Hunter's Surrender

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Rand watched her, his mind racing for a way to survive her attack. She looked young, but she felt powerful. Ajna were the only vampires strong enough to survive the rush of solar energy through their chakras and walk in the sun. They were damned hard to kill.

It’d been an ajna that had destroyed his father. Since then Rand had tangled with only one in his career and even with his enhanced healing abilities, it’d taken two months for him to recover.

She tilted her head. “Don’t you speak?”

“Not with vampires,” he growled.

She crossed her arms under her breasts, accenting her already mind-scrambling cleavage. “Well, you will talk to me.”

Used to giving orders, this one. What the hell did an ajna want to talk to him for? “You think so?”

Her nod sent a ripple through her shiny hair. “I have a deal for you, Darkness.”

Dominique had never expected The Darkness to be so big, so broad or so…wild.

When she’d set out to find him, she’d never given any thought to what he looked like. She’d only cared about his reputation. Amongst vampires, he was known as the biggest and baddest of the vampire hunters.

And Dominique needed big and bad.

She studied his large form—massive shoulders, a wall of chest and roped muscles under his worn jeans and black T-shirt. Shaggy brown hair threaded with the glint of gold hung to his shoulders. His eyes were moss-green and filled with shadows.

A throb of heat went through her, weakening her limbs. Energy washed over her, clogging her throat—the chakra of the vishuddha.

Dieu, she’d never felt energy like this—scalding hot. She swallowed and fought for control. She’d never realized how cold she’d been until now.

Dominique was raised to have exquisite control of her energies. Her calm, controlled parents never let their energies run wild.

The thought of her parents reminded Dominique why she was here. A shiver wracked her. The energy in her drained away, leaving her deathly cold.

Please let this man be the one who could save her and her family. Save her from the ruthless vampire determined to make her his possession and kill her parents if she refused. She resisted the urge to squeeze her hands together and forced them to stay at her sides.

“I don’t deal with vampires.” The hunter’s deep voice was little more than a growl. It skittered down Dominique’s spine.

She sensed the power vibrating off him. He wasn’t pure-blood, but if the rumors were true, his grandfather had been a full vishuddha, so Rand Wilder was still very powerful.

He’d certainly wasted no time dispatching the six anaharta.

But he’d let the last vampire close enough to wound him? Through the murky night she studied the blood staining his stubble-covered cheek and neck. Its scent was rich, strong.

She wondered what he tasted like.

Her heart thumped against her ribs. At the ajna court, no one fed from live hosts anymore. They were much too civilized. So why had that thought jumped into her head?

Remember why you’re here, Dominique. She was a lawyer for the ajna and a damned good one. She knew how to get her argument across. “My deal is one you should find very pleasurable.”

He grunted. “Not a word I use in conjunction with vamps, sweetheart.”

She moved closer to him, watched him tense. She felt the heat pumping off him, hot against her cool skin. It drew her, made her wonder how hot his hands would feel running over her.

She smelled more than his blood now and breathed deep—sweat, soap and man. The muscles in her belly tightened. She’d come here in desperation, but now she realized she might get more than she’d expected.

She only hoped she could handle Rand Wilder.

“If you take my deal, you can drive a wedge into the ajna court. How do you Americans put it…flip them the bird?”

His green eyes narrowed. “Why the hell would I want to do that?”

Those eyes lasered into her and Dominique swallowed the knot in her throat. She wasn’t afraid of this man. She was done being afraid.

Research was one of her best skills and she’d done her research on this man. “An ajna killed your father. The court and their Paladins did nothing to bring the killer to justice.” She tilted her head. The fact that the Paladins—powerful vampires who policed the vampire world—had done nothing must torment him. “Wouldn’t you like them to pay?”

His mouth firmed. “What do you want?”

She smiled now. “I want you to take my virginity.”

Chapter Two

Rand felt his body tighten so hard it hurt. Brutal arousal flooded his system.

It’d been months since he’d taken a woman to his bed. He savored the desire for a moment before he clamped down on his traitorous body’s reaction.

She was a vampire. He knew she was nothing like the out-of-control rogues he’d just killed. It’d been the first lesson his father had taught him—they only hunted vampires who willingly let their energies run wild. The others were left to live their lives.

But it didn’t change the fact she had fangs and drank blood.

Despite vampires’ sensual natures, he’d never been tempted to tangle with one before. He wouldn’t insult his father’s memory, what he’d fought for, by being with a vampire.

Rand let his gaze skim over her perfect lips, then traced over the smooth, white skin of her throat. God, he bet she’d be delicious. She’d feel silky and supple. And he’d be the first to slide his body into the warmth of hers.

Jesus. His chest heaved. “Sorry, sweetheart. I’m not interested in screwing a princess with fangs.”

Heat seared along her cheekbones. “Watch it, hunter.”

Time for him to get out of here. Before he did something stupid—like touch her. He stepped around her. “I’m leaving.”

She sidestepped in front of him. “I haven’t finished with you yet.”

That silky voice stroked over him. Rand went to move around her, but found his feet rooted to the ground.

Damn! Usually a vampire’s thrall didn’t work on him, but this woman’s voice was a powerful weapon.

She came closer and he smelled her scent. Fresh water with a hint of some flower he couldn’t name. It wrapped around him. So clean in the blood-soaked darkness.

Her violet eyes widened. “You’re so hot.”

She lifted a hand. It hovered between them for a second before she pressed her fingers to his chest.

Lightning. They both gasped. Her fingers clenched on his shirt, then moved in a caress. She smoothed those long, elegant fingers over his muscles.

“So much energy, so much rage,” she whispered. “How do you function with such chaos inside you?”

Rand had dealt with his frenzied emotions all his life. It was the curse of the vishuddha to feel too much and deal with strong energies.

But with this woman touching him, he felt himself skate close to the edge of his control.

Her fingers slid down his T-shirt, stroked over the ridges of his stomach. Fire followed her touch, roaring through his body and arrowing to his groin.

But something else about her caught his attention. The wonder lighting her face.

“You’re not what I expected, Darkness.”

“My name’s Rand,” he bit out. For some unknown reason, he didn’t like that name spilling from her lips.

She lifted her flawless face. “I am Dominique Valois.”

Valois was the cream of vampire royalty. The blue-blooded family had been around for centuries. They were known for only breeding with other ajna to keep their line pure.

Now why would a Valois princess want a roll in the sheets with a vampire hunter?

Not his problem. “Let go of your thrall, princess.”

“You must hear me out.”

He gritted his teeth. The hint of desperation under her tone caught him. “Talk fast.”

Her hand moved back up his chest, skirted the wound on his neck and stroked over his jaw. Flames licked down his body

“Why did you let the vampire do this? You could’ve killed him before he savaged you.”

“He got lucky.”

Her thumb brushed his lips. “I hear the lie in your voice.” Her head tilted, exquisite black hair sliding across her shoulder. Her voice lowered to a seductive whisper. “Tell me.”

He couldn’t stop the words that tumbled from him. “I don’t care if I die.”

“You court death?” She shook her head. “Non, you flirt with it.”

“Say what you have to say and release your thrall.” He was already working to break her control over him. The fingers on his right hand moved.

“I told you, I want you to take me to bed and take my virginity.”

Instant images flooded Rand’s head. His big hands stripping away white leather. Dominique naked amongst his sheets, all marble-smooth skin and husky cries. He saw his body covering hers, her long legs wrapping around his hips.

Sweat broke out on his forehead. “Why’s a Valois looking to slum it?”

She lifted her chin and for a brief second, he saw a flash of something dark in her eyes. Fear?

It couldn’t be. She could snap his neck or command him to stab the stake through his own throat.

“That is my business. All I need is your cock.”

Hearing the blunt words in her exotic, proper tone made his arousal thicken. His body yelled yes, the hunter in him told him no.

The fingers he could move curled. “I told you, I’m not interested.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Really?”

That one word dripped with feminine challenge. Rand’s nerves stretched tight.

Her hand moved across his chest, a nail scraping over his nipple. He swallowed a groan. Her hand inched lower and then even lower.

“I do believe, Monsieur Wilder, that you are lying again.” Her hand cupped his rock-hard erection through his jeans.

Jesus. Pure electricity flooded through him, making his skin feel too tight and his muscles threaten to turn liquid.

She stroked him and savage hunger sang through his system, screaming for him to touch her, take her.

“Don’t you want me?” Her husky murmur carried so many forbidden promises.

Her hand continued its torture, stroking the hard length of him. Her other hand curled around his neck and brought his head down. She was tall, but he was taller, and he felt her go up on her toes to press her crimson lips to his.