The Prophecy Read Free Page A

himself to enjoy the sensations coursing through his body. Allowed himself to think, at last, of what he had come here to do. His body hardened further at the thought and he closed his eyes and savored the feeling.
    Would she co-operate? It had to be done, and he would prefer it to be by her consent. Rape had never held any appeal to him, and, if he were truthful, he didn’t want to add further to her suffering. But he had thought it through carefully, considered every option. This was the only way he could be sure that once she was out of here The Council would not call for her sacrifice.
    Now he realized something he hadn’t expected. He wanted her, quite desperately, and the notion seemed somehow wrong, as though he should have no thought of taking pleasure from such an act.
    He was no celibate. He took human women when the need was on him, but he never formed relationships, never allowed himself to get close. But he knew that where Raven was concerned it was already too late. He stared down at her, studying her, trying to decide what made her different. She was beautiful, strange and exotic, but there was something more. She stirred something inside him that he’d believed had died long ago with his people.
    He was starting to feel lightheaded, and just when he thought he would have to pull her off, she released him. She stroked her velvet tongue once over the already healing cut, then she sighed. Her head fell back and he could see the rapid rise and fall of her breasts as she dragged the air into her lungs. She no longer appeared gaunt and her pale skin shone with the luster of pearls. The marks were gone from her breast and the nipples stood out hard and swollen. When he breathed in he could scent her arousal and his body responded to that scent, so he had to force himself to stand up and back away.
     
    Raven felt as though she was going to explode with the power. She could feel it throbbing inside as though she had the force to overcome anything. The meager amounts of human blood she had taken in the past had never tasted this good, had never made her feel like this. What was he?
    She felt heavy, languorous, her nipples tight, her sex soft and swollen, her skin so sensitive that the minutest movements of the chill air sent frissons of sensation rippling through her.
    She glanced up. Kael was leaning against the wall, arms folded across his body. He was watching her closely. There was a sleepy, almost sated expression on his face as though it was he who had fed, not her. His eyes moved leisurely over her body and she glanced down. The scars and bruising had vanished, leaving her skin clear, smooth; her breasts appeared fuller, the nipples dark red against the whiteness of her skin.
    “Are you okay?” he asked.
    Her eyes flew back to his face and she nodded. “Your blood tastes different, feels different.”
    He smiled. “I am different. You’ve only ever drunk human blood.” He looked at her sharply. “Unless you fed from the fire-demons?”
    Raven shuddered in revulsion. “They tried to make me feed from them. It made me sick, in the end they had to stop. That was when they started to bring the humans.”
    She felt different and realised it was the absence of pain and hunger. She closed her eyes and allowed herself a few moments to enjoy the feeling. When she opened them again he was still watching her.
    “Thank you,” she said.
    “It was my pleasure.”
    She stared at him, wanting to ask a question but scared of the answer. He was so big, so strong-looking, she found it hard to believe that she could cause him pain, but she needed to know.
    “Did I hurt you?”
    He smiled then. “It felt good.”
    “Good?”
    “My people have always avoided the kiss of the vampire. We find it addictive. Now I know why.”
    “Your people? What are you? Your blood tastes of magic.”
    Kael shrugged. “My people are gone. I am all that’s left. I am a shape-shifter.”
    “Like a werewolf?”
    He shook his head.