Dark Possession - Aja James Page 0,22

alive beneath these rocks. But then we all lose, don’t we? And who knows what Dark Queen will arise after me? Another ruler like my mother? Who will hunt all of your Kind to extinction perhaps? Is that what you want, little man?”

The mountain gradually stilled, but pebbles still danced agitatedly upon the ground.

“Now…” Ashlu said, gingerly taking the baby into her own arms from the Commander.

“I am Ashlu Da-ni-gal, Queen of the Dark Ones. How shall I address you, little prince?”

*** *** *** ***

Ramses abruptly opened his eyes.

It had been ages since he’d had that particular dream. Why did he have it now?

“Ashlu Da-ni-gal…Rope of Greatness…Dark Queen…Prince Hulaal…Precious Stone…Hmm…Fire Mountain…”

Eveline slurred the jumbled words against his chest, one side of her face practically plastered to his naked skin.

How did she…?

Could she somehow see into his past? Those names…he hadn’t heard them in over seven millennia.

A shiver of alarm chased down his spine.

No one knew what he really was, and he intended to keep it that way. Until he found a way to gather his Kind together and consolidate their powers, he would continue hiding in plain sight—in a most visible role, in fact, as King of the Dark Ones.

A tiger amongst wolves.

And then a different thought occurred to him.

The Pure Ones’ Seer obviously had incredible research skills, if after only one day, she was able to piece together clues to a long-lost past. How did she know to dig into this particular timeline? And how did she find the tomes that referenced it?

Ramses had spent untold hours covertly scouring the Cove’s library archives since he was recruited into the New England vampire hive. He hadn’t been able to pore over every word in every scroll, but nothing of what he’d seen indicated that there might be references to a buried ancient past.

Now, in less than twenty-four hours, the Seer had stumbled upon the beginning of a story he’d done everything in his power to erase from the memory of Immortal and human Kinds.

Eveline Marceau was dangerous.

What was she looking for? What would she find?

She was also useful, his temporary librarian. Instead of exposing his secrets, perhaps he could use her skills to help him uncover more. Perhaps she’d even be the key to setting him free.

Sharp little teeth chose that moment to clamp down on his collar bone.

The sting of her bite was negligible; the small pain somehow pleasurable. It was her soft, moist mouth sucking on his skin, and her warm, wet tongue licking the bruised area that undid him.

The hungry little savage was gnawing on his flesh again, a strange, alarming habit. One that unintentionally set his body aflame with blatant arousal.

Ramses was distantly shocked at his own reaction to the red-headed fairy.

He’d always been a male in absolute control of his body’s reactions and functions. She’d trained him well. Unless his mind allowed it, his flesh and blood would not so much as stir, much less harden painfully and broil scalding hot within his veins.

“Chocolate…Cinnamon…Hmm…”

The tenacious little Seer was muttering nonsense in her sleep again, now nuzzling her face into the hollow of his throat. Like a soft, adorable, harmless kitten.

But then—

Chomp.

She was trying to bite him again, her mouth closing over a throbbing vein in his neck, sucking voraciously on it despite the barrier of his skin.

If he didn’t know better, he’d say she was behaving like a Pure or Dark female with her Mate. She seemed to be trying to penetrate him without her fangs. Instead, she left little bruises all over his chest and neck in the restlessness of her slumber. With his Dark One healing powers, the marks disappeared mere minutes after she made them in his skin, but illogically, he almost wished they’d remain there like tattoos.

Almost.

Because he’d sworn long ago that he’d never again bear the marks of a female’s possession on his body.

But he’d make certain she bore his. It was time to feed.

He shifted his body and tightened his arms and legs around her until she was completely immobile within the prison of his embrace. He buried his nose in her wavy auburn tresses, inhaling deeply.

Unbidden, a low growl rumbled through his throat.

She smelled delicious. And he already knew that she tasted even better.

Though he’d only taken a small sip of her blood, mere drops really, when he sealed their Blood Contract at the cabin, it was enough for the rich, heady flavor of her to imprint forever on his tongue, in his taste buds.

Every individual’s blood tasted