A Long Walk Home Ch. 08

Memories of their last meeting crossed her mind and she flushed at the thoughts. She'd never allowed a total stranger to pleasure her before but then, her cat recognised him even if he was reticent at introducing himself.

He moved when she was half way towards him, so blindingly fast that even to her enhanced sight he was a blur. The speed at which he moved spoke of an age that far surpassed hers and she once more wondered how old he was and just who was he.

When he was once more leaning against the trunk of the tree in his previous position, she was astounded to see that he'd removed all the branches between them, effectively cutting off her climb because the next closest branch was beyond her reach, even with her agile skills.

Frustrated, she frowned, wondering what game he was up to. "Not nice to damage a tree so unnecessarily," she scolded gently, her love of the forest kicking in. If she thought he would be chagrined at her mild reproof she was wrong. His lips curled in a slow, sensual smile.

"I want to see how desperate you are to reach me, Kitty," he drawled softly, his gaze intent as he watched her consider her options.

Rayne let out a slow breath, her cat purring at the tantalising male who knew how to play with a cat in all the right ways. A cat never liked being balked when it was hunting its prey and her cat had tagged the vampire as most definitely hers.

She pondered her options carefully. She could shift to her panther. She would most probably be able to make the jump then. Or she could reveal another secret, one that she hadn't ever shown anyone before though she knew she would need to tell her new Alpha at some point.

Her smile turned wicked and she carefully performed the slightest of shifts deep within herself. Her cat roared at being allowed to come out to play even just a little bit. Her claws broke through her skin, the only part of her that shifted into cat form. She saw the vampire's eyes widen almost imperceptively as she dug her claws into the bark of the tree and climbed effortlessly until she reached the branch he was sitting on.

Rayne straddled the branch directly facing him conscious of the fact that she looked like a miniature version of him, with her own black jeans, black tank top and black ankle boots. The only difference between them, apart from the obvious gender difference, was the colours of their hair and eyes. She sat before him waiting for him to speak as his eyes bored into her intently.

"Interesting," he finally said, the rich, deep timber of his voice sending a shiver down her spine. He picked up her right hand in his left one, pressing their palms together between them. Her claws were still unsheathed resting lightly against his thick fingers.

In a slow caress he slid his hand down a little until his fingertips were aligned with hers, then he elongated his razor sharp talons until they rested against her claws. The entire time his eyes never left hers, taking in every flicker of emotion that crossed her face, listening to her heart speed up, the ragged sound of her breathing.

"Exquisite and so very, very intriguing," Gard murmured softly, his own heart racing at the touch of her delicate, yet deadly hand against his. "You fascinate me as no woman has ever done before." He said it almost as if he were talking to himself rather than to her, his gaze dropping to their joined hands.

He shifted slightly, his fingers slotting in between hers, his talons resting on the back of her hand. He heard her breath catch at the touch and curled his talons, scraping lightly against her fragile skin. The tantalising scent of her blood filled the air as three light grazes marred her hand, tiny little droplets of blood pooling in the shallow cuts.

His eyes met hers again and he saw no sign of fear, no sign of pain from the light scores he'd given her. Instead he saw something very intriguing, concern.

Rayne sat stock still, her heart skipping wildly as she looked at him. She wasn't concerned about the scratches, she liked to scratch too while at play. What did concern her was she would start healing instantly and he would notice that.

Were healing abilities were not as instantaneous as vampires. He would know something was wrong the instant she healed. While the pack now knew her secrets she had the distinct impression that this male would not react very well to them.

Her tension was replaced by a completely different kind when he raised her hand to his mouth and his tongue snaked out to flick against it, laving the scratches gently. Her heart somersaulted as he effectively solved her problem while at the same time sent a liquid heat coursing through her body to settle firmly between her thighs.

This male was oh so dangerous it was almost frightening.

Gard knew he was tempting fate, knew it was so incredibly reckless to taste her and yet he couldn't stop himself from doing so. All his senses craved the intoxicating cat perched on the branch with him. Her sweet blood filled his mouth as he healed her scratches, her flavour hot and heavy causing his blood to boil and his cock to become so hard he thought it would burst.

He had no idea why she tempted him, why everything about her teased him mercilessly. He'd had to fight to stay away from her room since their last meeting. Her feminine essence had stayed with him for hours after he'd indulged his first taste of her. Her sweet moans had filled his dreams, her wet heat overwhelming him until he woke up hard and heavy, aching to sink himself into her delectable body.

He licked his lips, a slow sensual smile curving them as he watched her pulse beat wildly at the side of her neck. "Are you ready to scream now, little cat?" he asked huskily.

Oh God, he was as tempting as sin. Rayne could barely catch her breath at the sheer eroticism of his tongue lapping up her blood as if she was the tastiest morsel he'd ever experienced. The hard, sexual promise of his words had her all but quivering as she remembered the heated expression on his face when he'd left her the other night.

Her claws curled, raking the back of his hand hard, fiercer and more feral than he had done to her. "And bring the pack down on us?" she asked, her tone as husky as his as she bent her head and ran her tongue over the cuts she'd caused on his hand.

The instant he filled her mouth, fire washed through her, heady, intoxicating bliss consuming her in a hard, fast burn. He tasted wonderful, a heavenly blend of hot male sexuality and sweet, sweet blood trickling down her throat.

Rayne had always been concerned about her liking for the taste of blood. She didn't indulge it often, believing it made her abnormal somehow. Now she was closer to learning her true heritage she could understand it a bit better. She didn't need blood to live but she did find it the most heavenly experience in the right setting.

Her vampire growled a truly feral sound and she found herself sitting astride him, the heavy heat of his erection pressing against her moist centre so deliciously that she couldn't help but squirm against the thick muscle she craved to have deep inside her.

Another loud growl and then a hand closed over the nape out her neck hard and her head was tilted back to look into lavender eyes which were glowing brightly. So she hadn't imagined it before. His eyes really did glow when he was in the grip of intense emotions.

"Keep moving like that and you'll have to suffer the indignity of your pack finding you on all fours with my cock slamming deep and hard within you," he warned softly, his words sending more fire shuddering through her body.

Her cat purred in pure unadulterated sexual pleasure, luxuriating in the way this vampire controlled it, teased it, promise it bliss like never before. The female part of her liked it too. She was used to being stronger than most men. It was hard finding a man who could satisfy both parts of her nature. She knew she had found just such a man in the beautiful vampire who held her rigid against his hard body.

Rayne wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning in to scent the side of his throat, amazed that he'd dropped his cloaking abilities and allowed her to scent what he truly was. Rich, dark chocolate came to mind, the hint of a summer breeze rustling across it. It was a strange scent, extremely sensual, a mix of the elements as well as the more earthy delights of food. It suited him perfectly.

She released her own masking abilities, allowed him to scent her while praying he didn't scan too deeply. If he scented she was part vampire she wasn't sure how he would react. His breath whispered across the side of her neck and then he stiffened, his talons piercing the side of her neck and drawing blood.

Gard was lost in the scent of wildflowers and sunshine, orange blossoms and sun-kissed skin. She was so intoxicating it was all he could do not to sink his fangs into the side of her neck and drink deeply of her sweet, hot blood. It was an exercise in restraint keeping his fangs at bay.

No one had ever tempted him so badly before. His lips were a hairsbreadth away from her soft skin when he sensed something that shouldn't be there. His hand tightened reactively and he scented her blood a second before she froze in his arms.

He released his grip marginally, retracting his talons as he pulled his head back to look into her face. "Explain." It was an order, there was no getting away from that fact, or the hard expression on his face as his eyes blazed down at her.

It took a moment for Rayne to realise what was causing his sudden tension and she couldn't stop the surprise that crossed her face as she met his gaze unflinchingly. "It's an Alpha bond," she answered, watching his expression mirror hers with his own surprise.

The hardness in his eyes softened and he released her, leaning back against the tree trunk as she dropped her hands from around his neck and stroked them slowly over the silk of his black shirt. The glow receded from his eyes though the naked desire remained. "For a moment I thought you'd been foolish enough to mate with a wolf," he drawled softly, his expression making it perfectly clear that he wouldn't have been happy with that scenario.

"Wolves don't know how to play," she quipped lightly, rising gracefully to pad lightly along the branch to its narrowest point.

"Just as well because I don't share my toys," he said softly, his voice full of possessiveness, his eyes boring into her back.

Rayne laughed softly, looking over her shoulder at him and smiling. "But you do play with them?" she asked mischievously as she stepped off the branch and plummeted downwards.

Gard moved so fast he blurred, leaping from the branch only to find his cat perched on one lower down. She looked up at him again and gave another sultry laugh as he joined her on the same branch. "Are you ever going to tell me your name?" she asked curiously, tilting her head to the side.

He reached out and pulled her hair loose from the high ponytail she had it in, letting his fingers glide through the midnight inkiness that reminded him of warm silk. "Gard," he answered, distracted by the sheen of black in his hand.

"Gard," she echoed her lush lips curving in another smile. He found he liked the sound of his name on her lips. He could imagine how it would sound as she whispered it in his ear as he pleasured her.

"And you're Rayne," he finally said, reluctantly releasing her hair and meeting her eyes with a twinkle in his. "I think I prefer Kitty though. It's so you."

She swiped playfully at him and he dropped down to the forest floor waiting for her to join him which she did after a brief moment.

"Do cats mark their territory?" he asked curiously his eyes on the forest, his senses reaching out to ensure no one was close to them.

Rayne thought of her claw raking his hands, the way his talons had raked hers. Should she tell the truth or should she maybe not answer?

"Yes," she finally answered deciding to go with the truth. Her cat had already claimed him even if they hadn't done the physical act of mating. It was only a matter of time before she permanently marked him as hers.

Lavender eyes swung around to look at her; they were glowing softly, a smile curving his oh so sensual mouth. "Good," he breathed softly reaching to pull her towards him so he could kiss her hard and fast, his tongue invading her mouth and toying erotically with hers.

She arched against him, moaning deeply as she returned his kiss with one equally as passionate, equally as devastating. She wanted to purr, to rub herself all over him until he was drowning in her scent, and she in his. She actually mewled with disappointment when he pulled back, slowly releasing her.

"Don't want the pack finding you in that uncompromising position now, do you?" he teased lightly though his eyes were deadly serious.

For a brief moment she didn't care and then she pulled herself together and returned his smile. "Might not be a good first impression seeing as I've just joined them," she conceded.

Gard devoured her with his gaze, this tantalising woman with secrets in her eyes and a body made for sin. He ached for her, was tempted to scoop her up and take her back to his house where he could keep her in his bed for weeks on end, taking her in every position imaginable until he could sate his lust for her. He had a feeling he could spend years being buried deep inside her before he came close to sating himself with her body.

But Anakatrine wouldn't be pleased with him if he toyed with a member of her pack, if he revealed himself before she was ready to talk to her Were brother. It was only that fact which stopped him from indulging in his needs. He had to talk to his sister before he took what was his and the cat watching him was most definitely his, of that he was certain.

"Best you run home now, Kitty," he sighed softly, regret in his eyes as he ran his knuckles down the side of her face gently. "We can play another day," he promised when he saw disappointment cross her exquisite features.

"You keep making promises," she responded, a hint of irritation in the depths of her green eyes. "I only hope you can live up to them, Gard."

Delight rushed through him as she scratched at him revealing her sexual frustration. He knew he would pay for it later but he couldn't resist a tiny indulgence. He had her jeans and panties down in a blink of an eye, kneeling before her to gaze up at her startled expression.

"Let me lick it better," he breathed huskily, his mouth kissing her so intimately, just the way he knew she liked it.

Rayne cried out, holding onto his shoulders tightly as he used his tongue against her body ruthlessly. There was no teasing, no light touches, just a man who knew what he wanted and wasn't afraid to take it. She was trembling in an instant; soft moans escaping her as his tongue licked boldly and firmly against her heated flesh.

He didn't tease her to completion; instead he sent her racing there on a freight train. The climax that overwhelmed her was hard, vicious, totally spectacular and still he didn't stop, his mouth moving over every inch of her aching flesh.

Low growls rumbled through his chest as she writhed in his gasp, her knees so weak it was only his hands keeping her upright. He was ruthless as he pushed her to a second climax, her body trembling hard as she peaked again and bliss flooded her very soul.

"No more," she begged as he continued to lick at her, continued to scrape his teeth gently against her most tender flesh. For a moment she thought he was going to continue, and then he placed a gentle kiss on the swell of her stomach, his tongue teasing the emerald and diamond piercing in her navel before he rose, righting her clothes as he did so.

His eyes were almost violet in colour, glowing darkly as he kissed her hard, his erection a brand against her stomach. He finally released her and took two steps back. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, the only indication that he was fighting for control.

"You're going to need more stamina than that when I take you, Kitty," he said huskily, need making his voice sound scratchy.

Heart pounding, Rayne took a few deep breaths and fought the need to bend over to try and catch her breath. The man was simply way too potent to be real. "Thanks for the warning," she finally managed to pant out, watching pleasure dance across his face at her reply.

"That wasn't a warning, Rayne," he whispered laughingly, turning and heading into the trees.

"What was it then?" she called after him, knowing he was still close enough to hear her.

"A promise," whispered in her ear right behind her and she spun around to hear sexy male laughter receding but no sign of the infuriating vampire in sight.

Laughter bubbled up; full of pure delight. Yes, he really did know how to play and she was looking forward eagerly to their next game. Turning, she headed back to the compound. Gard had distracted her from her earlier musing. Now it was time to work out just what all the recent changes in her life really meant for her.

To be continued...