TangledIndulgence (7 page)

He snorted.
I will, I promise.
Then he raised her
weak body to a sitting position and pulled her onto his lap. He pulled her head
back, stretching her neck and sank his fangs in her.

She hissed at the momentary pain, but then the most
exquisite pleasure spread through her. After the heights he’d taken her to at
Lust, Adira hadn’t thought it could get any better.

She’d been wrong.

It made no sense, but with every suck of blood he took,
strength returned to her body. Enough so she could wrap her arms around him and
hold him close.

He stopped drinking from her and just held her, his heart
racing alongside hers. “That was close.”

She caressed the back of his neck. “It was.”

Mal pulled back enough he could look her in the eyes. “It’s
not over yet. I need to get you someplace safe and comfortable. The
transformation is hard enough. I won’t let you suffer in these circumstances.”

She cupped his cheek. His terror had abated, but now guilt
filled his mind. “How much time do I have before it begins?”

“Maybe twenty minutes.”

She raised her brows and chuckled. “You’ll have to carry me
and grow wings. No way am I able to get to my bike
and
to a safe place
in that time by myself.”

He carefully lifted her into his arms until she felt like a
romance heroine. “My pleasure.” He tucked her head against his chest and moved.

Moved so fast wind raced past her. They reached their bikes
within moments. He gently settled her on her baby and programmed their
destination. Adira’s eyes widened. It was an affluent neighborhood at the edge
of the city. It would be a tight race. Mal threw a bag of cash into the shadows
for the thug who watched their hovercycles, uncaring where it landed, and
started his engine.

Their trip turned into a mad dash. It was just good that
she’d switched on her Sentinel lights, otherwise half the squad would have
stopped them for speeding. They arrived outside a beautiful two-story building
and parked their bikes. She swung her leg over the seat but when her feet
touched the ground her knees buckled. “I guess we’ve reached that uncomfortable
period you mentioned.”

Mal rushed to her side and picked her up. “Unfortunately we
have.”

The front door opened as he approached. He carried her
through a beautiful open-plan living area and up an ornate set of stairs. She
expected him to take her to the bedroom, but instead he took her to the
bathroom. She raised her brows in question.

“Your body changes on a molecular level. You will no longer
be able to eat anything and your organs are reshaping, ridding themselves of
any toxins.”

“Wonderful,” she sighed as he set her down on the edge of a
bathtub big enough to use as a swimming pool. He helped her out of the leather
jacket and removed all the weapons she’d added before they left for the
warehouse. Before he could help her out of the shirt and the vest she became
violently ill and made it to the toilet just in time.

Mal hovered beside her.

Go away!

I won’t leave you during the transformation.

You’ll leave me through this part of it. I want my
privacy.
Other needs were making themselves known and she wanted him gone.

He didn’t move.

Malachy Dorven, if you want me to kiss you again any time
this century you will leave this room immediately.

He hesitated.

Please.
Adira wasn’t sure how much longer she could
hold on.

He sighed.
Call me if you need me and don’t let your
sensibilities hold you back.
He stomped out of the bathroom and slammed the
door.

With a sigh of relief Adira tore off her clothes and took
care of business. For the rest of her now-rather-extended life she did not want
to ever repeat the next hour. She continued to be sick and every time she
thought there was nothing left for her to expel she was proven wrong.

Finally it stopped. Too weak to stand in the shower, she
filled the magnificent tub and sank into the bath. The hot water felt amazing.
Her whole body hurt as if she’d run the obstacle course in the Sentinel
training facility. Five times and with extra weight.

She closed her eyes. The door opened. This time Adira
welcomed his company.

Now the yucky part was over she wanted him close. Too tired
to open her eyes she waited for his touch.

It came, but not as she’d expected. He climbed into the tub
behind her and pulled her close. His scent and sheer presence relaxed the final
muscles that still held tension.

Rest, Adira, I have you.

She cuddled against him and followed his advice. He was
here. Mal had her back. And tomorrow they would find and save Marissa.

Mal remained in the bath, continuously adding hot water, for
a long time. The high temperature of the water would help her aches and pains.
When they’d both turned into prunes he lifted her out, dried her with a warmed towel
and settled her under the heated sheets. He quickly dried himself and climbed
in after her.

He immediately started to sweat, but he still held her. The
sheets, his body heat, everything would help ease the transition. And after the
shock he’d had it would be a long time before he could let her more than an
arm’s length away from him.

Mal watched over her for some time before he allowed himself
to fall asleep.

* * * * *

Adira woke in the center of a supernova. Mal had wrapped
himself around her like a rope around a prisoner. She snorted. Not a very
romantic description but the first that came to mind. One hand cupped her pussy
and the other held her left breast. His hard cock rested against her ass.

The fire that always simmered under the surface when he was
present flared to life, but was dominated by a thought.

You’re a Vampire.

She exhaled and focused every little bit of attention on
Mal’s hand between her legs. Her heart pounded in her chest. Sweat stood on her
forehead.

You’ll have to drink blood.

She swallowed and wished he would move either of his hands,
distract her from a reality she had no idea how to cope with.

You’re no longer a Sentinel.

A whimper escaped her and she curled herself into a tight
ball, desperately trying to pull herself together. What would she do next?

You have a lifemate who will never leave your side.
His smooth baritone, deep in her mind, stroked through her body. He moved his
hand and curled his fingers around her hardening nipple. His other hand parted
and stroked her slit.

Mal kissed her neck.
Breathe, sweet, breathe. It’s a huge
change, but not for a moment believe you’ll have to face it on your own.

Everything that had happened over the last twenty-four hours
crashed down on Adira.

Her transfer to Hadamard.

Walking into the bar and fighting with Mal.

Storming off into the club. Discovering a side of herself
she didn’t know she had.

The amazing sex with Mal, his care and utter concentration
on bringing her off until they finally made love.

Using Marissa as bait and losing her.

Adira’s heart clenched. Whatever the young woman suffered
through right now was on her head.

Realizing she loved Mal.

And then agreeing to become a Vampire, to leave her life
behind and become something totally new.

Be linked to a man who had a fully functioning team and
didn’t really need a newbie Vamp. Adira had never before doubted her capability
as a Sentinel. Being this insecure in the face of Mal and his Superheroes shook
her.

Mal tightened his grip on her until it grew nearly painful.
Never
ever think that again. You are my life. There will never be a moment in time
when I don’t need you. But more than that you are an extremely skilled Sentinel
with years of experience. Whatever Vampire powers you develop will only make
you more dangerous. My team and I would be honored if you join us.

She turned around and clung to Mal, her face pressed into
his neck, inhaling his scent, hanging on to his hard body in an attempt to come
to terms with the new her.

His words unclenched a tightly held part of her she hadn’t
even known was in lockdown.

He held her pressed against him, saying nothing else. He was
just there, like a boulder in stormy waters.

And her life was a fucking hurricane.

Slowly, but steadily she gathered control again. Adira had
never before had a panic attack, but this one had been a doozy. With a sigh she
cuddled into Mal, no longer clinging on for dear life but holding him.

His palm stroked up and down her back.
Better?

She nodded, loving his voice in her head.

He laughed.
Then I will talk nonstop until you want
nothing more than for me to shut up.

She smiled and nipped his neck. And froze.

Yes, that will be yours for the rest of our lives. You
will feed only from me.

Adira swallowed.
I’m still a little creeped out by the
thought of drinking blood.

That’s okay. I can ensure it doesn’t taste like blood but
something you enjoy. You’ll get used to it with time.

She nodded. Her thoughts went back to the young woman she
could have saved but didn’t.

We will find her, never doubt it, but we need to have a
plan. It’s no good if the Superheroes go off half-cocked and all die.
He
kissed her neck.
I have the team working on all leads.

Adira sighed and nodded.
Thank you.

She shifted slightly. His hard dick rubbed against her
stomach. Her core clenched. She moved her hips, rubbing against the soft skin
of his cock. “Looks painful.”

Mal cupped her ass and pushed against her. “Only if I had no
way to take care of it.”

Sparks shot through her. “Good thing then that you do.” Her
voice grew husky as he slid one of her legs over his hip and turned her on her
back. His erection rubbed against her moist slit, making her wetter and wetter.

She drove her hands into his hair as he pulled her into a
deep kiss. She sucked on his tongue, making him growl. So she did it again,
wallowing in his taste.

Mal pulled back and kissed his way down her neck. She moaned
in delight when he hit the sensitive spot where neck met shoulder. Her nipples
were hard and she rubbed them against the coarse hair decorating his chest,
raising their sensitivity through the roof. They tightened even more, making
her whimper.

He followed her unspoken demand and sucked one hard tip into
his mouth, his lips and tongue playing with the peak until she clenched her
fingers in his hair and growled. His laughter echoed along the link as he
sucked her nipple with strong movements. His hand hadn’t been idle, but worked
on the other.

Adira slid her fingers down his nape and dug her nails into
his shoulders. The pleasure racing through her body was beyond anything and it
was pushed even higher by the shared sensations traversing the link. She didn’t
just feel Mal sucking her nipple, she also experienced what it was like to do
so.

Sensations, impressions, pleasure so strong it came close to
pain.

She never wanted it to end, but the need to feel his hard
length inside her, to be linked to him not just mentally but physically, won
out.
Mal.

Yesss!
He nipped her nipple one last time and stroked
up her upper thigh until he cupped her ass. She wrapped her legs around his waist,
locking her feet behind his back. Mal pulled back and the tip of him slid
inside her. She clenched around him, moisture flooding his cock head.

They moaned in unison as he slid inside her tight sheath
with one hard stroke.

Adira drowned in the shared sensations. Knowing what Mal’s
thrusts did to her as well as how her tight cunt felt to him was unbelievable.

But it wasn’t just the ecstasy. It was also the soul-deep
connection, the bond between them, the love that held them together. A
brand-new love that also felt ancient. Their love increased the sensations by a
thousand. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could hang on before shattering
into a million pieces.

Mal drove into her, his plunges now short and hard. She
clung to him, raking her nails down his back, tightening the grip of her thighs
around his waist.

Suddenly a sharp pain shot through her mouth and her fangs
dropped. For a second she froze, but then the pleasure dragged her back into
the melee.

Do it.
Mal’s husky voice, the need radiating from
him, the demand that she took him willingly was enough for Adira to overcome
her hesitations. This was Mal. If she couldn’t enjoy biting him she had no idea
how she’d cope with her new life.

Before she could think twice she sank her teeth into his
neck.

Life. Love. Ecstasy.

She forgot she drank blood. She took a part of Mal inside
herself, shared incredible intimacy with the man she loved.

Adira licked the wound closed and clung to Mal as he drove
them to the end.

Bite me.

Her words tightened every muscle in his body, but he wasted
no time. His fangs sank into her breast and she exploded in pure ecstasy.

Her pulsing core catapulted Mal over the edge.

The world around them disappeared. Reality became a dream.
All that was important was their touch, their link.

They floated in limbo for what felt like hours. Finally, Mal
licked the wound at her breast closed and slumped across her. Shivers of
pleasure chased through her intermittently. Her legs slid off his hips and one
hand flopped at her side. The other was still tangled in his hair. She managed
to caress his nape.
We will kill each other with pleasure.

He laughed, the vibration shifting his half-hard cock inside
her.