Cimmerian Shade: A Limited Edition Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Collection

by Kiki Howell

  “I’m more than willing to test your theory,” she said, pleased by his easy acquiescence.

  Drayden smiled, wrapped his arm around her while he held on with the other, and she allowed him to pull her even closer. She closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder, inhaling his earthy masculine scent, sandalwood, ginger, and a hint of something spicier, something she didn’t recognize. Suddenly, she couldn’t wait for the ride to be over.

  DAWN’S BREATHTAKING colors painted the sky in vibrant swatches by the time they left the fair and walked a few blocks to the waterfront hotel. Drayden instructed his driver to trail behind them for added security. As they entered their room, Drayden set her bag on the floor, then glanced in the direction of the door and it closed as if he had pushed it.

  She smiled, but decided to hold her comments and questions until later. It wasn’t the first mystical thing she’d witnessed since he’d walked into her place through a swirl of blue lights. She also knew from years of experience, not to mention common sense and science, that no mere man could lift two men of nearly equal size and break both of their necks at once. It was anatomically impossible for anyone to exert that kind of force.

  The historic Battlehouse Renaissance offered them an expansive view of Mobile’s riverfront. Treva leaned on the balcony rail, taking it all in from the top floor as Drayden stood behind her, a distinctive bulge pressing against her backside. Treva turned and watched pain, fear, and longing, as well as a multitude of other emotions cross his face before he smiled, sliding his palms along her arms. She touched his brow, wondering what could have made him so leery of being with a woman.

  “You do know that there’s no chance of this—”

  Treva quickly placed her index finger at his lips and whispered, “Don’t worry. I’m not expecting a fairytale, and I haven’t asked you for anything. Now, stop talking and give me some of that excitement you promised.”

  He smiled, lifted her from the floor, and covered her lips with his own before turning her to face away from him again. She leaned over the balcony rail and lifted her face to the sky as the soft, warm night air wafted around her. Drayden unbuttoned her blouse, then unsnapped her bra, giving him complete access to her breasts. First, he lightly brushed the sides of her breasts with his thumbs, then cupped them in his large hands and slid his index fingers around her taut nipples in lazy circles. She knew then that he was planning to take his time.

  Stepping in closer, he wrapped his forearm around her bare waist, the tell-tale bulge of his cock pressing into her backside. He lifted her torso so his chest was to her back and she could feel the entire outline of his muscular body behind her, then finished removing her blouse and bra, dropping them on the balcony. He unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans with one hand while sliding the other palm along her torso, slowly massaging each breast before he stooped, peeling her skinny jeans down until they were wrapped around her feet. “Hold on,” he said.

  She could hear the husky sound of desire when he spoke. She held on.

  He tipped her left foot back and gently removed her Manolo Blahnik Hangisi gold pump, then freed her from the right one before making short work of discarding her jeans. She heard his breath catch just seconds before he started a slow caress from the bottoms of her feet to her ankles and calves, covering every inch of her body from bottom to top as he rose behind her again. That’s when she realized he was naked, and she had neither seen nor heard him removing his clothes, not even the cloak.

  He wrapped his arms around her waist again and lifted her against him, then turned her to face him, seating her at his waist with one palm balancing her bottom. She wrapped her arms around him, enjoying the feel of his erect cock bouncing between her thighs as he carried her. She considered asking him where he was going, but decided to remain quiet and just enjoy the ride.

  When they reached the bathroom door, he whispered, “I don’t want to take the chance of tainting you with the blood of your assailants.”

  She nodded. As soon as Drayden stepped inside the room, she reached in and turned on the shower, then stepped in a few minutes later when the warm water felt just right. Heat from Drayden’s body rolled off him in waves, and she could feel his impressive cock nudging her bottom as he moved even closer, touching her shoulder blades with his muscular chest. He removed the shower gel from its container against the tile wall and slowly soaped her back, his large hands lulling her into a relaxed state, and she leaned her head back, trusting him to support some of her weight.

  She moaned when his hands slid lower, massaging and kneading her bottom. “You hold a lot of tension here,” he whispered.

  “Not for long if you keep this up. My legs feel like wet noodles right about now.”

  “Good. Let go. I can hold you.” He never stopped with his hands, sliding them between her cheeks, then over her hips and thighs. He rinsed his hands and applied more soap before cupping her breasts.

  She felt the tightness in her nipples as they immediately stood at attention for him, the taut, espresso-colored peaks anxious for his touch, and he did not disappoint, pinching the buds several times, as he toyed with her before moving on to her belly, then lower. Spearing his large fingers through the heart-shaped curls at her apex, he slid even lower, vibrating his hand against her labia, then circling her clit, closer and closer before finally touching the erect bundle of nerves.

  “Umm.” Treva bit her bottom lip as her hips moved of their own volition, shifting back to allow him greater access. He took full advantage, thrusting two fingers inside her while stimulating her clit with the heel of his hand. The feel of his heavy cocked positioned just behind his talented fingers sent her into a frenzy of movement as he delved in and out of her pussy with his fingers, then abruptly turned her around and lifted her at once, wrapping her legs around his back as he plunged inside her with a guttural groan. She automatically wrapped her arms around his neck, riding his thick cock until a primal yell escaped her. Seismic waves overtook her nervous system, firing neurons throughout her body.

  She opened her eyes to find Drayden behind her again. He had dried her off and brought her back to the balcony. Before she could turn, he repositioned her right leg, lifting her foot to the middle rung of the iron rail before dropping again and sliding between her legs to sit on the concrete framework of the balcony. Facing her now, he glanced up with a sly smile, and the passion in his dark eyes stole her breath as her stomach clenched and pulsed in anticipation. He slid his fingers along the tender flesh of her inner thighs before nipping each one, drawing a noticeable drop of blood, but the pinch of pain only enhanced her pleasure. His fingers continued a fluid path, cupping, caressing, and massaging her neatly manicured pussy. He reached up, placing his arms between her legs, and braced his palms at her back, pulling her closer to him, closer to the edge, then lapped at her clit with his tongue.

  “Oh, God!” She cried out in rapt ecstasy, her cries carried off by the rushing river, and he continued, lightly at first, then suckling and vibrating his tongue until she exploded, losing her grip on the rail and collapsing into his lap in a haze of bright, neurotransmitted lights and waves of pleasure.

  Just as her breathing started to normalize, he stood, lifted her with him, and placed her hands on the rail again. “Do you think you can hold on?” he asked.

  She nodded, not yet able to speak as the orgasm slowly wore off.

  Positioning her bottom against the rail, Drayden instructed her to wrap her legs around him and clasp them at the ankles. As soon as she complied, he placed one arm around her to cushion her back, and the other beneath her bottom, tipping her core up like an offering before sliding his palm in place to finger her clit. She felt the impressive head of his cock just before he plunged inside her pussy, so slick with need that he didn’t require much effort to seat himself deep inside her with one long, hard stroke. She moved in tandem with him, unable to keep herself from moaning as her pussy throbbed with each movement of his heavy cock. He thrust in and out, in an
d out like a master, stretching her inner walls while his fingers laved her clit at once, the fire building inside her, quickly rushing to a screaming inferno.

  DRAYDEN LOOKED AT TREVA. Even now, leaving her tugged at his heartstrings. He wasn’t sure what it was about her exactly, her honesty, her beauty, her rare sense of freedom, or perhaps all of those things, but he found he was unable to end their brief relationship. Leaning over to whisper into her dream state, he conjured his spirit stone and left it on the bedside table, hoping she would use it to summon him. Turning to admire her one last time, he opened the portal to his underground home, and left.

  “I see that you stayed with the young lady through the night.” Shoftiel’s booming voice greeted him the moment he entered his castle. The punishing angel appeared to be filing his nails with his long legs and boot-clad feet kicked up on Drayden’s dining room table.

  “Wasn’t that what you wanted?” Drayden asked.

  “Ha! You know good and damned well, I didn’t tell you to bed her. I told you to save her. She’s the closest thing to a daughter I’ve ever had.”

  “I—”

  “Yeah, yeah. Spare me the details of the inner turmoil you must have endured. It just gives me perverse pleasure when you get that look of guilt on your face. She’s very special, isn’t she?”

  “Yes, she is. She’s smart, strong, determined, and I was caught up in her spell before I even realized what was happening.”

  Shoftiel slapped the seat next to him, directing Drayden to sit. “You know, she could be the one, and I can’t believe you used the word ‘spell’ while referring to her, given your less than favorable experiences with the spells of women,” Shoftiel said, lifting the corner of his mouth in a half-smile.

  Drayden sighed. The two of them had revisited this conversation many times over the years. “Actually, according to Hilary, it was my spell that drove her to curse me, not hers.”

  “Yes, that particular druidess had to have been insane before she ever met you. You were only following the protocol of your time, returning to accept the title after the man who’d tried to raise you as his own died. She was of the same time, and should have understood that.”

  “All she could see was that I was leaving her, and condemned me to a living hell because of it.”

  “Well, you have to admit that being cursed to become the beast does have its benefits,” Shoftiel reminded him. He raised his hands before placing them in his lap again. “Speaking of curses and benefits, as you know, the two men that you killed for me bought you two days of freedom from the curse, and that doesn’t leave you much time. Why did you leave the stone and run the risk of her summoning you in beast form?”

  “I suppose I hoped she would do it today, before the shift.”

  “I have told you many times before that I wish I could have undone the druidess’s curse on you, but I, too, am bound by mystical laws. The best I could do was to mitigate the effects.”

  “I know. I never should have followed the call to explore druid ways, and I never would have met her, let alone broken her heart.”

  “Like I just said, you did what you were led to do, and based on her actions, she was insane before you met her. Your father was a druid. Magic was in your blood before you were born. The call is extremely difficult to ignore, Drayden, but enough about the ancient past. I am offering you another gauntlet to earn more time with Treva.”

  Drayden leaned forward. “Tell me.”

  Chapter Five

  TREVA OPENED HER eyes and stretched languidly, her body still humming with the residual pleasure that only several powerful orgasms could leave in their wake. They had made love for hours, and she remembered finally drifting off in his muscular arms. Life-giving sunlight streamed in through the open windows, and she could hear the relaxing sounds of the river several stories below. She felt well-rested despite only sleeping a few hours.

  Suddenly, the stark quietness of the suite disturbed her brief feeling of peace. She didn’t have to call out to know Drayden was gone. His presence was so powerful that she would have known instantly if he had still been with her. Her heart twisted painfully and her mind raced as she thought about the many questions he had avoided giving her the answers to. She had no idea where he’d come from, but Drayden saved her life He’d made her remember what it felt like to feel cared for, to feel desire, to yearn for a man and welcome him inside her, and now she had no idea how or where to find him.

  Sitting up in bed, she leaned back on her elbows, surveying the room in hopes that he had left something behind when her gaze landed on a necklace. She saw no note or inscription on the jewelry, but the moment she touched the stone pendant, a blue light sparked from it, and she heard Drayden’s voice in her head as clearly as she had heard him speaking when he’d been here with her. It seemed as if his spirit spoke through the obsidian stone. She examined it again, recognizing its properties and value immediately.

  Warmth suffused her, genuinely touched that he would leave something so rare and priceless in her possession. Treva’s mother had once told her that one of the reasons she had chosen to study geology was because of the fascinating beauty and power of precious stones, and the one Drayden left behind seemed to be imbued with magic. Not only could she feel its protective power, but the fact that she heard his voice whenever she touched it made her think of the old Star Wars movies she’d binged on as a child.

  “This is my most precious possession. Keep it hidden and close to your heart. If you ever need me, just rub the stone and I will hear.”

  Treva lifted the necklace from the side table and placed it around her neck, close to her heart as Drayden had instructed. She didn’t want to seem neurotic, but as far as she was concerned, she needed him already. She wanted to see him again, touch him again, reassure her inner cynic that he was real. Prove to herself that he had not only saved her life, but he had renewed her desire to be close to someone again and given her pleasure beyond anything, she could have imagined.

  Two giant stuffed animals stared at her from the wingback chair across the hotel room, and she smiled. At least the inanimate objects served as proof that her unforgettable night with Drayden had actually taken place. She showered, reluctant to remove Drayden’s scent from her body, then chose to remain nude after drying off with the hotel’s luxuriously soft towel. Afterwards, she placed her laptop on the bed and got to work.

  Like her parents and brothers, she’d started martial arts training at the age of three. In addition, her parents had set aside time after work and school to instruct the Evers children in mystical beliefs, scientific mysteries, and legends. She clicked the power button and waited a few seconds for the system to boot up. Research came as naturally to her as breathing, and she planned to learn as much about her new heartthrob as she possibly could. From the moment he walked into her life with his superhuman strength, the roar he had yet to explain, and the clever trick he’d performed with the carnival darts, she had known that Drayden Sorcher, if that was his real name, was no ordinary man.

  A knock at the door startled her. “Room service,” a female voice announced.

  Treva quietly moved to the door and used the peephole, grateful that it allowed her to see the entire hallway. She hadn’t called room service, and no one should have known she was awake. A woman stood just outside the door holding a tray. “Who ordered this?”

  “Mr. Sorcher called a few minutes ago, Ma’am. He’s paying for the room, and room service is included, of course.” The young woman sounded nervous, as if she’d unwittingly walked into the midst of a lovers’ quarrel. “Is—is this a bad time? I can come back later if that’s—”

  She opened the door and let the woman in, glanced at her nametag, then remembered she didn’t have on any clothes. Smiling, she turned to offer the employee a tip. “This is actually perfect timing, Justine. I just didn’t know he had called or maybe I would have put on something...maybe.”

  The woman looked around the room, clearly uncomfortable as
she attempted to avoid looking at Treva.

  Treva lifted an eyebrow, still smiling, then waved her hand in front of Justine’s face. “Thank you, Justine.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Justine stammered. “No, no thank you. He already took care of the tip too. He, he said that he owed you a proper dinner.”

  Treva returned the woman’s smile, certain she must look like a high-class prostitute, not that she cared. She ushered her out and returned to the delicious smelling meal, realizing she had been so caught up in her developing feelings for Drayden that she’d forgotten about everything else, including her empty stomach and her need for coffee. The smell of rich, hot, black coffee wafted up to her nose, and as soon as she lifted the cover, a buttery open-faced croissant revealed tender, rotisserie chicken salad with celery and lemon pepper seasoning. A side salad and a slice of raspberry cheesecake completed the meal.

  She stood and weighed the stone in her palm, and again, blue light flashed from it. Under normal circumstances, she would have immediately searched for hidden cameras and audio devices, but instinctively, she knew he was aware of what was happening through the stone. Somehow, the precious metal communicated her actions and whereabouts automatically, or perhaps it had responded to her touch, alerting him to the fact that she was awake. She wasn’t certain which theory might be accurate, but she decided it was time to find out.

  Before she could rub the stone a third time, Drayden stood facing her. She jumped back with a quick intake of air, throwing her off-balance. “Where the hell did you come from?”

  Hs gaze traveled the length of her body several times, from her eyes to her feet, then back to her eyes again, stopping in the most strategic places along the way. Without a word about her nudity or anything else, he pointed to the tray. “Why don’t you eat first. That way, you won’t be as light-headed as you appear to be right now.”