by Leela Ash
“Shit!” Apollo barked. They suddenly spotted a bulky body draped near Apollo’s cabin.
“John!”
The bear shifters ran to their friend, who was bleeding on the ground. “Hey, wake up! Are you okay?”
The man groggily opened his eyes. “Ugh.”
“We need to take care of him. Can you tell us where they went?”
“No need. I can smell them,” Apollo growled. “This won’t take long.”
He ran to the woods and paused before he shapeshifted. “Mike, Frank. Come on.”
“Right!”
The two alphas followed Apollo’s lead and shifted, following Apollo who was already hot on his daughter’s trail.
He was blind with fury and panic, his animalistic instincts fully kicked in and homed in on his child and Quinn. He couldn’t let anything happen to either of them. They meant too much to him. Fucking Heidi!
He let out a roar of fury as he ran with all his might, quickly abandoning the task and taking flight. He knew the other shifters would be able to follow his trail on foot. But there was too little time. He had to get to them now.
It felt like an eternity before he found the area where his loved ones had been taken. It was a strange, derelict warehouse in the middle of a dense forest. What it had been originally built for was impossible to tell. Now, though, it was for holding his daughter and Quinn hostage. And that just wouldn’t do.
He charged through one of the huge windows, his dragon form shattering everything around him. He smelled danger. And death. This was not a good place to be. His daughter shouldn’t be anywhere near here.
He reared his head as he found his way around the place. They were close. He could sense it.
Finally, he made his way to the lower levels of the warehouse.
“Ah, the dragon shifter.”
Apollo’s eyes locked on Zed, who was sneering at him. Heidi was bound and gagged in the corner, while Quinn was shielding Vera, from the man, with her body and backing away as he came toward them.
“You’re just in time for the show,” Zed said, his face contorting from his humanoid, elderly look to an elongated face with furious dark eyes. He reached his long fingers out to grab Quinn and she kicked it away, ducking beneath it and rolling, with Vera, out of reach. Damn, she was impressive.
“Stay still, now. I have plans with that child. The shifter blood in her will do well should we need a sacrifice to open the Portal Room.”
“You’re not going to touch her!” Quinn shouted.
Heidi let out a furious cry and worked against her bindings. But Apollo could tell they were no ordinary ropes. They were imbued with a magic that could bind her from shapeshifting. He would have to be careful here.
Zed made another move toward Quinn and Vera, and Apollo had it. He lunged at the man in rage, gnashing his teeth as Zed continued to transform. But Zed dodged it and leapt closer to Quinn, who flinched and turned around to pick Vera up and run in the opposite direction.
“Is that really necessary, girls?” The man’s voice was growing strange and disembodied. It sounded almost as if it were coming from a different dimension. Dark, putrid feathers began sprouting all over his body and Apollo sighed inwardly. A Vourge. Of course.
“Come to me, child,” Zed called, his voice echoing eerily in the warehouse. He pulled something from his pocket just as he finished his shapeshift. Now, his body was beginning to slither like a snake’s. “This isn’t going to hurt you.”
Apollo lunged again, knowing it was too risky to use his breath weapon so close to his child.
“I’m just going to snatch you up,” the Vourge said in a sing-song voice. He held a tiny satchel in his big palm and dipped two long fingers inside. “It won’t hurt a bit.”
Vera had spotted Apollo now and was squirming out of Quinn’s arms. He was the one she wanted to protect her. He was the one she trusted when in danger. Quinn’s eyes widened as she immediately sensed the danger.
“Vera! No!”
Zed aimed his fist at the child and prepared himself to throw the contents of the satchel at Vera.
Before Apollo could even blink, Quinn had leapt in front of the child, receiving the blow. The satchel exploded in a deep purple powder and Quinn fell lifelessly to the ground. Vera stepped back quickly, then ran to hide behind a shipping container.
“Silly human,” the Vourge stated. He turned back to Apollo with a sneer. “All the women in your life appear to be unintelligent.”
That was it. Apollo turned his body heavily and whipped Zed with his tail. Zed flew backward but came back at him with surprising speed. Apollo had to get him away from the girls, then help Quinn. She looked lifeless on the floor. Fuck. What would he do without her?
He whipped Zed again with his tail, then turned around quickly to headbutt him out the window. The glass shattered as he flew through it, and Apollo followed quickly behind, readying his breath weapon. He could sense Mike and Frank not far away and knew, if he could just hold out a little longer with Zed, they could go in and get Quinn, Vera, and Heidi out of there.
With that in mind, he unleashed his breath weapon, and Zed let out an anguished yell. Now, Frank and Mike were right upon them, and Apollo gave them a meaningful look. Get the girls, I’ve got this, it said. They headed into the warehouse immediately, as Apollo surrendered to the power of the dragon and snuffed the life of the Vourge out finally.
***
Apollo found Quinn lying helplessly on the floor of the warehouse. Her chest was rising and falling lightly, and he exhaled deeply in relief. As soon as he made it to the tree line, Apollo shapeshifted into his human form and lifted Quinn to carry her, in his arms, back to the cabin. Frank had gone to untie Heidi, and Mike was soothing Vera gently, persuading her to come with him so they could go back to Winters and play with Rachel.
“Is she going to be all right?” Frank asked, walking with Heidi to where Apollo was standing with Quinn.
“I don’t know what’s wrong. What is that stuff?”
Mike wandered over with Vera on his shoulders and frowned down at the powder.
“That stuff will put you in a deep sleep. It’s a tactic I was learning about with the elders. But we have something that can counter that. An herbal brew. Come on.”
Apollo carefully carried Quinn to the door, thinking an antidote to that powder was too good to be true. Hopefully, though, Mike knew what he was talking about.
It took no time at all before they made it back to Winters; though, in Apollo’s mind, the time dragged like eons. He was worried about Quinn. How would he deal with it if anything happened to her? What kind of cold shell of a place would life be if a light like hers could be snuffed out so easily? All so she could save his child. Humbled didn’t even begin to describe the way he felt carrying her through the forest.
Mike immediately took Vera to Sandy’s cabin, as promised, knowing it would be the best option to keep her from being underfoot as they tended to Quinn’s wounds. He rejoined Apollo quickly.
“I’m going to get the other bear shifters to help with the antidote. I need a little of this…”
He took a small sample of the powder that still clung to Quinn’s face and ran toward the cabins of the other shifters.
He could hear Vera’s voice clearly through the open space and finally relaxed. Mike had gotten his child to safety. The girl was playing with Rachel, and they were having great fun. It was almost as if Vera had never even seen the Vorgue that wanted to steal her away. They would have to have a long talk about it later. But for now, he had to tend to Quinn. He had to make sure she was all right.
He kicked the door to the cabin open, taking her immediately to his bedroom and laying her down. He stood there, staring at her helplessly as he waited for the antidote. He turned around quickly, suddenly sensing another presence nearby. It was Heidi.
“Apollo, I’m really sorry for all of that,” Heidi murmured.
Apollo sighed. “It looked like he got the better of yo
u too,” he said, glancing impatiently out the window for Mike. Still no sign.
“I should never have come here. I’m a mess. I have a lot to work on before I am worthy of Vera’s time.” Heidi sighed. “He said he was an elder and that he could take her somewhere safe for us. So you could work. I’m so, so sorry. About everything. Especially Quinn.”
“It’s all right. Just take care of yourself,” Apollo said, sighing heavily. “They’re telling me Quinn should be all right. You need to worry about healing yourself, you know. Get to where you want to be. And don’t trust anybody!”
“You’re right. I’m gonna get out of here. I’ll see you around.”
Apollo sighed, then nodded kindly at Heidi. “Yeah, see you.”
After she left, Apollo was crushed by the silence. All he could do was stare at Quinn, wishing she would wake up and everything would be back to normal. He didn’t trust that this would work, but it was his best shot. So far, his only shot. Finally, there was a knock at the door. Mike was standing outside.
“This ought to do it, Apollo. Just wave it under her nose. I’ve got to get back to the cabin though, we’re working on another batch just in case this one isn’t strong enough.”
“Thanks, Mike. I really appreciate this.”
Mike nodded and took off back toward the cabin. Apollo inhaled deeply, then knelt beside Quinn. He gazed at the antidote for a few moments before finally getting the courage to try it. He knew if it didn’t work, his world might very well be shattered. It had to work.
He waved it under her nose several times, and still, she wouldn’t budge. He was about to panic when finally, her eyes fluttered open and she let out a huge gasp.
“Apollo,” she whispered. She raised her arms to him for a tight hug and they embraced for several minutes, each of them finally fully understanding the weight of their connection to each other.
“Are you all right, Quinn?” Apollo whispered; his low, masculine voice hoarse with emotion. He had been so afraid he would lose her. Lose her before he ever really had her.
“I’m okay,” Quinn breathed. “I had no idea… all of that. Everything you had told me. It all makes sense now. I wish I had always known so this would have been less of a surprise!”
She was shocked, he could tell, but soon she was laughing. Laughing until there were tears in her eyes. “I really thought you just didn’t like me or something.”
Apollo shook his head, tortured by the feeling that had begun to swell in his chest, this desire to make whole every damage he had done to her with this secret and be true to his real needs.
“I only wanted to protect everybody,” Apollo said. It was the truth. It was his job. It was all he had ever lived for.
“You’ve protected me,” Quinn acknowledged. “I love you so much.”
Apollo was taken aback by the words and was equally surprised by the immense desire they stirred in him. This time, it wasn’t only the dragon that had been awakened within him, but another part of him which had been sleeping since the day his heart had been broken by Heidi’s betrayal. He wanted to love this woman. He did love this woman.
In response to her words, Apollo lifted Quinn up into his arms, kissing her deeply and passionately. She returned the kiss, and their mouths became engrossed in a sensual game, each of them lingering in the comfort and tenderness of their love. Quinn’s grip tightened around his shoulders as she deepened her kiss, her body suddenly sending him signals that this wasn’t enough. She wanted more, more from him, more of his body.
A deep growl of approval resonated in Apollo’s throat as he lay her on the bed and climbed on top of her, his manhood swollen with the promise of her body.
“I love you, too,” he said finally as he dropped hot kisses along her neck. “Will you be mine?”
The question was one the dragon rarely asked, but now that it had, Quinn was fully aware of the implications. It was finally okay.
She nodded, her cheeks flushed with desire and adoration. “I will.”
“Good,” Apollo said, stripping her clothes off pressing his own well-muscled body on top of hers. “Then I will be yours as well.”
16.
Quinn’s eyes fluttered closed as Apollo’s mouth closed against her nipple. It sent a hot jolt of longing through her body and she moaned, her hips pressing firmly against Apollo’s in a show of her desire. He grunted approvingly, wrapping his strong arms around her lithe frame, and trailing his fingers up and down them.
Every touch brought her heart to racing harder. It was impossible to hide her excitement, and Apollo paused, looking down at her in concern. “Is this going to be too much for you? You were just injured.”
Quinn shook her head, finding his mouth with hers. Just shut up and kiss me, you fool, she thought. He smiled against her lips, lifting his hips so she could feel the swollen testament of his desire pressing between her legs.
Her heart thudded heavily in her chest as his strong, broad hands caressed her body. He felt so good against her skin, his tight muscles, and his perfect form. God, she had forgotten how gifted he was...
But soon, it was in the forefront of her mind as he began to tease along her folds with expert strokes, his desire for her overwhelming them both. It was as if he could read her body language flawlessly and moved to touch exactly where it would feel the best.
Quinn closed her eyes, relishing in the affections of her lover as he slowly stoked the small sparks of longing she had felt until her abdomen was burning for more of him. All of him.
He could sense her readiness and began to slip slowly inside. It was tantalizing, this gentleness. But his tender entrance soon began to merge into something more carnal; something more desperate with need. The friction of their bodies was stirring the beast inside him, and this time, Quinn knew exactly what it was, and wasn’t afraid of it any longer. She was ready.
The dragon was viewing her through Apollo’s eyes. But it wasn’t a separate being. It was just another side to him she was able to appreciate. She moaned as he moved deeper inside her, sliding and pressing himself to the limits of her body. He tilted finally and paused, the fire in his eyes burning right through her.
She gasped as he began to rock his hips, gently at first, allowing her to get used to the sensation. It was overwhelming, this ecstasy, and she rode it, taking in the incredible sensation of the beast as it made its way inside of her.
She inhaled sharply as Apollo hurried his rhythm, her body almost too taut to receive him fully. But he worked his way inside, and every inch he was granted brought her unrivalled pleasure. Her body was humming, electrified by his every touch, and she clung to him tightly as he bore down on her, now more power in his movements than ever.
When she found his eyes again, there was Apollo, Apollo the man, Apollo the beast. All of it, Apollo. Her acceptance of him this way seemed to arouse him more and he rewarded her with more sweet caresses and a long, gentle kiss.
When he pulled out of the kiss though, his tenderness was gone, and he flipped her onto her stomach. She gasped in pleasure as his strong hands gripped her waist and she felt him pressed against her opening, teasing her for a moment before pushing inside with no hesitation.
“Fuck,” Quinn hissed as her body was shocked with bliss. She felt that one right in her fingertips. It was unreal. He seemed able to tell he was bringing her closer to losing her control and seemed to make it his new personal goal to ensure she did so.
His hips began powerful thrusts, each one bringing swelling moans of pleasure rising into the air between them. Apollo hissed with gratification, his member throbbing inside of her as they were both ushered quickly toward their peaks.
Quinn closed her eyes, bracing herself tightly against the bed as Apollo’s power invited her over to a pleasure unlike anything she had ever experienced before. Her climax hit her hard and suddenly, her body exploded with bliss as he continued his every effort to please her before finally feeling her surrender and allowing himself to release.
&n
bsp; Quinn’s orgasm was enhanced by the incredible euphoria of Apollo’s peak, and they lingered in the hazy cloud of bliss they had created for a few moments before he flipped her around once more and held her close to his chest.
“You are my family now,” he murmured, dropping gentle kisses into her hair.
“I love you and your daughter,” Quinn replied, her face still relaxed with the endorphins from their act. “I am honored to be a part of your family.”
“Vera will be so excited,” Apollo said with a low rumble of laughter. He grew serious again suddenly. “She deserves a good mother. Someone like you. Are you sure you are up for the role? It is an important one. Full of mistakes and pain, but always rewarding.”
Quinn sat up slightly to meet her lover’s eyes. “Of course, I’m up for the role,” she said, her face serious. She had never been surer of anything in her life. She wanted this. This is what had felt right from the moment they had come to this little arrangement. It felt fated. It felt perfect.
“Good,” Apollo said, kissing Quinn deeply. “Now let’s see if we can do this one more time before Vera wants to come home. Living with her, there’s no telling when we may get another chance.”
Quinn laughed, then moaned, as her lover began his next adventure.
Epilogue
“Right at the center of the Serpent Mound, as predicted,” Apollo said, turning to regard the other alphas with a small amount of pride and a large amount of ‘I told you so.’ “Prepare to be amazed.”
Frank and Mike exchanged looks, not particularly convinced they had found anything special. But when Apollo opened the doorway, he could feel the energy of their disbelief slipping away as they stared, awe-stricken by the extravagant Portal Room.
It was almost like a paradise within itself. It was lined with shimmering golden minerals which were found from the other planets. Each portal was framed with an elaborately designed arch, with a statue beside it of a hero from each world. At the base of each statue was a plaque with the names of each hero. The air was teeming with an electrical energy. There were a few portals that were clearly active, and they hummed with a light blue energy that was tempting to just walk right into. Lining the walls were shelves full of strange stone fragmants, much like the Serah Stone.
