Page 93 of Moretti Blood Brothers: Vol. One Books #1-4

T he TV played quietly in the background as Brianna sat in bed wrapped in a thick bathrobe. She had a cup of hot chocolate between her hands, but it had long gone cold.

Willow had sat with her for a while until Brayden had come for her.

“He’ll be back soon, Bri.”

“I’m okay. I’ll probably just sleep.”

He nodded.

“I think Bri needs to go home.” Willow said as if she weren’t there.

“No, Craig...”

“Willow’s right. While there could be risks, I think you will be safer there. I will send two of our vampires home with you.”

Bri sighed.

They were right. Tonight had terrified her. Sitting in a room lined with explosives and a madman would scare anyone. Except he wasn’t a man. He was a powerful vampire. One with an incredibly old vendetta against the people she called friends.

Stefano could have broken her neck in seconds, and it would have been no loss to either side.

She wasn’t dumb. She knew the enormous value of the queen and princess. No one had been coming for her. Even Craig had grabbed Kate instead of her. She didn’t even know the vampire who had carried her out. Sure, she’d seen him in passing and knew he was a senior member of Craig’s team, but no one had introduced her. Why? Because she wasn’t Craig’s mate. He knew it and she knew it. How had she been so stupid?

She’d seen the way Willow had run into Brayden’s arms and how he’d held her like she was the most precious thing in the world. She wanted that. She blinked away the moisture in her eyes angrily.

“Okay.”

Brayden nodded. “You won’t have your memories or know the guards are there, but I’ll make sure you are safe. That’s my promise.”

Willow’s face changed.

“No. Willow. No more sad goodbyes. I’m emotionally drained.”

Then they had left her alone. Alone with her thoughts.

Sleep would not arrive anytime soon, and the TV was just irritating her. She clicked it off and got out of bed. Pulling out her bag, she began packing.

The more minutes passed, the more clothes she stuffed into her bags. She wondered if Craig had returned to the castle and wasn’t coming to see her.

Anger boiled up again.

Cursing, she went into the bathroom and angrily threw toiletries into her cosmetics bag.

She was leaving.

It suddenly hit her like a brick, and angry tears sprung into her eyes. She was going home and wouldn’t remember any of this. Not one single bit. Nothing.

Two of her friends would be home from their Hawaii holiday and want to catch up and share their adventures. Normally, she’d jump at the chance. Except she didn’t want to be in Hawaii. She wanted to be here. Minus the danger.

Except she wouldn’t know that. Tomorrow, she would believe she wanted to be in Hawaii while her heart craved to be somewhere else. Willow had explained how the mind was altered, but not the heart. Turned out, not even powerful vampires could change emotions, so she would grieve but not know why.

And damn if she hadn’t had enough heartbreak in the past twelve months after losing her husband. Perhaps she’d think he was the source of her sadness. But it wouldn’t be Christian she’d be pining for. She had loved her husband and missed him dearly. Yet, it was that big damn vampire who seemed to have stolen her heart.

Craig.

She wiped her tears and stomped back into the bedroom before coming to a sudden stop. There stood her huge vampire, face flushed, eyes boring into her, hands loose but tense.

They stared at each other, not knowing what to say. She watched him take in her bag full of clothing and cosmetic bag in her hands.

“You’re leaving.” Not a question.

She nodded.

“When?”

She felt like throwing up. “I don’t know. Brayden is arranging everything.”

Craig cursed.

She bit her lip as tears began falling again.

“Shit,” he said as he pulled her into his arms.

Her bag fell from her hands, but Bri didn’t care. She wanted to throw it out the window. His embrace was painful as he held her too tight, but she let him do it for as long as she could before letting out a little noise.

He relaxed his hold and gazed down at her. The green of his eyes darkened. His eyes ran over her face, followed by his fingers. She felt her pulse race as his lips dropped to hers. Softly. Then his hand cupped her head, and it deepened.

She groaned and melted into him as he scooped her up and placed her on the bed. Moving her legs apart, he leaned over her and continued kissing her. Lovingly, it seemed.

Brianna nudged his shoulders, and he stopped, looking down at her in question.

“Do you...do you feel anything for me?” She felt damn stupid, but it had fallen from her lips before she could stop herself. “God, I’m sorry.”

He sat back on his thighs, and she felt the distance grow between them. But then he pulled her up to him.

“I feel too much for you, little witch. Too fucking much.” He frowned. “I nearly put the queen at risk tonight by wanting to go in for you and not her. Please, never repeat those words, but I want you to know how important you’ve become to me.”

Her mouth dropped open. Bri knew how loyal he was to the royal family. His job was his life. It was who he was.

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh,” he repeated, his eyebrows pulled down.

She felt the disappointment he had in himself. She laid a hand on his chest and sighed. “I’m sorry I’ve been a distraction. You were right. I should never have come.”

She began to move out from his hold.

“Bri, I’m trying to tell you how I feel about you, for crying out loud.”

She stilled. “Please don’t.”

“Why the hell not?!” he demanded.

“I can’t hear it.”

She couldn’t listen to his speech about how she’d become someone he cared for, lusted for, but that was all there was. She couldn’t hear him say she wasn’t his mate, and hey, have a great life.

She just couldn’t.

Craig moved off the bed and paced the room, his hands on his hips. She wrapped the dressing gown around her and tucked up her legs.

He was so damn gorgeous.

The scruff on his face was thicker tonight, his body big and swollen with unused aggression. She cast her eyes over his arm tattoos, burning them into memories she knew would be gone soon enough.

He turned and stared at her.

“Brianna, I—”

“Stop. Please.”

She pulled the cord of the dressing gown open, knowing exactly what she was doing.

Like a cat, he prowled toward her, undoing his jeans with vampire speed and throwing them across the room. Reaching behind him, he removed his T-shirt in one smooth move. Then he was over her again, tugging her hips down, her thighs around him. She felt his hard cock against her entrance.

“Tell me you’re wet enough, because I am not waiting.”

Bri nodded. He gripped his cock and thrust in, and she arched and screamed. Craig ran his mouth along her neck, his arm slipping under her, and she felt his fangs nick her.

“Jesus.” He groaned.

She leaned back up, looking at him in question. His eyes were dark, burning, not looking away from her neck. He began to move again, slowly, then more quickly.

Brianna put her hand to her neck and came away with blood on her fingers. There wasn’t much, but she did something so strange she would always question why afterward.

She lifted her fingers to his mouth.

Craig stilled again, his eyes crazed with need. She pressed them into his partly open lips, and he squeezed his eyes. Slowly, his tongue snaked out and sucked them.

And he turned wild.

He lifted her and planted her against the headboard, gripping her arms above her head. She gasped. Leaning down, he sucked on her hard nipples, making her feel totally dominated. And she loved it.

Desire spread throughout her body.

“Brianna, you don’t know what you’ve just done.”

She didn’t care. She wanted him.

“I need your blood, little human.”

He had her neck in his hold and was eyeing her vein. She should have been scared, and maybe she was a little, but she was so aroused, she simply nodded.

“Touch your clit when I do. I want to hear you scream my name as I’m drinking you.”

Pleasure rushed through her. He released her arms and waited as she reached between them and found the hard nub.

“Oh yeah, baby, that’s it, fuck me,” he hissed before he leaned in and grazed his fangs over her skin where her neck and shoulder met. His tongue licked once, twice, and then he bit her.

She cried out.