Dark Gold (Dark Series - book 3) Read online

  Alexandria sat up and dragged the comforter over her breasts, suddenly aware of her nakedness. Aidan carelessly threw a leg over her thigh, pinning her in place. “There is not an inch of you I do not know,

  cara

  . This is no time to become shy.”

  She could feel a blush creeping up her entire body until her face glowed pink in the night. The way he had positioned his leg, she could feel his maleness pressed against her, his heat and strength, his growing, hardening need. She knew his words were teasing, but she had never been in a situation like this one, and she wasn’t certain how to act or what to feel.

  “You’re using... this to control me.”

  He grinned at her unrepentantly, rubbing against her suggestively. “

  This?

  What is

  this

  ? Are you saying I would use our sexual relationship to get my way?”

  She began laughing again; she couldn’t help it. “You would use anything, Mr. Innocence, to get your way, and you know it.”

  He cupped one breast, his thumb feathering over the sensitized nipple. “Is it working?” His voice brushed over her skin like velvet.

  “You can’t possibly want me again, Aidan,” she protested, pushing herself away from him and the temptation of his body.

  His hands caught her waist and drew her against his already hard shaft. He traced the contour of her hips and stroked her bottom. “You are beautiful, Alexandria,” he breathed as he rolled her onto her belly beneath him.

  “Aidan.” His name came out in a breathless protest. His hands were strong—ruthless, even—pinning her in place, his breath on her back, his teeth closing over her shoulder when she tried to squirm free. The position made her feel intensely vulnerable.

  Aidan pressed against her, his need to take control as strong as his need to give her pleasure. “You want me,

  cara mia

  . I feel it.”

  “It’s too soon.”

  “Not for your body.” Even as he said the words, his hand pushed against her to test her readiness, coming away bathed in liquid heat. “Oh, God, Alexandria, how can I ever resist you?” He needed her all over again. Needed to feel, to be alive, to know she would always be a part of him, his life, that when he opened his eyes and took his first breath each evening, she would be there to give him ever-deepening emotions, and to look at him with something other than fear in her eyes.

  Alexandria might have resisted his dominance, but she could not resist his burning need. The intensity of his feelings swept through her mind, and her body caught fire with his. She pushed back against him, consenting, enflaming him further. She was laughing softly, teasing, but her breath caught in her throat when he thrust forward in intimate invasion. Her body tightened around his, holding him, clutching him, rippling with life and heat.

  One powerful arm tightened possessively around her waist, his body all at once protective over hers.

  “Are we crazy, we two?” he murmured.

  “You’re the crazy one,” she gasped, moving with him, beginning to spin out of control again that fast. “I have work to do, yet you keep me here, locked to you, a prisoner of your passion,” she said, panting. He was building the fire fast, with sure, hard strokes, surging into her, his hands holding her beneath him. “I can’t believe I’m letting you get away with it.” And she couldn’t. It seemed impossible that she would be kneeling on a bed stained with her own innocence and loving this man’s possession of her, wanting more, wanting him again and again.

  When they finally collapsed, holding each other, a fine sheen of perspiration coating their bodies, they were drained, spent, satiated. “I heard you chanting in my head, the first time we...” She trailed off. “The words were in your native language, weren’t they?”

  “I ensured our bond again,” he admitted. “The thought of losing you through my own stupidity was too much. I recited the ritual words as I took your innocence, to bind us together for eternity.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Those words make an unbreakable tie for our males. Once said, the bond is eternal.”

  She rolled over and blinked up at him. “What are you talking about?”

  “When a Carpathian male finds his mate and knows for certain she is the one, he can bind her to him with the ritual words even if he has not yet claimed her body. It is like the human marriage ceremony but much deeper. Our souls and hearts are one half of the same whole, incomplete when apart. The ritual words bind them back together as they were meant to be.”

  Her gaze narrowed in speculation. “I thought the two were bound by chemistry, by blood.”

  “They are destined, true, and the bond is begun.” He pushed his long hair from his face and retreated to one side of the bed, as if uneasy with the conversation.

  “So the woman can still escape if the man doesn’t actually say the ritual words?”

  He shrugged his broad shoulders, his golden gaze all at once unreadable. “Why would he be so stupid as to not speak them when he knows her destiny lies with him? He would be a fool.”

  “Perhaps it would be nice if he asked the woman what she thought. Human men at least

  ask

  the woman if she chooses to spend her life with him. Perhaps Carpathian women would also like to have a choice.”

  He shrugged again. “It is the choice of destiny, fate, whatever you wish to call it. The law of the universe. The law of God. We were made this way. The words cannot be revoked. No Carpathian male is going to allow his woman to run around unprotected and unclaimed.”

  “You people are living in the Dark Ages! You can’t just take over someone’s life without their consent. It isn’t right,” she argued, appalled.

  “A Carpathian male cannot survive without his lifemate.”

  “Well, just how many years do you want to live anyway?” she demanded hotly.

  His golden eyes flashed briefly with amusement, and his palm slid up her calf to her thigh. “I would go for another century or two as long as all our nights were like this one.”

  His voice did something funny to her heart, starting that curious melting sensation she so often experienced around him. She wanted to be angry with him, but the truth was, if she could have more nights like this one, she wanted a century or two with him herself.

  “I am reading your thoughts,” he teased, his voice a deliberate caress.

  “It’s time you stopped. Don’t you have something else to keep you occupied for a while? And don’t think you’re off the hook with this thing. You just can’t go around making decisions that affect my life without consulting me.” She regarded him suspiciously. “What else can you do without my knowledge?”

  He leaned across the bed and kissed her full on the mouth, lingering to savor the taste of her. “You name it,

  cara

  , and I can do it.”

  She jerked away from him and slapped at the hand that was moving into her tight nest of curls. “Don’t be bragging, Aidan. This is not a good thing.”

  “I think it is an excellent thing. I will need everything in my bag of tricks to keep you in line. I look forward to each minute of it, Alexandria.”

  “You’re forgetting my annoying little habits, and I think they’ve just begun to multiply.”

  He groaned. “You are really going to try to reform me?”

  “Someone has to do it.” Her hand found his. “I’m used to a certain amount of freedom, Aidan. I need it. I could never be happy if you took it away from me.”

  He cupped her chin in one hand, his gold eyes sweeping intently over her upturned face. “I am aware of the compromises both of us will have to make, Alexandria. I do not expect that they will all be on your side. I ask only that you allow me room to make a few mistakes.”

  She nodded. He could so easily steal her heart. With a look. A few words. That voice of his, pure black magic. “How can I be so crazy about you and so afraid at the same time?”

  “You
are in love with me.” He said it quietly.

  She blinked, shocked, as if she had never considered it.

  “That’s a little strong, Aidan. You swept me up in all this so quickly, against my will.”

  “You love me,” he asserted calmly.

  She made a small retreat, a few inches across the bed. “I don’t know you well enough to love you.”

  “No? You have been in my mind. You have shared my thoughts, my memories. You know everything about me, good as well as bad. And you gave yourself to me. You would not have done so if you were not in love with me.”

  She swallowed hard. She did not want to face this right now; it was too overwhelming. She tried to be flippant. “It’s just the power of sex.”

  His eyebrows shot up.

  “You dance so beautifully?” she ventured hopefully.

  “I have been in your mind, too,

  cara mia

  . There is no hiding the truth from me.” He sounded smugly satisfied.

  Alexandria assumed her most haughty expression, dragged the comforter around her shoulders, and kept silent.

  “Is it really so difficult to admit to loving me?” His voice was a caress, wrapping her up in safe, loving arms.

  “Why is it so important to have this discussion right now? I’m with you, and I’m obviously not going anywhere.”

  “Because it is important to you. You have this idea that you can’t feel love for anyone other than your brother.”

  “I never have been able to before.”

  “And you think you feel something for me because I put some kind of magic spell on you. What we have together is not from any spell. Perhaps I did bind you to me in the ways of our people, but I could not have done so were you not already mine. You are my true lifemate. You would have given your life to save me, even when you did not trust me.”

  Her chin lifted. “I thought I was going to die anyway, and I didn’t want to live like a vampire. Remember, I thought you were a vampire and that you had made me one.”

  “Why would you save a vampire, one so evil?” he countered softly.

  She clapped both hands over her ears. “You’re mixing me up, Aidan.”

  He gently clasped her wrists and lowered her hands, leaning to kiss her neck. “You knew, deep down, where it counted, that I was the one. That is why your body responded to mine. Not some ancient spell, not even gratitude for saving you and Joshua. Your body and soul recognized me before your mind and heart had a chance to do so. Your mind was traumatized by all that had happened. And it did not help much when I reacted so fearfully for your safety. How could you know what was in your heart?”

  “What I feel for you is so...” She could not find the words to describe the emotions whirling so strongly within her.

  “Intense. Deep. Different from what you expected. And because it is so different, you do not recognize it for what it is. You are no longer human with human limitations. All your senses have expanded, so your emotions, too—pleasure, pain, hunger—will all be overwhelming until you get used to them. At first your new hearing was almost unbearable, was it not?”

  She nodded. It had been briefly, but she had already forgotten.

  “In a short time you learned to tone down your extraordinary hearing or use it only when needed. In time you will be able to use all your abilities easily, just as I do. The intensity between us will grow, as will our bond. But it is not magic, Alexandria. It is love.” Aidan’s voice was so tender, so gentle, and so certain, she felt her heart somersault.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The ocean waves rose high and raced toward the shore, spilling foam and salt spray before crashing against the rocks of the cliff and cascading back into the roiling sea. Alexandria trickled sand through her fingers as she watched the spectacular display nature was putting on. The late hour and wild winds ensured that she had the beach to herself.

  She sat on a sand dune, resting her chin on her knees and watched the waves. She had always loved the ocean, but after her experience with the vampire, she’d thought she’d never be able to face it again.

  Aidan had changed all that. He had brought beauty and joy to her world again. She could sit here, alone in the dark, surrounded by the wailing wind, the crashing sea, even the ominous clouds gathering overhead, and realize the magnificence of it all. Aidan was working on one of his many businesses, and she had slipped out of the house to be on her own. While part of her loved the closeness Aidan demanded, the way he was constantly slipping in and out of her mind, she was used to her freedom, used to doing things on her own. And she had needed to just sit quietly and allow all that had happened to her begin to sink in.

  Aidan was unhappy with her. She could feel the weight of his disapproval. He was with her, in a quiet corner of her mind, but at least he hadn’t tried to force her compliance.

  I should have.

  Alexandria smiled at his complaint.

  It’s a good thing you didn’t. You need to learn I don’t mind you the way Joshua does. Another one of your annoying habits?

  She laughed out loud, the joyful sound carried down the beach by the wind.

  Ifit isn’t, I’m going to be sure to cultivate it. You are going to do exactly what I say.

  His voice had dropped an octave, until it was a black-velvet caress, a blatant seduction.

  She instantly felt the answering heat in her body.

  Get back to work, sex fiend, and leave me alone for a while. Just for a short while. That is all the time I can manage to be without your body beneath mine. You’re wicked, Aidan. Very, very wicked.

  She was laughing, her head back, her heart light and filled with joy after such a long, dark journey.

  Miles away, the sky lit up briefly, a white flash illuminating the dark clouds, and then she heard the distant rumble of thunder. A storm was riding the waves in, feeding the sea’s playful mood. She leaned back and felt a drop of water splash her cheek, rain or sea spray, she couldn’t tell. She didn’t care. Her life was coming back together; she was finding her strength again. And now that she was accepting what she had become, she would find a way to deal with life again.

  In the darkness a shadow shifted overhead. She blinked, sat up, and tilted her head to scan the skies. She detected no movement. Perhaps it had been merely one black cloud gliding in front of the others. Still, she felt uneasy. She was alone on the dunes, close enough to the water that she could detect the finned predators beneath the surface. And that realization suddenly unnerved her, that beneath the beautiful waves glided prehistoric creatures, forever seeking prey.

  A slow smile curved her mouth. She was beginning to let anything spook her. Who would be out on a night like this? The ocean roared, slammed into the rocks, and sent plumes of froth into the sky. Her uneasiness increased with the wildness of the storm.

  Perhaps it would be better for you to listen to your lifemate and be alone in the house or on the balcony rather than out in a storm.

  His taunt was irritating, and she scooped up another handful of sand in defiance. Still, despite her determination, Alexandria felt a heavy, oppressive weight on her chest, and she anxiously scanned the sky, trying to remain calm enough to feel her surroundings, to detect another’s presence. Suddenly, without any real reason, she was certain she wasn’t alone, and whatever was stalking her was evil.

  Get out of there,

  Aidan commanded at once. His voice was cool and determined, and in response to the increasing strength of her instincts, she sensed he had taken to the air.

  She stood, her eyes searching the immediate area. The wind tugged at her hair, whipping it across her face. She dragged the long strands away and saw a man teetering high on the cliff. The wind was vicious, and she could see he was in trouble, the edge of the embankment crumbling beneath his weight. Alexandria shouted and began to run, instinctively reaching out as if she could somehow prevent his fall.

  How could she not have seen him earlier? Felt his presence? Why had she been so selfishly
certain that she was the one in danger? How long had the man been up there and in danger?

  What is it, cara?

  Aidan’s voice was calm and soothing, and he was closer now, which was reassuring.

  She grabbed on to him like a lifeline. A

  man on the cliffs

  —

  he’s falling.

  If only she hadn’t wasted time feeling sorry for herself, for what she had become. She could have saved him. She should have been learning from Aidan, everything he could teach her. She could have moved with his blinding speed and caught the man before he hit the jagged rocks below.

  I am coming. Stay away from him!

  Itwas a demand, but one she couldn’t obey. Though she had little hope of saving the stranger, she had to try. She ran barefoot over the wet sand, her gaze riveted on the cliff. For one moment she thought the world darkened. Then a burst of lightning danced and sizzled, and a fireball exploded through the night, heading right toward the man.

  Alexandria screamed as he tumbled forward, his fall seeming to happen in slow motion, a torturous descent of forty feet or more. The wind whipped her shout back into her face like a slap. She was still a distance away and far too late, but she ran anyway. Without warning, at a full run, she hit something invisible. The impact knocked her to the ground.

  Heart beating fast, she sat up, shoving the wild, wind-whipped tangle of her hair from her face. She didn’t see an obstacle, the impact hadn’t hurt, yet when she reached out, her hand met something solid.

  How could you, Aidan?

  She was bewildered that he would restrain her this way, stop her from going to the stranger’s aid. She slowly got to her feet, shaken.

  The fog rolled in swiftly from the sea, carried on the wild winds. Out of it, on the other side of the invisible barrier, a man began to materialize. At first he was shimmering, translucent, but then he solidified further, becoming a dark, shadowy being. He was tall, like Aidan, with the same roped muscles. His hair was as black as the night, long and held with a leather thong at the nape of his neck. His face was beautiful, his mouth both sensual and cruel, his jaw strong. But it was his eyes that captured her attention. They were pale, almost light itself, a quicksilver brilliance impossible to ignore.