by Storm Savage
She opened her eyes to find him staring at her with vivid passion. The open desire brimming in those watery depths stole her breath. Gripping his hand tightly, she bit down on his wrist. He sucked in a quick breath but never flinched. A warm gush of liquid spurted into her mouth. The pungent taste of his blood filled her with a sense of comfort she couldn’t find any other way. She drew heavily at the puncture point, allowing him once again to pull her deeper into their bond with his eyes.
Her wrist throbbed, yet she refused to yield to the sting. She craved the ultimate connection with him, to sort the madness in her head and sweep her heart away. The euphoric expression on his face paralleled what she began to feel. A new sensation began taking her over. Her eyes felt heavy. An intense ache of arousal welled in her core. All the energy in his soul flowed into hers and in an uncanny way she could feel hers channeling to him.
They slid to their knees and groaned while locked in that earth shattering exchange.
A wave of clarity swept through her. For a brief moment in time, as if all the wisdom in the universe belonged to her in just that one flash, she realized that he’d absorbed the power of fire from the flaming daggers she’d plunged into his chest. Now he was giving it all back to her, not withholding a thing.
We are fully channeled. The thought came and went at blinding speed as they climbed higher. She felt him release all his harnessed energy, all the gifts Twilight had instilled in his soul—to her. The very powers bestowed upon him to bring her down were now blazing inside, creating incredible feelings of bliss. In her next breath, an unexpected yet forceful orgasm made her shudder. Overcome by their combined energy, she gasped and moaned as idyllic waves of release poured over her.
Von seemed to possess better self-control. Though the hot desire of his burning gaze rendered her senseless, he didn’t come. She admired his restraint. He was every bit her match, even more.
Her legs trembled. If she hadn’t already been on her knees, she’d be there now anyway. His natural influence over her was staggering. She clung to his arm as they eased apart. He licked his lips with a sensual sweep of his tongue, then pulled her to his chest and sealed his mouth to hers. She thought she’d faint when he licked her lips, too, sucking the last drops of their combined blood from her mouth. His feral nature took her past the point of ecstasy. Nothing had ever felt more real.
They collapsed on the ground and flopped onto their backs, panting for breath. She gazed up at the stars and a haunting half moon. Nothing compared to this—nothing.
After lying there for a long while, Von spoke first. She turned her head sideways. Their eyes met.
His voice was laden with raw sensuality. “That just might be better than sex. I’ve never felt closer to you.”
“You didn’t hold back.”
He laid over her, his gaze moved over her face while brushing sweat-soaked strands away. “You told me not to.”
She let out an airy laugh. “Since when do you do what you’re told?”
He grinned but didn’t reply. Instead, he rolled onto his back with a heavy sigh.
She smiled and looked back up at the sky. “You realize what we’ve done don’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m as powerful as you are now.”
“Gives a hell of a kick, doesn’t it?” He flashed her a wicked grin.
“Definitely.”
“Glad I could help.”
“You did this knowing there’s a ghost from my past in the picture. You freely took my pain and empowered me. Aren’t you worried?”
“You bet your sweet ass I am.”
They turned their heads at the same time to look at each other.
“Then why?” she asked, softly seeking.
“I never could stand to see you suffer. Don’t you know that by now? It’s always been my only weakness.”
She did a quick recollection of those instances when he’d come to her rescue. “It’s not a weakness. It’s your greatest strength.”
“How so?”
“I need a man strong enough to bend.”
He stared without speaking. A slight smile touched his lips. They rolled onto their sides facing one another. Von pulled her against him and wrapped those long muscled arms around her, then kissed the top of her head. She released a jagged sigh as the arousal in her body made a complete descent.
“Ready to fight the bad guys?” he teased with a wink.
While traveling immortal style through a vast and eerie darkness, Flame wondered what to expect in the dark realm of Twilight. This trip took longer than their jaunts around the states. Blackness enveloped her as she clung to Von with all her strength. His arms wound around her back, holding her tightly against him.
“Close your eyes if you feel odd,” he muttered.
She grasped that they were flying between worlds somehow, but didn’t understand exactly how he managed this type of travel. Maybe I am not quite as powerful as he is, she thought. I don’t know how to use my mind this way. His power awed her. She knew that she’d never leave him, never choose Raef over the man holding her right now—the father of her unborn child.
No, I loved Raef, truly loved him, but that feels like ages ago. Von worked hard to earn my trust. I won’t betray him. I won’t ever make him feel the way I felt after realizing Raef had sex with Naami. Von has not been with another woman since our blood-bond and I’ve not been with another man. Though this placed Raef on the losing end, she couldn’t fully trust him. He’d made two major mistakes during her time with him—giving in to Naami, and giving up his unborn child to the Lioness—he simply was not strong enough to be her life mate.
Von set her down in waist-high water. She felt a little queasy but the ill effects subsided quickly.
“The water will disguise our scent,” he muttered, then took her hand and led the way.
They waded downwind in the waves. The consuming blackness had given way to a peculiar environment. Something familiar about the island nagged at her. Suddenly she remembered her nightmare again, about the fiery volcanic mound and burning sulfur pit. Looming in the distance, she could see a mountainous pile of smoldering ash. She wrinkled her nose at the stench of sulfur and glanced up at a reddish-green sky.
“My nightmare returns.”
“Relax, babe, we’ll find the horse and get the hell out.”
“The skies…” she noted, “are neither night nor day.”
“You’re in the Twilight Realm, babe.”
She shot him a panicked look. “You said those exact words to me in a dream.”
“And I also saved you, according to what you told me in the village.”
“Yeah.” She took a deep breath and did her best to remain calm. “Just never thought I’d actually be here.”
“They won’t expect us. Nobody in their right mind comes here by choice.”
“Well, I guess they underestimated how far crazy goes.” She smirked and was surprised that she could make light of this in any sense.
A wry grin touched his face. “I live for crazy.”
She didn’t miss his subtle innuendo and couldn’t help but smile. “How do we kill things here?”
“Just like we did the ancients, you dagger ‘em and I’ll take the head.”
“You can’t be killed here, can you?”
“Neither can you now, or Hatch would’ve done us in already. Our combined power is indomitable unless—” He stopped.
“Unless what?” She sensed he realized something they’d overlooked.
“The only weapon they have against us is blackmail. If Twilight finds something valuable to us, such as a loved one…or a rare horse…they will try and make one of us sever the blood-bond.”
“Without the bond they could kill us?”
He nodded. “If our bond is severed, then Hatch will regain his power over us.”
“How is a blood-bond broken? Even I don’t know how to break one.”
“By forcing us to drink the blood of an outsider.�
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“I would never.” The thought of drinking someone else’s blood repulsed her.
“Let’s just hope we find the horse before they have a chance to use her against you.”
“You think that’s why they took Paloma? This doesn’t have anything to do with Twilight wanting the serum, does it?”
Von arched one brow. “Think about it, sugar. What would the Twilight Master want with an immortal serum when he has the power to create his own immortal fiends?”
“Make another Satellite?”
“Not likely. I have a feeling that there’s more behind this horse theft than trying to steal your gift.”
“So, Hatch stole my mother’s horse as a bargaining chip—what a bastard.”
“Either way, we had to come and rescue your mare to eliminate their edge.”
They emerged onto shore at last. Spooky-looking trees and tall grass stretched as far as she could see. The place appeared desolate. Flame couldn’t imagine where they’d stashed her lovely mare or what kind of care the poor horse received. She prayed for the best, hoping Twilight would want the horse kept in perfect condition if they hoped to use it as a means of blackmail.
From the trees, she sensed eyes watching. Her hands tensed on the handles of her Sai. Hairs at the nape of her neck stood up, sending prickles down her spine. Danger lurked close by. Von obviously felt it, too. He reached behind him to withdraw his long wicked knife.
Out of the shadows, enemies attacked. Flame and Von fought side-by-side, daggering and decapitating evil fiends as the ghouls descended upon them in waves. Sluggish and seemingly dimwitted, the ghouls were no match for Von and Flame’s supernatural speed and skills. She utilized both blades, holding one in place until Von severed the head before moving onto the next. Why the ghastly creatures attacked puzzled her, since she and Von were invincible. Twilight’s army didn’t even carry weapons, but relied on hand-to-hand combat. She wondered what they hoped to accomplish. Maybe they were trying to overpower and separate her from Von. That thought terrified her. She forced the fear aside.
Unexpectedly, the ghouls retreated as if commanded by an unseen force. Flame was not surprised to see the Twilight Master emerge from the darkness.
She was barely winded and stood glaring at him. “Not too impressive, Hatch,” she taunted. “But I must admit this setting suits you, ugly and foul just like you.”
He curled an upper lip in a sneer. “Looking for something, Flame? Isn’t my Satellite keeping you satisfied? Did you have to travel all the way to my domain just to slake the lust in that fiery soul of yours?”
“Von is my Satellite now, and he satisfies me just fine…more than you ever could. I just wanted to stop in and see how lower forms of life like you live.”
Hatch scowled, openly miserable over his loss. “Oh I suspect you’ve come to do more than exchange insults. I think you’re looking for something we acquired from your precious village.”
In lightning fast motion, she poised the tip of a dagger at his throat. “Get to the point. I can drive this through your wretched heart right now and have Von take your head. You know we have more power than you, now.”
Fear glinted in his icy green eyes. “You won’t kill me. You need the horse.” His focus went to her neck. “You’re wearing the key.”
“Don’t even think about attempting to remove it. I am more powerful than you realize.”
“You can see the horse. Once you’re convinced the mare is in perfect condition, you and I will have a little talk about future plans,” he growled with hateful eyes. “But not with him.” He nodded toward Von. “If your new Romeo doesn’t stay put, the horse won’t live another day. And I have the perfect escort to take you to your mystical mare.” Shifting shadows in the background caught her attention. Two people approached from behind Hatch. “You want to see your horse?” He let out an evil laugh. “Here’s your tour guide of Nekkar.”
Flame wasn’t alarmed to see Sandra walk into the dim light under twilight skies. However, the person who accompanied her came as a total shock. Flame stepped back, smacked straight into Von’s chest and clapped a hand over her mouth.
No! Dear God, no! Her mind raced into panic mode. Von grabbed her from behind.
Sheer malevolence glimmered in Hatch’s cold eyes. “While you and Sandra tour my lovely island paradise, my new companion will escort Von to his quarters. One wrong move by either of you, Flame, and the horse will die. And yes, we do know how to kill immortal beings. I may have lost power over you, but I still rule this realm and have the ability to kill anything not bound to you by blood.” He motioned to the woman at his side who had not yet uttered a word. “As you can see, my influence is still very much intact.”
“You fucking bastard! If it’s the last thing I do, I will see you dead!”
Hatch laughed mockingly. “Not if you want the horse. And, I know why you need her so wise up, prodigy child. Now allow Sandra to show you the horse so that you may see that she is in good care. My lady here will…entertain Von Calder for you.”
“Von?” Tears misted her eyes.
“Go check on your horse, babe,” he told her in a calm voice. “We’ll be fine.”
Her heart tumbled, sending her emotions into a spin. She couldn’t bear the thought of Von walking away with her!
No, no, no! Anyone but her! Tears stung her cheeks as she watched them vanish into a thick mist.
Chapter Nine
Von looked her over and wondered how any man could be so blind as to risk his relationship with a woman like Flame to fuck the woman leading him now.
“I must give Flame credit,” Naami said as they walked. “She sure has good taste in men.”
“Too bad I can’t say the same about her ex and his taste in women.”
She flipped her hair and scowled. “You’ll be singing a different tune once we’re alone in my bed.”
“Woman, I don’t fuck whores so get that straight right now.”
“I am no more a whore than your dear Flame.”
He’d never struck a woman, but this one really pushed his limits. The deliberate sway of her hips was so obvious it turned his stomach. He followed her up a hill and hoped that Flame would rescue the horse quickly, as he doubted his ability to play out this ruse very long. They reached what looked like a decent abode, considering their location. She opened the door and an unfamiliar scent wafted over him. He halted at the doorway.
She turned and placed one hand on her hip. “Well, aren’t you coming inside? One word to Hatch, and Paloma is dead. Sandra has orders to give her a lethal injection on command, my own personal creation in the lab. You do want Flame to receive her gift, don’t you?”
Reluctantly, he entered her dwelling. A full size bed covered with fancy blankets and pillows had been placed in the corner of the main room, which he thought odd since there was no other furniture. She plopped down on the edge and motioned for him to join her.
“No thanks.” He scanned the interior. No windows, which didn’t surprise him, as there was not a view worth looking at. The only other room in the place was a bath.
“Aren’t you the all powerful and seductive Satellite?” she cooed. “I’ve heard all about you.”
“And I’ve heard more than I wanted to about you, Naami.”
“You do know who I am.” She attempted a demure smile, but he saw straight through her pretense. “I see you’re going to be a bigger challenge than Raef, and I mean that in more than one way, if you get my drift.” Her focus shifted to his groin.
“Don’t get your hopes up.”
“Oh, I’ll get more than my hopes up.” Her kittenish demeanor did a sudden shift. “No man refuses me. Since you’re playing hard to get, I’ll just have to step it up.” In a matter of seconds, she stood before him, rubbing her body against his. “Show me how big and bad Twilight’s Satellite really is. I want to feel a real man, a man who won’t give in to the Supreme Lioness and take my child.”
“Twilight doesn’t own m
e anymore. You know who does. Back off.”
Her aggression, though intense, was not unexpected. Countless women had thrown themselves at him over the years. He grabbed her hand as it reached for his fly. Their eyes met and he saw something disturbing in hers. This woman was on a mission. He felt her hatred toward Flame and her lust for sex. Then another feeling came over him as her peculiar perfume flooded his heightened sense of smell—jasmine, lavender, rose oil and another scent he couldn’t quite make out. The blend was powerful, heady, and arousing.
She lifted her dress overhead, then tossed it on the bed. He refused to look at her body, which increased her already obvious agitation. She had fast hands and lips, much quicker than women he’d known. He chased her hands as they moved over him, stroking his crotch, and tearing at his jacket as her lips trailed over his bared chest. All the while, he fought the allure of that damned erotic fragrance and cursed the erection in his pants.
“You are tempted by me,” she purred, then dropped to her knees.
He clutched the thick of her hair with one hand, tugging her head back. “No, I am not. I’ve never killed a woman but you’re giving me strong reason to consider it.”
“Your cock doesn’t lie.” She stroked him over the bulging leather. “No man can resist good head and I promise you I am the best.”
“I doubt that,” he growled. “It’s the perfume that gave me a hard-on, not you, you make me sick. The fragrance reminds me of Flame.”
Rage flashed in her eyes. “Liar!”
He jerked her to her feet by her hair. “You’re nothing without your little sisterhood potions.”
She grabbed his hand and shoved it between her thighs. “Tell me you don’t want to drive that huge cock of yours inside this. I am young, hot, and tight. Raef loved every minute and I can give you the hardest ride of your life.”
