Vitus: #9 (Luna Lodge: Hunters of Atlas) Read online

  Vitus never thought of himself as someone looking for love. Maybe someone to spend time with to ease the loneliness that sometimes came with being a hybrid, but the whole Vestal thing seemed like a weird, foreign concept even as more of the hybrids around them found Vestals and paired up. That all changed when he stepped into the grocery store. Instantly, he could smell Grace and knew they were meant for one another, his other half that he’d always been missing.

  "We'll stop him," Alec said. "He won't even get close to her."

  Vitus turned and smiled at the younger man. They all knew that fighting Thrax was going to be their biggest challenge in the short-term, but Agatha having the blue stone meant so much more. The stone had the power to take the life energy of people and even destroy them.

  It was a danger they couldn't even fathom. Still, Vitus liked Alec’s optimism. He gave Vitus hope in a way he didn't know he needed.

  "Call if you need to," Vitus said.

  Alec nodded, and Vitus turned back toward Grace’s house. He sprinted with ease, now not hindered by the woman standing beside him. He hated being far from her now. His heart ached the longer he stayed away. Vitus knew that it was the beast trying to break free of the control, aching to fill his needs.

  He stopped outside the back of the house and watched in the distance as Grace moved from room to room, flicking the lights off as she did so. He glanced down at his watch. Eleven. Later than she normally went to bed.

  A small smile played on his lips. He could only hope that he was a factor in her late bedtime. Grace was not an easy woman to deter from her strict schedule. He took this is a victory either way.

  When finally she reached her bedroom, he watched as the light stayed on for a moment before flicking off. A low sort of growl filled him, and he stamped down the beast as it made itself known.

  "One day at a time," Vitus grumbled to himself.

  With her light off, stillness settled around him. Vitus quietly made his way over to the side of the house and listened to the steady breathing inside, his keen hearing able to make it out.

  Something about listening to her sleep settled him. The soft and steady intake of her breath was soothing to his soul. Just hearing her breathe was enough to comfort him.

  She was safe, and he was there to make sure it stayed that way.

  Chapter Five

  Everything around Grace seemed hazy. Something wasn’t quite right, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

  She stared down at the beautiful man as he carefully wrapped her foot in the bandage. Her breath quickened in her chest as his warm rough hands held the back of her calf, his fingers brushing against her sensitive skin.

  Her foot was sore, but he did a good job of wrapping it.

  Vitus stopped after wrapping her foot and looked up to where she sat. His eyes were such a deep penetrating blue that she gasped at the color. She couldn’t really say why they shocked her, but they felt like the most natural color in the world on him.

  Wait. His eyes weren’t blue. They were brown. Again, she took note of the haziness, wondering what was going on.

  A small smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. One she’d seen from him over and over. Like some secret joke that she’d missed.

  Her heart hammered in her chest and already she could feel her center go slick. She sucked in a deep breath. She’d never felt this way around a man before.

  Vitus raised a brow. “I think I know how to make this all better,” he said, sliding his hand slowly up her leg.

  Her mouth ran dry. Grace licked her lips and watched as his eyes flashed a blazingly bright blue at her.

  It should have shocked or at least surprised her, but a man flirting with her with eyes glowing felt so natural, right, and almost expected.

  “Why don’t you let me show you?” Vitus murmured.

  His mouth closed on hers, and she gasped against his lips as his tongue made its way into her mouth, teasing her until she could hardly catch her breath.

  Vitus pulled back, his hands still moving up her legs until they had pushed her long skirt all the way up her thighs, exposing her white panties. Her breathing grew ragged.

  Grace could feel the heat as it spread across her face and from her center.

  No, no, no. She closed her eyes and shook her head. This couldn’t be real. This was a dream. A glorious dream, but still a dream.

  “Lean back,” Vitus whispered in her ear.

  It was a dream, Grace told herself again as she leaned back. Just because it was a dream didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy it.

  His fingers skimmed over the fabric at her center, lightly touching her there.

  She shuddered under his touch. Grace might not have any experience, but she knew what this was and how great it could feel. It was something she’d done on her own many times. Recently, she’d even touched herself a lot more thinking about the handsome man now haunting her dreams.

  Vitus pressed firmly at the juncture between her legs, sliding his finger up and down. Just enough to drive her crazy.

  “Please,” she moaned.

  Grace heard a soft laugh and sighed when his finger slipped around her panties and slid between her slick folds. He moved faster, his fingers moving quickly over her tender nub, bringing her to the brink.

  She bucked at his movements and groaned loudly as the first wave of her orgasm washed over her.

  “Vitus,” she moaned.

  Grace awoke with a start in her bed, her body twisted in the covers around her and still panting over the orgasm she’d just had. Her body was on fire in a way that she’d never felt before.

  She gasped. It’d just been a dream, but she’d actually climaxed. She shook her head, confused and still aroused.

  Grace knew that she liked Vitus. As much as she tried to tell herself that she didn’t, it was hard to deny the sexual tension hanging in the air between the two of them. Of course, that could all be in her head. It wasn’t like she had enough experience to even know.

  With a sigh, she pulled back the covers on the bed and shivered at the chill in the air. The nights seemed to be colder than any she’d remembered as a child. She slipped her feet into the slippers by the side of the bed and grabbed the warm robe on the chair next to her.

  Despite the low temperatures, she hated wearing anything but summer nightgowns when she slept. Grace had always been one to toss and turn in her sleep. Anything too covering she would end up pulling off in the middle of the night.

  Still flushed from her dream, Grace made her way into the kitchen and filled a glass with cold water from the faucet. The clear liquid quenched her parched lips. She leaned against the counter in the darkness, still feeling the effects of the mind-blowing orgasm as her center throbbed.

  It had been such a good dream she’d almost hated waking from it. Considering the Shadow Man and the darkness that normally haunted her, this was a welcome change. Something she hadn’t had in a while.

  A chill swept over her as the other dreams came back to her. The black man in the shadows, chasing her. He laughed as she ran, letting her fall and scrape herself against the hard earth. They felt just as real as the one with Vitus, but in all the wrong ways.

  The Shadow Man never caught her. He always stayed just out of sight, but she knew that when he did finally decide to show himself, that would be the end of her. There was no question in her mind when it came to that.

  She frowned as an eerie feeling crept over her, washing out any piece of her that might have been reveling in her previous dream.

  Her stomach tightened. She thought she was awake, but this feeling seeping through her was just like that in the nightmares where she found herself running through the woods.

  It wasn’t something she could explain, but she could feel the presence there with her. Not a thought, something actually there. Something evil that lurked in the shadows.

  Grace’s heart hammered.

  Something creaked in the living room. It sounded like a footstep agai
nst the aged wooden floor.

  She wasn’t awake. It was still a dream. The Shadow Man had only tricked her into thinking she was awake to take her off-guard.

  Another creak of the floor board sounded, and she dropped the glass she was holding to bolt for the back door. The glass crashed to the floor just as she reached the handle.

  Her hands shook violently as she flipped the lock on the door, not even daring to look behind her as she did so for fear he would be standing there.

  The door flew open, and she gasped in surprise. Two bright blue eyes stared back at her.

  “Vitus,” she said, his name almost a whisper.

  Instantly Grace wrapped her arms around him and felt the eerie presence shift away.

  “I heard you say my name and then the crash,” he said after a moment.

  Grace leaned back and stared up at the amazing man in front of her. He’d saved her. She wasn’t sure what the real Vitus would have done in that situation, likely laughed at how absurd she was being, but dream Vitus had been her protector.

  She stood on her toes and placed a soft kiss against his lips, savoring just how very soft and masculine they were this time. Maybe she’d gotten better at imagining just what he would taste like.

  Mint. Just the faintest hint.

  Her tongue slid along the seam of his lips, and she groaned when his tongue met hers to twine in her mouth.

  He was forceful this time. More so than the last. Already she could feel herself getting excited once again. She shoved the Shadow Man as far out of her mind as she could. For once she was going to enjoy herself. Even if it were all in a dream, especially since it seemed and felt even more real than before.

  Chapter Six

  Vitus didn’t understand how things had turned out this way, but he also wasn’t going to complain. One second he was just keeping an eye on her house, then he’d heard her moaning, probably from some sort of dream. He’d gotten a little excited, but then she stopped, and he’d heard a crash and her panicked running.

  And now she was killing him.

  He moaned against the mouth of the tiny woman in his arms. His brain was trying to compute why she was standing there kissing him, but he wasn't about to ask questions. For so long he'd waited to have just this, and now that she was in his arms, he planned to take full advantage of that.

  His mouth slanted over hers, allowing him access deeper inside of her mouth. His tongue twined with hers as he explored every inch.

  In his arms, Vitus could feel her shiver as his hands gripped tightly around her body, pulling her closer to him.

  Already he could feel his cock straining against the zipper of his pants, aching to be planted deep inside her tight channel.

  Vitus kicked the back door closed and lifted Grace up into his arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist as her robe parted down the middle. Her wet heat pressed firmly against him.

  A low rumble filled his chest as he stepped farther into the kitchen. Something crunched beneath his feet, but he ignored it as he backed her up onto the counter, her thighs spreading farther apart against him as if welcoming him.

  Once there he felt Grace shiver again in his arms. The cool counter pressed against her flushed skin. Quickly he untied the soft robe around her, eager to feel her skin against his own as he continued to kiss her. It slid off her shoulders onto the counter as Vitus pressed in again. His aching cock planted firmly against her center as she wrapped her legs more firmly around him. He needed to be inside her. Both his cock and his soul demanded it.

  Vitus shifted his mouth off hers to plant small kisses down the column of her neck. The soft skin there grew slick as he kissed and sucked on the tender skin. He could hear the short puffs of breath as Grace breathed in. Her arousal hung thick in the air of the kitchen, only spurring on his own hunger for her and making his cock hard and pushing hard against his pants.

  Vitus nipped at her neck lightly. She gasped as his hand slid up her thighs until he grasped her hips, pulling her even more snugly against him.

  She moaned loudly as she shifted against him, her center now squarely over him. Again, another rumble escaped his chest, and he could see some of the glow from his eyes on her face.

  They rocked together now. Grace threw her head back as she rubbed her center against his hard length. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as she bucked against him.

  It was taking everything in him not to come in his pants. More than anything he wanted to be inside her. To fuck her until she couldn’t stand for days.

  The woman had been so quiet and reserved, but now she’d finally given in, and her eagerness was only fueling his own.

  His inner beast roared at the idea of feeling her insides squeeze his cock as she came around him, milking the cum out of him.

  "I'm so close," Grace whispered in his ear.

  Vitus growled loudly. He had no idea what had made Grace so aggressive, but he couldn't deny how turned on he was by her. She wanted him, and he was more than willing to give her whatever the hell she wanted right now, especially if it ended with him inside of her.

  His hand went to the button on his pants, eager to fill both their needs. It might seem quick, but he could live with that as long as it ended with them both fully satisfied.

  Grace wrapped her arms around his neck and stared deep into his eyes with her soft hazel eyes. Her hair haloed around her face in soft brown waves from being up in a bun all day. She looked like some sort of goddess outlined by the moonlight.

  "Make me come," she said softly. "Make me come like you did before."

  Vitus frowned as his movements slowed. Something wasn’t right. For a moment, he wasn’t sure he’d heard her correctly.

  "What?" he said.

  Grace sighed loudly and impatiently rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on. Don’t stop now.” She shook her head. "Look, I know this is just a dream, but it's still not easy for me to say out loud," she said softly. A small blush was already working its way on her face. "Please, Vitus, make me come."

  A dream? Oh, shit.

  Gritting his teeth, it took everything in Vitus to pull his hand back away from her body and step away from her warm and wet center.

  She frowned at him. "What? Don’t tell me I’m going to get rejected in my own dream.”

  Vitus ran a hand through his hair as he continued to stare at her. Her lips were still red from their kiss.

  "This isn't a dream," he said simply. “This is real life.”

  Grace narrowed her eyes as she continued to stare at him. He could see the irritation and need burning just under the surface. His own cock still twitched, now unsatisfied with him pulling away.

  "It has to be," she said. "The real Vitus doesn't have bright blue eyes. Only dream you." She frowned. “This is all very confusing arguing with dream you. You’re part of me. Just… do what I say.”

  This time it was Vitus who frowned. He took a step closer to her, but made sure to keep a distance between their bodies. He’d heard about this before. That some Vestals had dreamed about their true mate. Some had even roamed into other people’s dreams.

  "You dreamed about my eyes?" he said.

  He could see the color start to drain from her face as the reality of what was going on seemed to hit her. Grace shook her head as she tried to come to terms with what was happening.

  "I don't understand," she whispered. "First, you had blue eyes, and I was happy it wasn't a nightmare. Then the Shadow Man came, but you frightened him away. But now you say you're real?"

  The Shadow Man. Every muscle in his body tensed, and he only barely stopped from growling. His heart kicked up. The Shadow Man wasn’t a nightmare or a figment of imagination. They all knew who he really was now, the evil demigod Erebus who had been stalking them and Vestals in the shadows, trying to find a way into their realm.

  Vitus took a deep breath. None of them really knew what would happen once the monster made his way over, but they could guarantee it wasn’t going to be good. He’d probably make the Hor
atius Group seem childish in comparison.

  "Was he here?” Vitus said. “The Shadow Man? Did he hurt you? How often does he come to you?" He reached forward and placed a hand on her upper arm. He had to keep her safe. It was the only thing that mattered. He didn’t care even if he had to take on a demigod.

  Grace shook her head slowly. He could see she was still struggling with understanding what was going on. She’d thought this was a dream. A part of him wanted to be sad that she hadn’t really thrown herself at him, but there were other things to worry about at the moment.

  Erebus was nothing he wanted to put off to later.

  "You've heard of the Shadow Man?" Grace said quietly.

  Vitus opened his mouth to explain what he knew but stopped as a roar ripped through the silence outside.

  His head jerked toward the back window. He could spot the clear outline of Thrax in the woods, just at the edge of the trees. The damn monster was finally making his move, likely because of what had happened between Vitus and Grace, their scents filling the air.

  If Vitus had been thinking with his brain, he might have decided that it wasn’t the best idea to try and sleep with Grace, but he had been thinking with another part of his body instead.

  "What was that?" Grace asked, her voice shaking.

  Vitus turned to stare at the small woman still sitting on the counter. Her body was exposed to him through her sheer nightgown. Not exactly the sort of thing she could run away in.

  He could only hope that Alec and Joran weren’t far away and would be able to run interference for him so he could get Grace to safety. Thrax was not the sort of Glycon he wanted to take on alone while defending his woman.

  Vitus didn’t care about his own safety, but if Thrax took him down, that meant he’d get away with Grace.