Their thoughts were one as emotions flew back and forth between them, swirling through their veins and pounding within their joined bodies. She felt what he felt, the soft, warm clenching of her muscles around his c.o.c.k. The growing desperation to have her feed from him.

Along with each o.r.g.a.s.m came the budding knowledge that this would be alright. They were destined to mate. To bond. Her p.u.s.s.y spasmed around his c.o.c.k and she could feel her blood rushing into him, could feel his pleasure and his climax coming in an uproar.

An explosion of light and need burst through her, expanding throughout her body. She could feel her fangs extend as she cried out-wild and feral in her hunger.

He raised his head and shouted his release, and she reached blindly to the side, finding his hand and pulling his wrist to her mouth. As she plunged her teeth into his vein, she felt him grow thick and hard once again, and the cycle started over.

The unique blend of s.e.x and their blood bound them together forever. Each time they exchanged blood the need grew stronger, their bodies more insistent.

Chapter Eleven.

"Maria?"

She smiled as she heard the tentative plea in Brian's voice. Well, she supposed he had a right to be nervous. She and Justin had been locked up together for several days and nights. They'd been first unable and then unwilling to communicate with the outside world. Luke had managed to impart enough knowledge to her the first time she could think rationally-explaining how the true bond mating fever would have to run its course. He told her to quit worrying and just get it done.

His exact words, mentally shouted at her when she'd tried to resist taking more of Justin's blood. He insisted they slake the fever's needs. Jeez. Like it was its own ent.i.ty.

"Maria, are you okay?"

Maria smiled, stretching into Justin's sleeping embrace. "Oh, yeah. I'm doing just fine." She knew her mental voice purred with deep satisfaction.

"Why, you little s.l.u.t. You do realize your s.e.xual marathon has gone on for three days?" Brian asked over their mental bond.

"Three, hmmm. I would have said two. But I seem to have lost a day."

"Well. I know Luke said it would take at least this long. He explained you would be no use to us while you were in heat. But we really need you back if you can quit diddling long enough to come up for air. I hate to be the one to break it to you...but we need to go Emp hunting. The body count is growing out here."

Maria sat up quickly. How could she have forgotten? "In heat!? Diddling? How many bodies?"

"Ewww. Don't use those terms in the same breath. Living with a vampire is no reason to have visions of necrophilia running around in my head."

"Brian!" Maria's impatient demand was very clear.

"Four. The body count since you've been...indisposed...is at four. Three humans and a rogue Were. Luke's found the Empousai twice but he hasn't been able to get to her feet. The d.a.m.n b.i.t.c.h disappears every time he tries. We are afraid she will be moving on to another region soon."

"I'm up."

Maria could feel Brian's sigh of relief as it whooshed through her mind.

"I'll gather the troops. We'll be back home in about half an hour." Brian's link with her closed and she turned in Justin's arms. She debated leaving him to sleep, but wasn't willing to test his resolve to keep her safe.

"Justin. We need to wake up and return to the living."

"I'm awake. And I heard everything Brian said. Is that going to be something permanent? Having your human servants running rampant in my head?"

Maria frowned. "You heard Brian?" She felt his shrug.

"Ummm...three-day...s.e.xual marathon...necrophilia...four bodies. Heard, felt, whatever."

Maria couldn't read Justin's tone of voice. Is he mad? Disgusted?

"Not mad or disgusted. And it seems as if I also have an open conduit to your mind. I can read your thoughts. Can't you read mine?"

Now that he asked, she focused. And got a very clear picture of him kneeling between her legs with his mouth on her s.e.x. She could almost feel him there. She shuddered and swore.

When he laughed and hugged her to his chest, she tried to smack him. "Good G.o.d. You've turned into nothing but a s.e.x-craving, insatiable beast. Get up! We can't do this now, we have to go find that d.a.m.n Empousai." She sighed, not knowing if it was from relief or disappointment as he listened to her and did what she demanded. His arms slipped from her as he rolled out his side of the bed. She already missed them.

Justin was playing around in Maria's war room when he heard her coming down the hall. He stuck his head out and whistled. He couldn't help his sigh of satisfaction. This woman was now his. She was dressed in skin-hugging, black leather pants and a red tank top that lovingly cuddled her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Her dark hair lay straight and sleek to just below her shoulders, and her feet were encased in black steel-toe boots, which put the finishing touches on his Amazon warrior woman fantasy. She took the shoulder holster and gun he handed to her as she gave him a kiss.

Until the Empousai was caught, they'd all be dressed in leather or jeans, with thick-soled boots and all sorts of weapons in pockets and holsters. The guns and knives wouldn't kill, just maybe slow her down, and Maria had discovered if they kicked her while wearing boots they wouldn't get paralyzed. The style had become their uniform for battle.

He marveled at the turn his life had taken. The little bit of conversation he'd been able to grasp over the last few days centered on the fact that he and Maria had somehow formed a very rare bond. It seemed a vampire true bond only came about when two people had the perfect chemical compatibility. A s.e.xual bond usually formed first, the mental and psychic bonds followed, and denying the bond would have meant their death. Both he and Maria would have died if they'd continued to fight the drive to mate. It hadn't been necessary for him to take so much of Maria's blood to become a vampire, but they'd both been so beyond thinking after their two-day separation that Justin needed her blood to feel complete.

He would have wanted the change anyway, and because they were true mates there would be no chance of him growing territorial and wanting out of their relationship. She had worried he would be upset, and been thrilled when he told her it was definitely what he wanted-eternity with Maria. As a couple, they would share everything from this day forward.

Justin heard Matt and Brian come into the penthouse.

"Why is it we now have the creepy knowledge of where Justin is at all times, alongside Maria's little psychic blip? Jeez, it's like one of those weird heads-up driving displays. You know, like in some of the newer cars, with an image displayed in the windshield with a speedometer reading or gas gauge? Only with our mental screen, the red blip means Maria and this funky blue circle is Justin." He heard Brian b.i.t.c.hing. Justin snorted. Looks like sharing everything also meant sharing Maria's human servants. He wondered if they would hear him in their heads as well.

"Brian, come help me in the weapons room." Justin concentrated really hard on throwing his thoughts to the man.

"Jesus, Justin! Quit screaming in my head."

He heard Maria laughing behind him. "Looks like the bookends now belong to both of us. All you have to do is think of either Brian or Matt...or me, and you'll be able to reach us no matter how far away we are."

"You're not going to be getting very far away from me for years," he growled in her mind. "Don't even think about separate vacations for at least a century."

"A century won't help, love. This panicky feeling when we're away from each other will only grow worse over time."

"Good."

Days later they were all frustrated. Maria groaned as she thought about the disappointment they'd all experienced the last few nights. They'd found no new bodies and had no idea if the Empousai was still in their region or if she'd moved on. They all hoped not, but for now they spent time patrolling the night and watching news reports from surrounding regions, keeping an eye out for missing persons or any discovered remains.

Justin worked on bringing out and honing his newfound vampire powers. One of his gifts turned out to be a unique ability to control the elements, and he got a real kick out of creating wind gusts and either making it rain or snow. The snow had caused a little problem-it was the wrong time of the year for the white stuff and when Justin first created it, he couldn't make it stop. The city had been blanketed in white flakes before he was able to figure out what he was doing wrong.

She glanced over at him in amus.e.m.e.nt. They were on the penthouse porch, where he wanted to try diving off into the night. She'd shown him how to fly up into the air from the ground and they'd jumped off smaller buildings to make sure he wouldn't just plummet to the earth...but this was the first time they'd be leaping off something this far above the ground. The last few days, while filled with frustration over the absence of the Emp now that they thought they knew how to kill it, were also full of cherished discovery.

She'd found out her mate loved to sky dive. His vampiric ability to fly and leap off things without a parachute thrilled him. He was constantly asking questions and trying to use his mind to do different things. His sense of wonder and joy at his new condition completely erased the shadows in his eyes. He laughed and joked continually and his rapport with the bookends grew stronger each day.

She grinned when she remembered his sense of aggravation last night when every time he tried to make their clothes disappear, he instead created a small whirlwind that fanned out their hair and only managed to pluck at their clothes. As his frustration level had grown, so had the velocity of the wind. By the time she collapsed in giggles on the floor he had all the books, statues and pillows swirling in a tight funnel in the center of the room. Justin had not been amused. He'd been only slightly placated when she stripped them both and jumped him. The wind subsided in direct proportion to his growing arousal.

He spent part of every evening in the weapons room hanging swords and antique battle gear in lovingly displayed vignettes on the walls. She just knew the first time they wanted to use one of the older armaments he would have a heart attack. He'd grown very attached to each and every piece.

Thanks to Justin, they now had enough ammo and the a.r.s.enal to go with it to see them through a very large war. And everything was neatly labeled and stacked according to type, size and color. Basic black or camouflage. His newest purchase had been a gas-powered circular saw fit with a diamond blade that he hoped to use on the Emp.

He was making noises about knocking out a wall to expand the s.p.a.ce. She shook her head and decided it was time to look for a large estate. Something that stood several stories high so they could still jump off the roof, but with a dungeon-um...bas.e.m.e.nt large enough to suit Justin's need for collecting and displaying weapons.

A house big enough so the bookends would have their own wing, and maybe she wouldn't worry so much about the noises she and Justin made when they were making love. Matt and Brian were complaining over the lack of sleep due to her nocturnal activities. A few acres of surrounding land would give their group privacy and help ensure their security. The more she thought about such a place, the more she liked the idea. She would talk about the possibilities with Justin and their sleep-deprived human servants later tonight.

"Maria?"

At Justin's inquiry, she reined in her thoughts to concentrate on the task at hand. Just as she was about to suggest she go first, in case she needed to help him focus on not hitting the ground when he jumped, she felt the overwhelming sensation of evil close by.

The Empousai was on the move and hunting.

"She's moving!"

Justin didn't have to ask who she was talking about, as she could feel his warm presence in her mind. In perfect accord they ran inside the penthouse. He headed for his new toy and she ran to get Luke and the boys. It was time to see if all their speculating and planning would pay off.

"The Emp b.i.t.c.h is on the move," she cried, as she skidded to a stop in the middle of the living room. The three men jumped to their feet in antic.i.p.ation, with mingled dread and excitement.

"Be careful, Maria," Luke intoned. "Make sure you stick to the plan and just lure her out of the city. Don't confront her until we can back you up."

"We'll be close, don't go too fast," Brian added.

"Give us two minutes to get down to the tank before you dive off into the night." Justin hugged her with one arm, holding the gas-powered circular saw with the other as he kissed her forehead. "Love you, babe," he whispered, and all four men rushed out to the elevator.

Maria moved back out onto the porch and stood counting the seconds, giving Justin, Luke and her bookends time to get out to the street. They would track her from the Hummer as she located the Emp and used herself as bait. She could feel the Empousai's hunger and desperation riding on the wave of evil the creature projected. The trick would be to get close enough to taunt the b.i.t.c.h, yet not upset her enough to flee-or allow Mormo to touch her.

She climbed up on top of the wall that enclosed her little penthouse garden and surveyed the city beyond. The night's caress was warm and soothing, yet tainted by the evil existence in her city. It ends tonight, she promised herself, as she opened her arms and stood on her tiptoes to lunge into the dark. She could feel Justin in the wind as it swept through her loose hair and moved teasingly over her skin. His vampiric touch rea.s.sured her of both their connection and his acceptance of her role in tonight's activities. His show of power strengthened her.

She moved slowly toward the deep pulse of malevolence, knowing what horror waited for her at its core. "Mormo is on the western edge of town. There are fields just beyond the city's limit on that side. Perfect." She knew Justin, Luke and her servants would get the mental message. The minute the Emp became aware of her, Maria sensed it and rejoiced. She accepted that the beast had turned her focus toward her, probably frustrated at the absence of any other paranormal beings in the city this evening. The Emp might feel the men, but they were traveling in a group. Maria was the only one out alone tonight.

The Vampire Council had been very successful in getting the word out, demanding every race stay inside or travel in groups over the next few evenings. Mormo's choice was clear. Stalk a mortal, a group of paranormals...or Maria.

They hoped the lure of a single vampire would be the creature's choice, as she must be wounded and weak from Luke's attempts to kill her.

As Maria and the men planned, she swerved away from the Emp and headed toward the open fields, trying to draw the creature away from her city. She didn't want to put anyone else in danger or expose the existence of paranormals to the humans. If they were able to engage the b.i.t.c.h in battle she didn't want anyone else around.

"The Emp took the bait! She's following me."

"Be careful, Maria. We are still a short distance behind you." Justin's loving concern for her safety rang loud and clear in her mind.

She settled to the ground in a small clearing just off a dirt road. The area was surrounded by trees and would hopefully be perfect for their plan.

She dodged the Emp's first flying attack, screaming as she darted across the suddenly miniscule field. The beast took up too much s.p.a.ce for Maria's peace of mind. "You revolting, slimy-legged a.s.s! Keep your disgusting paws off me." The creature didn't even bother trying to hide her true form, appearing in all her scaled and leather-winged grotesqueness.

Maria couldn't suppress her snicker as Mormo shrieked in pain, stomping her bra.s.s-hoofed foot and shuddering in anger. Score one for the side of good. As it had been the last time Maria faced the creature, the face was a black nothingness and the writhing snake hair seemed to be undulating with a mind of its own. Mormo smelled like decaying chicken guts. Ugh!

"Jeez, you stink! Don't you ever bathe? Or use deodorant? It would take a lake of steaming water and buckets of soap to make you smell good, so I guess you don't bother, do you, b.i.t.c.h? Someone just beat you about the head and shoulders with a hideous stick and threw a bunch of gross snakes in to top you off. I bet when you were born your mother killed herself, you were so ugly."

The Emp squealed and seemed to throw a huge conniption fit at Maria's insults, stomping her feet and waving her clawed hands in the air while she made disgusting, guttural noises in the back of her throat. Maria had to dodge and run again when the b.i.t.c.h lunged for her by flying across the ten feet or so separating them. She could feel the air movement on her shoulder as the thing barely missed touching her. "Hurry up, guys!"

Thank G.o.d the beast was clumsy on her misshapen legs. If she took to the air again, Maria would have to figure something else out. For good measure, when she evaded the sharp talons of the Emp's claws and came to a stop across the clearing, she pulled the gun from her shoulder holster and shot the Emp several times, ripping through the black flesh of Mormo's wings. She knew it wouldn't really hurt the thing, but maybe the bullet damage would keep her from flying and besides...it made her feel good to hear the d.a.m.n thing cry out in pain.

"Cadaver-breath, why don't you get a monster pedicure and see if you can't do something about those repugnant hooves you've got. I've never seen such revolting feet."

The cavalry had arrived. Luke's taunt as he appeared from the trees about ten feet to her left took her by surprise.

"Dear Lord, I've never seen such a hideous thing. You need some serious help, girlfriend."

"As insults go, Matt, that was weak." Maria sent the taunting thought to her human servant without taking her eyes off the creature. Matt was a few feet to her right. The appearance of the two men worked as they had planned, confusing the beast as she was now confronted by the psychic essence of three non-mortals.

"How's this?"

"Hey, you bowlegged, pus-hoofed freak of nature, somebody ought to put us out of your misery!"

As both Maria and Luke started laughing, the Empousai let out a high-pitched squeal and turned her body toward Matt. "Oh, good one, sweetie." Maria had tears in her eyes she was laughing so hard. She tensed when she felt the wind pick up slightly and caught the sight of Justin and Brian as they stepped out from the woods behind the Emp.

Luke, Matt and Maria went into their practiced routine, vying for the beast's attention as Justin and Brian slowly moved toward the Emp. Desperately the trio worked to keep the focus of the creature off the two men behind her, without forcing the b.i.t.c.h to disappear.

As Justin and Brian moved to within a few feet of Mormo, Maria continued mouthing off. She kept her attention on the creature, covertly watching as Justin raised his hands, the circular saw's handle gripped in both fists. Justin had upgraded the high-powered saw after they bought it by adding a diamond blade used specifically for hard metal, then he modified it further by removing the blade guard. This left a lethal expanse of the blade's sharp teeth exposed. They all seemed to be moving in slow motion.

She saw Brian lift his hand to turn on the switch. The slight click alerted the Empousai to the men's location behind...just as they'd all feared. Maria held her breath as Mormo tensed as if to turn around. But by having Brian turn on the saw, Justin didn't have to readjust his grip and he was ready to move instantly. He lunged forward and swept the exposed blade against the creature's calves.

Nothing happened.

Chapter Twelve.

The Empousai turned on the two men behind her. Maria started to run to their aid. "Oh, s.h.i.tohs.h.i.tohs.h.i.t, now what?" she screamed, as her mind searched frantically for another solution. She could sense everyone scrambling to do the same.

But that movement was the beast's final act. In one pa.s.s Justin had sliced through her calves. When the Emp turned, her body moved...but her feet stayed in place. Mormo crashed to the ground and burst into flame.

The end result was almost anticlimactic. The rush of adrenaline-laced fear left Maria lightheaded.

Minutes later, she looked down in satisfaction at the charred ashes of the Empousai. A foul stench permeated the air, the disgusting cinders the last reminder of the monster who'd terrorized her territory. A breeze blew up, swirling the remains and scattering them to the wind.

She glanced back to look at her mate. "Justin?" she queried. And laughed at the sheepish delight on his face. He couldn't move a lock or change his clothes. But he was born into the night to control the weather. Something she would never manage.