CHAPTER TWO

Dr. Sweeney, Kade’s personal physician, had assessed Luca’s health. Even though he’d received human blood, there was the possibility he might not return to who he had been. The doctor estimated he’d gone without blood for at least seven days, which would have been long enough to easily kill a younger vampire. She said there was a chance he would recover fully after several feedings, but they might have to wait over a month before they knew for sure. Devastated by the news, Kade went to search for comfort in Sydney.

Sydney was hunched over, with her face in her hands, sitting in the master bedroom when Kade found her. He would never get used to the feel of his heart squeezing in his chest when he was around her. Detective Sydney Willows was his woman, his fiancée: strong, sexy, loving. She was all he would ever need in this life, but would he risk her to save his friend?

“Sydney, love. You okay? What’s wrong?” he questioned, kneeling before her.

Sydney silently shook her head.

“You cannot hide from me. We need to talk about what happened back in the car…Luca,” he whispered. Kade removed and discarded his wet shirt and pants. He then knelt before Sydney and slid his hands up her calves. He would never get enough of her, feeling the strength of his woman’s body.

Sydney snapped her head upward to gaze into Kade’s eyes; her mane of long, curly blonde locks spilled over her shoulders. A chill of sexual excitement shot into Sydney’s body, but she tried to quell the feelings in the wake of what had just happened to Luca. “How is he?” she asked, knowing Kade would remain stoic in the face of crisis. That was just the kind of man he was: authoritative, confident and courageous. He’d be strong for Luca, for Sydney.

“Dr. Sweeney came over and checked him out. She says he’ll most likely recover. But it could be a month before we know for sure. But you know Luca; he’s strong. He’s fine…physically,” he answered.

She cupped his face in her hands and leaned into him for a brief kiss. She needed Kade’s warmth, to bring him comfort.

“What do you mean, baby? Did he tell you what happened, who did this to him?” She realized she had shifted into detective mode. Stopping herself, she changed her approach. “Kade…in the car…he…” How could she tell Kade?

“What happened in the car, love, was that Luca smelled your blood and was simply ravenous for human blood; he was starved. He wouldn’t have hurt you. I’d swear my life on it. But he may still need you…” How could he ask Sydney for her help?

Sydney got up out of the chair, raked her fingers through her long hair and began to pace. She was confused, scared. She was afraid for herself and how Kade might react. “Kade, something happened in the car. Luca. I don’t know how to explain it. Our mental connection. Somehow, Luca…when he looked at me. He needs me.” She stood still, waiting for Kade to respond.

Kade loved her so much. He hated having to tell her what might help Luca heal. But somehow, Luca had communicated with her instead of him. Rushing over to embrace Sydney, Kade let himself briefly enjoy the feel of her soft breasts against his bare chest, the smell of her strawberry-scented hair. Pulling back, he kissed her, a soft loving kiss. “Sydney, I don’t know how he communicated with you. Maybe the blood connection. He is mine…of my making. Please don’t be afraid.”

Sydney held her chin high, feigning courage. “Me? Afraid? Seriously?” Then she giggled nervously, knowing that she was very much afraid. But she didn’t want Kade to have to worry about her in addition to Luca. It was too much.

He smiled, letting her save face. “My brave detective, I know you’re as tough as they come. And I love you for it. But we need to be honest with each other. This is serious, understand?”

“Okay. I’m a little afraid,” she whispered.

“He needs you. More specifically, he needs you to feed him. Your blood...it’s special. You have my vampiric blood in you, and your own very special, sweet mortal essence.” Kade was confident in their relationship. He loved her unconditionally, and she him. Yet he wanted Sydney to feel safe. Sure, she knew the dangers and realities of his world, but she was still a novice. He knew that she was just starting to become comfortable around the other vampires.

“Yes,” she quietly responded, unsure where he was going with his explanation.

“You know how it is when I bite you, correct?” He needed to make sure she was clear about what could happen and had no regrets. “Sydney, if you do this, I will be there with you. You’ll be safe. But I want to be clear, it very well could be…well, you know, sexual in nature. You know how it is…” his words trailed off.

Before he met Sydney, Kade and Luca had often shared women. He had even shared a brief dance with Sydney and Luca, at Sangre Dulce, a local bondage club, where they’d been investigating a crime. But he’d had no intentions of sharing Sydney with Luca, ever. It hadn’t been an option…until now.

Kade watched Sydney as she pulled away from him and resumed pacing. He could see her thoughts spinning in her head. She’d been attracted to Luca that night in the club but that didn’t mean she’d wanted anything further to happen. Added to the fact that she wasn’t a big fan of vampires; would she agree to let another man bite her?

Kade blew out a breath. He hated to rush her, but he felt as though they were running out of time. “Sydney, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. But if you do agree, I want to be crystal clear that I am not asking you to have sex with Luca. You should be aware by now that I have grown quite possessive of you.” He smiled and approached her, seeking her touch. “But you need to know that Luca may, indeed, touch you, and you, in return, may feel the need to touch him. And I don’t want you feeling guilty or uncomfortable with it. It is our nature.”

Sydney closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around Kade’s neck. “I love you, Kade. I love you so much it hurts sometimes. I would do anything for you, or to save Luca. And I want you to know that I’m not afraid, because I know you will protect me. I’m nothing but secure in our relationship. I know you and I are meant to be. So if I do this for him, whatever sexual feelings bubble up during this…this feeding…it’s just a feeling that happens. Like that night in the club…” She blushed, remembering how she had felt, sandwiched between both Luca and Kade’s hard, sexy maleness.

Kade nodded knowingly, “Yes, I remember.” He knew his reserved detective had been inordinately aroused by dancing with two men.

“It was overwhelming that night…dancing so intimately with both you and Luca. I never thought I would enjoy my little walk on the kinky side, but I did. But I also know that I love you…You and you alone. So I don’t plan on making love to Luca when we do this…no matter how good he bites,” she joked.

Kade tightened his hold around Sydney’s waist. “As if I would let you make love to another man, love. You are mine,” he growled. Kade captured Sydney’s lips, his tongue swept over hers, drinking in her sweet nectar. She was the most amazing, sexy woman. He wanted to make love to her right then, right there, but Luca was waiting. He reluctantly drew back from their kiss. “Okay, this is how it’s going to happen. I will be directing this show, understand?”

Sydney nodded in agreement, eagerly anticipating helping Luca.

Kade and Sydney stood at the entrance to Luca’s room watching Dominique busy herself. She was placing the dirty towels in a laundry bin and straightening the sheets on the bed as if they somehow affected Luca. Sydney knew that Dominique was simply struggling to keep her mind off of the fact that Luca was unresponsive. Despite her typical flippant comments and hard exterior, Dominique cared deeply for Luca.

Luca was resting quietly in the bed with only a white cotton sheet covering his legs and groin. His broad, muscled chest, now restored, quietly rose and fell as he slept peacefully. His dark, shoulder-length hair was tousled across the white pillow case. He looked peaceful, rested and healthy. Yet they all knew he wasn’t.

Kade, still shirtless, wore loose-fitted, faded blue jeans; he wanted to be comfortable when they did this. Sydney had nervously changed into a casual, spaghetti-strapped, black sundress that could easily be mistaken for a nightgown, deciding that she needed to be in comfortable clothing. She wasn’t exactly sure of the logistics but since Luca was still in bed, she figured she would at least be on a chair or kneeling beside the bed.

She was about to ask a question when Kade interrupted her thoughts. “Dominique, leave us. We’ll watch him,” he ordered.

Understanding his meaning, Dominique quickly left the room and shut the door.

“Sydney, you ready?” he asked.

“Yes. Where do you want me?” she responded.

“Remember Sydney, I am in charge here. Luca will not be dangerous. You are safe with us. But you must listen to me, no questions. I am in control,” he said matter of factly.

Sydney had to admit that was one of the things she loved about Kade. He was one hundred percent alpha male. He gave orders, didn’t take them. And Sydney always felt safe giving him control sexually. She was under a lot of pressure most days to lead teams and investigations. Sexually, she desired to submit to him occasionally. It wasn’t in her nature to submit, but Goddess, this man brought out things in her personality she never even knew existed.

“Sydney?” His voice brought her thoughts back to Luca.

“Sorry. Yes, I’m ready.” She listened intently for her instructions.

Kade grabbed her hand and kissed her palm. “Luca’s resting, so we need to get his senses awakened enough to feed…to bite you. The best place to let him bite you would be your neck.” He traced his fingers around the side of her face, down her neck. “Come.”

Sydney felt her body shake in anticipation of what would happen. She trusted Kade, but damn, she was nervous. What the fuck was I thinking, telling Kade I’d let Luca feed from me? But she’d promised to help Luca. For both their sakes, they needed him back.

“Lay on your side, next to Luca. I will be right here behind you, love,” he directed. “Get in.” He patted the bed.

Sydney got into bed; her breasts struggled to stay in her dress as she pressed up next to Luca’s arm. “Is this okay?”

“Move closer, Sydney. Put your arm across his chest. Press closely up against him without getting on top of him. He will sense you. Concentrate. Reach out mentally for him. He’s there.” Kade spooned Sydney and put his strong arms protectively around her waist. “There you go, love. That’s it…I feel him. He knows we’re here. Why we are here. Don’t struggle, Sydney. Just let yourself go. Don’t worry about losing control, okay? Remember that I’m here. You’ll be fine.”

In Luca’s mind, he could hear her calling him. Sydney. But how could that be? Then Luca heard another voice. Kade. He struggled to listen. He knew he was at Kade’s home but he couldn’t talk, move. What was happening to him? The scent of strawberries teased his nose. Soft, warm hands on his chest. Female hands. Samantha?

No, not Samantha, Sydney. He sensed Kade, too. The scent of Sydney’s sweet blood called to him. Not just human blood. No, mortal blood infused with the blood of his maker. He needed it to survive. The desire to live was strong.

Tendrils of awareness fingered throughout his body awakening his senses. Feed. The command coming from Kade was strong. Yet, it didn’t make sense that he would share Sydney. No, he wouldn’t do that to his friend. Sydney belonged to Kade. Feed. Luca started shaking his head; his eyes opened. “No,” he pleaded. His first words since the attack.

Feed. This time from Sydney. He could hear her speaking to him telepathically. She was offering herself to him. No, that couldn’t be. He couldn’t understand why this was happening. Confused, he looked down to see her stroking his chest, cuddled up next to him, staring into his eyes.

“Yes, Luca. It’s me, Sydney. We know what you need. It’s okay. Kade and I are both here.” She reached up and caressed his face, placing her finger on his lips.

“Luca, feed. Listen to Sydney. Her blood’s special. She offers her blood to you freely as do I. Now feed,” Kade ordered again. He knew Luca would resist, but he’d force him if necessary. Sydney’s blood would restore him.

Luca’s fangs descended on hearing Kade’s command. He rolled over onto his side, to gaze into Sydney’s eyes, wanting to be assured of her permission. Luca glanced at Kade who nodded. Feed.

Luca had always found Sydney incredibly sexy but never wanted to infringe on his friend’s woman. Yet, here she was in bed with him, offering herself to him. He slid his hand around her waist, feeling the back of Kade’s hand holding her gently in place. Luca whispered to Sydney, “Thank you.” With those words, he let his lips fall onto hers, kissing her softly, pressing his chest to hers.

He pulled his head back slightly. “I promise to be gentle, Sydney.”

She gasped as she felt the slice of Luca’s fangs at her throat. “Kade…” It was all she could manage as moisture flooded her core. She ached for release as Luca held her closer still, draining her blood. Sydney felt strangely at peace having two strong male bodies surround her in such an intimate way. Kade. Luca. She embraced his bite, realizing she’d lost control.

Luca moaned as her nourishing blood swept into his throat. A magical mixture of human blood infused with his maker’s awoke his consciousness. Memories of the past two weeks flashed before his eyes. The killing of Simone and Asgear. Touching Samantha’s soft hair, comforting her in Kade’s basement. Traveling to the coven. An attack. Silvered. Drained of blood. Tormented. Malnourished. Dying. A rushing vortex of energy propelled throughout his entire being as he voraciously drank her gift to him, her blood. Exhilaration rose within Luca as his emotional connections regenerated.

Kade watched intently as Luca suckled Sydney’s neck, careful to make sure Luca kept himself under control. He disliked the thought of sharing her with any man, but he was desperate to save Luca. Watching his friend feed from his fiancée, he sensed Sydney’s growing arousal from the bite. Luca’s dark kiss could send her into erotic bliss or agony, depending on his intentions. He cared for her, so of course, Luca tried to make it pleasurable. Sensing Sydney’s desire, Kade reluctantly grew aroused as well. Lost in the moment, Kade pushed up Sydney’s dress, and slid his hands along her flat stomach to cup her bare breasts. He found himself grinding his hardness into her ass, and yearned to make love to her while Luca drank.

“Oh, yes, Kade. Please, I need...” Sydney found herself begging, writhing between Kade’s aching erection at her back and Luca’s bare hardness on her belly. She needed something but couldn’t articulate her thoughts. She struggled for control in an effort to relieve the ache.

“Sydney, love. You’re safe. Remember who’s in control. I’ll take care of you,” he reminded her. Kade unzipped his jeans and made short work of undressing himself. Pulling Sydney’s thong aside, his fingers slipped into her wet folds and found her most sensitive area. He began to rub her clitoris firmly but gently in circles.

“Yes, Kade,” she cried out as he touched her. She knew in her mind that she shouldn’t be doing this with two men, but she also understood that vampires were sexual at their core. At the very essence of their nature, they were capable of inflicting extraordinary pleasure or pain. Under the best of circumstances, they could restrain their need to climax and simply feed. Depleted of all nourishment, Luca had suffered tremendously; he wasn’t capable of holding back. They needed to restore him by tending to his every physical and emotional need.

Kade understood that she’d feel conflicted. She was still very much human, not accustomed to the ways of vampires. “That’s right, Sydney. Don’t fight how you feel, just go with it,” he coaxed. “Take Luca in your hand. It’s okay.”

Sensing Luca had drunk enough of Sydney’s blood, Kade directed him to stop feeding. She’d be too weak if he didn’t stop now. “Luca, release Sydney. Enough.”

Luca did as told, licking over the holes in her neck. He hissed as Sydney reached to stroke his velvety steel hardness. His forehead fell against her shoulder as she cared for him. Luca caressed her breast with one hand as Kade paid attention to the other one.

Sydney was completely overwhelmed. It was so wrong, but so right. She’d never done anything like this in her life. She wanted to save Luca but how had she gotten herself into something like this? Worse, she admitted to herself that she didn’t want to stop. She just needed release. “Kade!” she screamed as he entered her from behind in one thrust. She felt full with him, yet needing more.

“Sydney, so tight, warm. I won’t last like this,” he whispered into her ear. Kade began pumping in and out of her moist heat. He felt so connected to both Sydney and Luca in this single moment. The love of his life. His best friend. Kade felt Luca speak to him; “Thank you, friend.”

Sydney couldn’t keep her orgasm at bay much longer. She was grabbing the back of Luca’s head, pulling him into her shoulder while taking Kade into her from behind and stroking Luca. Too much. Can’t hold on.

Hearing her urgency, Kade reached around with his thumb to press her sensitive nub. “That’s it love. Come for me. So good. Let go.”

At his words, Sydney began to convulse against Luca and Kade, riding the waves of her climax. Kade slid one last long stroke into Sydney, holding her tightly against him and releasing his seed deep within her.

As Luca came along with them, a single thought escaped his lips as he cried, “Samantha!”

Kade quickly slipped out of Sydney and turned her around to him to hold her. He looked her directly in the eyes, realizing the gravity of what they’d just done. He was concerned about how she’d feel now that it was over.

“I love you so very much…more than life itself.” He feathered her closed eyes with kisses. “This thing between us, here, will never happen again. But make no mistake, we helped Luca come back to us, and I will be forever grateful for what you did today.”

“No regrets, okay. We helped him, didn’t we? Is he okay?” she asked quietly. Yeah, we helped him all right. She rolled her eyes thinking about what they had just done. She hoped Luca was healed after all that.

“Yes, love, he’s healed,” Kade replied.

Sydney felt embarrassed, but didn’t want to show it. She wanted to leave and give them space. She sat up, turned around and looked at the two very naked vampires lying in bed. “Okay, so who’s hungry? I get that you vamps only need blood, but a girl like me has got to get some real food,” she joked, desperately needing the levity.

Kade and Luca looked at each other and laughed. Kade made a move to sit up, and Luca reached out to put a hand on his arm. “Kade. Sydney. I don’t know what to say, so I will just say ‘thank you’. Thank you for rescuing me. Thank you for this, now. I am not sure what to say. After I had the donor blood today, I still couldn’t function. It was like I was there but not there. I know you both took a risk feeding me,” he looked around at the sheets. “And a risk knowing it might turn out to be a little more than just feeding.” He smiled knowingly.

Luca felt refreshed but angry as he recalled every detail of his attack and capture. Remembering the look on Samantha’s face as they’d attacked, he needed to know she was safe. From the minute he’d met Samantha, he’d felt protective of her.

“Listen, I know I have been out of it, but what of Samantha? I blacked out right before her and Ilsbeth…” Luca questioned.

“Ummm…she must be on your mind, huh, Luca?” Sydney grinned, interrupting his train of thought. “I know you aren’t crazy about us human women, but perhaps this one has gotten under your skin? You did call her name instead of mine. I’m crushed,” she teased and hopped off the bed towards the door, knowing that Luca had feelings toward Samantha. She smiled, thinking that her friend could actually be attracted to a mortal. Could it be that Luca was actually growing a heart?

Kade got up out of bed, leaving Luca leaning against the headrest. He watched Sydney leave the room, pulled on his jeans and turned to his friend. A serious expression washed across his face. “Luca, let’s be clear. You are my best friend. But know that I will not be sharing Sydney with you in the future. What we did today…” He looked to the bed and then met Luca’s eyes. “We did it to heal you, to bring you back. And while I am grateful you appear well, you need to stay out of trouble. I am not sure I could do this again.”

Luca smiled. It was unusual for him do to so, given his serious nature. “Understood, Kade. Sydney is beautiful, indeed. But I have always known she was yours and yours alone. It was very hard for me to accept her blood knowing she belonged to you. Thank you again for finding me. Healing me.” Luca stood up. Realizing he was naked, he wrapped the sheet around his waist. “I need to know though. Are Samantha and Ilsbeth safe?”

“Yes, it was Ilsbeth who called me to tell me you’d been attacked. Since your absence, she’s called me a few times to let me know that Samantha was cleansed and continuing her training. She’s at the coven still.”

“Kade.” He paused, thinking through the events of his kidnapping. “Whoever did this to me weren’t after me. I mean, they could have killed me, but they didn’t. Whoever attacked us knew better than to kill me lest you would rain hell down upon them in this city. They knew who I was and left me alive. It wasn’t me they wanted. No, they were after the witches.”

“Perhaps,” Kade pondered. Was Asgear working with someone else besides Simone? “I don’t know, Luca. Why would they want Samantha? She doesn’t know what she is. Ilsbeth holds a lot of power, but I can’t imagine who would be foolish enough to try and capture her at her home. Besides the magical wards she’s set, she could literally transport herself away from the captor.”

“Kade, there’s something about Samantha. I don’t know…” Luca was troubled. Something wasn’t right. Why hadn’t they killed him? “Talk to Sydney. Get her take on what happened. I plan to rest today while the sun is up, but tonight I’m going to the coven to see Ilsbeth and the girl.”

“Luca, my friend. You refer to Samantha as a girl, yet you cannot deny she is a woman. Perhaps there is another reason why you feel compelled to see her?” Kade asked.

“A human? No way, Kade. You know I’m not into mortal women. Give me a break. I was just drained and starved for over a fucking week. I’m pissed as hell and there’s got to be a goddamn good reason why this happened. Who the hell even knew I was transporting the witches? Who else knew about Asgear and Simone’s plans to take over the city? What if there’s more to Samantha than we really know? Ilsbeth should know by now what the hell kind of magic the girl has. Is it even real? Over a week has passed and I need to know what the hell is going on over there. Something isn’t right with what happened.” Luca was steaming mad.

Luca sighed, Samantha. Remembering the first time he’d met her, he wondered why she dominated his thoughts. Something about the human woman stirred his emotions, yet he could not fathom why he would care. The pixie-sized, fair-skinned beauty had barely been holding onto reality the last time he’d seen her. After she’d been bespelled by the evil mage, Asgear, who’d turned her into a submissive and beaten her to a pulp as a prisoner, she learned that the magic had infused itself into her very being. She was now a witch. Yet, she was technically still very much a mere mortal who knew nothing about witchcraft.

The last time he saw her she’d been in ‘protection’ at Kade’s estate. Protection. Hell, who was he kidding? After they’d rescued her from her shackled existence, they imprisoned her once again, albeit in a gilded cage. Tainted by the evil, infused by magic, she could not return home. Instead, Ilsbeth, a close confidant of Kade’s and a well-respected witch, insisted Samantha go with her to the coven to be cleansed and learn her new path in life.

The very first time he’d met Samantha, she was working at Sangre Dulce. He and Kade were working a case that night. As she had stood naked before them, serving drinks to his group of vampires, Luca was instantly attracted to the submissive, red-haired beauty. Samantha, who’d been introduced to him under the false name of Rhea, had offered herself for ‘play’. Luca had turned her down. He’d been there to work the case, find clues to a killer, not fuck. And then there was the undeniable fact that she was human. Not his first choice for playing. Humans were good for feeding, but way too emotional and breakable. No, when it came to sex, he preferred a supernatural with no attachments. As for love, it simply was not an option.

The next time he’d seen Samantha, she’d been bruised and battered, a shell of the woman he’d met at the club. He wondered how such a fragile woman had survived life locked in that desolate, filthy prison cell. When he’d broken the locked metal cuffs off her naked body, Luca had cursed the monster that had injured her. Later at Kade’s house, his heart had constricted as he’d watched her come to terms with what had happened to her. With no memory of the club or her actions, she had learned of her fate as a witch.

She was shocked on discovering that she’d never return to her work, her friends, her life. Vulnerable and shaken, she’d agreed to go with Ilsbeth to the coven…as if she’d been given a choice. Her soul was tainted; Kade would have never let her return without cleansing her soul.

Luca stared at himself in the bathroom mirror; the hard planes of his muscles looked as if he’d just returned from the gym. There was no indication that he had been on the brink of death. Luca touched his hardened abs, slick from sweat. He reveled in being vampire, in being indestructible. Almost. True, he was pure alpha male, perhaps even tougher than Kade, yet not as old. And despite being vampire, his time on Earth had almost ended. He didn’t have time to dwell on how he’d almost died. Rather, he contemplated why he was attacked. Why the fuck am I still here? Who wanted Samantha?

His thoughts raced as he stepped into the shower. He needed to see Samantha just one more time. This time, no crying…just talking. She would be calm. She’d had a week to adjust. Perhaps not much time for a human but it would be better than the last time when she couldn’t stop ‘leaking’. Humans, such weak creatures. Luca had no time or patience for their outbursts. The only human he’d tolerated was Sydney, and clearly that was due to Kade’s influence. She had proven her warrior abilities, fought alongside him, earned his respect.

One human woman in his life was enough. He decided that he would go to the coven, investigate what had happened and sate his curiosity. He’d question the little lovely human and find out who exactly was behind the kidnapping attempt.

As he rinsed the soap from his body, his cock jerked at the thought of seeing her again. Shit. He admonished himself for the thought. Yet as he stroked his hardness, he could not circumvent the vision of her. Samantha.