Midnight Reckoning

“Don’t stop,” she said softly, her voice breathy and unrecognizable to her own ears. “Please. What’s done is done. I want this.”



And she did, so much that in that moment it seemed to be all there was, all that mattered. Relief surged through her when she saw Jaden relax, desire replacing the fear now fading from his eyes.



“If you’re sure,” he said.



Lyra nodded. “I want this,” she repeated, lifting her hips into him to make her point. The sensation had her head falling back, her eyes closing. Her breath escaped on a sigh.



So he began to move in her, slower thrusts at first, then stronger as the sparks between them once again lit and quickly turned to flames. The pace quickened, intensified, punctuated by Jaden’s guttural moans as Lyra drove him beyond his control. She could feel everything inside of her gathering again, readying for a burst far greater than the one she’d only just experienced. Her desire coiled within, tighter, ever tighter. She opened her eyes again when she was close to the edge, gripping Jaden’s hips tightly in her hands as she urged him on. When their eyes locked, his full of more passion than she’d ever imagined he might possess, Lyra felt something open up inside, unfurling like a night-blooming flower and stretching toward him as though he were the life-giving moon. He began to shudder, his own climax upon him, and with one small gesture made all that had built inside of Lyra break loose.



He threaded his fingers through hers to hold her hand.



When the dam burst this time, Lyra heard herself cry out as though from far away. Her body slammed upward, stiffening against him, tightening around him like a fist. A sensation almost too intense to be called something as simple as pleasure swept her away on dark and beautiful currents. Emotions she had never experienced, things that she could name but had never known, washed over her in wave after wave while he pulsed and throbbed within her.



She heard him cry out her name as he poured himself into her, and she did as instinct demanded. Without thought, without anything but feeling, Lyra raised up.



And sank her teeth into his neck.



Chapter FIFTEEN



HE FELT AS THOUGH he had been run over by a semi. Several times. And then it had backed over him for good measure.



Fortunately, Jaden was far too happy to care.



Actually, happy wasn’t quite the word for it, Jaden thought as he lay in the tall grass, his arms around the most unusual woman fate might have picked for him. Euphoric, maybe. Blissed out of his mind, even.



Words didn’t matter. If that was the last time he ever had sex in his life, he knew he would die a happy man, even centuries from now.



“Mmm,” Lyra said, the sound vibrating against his throat where she’d tucked her head. Her lips were still against his skin, and if he wasn’t careful, he knew he would get worked up all over again. The certainty he felt about this amazed him, since by rights he shouldn’t even be able to move.



Actually, whether he really could yet was debatable. His limbs felt like Jell-o. In a good way.



As a test, he stroked one hand along Lyra’s back, over her silken curls, across warm skin, and down to cup her backside. Jaden gave a lazy smile. Yes, he could move.



From the position of the stars, Jaden thought it must be somewhere around two in the morning. Not even close to sunrise. Which was lovely, because he was perfectly awake and very content to lay here with Lyra for as long as possible. She was soft and warm, and smelled fantastic. And she was finally his.



For now, whispered a treacherous voice in the back of his mind, and he pushed it away quickly. He was great at spoiling his better moments with worry—this would not be one of those. Still, he pulled her just a little closer, resting his chin on top of her head. How long had it been since he’d held a woman like this? Ages. But he had never come anywhere near what he’d experienced tonight with anyone. He wondered if it was because she was a werewolf… or because she was simply Lyra.



She sighed, her breath warming his neck. “I l—” she started, then paused abruptly. “I like lying here with you,” she said quietly. For whatever reason, the muscles in her back tensed slightly, and Jaden began rubbing that area in gentle circles. Slowly, he felt her relax back into him, though perhaps a little more stiffly than before.



“I like lying here with you too,” he replied. After a moment of consideration, he added, “You’re not… hurt, or anything, are you? If I’d known, I would have tried to be a little gentler.”



He wondered whether that was the source of her sudden tension. She hadn’t so much as hinted she was a virgin, and she certainly didn’t kiss like any virgin he’d ever known. But the evidence had been a little hard to ignore. He hoped she didn’t feel strange about their union. Jaden was honored that she’d chosen him… more than he knew how to express. Though it shouldn’t matter to him, and though he knew the sentiment was archaic at best, knowing that he had been the only man to possess her that way thrilled him in some deep and buried part of his soul.



Of all the men she could have had, and with her beauty he knew there were many, she had chosen him. The simple truth of that filled him with wonder.



“No, I’m fine,” Lyra said, and he could hear the smile in her voice when she added, “And no you wouldn’t have. Which is also fine. It hasn’t been a conscious choice or anything. I guess I’m just picky.”



“You have interesting taste,” he remarked. “Not that I’m complaining. Thank you.”



He heard her amused exhalation. But she shifted in his arms, drawing away from him to rise to a sitting position, her arms curled around herself. The loss of her warmth made him shiver a little in the cool night air. Suddenly unsure of himself, Jaden lifted a hand to place it gently on her back.



“Lyra? What’s wrong?”



“Hmm? Nothing,” she said, turning her head to regard him. She offered a small smile, but Jaden felt the change in her as deeply as if she’d simply stood up and walked away. One minute she’d been very much with him. The next, she’d retreated into herself, effectively shutting him out.



Frustrated at this sudden shift between them, Jaden rose to sit beside her, his body curved into hers. He leaned over to kiss her shoulder, letting his lips linger, enjoying her warmth. He felt her slight shiver, and he was relieved to find she wasn’t unaffected by what they’d shared.



“We should go back,” she said quietly. “It’s late.”



“That’s what you get for consorting with vampires,” Jaden teased her. “Stay with me. It’s a beautiful night. We’re naked in a field. Enjoy it.”



That, at least, got half a laugh. “We’ve done plenty of enjoying it.”



“Then a little more won’t hurt. I spent long enough fantasizing about this. It’s cruel to cut the reality short. I’ll be emotionally scarred.”



Lyra’s smile was warmer this time, though he still felt as though she had decided to distance herself from him in a way that she hadn’t during their lovemaking. She was a difficult woman, he reminded himself. And he wouldn’t be half as fascinated by her if she wasn’t. Still, he wished he knew why her guard had gone back up so quickly.



“Cute,” she said.



“Did you… not like it?” He hated how vulnerable he sounded, how pathetic. But he hoped she had enjoyed it even half as much as he had. He was a bit rusty. Perhaps that was it…



“It was amazing,” Lyra said, with a brook-no-refusals tone in her voice that settled him instantly. “You were amazing. I didn’t—I never thought—” She shook her head, then laughed softly. “There aren’t words, I guess.”



Tentatively, Jaden shifted, lifting his hand to stroke her cheek, then down her arm. He worried she would bolt if he moved too quickly, and he so badly wanted her to stay with him, stay here. To make what was left of the night last, in case this chance never came again. Jaden felt her respond to his touch, saw her resolve weakening. He decided to press the advantage and claimed her mouth in a soft, lingering, and very thorough kiss.



Lyra’s need rose so quickly it seemed to burn right through him, a blast of heat that sparked every dark desire he’d ever had. His arms went around her, and he felt the pinpricks of her claws in his shoulders. Gods, he hoped she bit him again… that had been one of the most singularly erotic experiences of his life. And this time, he planned to return the favor.



Lyra abruptly broke the kiss with a sharp gasp, pushing herself back with such force that she kicked up a cloud of pollen from the ground.



“Lyra? What is it, love, what’s wrong?”



Her eyes were wide, frightened. He’d never seen that look of pure terror on her face before and had no idea what had put it there. For a long moment, she stared at him as though she’d never seen him before, but then her look quickly faded into worry and confusion—simpler things to deal with, and far less concerning. Still, what had happened?



“Do you…” Lyra began, her voice shaking. She stopped, took a breath, then pressed on. “You don’t feel… funny… do you?”



“Not any funnier than I would normally feel lying around naked outside,” Jaden replied, frowning a little. “Lyra, what on earth is wrong? Are you hurt?” Even in the darkness, she looked a little pale, he thought.



She surprised him when she dropped her eyes, confirming to him that something more was bothering her. But her refusal to tell him what it was wasn’t surprising at all. Just frustrating, and something he’d hoped they’d now gotten past.



“No. I don’t know. Maybe I’m getting sick. I think I’m just tired, honestly. Between the training and… after… it was quite a night. I just feel kind of off all of a sudden.”



“It was an incredible night. But if you feel like you should rest, then you should,” Jaden said. “We can’t afford you getting sick right now.”



“No,” she replied. “We can’t.” Something in the way she said it lingered with him, and not in a pleasant way.