by Ariel Marie
Our bodies clash, my wolf is feral in our attack. My claws slash his skin, trying to cause fatal damage. There is a searing pain in my right shoulder from his claws. I’m able twist on top of him knocking him down, going for his throat. Blood sprays as I hit a major artery. I refuse to let go, tightening my grip on his neck. My large canines bite through the neck until both sides of my canines come together. His neck is hanging on by a few tendons. I take my claw and slash his neck the rest of the way until his head dangles at an odd angle.
These demons are stronger than the last set of demons that I fought with Lina. It’s almost like this attack was planned. I continue to slash my way through demons with my claws and canines. Beheading demons is one of the surest ways to make sure they die and return back to the Underworld. I reach out to Alec across our bond, looking at the carnage that litters the ground.
Leave one alive so we can question it, I say to him.
Are you shittin’ me? These bastards need to die, he says back across our bond.
I focus back on the battle in the front yard. Keegan and Lina both are battling a demon each. Keegan is making quick work of the one he is battling with his sword. Lina doesn’t see the demon sneaking up on her from behind while she is battling another demon.
Fuck!
Dashing towards the other demon as fast as my shifter speed will let me, I pounce on him at the same time Lina beheads the one in front of her. My jaws are locked on his neck. I send a quick message to Alec to go ahead and kill them all because I have one in the front. He responds quickly letting me know he got my message.
“Let him go, Colin,” Lina says walking up to me. She holds her katana near his throat. I shake my head, not letting go of his neck.
“No, we need him alive so that we can question him,” Keegan says pushing Lina’s sword away from the demon’s neck. The Guardians, Vander and Tarron jog from the back yard to come over to where we are standing. They both are covered in dirt and blood. Alec and Reed come from the back of the house naked due to their clothes being shredded during their shift. They both start to walk over to the group. I let loose a growl when Lina’s eyes roam over both of their naked forms.
Get some fucking clothes on! I growl to both of them across our bond. They both turn, grinning like idiots as they jog over to the truck.
“Vander, get the demon restraints from the truck,” Keegan says as the demon struggles against my grip on his neck. I tighten my jaw muscles not letting him go. Vander returns a few minutes later with Alec and Reed right behind him. They both have on jeans and long sleeve t-shirts. Alec brings over my duffle bag that I keep in the back of the truck. I let go of the demon as Keegan, Tarron and Vander flip him over and put valumite handcuffs on him. Valumite is one of the rare Fae elements that can hold a demon. They stand him up and literally drag him in the house with Lina following them.
I shift back to my human form and stand up as Alec tosses my duffle bag to me. I catch the bag with my left hand since my right shoulder is still pulsating from the demon claws. I throw on my clothes as quick as I can, running into the house. They have the demon in the kitchen strapped to a kitchen chair with his hands handcuffed behind his back. Lina has perched herself against the wall, her eyes glued on the demon. Keegan is pacing in the kitchen, Vander is standing in front of the basement doors with his arms crossed against his chest and Tarron is standing in front of the demon with a blade in his hand.
“We’re going to play a little game, Demon,” Tarron says.
“You’re going to kill me! What’s the point?” The demon responds.
“How about this, you answer the questions to our liking and we’ll kill you quick. We don’t hear what we want and your death will be slow and drawn out,” Tarron responds.
“She already knows why we are here.” The demon nods to Lina. Her eyes are narrowed as her hand caresses the blade in her hand.
“He can’t have her!” I roar jumping at the demon but Alec and Reed grab me. They struggle to keep me from the demon. My chest is filled with a rage so hot that I see red. Alec and Reed tighten their grip, keeping me from tearing the demon apart.
“What the fuck! Speak, Demon!” Keegan pushes Tarron out the way and draws his sword.
“The master wants the princess. He will stop at nothing to have her. There’s nothing you can do to stop him from coming to Earth! He has all that he needs to come; it’s only a matter of time before he’s here! He will destroy you and this realm! This realm is his! The princess will be his!” The demon screams as Keegan swiftly swings his sword and takes his head. The head drops and rolls to the floor and lands in front of Lina.
She lets out a scream and kicks the head. Keegan and Vander quickly jump out the way as the head flies through the kitchen window, breaking the glass, landing somewhere outside. She runs her hand across her face, looking at Keegan then at me.
“Melomouzor can try all he wants to get me, but I’ll be damned if he will lay a hand on me!” she says as she storms out of the kitchen and through the front door.
“What the fuck happened in the basement?” Keegan demands, stalking over to stand in front of me.
He’s pissed and I have to keep reminding myself that this is Lina’s brother who deserves to know. If I had a sister, I would go bat-shit crazy if something happened to her. I would lose my shit if something happened to Micheil or Devyn. I give him a brief rundown on what the Goddess Freya told us when we were in Agslyae. Curses fill the room as Keegan walks over to the wall and punches his fist threw it. He holds himself against the wall for a few seconds before he runs out of the house to find Lina. The other Guardians follow him.
“So what do we do?” Reed asks as we walk out of the house.
“We protect her. There is one thing that I do agree with Keegan on; she is not to be left alone. She is always to have someone with her. Apparently, Melomouzor has found a way back to the Earth’s realm. We need to prepare for him. Call Dante and tell him to go ahead and call in the entire Legion. This is a code red.”
* * *
My shoulder is almost healed. I move the shower-head so that the hot water can hit the aching part. I tilt my head underneath the water to get it wet. It pained me to see Lina leave the witch’s house with Keegan. Today was a rough day for her and she shouldn’t be alone tonight. I’m tempted to call her. Reaching for the soap, the smell of apricots slowly fills the air. I pause, taking in a deep breath. She’s here. My Princess has come to me.
The door to the bathroom opens and she walks over to the shower stall. She steps into the shower naked. I step back to allow her to get underneath the water. She doesn’t say anything. Her green eyes are as big as saucers and I can sense she’s bothered by today’s events. I lather the washcloth up with soap and begin washing her back and shoulders. I run the cloth down her legs and have her turn so that I can wash the rest of her.
We don’t say anything. My wolf senses that she needs me to take care of her. I carefully wash and rinse every part of her. I hurry up rinsing the shampoo from her hair. I shut off the water and reach for a towel. I grab a large towel for her, wrapping her in it. I quickly dry myself off and throw the towel around my waist. I carry her into my room and lay her in the bed. I get in and pull the covers up over both of us.
“I don’t want to get your bed wet!” she mumbles trying to climb out of the bed. I grab her and pull her close to me.
“Shhh. It’ll dry, just lay here and rest.”
I draw her into the crook of my arm as she moves to get comfortable. Her warm breath flows across my neck. It evens out and she falls asleep. Staring down at her, I can’t help but realize that she’s perfect. The armor around my heart is cracking and this tiny wisp of a person is holding the hammer. My wolf is demanding I claim her. He wants to protect her. He feels that she needs him.
Mate.
This is not the time to be trying to take a mate. Melomouzor is making his way back to the realm and we have to stop him. There is too much to lose. Melomouzor cannot
come back, he cannot have the realm and he certainly cannot have her. I squeeze her tight and kiss her on the forehead. A few minutes later, I fall into a blissful darkness.
Chapter Seventeen
~Lina~
Where the hell am I? I look down at myself and I’m dressed in a short, sexy, white see-through negligee. You can clearly see my dark areolas through the sheer material and the tiny G-string that I have on. I’m lying on a bed with black satin sheets and a dark grey fur comforter, propped up with at least ten fluffy pillows. My hair is flowing down my back. I look down at my toes and fingernails and notice that they are painted blood red.
The bedroom I’m in is humongous. It has vaulted ceilings with a diamond-encrusted chandelier. The room is lavishly decorated with at least a thousand candles lit all around the room. There are a few chests and dressers in the room that are covered with lit candles. The bed is big enough for at least ten people to sleep comfortably. There is a large ceiling to floor window to the right of the bed. Wherever I am, it must be nighttime because it looks to be dark outside. A door on the far left wall slowly opens.
A tall muscular blond haired man walks in the room. He is gorgeous, one of the most beautiful men I have ever seen. His chiseled features and movie star blond hair is just mesmerizing. He has on an all-white tailored suit, the white shirt collar is open with no tie. His blue eyes zero in on me as he smiles.
“Hello, Lina, finally we meet.” His voice rumbles as he speaks. His eyes do not leave mine as he walks closer to the bed. He stands next to the bed, his eyes roaming over my half naked body.
“Beautiful,” he says.
“Who are you?” I ask. I can’t tear my eyes away from him. I just feel mesmerized by him. I can feel my breasts growing heavy as he stares at them.
What the hell is wrong with me?
“You know who I am, Lina,” he says as he stares into my eyes. The realization of who he is hits me like a brick.
“No, it can’t be!” I sit up scrambling to get off the bed. A force grabs me and pushes me back onto the pillows on the bed and holds me in place.
“There’s nowhere for you to run, Lina,” he says smiling, his blue eyes flash red for a millisecond.
“I’m sorry. Where are my manners? It would be considered rude of me not to formally introduce myself.” He steps back and gallantly bows. “My name is Melomouzor.”
How in the hell did I come to be here? The last thing I remember is being in the shower with Colin and falling asleep in his arms. I quickly look around the room for an escape route. As if sensing what I am thinking, he sits on the bed and grabs my chin and directs my face towards his.
“You are so worth the wait. I have been waiting a long time for you. You are quite exquisite, my dear.” I try to snatch my face away but he holds it still. “I will have you, my dear, and I’ll take great pleasure in it. You will be mine.”
He kisses the corner of my mouth then trails kisses to the left side of my neck. He nips my neck with what feels like a fang. I can feel a small trickle of blood run down my neck. I try to move my head but he has a death grip on my chin as he slowly licks the small amount of blood.
“Never!” I growl at him, struggling against the invisible restraints.
“Never say never, my dear. I’m sure by now you’ve heard of the prophecy. You are meant to be mine; our first child will rule the realms. They have kept me banished to the Underworld for long enough. They will all die for banishing me. Your brother and that wolf cannot protect you. It’s time for my demons and I to come up and play!” He laughs sadistically.
He trails his finger down my throat, across my chest and rubs my traitorous nipple. I try to jerk my body away, but he still has me pinned to the bed with his power. How dare my body betray me? My nipple hardens as he rubs it. I try to move my body again but he holds me in place with his power.
He grabs my left breast and I watch as my dark brown nipple disappears in his mouth. He suckles my breast through the negligee and a moan escapes the back of my throat. My mind knows that I don’t want him. I try to fight him but my body is totally betraying me.
What the fuck is wrong with me!
My legs open on their own accord as his other hand rips off the G-string. I can feel the wetness begin to seep out of my pussy as his finger starts rubbing on my hidden nub.
I moan again and this time, I can’t help myself from moving my hips towards his hand. I ride his hand as he continues to flick the swollen flesh; my eyes roll to the back of my head. He’s the enemy, I try to fight his power so I can move but he is stronger than me. I still haven’t learned how to use all of new my powers.
“You will be mine!” He growls as he pushes his two fingers in my moist channel and I almost come instantly. He slides his fingers in and out, I rotate my hips to the rhythm he sets. He rips the negligee down the middle and he switches to my naked right breast and suckles that one as my legs spread even wider so he can continue to finger fuck me.
He looks up at me and his eyes flash red. I can feel the pressure building up in me as he has me moaning and writhing in the bed. I try to speak but my thoughts are going out the window. When he pinches my tiny nub, it sends me over the edge screaming as I climax.
* * *
“Lina, wake up!! It’s just a dream!” I hear Colin’s voice as he shakes me awake. I sit up breathing hard, unable to catch my breath. I look around the room and recognize Colin’s room and I’m tangled in his sheets and my towel. I jump into Colin’s arms, shaking.
Goddess above, it was just a dream!
“Are you okay, you were screaming in your sleep?” he asks worried, pulling back and pushing my hair from my face.
“It was just a dream. It was a dream, just a dream.” I chant over and over out loud to myself.
What in the hell was that?
It didn’t feel like a dream, it all felt so real. The way my body responded to Melomouzor’s touches felt real. I shake my head, running my trembling hand through my hair. Melomouzor is coming. I can feel it. At least now I know what he looks like, even though I’m sure I was looking at his glamoured image.
“What did you dream about?” Colin asks as I turn to sit on the side of the bed. I can’t tell him the whole dream. He would go ballistic if I told him how Melomouzor was touching me in the dream.
“I was in a room I didn’t recognize. A tall, blond haired guy in a white suit comes in the room. It was Melomouzor.” Colin curses and gets out the bed. He paces in front of me.
“What did he say?” he asks bending down in front of me.
“He wants me and he’s coming for me. He says that you and my brother cannot protect me. He wants revenge for being banished from the realm.” He grabs me and holds me.
“He will not get you! You’re mine!” he growls.
He looks down at my neck and slowly turns my head while his eyes narrow. His mismatched eyes darken as a deeper growl resonates from his chest. His Alpha vibrations are rolling off of him. He’s pissed!
“He bit you?” he asks barely able to speak around his canines.
I reach up and rub my neck where Melomouzor bit me. I’m confused, was I really asleep when Melomouzor came to me? How can he really mark me if it was a dream? I look to Colin and his face is dark with rage. He grabs me by the neck and his mouth covers mine in a hard, dominating kiss. His kiss consumes me; he backs me up against the bed.
“You are mine,” he says in between kisses. He pushes me down on the bed and proceeds to show me how much I am his.
* * *
“Lina, wake up.” Colin gently wakes me up. I snuggle down deeper in the covers. He laughs quietly.
“Wake up, I want to show you around the house and feed you. I have to meet with the Legion members. I’ve called in representatives from all the regions and have a meeting with them in an hour.” He pulls the covers off of me. I stretch and kick my feet. He grabs my feet and tries to tickle them. I shriek and jump out of the bed on the other side away from him.
&nbs
p; “Okay!” I say holding my hands up surrendering. “I’m up. Let me throw some clothes on and pee!”
“You have ten minutes.”
He’s fully dressed in a long sleeve black t-shirt with dark jeans on. His black hair is pushed back away from his face. His blue and brown eyes shine with laughter at me.
“Ten minutes and I’m coming in there!” he yells as I run in the bathroom carrying my overnight bag.
Nine and a half minutes later, I come out the bathroom, teeth brushed, faced washed, dressed in a pair of black yoga pants and a bright pink t-shirt. I pulled my dark hair up in a high ponytail and I went light on make-up and lip-gloss. He laughs when he reads my t-shirt. It says, ‘We all can’t be princesses, someone has to bow when I walk by’. I love the sound of his laugh. It doesn’t seem that a week ago we were just meeting and at each other’s throats. My heart swells just looking at him.
He’s definitely growing on me.
He leads me down the stairs to the main part of the house. He explains to me how the Legion members in his pack all share this house and have their own private quarters similar to his. The house is immaculate. You cannot tell that this house is full of men. They must have a housekeeper, or two, with the size of this house. I cannot imagine seven guys living together and it being this clean.
It has the delicate touches of a woman here and there. He leads me into a large commercial style kitchen. It has an open concept to it. There is an island that divides the main part of the kitchen, a dining table that sits at least ten people placed in front a set of patio doors, then a family room with a couple of oversized couches and a flat screen television.
Alec and another wolf I have yet to meet are sitting at the table eating breakfast. I immediately smile at Alec when he looks up to see me. His eyebrows rise when he sees me coming from the living quarters with Colin. I feel my face warm slightly at his knowing grin. Colin grabs my hand and leads me over to the table.
