”
Lachlain called from outside the manor.

His brother’s voice. Garreth’s eyes slid shut, and he sagged with relief.
Just doona war with them, doona hurt Lousha.

Annika called back, “Never would I give my daughter to a dog.”

Good luck with that one, Lachlain.

“Then trade me for my brother.”

Wait, bargaining himself for Garreth? Oh, bluidy hell no. Brotherly irritation—so welcome to Garreth— flared. In Gaelic, he bellowed, “Goddamnit, Lachlain, I just got
into
this house!”

“Or take both of us,” Lachlain amended. “Just let me talk to her.”

More whispers from within. They’d be fools to turn down his offer—and the Valkyrie were no fools. Moments later, Garreth heard louder footsteps upstairs and scented his brother inside. They were bringing him to the basement.
So I can see him for myself.

Once they led Lachlain down the stairs and into the cell, Garreth stared at him as though seeing a ghost. Lachlain didn’t resist, even when the door clanged shut behind him.

Since the last time Garreth had seen Lachlain, his brother’s appearance had been altered—his build was rangier, his countenance more haggard. But it
was
Lachlain before him. Running a hand over his face, Garreth muttered, “My eyes doona betray me?”

“No, it’s me.”

Garreth rushed to him, grin in place, and whaled slaps on his back. Now everything would come together. Lachlain would explain what really happened to the vampire, and they’d figure out how to heal her. Lucia would see that the Lykae weren’t that bad.
Aye, all will be better with Lachlain’s return.
“Well, brother, what have you gotten us into now?”

He raised his brows. “It’s good to see you as well.”

“I thought you were…” Garreth trailed off.
Gods almighty, my brother is just here before me
. Shaking himself, he said, “When they said you’d taken Emma, I thought they were mad. Until I saw her, saw you’d marked her.” He frowned. “Marked her hard, no?” He shook his head. “Ach, anyway, it’s good to have you back. Under any circumstances. I’ve so many questions.”