by Lila Jean
“Of course, it’s serious.” Draven glared at the screen as the footage replayed.
“The ensuing car chase ended in mystery,” the newscaster continued. “After endangering fellow drivers and pedestrians for nearly twenty minutes, police have stated the van simply disappeared around a corner.”
“Bullshit,” Tina muttered. “They probably paid off the cops or something.”
“But they had to make it look mysterious to fit with the whole ‘goddess goes rogue’ story.” Zane rubbed his face, clearly frustrated.
“I was hoping we could save him,” Killian said softly, sighing into his hands. “I was so sure that if we just had a little more info, just one more clue …”
“It’s okay, buddy.” Flynn clapped the eagle shifter on the back reassuringly.
“It’s not okay!” Draven snapped, and everyone but Tina jumped at the harsh tone of his voice. “This is anything but okay!”
“He just meant it’s not Killian’s fault, Draven,” Tina said softly, her eyes still transfixed on the news. “But no, this is far from okay. This has to stop.”
“Demonstrations and marches have begun in every major city,” the newscaster continued. “Humans across the globe fear the kingdoms will go to war and that we’ll be caught in the crossfire.” She frowned, her eyes flickering downward momentarily, betraying her own nerves. “Some demonstrations have even devolved into riots, such as this morning’s episode in Chicago.”
The screen switched to more footage, this time of protestors in the street, some carrying signs that said things like Burn the Goddess and Tina dies or we do!
“That’s enough.” Draven turned Tina away from the screen, moving her until he blocked her view, his hands on her shoulders as he led her away from the hatred. She stared blankly at his chest, as if she could see through him to the horror on the screen, her face twisted in a blurry blend of horror and hatred. “We’re taking a break,” he ordered, gesturing for Flynn to take over and nodding toward Zane, trying to silently tell them to work on this while he took care of Tina.
Draven led Tina into the hall, not letting her pause to look back at the screen, doing everything in his power to protect her from the ignorant and hateful things said by those who simply didn’t understand. Out in the covered walkway, a waist-high wall framed with columns looked out over the picturesque gardens, and he hoped perhaps the beauty and warmth could soften the blow of what they’d just watched, at least somewhat.
“They hate me,” she said softly, leaning her elbows on the waist-high wall. “They … ‘burn her?’ Jesus, what’s wrong with those people?”
“Jealous, obviously,” he said, doing his best to slip once more into his happy-go-lucky joking. “None of them get to mate with me, so they’re all rioting.” He grinned. “It’s understandable, really.”
Tina didn’t respond. If anything, she frowned more deeply, hands balling into fists as she glared at the ground, her anger visibly smoldering, worsening, boiling over. He had to curb this, stop it before she let anger get the best of her, help her rein in the thirst for revenge so she could focus and make a sound choice about what to do next.
“Boss, look, I’ve never been one for touchy-feely stuff,” he sighed, leaning his elbows next to hers and savoring the warm rush of desire touching her always brought him. “If you want feelings, you’re better off with Killian. If you want a brooding emo, you’re better off with Anthony.”
“I heard that!” Anthony shouted from behind the door Draven had left slightly ajar.
“What I mean is, well …” Draven sighed. “I don’t know about feelings. I know sex and war, mainly, but Tina, you’ve opened my eyes to one thing that’s even more important than those. Love.”
She tilted her head toward him, catching his eye for the first time since they’d walked outside.
“I mean it.” He nodded, certain now, the words coming more easily the more he let himself open up to her. “I love you. Deeply, more than anyone or anything else in this world, and you are the most important thing in my life. I will do anything to see you safe and happy. My one and only purpose in life is to bring you joy.” He set an arm around her shoulders. “Those assholes are wrong, Tina, and one day soon, they are going to be groveling at your feet for your forgiveness. Just wait.”
A small smile finally cracked her lips, and her shoulders relaxed as she leaned her head against his shoulder. “Thanks, babe.”
“Of course.” He ran a hand through her hair. “Now, can I please stop feeling? This is weird.”
“Sure.” She laughed, her smile wider now, and he relaxed a bit in his victory, happy to see his woman calmer.
“Want to go for a ride?” he asked.
“That sounds great.” She sighed deeply.
“Good, let’s go to my bedroom, then, it’s closer.” He tugged playfully on her arm.
She laughed even harder than before. “I thought you meant in the sky, oh dragon of mine!”
“Why not both?” He winked and tugged her toward his bedroom. Though he had gotten her laughing again, as was his intention, the fires of his anger raged deep in his core, just waiting to be set free. He would burn entire cities if it meant keeping Tina safe, and he had the feeling he would soon have to do just that.
3
Zane
Zane sat at his computer with Tina in his lap, her legs dangling over the side of his chair as he tapped away at his keyboard, code flying across the screen and multiple windows opening and closing as quickly as he could scan through them. If he were being honest, yes, he was showing off a little, but Tina chuckled and watched him admiringly from his periphery.
“Nerd,” she said, grinning.
“You love it.” He kissed her cheek, adjusting his leg so that she had no choice but to lean closer to him. Tenderly, she kissed his jaw, and the brush of her soft lips on his stubble distracted him, drawing his attention away from the buzzing blur of the white and black screens racing across his monitor.
“So, uh …” He cleared his throat, not sure if he should broach this topic yet, especially since she seemed to be in a good mood. “How do you feel about those lookalikes?”
“Oh.” Her smile fell, and she turned her attention once more to the screen, toward the monitor that had played the news broadcast earlier that day. “It pisses me off, obviously.” She sighed and rubbed her face. “However, I can’t obsess over it. Getting upset or furious over it won’t do any good, and if I did, I would probably just play right into their hands.” She rolled her eyes. “Whoever ‘they’ are, this mysterious Noxxom Corporation,” - she huffed - “I won’t give them the pleasure of knowing they got to me.”
“That’s my girl.” He planted a rough kiss on her mouth, and her soft breath rolled over his face as he surprised her. “Tough as nails, full of fire, and won’t take anything lying down.”
“Except you.” She winked mischievously and chuckled. “Seriously, though, the whole lookalikes thing just makes me want to take these assholes down.” Her eyes narrowed, hands balling tightly into fists as she spoke. “I’m going to make them burn.”
“Damn, my girl’s dark.” Zane chuckled. “Have you been hanging around Anthony too much?”
“I’m sure he heard that.” Tina laughed and smacked Zane’s shoulder playfully. “You all sure give him a lot of shit.”
“He likes it.” Zane smiled and readjusted her so that she was straddling him, the flowing silk of her thin gown cascading like a waterfall onto the floor on either side of him. He put his hands around her waist as he looked up at her, his stomach twisting with delight and butterflies each time he looked at her stunning face. “Damn, you’re beautiful.”
“Flatterer.” She kissed his nose, toying with him, loving on him, teasing him with her thighs as she readjusted and got more comfortable in his computer chair. “You always were a smooth talker, Zane.”
“Literally no one has ever said that to me.” He chuckled and tucked a loose lock of her hair behind her ear. �
�‘You’re such a nerd, Zane,’ or ‘Zane, hack this for me, will you?’ But I’ve never been a smooth talker.”
“Sure, you have.” She smiled and ran her hands through his wild hair, messing it up further, sending shivers of delight through his scalp and down his spine with every sensual twist of her fingers. “From the first day we met, from your offer in the hallway all those months ago, you’ve always been fifty steps ahead of everyone else.” She sat upright, the thin cotton of her underwear rubbing gently against the growing bulge in his pants, tempting him even though she probably didn’t even realize she was doing it.
“I guess I can be a smooth talker sometimes,” he said with a modest shrug. “When it’s for something, or rather someone, I care about.”
“There he goes again,” she said softly, watching him with an adorable blend of admiration and amusement. “Sweet talking his way into my heart.”
“It’s the truth.” He set his hands on her waist, not because a woman as graceful and athletic as her needed balance or support but because he just needed to touch her, to hold her, to know the love of a woman as amazing as Tina was real. “I knew back then that I wanted you, that you were truly special, that I would do anything to make you mine.” He grinned sheepishly and ran a hand through his wiry hair. “I had to. I knew in my heart that you were too important, that you are too important, for me to let you slip away.”
Tina smiled, the thin curve of her lips both inviting and sweet, the warm and tender look on her face making him melt into her, lose himself in her as he poured his heart out. She kissed him suddenly, her sweet breath on his face as she wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling him into the deep embrace.
“When I hold you, Tina,” he said, needing to get this out, speaking in between kisses, knowing without a doubt that he had to share this last piece for her to truly understand how deeply he loved her. “When I touch you, I’m reminded of what’s important in life, reminded of why I’m here and what I’m capable of.” He held her face with both hands, losing himself in her, his pants tight as his cock ached to be freed, to connect with her as physically as he was connecting with her emotionally. “You’re the most important thing in my world, Tina. Hands down.”
“You melt my heart, professor,” she said with a little chuckle, her hands in his hair, kissing him deeply, more roughly as they lost themselves in each other.
With her eyes still closed, she began to unbutton his shirt, and each brush of her fingertips against his bare chest elicited another surge of need, another surge of love and desire within him. He lifted her skirt, the fabric soft and cool in his hands, and lifted her effortlessly, and she giggled with surprise as he repositioned her, placing her entrance against the bulge in his pants.
“So eager,” she said playfully between kisses.
“I can’t help myself around you,” he admitted, holding her face as he kissed her deeply. “I just can’t.”
“Same, darling,” she said softly, gently dragging her fingers down his bare chest, her fingertips dancing over each muscle in his abs as if she were relishing every one of them. Finally, teasingly, she reached his zipper and pulled it down, freeing his rock hard erection. She unbuttoned his pants to give him more room, and he wordlessly slid aside her panties, too eager to take them off, too ready to be inside of her to wait even a moment longer to undress her.
“I need you,” he said softly.
“And I need you, Zane.” Her voice was breathless, as eager as he felt, and with the seductive sound of her breath on his neck, he pushed into her with one fluid stroke.
She gasped, arching her back, giving herself over to him completely, driving him wild as he paused for a moment to savor the warm and soft sensation of her stunning pussy tightening around his cock. She was his, his mate, his woman, the love of his life, the one person he would do anything in this world to take care of, the one soul he would die to protect.
Unable to hold back a moment longer, he pulled out, using his enhanced strength to lift her, careful not to overdo it in the heat of the moment, and thrust into her once more. She moaned, laughing, lost in him, her smile as enchanting and addictive as the strongest drug. He bucked into her again and again, thrusting with abandon, drunk on the woman of his dreams.
She rode him, grinding her hips against his, driving him deeper and deeper as they made love at his desk, at what was essentially the base of operations for the temple and her entire security detail, the two of them moaning with pleasure and need as they sated their primal need for each other. Zane held her waist with one hand and a thigh with the other, rolling her against him, making sure her tender bud rubbed against him with every thrust, knowing he could get her to moan his name and cum harder on his cock than ever before.
“Yes, oh my god, yes,” she arched into him, riding him, the blissful flutter of her eyelashes all he needed to know he was doing a good job, knowing he would make her orgasm at any moment. Her breathless moaning egged him on, and though he neared his own climax, a true gentleman would never dare orgasm before his woman.
As if on cue, her pussy pulsed around him, and she moaned, grabbing his hair, riding her orgasm as he continued to thrust into her, elongating it, doing everything in his power to make it as strong as possible. Only when she collapsed against him did he finally release inside of her, sighing with pleasure and sated lust, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close as they breathed heavily, just enjoying each other in the now-quiet room.
“I love you, Zane,” she said softly into his ear, her breath along his neck as tantalizing as her touch. “Forever.”
“Forever,” he echoed, cradling the back of her head with one hand. “Forever and always.”
4
Tina
Safely tucked away in Zane’s arms, Tina lounged in his bedroom, one of the three adjoining rooms in his personal suite in her temple and not far from the tech-lined hub that was once the suite’s sitting room. Wearing only one of his button-down shirts, she nuzzled the crook of his arm, his warm and bare skin soothing in the cool breeze coming through his open windows, the bliss of his company making her feel safe and content, like nothing could ever touch her.
In the midst of the calm silence, a quiet beeping noise sounded through the suite, coming from the tech room, the rhythmic sound piercing despite the low tone. Tina blinked and rubbed her eyes, still drowsy, so close to sleeping. Zane, however, bolted to his feet and tugged on a pair of boxers, almost unable to keep himself upright in his rush of sudden excitement.
“What’s that, Zane?” She ran a hand through her curls and let out a slow breath, eyeing the pillow longingly, debating whether or not she should just ignore the sound.
“It’s good news,” Zane said eagerly, reaching for her hand. “Come on.”
“You go.” She yawned and stretched back onto the bed, cuddling the pillow now that her tiger prince was off to the races with his spymaster duties. “Sleep sounds lovely right now.”
“Come on, you,” he said teasingly, chuckling as he lifted her and tossed her over his shoulder as though she were light as a feather. Surprised, Tina burst out laughing, kicking her legs on impulse as her tiger shifter carried her into the next room like a prize.
“Well, I’ll be …” He leaned toward one of his dozen or so monitors, his voice soft and quiet, as though he were talking to himself. “That’s incredible.” He stood, Tina still on his shoulder, and opened his door a crack. “Anthony! Flynn! Get in here!”
“Yeah, I’m still just hanging out on your shoulder, honey,” Tina said, rolling her eyes as she tried desperately to suppress her laughter. “Any time you want to let me down is great.”
“Sorry, Tina, here.” He gently set her on her feet, and for a moment, her world spun with vertigo as she once more got her bearings.
When her head cleared, she leaned towards the computer, trying to sort out whatever alert had caught his eye, but the popup looked like it was in Spanish. “What does it say?”
“It’s the
first insider news about the diplomats we’ve received to date.” Zane grinned and tapped the screen. “This is from one of my new underground contacts in Mexico.” The tiger prince’s face lit up like it was Christmas, full of excitement. “He’s seen the werewolf diplomat that went missing the day after Damara came to Earth!”
“Really?” Anthony asked from the doorway, stealthy and silent as ever as he pushed the door open and looked at the monitor in disbelief. “That’s incredible. For once, we’re a step ahead of these people.”
“What’s the situation?” Flynn asked, ducking as he entered, his massive and muscled form taking up the entire doorframe. “Where was he seen?”
“Tijuana.” Zane returned to the monitor. “There’s an old warehouse outside of the city limits, and he seems to be heading there.”
Zane tapped on the keyboard, a myriad of screens and maps popping up until he settled on a satellite image of a dark warehouse. As he zoomed in, the enhanced image revealed broken windows, barbed wire fences, and lots of weeds.
“Tijuana has a lot of violent crime,” Flynn said, frowning. “If we make a rescue attempt, we’ll need to be careful.”
“We need to try,” Tina said, her mood shifting as the gravity of the situation hit her. “This could be a break for us, a chance to finally stop these assholes from—”
A second beeping noise came from another computer, and everyone froze for a moment before Zane rushed to it, tapping wildly on the keyboard as screens and windows raced across the monitor. He made a few huffs of annoyance and paused, standing, arms crossed as he looked suspiciously over his shoulder at the other computer.
“What is it?” Tina pressed.
“Rutherford,” Zane said softly, his gaze shifting to Flynn. “The missing demigod diplomat. He’s been spotted in Russia.”
“That’s great news!” Flynn smiled.
“I’m not so sure it is,” Tina said, frowning. “Zane, why are you just now getting these alerts?”
“That’s the question, isn’t it?” He rubbed his neck, staring at the second monitor as if debating something internally. “I’m torn. On one hand, I’ve made new contacts, new lookouts. I’ve worked hard to broaden my network, trying my best to cast a wide net to find the diplomats.” He sighed deeply and collapsed into the nearest chair. “I’ve cashed in every favor, talked to every friend, anonymously connected with unsavory people to keep as many eyes and ears open as possible. So, in theory, this could just be my efforts paying off.”
