STORY EXCERPT

As she reached the door, Lady Ursula stepped into view, pointing her finger at the man behind her. She wore a serious scowl. Her eyes were wild with anger. The usually sweet woman turned into a fearsome creature.

Cassy stopped, looking back to see Dmitri frozen in midair. His fangs showed, and his face wore a vicious snarl. Hands curled like claws reached out for her. He had been almost to her when Lady Ursula stopped him.

“Thank you, Lady. Your timing is impeccable, as always,” Cassy greeted her.

“You are welcome, child. These men—” She cut off her sentence. Reid had recovered and charged toward Cassy.

“You bitch!” he yelled, taking a swing at her. She ducked in time for his fist to hit the doorframe. Wood splints flew in every direction.

Lady Ursula made a waving motion at him, as if shooing away a fly. He flew across the room, crashing into a Chinese porcelain goldfish bowl on a low stand. Ursula motioned for Cassy to step aside. She walked over to the crumpled man on the floor.

“I said you may speak with her. I did not say you could interrogate her like a criminal, and I certainly did not give you permission to do violence in our home,” she said calmly.

He slowly got to his feet, stared her in the eye, and pointed toward the doorway. “I am going to walk out of here, and she is coming with me. You are going to go about your business and remember nothing,” he said through gritted teeth. Nothing happened.

Ursula laughed.

Reid looked confused. He had tried to compel her. Instead of backing down, he puffed up his chest and raised his chin.

Cassy could hardly contain herself. To think he could force a member of the Council of Crones was ridiculous.

Running boots echoed in the vast open space. Reinforcements came down the long tapestry gallery toward them. Cassy heard Mills giving orders. Her stomach tightened in anticipation. The bond told her David ran ahead of him. She felt him getting closer.

Reid stood toe to toe with the witch. Apparently, he failed to get the memo that any witch old enough to be called a Maiden was immune to vampire mind tricks. Only adolescent witches could be compelled, and they were no longer used as security in the main house for that very reason.

David stopped just past Lady Ursula’s position. He placed himself between the two vampires and her. After scanning the room, he turned to Cassy and gave her a quick hug, never taking his eyes off Reid.

“Are you all right?” David asked. He looked her over from head to foot.

“Yes, thank you. The good Lady took care of the problem,” Cassy admitted.

She stepped back into David’s open arms. He stroked her hair and pressed her head against his chest. Tendrils of silver energy coiled around them in a protective layer. Cassy knew as long as they were together, the magic would push Reid and Dmitri back.

“Thank you, Lady,” David said, nodding in appreciation to Ursula. She returned the nod.

Mills stepped forward, grabbing Reid by the upper arm. “This way, sir. It’s time you and your partner left. Allow us to escort you out. Your car is waiting for you up front.”

One of the maidens in Mills’s response unit made a cutting motion with two fingers like a knife slicing the air under Dmitri. The man fell to the floor still immobile. His steel-gray eyes held all the rage he had for Cassy. A shiver ran up her spine at the thought of it being directed at her.

“Are you going to fix him? How am I supposed to get him in the car like this?” Reid asked curtly. He gestured to the man on the floor.

“Yes, I will undo the spell once you are both outside. Now, please leave our home and never return,” the elder witch directed. Her voice remained even. Cassy was amazed at the amount of willpower she must have commanded.

The response team levitated Dmitri. One towed him in the direction of the front door. Two women waved and pointed at the broken items as each one mended itself. The refreshments tray was gathered and the thick red liquid returned to the container by a third witch. The same witch cleared up the broken fish bowl, carefully scooping up the two large, flopping goldfish and returning them to their home.

Reid stormed past David and Cassy, following Dmitri’s lifeless form to the front door. Halfway down the corridor, he kicked over a coffee table and cursed.

Lady Ursula glided behind him, presumably to undo her magic like she had promised. As she passed the overturned table, she gave a slight twirl of her hand without stopping. The table righted itself.

Before David could say anything, shouts came from the entry hall. Reid’s voice echoed throughout the downstairs. Everyone ran to find Lady Ursula standing quietly in the center of the room with Reid yelling at her from the door.

“This isn’t over by a long shot, witch! She knows something, and she is going to tell us,” he proclaimed. Determination and defiance oozed from him.

“That sounds terribly like a threat,” Ursula commented, maintaining her composure. Her hands remained clasped in front of her.

“It’s a promise,” he replied.

She reached one arm forward with her palm facing him, fingers extended to the ceiling. Ursula’s expression never flinched. Cassy thought she looked like a traffic cop stopping cars. Her resolve showed in the steadiness of her hands.

Reid dropped to the ground clutching his chest. His eyes were wide with fear. Gasping noises were all the sound he could make. In a matter of minutes, his twentysomething features aged by decades. His hair shot through with gray until it was mostly white. When she released him, a frail, old man had taken the place of a young man.

ADULT EXCERPT

Her fangs dropped down to their fullest extension. A burn overtook her, but this time, it was not a burning thirst. Desire spread across her skin like a tangible layer of heat. She wanted him, needed him to take her, to merge into a single being.

There was a desperate edge to her need. When she thought him lost, a hole had ripped its way through her soul. Now David was here. The hole disappeared. The bond held them by magic, but she needed him to make love to her to make the past few days, or months, just a dream.

Cassy shifted her legs, wrapping them around his hips. Spreading her arms open wide on the bed, she gave him free access to her body. Rolling her head to one side, she exposed her elf-blood-covered neck. She trusted him completely.

He made small movements with his hips, pressing his cock against her sensitive pearl. His soft, wet tongue lapping her nipple into a pebbled peak replaced his circling thumb. Licking the blood from her skin, he made his way from one breast to the other. His fangs scraped along her flesh, but he did not break the skin.

Cassy whimpered with pleasure. She felt her juices flow along her slit, lubricating his cock. Her clit plumped under the now-slippery head of his cock and practically trilled with excitement. Her pussy began to ripple with pleasure. If he kept it up, she thought he might get her off with just the foreplay.

David followed the blood up to her neck and sucked on the throbbing pulse of her carotid artery. He kept the small hip movements going but applied more pressure, grinding his dick harder against her. Twisting one hand in her hair and holding her head still, he pressed his fangs into her neck, drinking small mouthfuls between needy groans.

She let go of the sheets to grip a fistful of his hair and brace the other hand on his back. Their souls had been merged when they fully bonded, but if it were possible, she would have merged their bodies into a single being. She wanted to offer more than flesh and blood could give.

The warm hum in her core purred with satisfaction like a happy kitten and dropped down to the lowest possible point. It radiated pure joy throughout her body. Every touch, every caress between their bodies made the purring more intense. It seemed to be waiting for something. The purring added to her trilling clit and the ripple of her pussy. Together, the effect was a near constant stimulation from the inside. She could only hope the bond shared this intense sensation with David.

Cassy took her leg off David’s hips and placed them firmly on the bed. She pushed off, flipping him over onto his back. Gently pulling free from his fangs, she sat astride his body.

She shifted to position herself lower, allowing her to carefully slip his hard rod into her waiting mouth. She swirled her tongue over the round, fleshy cockhead and sucked it into her mouth. Placing it strategically between her fangs, she slowly bobbed up and down the length of his cock. The feel of her lips wrapped around his hard shaft and the taste of his pre-cum intensified her desires. She fondled his balls and gave him head until she could no longer take the anticipation. She had to have him inside of her. She quickly shifted her body to be on her knees with his hips between them again.

His eyes smoldered as he looked up at her. He placed his hands on her hips, encouraging her to lift her body. Then, he positioned his cock beneath her, allowing her to sink the full length of him into her hot, wet opening. His eyes rolled up, and a look of ecstasy came over his face.

Cassy enjoyed watching him as she settled herself into a comfortable position. The desperation to be filled with him relaxed. She savored the way his cock felt as it parted her soft flesh. His balls pressed against her ass as he reached fullest limits. She shifted her hips. Once the right pressure was applied in all the best spots, she began rocking her weight back and forth. Riding him, she lost herself to the moment.

The outside world no longer existed. Time was irrelevant. They were the only two creatures alive. Nothing else mattered except their love.

She pulled his hands free of her hips and laced her fingers with his. Using his hands for more support, she added more up-and-down movement to the rocking motion. She rode his cock as if he were a saddled steed. She leaned forward slightly, balancing more on his hands. Her pace quickened. Her pussy quivered with anticipation. She felt his cock throbbing inside her and knew he was close to release.

The bond layered their skin with golden translucent energy. Emotions ebbed and flowed from one body to the other, allowing them to share in each other’s pleasure. For a moment, she felt there was no end or beginning for them. They were a single being dancing its way through perfection.

The warm purring hum became more pronounced the closer they came to orgasm. The warmth became red heat, the hum a vibration pulsing in time with their heartbeat.

She did not slow her pace. Her thighs pressed in, gripping his body and giving her more leverage. Her pussy begged for more, for release. She stepped up the pace. Her breasts bounced harder, but she did not care.

David squeezed her hands tighter, almost to the point of being painful. His back arched slightly as his cock bean to spasm. A deep, throaty groan escaped him when he came.