Dark Lycan (Dark #24)(79)
Author: Christine Feehan

She let him come all the way to her. He was aware Fen had followed him and Tatijana had gone to meet him. They had stepped into the shadows and were shielded from sight by a large tree. Branislava simply stood motionless, waiting for him.

"My dancer," he said, wishing he had some elegance to him, "I was told it was possible to communicate telepathically with you if you took my blood and I gave you mine. Would you be willing to exchange blood with me?"

"Yes, of course," Branislava said. "Telepathy is the easiest form of communication. You can rest assured that I would never pry into your mind. I will simply relay information."

"You could do that? See things in my mind?"

"Perhaps," she answered, "but there is no need for such a thing, and you are Lycan. Lycans have different brain patterns and most of us can’t read your thoughts easily. I would think you have a rather good shield."

He didn’t want to think too much about the consequences. "Let’s do it then. Tell me what to do."

She took his hand and led him deeper inside the trees where the shadows would keep them safe from prying eyes. "Would you prefer not to feel anything at all? Or taste anything at all?"

"I’ve tasted blood. I’m a Lycan. I want to know what’s going on at all times," Zev said firmly. He wouldn’t mind tasting her blood. Everything about her intrigued him.

She stepped close to him. So close. There wasn’t more than a scant inch between them. Her scent wrapped him up in velvet and left him reeling just as it had the night before. She put her arm around his neck and drew his head down to her. Her mouth moved over his skin, featherlight, but oh, so sensually. His entire body reacted, going hard with urgent need, blood surging hotly, every nerve ending alive and aware of her.

"You’ll feel the bite. A sting of pain but it will be gone quickly," she whispered in his ear. "Trust me, I would never do anything to harm you."

He didn’t even care. His every sense was fixated on her mouth and the way it moved over his pounding pulse so seductively. Her lips touched his neck and his gut clenched into knots of anticipation. His cock jerked strong, hard and alert. Her teeth sank deep and pain added to the intensity of his desire, and then it eased, giving way to pure pleasure. The way she took his blood was the most erotic thing he’d ever experienced.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her to him, feeling his blood pounding hotly in his veins. His pulse thundered in his ears. He didn’t want her to stop. He wanted more, so much more. His hands moved beneath her shirt to find bare, satin skin. He slid his palms up her rib cage to cup the weight of her breasts, thumbs seeking her taut nipples beneath her shirt. He was so inflamed he would have taken her right there, in the deep shadows of the trees, but she lifted her head, closing the pinpricks with her tongue.

Their eyes met. The amazing green emeralds pressed into her face looked glazed, as if she’d just been made love to. She also looked a little confused.

"Sir, I believe you are trespassing into areas we never discussed in our negotiations."

Shocked, Zev slid his hands from beneath her shirt. Her skin had been so hot to the touch that he actually felt the cold of the night on his fingers.

"I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. Every time you take someone’s blood do they feel like I do?" If so, he was just a little bit jealous, although he wasn’t familiar with that particular emotion and was guessing at it.

She shook her head. "No. It’s never been like that before."

"Good." He wanted to be her first. Maybe she’d remember him the way he knew he’d always remember her. "Do I get to bite your neck?"

She laughed, breaking the slight tension between them. "I think it would be safer if we just use my wrist."

"Safer, but not as much fun," Zev pointed out.

She bit into her wrist and offered it to him. Bright drops of blood seeped along the laceration. He took the proffered wrist and raised it to his mouth. Even her wrist gave off that beckoning scent of wild honey and citrus that he’d come to identify as Branislava. He licked at the ruby droplets. She tasted as good as she looked-better even. She could be addicting, and that was dangerous for his species. Hot, fresh blood this good was a temptation none of them dared have.

Lycans always had to be cautious ingesting blood. They were predators. Feral. Civilization had come to them, but deep in their hearts, they would always be wild. Blood sang to them. Called to them. Whispered and cajoled. Her blood was exceptional-the taste exquisite.

Branislava put her other hand on his shoulder, her eyes meeting his. The feeling was nearly as erotic as it had been earlier when she’d taken his blood. He let himself fall into her unusual eyes, let himself feel that moment fully. He would never again have a chance to be this intimate with her-and it was intimate.

Fen had said she couldn’t fall in love with anyone else but her lifemate, but she felt that same magnetic pull toward him as he did to her. He saw it in her eyes and felt it in her mind. Her blood was rich and hot. So hot. So good. It energized him.

"Enough," Branislava cautioned. "I can’t be weak when I’m in the air." She tugged at her wrist.

Zev let go immediately. He was rough and crass compared to her, but still, she didn’t take her gaze from his and she closed the wound in her wrist with her tongue.

"It’s done then?" he asked. "You can talk to me telepathically?"

Yes.

Her soft voice whispering so intimately in his mind was shocking. Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to allow her to take his blood. He could barely breathe and he damned well couldn’t walk.

You try it. Talk to me.

There’s not much I can say without making a fool of myself. My attraction to you has been unexpected.

"Are you all right, Zev?" Convel called, anger edging his voice.

He should have known his pack would be worried. The moment Branislava had led him into the privacy of the trees, his pack mates must have become anxious that the Carpathians might be ambushing them in some way.

"I’m fine. We were just making certain it worked," Zev called back. He smiled at Branislava. "Thank you, Miss Branislava, I think we’ll be able to hunt together."

"I think we will, too," she said. "My friends and family call me Bronnie."

He gave her a little salute and strode out of the trees to meet his fellow elite hunters.

Tatijana and Fen joined Branislava the moment he left.

Fen took her hands. "You’re certain you’re up for this, Bronnie? Tatijana and I both gave you every memory we could of the Sange rau and how they fight, how fast they are. Any werewolf will go for your belly every time, and don’t underestimate how high they can leap."