With Extra Cream Read online

  Jag jumped up and ran over to stand beside her. He looked out of the window. Sure enough, the cheetah was back. The stench was strong. He needed to be more careful, especially protecting her.

  "It's a cheetah. Stay here.” Jag mentally called Patrik, who he knew would arrive outside of his front door. He headed that way. “He's on the south side of the house, Patrik.” His cat already clawed for release. It wanted to protect its mate. It was the jaguar, not the man, who turned the corner of the house in full stride. The cheetah took off into the woods with a lion and a jaguar on its tail.

  Jag stayed close to the lion. They burst into a clearing, and there he was.

  The cheetah became man, laughing snidely. “Stupid Reign. He wanted the woman. He will have her now.” Jag realized that they had been led away from the house so the rogue could take Barbara.

  The cheetah had given his life up as bait. And Jag was going to rip his heart out.

  The transgressor became cheetah again, but faster than he could move, the much larger jaguar leaped across the clearing and slammed into the smaller cat, knocking him down. Without another thought, Jag's beast latched onto the cheetah's throat and held him in his mighty jaws. The cheetah futilely clawed at the jaguar's chest, drawing blood. Jag held him until he felt the body go limp. With the cheetah pinned to the ground, the jaguar ripped into its stomach and disemboweled it. Raising his head, Jag roared loud enough to shake the trees.

  Barbara!

  He turned to notice that Patrik had already left. Thank God. He would materialize right in Jag's living room this time, not caring what Barbara thought. Jag was glad. He needed Patrik to protect her from the vampyre. He heaved air into his lungs and, ignoring his bleeding chest, he ran full speed back to his house.

  The fur receded quickly and Jag pulled his cat back into his body. He clothed himself in pants only and ran through his open front door.

  "No!” Jag yelled. The vampyre had Barbara pulled against him, his mouth a fraction from her throat.

  "Remain calm, Jag,” Patrik said. “He wants something or he would have taken her by now."

  "If you harm her, I'll follow you to hell, to the ends of the Earth. You'll never rest again.” Jag meant every word of it.

  "Reign, I do not fear you. I could break her neck before you move.” Barbara's eyes were glazed. The creature held her in a thrall.

  The vampyre no longer masked his foul smell of rogue. What did he want? Jag would give him anything if he released Barbara.

  "What is it you want, rogue?” Patrik hissed, so calm Jag couldn't see him breathe.

  "I want her. I have watched her for many nights now. She's special and she's mine.” He glared at Jag, his eyes red, his yellowed fangs dripping with saliva. “You cannot protect her from me. You are nothing but a beast. I will make her want me."

  Jag tried to stay calm. Now he understood what Patrik meant about the vamp wanting something. His swollen pride, his belief that he could make Barbara want him, would be his downfall.

  All of a sudden there was stillness, a quiet to the room that felt like a vacuum. A brief flash of white light revealed a man with long silver-white hair streaked with black—Phoenix. “Gian, release the woman now or you will know agony beyond death,” he ordered. “Or you can die with very little pain.” Barbara's body jerked and Jag heard her whimper. The thrall was broken.

  Shit, he thought, Phoenix didn't fuck around.

  Gian's body quivered, his eyes glued on Phoenix with fear.

  "Hey, Phoenix.” Jag hurt badly, but a ghost of a smile hovered on his lips. He was glad to see this Reign warrior.

  "Patrik, can't you handle a puny little vampyre like this?"

  "I was getting around to it, but now that you're here, we'll relax."

  Jag's eyes never left the vampyre's face. He was still afraid for Barbara. He vowed to himself to take the blood of humans more often. He needed to be stronger to protect her. And that was the only way. Otherwise he would have to wait years to become as powerful as Phoenix and Patrik.

  "So, the human woman belongs to you?” Phoenix looked at Jag. “She has a very strong psychic aura. You're a very lucky cat to have one like her at your side."

  "If he...” Jag was in such pain he could barely stand. “Psychic?” Phoenix's words slammed into his gut. Barbara was psychic. That explained her dreams.

  "Go, Jag, take your woman. The vampyre cannot harm her.” Phoenix began the Reign's death chant. “As I live, I will deliver you up to blood. You have hated your own blood and blood shall pursue you. Revenge by Reign is just.” Phoenix looked at the vampyre. “Gian, you will die tonight.” He looked at Jag. “Keep the Thunder Chicken warm, boy. I'll stop back for a visit later.” And in the blink of an eye, he and the rogue were gone.

  "How the hell does he do that so quietly?” Patrik mused.

  Barbara crumpled to the floor and began crawling toward Jag. He fell to his knees, so relieved that she was alive he didn't care if he did die now. But he wouldn't. He had lost a lot of blood but he could replace that.

  "Jag, what's happening? Who are these people? Please be okay because I can't lose you now.” She pressed her hands to his wounds, which had already begun to heal, but blood was everywhere. She pulled him into her lap. And held him. Jag was so surprised by her actions he lay docile in her arms.

  Patrik moved across the room to where they were. “He'll be fine. He's already healing, but he will need to take blood.” Patrik bent to help him up.

  "Don't touch him!” Barbara yelled. “Don't. You. Touch. Him. I'll take care of him."

  "Well, Jag, it seems you're in good hands. I'll leave you two alone.” The room filled with kinetic energy and Patrik vanished.

  Barbara couldn't believe what was happening. She'd been held captive by a vampyre, seen blood spill from the wounds on Jag's chest, and all she could do was stand there and watch him bleed. If the other man hadn't appeared out of nowhere, would she be dead? He'd been much taller than Jag. His muscles were so defined he looked like a statue. These people couldn't be ordinary men. What the hell had she gotten herself into?

  And the man said she was psychic. She wasn't crazy after all. Her grandmother had been right. Why had it taken all these years to surface? That was a problem to be solved later. At least it explained the dreams about Jag. She was connected to him in some way. But what was he? First she needed to make sure he lived.

  "Jag, talk to me. Are you all right?"

  "You're safe, pet, that's all that matters. I thought ... I ... was so afraid he would kill you."

  She continued to hold Jag, rocking him back and forth. “Can you stand?"

  "Yes, I'll be fine in a bit. My kind, the Kind, heal quickly. I wanted to tell you tonight—” His sentence trailed off.

  "Tell me later. I don't know what's going on, but I need to get you to a bed and clean the blood off you. Were you attacked by the cheetah?"

  "The cheetah, yes, but he's dead. I killed him."

  "I'm so glad you're okay. Where's your bedroom? Can you make it?” She needed to get him into bed. He had to rest. She didn't know what she would do about the blood loss.

  Jag stood and moved toward the stairs with her help. When they reached the top, he turned to the first door on the left of the hall. Barbara opened the door, helped him into the room and onto the bed.

  Barbara went to the only other door in the room, hoping it was a bathroom. It was. She opened the largest cabinet and pulled out some cloths and a couple of towels. She went to the smaller cabinet, searching for, and finding, a first aid kit. She wet the cloths with warm water and hurried back into the bedroom.

  Jag's eyes followed her as she rushed back to the bed. “Don't you want to know—"

  "Shhh. I want to get you cleaned up first. We'll talk later.” She wiped the wounds gently, amazed that they had already closed up. So she cleaned the dried blood away. “Are you sure you're okay?"

  "I'll be fine. Really. But we need to talk.” He needed to get it over with. If she wa
s going to leave him, he wanted it to be sooner rather than later.

  "I don't know what happened. I know it scared the hell out of me, Jag. But I also know you were hurt very badly, and I won't leave you. You need to get some rest. Is the room across the hall your guest room?"

  "One of them, yes."

  "I'll be right across the hall if you need me. But rest for now.” Barbara kissed him gently on the forehead. She stood, ready to leave the room.

  "Barbara?"

  "Yes?"

  "I can explain everything."

  "I'll be across the hallway. Rest.” She closed the door softly on her way out.

  Barbara went to find BG, who had somehow gotten his large body under the china cabinet in the dining room. She dug him out with a huge amount of protest on his part. He'd disappeared when the vampyre flew in. A vampyre! Shit. Crystal would never believe this. Hell, no one would ever believe this. They would think she'd gone off the deep end.

  * * * *

  Jag opened his eyes and found himself sitting in the wingback chair by the window, his chest bare, his scars almost gone.

  Barbara sat on the sofa in one of his tee shirts. She must have taken it to wear to bed. She calmly looked at him. “You heal really fast."

  "My kind do.” He knew this was a dream. Did she?

  "You're one of the cats I saw tonight, aren't you?"

  "The jaguar.” Maybe she did know it was a dream.

  "Your boss was the lion? He said you will need to take blood."

  "Yeah."

  "The vampyre was real?"

  "Yeah."

  "He meant you take blood like a vampyre, yet the sun doesn't hurt you?"

  "We do take human blood. It helps us to be strong, but we never kill people. It's against our laws. We were born as cats and infected by vampyre blood. When we're not cats, we're vampyre. My people are called Kind. I'm Sovereign Kind. We're the warriors that protect the world from the vile creatures you saw tonight. We don't know why we're able to walk in the sunlight.” Jag needed her to understand fully what he was.

  "I'm really asleep, and this is a dream, isn't it, Jag?"

  "Yes.” What else could he say?

  "Why is this happening now? My grandmother always told me I was different. That explains my earlier dreams. But why did it take so long to surface? Why with you? There has to be a reason for all of this. There has to be meaning to the Fates throwing us together."

  "You are my draga moja."

  "What?"

  "My kind finds one true mate in a lifetime, one who loves them forever, and who is loved forever. True mates can dream together. And feel, and smell, even taste, in the dream. Your soul recognized me before mine did. I felt all of your dreams once I realized you were my life mate."

  "So the dreams are real?"

  "In a way. I mean ... they're dreams but they feel real to us."

  "We belong together?"

  "Yes.” Jag watched Barbara's face.

  "Draga moja. What does it mean?"

  "You are my own, my flame. You complete my life.” Jag explained it as best he could.

  "I know I don't want to lose you. I need to be with you. But I still have a lot of questions.” Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears as her face lit with a smile of acceptance. “Do you want that with extra cream or what?"

  "Don't tease me, Barbara, because I need you so much.” Jag's heart burst with hope. They could make it work.

  "I'm not teasing you. I want you too, and I need it to be real again, like earlier. Not a dream. So what do I do?"

  "Wake up, honey. Wake up and come to me."

  * * * *

  The door opened and closed softly. Barbara stood by his bed, naked. He looked at her for the longest time, unable to take his eyes off her. She was the most beautiful woman in the world. Finally, he reached for her and pulled her down into his arms. His cock bumped against her ass.

  "Are you sure you're okay?"

  "I'm sure.” He wouldn't let her know how weak he really was. He didn't want her to change her mind.

  He cupped her breasts, pinching her nipples till they were hard peaks and poked at his palms. Jag nibbled at her shoulder while he rubbed his erection against her butt. He was so hard.

  One hand stroked down her body. The feel of Barbara's skin against his palm was soft. Jag's fingers found her mound, and the fine hair there sent tingles up his arm. He was glad she didn't remove it. “This feels good,” he told her, as he played with her pussy.

  "You like it?"

  "Umm, must be the beast in me."

  Her hand joined his and nudged him farther down between her legs.

  His fingers got wet as they slid into her crease. Jag slowly circled her clit and lightly flicked it. The moan he elicited from her rumbled against his body and made his cock jerk.

  "Jag?"

  "Yeah, pet?"

  "You'd heal quicker, be stronger, if you had blood, wouldn't you?"

  "I would.” Jag held his breath. What was she thinking? Did she want to belong to him all the way?

  "Could you take my blood?” He heard resolve in her voice. “I want to do this. I'm giving myself to you completely. I need to be the reason you heal."

  "I'd heal quicker, but you don't—"

  "I want you to do it, Jag."

  Before she thought about it too long, he let his fangs drop. He started to nibble at her pulse and let her feel the sharp points as they nipped at her soft skin. He kissed her neck and sucked her gently, giving her time to stop him. He pulled back and gazed at her. “You still wear my mark."

  "I tried to tell myself it was a damned shoebox.” She chuckled nervously. “You know, I thought I was crazy."

  His lips curved in a smile as his tongue found her pulse. “I can stop, Barbara."

  "No.” She'd continued to move her hand with his as he played in her pussy.

  Jag's fangs pierced her flesh. There was no stopping now. He felt her flinch in pain. He began to suck her life's blood. Gently at first, then he took more and more. He felt her body tense, tightening with lust. Taking blood always quickened desires. Her body would burn for him. He felt her nipples grow harder in his hand and her cunt grew wetter.

  "Mmm, Jag. That feels so good. Please. I need you now."

  He finished by licking the pinpricks closed. His saliva would heal her. Her blood filled him with the strength he needed. He didn't want to move his hand from the slick folds between her legs, but he had to. Jag turned her to face him. His eyes drank Barbara's face in before he kissed her deeply.

  "I want something from you I've never asked of anyone. I need you to take my blood so I can belong to you as much as you belong to me.” Jag held his breath, waiting for her answer. He saw how full of love her eyes were.

  "I'd give you the world, and yes, I want to belong to you."

  He sat up and rested his back against the headboard. He pulled her into his lap, his cock pressed tightly against her ass. He lifted his wrist to his mouth, punctured it with his fangs, and held it down in front of her. Offering his life. “Drink, draga moja, I'm yours."

  Barbara put her mouth to his wrist. He felt her tongue flick tentatively at the puncture. “You're so sweet.” He heard the surprise in her voice.

  She pressed her lips fully onto his wrist and took a small amount. His cock jolted against her. Oh, how wonderful. She finished and watched him as he put his wrist back to his mouth to close and heal the punctures.

  Jag's heart soared. He loved this woman more than his own life. He had shown that by sharing his precious life with her, as she had shared hers with him. He had never felt such intimacy in his life.

  "God, I need you now.” He lifted her and turned her to face him. “Spread your legs for me.” He sat her down on his cock, wanting to be gentle, though he couldn't wait any longer to be inside of her. He could smell her sex. She was wet and ready. He would enter her easily.

  Jag pushed his length into her all the way to the hilt. One hard stroke. His hands on her hips, he h
eld her tight as he started to pump his cock inside of her with long, deep strokes. Her pussy spread wide open to accept him. She was his forever.

  He leaned up and suckled at her breast. His teeth plucked her nipple hard but he could tell she liked it by the moans that escaped her lips. Wanting to taste more, he captured her lips with his and thrust his tongue into her mouth. All the while, he slammed his cock back and forth into her pussy without mercy.

  "Oh, Jag. Yes. Yesss,” Barbara sang out. She met his every stroke with abandon. It was so good. He wanted to fill her with each thrust of his cock. She stretched around him and held him tight. Jag wanted to touch her very soul.

  "Take all of me, pet.” Jag felt her pussy contract on his thickness as she caught his furious rhythm. He didn't know how long he could hold back. He stroked her back. He caressed and coaxed her on. Now she was his and he wanted to make her feel so good.

  "Jag. Oh, I love youuu,” she cried as her body let go in a riptide of pleasure. She released a flood of juices that washed over him and sent him in a spiral over the edge.

  "Oh, yeah.” He groaned as his seed started to spurt into her. He wanted to stay inside her for an eternity. “Barbara.” Jag sighed as he slowed his strokes and came down from a high so wonderful. “I love you so much."

  Barbara fell onto Jag's chest, spent.

  He held her body tightly to his and they both fell asleep.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Epilogue

  Jag could tell when Barbara woke from the way her breathing changed. He kept her pressed against him.

  Meow. Big Guy scratched at the door.

  "Oh, BG,” Barbara said. “He's used to sleeping with me."

  "Today we'll get him a bed that'll be all his. And see that sunny spot over by the window? That's where he'll sleep. I'm personally going to see to it that he gets out more."

  "He won't stay there. He's very obstinate."

  He knows who the boss is.

  "Jag?” Barbara jumped at the sound of his voice in her head.

  Pet?

  "How..."

  Because we shared blood, we have a mental bond now. It will grow stronger with time. No one else can hear it.