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  Finally, he settled down as well and lay on top of her, though breathing hard.

  She gasped out a few breaths as well. “I’ve never felt like this before,” she murmured. “Like if you weren’t holding me down, I’d float all the way to the ceiling, then back.”

  She giggled and with her body lax, she wrapped him up in her arms. She held him, petting his back, now damp from his exertions. She kissed his neck.

  “Thank you. More than anything in the world, I needed that.”

  * * * * * * * * *

  Zephyr knew what Alesia meant about floating. He didn’t feel anchored to the earth right now at all. Instead, he drifted somewhere in space, his mind and body free of everything that had caused him even the smallest pain or distress.

  He couldn’t remember why they’d ever broken up, or what could have been so important to keep them apart. Not when he felt like this, when he loved her so much. And he didn’t want to spend even one more second away from her.

  At last he recovered some of his strength and leaned back a little so he could look at her. “I love you, Alesia. I’ve loved you from the moment I first kissed you. Do you remember, at your diner about a year ago? I was the last customer to leave and I was at the register and I knew I had to kiss you.”

  She smiled softly, her green eyes full of affection. “I remember.” She pushed strands of damp hair away from his forehead. “I fell hard for you, too.”

  He nodded, but his throat grew tight. “I don’t want this to end.”

  “I don’t either.”

  He kissed her for a long moment, wanting her to feel the depth of his love for her.

  When she dug her nails in his back, the sensation firmed him up again and he began moving inside her once more.

  “Yes,” she whispered against his lips. “Make love to me, Zeph. Make love to me.”

  * * * * * * * * *

  When Alesia woke up again, hours later this time, she was back in Zephyr’s bed. She saw that the east-facing shutters had been raised a few inches and a dusky light showed through. Full-dark would come along in less than an hour.

  How long had she slept?

  Stretching, she turned over. She had a cloth between her legs and that made her smile.

  Zeph had made love to her for a long time after he’d fed. She felt well-used and sore in just the right places. She pulled the comforter up to her chin, then giggled.

  She’d even opened a vein for him a second time, which seemed to have added to his stamina. She couldn’t recall just how many times he’d made her come—maybe a dozen.

  He appeared in the doorway carrying two mugs, and looking sexy as hell with his black hair combed away from his face and hanging just above his shoulders. He wore a navy t-shirt and blue jeans. He’d already donned his usual black leather boots, the kind he’d worn last night, the kind he always wore when hunting the enemy.

  Of course, she set those thoughts aside, the ones that had to do with what he did for a living.

  “Want some coffee?” He smiled as he asked, then moved toward the bed.

  She scooted to a sitting position, arranging the pillows behind her. She held out both hands. “I’d love some. Have you been up long? Geez, you look good. In fact, I don’t think you’ve ever looked better.” Maybe that much sex had put a glow on his skin.

  When she took the mug, he leaned down and kissed her on the lips, then moved to sit beside her. He angled his body so she was able to see the deep pinch between his brows, a sure sign that something was troubling him.

  “What is it?”

  He sighed and sipped his brew. “I’ve been on the phone with Gerrod for the past half hour.” Mastyr Gerrod ruled the entire realm.

  “With Mastyr Gerrod? Really? Is he going to send more of his Guard into our area to look for those wraith-pairs?”

  “Actually, we didn’t discuss that.”

  She wanted to ask him why not, but her faeness kicked in suddenly. She felt that he was about to tell her something she probably didn’t want to hear. He’d never looked more serious, not even when they’d argued about his belief he had a duty to kill any wraith-pair that got within ten feet of him.

  Her nerves did a sudden summersault. “What did you talk about then?”

  When he didn’t answer right away and the frown on his brow deepened, she reached out and touched his arm. “Tell me, Zeph. What’s going on?”

  He lifted his gaze to her. “I haven’t had a single cramp in my stomach since you fed me the first time a few hours ago. Not one.”

  The words went into her brain, but she couldn’t seem to process what he was telling her. She knew what all the mastyr vampires of the Nine Realms went through, that fairly small group of men, not more than a few hundred in number, who’d achieved mastyr status. Something about the increase in power made it impossible for their blood needs to ever be satisfied.

  Until now.

  There was only one type of woman who had the ability to resolve a mastyr’s chronic blood starvation, to bring an end to years and sometimes even centuries of constant suffering: a blood rose.

  She stared at nothing in particular, her gaze skating over the beautiful paneled wall opposite, the fireplace burning three good-sized logs, a metal sculpture of a woman with long robes, arms flung back so that she appeared to be flying.

  She couldn’t make sense of what he’d just told her.

  Finally, she met his gaze once more. “I don’t understand.”

  “Just think about it for a moment.”

  “Well, I know that a blood rose can relieve the symptoms that a mastyr lives with.”

  He didn’t say anything. He just stared at her, but his clear blue eyes had a haunted look.

  She sipped her coffee, then shook her head. “Zeph, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not a blood rose. If you’re feeling better, it’s because you’d gone way too long without being fed, and you were close to dying. Besides, I can’t be a blood rose. I don’t have that kind of power.”

  “All right, let me ask you this. Have you experienced any particular heaviness in your chest lately? Gerrod said Abigail felt that way before she first fed him, and still feels that way when he’s in need. Apparently, as a blood rose, she’s constantly producing a steady supply for him.”

  She just stared at him.

  He continued, “Gerrod also said that sex becomes an amazing ride, with the mastyr achieving greater stamina. Any of this sound familiar yet?”

  She squeezed her eyes shut, disbelief rolling through her in the most painful way. “Oh, dear sweet Goddess, I’m a fucking blood rose.”

  “I have no doubt that’s what you are.”

  She shook her head. She didn’t know what more to say and she definitely didn’t want to speak the truth aloud that she could never serve a man who killed wraith-pairs the way Zeph did.

  “I want to take a shower.” She shoved her mug at him. When he took it from her, she threw the comforter back and headed swiftly to the bathroom.

  Once beneath the warm spray of five jets, she let loose with a heavy fit of screaming.

  And Zephyr showed great sense by leaving her alone.

  ***

  Chapter Four

  Zephyr listened to Alesia shout her rage and oddly enough, the sound eased something inside him. Similar feelings held him captive and he was pretty sure that her venting somehow gave expression to his own deep frustration.

  Now that he’d grappled with all that had happened in the last few hours, he knew they were in trouble. The incredible taste and effect of her blood on his system and how extraordinary it was to make love to her had thoroughly disrupted his view of his world.

  For one thing, he hadn’t been free of pain like this from the time he’d first become a mastyr vampire over thirty-five years ago.

  Now he was free, yet at the same time, he felt possessive of Alesia, something she really didn’t need to hear. Gerrod had warned him that other mastyrs would be drawn to her from this point forward and unl
ess he was willing to complete the bond with her, she’d be fair game. In addition, she’d feel compelled to serve any mastyr who came to her.

  The thought of Alesia with another men set him to pacing in front of the living room fireplace. He couldn’t bear the idea of anyone having access to her body either from sex or from her vein.

  But the worst part was that nothing about Alesia being a blood rose changed their substantial differences. The fact that she could relieve him of his chronic blood starvation didn’t eradicate her belief that what he did night after night was a great evil. During the past year, she’d made her opinion clear a hundred times over.

  He didn’t know what the hell he was supposed to do.

  But as he paced and as Alesia’s shouts finally grew fewer and fewer, he knew one thing for certain, that he didn’t want to go back to his life without her. He loved her and he needed to be with her and it sure didn’t help that he’d been celibate since they’d broken up.

  He didn’t know how to make this work, but he wanted to bond with her, more than life itself.

  But how he was going to persuade Alesia to get on board, he had no idea.

  * * * * * * * * *

  Alesia slipped into her work jeans, red t-shirt and thick-soled diner shoes. Using Zephyr’s blow dryer, she even achieved a fairly decent look for her hair. Her shoulder bag had disappeared—probably left behind in the gravel parking lot during the attack.

  Above all, however, the earlier feel-good from the sex had disappeared entirely in the face of her new, horrifying reality.

  A blood rose.

  How could she be a blood rose? From what she understood, only the most powerful women in the Nine Realms had that capacity, which didn’t exactly describe her.

  But was that really true? Or did she have more ability than she thought? More potential?

  After all, she’d seen the red wind of the Invictus before the first pair had arrived and as far as she knew, very few realm-folk could do that. Add to the equation that she’d actually knocked a power-enhanced Invictus vampire out of the sky with her battle energy, and maybe, just maybe, she possessed greater capacity than she’d ever thought possible.

  But what was she supposed to do with this information? Was she supposed to bond with Zephyr?

  And while the physical part of her did the happy dance at the sheer notion of getting to share his bed full-time, the rest of her cringed. He held an opposing view about what should be done with wraith-pairs and she saw no way around that, since deep in her heart, she hoped that one day her mother would be found, rescued and rehabilitated.

  Alesia, and the fae part of her, was absolutely sure that one day her mother would come home.

  She sat down on the long bench at the foot of the bed, and called for Zephyr. They needed to talk, get everything out in the open.

  Zephyr appeared in the doorway and the mere sight of him filling her with tremendous longing. But she could never be with a man who slaughtered wraith-pairs, something she had to make him understand.

  She would have opened the subject, but he spoke first. “I want us to form the blood rose bond.”

  She blinked. “What?”

  He then paced the east side of his bedroom and spoke for a long time about things Gerrod had told him, about how all the mastyrs in the entire Nine Realms would be after her, how he couldn’t bear the idea of her servicing other men in that way, how she’d be tempted, and on and on.

  She finally covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. “Stop it. I can’t listen to this anymore. I won’t bond with you and I certainly won’t bond with any other mastyr, most of whom are warriors of one kind or another, just like you. I reject everything about being a blood rose.”

  When she opened her eyes, he was standing over her.

  He spoke softly. “I didn’t intend to overwhelm you. But I need you to understand that you’re vulnerable right now.”

  “Well, you’ve made that clear, but please back off.” She lifted her hands up and patted the air.

  He took several steps away from her and finally she could breathe again.

  Glancing toward the east window, she saw that the dusky part of the evening was almost gone. “I’ll need to be at the diner in a few minutes. Will you fly me there?”

  “Alesia, you can’t be serious. You can’t go back there, not yet anyway.”

  “Why the hell not?” She rose to face him.

  His eyebrows dipped. He looked mad as hell. “Because they’ll be back, all three wraith-pairs, if not here then at your diner, that’s why. They’ve marked you as someone dangerous and they won’t stop until you’re dead.”

  She shook her head. “But, why?”

  “Because you used your battle energy against that vampire.” His voice was softer as he said, “Listen, I want you to know that I’m so sorry about your mom. I had no idea and I wish like hell you’d told me sooner. Given what happened to you, I can see that I must have sounded harsh, even unkind, on the subject. And now I understand why you broke up with me.”

  She lifted her chin. “But it doesn’t change anything with you, does it?”

  He frowned. “The truth is, I don’t know.”

  She’d never been more shocked. “Well, that’s something, I suppose.”

  “I’m not saying this lightly, but if I’d been in your shoes, if I’d seen my mother carried away by a wraith knowing she’d be forced into an Invictus bond, I’d probably have spent every single minute of my life hunting for her, trying to rescue her.”

  “You would have?”

  “Yeah.” He nodded several times. “That’s exactly what I would have done.”

  She finally crossed to him and put her hand on his arm. “Thank you for that, Zeph. I think that’s the kindest thing you’ve ever said to me on this subject.”

  His frown deepened. “Again, I apologize for being so insensitive.”

  Alesia stared into clear blue eyes, the eyes of the man she loved. She had no doubt about what she felt for him, not even a little.

  But the idea of bonding with him still gave her shakes. She didn’t want to be this close to him, or to anyone, and maybe that went to the deeper part of the issue for her. She’d lost so much when her parents had been attacked and she didn’t want to go back there, having that much to lose ever again.

  So, no, for her, being a blood rose, being close to any mastyr, would never be a simple thing.

  She wanted to go home, to regroup, but Zephyr wasn’t likely to honor her request, not with an impending attack on the horizon.

  She was about to suggest that he call Mastyr Gerrod so that he might send some of his vampire Guard all the way south to escort her home, when suddenly a loud banging sounded on the metal roof of his home, just like the night before. She flung herself into his arms.

  He surrounded her quickly and held her fast. “It’s okay. I’ve got this. I’ll use some shock therapy again.”

  “Yes, do that.”

  He released her and moved quickly to his desk in the living room.

  At the same time, another wraith shrieked at the front door and set up a second loud banging.

  Alesia covered her ears.

  More wraith-pairs arrived. She joined Zephyr by his desk and leaned her forehead against his shoulder. I can hardly bear this.

  “Something’s wrong. I think they’ve cut the electricity to the house. I can’t even turn my computer on.”

  By then, however, he had his phone to his ear. “Gerrod, we need back-up at my hilltop home. We’re under attack. We’ve got at least five wraith-pairs trying to break in.” He gave him the location and afterward returned his phone to the pocket of his jeans.

  He said something but the pounding was so severe that she couldn’t make out his words.

  Zeph, I can’t even hear you. What did you say?

  Three squads are on the way, maybe ten minutes out.

  When a booming sounded at the front door, which meant the Invictus were using some kind of battering ram to
try to break in, he pathed, This place has a tunnel that leads a couple hundred yards out into an oak grove. You game?

  Sweet Goddess, yes.

  He led her to a door that looked like a closet opposite his kitchen.

  He opened it and ushered her inside. Once within the narrow space, he tried to use the key pad, but again the electricity wasn’t working. He opened a separate, hidden panel and using a mechanical handle, twisted it swiftly which caused a metal door to slide open.

  A rush of cool air poured into the space. Closing the secret panel, he moved into the tunnel and she followed him. Once across the threshold, he turned and repeated the secret panel process so that the door closed behind them. He then led the way on a jog.

  They’d run for a few minutes when he pathed, We’re almost there. As soon as I open the door, I’m taking you into the night sky.

  Got it.

  I’ll swing east about three miles before going north again.

  The Invictus were slightly less active in the southeast than the western portion of the realm.

  Reaching the door to the outside, he once again opened a panel, turned the handle and the door slid open.

  * * * * * * * * *

  Zephyr took a long moment to listen to the oak grove. The tunnel exit was well-hidden in a dense part of the grove where very few realm-folk ever went and no wraith-pairs that he knew of.

  He grew very still and felt that Alesia did the same as she remained standing behind him, holding her breath.

  The wind blew in his direction and no unusual smells came at him. He stepped outside, and listened a little more, then gestured for Alesia to join him.

  But just as he reached for her, something heavy dropped on top of him, taking him to the ground.

  He came up fighting what proved to be a male wraith. He grabbed him around the neck in a wrestler’s hold. Normally, he would have just snapped the thin bones, but not this time, not with Alesia nearby and staring at him in horror.

  Alesia shook her head and cried out, “No, don’t do it. Zeph, please. Let this pair live.”

  The wraith’s mate, however, dropped from the hillock that housed the tunnel exit, a knife in hand. He could see by the way she held the dagger that she’d had a lot of practice. She looked familiar to him, though he couldn’t place her. Perhaps he’d known her before her abduction.