Daric’s Mate (The Vampire Coalition #5)(11)
Author: J.S. Scott

He dissolved their clothing as they reappeared in his bed, covering them with a quilt and fresh sheets.

Hannah snuggled against him with a trusting sigh, still sleeping the sleep of the innocent.

His c**k still throbbed and his body was tense with the need to be inside her, but at the moment he could still contain the beast and enjoy the happiness of having his mate beside him, trusting him to keep her safe.

She’ll never be alone again. She’ll never suffer again. I’ll do everything in my power to keep her happy.

Daric grinned, a cocky smirk that came from knowing that he was the most powerful being that walked the earth. How difficult could it be to make one human woman happy?

The automatic shutters on his windows whispered closed, signaling the coming sunrise. He yawned and closed his eyes, letting himself slip easily into day sleep, a hint of that insolent smile still on his lips as he slept the sleep of a vampire.

Chapter 5

“Are you kidding me? I can’t do this!” Hannah stood at the top of a deserted mountain, gaping down at the seemingly endless blanket of perfect, untouched snow that seemed to stretch for miles down a never-ending incline. “Where the hell are we?” Her head was still spinning from whatever that thing was that Daric did to get them from one place to another at warp speed.

“We aren’t that far from Temple,” Daric answered, his voice agitated. “I thought this would make you happy. It’s what you wanted. You wanted to be able to ski again. I’m trying to make you happy, woman.”

“Well…I’m not.” Hannah shot Daric a belligerent look. He’d pulled her out of a perfectly warm bed, plied her with coffee and transported them God-knew- where, to the top of a deserted mountain, and he expected her ski down unknown territory after being nearly sedentary for a year. “I’m not in shape for this. I’m not ready. I haven’t done more than walk at a slow limp for months.”

Yesterday, she had been fairly certain that she’d never walk without a limp, and now anything was possible. Overwhelmed, she looked down at her favorite pair of skis with a sigh.

Daric frowned, as though offended. “You think I’d let you get injured?” He crossed his arms in front of him, biceps and triceps rippling beneath a short sleeved t-shirt. Dressed in only jeans, the lightweight shirt and black boots, Daric didn’t look in the least bit cold, although the temperature had to be nearing the zero mark.

Hannah was appropriately dressed in red ski attire, all of her wardrobe and personal belongings having mysteriously appeared in Daric’s home before she had even woken up in his bed earlier in the evening.

“It isn’t about getting hurt. Not really. I’m just not sure I’m ready for this right now.” Oh, but she wanted to be. As Hannah looked at the moonlit, perfect terrain, she wanted to drive into it, feel the excitement of the cold wind in her face as she flew down the mountain, the first to break the new and perfect snow.

New snow. Deep snow. Avalanche territory!

“Not happening,” Daric drawled, raising an eyebrow.

No. Of course it wasn’t. Hannah rolled her eyes at his arrogant stance and seemingly endless confidence that there was nothing he couldn’t do or accomplish. What she wouldn’t give right now for that kind of self-possession. After living most of her adult life taking care of Mark’s needs and never acknowledging her own, she no longer knew who she was or what she wanted. She had failed to accomplish much of anything in her life so far. She couldn’t even run Temple’s the way her father did.

“What does Hannah want?” The low, rumbling voice sounded next to her ear as Daric wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

What do I want? It was the first time in her life any man had ever asked her that question. Even her father had never really asked, only gently encouraged her to reach for her own goals.

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly.

“I’ll take you home right now if this isn’t what you want to do.” His arms tightened around her, his breath forming a visible cloud of white vapor in front her face.

No! No turning back. Hannah wanted to find her way, and maybe it started by taking this mountain. “It could get dark once the moon is blocked by the trees,” she answered, her eyes scanning her purposed path.

“It won’t.” Even as he uttered the words, the path lit up with artificial light, even though Hannah couldn’t see the source.

Do it, Hannah. You know you’re dying to go.

Daric loosened his hold around her waist. “I’ll be right behind you. Don’t second guess what you want. Your instincts are almost always correct. Trust them.”

Trust me. Isn’t that what Daric was actually saying? Isn’t that what he was asking her to do?

“Yes,” he answered, his arms lowering away from her body.

Before she lost her nerve, Hannah struck the snow with her poles, lowered her goggles, and pushed herself off the mountain, plunging into some of the best fresh powder she had ever experienced. She started slowly, her confidence building as she navigated around obstacles, some of them disappearing before she even got to them. Courtesy of Daric’s magic!

Hannah flew down the mountain, laughing as she tore up the snow, her leg working perfectly. Having Daric behind her, letting her lead the way was novel. She turned her head to the right, catching a glimpse of Daric tearing down the mountain slightly behind her, skiing like an Olympic Gold Medalist.

Exhilarated by her growing speed and confidence, she let herself enjoy the ride. She knew this moment in time, this magical experience, would stay with her forever. For the first time in a very long time, she was flying down a mountain just for the sake of enjoyment, tearing up snow just because she loved to do it. She wasn’t on patrol, she wasn’t helping Mark train, and for the first time since she had been a teenager, she actually felt free.

As Hannah neared the bottom of the mountain, she felt tears form in her eyes. Coming to a halt, snowing spraying around her from her quick maneuver, she pulled her goggles up to swipe at her eyes with a gloved hand. She was panting from exertion, her body no longer in condition to tackle a run that required that much physical strength. She gripped her thighs, laughing, trying to catch her breath. Her head was down, but she saw Daric’s feet planted next to hers, his skis gone, replaced with the black boots he had previously been wearing.

Hannah straightened, still breathless but slowly recovering, her heart still pounding. “Thank you for this.” She met Daric’s eyes, not quite sure how to express what this experience had meant to her or how to tell him that it had a significance far greater than just skiing down a mountain.