“His memories had been removed by his uncle before he was sent away. He had no idea of Liona’s existence.” Siv watched the way she moved through the snow, barely skimming over the surface.
“Before we chase after this vampire, and I know you’re in a hurry, I need you to do something first.”
He stopped immediately. “Of course, my lady. Anything.”
For one moment, her eyes met his, and then she looked away quickly. She looked almost shy. He couldn’t imagine his lifemate shy. He examined his every interaction with her. The way she took control of the battle with the demons. Her conversation with her brother. Was it just with him? He reached for her, slipped his palm gently around the nape of her neck.
“You are my lifemate, Vasilisa. You have only to ask and it is yours.”
She moistened her lips, still not meeting his eyes. He was tempted to lift her chin, but he waited, instinctively knowing she needed to find her own way.
“I have never responded to any man’s kiss. I have found kisses to be rather... repulsive.” Her long lashes lifted, and her startling blue eyes met his once again.
His heart jumped. Skipped a beat. Those eyes of hers did strange things to his chest. He both was amused and felt as though his insides were melting. It was a peculiar and disturbing combination.
“I would very much like you to kiss me. I need to know if this is going to work between us. As my husband, you’re going to expect certain things, and I need to know if we have...” She broke off, looking uncertain again.
“If we have chemistry,” he finished for her. He wantedconfirmation that she was looking for that specifically. He knew the power of lifemates and the bond between them. They would have explosive chemistry. Kissing could be dangerous, but he was very willing to oblige her.
Siv didn’t wait. He exerted pressure, pulling her closer to him. One hand framed her face. Her skin was unbelievably soft. His thumb slid over her high cheekbone, mapping it out in his mind and then sliding over her aristocratic nose before tilting her chin up. Her long lashes swept down to cover the astonishing blue of her eyes.
Her lips trembled as his thumb outlined their perfection. He leaned down to catch her breath. So sweet. He very gently kissed her lower lip on the corner. Tasted her. Sipped at her. Used his teeth to tug tenderly and then shifted to the other corner to nibble there. His tongue made a little foray over her soft lower lip and then along the seam. He kissed her upper lip gently, with almost no pressure. Moved upward to press a kiss along her very elegant nose and then each eye. Claiming her. Leaving his imprint on her. He moved down her face, along her cheekbone, back to her mouth. Those lips. So soft.
He kissed her gently. Coaxing her response. Breathing for her. His teeth nipping a little harder this time, a little more insistent so that she gasped, parting her lips, letting him in. His tongue swept away the small sting and then stroked a caress over hers. Silky soft. Flames licked up his throat and began to roar in his bloodstream. Their mouths welded together; their tongues, dancing a tango, were as hot as hades.
Vasilisa slid her hands up his chest, and then her arms went around his neck, and she leaned her weight completely into him. He shifted her in his arms so he could get a better angle.
The moment his body felt hers melting into him, he needed clothes gone, needed skin-to-skin contact. It was hard to resist the urgent needs of his body when hers moved not so subtly against him.
Sanity and thinking left and feeling took over. There was a roaringin his head, thunder in his ears and a fierce wildfire burning out of control in his veins, spreading fast and rushing to settle in his groin. The feeling was euphoric. He’d had no idea. As many times throughout the centuries as he’d studied the arts of sexual practices, he hadn’t actually participated.
Her lips moved against his like silk. It was as if they’d touched a match to an incendiary device. She had wanted to see if they had chemistry. They detonated together. He had to pull back or lose control altogether. That wouldn’t be right. Very reluctantly, he lifted his head, grateful his lifemate chased after him with a little whimper. Definite chemistry. He was fairly certain there wasn’t going to be a complaint coming his way.
He smiled down into her upturned face, his thumb sliding gently over her slightly swollen lips. Her blue eyes looked a little dazed.
“What do you think? Good chemistry? We can work on it when we have more time.” He bent his head and tenderly brushed a kiss along her lower lip, the one that appeared to be pouting just a little bit. “We’ll practice, my lady, and get it right.”
She blinked as if coming out of a dream. “You think we need practice?”
He nodded solemnly and stole another kiss. A long, fiery one. When they needed air, he broke off. “Many, many long hours of practice to get it right.”
Vasilisa let him take all of her weight for just one moment. “I agree completely. I’ve always been a perfectionist. We wouldn’t want to do anything half-assed, as my brother would say. My mother raised me to do things right.”
“As far as I’m concerned, Vasilisa, you are already more than excellent at kissing. I hope you do not find me repulsive in this department.”
She shook her head, stepping back. His hands slipped to her arms to steady her. She still wore that dazed expression. He wanted to goback to kissing her, but Vitus was escaping justice. It didn’t do any good to have a master vampire on the loose. He could wreak havoc wherever he chose to go. He wouldn’t be happy that his followers were destroyed. Vitus was a vampire who believed in retribution. He would do his best to find a way to retaliate against Vasilisa, Garald and Afanasiv.
He would think Afanasiv would have to warn his friends using the common Carpathian pathway—which would include him. The ancients had their own pathway forged long ago. He used it now, reaching for Petru, Nicu and Benedek.The master vampire calling himself Prince Vitus is running. He is angry and looking for revenge. Do not allow him to use you for that purpose.
There was a short silence. Petru was the first to respond. He preferred fighting with weapons and was lightning fast with them. He didn’t need the weapons; he just enjoyed using them. He was also a master of strategy. Few could outthink him in a battle.
I am engaged with a master vampire, his underlings and several demons just east of you, Siv. They were in the process of attacking a number of households. The strange thing is he has one of the members of the house of royalty with him, not as a prisoner. This man betrayed his countrymen.
Vasilisa froze in place. “He is mistaken. That cannot be true. It is an impossibility for any of us to turn traitor.”
Afanasiv frowned.Is it possible this vampire is a master of illusion and has created an image of one of the members of the house?
It is impossible to fool me. You know that. This man, this Andros, is the real thing. A part of his brain is fighting against what he does, but he is cooperating with the vampires and demons,Petru assured him.