Blood Bonds Pt. 10

"You're not coming too?" Sarah asked before she could edit the thought. She cringed and shot off the table, nearly tripping over the chair. He froze mid-stretch, eyes coming down to meet hers.

"Damn, girl," Talera laughed suddenly. "You're not doing anything half-ass tonight. Want me to call Ana too?"

"Oh, God above, let me," Kevin breathed dramatically.

"Maybe some other time," the girl mumbled, then started to giggle. "I think I have my hands full tonight."

"I'm telling her that," Kevin teased. "Mmm, better yet, I'm going to ask her to introduce you to Dream Walking....""

"Anytime," Talera sighed from the darkness beyond the open door.

With a blur of movement, Kevin shot forward, catching Sarah under the knees and scooping her into his arms, cradling her to his massive chest as if she were a child. Maybe it was only because she'd never been quite so close to him, but she'd never noticed how huge he'd gotten. Bigger than Quentin, than any of the wolves she'd seen in Pershing's Pack. His hard chest was hot against her bare arm, his long hair heavy, warm against her hand on the back of his neck.

He had her up the stairs and into Talera's bedroom in a few quick steps, holding her securely the entire time, pressing his heated lips to her forehead gently. The blush returned to her cheeks like tossing kindling on a fading fire.

"Careful. She's gold leaf to us," Talera' s voice murmured in the darkness.

He laid Sarah gently down atop the bedding, which was newly changed as always, and watched her scoot back against the mountain range of pillows at the headboard, her eyes blind in the near-absolute darkness of the room.

The girl took in a sharp breath when a single candle popped to life in a corner lamp at the head of the bed, sending golden, quivering light spilling into the closeness of the dark. Kevin stood in all his wild glory at the foot of the bed, just looking down on Sarah. Talera's eyes sparkled from the edge of the light, behind Kevin to the left. It took Sarah a moment to make out that the vampire was seated comfortably in a big leather chair, legs crossed elegantly, gaze flicking from Kevin to Sarah patiently.

Some silent communication passing between them, Kevin and Talera peered at each other for a long moment. Then the Wolf took a slow breath, eyes coming back to Sarah, turning away from the demon.

A growl so low she could barely hear it, though the thunder of it shook the floor, rumbled from his deep chest. Something changed in his eyes, his usual humor fading, replaced with something primal. All his instincts focused on the girl on the bed.

The girl who was quaking with anticipation, stomach twisting under the scrutiny.

Taking a step forward, he sank down on his knees on the bed, testing her reaction, dropping onto his hands and crawling forward when she only stared back at him, breathless. When he was over her, holding himself above her body, looking down into her eyes, he froze, quirking the smallest of smiles.

A nod was all she could manage, exhaling a huge breath in a vain attempt to slow her heart. Serious again, he let some of his weight sink onto her, pressing her into the cocoon of down and cotton. She responded with fire when his lips pressed softly to hers, her hands coming up to tangle in his hair, pulling him closer, desperate suddenly to feel the whole of his body against hers.

When she broke the kiss, gasping for air, he moved his lips to her jawline, brushing burning kisses over her ear, down her throat, over her collarbone. Coming back up, he met her lips again, stealing her breath, and when she was gasping once more, moved his kisses down the other side of her throat, licking ever-so-lightly at the skin where shoulder met neck with a surprisingly rough tongue.

Sarah's gaze followed him as he slid down her body, pressing his face into the cool fabric of her shirt, hot hands sliding beneath it, buttons popping as he pulled upwards, the whole thing coming off, tossed into the darkness. She took a shuddering breath as he kissed her skin just above her waistband, his tongue tasting, savoring her scent. He continued back upwards with the caresses, hands sliding ahead, pushing beneath her, popping the clasp of her plain white bra with a gentle tug. It too was lost to the darkness beyond their circle of light.

He took a long moment to linger at each breast, worshiping the flush his touch brought to her skin, pulling at each nipple with only his lips, devouring each heavy mound with pure devotion. She arched beneath him, whispering his name, pulling at his silken hair, grasping his hard shoulders, running her hands over the molten heat of his skin.

With a lusty sigh, he kissed his way back down her stomach, his tongue running freely now, dipping into her belly button, lapping at the soft skin of her belly. He let his sharp teeth sink lightly into the flesh right below her navel as one hand came down to free the button of her jeans, yanking the zipper down with impatience that was immediately tamed.

Sarah moaned softly when his hands slipped beneath the fabric, sliding it over her hips, down her long legs. His hands tenderly squeezed the soft heat of her thighs, his lips pressed to the heated skin, tongue sliding all the way down to her knees, past them, and she was free of the denim long before she realized it. Or cared. The simple white cotton that stood between him and his goal was lost to the darkness with a sharp tug, his tongue pressing into the wet folds between her legs in an instant.

She groaned, gripping the tops of his shoulders, gasping his name now, writhing beneath him, head rolling to the side and back. The ache built quickly within her, arcing up her spine, making her eyes roll back in her head, bringing forth a muted shout when it crested. He didn't release her, continued, his tongue slipping deeper, tasting as much of her as he could, a low growl smothered against her flesh.

When she gasped again, pulling his hair hard, pressing her hips into his face with all her might, he slid his hands up her sides, his body following them up. When their lips met this time, there was no hesitation, her legs coming up to wrap around his waist, pulling him close.

She whimpered as she realized there was a wall of denim separating their skin, her hands pushing at the back of his waistband powerlessly. Smiling, he rose off of her, straddling her still, letting her undo his fly, button by button, rubbing her hands against the bulge straining beneath. His weight was suddenly gone, leaving her cold, eyes searching frantically.

But he was at the foot of the bed once more, bending to slide the jeans past his hips, stepping out of them. She smiled, all conscious thought beyond her as he knelt to the bed again, coming up it to cover her once more, now only the slide of his burning satin skin against hers catching her attention.

With an obvious display of iron control, he pressed against her, gritting his teeth when he slid in a few inches. His eyes were fixed on hers, gauging her comfort, tasting her with every sense now. She responded by arching her hips up to meet his, surrounding him fully, gasping at the near painful sensation. She could only release a shuddering breath as he pulled back, then pinned her to the bed, lips crushing onto hers with slightly less control.

His arms slid under her knees, bringing them up, mouth coming down to bite tenderly at her throat, not daring break the skin. Sarah rocked against him, massaging the back of his neck, breath falling in short gasps into his hair. He brought his knees up, curling around her, over her, surrounding her with his heat and his reassuring heaviness.

Their movements were limited, more focused on the intense connection of their entwined bodies, all fire and sweat and animal lust. And with a loud grunt, a subdued growl, he thrust into her hard, burying his face in her soft curls, holding her tightly as her body shook beneath his, her face twisted in the agony of release.

She dimly felt a knot form inside her, felt him stiffen in surprise. Then he calmed himself, his body responding, allowing him to pull out of her slightly, stretching his legs back out. Without really realizing how she got there, Sarah found herself astride him, his length still buried inside her, pulsing with his heartbeat.

Panting down at him with wide eyes, she let her hands roam over his sweat-slick skin, long fingers caressing the hard, bulging planes that jumped under her touch.

Then his eyes flicked past her face, focusing on something behind her. Sarah started to turn, only to stop, a sharp shiver running down her spine when the cool pair of hands, like silk left outside on a winter's day, slid over the tops of her shoulders, caressing her collarbone.

She could see nothing but the intensifying lust in Kevin's face, the anticipation and desire in his eyes, but the bed shifted as Talera's weight settled behind her. Sarah reached a shaking hand up to catch the freezing mane of the vampire's hair as the creature bent to press a soft, cold set of lips to the back of the girl's neck.

Sarah gasped, arching her back sharply, thankful for Kevin's steadying grasp as he captured her hands in his own.

"Don't move," he murmured, voice barely audible. "It only hurts for a heartbeat."

She looked down at him through foggy eyes, unable to focus on much besides the icy thrill of the cold lips sliding along her shoulder, the cool hands coming around to lift, to knead her heavy breasts.

"Oh, God," Sarah breathed as the lips came to rest at the base of her throat. She could feel the frozen silk of Talera's skin against her back, the hard press of the vampire's bare flesh.

Pursing her lips, Sarah clenched her eyes closed, feeling Kevin's grip tighten, those cold lips open, the sharp prick of four long fangs. She gasped in agony, stiffening.

But it was over, the searing pain forgotten on the next beat of her pounding heart as a thick cloud of the most intense, divine pleasure moved into her head, surrounding her body, leaving her gasping for an entirely different reason.

Distantly, she felt Talera's arms surround her, the freezing wash of the vampire's body an unbelievable, amazing contrast to the inferno that raged beneath Kevin's skin. Sarah sighed, the frighteningly alluring sound of her own blood rushing into Talera's throat, past the gauntlet of razored teeth, lulling her, pulling high, rough moans from her near-forgotten body.

Sarah was arcing through the heavens. Stars blurred as she pushed herself harder, the soft winds, motes of light, swirls of stardust, swept past. Whole galaxies flashed past, just soft muddles of primal light and energy, calling for her, sparkling for all they were worth, like a billion jewels tossed into a depthless ocean.

She was the ocean.

Darkness.

Cool.

Calm.

Forever.

-Sarah-

She sighed, twisting in the flow.

-Sarah-

"Sarah."

With a shiver, she opened her eyes, breath coming in slow, deep gusts. Kevin grinned up at her, still clenching her hands. She could feel the dull throb of pain in her neck, stopped suddenly when Talera's now warm tongue swept over the bite, healing it in a shimmer of heat.

"What the hell was that?" Sarah breathed, running a hand back through her hair, staring up at the ceiling for a long moment, half expecting to see the vast surround of the cosmos once more.

The bed shifted again, and Talera sank into Kevin's side, wings splayed off the edge of the bed, hair a wild tangle of black and crimson, eyes afire. Her chest heaved for a moment, the ache of bloodlust raging through her veins for a heartbeat, then pushed back with visible rage. She lay still, propping up on one elbow. But the smile on her lips was gentle, patient.

"Holy shit," Sarah murmured, eyes fluttering. "That's what it's like for you. The Dragon, I mean. All that power. Freedom. Why would you risk giving that up?"

Talera cocked her head to the side, smile deepening.

"Anything loses its appeal after you've been alive as long as I have," she said, voice so low it was a throaty purr in the darkness. "I can still fly, though. Don't despair for me on that account, little one."

Sarah collapsed onto Kevin's chest, sleep urgently pushing her into oblivion.

The last thing she heard was the Wolf's low chuckle.

"Ana's waiting for you."