A Mate for Lazarus(8)

She gasped again. Louder this time. “Seriously? You have ten brothers and sisters?”

Lazarus chuckled. “What can I say? My parents were highly fertile. It is rare so they were expected to reproduce.”

“That’s crazy. You said were instead of are. Does that mean that they are…?” Her eyes filled with concern.

He nodded. “Yeah, my mother died birthing my youngest brother and my father died in the Great War.”

Her eyes clouded with genuine sadness and she even touched his arm for a second. “I’m so sorry. I lost my father some years back so I know how hard it is.”

He nodded. Lazarus felt for her, he knew what it was like to lose someone close to you. “The Great War took many of our elders. It was a terrible time.”

“I heard something about the war. It happened years before I was even born.” She paused. He could see that she was in thought. “It was between the two covens…something about the kings both wanting the same woman. The details are sketchy. There are different versions of the story.”

He nodded. “That’s right. When a vampire finds his mate, that’s it. It’s sometimes like being hit over the head. There is no changing his mind, that is for sure. The kings both decided on the same female and chaos erupted. Thankfully the covens are united now and it is no longer just the kings that are permitted to take human females.”

“About that.” She took a sip of the water. His eyes were drawn to her throat as it worked. “What do your vampire women think about us being here? Essentially taking their place.”

Lazarus shrugged. “It is a very good question. One I have not given much thought to. At this stage, only a select few males have been granted permission to take human mates. However, there are plans to roll out The Program more extensively. To include more males in the future as well.” He sucked in a lungful of air. “I don’t think I would like it if it were me on the other side. At the same time, I would understand and would be willing to sacrifice for the greater good of my species. Our breed is dying, Alexandra. If we don’t take human females, we will be finished.”

She seemed to think on this for a few moments. “What about you? What about the guys, I mean?”

“What about us?”

Her stunning blue eyes stayed on him. “You also are kind of being forced into this. Having to sacrifice by mating with lowly humans, for the greater good.”

Lazarus had to laugh. “Sacrifice?” He snorted the word. “There is nothing more enticing to a vampire male than a human female. You are lush, curvy, so damned soft…”

And just like that the fire in her eyes was back. She narrowed them. “Are you saying that we’re fat? That we’re—”

Lazarus choked out a laugh. “Fat….no stop…no…you are tiny and soft. Delicate. Many of you have rounded hips. Lush asses that are made for holding onto during…” Hard rutting sessions. He swallowed thickly. “Your mammary glands are succulent and ripe. Yours are particularly…”

“Eyes up here, buster. Human women don’t like it when you speak to their boobs instead of their faces. You should look me in the eyes when you talk to me.” Although she sounded angry, he could see by the gleam in her eyes that she was secretly happy about the things that he had said. Maybe there was hope for them after all. She picked up one of the plates and opened several containers.

“I assure you, Alexandra. It is no hardship. Even your blood is an aphrodisiac…the ultimate indulgence.” He watched as she scooped up a spoonful of bean salad. “The scent, the taste. It is why some of our males suffer from bloodlust.”

Her hand paused midway between the container and the plate. “What the hell is bloodlust?”

Lazarus felt himself frown. “I thought you attended the training.”

She dropped her eyes back to the food, putting the bean salad onto her plate and returning for another spoonful. “I did. I don’t have great memory. Remind me please.” Using her hand, she grabbed two pieces of chicken and put them on the plate as well.

Weird. This was the one part of the training that most human females remembered since the act of blood drinking scared them. Then again, Alexandra was not like most women. “A few of our males suffer from an affliction called bloodlust. When these males drink from a human, they enjoy it too much. So much so that they are unable to stop and would continue to drink until the female died. It is not something that they would have control over.”

“How did I miss this part? Shit! You are not serious. Good thing you’re not going to be drinking any blood from me then.”

“Like fuck,” he growled. “I will be drinking from you. Most fucking definitely.”

“No damned way. No. Just no.” She even scooted back a little on the blanket.

They had been warned that some of the human females would be against blood drinking despite the training. “Listen to me, Alexandra. Listen very carefully. I do not have bloodlust. I was tested and I do not have it. None of the ten elite suffer from the affliction. You will be safe with me. I will drink from you and you will fucking love it. Do you hear me?”

She shook her head and swallowed hard. “No. Way. You are hard of hearing I see.”

Lazarus stayed in a semi reclined position. “Let’s forget about the blood drinking…at least for the moment.”

The tension around her shoulders disappeared in an instant.

“It will happen, but I don’t want to argue about it right now. The whole blood argument is moot because if you don’t kiss me you’re leaving anyway.”

The little human pulled her shoulders back and he had to work hard to keep his eyes locked with hers instead of dropping to her bountiful cleavage. If she refused, he would force himself to let her go. He had to. Either she wanted him or she didn’t.





Chapter 5




Alexandra couldn’t help the irritated little snorting noise that escaped. This guy was just too much. Too damned much. His dark eyes were intense. They seemed to bore holes right through her but only when they weren’t smoldering hot as they raked over her body.

He wore leather pants. Honest to god leather pants. They looked soft and molded to his rock hard thighs, his narrow waist, his humongous…she chewed on her lower lip, trying to pull her gaze away from his impressive package. Alex was sure you needed a license to sport something as big as that. Then there was the T-shirt. Plain and white never looked so good. Size triple…possibly even quadruple…XL: and it still pulled tight around his biceps. She could see his abs through the thin cotton. Could make them out and in all of their glory.

“My eyes are up here, honey.” He said with that deep baritone of his. “You’re lucky that vampires don’t mind when females check them out. So please, don’t stop on account of me.” He flexed his pecs and rolled his hips and her mouth went dry. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth.

Alex took a sip of her water. “I wasn’t checking you out.” She lied through her teeth. Again. This really couldn’t become a habit. “I was looking at your…weapons.”

“That’s a new one, my dick has never been called a weapon before.” He rolled his hips again. “Then again, it might just kill you…from sheer fucking pleasure. You weren’t checking me out, huh? If you say so.” He smirked, looking so cocky that it irritated the hell out of her.

Her cheeks heated and it pissed her off. “I do say so.” She tried to keep her voice even and failed. “You have too many…weapons that is. I’m not talking about your damned cock or anything else for that matter…” Then again, he didn’t have too many muscles. No way José did he have too many of those. In the muscle department, things were just right. Big, hard, sculpted. His cock was also damn fine, it…head out of the damned gutter, Alex.

“Stop stalling and get over here.” Still leaning on his elbows, he lifted his hands and gestured with his fingers.

Hell no! “Let me get this straight.” She could feel everything inside of her tense and she folded her arms. “Not only do you want me to kiss you, but I’m also expected to go over there as well?”

He gave the tiniest nod of the head. “It would be difficult to kiss me from over there.”

“You can come to me and then we’ll see.” He needed to meet her half way. Hold up. Why was she even considering this?

“You need to come to me. You also have to mean it.”

She rolled her eyes. “Let me guess, you’re one of those guys that can tell when a girl is faking an orgasm?”

Lazarus raised his brows and shook his head. A look of disbelief crossed his face. “You human females have it tough. No need for that particular skill since there is no need for faking an orgasm with me.” He said it so matter-of-factly that she swallowed her flippant reply.

After a few beats, she leaned forward. “This whole kiss thing, is it the condition you were referring to earlier? If I prove that I’m into you, are you going to take me into the next round?”

Lazarus smiled. It was feral and really attractive. Since when did she find him attractive? Mean, scary, muscular, bossy…sure, a hottie…maybe a little, but all out attractive…surely not? Then his smile died and his eyes darkened further if that was even possible. “Definitely not. That will come later.”