Embrace The Darkness

"Abby would never harm you."



"She might not intend to harm me, but I have no intention of being around a woman who has a history of setting things on fire when she loses her temper."



Dante's lips twitched. His mate was a beautiful, intelligent, extraordinarily kind woman, but there had been moments when her control of the Phoenix was not completely perfect.



Over the past months she had managed to singe a demon or two in public, which had unfortunately lingered in the minds of many.



"She almost never sets things on fire anymore," he protested.



"Almost, is not never, my friend." The dark eyes narrowed. "And when she discovers that you have slipped out of town without her... well, you must understand my concern. Have the gargoyle use the portal to contact her. I don't think mat gargoyles are flammable."



Dante gave a snort. "Coward."



Santiago shuddered. "Oh yes."



"Fine." Reaching for the cloak he had thrown over a delicate satinwood chair Dante swept it around his shoulders. "Take the clan to the edge of Rockford and I will meet you there."



Santiago gave a choked cough. "You intend to tell the Phoenix yourself?"



"I intend to pick her up and take her with us." he said dryly. "Not even I am stupid enough to tell her that she must stay behind."



Santiago gave a sudden laugh. "Age really does bring wisdom."



"Pathetic," Dante muttered as he marched from the room.



Chapter Twenty-Three



Shay struggled to crawl her way out of the clinging darkness. Not a pleasant task as she realized there was a crick in her neck and every muscle was cramped from sleeping on the hard, damp floor.



Of course it wasn't all bad, she had to concede. Nothing could be truly terrible when her head was resting on Viper's shoulder and his strong arms were wrapped about her.



Allowing herself a moment to simply drink in the scent of his skin and the feel of his body next to her own, Shay at last forced open her eyes.



"What time is it?" she demanded in a husky voice.



"A half hour past dark."



The cobwebs were wrenched from her mind as she abruptly sat upright. Below her Viper remained stretched on the hard rock, his beautiful ivory face and long silver hair only thing visible in the darkness.



"Why didn't you wake me?"



"I did try on several occasions, but you refused to obey," he murmured. "In fact you called me a number of quite disturbing names and threatened to stake me."



She narrowed her eyes. "I don't believe you."



His lips twitched. "Very well, if you want the truth I was enjoying watching you sleep."



"Ew. Don't do that"



He gave a lift of his brows. "Do what?"



"Watch me sleep. It creeps me out."



"Why?"



"Because I know I must be drooling."



"Only a little and it was very cute."



A reluctant smile touched her mouth. "Stop that."



Viper slowly lifted to sit beside her. He reached to cup her face in his hands.



"Shay, it wouldn't matter what you do in your sleep. Having you in my arms, feeling your warmth, is a joy that I treasure. Surely by now you know that I would sacrifice everything for you?"



Her breath caught and the mere chore of breathing became difficult "Viper?"



The dark, mesmerizing gaze flared over her face, his expression impossible to read.



"Am I frightening you?" he asked.



Her mouth was dry and her heart lodged somewhere in her throat. But frightened?



Naw.



"If you haven't noticed, I'm not that easily frightened," she forced herself to say.



His fingers tightened. "I've noticed that you are annoyingly eager to risk your life, but you are much more cautious when it comes to your heart."



Her gaze lowered to the full, sensual curve of his mouth. "The wounds of the heart are far more difficult to heal than wounds of the body."



He pressed his forehead to hers. "I would never hurt you, Shay."



His lips whispered over her skin sending a tingle of magic down her spine. She wanted to kiss him and show him precisely what burned in her heart. To softly run her hands over his hard, muscular body. To offer herself without reservation.



That was a simple thing.



It was getting the words past her lips that was proving to be the problem.



She just felt so... sappy.



"What do you want of me?" she at last demanded.



"Your trust, your love, your very soul. I want all of you."



Her laugh came out as a breathy whisper. "You don't ask for much."



"It is what all vampires demand of their mates "



She pulled back, her eyes wide. "Mate?"



He studied her deer-in-the-headlights expression with a faint smile.



"Yes. You are my mate, Shay. You are the woman destined to be at my side for all eternity."



"But..." She floundered to discover a reasonable thought floating around her brain. "We don't even know if I have an eternity."



"None of us can say precisely how long we have. Fate is fickle even to immortals," he said softly. "But for whatever days and nights we have I want you to share them with me."



She lowered her eyes as a surge of emotion threatened to make her bawl like a baby.



"This is hardly the time or place for such a discussion."



"Perhaps not, but I need to hear the words from you, pet." He smoothed a stray curl behind her ear. "I need you to tell me that you care for me."



She squirmed with unease. It was stupid. Beyond stupid. But she would rather face the Lu before admitting the truth etched across her heart.



"You know that I do."



"The words, pet," he urged. "Can you not say them?"



"It's not easy for me."



There was a long, painful pause before he heaved a sigh and pulled back. "No, it's not easy. Come, we should not linger."



As if to prove just how stupid she truly was, a flare of panic raced through her. This was the most important moment in her entire life and she was blowing it. Blowing it with glorious, stunning success.



And all because she was a flat-out coward.



Tough to admit, but there it was.



Reaching out she grasped the shredded fabric of his shirt. "Viper?"



Stilling beneath her touch he regarded her with a guarded expression. "What is it?"



"Shay?"



You can do this, Shay. And if you can't, then you damn well don't deserve this man.



End of story.



She moved until she was pressed tight against him, her expression grim with determination.



"I love you."



There was a shocked silence as he absorbed her abrupt words. They hadn't been elegant, or particularly original, but they were sincere.



That had to count for something.



At last a smile curved his lips. A slow, beautiful smile that sent a warm rush of pleasure through her entire body.



"As I love you, pet" Lowering his head he kissed her with a fierce, hungry possession before pulling back to study her with glittering eyes. "I thought by buying you from Evor and bringing you into my home I would rid myself of my obsession with you. I was not nearly so clever as I thought."



"Not nearly," she whispered.



He touched her cheek softly, as if he were touching the most delicate object.



"Of course there are a few compensations," he murmured.



"I'm afraid to ask."



He assumed his most arrogant expression. "I will never again be plagued with those pesky women who are desperate to have me in their bed. Or enter nightclubs through the back door for fear of causing a riot. Or have blood junkies trailing behind me pleading for a bite."



Shay roiled her eyes. "It's a pity that no one is willing to pay for bullshit. I would be rich."



His soft chuckle brushed over her skin. Her lower body clenched in delicious response.



Yummy.



"Ah, but you are rich," he breathed into her ear.



She pulled back with a grimace. "Don't remind me. For the moment that's something I would rather not consider."



The dark eyes flashed with amusement. Not surprising. What woman would ever complain of too much wealth?



It was like being too thin. Or too beautiful. There just wasn't any such thing.



"You would rather live in a squalid ruin and struggle to survive?"



"It's what I've done all my life," she retorted with a hint of defiance.



"No longer." His own tone was firm. "I intend to shower you with luxury."



Shay gave a tug on her braid. A sure sign of her discomfort. "That's what scares me."



Viper shook his head, "You are the strangest creature."



Strange? Her?



Ha. That was certainly the pot calling the kettle black. Or something like that.



She narrowed her gaze. "We aren't mated yet, vampire."



His expression abruptly softened with a tenderness that brought a small ache to the center of her chest.



"Not yet, but soon. Very, very soon." He swooped forward to steal a heart-wrenching kiss before pulling back with a rueful reluctance. "Now we truly must be on our way."