When he still didn’t react, her heart ached like it had shattered. She didn’t know what she had expected, but this wasn’t it. She felt helpless pinned beneath him, his body still inside hers. She needed to get away.
And then he moved: a long, slow withdrawal, followed by a strong push back to bury himself deep inside her. A beautiful, brilliant smile lit his face. “You have just made me the happiest man on this planet. Or any other, for that matter.”
Her head reeled. The man never failed to surprise her. Good thing they had centuries, so she could get a chance to figure him out. “Really?”
He thrust again, harder this time. “Really.”
Twining her fingers in his hair, she pulled him down for a kiss, and he increased the tempo of his body and kissed her like he’d die if they stopped. She raked her nails down his back, and he groaned, then froze. “I can’t hurt you, can I? I mean, the baby and all.”
She almost laughed, but bit her lip instead. “Only if you stop.”
“Well, we can’t have that, can we?”
She dug her heels into the mattress again and met him thrust for thrust until the bed creaked like it was going to break apart.
She needed more. Something else, but he needed rest.
“Do it, Elena, I can’t hold out much longer. Bite me.”
He knew. Her fangs elongated, and she arched up, burying them in his skin, his rich blood filling her mouth, and she came instantly. He’d made good on his promise to make her see stars.
“Yes,” he groaned. His body stilled as he pulsed inside her, riding his own waves of passion while her orgasm seemed to stretch on and on, pulling her fear and anxiety away with it as it started to fade.
“Nik,” she whispered, tremors finally easing.
“Yes, say it again.”
“Nik.”
“Once more.”
“I love you, Nikolai Itzov.”
His gold eyes seemed to glow as they bored into hers. “And I love you, Elena Arcos.”
He rolled off and pulled her against his hard body. Never had she felt this relaxed and complete. This man, this child, this world. If they survived the next few days, they had a real future. “I thought Slayers didn’t love.”
“So did I.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
The woman in the vision had black hair and gold eyes. Her face showed no fear whatsoever as a man in a uniform like Claude’s lit the wood piled beneath and around her. She didn’t struggle against the chains, nor did she cry out as the flames danced all around the stake to which she was bound. “Forgive me, Queen Tatiana,” the man said, backing away.
Shit. It was Nik’s mother.
Elena rolled over in the bed and ran her hand over Nik’s smooth chest, and he smiled. “Again, so soon? You’re relentless.” He shifted to face her. “I like it.” His smile faded as he studied her. “Something’s wrong.”
“Yes, I…” How do you tell someone his mother is going to be burned alive? She swallowed and took a deep breath. By being straightforward and putting it out there. That’s what she would want were the tables reversed. “I had a vision. Your mother’s name is Tatiana, right?” He didn’t react, but she already knew the answer. “She is going to be…” It was harder than expected. “Fydor is going to…” Another breath. “I saw her burning at the stake. I’m so sorry.”
Deliberately and slowly, he sat up and swung his feet over the side of the bed. “I must go.”
She mirrored his motions. The floor was cold under her bare feet. “I’ll come with you.”
“No!” His response was so immediate and forceful that she flinched. “You will stay here where you’re safe.”
His reaction didn’t surprise her, but it rankled just the same. Charge tingled in her palms. She closed her eyes and willed the current to subside. Seeing the past with Vlad’s “gift” had given her a much better understanding of his Slayer mentality, and she knew the best way to deal with him was to not strip him of control.
Without arguing, which was a close to impossible feat, she padded to the bathroom and pulled on her clothes. He couldn’t stop her from going, so feuding with him was a waste of time and energy.
He was still naked when she returned to the bedroom, pacing like a caged lion. Leaning against the doorframe, she watched him until he stopped abruptly and ran his hands through his hair. “I need your help,” he said.
Well, what do you know? He came around to reason a lot faster than expected. “Okay.”
“I need you to go find me some clothes. Mine are destroyed for the most part.”
So much for reason. “I’ll do it if I can come with you and help you get your mother out of there.”
“No.” He opened the door and disappeared into the hallway.
Well, that worked great. Yeah. Awesome. Way to be reasonable, Nik. She sighed and followed him. No sign of him anywhere, but as she neared the great hall where she had first arrived, male voices fell silent, and in an old-fashioned gesture, Vlad stood. Two men dressed in brown, hooded cloaks seated at the table also rose. Empath vampires. She intentionally calmed her emotions. Surely Nik wouldn’t teleport out to save his mother naked.
“One would hope not,” Vlad said.