by Leia Shaw
Suddenly, his demeanor changed and he set her down then stepped back. Briskly, he grabbed a towel from his pack and cleaned himself then handed it to her, avoiding eye contact.
“What’s wrong?” She heard the panic in her voice. What did I do?
“I’m sorry.” He paced in front of her once…twice. “I didn’t pull out. I…I’m so sorry.”
Oh. She smiled. “I’m on the pill. It’s all good.”
He stopped and gave her a questioning look. “What?”
“I can’t get pregnant so you can, um,” – she averted her gaze – “you know…”
“No, I don’t. I can what?”
Was he laughing at her? She peered up at him. No, he looked truly perplexed. “So you can…” Her mind went blank. “Brand me with your seed,” she mumbled then winced and gave her head a shake. Did I really just say that?
Silence then a strangled snort came from the demon. Her head snapped up. He was laughing at her!
She went to shove his chest. “Shut up!”
He grabbed both her hands and pulled her into his body. His lips descended on hers, hot and tasting like bliss. He pulled away too soon, leaving her dizzy. “Don’t get embarrassed, love. I think you’re adorable.”
She grinned up at him like a smitten puppy dog. Was she smitten? Her smile faded. This was their second intimate tryst and there was no wine to blame. Maybe violence made men go all Horny He-man but she had no such excuse.
Geo took her hand and led her to the bed. “Come on. You’ve got my blood on you. Let me clean you up.”
His blood on me? She sighed and reached for the canteen and towel on the table. “You’re the one who got hurt. Sit down.” With a little push, he plopped onto the side of the bed and stared up at her. That’s better. She smiled.
“I like taking care of you.” It was a mild protest but he didn’t stop her when she wet the towel.
“That goes both ways, baby,” she said then flinched. Did she just call him a pet name? Shaking off that slip, she rubbed the small spots of blood off her arm and down her side then threw on the t-shirt she’d been wearing to bed. “I let you take care of me plenty, but this time” – she approached him with the towel and a smile – “it’s my turn.”
He gazed up at her with an expression of awe. Despite the blood and the muscles, he looked innocent in a way – like he had no idea what to make of her. Had no one cared for him before?
She looked him over and sighed. “I can’t believe I let you screw me against the wall while you’re hurt.”
He chuckled. “I’m not hurt. I heal fast.”
Ignoring him, she focused on what she thought was the biggest wound. She lifted his heavy arm, wiping the blood away gently. But his skin was perfect – no sign of injury.
His lips quirked. “Very fast.” His gaze traveled over her body. “And it’d have been worth it even if I didn’t.”
She felt herself melt. Pull it together! After pouring more water onto the towel, she moved to stand between his legs. She started on his face, washing the blood from his forehead. His eyes drifted shut and he let out a relaxed sigh. She took a moment to study his face. With the washcloth, she traced the lines on his forehead that often crinkled with distress. She moved down the side to his strong jaw that sometimes clenched tight when he was frustrated – or when he tried to hold back his amusement at her smart-ass comments. Then she wiped across the dimpled chin that jutted out with pride.
His breaths came slowly now, in a peaceful rhythm. She hadn’t realized she’d stopped washing until he opened his eyes. He drilled through her soul with a silent look that seemed to speak volumes. The room suddenly felt thick with tension. Geo’s hand rested on her thigh – so hot against her skin she was suddenly aware of nothing else.
“Um,” she cleared her throat. “I need more water.” She stepped back and guzzled a few sips before wetting the towel again.
His chest and shoulders still needed cleaning. She tried to approach him from the side but he grabbed her legs and pulled her between his again. With a little smirk, he gave her a squeeze, signaling she should stay there.
She did. And as she gently wiped the blood away, visions of the fight swirled in her mind. Geo limping. Geo clutching his stomach in pain. His mouth bleeding. Getting kicked over and over in the ribs. He did this, sacrificed his body, for her. And why? What had she given him in return? Besides a hard fuck up against the wall. He had no guarantee her plea to Gaia would even work. Only she knew it was almost positively not going to work.
There was that bitter taste of guilt again.
His hand moved up her thigh, skimming across her skin and resting just under his shirt.
“Geo.” She took a deep breath. “You don’t have to do this anymore. This is too much to ask of you.”
He shrugged. “As I said before, I don’t have anything better to do.” The hand under his shirt, so close to her ass, began rubbing small circles on her skin.
“You could live,” she insisted, trying to keep her head despite the heat growing between her legs. “Instead of risking your life every night.”
“I don’t think I knew what living was until…” He stopped.
Until what?
The room was thick with silence again.
He dropped his hand from her leg and she frowned. “What brought this on? Do you really think I’d desert you here?
Bending down to swipe the towel across his chest, she looked him in eye. “You were going to.”
He glanced away. “That was before.”
“Before what?”
Silence again. Before what! When no response seemed forthcoming, she grunted in frustration. Strange, confusing man with mysterious, annoying answers!
“I fear you have a distorted view of what a real man is, Samantha,” he finally said.
Another non-answer! “Probably.” She thought of her dad and brothers. “No one has ever fought for me before.” Even her high school boyfriends had been scared off by her brothers. Maybe it was her brothers’ way of showing they cared about her. Who knew when it came to testosterone?
Geo was the most alpha male she’d ever met. Protective, possessive. But she didn’t feel like she was being smothered by his ego. And he was patient and so far, had made good on his claim he never yelled. He’d make a wonderful father. She smiled, envisioning his large hands cradling an infant’s head, so calm and gentle. Too bad there wasn’t some way to keep him.
Suddenly, he latched onto her legs and fell back, taking her with him onto the bed. She squealed as she landed on top of him.
His hands boldly stroked up her thighs and over her ass. “Come, matia mou, my seed wants to brand you again.”
She bit her lip to keep from laughing.
He rolled her underneath him then went on to prove why he was a ten in bed. Many, many times.
Chapter 14
“Skinwalkers,” Aedan said with a grimness that made Samantha’s heart sink.
They stood just behind the divider of the ring, Geo on her right, Aedan on her left. Their opponents, two bulky half-naked men stepped into the ring.
In her mind she pulled up the index card she’d made to catalog the supernatural creatures at Selene’s house. Skinwalkers: Native American descent. They had the ability to transform, much like a werewolf, into whatever animal they wore as a pelt over their heads.
“Well, that’s not too bad, right?” She forced her voice not to tremble. They’d barely recovered from yesterday’s fight. She’d hoped to get a little break, but their names were on the board that morning. Aedan had said it was because they were now a crowd favorite – the wild card to bet on. Goody for them.
There had only been three fights before their turn. Geo had made her eat a hearty breakfast then watch all three fights. Then more commentary on strategy – that time from both men, until she’d been dizzy with information. She’d walked away only to be dragged back ten minutes later for their match.
The skinwalkers circled the ring s
lowly, their fur-covered boots kicking up dirt. On each of their heads sat a lifeless coyote head, teeth and all. The gray pelts fell down and across their shoulders. Their huge jaws were set in a malicious expression and their eyes seemed to glow from underneath the pelt. Or maybe it was a trick of light.
She shuddered. “Those are coyote skins, right?” Now that she looked more carefully, they seemed awfully big for coyotes. “Even big coyotes can’t be that bad.” She looked back and forth between the two men beside her.
They shrugged.
She rolled her eyes. Men! “I think we can beat them with sword skill alone.”
Geo’s head snapped toward her. “No. Protection circle for you again. Do some…witchy stuff like last time.”
She huffed at his patronizing tone.
His lips twitched. “Only try to keep the opponents on the other side of your magic. Not me.”
“Keep talking to me like that and you’ll be spewing your guts like the Shadow Dyad.”
Aedan chuckled behind her.
“Protection circle,” he pushed. “I want your word.”
She perched her hand on her hip. “I can take care of one coyote easily. I almost had those three werewolves before you found me, remember?”
He took a step toward her. “When I found you, you were unconscious, remember?”
Damn he had a point. But that didn’t stop the anger beginning to rise.
“Vow to me you’ll be cautious.”
“I’m always cautious, but I really don’t think –”
Losing his patience he snapped, “Samantha. This is going to go down one of two ways. Either you do what I tell you or I withdraw your name and sign up for singles.”
How dare he! She opened her mouth to cuss him out then froze. Wait. He would do this alone? For her? She blinked up at him. But…why?
Geo’s eyebrows descended in a puzzled expression. “Is that what you want?”
“No, of course not.” She shook her head. “I just don’t understand why you –”
The gong interrupted her thought. “Geo and The Red Phoenix!” the announcer yelled. The crowd hooted and hollered. Geo stared at her, ignoring it all.
With urgency in his voice, he pleaded, “Keep my mind at ease, Samantha. Vow it.”
She sighed deeply then nodded. “I’ll be cautious. I’ll make a circle.” Then leave it to slice me up some coyote.
“Thank you.” He smiled slightly.
“Go on.” Aedan dropped his hand on her shoulder then gave her a little push. “Fight hard for your sister, lass.”
Yes, fear was not an option. Boldly, she followed Geo into the ring, giving herself a little pep talk as they went. Again, Geo walked her to a spot, kissed her forehead, and commanded her to stay put. Dutifully, she drew her protection circle, trembling inside. Then, swallowing back the pit of trepidation, she unsheathed her sword and gave her opponents the stare-down of a warrior.
Yes, Xena Warrior Slut is here to send you home with your tail between your legs.
One of the skinwalkers gave a little smirk. Then they exploded. No long, painful transformation where they’d be left vulnerable. One moment they were men, the next they were…
Her jaw dropped. They sure as hell weren’t coyotes.
“Son of a –”
“Sorcerer’s whore,” Geo finished in a whisper.
Worgs. Large enough to ride on and covered in gray fur, thicker on the top like a mane. Four eyes, two on each side of their heads narrowed in her direction. Their teeth were at least three inches long. Claws that rivaled a werewolves’ dug into the dirt. Erebus had nothing on these guys.
“Geo?” She kept her gaze on the beasts. “These are not coyotes.”
He unsheathed his sword and widened his stance. Eyes focused on the worgs he said, “Your five-year plan, Samantha, do we die today?”
“No.”
“Good girl. Stay focused.”
Right. Focused.
One lunged at Geo. But he was quick, dodging the beast’s claws and striking his side with his sword. Geo looked so small next to the worg. She gulped.
The other opened its mouth, baring its oversized teeth as if it were grinning at her. Then it backed up to the other end of the ring.
What the hell is it doing?
She shook her head. Who cares! Focus!
Using her familiar would be her best shot. Animal versus animal. She threw all her magic into the form meant for her – the animal spirit every witch was born with, and could call upon in times of distress. This would deplete most of her energy but would be the most effective magic against the worg.
She tried to ignore the growls and grunts coming from her right, and the worg staring at her from across the ring. What was it waiting for? The crowd started to chant something in a different language. The worg lifted its head and howled with the crowd. It was putting on a show.
Men and their egos.
She took advantage of his showmanship and used all her power to bring forth the strongest form of her familiar she could. It started as a pull on her chest, like a piece of her soul was leaving her body. A creature formed. First as a tendril of smoke then it grew larger and larger until it formed the shape of a ram.
She waited for it to change to a solid form but it just drifted in front of her – a billowy farm animal of smoke.
“Oh, very helpful,” she told it irritably. “Others can take fire or water form and I get a puff of air?”
It mewled.
This is so not fair.
Using the last bit of magic she had, she sent the ram across the ring toward the worg – which now looked like it was about to charge. The ram charged first.
Yes!
Then it veered off course, turning and running in the opposite direction.
“Noooo!” She grabbed the sides of her head in frustration.
The ram bucked and mewled aimlessly around the ring, dodging Geo and the other worg. The crowd erupted into laughter.
“No, you brainless sack of wool! Not that way!”
The worg at the other end of the ring looked at the useless puff of smoke doing laps around the ring and snorted. She was pretty sure it was laughing at her.
Then it crouched down and growled. To her right, Geo lay on the ground, his sword the only thing keeping the worg from biting his head off. Oh God, please don’t die!
She tried to summon her familiar back to her but it only kicked up its hind legs and turned a circle.
Then the worg charged. There was no way her lame protection circle would do a lick of good against such a powerful attack. So she did what every other red-blooded American girl would.
She ran like hell.
She sprinted across the ring without a glance at Geo or the ram or the worg chasing her. She jumped over the divide and skidded under one of the benches. Peering at the ring from underneath, she watched the worg come barreling toward her, drool flying from its mouth, all four eyes focused on her. She flinched back when it hit the divide then yelped when it reached its giant claw under the bench toward her. She scooted back as far as she could, leaving about two inches of space between his long nails and her knees scrunched up in front of her.
The spectators laughed. One particularly loud man above her cackled and spoke jovially in another language. Normally, she hated being the butt of a joke but, well, she hated being worg food more.
“Samantha!” Geo’s strained voice carried over the jeering crowd. “Get out here!”
She pulled out her sword and stabbed at the worg’s paw. It howled and pulled its paw back.
“I’m trying!” she yelled to Geo.
The worg growled and stared her down with calculating eyes. It was forming a plan.
“Hurry,” Geo shouted. “Or we’ll be disqualified.”
Then the bench overhead was ripped away, slashed to several pieces that rained down on the startled crowd. She jumped up, sword out in front and faced the beast. Slowly, he licked his lips.
She rolled her
eyes. The showmanship was getting downright cheesy.
Just before it leapt at her, a black shape jumped onto the worg’s back and latched on with its teeth. Erebus?
Taking advantage of the distraction, she lunged forward with her sword, dodging the giant paws swinging around trying to dislodge Erebus. The worg bucked and growled, resembling the ram. But it moved too fast to get in a strike safely.
Then something barreled into her from the side, sending her flying across the ring. She landed hard on her hip in the dirt. Wincing and hissing in a breath at the pain, she looked up just in time to see the worg Geo had been fighting just a few yards away, heading for her.
She went to lift her sword but it was gone. Where was it?
Geo grabbed the worg’s leg from behind, stopping his charge. And as he dodged the worg’s great big paws, he swiped her sword from the ground.
“Catch,” he said.
Her sword flew through the air, landing point down in the dirt in front of her – where her foot had just been. Did he expect her to catch it? Who did he think she was? One of the three Musketeers?
She pulled it from the dirt and assessed the situation. Erebus and one worg circled each other, snarling. Geo ducked and jumped over each worg strike then countered with his own. Both were bloodied and looked tired.
A sad yelp brought her attention to Erebus. He was on the ground, bleeding and limp.
“No!”
Erebus! Geo’s only friend. She willed him to get up. But it didn’t look like he was breathing.
Pure rage fueled her now. At the bloodthirsty crowd. The man that brought her sister here. The creatures that kept trying to kill the people she loved. At her brothers for not being here. Her father for allowing all of this to happen. Hatred filled her until she felt as mean and cruel as everybody else in this god-forsaken realm.
She ran at the worg. He swung his big head around, growled then turned to face her. Hard and fast she charged it, anger making her brave.
Just before she reached the worg, it leapt up as if to jump on her. But with a fierce growl she slid down onto her knees, skidding underneath it, missing its claws by a hair. She thrust her sword up into its belly and sliced across as hard as she could as its body soared over her. And God did it feel good.
