Page 177 of Immortal Bastard (The Order of Vampires)

She pressed a kiss to his throat. “I prefer you growly and gruff anyway.”

“Is that so?” He bit into her throat, and her body exulted, rolling into an exquisite release as he drank from her vein.

It was her favorite time of day, the golden hour just before dusk when the windows let in the most radiant light, and the work on the farm finally slowed until dawn. They had made a habit of using this time to reconnect but usually wound up naked and making love until the sun went down. The moment he touched her, he had to have her, and soon they were in a frenzied tangle of lust, feeding and groping, until they both found the release they so desperately wanted.

Afterwards, they lay in each other’s arms reveling in the comfort only such a safe and harmonious coupling could bring. Delilah traced a finger down Christian’s muscled arm, savoring the delicious way he clutched her body to his, and wondering if she’d ever think anyone more beautiful than he.

“You’re going to find me inside of you again if you keep thinking along that line.”

She laughed. “I don’t know which you enjoy more, a cock stroking or an ego one.”

He growled and thrust his hips. “That’s nine. One more and it’s going to be your lips stroking me as I teach that filthy mouth of yours a lesson.”

“Mmm. Promise?”

Christian was a man who saw to his promises and never made her wait. Once he had his way with her, she was ravenous for something sweet.

“Let me see what I can find for you.” He said, always in tune with her needs. A few minutes later, he returned to the bedroom with a tray full of freshly picked berries. “How you manage to keep the rabbits away is beyond me. We’re overgrown with ripe fruit in the garden.”

She sat up, pulling the sheet with her and grinned. “What can I say, the bunnies and all woodland creatures love me. I’m their greatest ally in this cruel world.”

He arched a brow. “And…”

“And I feed them.”

“There it is.”

He sat beside her and they grazed on the freshly picked berries. “Has anyone heard from your mother or Dane?”

“No.”

His willingness to discuss his family dwindled every day. It had been three weeks since his father attacked the farm. The ruins of his mother’s home had since been plowed into the ash of the scorched woods and no one had been to Dane’s barn save Sister Magdalene and Sister Grace.

The Order had once again started following the English news for devastating traces of Isaiah’s existence, but there had been no reports of missing bodies or murders that fit his modus operandi, which she supposed was a relief.

The cells of the Safe House were being rebuilt with modern locks and digital security that would be powered by solar energy and generators. Christian didn’t fully understand such things, but when he told Delilah about the monitors and coded entries, she tried explaining how basic that sort of technology was in the modern world. He still couldn’t fathom such ‘electrical’ anomalies, so Delilah gave up.

His hand smoothed over her shoulder as she leaned into his hard chest. He fed her another berry. She looked down at her bare body, the last of her tattoos gone, and her confidence somehow stronger than ever.

“Are you happy, my love?”

Her finger slowly interlaced with his as she ran her hands over him in unconscious exploration. “You know you make me happy, Christian.”

He did more than that. He somehow balanced her. He grounded her in a way nothing else ever could. Her jagged edges smoothed once they moved the remainder of her belongings onto the farm, and she was beyond content to live in such ease by his side. The peaceful way they filled their days was an endless gift. An eternity for them to satisfy however they pleased.

“You miss your friend, don’t you?”

She sighed. Destiny had gone with Cain to track down Isaiah and retrieve Cybil. Christian adamantly disagreed with their crusade, as did Adam who worried most for his wife. Apparently, Anna and Cain had a special link that left Anna susceptible to any danger Adam’s twin incurred.

“I do. But at least Anna’s still here, and so far she’s been safe.”

“Destiny will return. Cain can’t spend his life searching for things that don’t wish to be found.”

“Do you think Cybil’s alive?”

He hesitated. “Are you seeking the truth or hope?”

“The truth, please.”

His arms tightened around her, his first instinct always to protect her, but he was learning not to underestimate her strength. “For the girl’s sake, I hope not. Isaiah has done horrendous things. Far too many females have suffered. If God is merciful, she will not face a fate similar to her mother’s.”

Even the elders hadn’t understood the extent of Cybil’s condition. No one knew just how broken her mind was in the end, but should she have any awareness left, Delilah agreed that it would be a better fate to die than suffer at the hands of a deranged monster like Isaiah.