by D McEntire
“Father?” Through tear-filled eyes, Rayne stared at the figure before him.
“Yes. It is I. The Spirits have said it was time.”
“Time? What do you mean, Father?”
His father smiled, and Rayne saw only love and compassion shining in his eyes and on his face. The realization his father had not condemned him for what he had done, or rather, what he had not done, was overwhelming and he felt his knees go weak. To steady himself, he placed a hand behind him, using the dresser for support.
“It is time you rejoined your hawk. Time you take the gift the Spirits have given you and the responsibility it carries.”
Rayne shook his head. “No, Father, I cannot. I failed them, you and our people. I do not deserve their gift. I was irresponsible, and look what happened because of it. Our people are gone. There is no one left…but me.” Rayne hung his head in shame.
A strong hand suddenly landed on his shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze. Rayne lifted his head, emotion a whirlwind inside of his head and his heart.
“You have done well over these many years, my son. You have taken up the battle, and although our people are gone, you protect other innocents. You are a great warrior, a great vampire warrior. You gave up your human self to become a vampire to fight the battle. A great sacrifice. You have shown honor and bravery. The Spirits are proud of you. I am proud of you.”
Rayne’s heart was ready to burst, unable to believe what was happening. His father, who had been gone for over one hundred years, was standing before him, touching and praising him.
Rayne felt the weight of guilt being lifted from his chest with the knowledge he was forgiven. Having his father stand before him and praise his accomplishments was priceless.
“Thank you, Father. I will do my best. I will pray to the Spirits and my totem spirit, and pledge my heart, my body and my soul.”
His father’s eyes brightened as he took the necklace from Rayne’s fingers, and placed it around his neck, just as he had done so many moons ago. The man’s arms encircled him in a tight embrace before he stepped back.
At that moment, Rayne knew it was time for his father to leave. As the figure faded, he wanted to cry out. He didn’t want his father to go, but knew the man’s place was no longer in this world. He would be with him again someday, at least he hoped. He was no longer human, but a vampire, and did not know if it made a difference to the Spirits when he left this world, but was something he would not worry about.
Holding his totem in his palm, he told himself he had no intention of dying, not anytime soon that was. He had a job to do, and Rogues needed to be eliminated from this world. Their senseless killing needed to be stopped.
The blast of a car horn made Rayne jump. He had been staring out the window while sitting in the backset of Tank’s SUV, lost in thought.
He had returned to the cell after the takedown of the Rogues at the Devil’s Backbone had been wrapped up. Before leaving the park, he had swung to where Suma’s truck had been parked and found it gone, the sight of the empty space like a hole in his heart. His head told him she had gone with her people, and though he should be glad she was out of harm’s way, he felt like shit.
They had just left the home of Evan Batowsky, the vampire who owned the houseboat, the Viper and the barge company involved in the shipment of Rogues to Louisville. He was also the vampire who had abducted Rosa. Vane had found her scent in the mansion, and according to the man’s butler, Evan had taken his mistress to a riverfront hotel for the fireworks festival.
Rayne adjusted himself in the seat, still reeling from the adrenaline of killing three Rogues he had come across on Evan’s houseboat, which was also where he had found a list of names—Evan’s hit list of city personnel he had intended to either take out or put under his command.
Conversation over the list bounced back and forth within the SUV. Tank stressed the fact there would be a shortage of Watchers on the waterfront tonight. Several Watchers would have to be pulled to protect those named on the list.
Suma and her people came to mind, and his stomach went queasy. Being short on Watchers to patrol the area tonight was going to make her job harder, and perhaps put her in danger.
Rayne clenched his fists, anxious to get to the waterfront and find her. He had to see for himself she was okay, silently vowing to do whatever he could to help keep her people safe tonight, and her in his sight.
Chapter Eighteen
As soon as Tank pulled into the parking garage by the hotel, Evan’s limousine and his driver were spotted. Rayne watched Tank and Trigg follow the man into the hotel’s lobby before he took off in the opposite direction—heading for the Pow-wow.
The rhythmic beat of drums reverberated through his body, making his heart ache with memories.
When he reached the large center tent, he noticed women dancers enter from the side, and his heart jumped. Suma was among them.
Elation overcame him at the sight of Suma’s face filled with joy as she danced and twirled. Her beautiful green eyes sparkled, and her long black hair flowed as she swayed, turned and danced in a beautiful, white leather dress. Fringe lining the hem shook and fluttered as she tapped her feet and swept her arms in a dance choreographed by her ancestors.
Rayne’s gaze never left Suma. He found himself captivated by her movements and her smile. A boom sounded overhead, giving him a start. Several crackles and flashes of colored lights followed the sudden noise. The fireworks had begun, and the next thirty minutes would be filled with a beautiful symmetry of lights, colors and sounds. Rayne grimaced, dreading the assault on his eardrums.
Suma’s expression changed to one of horror. He turned in the direction of her gaze and caught sight of a woman on the top balcony of the nearby hotel, leaning over the rail as if trying to capture the fireworks in her hands. His father’s voice whispered in his ear.
“Rosa.”
Rayne’s totem spirit yanked him into action, and he ran behind one of the tents, pulled out his totem from under his shirt and held it tightly in both hands.
“Spirits, I call to thee for your blessing. My totem, my hawk, please forgive me for forsaking thee and accept me once again.”
A bright light flashed and bathed him in warmth moments before he was transformed into a golden hawk.
After the light faded, he looked at himself and felt his spirits soar. His totem spirit had forgiven him and joined with him once again.
With a stretch of his wings, Rayne leapt into the air and soared high above the trees, riding the breeze from the river.
The rush he had felt so long ago came back to him, but he quickly tamped it down. Now was not the time. He would not fail in his responsibilities again.
The smoke from the fireworks was thick and threatened to choke him, but he pushed on, rising to the balcony. His breath caught when he saw how close Rosa was to slipping over the rail and plunging to the concrete below.
Rosa wore a wide smile, and giggled, but Rayne could see it in her eyes. She had been drugged.
Letting out a cry of warning, he attempted to get her attention, but to no avail. Trying another tactic, he swooped in close, smacking her hands with his wings and managing to startle her away from the railing.
Relieved, Rayne circled her, and used the magic of his totem to speak to her mind.
“You are in danger, Rosa. Stay close to the door and away from the edge of the balcony. Vane is inside and waiting for you. If anything happens to you, he would be lost.”
Finally, with one last circle, he told Rosa Vane deeply loved her, and her blush showed she understood.
After glimpsing Tank and Vane inside the suite and knowing Rosa was safe, Rayne flew away from the balcony and swept down behind a tent.
Rayne released his hawk, silently giving thanks to his totem and the Spirits, and retook his human form. When the light faded, he saw Suma standing before him, tears shimmering in her eyes.
“Suma, I am sorry I didn’t tell you…”
S
uma placed a finger on his lips.
“You were beautiful,” she said, her voice almost a whisper.
Rayne let her joy and warmth spread over him, then shook his head.
“No, Suma, you are beautiful. I watched you dance with your people. It was like watching an angel.”
The flushing of her cheeks from his compliment touched his heart.
“Rayne, so much has happened tonight. Please, come with me so we can sit for a moment. I have things to tell you.”
Though he saw a smile on her face, something in her eyes told him it was not all happy news.
He let her lead him to one of the tents where they sat and talked privately. When she told him of her capture after she had left the trailer, he saw red, a low growl emanating from his chest.
“Dana is in the emergency room of the hospital in Charlestown, but her husband is with her. She should be released soon.”
Rayne’s fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
“If the son of a bitch wasn’t dead, I’d rip him apart myself.”
“You were in the midst of killing Rogues. Even you can’t be in two places at once, my fierce warrior.”
He saw the flicker of amusement in her eyes as she teased him. Conflicting thoughts went through his mind as his heart swelled with love for her. Suma had captured his heart, but how could he tell her? He wasn’t sure if she would accept the love of a Watcher in her life. And what about her people? She was from the reservation in Utah, and he was a Watcher in Louisville. How would they make it work?
“Rayne, there is something else.”
When the humor and joy faded from Suma’s face, replaced by sadness and concern, a bad feeling settled in the pit of his stomach knowing what she was going to say.
“What is it, my dove?” Rayne reached for her face and gently stroked his finger along her jaw, wanting to touch her soft skin.
Suma shuddered at his light touch, but her heart ached. She hated to tell him she was leaving.
“Rayne, my people have accepted me back into their arms. I haven’t told you this, but when I was eighteen, they saw my wolf and were afraid because of myths and horrible tales told about Skinwalkers. I was forced out of the tribe.”
She watched Rayne’s jaw set with disapproval of her people’s actions, but he didn’t say a word. She was thankful for his silence because in her mind, all was in the past.
“I made a vow to my grandfather when I was sixteen that I would always be there to protect them. So, despite what they did and how they felt about me, I stayed and followed wherever they went. I have kept my vow to my grandfather to this day.”
Her eyes burned as she held back tears threatening to fall.
“I must return to Utah with my people. We are leaving tomorrow. I’m sorry, Rayne. I wish I could stay here with you and find out where our relationship would take us, but it isn’t possible.”
As she spoke, she felt her heart break in two.
To her surprise, Rayne nodded slowly and bent forward, lightly brushing his lips over hers, whispering he knew and understood. Suma knew how much it cost him.
She leaned into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck to draw him closer. An intoxicating wave of emotions washed over her. She wanted him. She wanted to feel his body close to hers, and her heart close to his.
When the kiss ended, Suma found her courage, and vowed not to let this chance pass her by. She stared into golden eyes and spoke softly.
“Rayne, I want you. Give me this night. Give me something to remember always.”
The hunger she saw in his eyes made her breath catch, and without a word she found herself being pulled out of the tent. Rayne grabbed a blanket before he swung her into his arms, and carried her deep into the trees along the riverbank.
He lowered her slowly, and she felt the ground under her feet, but was unable to move. As she stared into his eyes, the festival seemed to fade away as if only the two of them existed.
Eager to touch him, she pulled his shirt from his jeans, then slowly ran her hands over his chest, pushing the fabric as she did so. Her fingers felt hard muscle under warm, smooth skin, and she smiled because this was what she had wanted to do while in Dana’s trailer.
Tanned skin over hard abs rippled as she pulled his shirt over his head. With a quick release of her fingers, it fell to the ground. Suma slid her hands over his shoulders, and down his arms, then lowered them to the button of his jeans. The sound of his zipper releasing gave her heart a jolt. Anticipation increased its rhythm.
“I could touch you all day,” she said in a low, sultry voice.
The ease of his pants brought some relief to his growing erection, but he wanted more. Seizing her lips with his, he swept his tongue inside, not only to taste her, but to keep himself from taking control. She was exploring, and he wanted her to do whatever her heart desired.
Her hand found its way behind the opening of his pants, and smoothed over his cotton briefs before dipping and cupping him through the fabric.
The soft squeeze of her small hand sent a surge of heat through his body. He groaned and grabbed her wrist, on the brink of falling over the edge.
“Suma, much more of that, and it will be over before we get started. I want to take my time with you. I want to love you, Suma. I want to take you to paradise over and over again, and make you remember me, always.”
“Always,” he heard her repeat softly.
Rayne grasped the hem of her costume and pulled it over her head, then released the clasp of her bra.
The sight of her two bronzed breasts appearing from behind the fabric of her bra as he pulled the straps off her shoulders stole the air from his lungs. Pink nipples, puckered into stiff peaks, called to him, and he answered by holding both soft mounds in his palms, rubbing small circles around the tips. Her chest heaved under his hands.
Rayne pressed his lips against hers once more. Softness greeted his tongue as he slid it across her bottom lip. Without hesitation, he pushed his tongue forward and found hers for a warm, sweet dance.
Breaking the kiss, Rayne hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his briefs and shoved them down along with his jeans. After stepping out of the fabric pooling at his feet, he took Suma’s hands and pulled her to the blanket, then took her mouth once more.
Rayne grasped Suma’s hips and eased them forward in an unspoken gesture for her to lie on her back. As her body moved backwards, he leaned forward, not allowing their lips to part.
When Suma settled on the blanket, Rayne lay beside her, still caressing her lips and the inside of her mouth with his tongue.
Rayne raised his head to stare into her emerald eyes. “Suma.” It was the only word his mind could think to say at that moment.
Wanting to watch the pleasure on her face, Rayne did not break his gaze as he splayed his hand in the valley between her breasts, then slowly slid it down her belly until his fingers brushed the fabric of her panties. Moving his hand to one side, he pulled the elastic band over her hip, then moved to the other and did the same. He smiled as she quickly bent her legs, lifted her butt off the blanket and yanked the panties from her body. A chuckle bubbled out of him from her quick action.
“Suma, you are beautiful. You remind me of pictures I have seen of exotic goddesses. The Spirits chose well with such a brave and strong woman to protect and honor your Ute people.”
A burst of color lit the sky above them and shimmered off her golden skin, making him breathless.
His erection pulsed against her thigh. The desire to bury himself deep inside of her burned through him like lava, and he knew nothing short of sating that desire was going to save him. But, he held himself back, feasting on the sight of her naked body. She was like a creamy caramel laid out before him, and he vibrated with the need to taste and devour.
Soft curls glistened as he cupped her mound, then slid a finger along the inside. Wet heat met his touch. Her eyes closed and her mouth parted on a gasp.
“Suma. I need t
o be inside you.”
Her moan flowed over him in answer to his plea. His body hummed as he settled himself between her thighs, letting the tip of his erection press against her opening.
Warmth cradled him as he slowly pushed forward, feeling the walls of her muscles contract as he moved. Rayne had to grit his teeth at the sensation, vowing to take her gently, but when he felt a barrier of tissue, he froze. Virgin.
Thoughts flooded his mind, and uncertainty held him still. In his time, with his people, taking a virgin who was not your wife was strictly taboo, but another side of him felt gratified Suma was giving herself to him.
“Rayne?”
Her soft voice broke into his thoughts, and he looked at her.
“Are you sure, Suma? I can stop.”
Rayne wanted her decision to end his mental battle. Her legs rising to rest on his back as she wrapped them around his waist was his answer.
He pushed forward, then held as he watched her face, waiting until he saw it relax. Her smile after a few moments relieved his worry and tension.
Moving his body again in slow, languid strokes, he continued to watch her face. Her eyes closed, her lips were parted and the rise and fall of her chest under him increased in pace. Dark eyelashes fanned her face until she opened her eyes again—their rich color stealing his breath.
“You feel so good, Suma. I’m having trouble holding back. I don’t want to hurt you.”
Her smile was rueful. “You’re not hurting me. It feels wonderful. Don’t hold back, Rayne. Show me what it feels to soar—like your hawk.”
His heart beat faster as he sped up his rhythm, pushing deeper and deeper inside her warm, slick sheath. Groans of pleasure from them both echoed in his ears, competing with the booms of the fireworks bursting overhead.
The sharp tips of his fangs poked his bottom lip. The strong desire to claim Suma as his mate drew them out to their full length. The urge was powerful, but he clamped his mouth shut, fighting it with all he had, his mind screaming he could not claim her no matter how badly he wanted to. Suma was not his to claim. She belonged to her people and would return with them tomorrow.
