Taken by the Vampire King

He grasped her face and planted his mouth on hers. His hands dug into her hair as his big body climbed over hers. He worshipped her with devouring kisses, his hands fisting and opening with each kiss and withdraw.

Sexual heat radiated off him and soaked into her depths. A soft growl rumbled in his chest and she longed to feel it against her own. Yet, he kept his weight off her, almost like he was afraid to fully yield to the chemistry pulling them together.

Kaira’s heart broke into a gallop, making her gasp for oxygen around his demanding, desperate kisses. His big hands tilted her head and tugged at her hair, and she let herself be guided. When he pushed his tongue into her mouth, dizziness swamped her. His incredible male spice was a thousand times more potent on her tongue. Hunger erupted deep inside her and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He groaned and shook, his muscles nearing full-out tremors. What would it be like if he let loose that tremendous restraint? She wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Or that she could handle it if he did.

Her tongue brushed something hard and unyielding. His fang. She moaned into the kiss and he growled and surged forward, pressing her back into the pillows. His body overflowed the narrow bed and so completely encompassed hers that he was all she knew, all she smelled, all she tasted.

A warm tingling heat gathered low in her belly and her hips tilted and rocked of their own accord. Her body yearned for friction, for contact, for penetration. The fact that her experience was so limited made these desires new and scary, but no less intense. She whined and whimpered and tugged at his broad shoulders.

With one strong arm, he shifted their bodies. Kaira didn’t really notice until the next thrust of her hips brought the aching place between her legs up against something warm and hard. She unleashed a strangled scream into the kiss and thrust again. Squeezing her thighs, she realized he’d slid his leg between hers. She rubbed herself against his thigh, alternating between holding her breath and gasping for air as she chased the maddening pressure growing within her core.

For just a second, her bottom lip pinched and stung. Until Henrik unleashed an animalistic grunt and suction pulled at the small wound made by the Soul Eater.

She was bleeding. And he was drinking it down.

Fear and arousal shot through her veins in equally shocking amounts, followed by the dragging heat of lust.

But now that she’d acknowledged her fear, it escalated, tearing her in two between what her body wanted and what her head thought was right...was safe.

His lips tugged hers and she caught a flash of brilliant light from his eyes.

And then blinding white light was all she saw. The orgasm ripped through her in a wave of breath-stealing contractions. She wrenched her head against the pillows, every muscle in her body taut.

On the way back down, her fear went volcanic. What did I just do?

Kaira beat on his chest and shoved at his shoulders and pushed with her feet. “Nei! Stoppe! ” she cried. “Nei!”

On a growl, Henrik lurched away until he was on his knees above her. His chest heaved. His fangs protruded. And his lips were coated in the dark red of her spilled blood.

Hunger rolled off him in waves of potent energy.

He was nowhere near sated.

Chapter 8

The taste of copper spilled onto her tongue as three men exploded into the room. They grabbed Henrik’s arms and dragged him backward off the bed.

Henrik unleashed a feral growl. He flailed and fought. The men struggled to contain him and in a coordinated move, slammed him to the floor.

Kaira gasped and scrabbled off the bed. “Stoppe! You’re hurting him! Stoppe!” Granted, she’d freaked out and wanted him off her, but that didn’t mean she wanted him roughed up like this. Wasn’t he their king? How could they treat him this way? They ignored her pleading as Henrik continued to struggle. She grabbed at the closest vampire’s arm. “Please. He didn’t do any —”

His elbow busted her in the cheek.

For a second, all she saw were silvery white stars. She groaned and clutched her face, stumbling back from the melee. Warmth spilled against her palm. Damnit. So stupid. She never should’ve approached them like that.

Henrik’s roar reverberated off the walls.

Kaira looked up to find bodies strewn around the king as he rose to his feet. His breathing was a freight train, a growl rumbling out on each exhale. Fangs extended and flashing eyes narrowed, he took one step toward her, then another.

Jakob burst through the door. “Hva faen?” What the fuck? “Henrik, nei!” He lunged for his brother.

Not again. “Jakob, stoppe!” She held up the hand not busy covering the new cut she now wore on her cheek. “Leave him alone. They jumped him. He didn’t do anything. Just...give him a minute.”

Jakob reared back, hands in the air, just as Henrik whirled on him and gnashed his teeth.

The king’s eyes flashed back to hers and zeroed in on the hand pressed to her cheekbone, the one hopefully offering enough pressure to staunch the bleeding. Kaira’s heart pounded but her gut told her he would keep his word. He wouldn’t hurt her.

Though she’d never seen him like this before. Eyebrows an angry downward slash, fangs so big they were almost animal-like, hair wildly disheveled, shoulders bunched and arms at the ready. He shook his head and mumbled unintelligibly like he was arguing with himself.

The other men slowly climbed to their feet.

Kaira’s eyes made a sweep around the room. She thought back to the blood on her thumb, how he’d barely been able to resist it. Her blood flowed openly now, yet none of the others seemed to share his struggle. Was this part of whatever was wrong with him? She didn’t know, but she did know if she didn’t help calm him, the other four vampires were going jump him again. Their bracing muscles, readied stances and silent communications made that perfectly clear.

Before fear got the better of her, she pushed off the wall and stepped toward him. “Henrik?”

His gaze flashed to her and tracked her progress. A rumble rolled through his chest.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught movement. Keeping her voice light, she said, “If one of you makes a move for him, I will kill you.” Not that she could. She knew it. They knew it. But she was satisfied to see they’d listened. Henrik spun at them and growled. “Hey, now, Henrik. Look at me. It’s okay.”

As if in slow motion, he obeyed. She took another step. “Don’t,” he growled.

“It’s okay. Come back to me now, you hear?” She forced the knot of fear down her throat with a hard swallow. If she could just get to him, she believed she could get through to him, too. But as she took another step, his muscles jerked and his hands fisted, all around offering a pretty good impression of a trapped, cornered animal.

“Kaira, don’t,” Jakob said in a low voice.

She waved him off. Why was she doing this? Why was she taking this chance with her life? In truth, she didn’t know the answer, she simply felt she had to, that it was what she was supposed to do...because she was the only one who could. Suddenly, she knew that was the truth. He’d even said as much —without her, he had no chance at survival.

Determined, she grappled for something to say that might connect to the real him, the him she’d talked to earlier. A thought came to mind. “Hey, did you know that many people believe you shouldn’t wave or sing or whistle at the northern lights?” Something flickered behind his eyes. “It’s supposed to attract spirits to come down from the sky and take you away.” She took another step. One more and she’d be able to reach out and touch him.