Page 22 of Forced Vampire Mate

Luken turned his eyes on me. I felt the protests in his gaze. He had magic. He was quicker, stronger. He would be at less risk if the orcs woke up before they could all be killed.

In truth, it would be best if the three of us could sneak in and take out the orcs together. Bringing Bain along was a mistake, after all. Out of all of us, he was the one who risked giving us away. Even now, I didn’t trust that he wouldn’t stumble into the orc camp while Luken and I assassinated them.

“You need to stay here and keep him quiet,” I whispered to Luken. He opened his mouth, and I shook my head. “Don’t worry. I promise not to die and ruin all your plans.”

His gaze darkened, and his lip curled back over his fang. He looked like he was on the brink of saying something, but I slipped through the bushes before he could speak. My heartbeat was steady as I drew a knife. The orcs were all sleeping as I crept through their magical barrier into the camp. Inside, the light was dim but manageable. A gasp came from the caged women, and I crouched near the edge of the magical bubble, touching a finger to my lips as I glanced at them.

I crept soundlessly to the first orc. In one swift motion, I sprang on him. I straddled him, clapped a hand over his mouth, and slit his throat. His eyes opened, confusion and pain mingling. He didn’t have time to realize what was happening. He lost consciousness in thirty seconds. In a minute, the pumping through his carotid artery had slowed. I moved off him and sprang for the second.

Just as I landed on him, knife already slashing through the orc’s throat, Bain suddenly stumbled into the camp. He knocked into the cage. What was he doing—

Luken sprang in from the other side, taking out a third of the five warlocks. But the noise Bain made had woken the other two. I lunged for the one nearest to me as Luken went for the final one. As I plunged my knife into the throat of the warlock, his hand jerked up. A flash of light blinded me. Something slammed into my ribs, sending me flying. I landed hard, unable to draw in a breath. Darkness swarmed my vision. Luken’s voice shouted and an answering cry of pain.

The orcs were dead. Who was crying out? Bain? No. I fought to breathe as I opened the bond, sending one thought through—don’t hurt him.

The emotions that rippled back through were intense. Angry. Afraid. Pain, too. Then Luken’s face appeared above me. His hands pressed to my chest.

“This is why I didn’t want you to go in alone,” he snapped. “Of course, you’d get yourself attacked.”

“I?” I protested, but my lungs hurt too much to throw the accusation back at him. If he’d followed my plan and kept Bain in place, I would have killed the orcs before they knew I was here!

Luken snarled, his frustration snapping through the bond. And… was that guilt? He swept me into his arms before I could fully process it.

“Enough of this,” he said, his voice tight. “I’m taking you home.”

Chapter 11

“No,” I growled, pushing against Luken’s chest. “We can’t.”

“I can’t keep risking you.” Luken’s voice rumbled in his chest.

I tried to push against him again, but I felt so weak. His touch was so soothing. His arms were strong, his concern palpable through the bond. It’d been a long time since anyone cared about what happened to me. My head fell to his shoulder as I stopped struggling. The night was too cold, and I was in too much pain to keep fighting him.

“Don’t,” I whispered. “Don’t take away my chance to save them. Please, Luken. Please.”

He said something, but I was too far gone to hear him. Darkness closed in around me, and my consciousness slipped away.

***

I woke to weak light filtering through heavy curtains. At first, I thought we were back at the sketchy room rental at the creepy general store. But as I breathed in, the distinctive scent of shifters and smoke curled around my nostrils. I lifted my head; I lay in a narrow bed, thick blankets over me. Luken’s arms were tight around me, firm and solid.

My chest didn’t hurt anymore. He must have healed me. I hoped he used magic, rather than feeding me more blood. We were in what seemed to be a one-room hut. The walls were single planks with no sign of insulation, which made sense, as shifters tended to be more nomadic. These were probably only their summer dwellings, so they didn’t need to be insulated.

He’d brought me back to the shifter village, rather than heading back to the palace. I closed my eyes, letting my relief and gratitude sit in my chest for a moment. Then, I carefully started to twist myself free of his grasp.

“No, you don’t,” Luken grunted behind me. His arms tightened, pulling me flat against him. My back against his chest, my hips square into his. I gasped. He was hard, his erection pressing into my ass.

“How long have you been awake?” I asked, wrapping my hands around his forearms.

“I haven’t slept.”

What dirty thoughts must he be having for him to be hard like this? I felt myself grow damp as I tried to think of them myself. The images. It was all so heightened by the feeling of him against me. Maybe it was relief that we were still here, instead of him dragging me back to the palace. Perhaps it was because, at that moment, I just wanted to feel connected, wanted to have his strength. Maybe it was sheer lust.

I reached behind myself, finding him. I massaged him through his pants, feeling the length of him. He shuddered, his hold tightening on me. His breath was hot against my neck, and he pressed his forehead into the nape of my neck.

“Elara,” he moaned.

He trembled. Actually trembled. My mouth went dry, as though all the moisture in my body had pooled between my legs. I inhaled shakily. Just how far was I willing to go? I found Luken’s waistband and slid it down, tugging his underwear with him. He released me only long enough to help me undress him to the knee.

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