STORY EXCERPT

Becka was twirling his hair in her fingers. He really disliked it when she did that. He snatched her hand and moved it away from his hair. “I really have to head back to my own cave.”

“But I’m not with child, Russell. I would know. I would be able to feel it. Your seed did not take my egg. I feel nothing but the warm glow of after sex. I think we should go to sleep and try again when we wake up.”

“I think that you should go to sleep, and I should go back to where I belong.”

Becka sat up, pursing her lips sadly. “I can’t believe you. I have given myself completely to you and still you reject me. How can you choose a vampire over one of your own kind? What is wrong with me, Russell? Is it my twisted tooth? I will have it fixed. Is it that I’m not skinny enough? I can lose weight. Tell me and I will change it.”

He rose to sit opposite her. “This is not something that you can fix, Becka. I love Em. You know that. You have known that from the beginning. This is not a matter of having a relationship. It is a matter of having a child. I never offered you my heart. It is not available to be given away.”

“You know that the other shifters look down on you because you are with a vampire woman. You are a strong alpha, yet you lose respect because of your choice in mates.”

“I really don’t give a shit. I never cared what others thought of me, and I’m not going to start now. I don’t want a position as alpha of any clave that I’m not already a part of. Just because it involves three vampires and my mate is vampire, makes them no less of a family to me. I have all the respect I need from them.”

“But you are superior to them.”

Russell was stunned by the comment. He never would have imagined hearing those words from Becka’s mouth. “How do you figure that? We are of equal strength and mindset. If anything, they run faster than I can, no matter what form I take.”

“But we are not limited to only walk during the darkness. That is a weakness that can so easily kill them.”

His nostrils twitched in anger. Was it a comment or a threat? “They don’t die easily and anyone who thinks they do had better change their attitude or live somewhere else. You’re right. I can walk in the sun, but if any harm came to my mates, I can also hunt during the sun. I would not hesitate to track down their betrayer and tear them slowly apart.”

Becka swallowed hard, fear showing in her gaze. “I…didn’t mean anything by that. I only meant that you are stronger.”

“I think that you had better keep that opinion to yourself, Becka. It would not be looked upon too kindly here. If anyone else shares your notions about dispatching vampires into the sun, they had better rethink their ideas. Remember, the reason that you want me is because I’m a superior alpha. That same reasoning makes me a superior hunter and I have no qualms about killing anyone, including my own kind if they betray me.”

He spun, dropping his feet to the floor and getting up. “I’m really surprised at you, Becka. I would have never taken you for a woman who looks down on others because of their breed. This is the last time that we sleep together. If you value your life here, then rethink your ideals.” He leaned quickly forward, snatching her chin in his palm. “And don’t ever fuck with my heart. I would die for them and I would kill for them just as quickly, Becka. Do you understand me?”

She lowered her gaze in mental and physical submission, tears flowing from her eyes as she nodded. “I love you, Russell.”

“That was your first mistake. I told you long ago that I belong to Em and that has not changed. Good night, Becka. Find someone else to give your heart to who has a heart to return. I don’t.” He released her with a flick of his wrist and walked from her room. Becka had been reminded on many occasions that his heart was not for the taking. He felt bad for her, but she was not the mate he wanted. Becka couldn’t hold a candle to Em in personality, inner strength, or sexual attraction. Em might be a vampire and not of his kind, but he was hers in a way that was not restricted by breed.

ADULT EXCERPT

“I prove my point. You are a crafty little bitch.”

Point taken.

“I actually plan to sit here and let you heal completely. Then maybe I will get up and start again. I’m also contemplating how to change your position. I’ll be with you shortly.” Flipping his body to the side, he laid out full on the lounger. His hand slid effortlessly over his beautiful cock, stroking it, and coercing it with a tight fist. Em watched him in growing dismay. Did he really intend to bring himself to completion in front of her?

Salt arched his back against the lounger, grunting as he gritted his teeth. The light pink fluid of their lives spurted from the tip like an evil fountain of disappointment. Em was stunned.

The grin on his face was filled with sarcasm as he raised his eyebrows to her. What had happened to him during the time that he was with Mia that he felt the need to torture her as such?

Slowly pushing himself to his feet, Salt walked over to the innocent-looking wooden cabinet that was against the wall. He pulled it open. Taking a cloth from the clip, he carefully wiped off the bullwhip and hung it back up. Was he honestly done with her? If he left her shackled, she would snap the damn things and take care of her aching pussy herself. It was not what she wanted to do. It had been so long since she had enjoyed the pleasure of Salt’s body and the fact that he was now denying her was infuriating.

He examined the contents of the box, tilting his head from side to side as if in contemplation. She wanted to kick his skinny little ass. The fluid in her body was coursing fasting, rushing to all the areas that still needed to be healed. It was an odd sensation, almost like a heartbeat as it slowed and then picked up speed to move to somewhere else. Vampire blood was very methodical, always healing the most serious injuries first before it rushed off to repair lesser infractions to her skin. It distracted her momentarily and when she turned her attention to Salt again, he was gone. The door of the cabinet had been loosely closed and she turned her head, looking for Salt. Em couldn’t see him.

Her body jerked violently forward as he hit her with something. It was not a whip of any kind, something solid with a severe bite that left the skin of her ass on fire. He had Rory’s handcrafted paddle with the layers of teeth that tore and dug into her skin. He hit her again, this time with the smooth leather back. Salt never used a paddle on her. His actions became unpredictable, one strike hard, another soft.

He wasn’t focusing on any one area, but simply whatever skin seemed to strike his fancy. Using both the smooth leather and carved, sharp tines, he continued to torment her body.

Em whimpered with each new assault, unsure if she should cry out in pain or revel in the bliss he was creating. Her cunt was flickering back to the point of crisis need, flashing so close to climax that her head lulled back on her shoulders with the solid sensation. With a brutally hard blow to her ass, Salt walked to her side. He went back to the cabinet and put the paddle away. Without choosing something else, he went to window to stand with his back to her and look outside. Her lidded, bleary eyes focused in on the movement of his arm. His hand was down in his crotch, his arm flexing. The son of a bitch was masturbating again. Em snarled, jerking her right hand and then her left. The chains snapped in her frustration and she went down to the stone floor hard on her knees. Salt didn’t turn around as she got to her feet and ripped the bindings from ankles. She was almost to him when he turned around. His hand was resting on the crease of his abdomen, his arm still moving as if he was stroking his cock. Em stopped, glaring at him.

Salt smiled. “They always warned me that you could do that. I wanted to see it myself.” Bowing his head, in a show of respect, he sauntered up to her.

Em could feel the fluid in her body boiling with a mixture of pain, arousal, and anger. He had tricked her to prove a point and she had fallen right into his trap. Salt stroked her cheek, his palm cool against her chin. He then flashed downward, grabbed her ankles and flipped her onto the lounger. He leapt onto her, pinning her beneath his body as he kissed her with vehemence in his mouth. “You are a hundred times sexier than Mia. How I want you is insane.”

The words instantly curbed her anger and it winkled out like an extinguished candle. Em returned his kiss, her tongue hungry for the taste of him. Salt leaned back slightly, caught her gaze, and then kissed her again. Leaning to the side, he stroked her breast for a moment and then as if suddenly impatient to be inside of her, grabbed her thigh and filled her with his cock. Her pussy was so tight with desire that she whimpered against his mouth. Salt moved like a sex-starved teenager, his hips pumping his taut dick in and out of her wetness. Em ground her nails into his shoulders, her pussy so ready for interaction it was gripping his flesh. Salt continued, grunting in enjoyment in a far more realistic tone then he had earlier.