Part 12 (1/2)

Chapter Nine.

Sitting in the backseat of the car with his mate cradled on his lap, Zane gazed at Nicole. He didn't turn around as an explosion rocked the SUV. Instead, he watched the flickering fire behind him cast a warm glow on her face.

He was taking her home. Where he would seal her to him for all eternity. Thoughts of that eternity played in his mind over the next hour. Until Vlad's heavily accented voice cut into his musings.

”Creating a vampire mate is different than creating another vampire.”

Frowning, Zane looked up and met Vlad's brown gaze. ”What do you mean?”

”When Thomas turned you, you became a vampire. Newly made, you had only basic vampire skills and even less strength. It took years for you to become stronger than you had been before the change. Decades for your specific paranormal abilities to kick in and centuries before you were able to walk in the sun. This is not how it is with our mates.”

Zane looked over at Ronnie. She was sitting beside him in the backseat with a small smile on her lips. He'd never thought about it before. Vampire mates were so rare in the world. Those vampires in a true bond didn't talk about the connection. He could understand why-the thought of his enemies using knowledge of his bond with Nicole to hurt her sent an icy chill down his back.

A few things were obvious, like the physical s.p.a.ce restriction. But he knew that just like Vlad, Ronnie didn't have to worry about the sun. She'd been a vampire for about a hundred years. Too little time had pa.s.sed for that ability.

As if Vlad were reading his mind, he continued, ”In a mate bond, the connection isn't just through the blood. Ronnie believes that a vampire true bond somehow ties the souls together. It could explain why more than a few hundred feet can't physically separate us from each other. When Nicole becomes a vampire, her strength and skills will be based on your vampiric maturity. She will be able to go into the sun just as you do now. Whatever gifts she's blessed with, they will be there from the beginning. They probably won't be the same gifts you have, but they will be the gifts of a centuries-old vampire.”

Carefully, Zane ran one finger down Nicole's bruised cheek, wondering what form her gifts would take.

Vlad sighed. ”Before you have her experiment with those gifts, it might be a good idea to take her someplace less populated. A newly turned vampire true mate came close to flooding an entire city when he couldn't figure out how to shut off the rain he'd created.”

In the throes of mating fever, Zane had been concentrating on just one of the benefits of tying Nicole to him for eternity-unending time to explore her luscious body. Instead of reviewing a list of s.e.xual positions that went on for...well...forever, he should have focused on the changes that were about to consume their lives. How he handled the next few days would be critical. Nicole didn't know she was his mate. That she would soon become a vampire as well. Discovering she would be reborn as an elder put a unique spin on things. She would be his equal. A true partner. Zane couldn't wait for their new life to start.

When the car pulled in front of his home, he blinked.

”I need to touch her, Zane. Ronnie felt it would be better for your mate if she slept through the drive back to your house. So I ensured she did. Let me wake her for you.”

Zane sighed. He didn't want anyone messing with his mate's mind. He'd been concerned that she hadn't regained consciousness before they'd left Jackson's compound or during the ride home. If he'd known about this before, he'd have stopped Vlad. It was too late to argue now.

After allowing Vlad to press his finger to Nicole's temple, Zane waited for Nicky to open her eyes before extracting himself from the backseat. Held in his arms, she jerked, frantically glancing around. Igor, Vlad and Veronica had already walked down to Nicky's house, where they'd stay until the mating fever had run its course. ”We're home. I've got you.”

Sighing, she moved her hands around his neck and hung on tight. ”Thank you for saving me. What happened to that homicidal idiot, Mikey?”

”He won't ever hurt you again. We'll talk about it later. Right now I want to take care of you for a bit. Just relax.”

When she'd been unconscious, the urge to claim her had been a dull ache. Now that she was awake, the compulsion to mate hammered in his mind and body. With her in his arms, every step b.u.mped the mating fever up a notch. By the time he made it to the front door, he had to hide the fact that he was panting.

”I need a bath,” Nicky sighed. The whisper of sound teased his flesh and Zane shuddered in reaction.

Zane knew she really didn't need one. He'd cleansed her body with vampiric powers. But the warm water would comfort her.

Nicky felt Zane's muscles tense as they stepped inside his house. Her body clenched in sympathy, echoing his arousal. Instead of hours, it seemed as if she hadn't seen him for days. Hadn't kissed him or ran her hands through his wild mane of dark hair. Hadn't gripped his a.s.s in both hands as he plunged his c.o.c.k into her wet- Zane stumbled and came to a stop. ”G.o.d, Nicky! Don't torture me like that!”

Grinning unrepentantly into chocolate eyes, she shrugged her shoulders. ”Sorry. I forgot.” Only she wasn't sorry. And she definitely hadn't forgotten about their mental connection. If she didn't concentrate on Zane, her mind kept flas.h.i.+ng back to Mikey. To the pain he'd caused her and the promised deeds he'd left undone.

”He can't hurt you, Nicky. He can't hurt anybody.”

As he'd done earlier, Zane was reading her thoughts. All her thoughts-not just the erotic ones. Before she could decide how she felt about that, she realized she was also reading his. ”Mikey's dead.”

”Yeah.”

Nicky frowned, thinking. Letting out a small gust of air, she nodded. ”I can live with that. What about JJ?”

”A friend of mine is looking for him while I help you recuperate.”

Blus.h.i.+ng at the heated promise in Zane's throaty whisper and the intense hunger in his eyes, she averted her gaze. She felt uncomfortable reading his mind, so she didn't try.

When she caught sight of the living room they were standing in, she sucked in a sharp breath. ”Oh my G.o.d. This place is gorgeous!”

She'd never been in his house. There'd never been a reason before and they just seemed to spend all their time at her place. That had definitely been a mistake.

Swiveling to take it all in, her eyes darted from the oversized floor-to-ceiling fireplace to the large bank of windows on the other side of the room. A weighty, dark-oak mantel filled with impressive art gla.s.s broke up the mottled brown-and-beige surface of the fireplace. Spread across the floor was a ma.s.sive, deep-brown sectional. It was large enough to allow five adults to stretch out and rest their weary heads on a mult.i.tude of bright red pillows.

Her eyes tracked a plush red and brown rug as it drew her gaze over the highly polished, dark-wood floor to the expanse of red-curtained windows.

”In the daytime you can see sweeping, uninterrupted vistas of the Cascade Mountains.” Zane started walking down a hall to the right of the fireplace.

Sighing, Nicky decided that anyone sitting in that room would get whiplash trying to decide whether to focus on the fantastic view or the fireplace.

Zane paused at a large door, flicked his wrist and the door opened. Nicole smiled. She never got tired of watching him do that.

Holding Nicky in his arms was both heaven and h.e.l.l. It was heaven because he could hold her safe...and h.e.l.l because his body reacted in a very primitive manner to every sigh from her sweet lips. Each small movement inflamed his need to claim her. To mark her as his. To turn her.

How could he do this to her without some warning of how her life would change?

”Nicky.” Zane groaned as she pulled her attention away from his bedroom and turned in his arms. The motion pressed her unbound b.r.e.a.s.t.s against his naked chest. The thin fabric of the t-s.h.i.+rt failed to protect him from her soft warmth. ”We have to talk.”

She whimpered when he gently set her down and made himself step away. Her eyes widened and she moved to trace the cut on his chest. ”It's nothing. Just a small scratch, sweetheart.” And it was just a scratch. Now. His vampiric healing had miraculously knit his flesh back together. Definitely a bonus when he thought of turning Nicole. The beating she had taken would have already healed. Not that he ever wanted her to go through something like that again. Vlad's comments about Ronnie having been taken from him a couple times after they'd mated haunted him.

Shaking his head, he forced the fear away. He'd have to deal with those thoughts soon enough.

Backing toward the bathroom with the intent of taking care of Nicole, he watched her face as she followed him. Once she'd crossed the threshold she stopped, letting out a soft exclamation of delight. Zane grinned.

He reached for a bottle of lavender oil to pour into the large whirlpool tub. He'd expected this reaction to his favorite room in the house. Modern showers were great-but there was nothing more relaxing than a bathtub full of fragrant bubbles. And so he'd made sure his bathtub was more like a small swimming pool.

A flick of his fingers brought the granite gas fireplace roaring to life. A second motion ignited the dozen candles, their soft glow reflecting on the chocolate-colored walls and in the large mirror above the sink. This room with its dark earth tones and lush ferns always felt like a luxurious haven to him. He was pleased Nicole liked it as well.

While she stepped into the small room holding the toilet and closed the door, he set out plush bath towels then took bottled water from the small refrigerator hidden in the wall paneling. Its confines also hid a small supply of blood. But he wouldn't need any tonight, as he'd take his nourishment from Nicole's vein. That thought sent l.u.s.t surging through his body.

To still his rampaging erection, he concentrated on each task, forcing himself to consider what Nicole had been through and what it might mean. Had Mikey's attempted rape and physical abuse traumatized her to the extent that she wouldn't want him to touch her? Did she need time alone? He could read her mind to find the answers, but even that act seemed like a breach of privacy to him. He didn't want to frighten her or cause her any distress.

A small distance would kill him, but he would give her whatever she needed. When she walked back into the room he could smell the hint of mint mouthwash on her breath. ”I'll leave you-”

”Don't.” Her answer was swift. ”If you leave I'll have to think about what happened. I'm not ready for that.” Before he could respond, Nicky stripped off her clothes and stepped into the tub. The fire and candlelight lovingly caressed her pale flesh. She held her hand out to him. ”Join me. Please.” With hooded eyes, he watched her throat work as she swallowed. ”I need you.”

Zane didn't require a second invitation. Toeing off his shoes, he stripped out of his jeans and underwear in one quick move then stepped into the granite bathtub. After sinking into the water, he pulled Nicole between his legs. The strong hold he had on his patience nearly snapped as the globes of her a.s.s pillowed his straining erection.