Talia rolled him over, still impaled on his shaft, and began to rock. His eyes were pools that held nothing but sensation. He reached for her breasts, cupping them, rolling the nipples with his thumbs. She was wet with needing him, but he was big enough to still be tight as she stroked him. She felt full—bursting with his blood and seed, but greedy for more. A contraction lanced through her, making her shudder.
“Come for me,” Lore whispered. “Come for me, and let me finish you.”
She rocked again, so sensitive that the stroke seemed to reach all the way to her throat.
He thrust up, and that ended it. She cried out, her sharp nails scoring deep into the flesh of his shoulders. With a snarl, he pulled her under him, driving into her again and again, until in a final push he came one last time, filling Talia until she felt she could hold nothing more.
He rolled his weight off her, and she rolled with him. Draped over Lore’s chest, Talia fell into an abyss of weightless afterglow. He was panting slightly, one arm curled protectively over her back. She could hear his heartbeat, strong and quick. She turned her head so she could see his face. He was watching her, his eyes hooded.
“So is hellhound tasty?” he asked, his tone dry but gentle at the same time.
“An acquired taste, I think.”
“As the Alpha, I have prophetic gifts.”
“And what do you prophesize?”
“That you will never be left behind again.”
“You going to handcuff me in a safe place?”
His lips curled in a very male smile. “Would you like that?”
Talia felt her energy flicker, like a short in her personal power line. She raised her head, looking toward the window. No, not yet!
Lore rose up on one elbow, lifting her up along with him. “What’s wrong?”
She sat up, feeling suddenly naked instead of seductively nude. “Dawn. You should go.”
He touched her hair, running his thumb along her cheekbone. “Why?”
Anger and shame stabbed through her. She pulled away from his touch. “Because I fall into a coma and make like a dead person.”
Lore seemed to be digesting this, his eyebrows drawn together. “You were in my apartment for several days. I know what happens.”
But they hadn’t made love then. Now they had something to lose. “Turning into a corpse is a deal-ender for so many relationships. I don’t want that.”
Strength was draining from her like a bath with no plug in the drain. Talia was starting to shake, her muscles too starved for energy to sit up. She lowered herself onto the pillow, tears of frustration filling her eyes. Why couldn’t we have had a few more minutes before the night had to end?
Wordlessly, Lore lay down beside her, cradling her against him. Gently, he kissed away the wetness that had leaked from beneath her lashes.
Talia’s heart hurt, strained with too much emotion. Ecstasy. Attraction. Sadness. Anger. It wasn’t fair. She’d been so strong, a sex goddess, an equal to Lore just minutes ago. Now she was an invalid, withering away in his arms. An object of pity.
Why doesn’t he just go?
“Do you hurt?” he asked, his voice soft with concern. He was warm, a walking furnace. He felt so good.
“No. I go numb. It’s like dying every morning.” If only she could hide, keep him thinking she was the Talia of an hour ago . . . but she could barely move.
“Sh.” He brushed a hair from her face. “Once, the hounds guarded souls on their journey to worlds beyond this one. When you are with one of us, when you are with me, you can sleep soundly.”
Despite herself, Talia managed a smile. “You’ll be my guard dog.”
He touched her nose with the tip of his finger. “Absolutely. You’ll not be alone. Not one step of the way.”
She could feel the darkness rushing toward her. “I’m always afraid I’ll never wake up.”
Lore watched as her face went slack, her lips parting slightly. At the last second, he had seen her fear. An unexpected sadness ached in his throat as she faded from life to wherever the vampires slept.
He hadn’t expected to feel so alone.
Chapter 24
Friday, December 31, 4:00 p.m.
Empire Hotel
Talia woke. When her mind finally organized itself, remembered where she was and what had happened, she found herself staring at Lore’s naked back, her gaze following the roll of muscle as he shifted his weight. He was sitting at the end of the bed, typing into his cell phone.
He’d stayed through the day. I’m not alone. When was the last time she had awakened with someone? Years. Long before Belenos had taken her. It was with Tom.
She held that thought at arm’s length, not wanting to acknowledge it. Guilt had kept her solitary for years, but last night something fundamental had changed.
She’d told him who the real Talia was, and he hadn’t rejected her.
I’m not alone, she thought again, this time feeling the wonder of it. After all that’s happened to me. After all the things I’ve done, whether I meant to or not. Cautious joy crept in, not sure how long it would be welcome. She wasn’t used to being happy.
Lore thumbed off the phone and twisted around so that he could see her. The gesture was fluid, not at all human. For a moment, she wondered how much of him was pure camouflage. Really, what did it matter? Human? Hellhound? Lore was Lore. Since when were you the poster child for interspecies tolerance?
Since she had six and a half feet of über-gorgeous male giving her a wake-up smile. I had sex. Oh, golly, I had sex! She did her best to keep the jubilation off her face.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Hey.” She rolled onto her side to face him as he set the phone down and bent to kiss her. He tasted just as good as she remembered. “What’s going on in the world outside?”
“The humans are going to start celebrating New Year’s Eve in a few hours.”
“I bet Joe’s looking forward to a busy night. How’s the snow?”
“I hear cars. They must have cleared more of the roads.”
I bet I could get out of town now. Only now Talia didn’t want to leave. But if she stayed, where could she go? She had to get the money from Michelle’s condo and consider her options.
“I was just talking to Bevan, my Beta. The police are watching the condo building. Baines is looking for both of us now. He knows I’m hiding you.”
Obviously, he’d guessed her thoughts. She rose up on her elbow. “I’m so sorry you got dragged into this.”
“It’s my job.” He stroked her hair with his palm. “We’ll figure this out. For now, we can stay with the pack.”
“Doesn’t that put them in danger?”
“From Detective Baines? I don’t think so. The human police never venture into Spookytown after dark.”
“Maybe they met Mavritte.”
He gave a dry chuckle. “She has a way of making visitors uncomfortable.”
Talia pulled the blanket closer around her. “That includes me.”
He gave a small shake of his head. “I won’t allow her to bother you. I’ve given her a long leash, but it ends there. You’re my guest. Everyone will know you’re to be protected.”
She pulled her arm out from under the covers, looking at her tattoo. “I guess I shouldn’t say anything about this.”
He gave her a considering look. “Not yet. Let the hounds get to know you first. They’re good people, but the Hunter legends go back long before our time in the Castle. Fireside tales to scare the pups.”
Talia felt herself flushing. “I guess I am your walk on the wild side.”
“And what a lovely view it is from here.”
“Thank you,” she said, because that was all she could think of to say. Her mind was spinning, curious and terrified at the notion of meeting an entire pack of hellhounds. Lore was an impressive enough presence that he filled a room just by being in it. It was hard to imagine him times dozens more. No wonder the police kept their distance.