He and Granger spent much of the evening in the military quarters. Granger accepted his invitation to spar in the boxing ring, and a few rounds later Lucas felt bruised and worn out. Despite his physical exhaustion, he couldn’t conceive of sleeping, not while Willow was subjected to another night in a cube. He worked through to the early hours reviewing recent mission activity. A number of teams were out in the field either observing potential Starborn or ordinaries deemed a threat to The Order of Orion. He tried not to obsessively watch the clock as the time drew closer for the end of Willow’s twenty-four isolation ban. And he tried not to think about what might have happened at Queensgate if he hadn’t sensed that Willow was Starborn. Would he have completed the kill order? Murdered her in cold blood because she was a threat?
For hours he thought of every mission he’d completed. Thought of his blind support for The Order. Thought of how the murder of his mother and Danny had falsely made him think protecting Starborn and their families justified keeping The Order secret by any means necessary.
Later, when he approached Willow’s cube, Serena eyed him warily. He wasn’t surprised she was on guard duty. As a powerful Mercurian, Serena would be better able to defend any attempt by Willow to use her abilities.
She didn’t step aside.
“Serena.”
“Lucas.”
“I’ve come to speak with my neophyte.”
“Right on time, I see,” she said without checking her watch. “Where’s your white horse?”
He took a deep breath. “I’m doing as Wren instructed.”
“Do you think she was right yesterday? That modernizing The Order will lead to our demise?”
He was momentarily taken aback by the sudden shift in conversation. “I don’t know. That’s why I’m a soldier and not a politician.”
Her brown eyes pleaded with him. “Come on, Lucas. If I’d had a choice when I went through initiation, what would you have advised me? Still the traditional?”
He glanced to the cube and then back at her. “I would have let you make your own decision.”
She stepped forward until they were almost touching, sadness reflected in her dark eyes. “And I would have probably taken the easy way…and not been half the Starborn I am today. And that’s what sucks. Wren is probably right. I can’t help but feel like a monster for thinking it when the little bird lies in the hospital half dead.”
Christ, thought Lucas as Serena waited for some kind of response. He wasn’t the one people came to for advice.
“I think we all have a lot to think about.” It felt lame but it was the best response he had.
She nodded to the cube. “She’s been calling out for you. Crying for you in fact.”
And then the old Serena was back to kick him in the balls. He chose silence as his best defense and after a minute, Serena stepped aside and swiped the bio-lock to open the cube. The door slid open and his eyes connected with Willow’s. Her face was pale, her eyes red. She scrambled to stand as he walked in. The door slid shut behind him and immediately they were cocooned from the world. And without thought he instantly took her into his arms, embracing her tightly as though he would never let her go.
“How is she? How is Paige?” Despite holding his shield firmly in place, her anxiety radiated through him like electricity.
“She lives. She’s responsive to stimuli but hasn’t woken yet,” he said carefully. “Have you eaten? Had water?” he asked, noticing a food tray that lay uneaten in a corner.
“No,” she said crossly. “What do the doctors say? Who’s with her?”
“The doctors know nothing else. This is a first time event for our Sanctuary. She’s not alone. Isobel and Gabriel are with her.”
He steered her to sit down. It was cramped but they sat cross-legged across from each other, an uncomfortable position for Lucas but the best that could be achieved if he wanted to see her face clearly. He didn’t question why he wanted that. Just like he didn’t question why he kept holding her hands, despite her emotional charge running rampant through his body.
“They’ve been granted full ascendancy by the Council, as have you,” he said. “You’re an official Starborn of The Order of Orion.”
“Fuck the Council,” she said, wrenching her hands away from his. “And fuck you!” She covered her face with her hands as if to block out all that had happened.
He felt sick in the stomach. “Do you want me to leave?”
“Yes.”
That tiny one word response hurt. More than he expected, more than he should have allowed. He slowly stood.
“No,” she cried out, the sound muffled through her hands.
Lucas stilled, unsure of what to do, wanting only to respect her wishes. Willow dropped her hands from her face and looked at him. His chest tightened, but his head, his head told him to leave, to run. Run straight to the next mission and away from the feelings this woman evoked. Not from her emotional telepathy, but because of who she was, and who she made him want to become. He slowly slid down to sit opposite her again.
Her face was pale and tortured. “If only I’d told her to do the three days, she’d be okay,” said Willow.
“We don’t know that,” he reassured her. “It was her final decision.”
“What if she doesn’t wake up? What if she stays like that forever?”
He had nothing to say to ease her worry, so he stayed silent, hoping his presence was of some comfort.
Her blue eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Why didn’t you come sooner? Why did you leave me here?" A single tear slipped down her cheek.
Lucas fought to hold himself in check. “If I could have, I would have been here the moment you entered. If I could, I would stay here with you for every second you must endure it.”
He leaned forward to cup her cheek. With his right hand, he gently wiped her tear away with his thumb. Her skin was silky soft and his heart began to hammer in his chest. Ever so slowly, she turned her face into his hand and pressed a soft, gentle kiss to his palm. Breathless, he luxuriated in the sensation of her mouth against his skin. Desire fired through his body, but as much as it pained him, he slowly withdrew his hand from her lips. Knowing she needed comfort, he tenderly stroked her hair. Within seconds she launched herself onto his lap and began to cry, loud god-awful sobs. Stripped bare, Willow cried out her fears and the tension of the past few hours, days, and weeks.
Holding her, he tried to focus on offering her only the comfort of human touch. But as she wiggled on his lap and tried to get comfortable, his thoughts became less than saintly. He closed his eyes and tried to recite The Orion honor code, all one thousand words. When she reached up and clung tightly to his shoulders, he took a few shaky breaths. Slowly her cries quietened and he waited for her to let go. But instead of pulling back, she tentatively ran her hands across his shoulders. Her fingertips tracing his muscles and collarbone, and so great was his craving for more of her touch, he groaned softly. The soft nudge of her aura against his shield startled him. Her Mercurian ability edged around him trying to gain access to what he was feeling. Slowly he let his shield down and opened the channel between their auras, welcoming her into his private inner world. The tendrils of her emotion snaked around him and merged with his own aura. He sensed her fear and her hope. And then, the emotional energy inside the cube shifted.
31
Willow
Willow wasn’t sure who lit the spark first, but an aura of compulsive need swirled between them. Her heart raced as she felt his desire surge through her own body, and instead of pushing it away, she returned it. His sharp intake of breath deafening in the cube, told her he felt it too. Neither moved physically. Both wanting to explore each other through other sensations. Liquid desire coursed through her body. She clung to his chest, fearful he would push her away. Her mouth was so close to his skin that she wondered what he would do if she pressed her lips to his chest, to the base of his throat, to the curve of his tanned neck. Would he groan out loud, again? Lu
st swirled through the tiny cube. A sensual thread of need wove between them, binding their hearts and minds, and imploring their bodies to become one.
“Willow?” His deep voice was sandpaper rough.
Slowly, she raised her head to look into his emerald green eyes. Bright with desire, they searched her face for some clue as to what she wanted. For a few heart stopping moments they simply stared at each other.
“Please…” She whispered.
He answered by leaning down to slowly press his lips against hers. Cautious, as though to give her a chance to pull back, he moved his mouth over hers in a gentle kiss. But she didn’t want tenderness from him. She wanted to be swept away, to feel nothing but raw, violent desire. Reaching up, she put her hands around his neck and kissed him back with a desperate wildness. He moaned in response and female pride blossomed as his kiss deepened. Reveling in the searing heat flaring between them, she demanded more. His mouth moved against hers, exploring and tasting her lips. A bolt of exquisite pleasure pulsed between her legs. When he slipped his hands under her singlet and explored her naked back, it was her turn to moan. His lips left her mouth and she protested until she felt him trace hot kisses across her collarbone and then her neck. Molten fire burned through her body, the pleasure so intense she could only focus on his touch—his lips kissing the curve of her neck, his hands roaming across her fevered skin.
She felt desperate to touch him. To set him aflame like he did to her. “My turn,” she murmured, not caring if anyone was watching them.
She pulled hungrily at his black T-shirt, desperate to touch his skin. Understanding her need, he leaned back. She lifted the front of his shirt and ran her hands across his hard chest, delighting in the feel of his heat. Leaning in, she kissed his chest, using her lips and tongue to explore the contours of his muscles. When he moaned softly, she smiled against his skin. Taking a nipple between her teeth, she ground herself against him. Tentatively at first, and then with more pressure. His hands gripped her backside and she rocked against him while placing kisses at the base of his throat, his neck, his hard jaw. Their mouths met again for another earth shattering kiss. Lucas’ aura was still wide open and the emotions he was projecting toward her shattered her control.
The cube’s confines were swept away, and there was only the two of them and the soul screaming attraction that had been there from the beginning. She clung to his hard body and kissed him with every ounce of passion she could offer. She thrust her tongue in the same rhythm as she ground herself against his lap, delighting in the friction of their clothes, and desperate for more. Hungrily, they explored each other and she closed her eyes as the intense pleasure threatened to send her over the edge. For a few precious moments she felt free. Free from her past, free from the reality of the past few days.
A desperate cry tore from her lips as she tried to keep the memories at bay. But they rushed forward and memories of Paige and her suffering battered her mind and her heart. Lucas pulled back and his aura shifted quickly from arousal to hesitation. No! She tried to forget the past and concentrate only on the moment. Cradling his jaw, she kissed him, teased his lips with small hot kisses, not wanting him to stop. He gently pushed at her shoulders, trying to put a distance between them.
“Willow? I can feel your pain.” He took a few shuddering breaths. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“It’s a very good idea.” She turned to kiss his left wrist and felt victorious when he closed his eyes in pleasure. He took a few more deep breaths and then his Mercurian wall resurrected with a swiftness that jarred her body and soul. “Please, I want this,” she whispered. “I need it.”
“Not now, you’re confused. You don’t know what you want right now.”
“That’s why right now is the perfect time.”
Gently, Lucas lifted her off his lap and set her down beside him.
She took a few shuddering breaths. “Just go. Leave me.”
“Willow, I—”
“No, Lucas, it’s okay. You’re right. I don’t know what I want right now.”
The cube closed in around her as he stood slowly.
“I’ll come back as soon as I can.” He leaned down and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before leaving. Her gentleman assassin, she thought as the door slid shut.
32
Lucas
Sex. It was all Lucas could think about. Sex with Willow, specifically. Exploring and tasting her body and her mind. In the cube, in his quarters, and in his shower. The images pounded his brain. The research lab kiss had been incredible, but it paled in comparison to yesterday’s erotic encounter. The feel of her body, the connection with her aura had branded him.
Now, he stood in front of Willow’s cube and tried to banish the scorching images. He took a deep breath to steady himself. The Mercurian guard who stood by the door stared straight ahead waiting for Lucas to give the signal to open the door. He was a strong cognitive telepath, so Lucas made sure his own shield was tightly in place. No one needed to know of the salacious fantasy that had kept him company last night and now with her so close, couldn’t be pushed away. Storming into the cube to take Willow into his arms. Kissing her hard. Pushing her up against the wall and exploring her body with his mouth and hands. Removing her clothes in exquisite slow deliberation, all the while paying homage to her spectacular body. Kissing her breasts. Pressing his arousal up against her. Slowly entering her tight, wet folds and thrusting deeply. Over and over again.
“Sir? Sir? Are you ready?”
“Open the damn door,” he growled at the guard.
The door slid open and she was there. Beautiful and strong, and looking more composed than he felt. Their eyes locked for one long moment before he entered the cube. He positioned himself as far from her as he possibly could in the cramped space. With his body a mass of pent-up arousal and emotion, he concentrated on keeping his shield tightly in place. Unlike her last stint in the cube, she looked well and her face was slightly flushed.
“Are you okay?” he asked, wishing he had something more eloquent to say.
“Yes. Is there any news about Paige? Has she woken?”
Of course she would want to know about Paige, he thought, irritated at himself. Here he was thinking about their kiss and the way her body had felt grinding up against him, while she was thinking about the welfare of her friend.
“There’s been no change.”
Her bright expression faltered, and then she was in his arms. Lucas wasn’t sure who initiated the contact—he didn’t care. But after a few moments, he stepped back. “Let’s leave this place. Your punishment is over. I’ll take you to Paige.”
Neither spoke as they made their way through the Sanctuary. Plenty of Starborn stopped and stared when they saw Willow. None were unfriendly, but neither did anyone call out to him as they passed by. The infirmary was on level two and her silence in the elevator made him uneasy. He found himself wanting to know what she was thinking. Usually she said what was on her mind, but now he was left to his own inadequate male mind reading ability.
When they entered Paige’s hospital room, Willow was greeted with hugs and cries from Isobel and Gabriel. Lucas stood to the side and let them fuss over her.
“Has she moved? Said anything?” asked Willow in a low voice.
“Nothing,” said Isobel, who put her arm around Willow. Lucas was surprised at her warmth given her surly attitude throughout training.
A knock at the door sounded and Lucas turned to see a Council guard. “Sir, you and Doctor Trilby are wanted at the Elder’s Council immediately.”
He nodded and moved to stand beside Willow. He looked down at Paige’s pale face, so young and fragile. “Willow, we need to go.”
Isobel glared at him. “Surely she can stay for a few more minutes?”
Willow held up her hand as if to ward off an argument. “It’s okay,” she said softly. She leaned down and kissed Paige gently on the cheek. “I’ll see you soon,” she whispered.
After they said their goodbyes, Lucas and Willow strode through the Sanctuary with the guard following at a discreet distance.
“Where’s Tyler?” Her voice was tentative, as though she was scared of the answer.
“He didn’t pass. He has asylum here at the Sanctuary for as long as he wishes.”
Willow didn’t protest or comment, but remained silent as they made their way to the Council. This quiet Willow worried him far more than the angry tigress he was used to.
“Willow, no matter what the Elders say, don’t challenge them. There is a power struggle in the Council.” He spoke quietly so the guard couldn’t hear. “We must not play into their hands.” He tensed when he realized he’d said, we rather than you.
“What do they want with me?”
“To share their outrage at your manipulation of three quarters of the entire Sanctuary,” he said wryly. “And to bring you under control.”
“They can go f—”
“Yes, I know your opinion of the Council,” he interrupted. “But the smart move is to not show your hand.”
“You want me to bow and scrape,” she accused.
Lucas stopped mid-stride. Turning to the guard he motioned him to give them a few moments of privacy. The guard looked as though he would challenge him, but reluctantly he allowed Lucas to pull Willow into a quiet hallway. His voice came out rough as he held her arms and faced her. “You’re incredibly powerful now. And power is a threat to anyone with something to lose. The Council won’t allow you to ignore them and their rules.”
She nodded even though her eyes flashed with defiance. They rejoined the guard and within a few minutes arrived at the entrance to the Council Chambers. Willow’s tension radiated outward and snaked its way into his own system.
He slowed, and whispered next to her ear, “Willow, you need to focus. I can feel your emotional aura. Pull it back into your own sphere.”
Starborn (The Order of Orion Book 1) Page 20
