The Warrior Vampire(70)

He couldn’t get close enough. Couldn’t kiss her deeply enough. There were too many damned clothes between them and not enough bare skin. Gripped by lust, Ronan ignored the sounds of Luz’s enraged shouts and buried his face in Naya’s throat. She tilted her head to the side, an invitation, and he buried his fangs in her soft flesh.

The skin popped beneath his lips and blood welled sweet and hot in his mouth. Ronan groaned as he took pull after long pull. His mind cleared. His body flooded with heat. The darkness that threatened to consume him retreated completely as though sated, returning to its dormant state. Naya cleaved to him, her nails biting into his shoulders as she held his body to hers. Ronan disengaged with a roar, lapping at the trickles of blood that ran from the two sets of punctures. Naya held him tightly, her head nestled close to his shoulder. The breath sped in her chest and she trembled in his embrace.

“Don’t you ever tell me to kill you again.”

The bond between them flared and the fear that shook her was Ronan’s own. He pierced his tongue and healed the wounds on her throat, kissing the soft, smooth flesh. Gods, he could have killed her. What she’d done was too damned cavalier. With featherlight strokes he brushed the backs of his fingers over the skin around her neck, marred with ugly welts and raw; his stomach clenched at the sight.

“I’m sorry, Naya.” The words were a mantra, barely audible even to him. “I’m sorry, Naya. I’m sorry.” He took a deep, shuddering breath and hugged her to him. “I’m sorry.”

Moments passed and the world fell away. There were only the two of them, the sound of their soft breaths, gentle touches with seeking hands. Ronan couldn’t bear to be parted from her. Inches of space were too much. As long as he could touch her, kiss her, inhale her sweet scent, he’d be all right. He could do anything as long as he had her.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!”

Luz’s incredulous outburst broke the spell and the reality of their situation crashed around him. Ronan looked over Naya’s shoulder at the sight of her enraged cousin. Her stance was battle ready and she gripped a wicked citrine dagger in her palm. His mate might not have wanted to kill him, but Luz sure as hell wanted to see him dead.

“Are you seriously going to just sit there in his lap and pretend that he didn’t want to suck you dry right now? And like a crazy person, you just gave your throat to him?”

“That’s exactly what I’m going to do.” Naya didn’t move, didn’t even turn to face her cousin. “I can’t live without him, Luz. I won’t.”





CHAPTER

21

Naya didn’t understand this tether that bound her to Ronan, but one thing was certain: Come hell or high water, nothing would come between them. And that included her family.

“Call Manny. It’s time to end this.”

“Estás loca,” Luz said. Naya didn’t have to look at her cousin to know a piteous expression had settled on her usually chipper face. “I’ll call him, but you’d better deal with Paul before sundown. I love you, but he won’t hesitate to put the vampire down. I hope you know what you’re doing, Cuz.”

“Yeah. Me too. After you call Manny, tell Paul that you found me and that I’ll be over to see him soon. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt, and if Joaquin or any of them are searching after sundown it’ll invite trouble.”

An uncomfortable silence descended and Naya’s skin prickled. She wouldn’t put it past Luz to do something rash. “Luz?”

“If you so much as lay a threatening finger on her while I’m gone, I’ll run my dagger through your heart myself, vampire.”

The door closed behind her and silence once again settled over them like a too-warm blanket.

“I’m sorry, Naya.”

His words caused a fissure in her heart, so full of tender emotion. Tears stung at Naya’s eyes and she willed them to stay put. The last thing she needed was for him to see her fall apart when he was so clearly hanging on by the barest of threads.

With her face still buried in the crook of his neck, Naya couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to sink her teeth into his flesh. Take his blood on her tongue. “What’s it like?” she asked. She needed to keep him in the moment. Negative emotions—even regret—could trigger the magic to reawaken. If she didn’t extract it from Ronan’s body soon, he’d become a mapinguari, a demon with an unquenchable thirst for chaos. If that happened, Luz would get her wish and there wouldn’t be a gods-damned thing Naya could do about it.