Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #1)

by J.R. Ward

Because he’d felt like an idiot trying to pull off even a sliver of what Tohrment had managed to do so successfully for two centuries. In spite of Tohr’s calling as a warrior, he’d sustained a relationship with a female of worth. And it was a good, strong, loving union. He was the only one of the brothers who’d been able to do that. Wrath thought about Beth. Pictured her coming up to him, asking him to stay. Man, he was desperate to find her in his bed when he got home. And not because he wanted to take her. It was because then he could sleep beside her. Rest a little, knowing that she was safe and with him.

Wrath put his arms around Beth and drew her close, looking at Rhage over the top of her head. Watching her ease the male’s suffering had broken down all sorts of barriers. Care for his brothers, care for him, he thought. It was the oldest code in the warrior class. “Come to my bed,” he whispered in her ear.

Words fell from his lips, a stream of consciousness spoken in the old language, a guttural expression of what she was doing to him, how beautiful she was to him. The second she took his erection into her mouth, he nearly came. He cried out, body spasming. She pulled back, gave him time to settle. And then she put him through torture. She knew just when to bring it on, just when to pause. The combination of her wet mouth at his thick tip and her hands moving up and down his shaft was a one-two punch he could barely withstand. She brought him to the brink over and over again until he was reduced to begging.

Finally, she straddled his hips and hovered above him. He looked down between their bodies. Her thighs were wide open over his swollen, throbbing erection, and he almost lost it. “Take me,” he moaned. “God, please.” She slid him inside of her, and his whole body felt the sensation. Tight, wet, hot, she enveloped him. She began to move in a slow, pumping rhythm, and he didn’t last long. When he came, he felt like he’d been ripped in two, the bursts of energy creating a shock wave that went through the room, shaking the furniture, blowing out the candle. On the slow float back to earth, he realized it was the first time anyone had ever taken such care to pleasure him. He wanted to weep that she would still have him at all.

Beth smiled in the darkness at the sound Wrath made as his body rocked under hers. The force of his orgasm took her over the edge, and she fell onto his heaving chest as her own delicious waves took her breath away. Afraid that she was too heavy, she made a move to get off him, but he stopped her, holding on to her hips. He spoke to her in a beautiful tumble of sounds she didn’t understand. “What?” “Stay just where you are,” he said in English. She settled onto his body, relaxing completely.

Wrath dragged her into his arms and hugged her hard, talking in that other language again. When he pulled back, he ended the monologue with something like leelan. “Is that vampire talk for bitch?” she asked. “No. Far from it.” He kissed her. “Let’s just say I respect the hell out of you. Even though I can’t agree with your take on my past.”

He took the cell phone with him to bed and leaned back against the headboard. He wanted to call Beth. Just to hear her voice. Yeah, and he’d thought he was just going to waltz away after her transition? He could barely stand being away from her for a couple of hours. Man, he had it bad for that female. He couldn’t believe what had come out of his mouth when she’d been making love to him. And then he’d topped off the simpering praise by calling her his leelan before she left. He might as well admit it. He was probably falling in love. And if that wasn’t enough of a shocker, she was half-human. As well as Darius’s daughter. But how could he not adore her? She was so strong, with a will to match his own. He thought of her standing up to him, confronting him about his past. Few would have dared, and he knew where she got her courage from. Her father probably would have done the same thing.

“Will you have me as your hellren?” “What?” Her mind was having difficulty turning over. “Marry me.” She looked at the hole in his throat and her stomach lurched. “I-I…”

“Yes,” she whispered. He kissed her forehead. “Yes what, my leelan?” “I will marry you.”

2Pac, Jay-Z, D-12.

Wrath put on his sunglasses, locked the door behind him, and mounted the stairs. He knew there was a stupid, satisfied grin on his face and that his brothers were going to ride him hard for it. But what the hell did he care? He was taking a true shellan. He was going to be mated. And they could kiss his ass.

He was probably going to want to play it cool in front of his brothers, do that whole I’m-a-tough-guy, this-broad-is-just-a— Wrath wrapped his whole body around hers, putting his face in her hair. “My leelan,” he whispered in her ear. He ran his hands up and down her back. “My beautiful leelan.”

Finally, he stopped in front of Beth. “Open your mouth.” He heard a low, nasty sound behind him just as a cold draft hit him in the back. “Wrath, it’s okay,” Beth said. “Calm down.” She parted her lips, revealing two long canines that had very certainly not been there before. Butch felt his knees wobble as he reached out to touch her teeth. A thick hand clamped on his arm, tight enough to bend the bones in his wrist. “Don’t even think about it,” Beth’s man growled. “Let him go,” she commanded gently, though she didn’t offer her mouth again after the guy had released his grip.

Beth woke up in Wrath’s bed. Sometime during the day, he must have come and carried her to his chamber. His chest was against her back. His arm was snaked around her body. His hand was between her legs. His erection, heavy and hot, lay against her hip. She rolled over. His eyes were shut, his breathing deep and slow. She smiled, thinking that even in his sleep, he wanted her.

And when he moved his fingers, sliding into her, her own body responded, and she could feel him getting even more turned on. Each kiss, each caress, every lick and shiver, was magnified. Wrath forced them to take it slowly. When she would have straddled him, he put her on her back and pleasured her even though his own body was raging for a release. He was so gentle with her, so loving. Finally, he was poised over her open thighs, his great arms supporting his weight above her. His long dark hair fell around her, mingling with her own. “I wish I could see your face clearly,” he said, frowning as if trying to focus his eyes. “Just once, I wish…” She put her hands on his cheeks, feeling the rough stubble of his beard growth. “I’ll tell you what you’d see,” she murmured. “I love you. That’s what you’d see.” He closed his eyes and smiled. The expression transformed his face. He glowed. “Ah, leelan, you please me no end.” He kissed her. And slowly entered her body with his. When he had filled her, stretched her out, joined them completely, he became still. He spoke in his language and then hers. The “I love you, wife” made her beam back at him.

“He tried to rape your future wife, vampire. I wasn’t inclined to be gentle when he said she was asking for it.” Wrath felt a growl come out of his throat. The sound was like a living thing as it rose up from his gut. “Billy Riddle.”

“Can we not do that again?” she asked, burying her head into his shoulder. Wrath laughed softly. “You’d better brace yourself if we have children.”

Notorious BIG’s “Hypnotize.”

“You’re going nowhere,” he growled, his massive body throwing off all kinds of aggression. “I forbid you to leave this room.” Beth closed her mouth slowly. Forbid me? He forbids me? We’re going to have to nip this one right in the bud, she thought, sticking her finger in his face. “Back off, Wrath, and wipe that word from your vocabulary when you’re speaking with me. We may be married, but I’m not going to be ordered around like a child by you. Are we clear on this?” Wrath closed his eyes. Worry bled through the harsh lines of his face.

“Do you want anything?” “You.” “You already have me.” “And thank God for that.” He watched Beth leave, catching the sway of her hips and thinking that when she came back down, he wanted to take her again. He just couldn’t get enough. Giving that female pleasure was the first addiction he’d ever had.

Once he was outside, he’d sense her. His blood running through her veins was like a GPS chip. He’d be able to find her anywhere on the planet.

“I wish you were pregnant,” he said hoarsely. “I don’t want you to be alone.” “Don’t say that!” “Ask Tohr and Wellsie to take you in.” “No.” “Promise me.” “I will not,” she said fiercely. “You’re not going anywhere.” She was so wrong about that, he thought. He could feel himself slipping away. “I love you, leelan.”

Eventually, she had to sleep, so the brothers brought in a more comfortable chair, and someone gave her a pillow and a blanket. She woke up an hour later, still clutching Wrath’s hand. She ate when she was forced to, because Tohrment or Wellsie demanded that she did. And she took a shower in the anteroom. Quickly. When she got back, Wrath’s legs and arms were flailing wildly and Wellsie had called for Havers. The instant Beth took Wrath’s hand, he calmed right down.

“Wrath! Oh, love.” She leaned up to him, smoothed his hair back. He was totally distressed. “Are you hurting?” He opened his mouth. Nothing came out. He started to panic, his eyes peeling open until the whites showed. “Easy, love, take it easy. Just relax,” she said. “I want you to squeeze my hand, once for yes, twice for no. Are you in pain?” No. She gently stroked the tears from his whiskered cheeks. “Are you sure?” Yes. “Do you want me to get Havers?” No. “Do you need anything?” Yes. “Food? Drink? Blood?” No. He began to get agitated, his pale, wild eyes imploring her. “Shhh, it’s okay.” She kissed his forehead. “Just calm down. We’ll figure out what you need. We’ve got plenty of time.” His eyes fixated on their linked hands and came back to her face. Then his gaze locked on their hands and returned again. “Me?” she whispered. “You need me?” He squeezed and wouldn’t stop. “Oh, Wrath…You have me. We’re together, love.” Tears poured out of him in a mad rush, his chest quaking from the sobs, his breathing jagged and raw. She took his face in her hands, trying to soothe him. “It’s all right. I’m not going anywhere. I’m not going to leave you. I promise you. Oh, love…” Eventually he relaxed a little. The tears slowed.

“Yeah, Beth. I really did. No shotgun’s ever going to keep him from you.”

“Until he can walk out of here on his own two feet, I’m not leaving that bedside.” — As the door closed behind Beth, Butch heard Vishous whistle under his breath. “That is one fine female, true?” V said. There was a low, affirmative grumble. “And someone you do not want to mess with,” the brother continued. “Man, you should have seen her when we came into that barn. She was standing over his body, ready to take the cop and me on with her bare hands if she had to. Like Wrath was her cub, you feel me?” “Wonder if she has a sister?” Rhage asked.

“That depends more on your mouth than any floorplan,” Phury said with a grin. The warrior shifted in his chair, making room for Boo on his lap.

One of her houses. Her houses. As someone who’d never even owned an apartment, she was having a little trouble coming to terms with everything that was now hers. And it wasn’t only real estate. Art. Land. Cars. Jewelry. And the money she controlled was insane. Fortunately, V and Phury were sharing their in-depth knowledge about the stock market with her. As well as teaching her about the ins and outs of bonds. T-bills. Gold. Commodities. They were amazingly good with money. And very, very good to her.

And even though he knew she was watching, he had to glance back to make sure Chelle was checking this out. She was. Her chin was down, but her eyes were on him, and she had a secret smile on her face that made him feel taller than he was. Thicker than he was. Stronger than he was. She was his source of strength. ’Cuz he wanted to see that little happy on her all the time.

And measured the tattoo that covered the other fighter’s massive, muscle-ribbed back. It was a skull, the crown of the cap up at the nape, the jawbone with its teeth down at the waist. Even though the eyeballs were gone, all death-rotted away, pure evil radiated out of the pitch-black sockets. Slowly, the fighter turned around. Lowered his head. And smiled like a demon.

It was more like the Grim Reaper’s bony hand had lain upon his shoulder . . . and closed its claiming grip. Forever.

As if the male standing with his back to the assembled were some kind of deity, the night sky exploded with an illumination so bright, so vast, it was as if the Scribe Virgin had turned her bedside lamp on. And then came the explosion. Whatever impact occurred was so devastating that the resulting flash permeated the whole world it seemed, the white light barging in on all sides and taking over as a distant thunder reverberated throughout the city. Yet in spite of all this, Mae only had eyes for the male. That tattoo of a death skull across his broad back was a thing of horror, and she had a feeling so was he— The fighter turned around, and he seemed even more enormous in size, with great shoulders bulked with muscles and thighs that were set more solidly than the concrete he stood upon. His bare chest was likewise tattooed, the black-and-gray-inked landscape over his pectorals and abdominals depicting a bony hand reaching out of his torso. As if he were the conduit through which Dhunhd claimed its due.