ETHAN’S MATE (Book One: The Vampire Coalition) (3 page)

Okay….everything good now?
Ethan reached for
his mate with his mind… but she didn’t answer. She just continued
to stare at him with an appalled look on her face.

Damn. Didn’t work!
Ethan thought she would
feel better if he cleaned up, but it just seemed to freak her out
more. Oh hell… he didn’t know how to act around a woman anymore. Or
a human who didn’t know his nature! It had been four hundred years
for Christ’s sake! He guessed that perhaps he should hide a few of
his abilities until she calmed down.

He started toward her, asking gruffly, “Are you all
right?”

You just did your personal grooming in seconds with
your magic. The woman is human. She’s probably not exactly okay
with that.

Ethan cursed himself as he tried to think of a way to
approach her without scaring her. Magic was as normal as breathing
in his world. It was difficult for him to remember that she was
human and not used to anything that couldn’t be explained by
logic.

“Please don’t be afraid. I’m here to help. The demon
is gone. Remember me?” Ethan tried to activate her subconscious
memory as his mind reached for hers.

Her mouth moved but no words came out. His eyes
pinned hers and held them steady. “Remember me,” he ordered
softly.

Brianna shook herself, but her eyes were glued to
his. He held her captive with his gaze, and she couldn’t look away.
“The evil is gone,” she whispered in a trembling voice.

Ethan nodded. “Yes.”

Brianna slid down the wall as though her legs
wouldn’t hold her. Her gaze didn’t leave his as she asked in an
agonized voice, “What’s happening to me?”

Ethan released her eyes with a sigh.
She
remembered. Everything!
And she obviously wasn’t handling it
all that well.

Chapter 3

Brianna buried her face in her hands, trying to make
it all go away. Was she losing her mind along with her body?

Her whole being was shaken and she wasn’t sure
anything would ever be right again. The only thing that made sense
is if everything she had seen in the last several minutes had all
been a horrible nightmare.

Please be a bad dream. Let me wake up and find out
this was just a nightmare. I’ll open my eyes and I’ll be in bed.
The blood-covered guy will be gone.

She uncovered her face.
Nope. No change. He’s
still here.
She sighed, deciding that obviously he wasn’t going
anywhere and she needed to understand, whether she wanted to or
not.

“Who are you?
What
are you?” She was stunned,
but after the initial shock she realized she wasn’t really afraid
of this man. They had spoken to each other while asleep.
This
man was her savior. She remembered it now and knew he
had protected her from the evil that had been lurking around
her.

“I wish I had more time to prepare you, but you must
realize that there is something happening that can’t be explained
by logic, and you have very little time.” He paused and met her
eyes. “I’m a vampire. The demon that was stalking you was a
fallen
, a vampire lost to evil.”

Oh, God
. Brianna groaned and covered her face,
breaking away from his eyes. In some strange way… it made sense…
and
that
terrified her. But she couldn’t deny they had
spoken in her dreams, not to mention the horrific scene that had
just played out before her eyes.
Oh, hell. I’m dying. What does
it matter whether or not this is logical?
“Good guy or bad
guy?”

Ethan shrugged. “Better than him.” Ethan gestured at
the carpet where the
fallen
had dissolved.

She rolled her eyes. “Name?”

“Ethan. Ethan Hale.”

“Ethan.” She tested it on her tongue. His name was
familiar. It was as though she knew him somehow. “I’m Brianna.
Brianna Cole.”

“Brianna.” He breathed her name softly.

“I’m not afraid of you, Ethan. And after what just
happened I sure as hell should be. Why is that?”

He answered her gently. “You know me.
Subconsciously…you know me. Your life is ending so you’re feeling
with your senses right now instead of logic. You know that you’re
my mate.”

She choked. “Mate? Me? I’m nobody’s mate.”

“You are, Brianna. You’re my mate. My other half.
Keeper of my soul,” he answered her, his voice husky.

She looked for some sort of sign that this was a
farce, but the guy was completely serious. “I don’t even know you.
Furthermore, I’m dying. That’s a pretty lousy mate to have. I think
you got screwed. I come with a pretty quick expiration date.” She
attempted to make light of his comments, but somewhere in her heart
she actually
did
feel drawn to him.

“You aren’t dying from a rare form of leukemia,
Brianna. You’re ill because you are not yet united with your mate.
Your life force is fading,” he explained patiently. He walked over
and sat next to her on the floor, across from her so that he could
see her eyes. “Somewhere on your body you wear my mark. My family
mark is a dragon.”

He held out his left arm. On his forearm was the
perfect tattoo of a small dragon. It was fierce, multicolored and
very detailed considering it was only about the size of a half
dollar. “Oh shit.” Brianna felt her heart flutter and her stomach
drop. She had an identical marking on her right hip.

The mark had appeared when she had turned eighteen.
One morning… it was just…there. She had never mentioned it to
anyone. She rationalized it by saying she must have done it on her
birthday. It was one of those rare occasions where she had partied
with alcohol when she had been underage and had gotten roaring
drunk.

“You have it?” It was a rhetorical question that
Ethan already knew the answer to, but he asked her anyway.

“Yes.” She could barely speak. This was all too
strange. All too unbelievable.

“Don’t be afraid, Brianna. We were created for each
other. This isn’t the way it is usually done. Generally I would
meet you. Get to know you. Let you at least get used to me before I
dropped this bomb on you. But you have little time. I think you
sense that.” His voice was urgent and worried.

“I do.” She answered without hesitation. She did know
it. She felt it. “I wish that we could have had more time
together.”

“We have forever. But it has to start soon.” His
voice was coaxing.

“Ethan… what part of “I’m dying” did you not
understand?” She was getting frustrated.

“We can mate, Brianna. You won’t die. You will be
with me for eternity.”

“I can’t mate with you! I don’t even
know
you.” But something inside of her wanted to. Would it be such a
sacrifice to mate with a man who made her insides quiver without
even touching her? He was the most handsome, compelling man she had
ever met and something inside of her yearned for him, was reaching
for him.

Besides, her other alternative was dying. Soon!

Yep.
Tough choice! I either believe his
story and mate with the gorgeous man, or die an agonizing death. It
was sort of a no-brainer.

Ethan reached toward her and took her hand in his
gently, as though afraid she would shatter, and she felt a jolt of
energy go through her body. Just the light touch of his hand was
electrifying. “Then know me, Brianna. Open your mind and know
me.”

He placed her hand on his temple and her mind flooded
with Ethan.
Ethan as a young man! Ethan with his brothers!
Ethan’s thoughts. Ethan’s battles! Ethan’s emotions.
She was
utterly and completely consumed by Ethan.

Chapter 4

Ethan was in hell. One touch of her hand on his body
brought his senses roaring to life.

His body burned, demanding immediate gratification.
He ground his teeth and tried to ignore the burning desire to take
her. She was his. He needed to possess her, own her. He wanted to
consume her and to be buried in her scent, her body, her mind.

His cock was hard and heavy. It had been a long time
since he had felt that particular sensation, but never had he
burned like this. He had been with women before he had succumbed to
his involuntary impotence at the age of one hundred, but it had
been normal desire and sex. This was more like a maniac’s
obsession.

She would feel it too, even in her fragile state. It
was normal for mates. She wouldn’t be dealing with the same
frenzied desire as his, but her desire to mate would be there. Her
desire to be satiated would be unrelenting…and it would drive him
completely mad.

Once they were mated the intense desire and
possessiveness would remain… but the frenzied craziness would
subside. Once she was his. Once she belonged to him.

He let out an involuntary groan, trying to stifle it,
let her have as much time as she needed to know him. She heard and
pulled her hand back.

She said nothing, but her eyes spoke volumes. He
could see her desire for him and he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t
speak, his own need raging out of control.

Finally, she spoke hesitantly. “Can I make it through
the mating…the bonding?” Though unsure, she didn’t sound fearful
and Ethan was touched by her courage. She was willing to try. This
tiny woman had more courage than some of the members of The
Coalition.

“We need to build up your strength. I won’t lie to
you, Brianna. It’s… difficult. Once the vow is spoken and our marks
are joined, every feral and carnal instinct I to dominate you will
rule me. It’s something I can’t overcome.” He pulled her close and
cradled her against him.

“I want to try. I’m not ready to die. How do we build
up my strength? I have to drink your blood, don’t I? I saw it in
your mind.” She answered matter-of-factly, but he could tell that
she was hesitant.

“We have to exchange blood, but I can make it easier
for you.”

“How?”

“Like this.” He lowered his mouth to hers.

*****

The touch of his mouth on hers sent Brianna into a
tailspin. Her senses whirled as his mouth took hers in a demanding
assault. His tongue teased the seam of her lips and she opened to
him willingly. His embrace possessed her, branding her whole body
with fire. She lifted her arms around his neck and ran her hands
through the rich texture of his silky hair.

His hands moved possessively over her body, leaving a
trail of fire wherever he touched.

Ethan lifted her into his arms, never breaking
contact with her mouth as he continued his relentless embrace. He
carried her to the bed and lowered her gently to the sheets.

He took his mouth from hers and waved his hand.
Instantly, her clothing disappeared. She was left lying naked and
vulnerable as he stared down at her intensely.

“Ethan!” She squealed as she dove for the cover of
the bed linens. “You can’t do that!”

He quirked his brow and gave her a wicked grin. “I
just did.”

“I want my clothes back,” she demanded with
embarrassment as she cowered below the sheets.

He slid onto the bed beside her and lifted the sheets
from her body. “And you will get them back… eventually.” She saw
his dark and passionate gaze before his mouth again lowered to
hers.

She wanted to search for a covering. She was body
conscious and she was too skinny right now, underweight from her
illness, unattractive.

As his hand made its way to her breast, circling and
teasing her nipple, she forgot about the covering. Oh God… his
hands felt so good on her body.

“Don’t think, Brianna. Just feel,” he whispered in a
graveled voice as his mouth left hers to lave her ear and the side
of her neck.

How could she do anything else? His mouth continued
to kiss and nip her face and neck while his hands teased her
breasts mercilessly. His fingers made circular patterns on her skin
as they slid slowly over her stomach. They moved in a lazy pattern
that was driving her insane. She felt like she was on fire. Was
this his vampire magic or the magic of his touch alone?

She felt his meandering fingers go lower and started
stroking between her thighs, over the light curls, and she lost her
breath.

“Open for me, Brianna,” he demanded in a soft,
seductive voice.

She complied immediately, needing to feel his touch,
wanting those wicked fingers. His strokes were persistent, teasing
through the wet, slick dew.

She moaned, grinding her hips up to meet his fingers.
She needed more.

As though he sensed her need, he slid his finger up
to the place begging for his attention, making slow circles on the
sensitive bud. The glide of his fingers brought her higher and
higher, making her desperate.

“Ethan!” She cried his name as she squirmed beneath
his ministrations.

His fingers slid slowly into her empty channel and
her tight walls clenched around them tightly.

“You’re so hot, wet and tight.” She felt Ethan
shudder as he began a slow rhythm that made her want more… more… it
was too much… more. His breath was coming hard and fast, as though
he were trying to get control.

His mouth devoured hers and he thrust his tongue in
rhythm with his fingers.

His pace increased, his thumb sliding against her
tender flesh while his fingers continued his in-and-out out
submersion, perfectly matched to his relentless tongue devouring
her mouth.

Brianna felt lost. She had surrendered control and
all she could do was feel the demands of her body. She had to
orgasm. Her whole being was centered on her burning flesh, begging
for climax.

Her release hit her hard and fast, wracking her with
deep, unending spasms. Her channel clenched and unclenched around
Ethan’s fingers and she heard him groan as he dragged his mouth
from hers, his breath coming in pants.

He nuzzled her neck, stroking his tongue along the
vein. She barely felt his fangs sink into her neck as wave after
wave of pleasure took control. Her whole body ignited as he drank
from her, filling her with erotic pleasure, heightening her orgasm
to an almost painful intensity.