“What will we do with him if we catch him?”
“When not if. I don’t know. We sent him to Serenities plane, but she can’t keep him contained. We need to look for a new plane to keep him contained.”
“If we had access to another plane we would have sent him there in the beginning.”
Zeno turned around and started helping Nadia plate the food.
“You’re right, but we have to look. What good does it do to keep pushing him back onto the same plane when he not only keeps escaping but he’s getting more powerful.”
“You’re all assuming we can push him back. I swear he left when he battled me because he wanted to. I go over it all the time, and I think it was all a test.” Maceo reached out to run his hand over her back calming her down.
“I agree with Nadia. Zeno and I won, but I still expect to wake up dead at times. He has a plan and killing me didn’t work, but if he has a body that meant he had a backup plan and he was simply testing my strength. What about you Willow has he tested your strength?”
She thought back to all the confrontations in her life. She had run from so many of them even when she thought she could come out victorious. He had tested, and she failed every battle. Her head hung.
“He’s tested me, and I’m sure I lost every battle. This makes me the weakest link.”
There was no pride in her voice. She would do whatever she could to help even as she acknowledged it wouldn’t be much.
Chapter Sixteen
Had it all been a dream? She looked around her bedroom, the one she used to have when she worked as a CEO of a large company. Nothing had changed. Not her thick, deep green comforter or the light green walls that were making her think of walking through the forest.
On her nightstand was a pair of tickets for a cruise coming up in a month. A pair? She turned over to see the other side of the bed had been slept on. There was a note lying on the pillow. She grabbed it.
You were asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you. I’m glad we were able to reconcile our differences. I can’t wait to take our honeymoon cruise.
Larry.
She married Larry! That cheating scumbag sack of…language. She was always trying not to mentally cut someone down. The someone’s always deserved it, but she was better than that.
Her eyes lowered to her finger scared of the reality they might find. She let out a hasty and noisy sigh of relief. She was engaged but not married, so she still had time to kick him out of her life.
Back to her original thought, was it all a dream? Had she dreamed up the cruise and the creep that threw her overboard? Was Javon with his drugging kisses and his navy blue eyes a dream? Did she think he loved her to simply get away from the horror that was her life? She didn’t know, but the thought that he was imaginary tightened a band around her heart making it hard for her to breath.
She got up and walked around her room. Why had she ever lived here in the first place? She never really liked it. It was simply the trappings of power that she had fallen into. The room didn’t feel like her or even look like her.
Her feet took her to the mirror to show her that everything she thought was real was a dream. She was looking at her hair. It was stylish even if it was rumpled from sleep. Her fingers went through it. She loved the way she looked but then a picture of her with her white hair out and done in a bob that she cut flashed through her mind.
None of his family even blinked at her hair, but they were her imagination, no wonder they accepted it.
She went into the bathroom shutting the door behind her. There was a large vanity in the bathroom with a comfortable chair and everything she needed to come out looking put together. Her hand reached it hovering over a pair of scissors. Even if everything had been a dream, she liked the Willow she had become in that short time.
Taking the scissors, she began to cut the hair out. There was nothing wrong with the hair except that she used it to pretend she was someone else and that was unacceptable at this point in her life. It came out faster this time, probably because she knew what she was doing.
Her white hair hung around her shoulders in need of a serious cut, but first, she needed a shower. Her shower was large and glorious. The way it was supposed to be when you lived in the penthouse. Unfortunately, she couldn’t help but picture Javon’s shower in the bottom of his mountain. She dried off even as she felt sadness take her over. They never got a chance to make love in the shower.
From now on her life would be a sad reminder of all the things she never got to do with Javon. She cut her hair into the same bob and cleaned up quickly she had a job to get to.
Dressed in a power suit and a pair of pumps she strode off the elevator to the floor she worked on.
“You’re late.” That wasn’t the voice of the president. The only one who oversaw her.
She looked up to find Mutufa wearing the same body he wore when he infiltrated her dream.
“Mutufa.” Her voice came out in a hiss.
“Who? It’s Larry honey, I think it’s time to tell the company we’re an item.”
Hell no. She backed away. There was no way she was marrying that, that…thing. Please, she gave a slight whimper tell me I didn’t sleep with it.
“What’s wrong, Dear. You begged me to touch you last night.”
“No. I don’t know what’s happening here, but this isn’t real.”
“It is real and will become your reality as you lose your memories. I’ll be the only lover you’ve ever known, and we will take over the world.”
The elevator opened, and she dove into it slamming her hand on the door close even as she hit the first-floor button.
No, she wouldn’t allow this to happen, she would fight it. There would never come a time she would allow him to place his hands on her. How selfish could she be? She was worried about herself when the world was on the verge of being taken over. She would fight for them too, it was all she could do.
The elevator opened to reveal a very silent lobby. Nothing here was as it should be. She strolled through it like she owned it. There was a time she did. Everything was different now, she was different. When she got outside, she took a good look at the sky. First, it looked normal. The more she looked, the more she saw the darkness that was trying to hide underneath the light.
Her hand rose up, she began to move her fingers trying to change this dream. Nothing, this wasn’t a dream. Could this be an alternative reality? Well, if it was she was going to kick it in the balls and find her reality. She stormed the street meeting the eyes of citizens who were huddling in their cars or even in coffee shops.
“Hi.” She walked into her favorite shop, she might as well get a good cup of coffee out of this.”
“How can I help you?”
“I’d like a French Vanilla Latte topped with whip cream and chocolate.”
“Coming up.”
The people in the café were watching her under their lids. She took her coffee when it was ready and tried to pay for it.
“No money needed. If you stay long enough, you’ll find out.” The barrister leaned over to give her the coffee while murmuring, “Run.”
She took her coffee and gave him a bright smile as she moved towards a couple of young ladies doing their best to keep their heads down and look like part of the group.
One woman sitting on the sidelines by herself stared at her. Her eyes were a blue/green the color so bright they looked unreal. A shiver went down her spine as she turned away from her.
“I used to love coming here a long time ago.”
“The place has changed. The coffee’s not as good.”
She tilted her head in acknowledgment and raised her the cup to her mouth.
“Still as good as ever.”
“Careful one of the women said looking at her then at the coffee. That stuff will knock you out.”
“Nighty night.” another whispered as her head hit the table.
*~*~*~*
She opened her eyes to find he
rself in a cage. This wasn’t some cute let’s get kinky experience it was a cage that was holding her hostage. Her hands were tied together.
“Help!” She screamed as loudly as she could.
“Shh.” Her head turned to look to the left. There were two more cages both containing males.
“You don’t want them to come in here.”
“Where is here?”
“Hell,” the other chimed in. They were both naked, and it looked like they had been beaten.
“Can somebody tell me what’s going on here. What happened to the world?”
“Have you ever watched one of those ends of the Earth movies where everyone dies?” She nodded. “Well, we weren’t that lucky.”
“Most people thought it was a hoax in the beginning. I remember laughing about it with several of my friends. Friends who are now dead.” The other male spoke.
“I’m Willow, you are.”
“Shh, we have no names. No individuality no life unless he orders it for some reason. His experiments seem to be his number one reason for letting people live.”
“Tell me what happened next.”
“This madman shows up on the screen of every device across the world telling us, he is now the ruler of the whole world, and we would bend to him.”
“We laughed ourselves silly. Until we realized he had follower’s, worshipers everywhere and they were willing to die for him. The Military was compromised from the bottom to the top, and so was the government.”
“I think he implanted some kind of switch in them. Many of them tried to resist, but they didn’t have a choice.”
“It was like having made a dumb mistake in the past and having it rear its ugly head to haunt you. What was worse were those who were all in. They lifted those rifles and shot anyone that even looked like they might want to protest.”
“The streets were littered with the bodies of the dead.”
“I don’t understand why didn’t anybody try to stop him? They could have stood against him.”
“Who was going to do that?”
“Me.”
“You would have never won.”
“I know. But I don’t care.”
Her body spun, and her head felt like it was coming off. When it stopped, she kept her eyes closed scared she might lose any food still on her stomach if she moved or opened her eyes.
“Willow.” Javon’s shout greeted her.
“Quiet.” She put her hand to her mouth then slowly moved her hand searching for his.
“What happened to you? You were right there beside me then you were gone.” His voice was a low whisper as he sat carefully beside her on the bed.
“Do you think there is more than one possible outcome for the future?”
“I do, the future isn’t written in stone.”
“I think the same. I believe I was in one possible future. One the neither of us wants to come true.”
“Mutufa won?”
“Yes, it was horrible, and I wasn’t there long enough to become part of what was happening. I felt like a seer and when I had seen enough, I came back.”
She felt his body weight leave the bed while she breathed slowly trying to get her stomach together. Tears pricked at the back of her eyes, but she refused to give in to them. He had a right to distance himself from her. She heard the elevator door open and close. If she could have she would have rolled to the floor and crawled away, but she couldn’t do it anymore. There was no more running inside of her, no saving face. All she could do was own up to who she was.
When the door opened again, she stiffened her body waiting for words of rejection.
“Willow,” His voice was gentle as she sat on the side of the bed. “I’m going to lift you up. I want you to take a small sip of this it will help you.”
The warmth on her back was enough to make her feel cared for even when she didn’t think she deserved compassion. The cup went to her lips, and she took a hesitant sip. The warmth from whatever he put in the cup spread through her body making her feel better. She took a second sip and finally a third before he laid her back.
Her eyes cracked open to look at him. There was a look of worry on his face like she had scared him. Her hand raised and touched his lips tracing them.
“Don’t be scared. I’ll be fine.”
“I’m a dragon we don’t get scared.”
“Right, I forgot.”
He turned her over and made sure the covers were on her before he turned out the light and joined her in bed. She scooted into his arms.
“We’ll worry about the future tomorrow. Tonight, let’s get some sleep.”
Her breathing slowed, but all she could see was Mutufa holding her close.
She heard a scream it took a moment for her to realize it was hers.
Chapter Seventeen
“The war is closer than you think.”
Javon opened his eyes to see the mystery man standing beside his bed. His head turned to check on Willow.
“I won’t hurt her, you need her.”
“What do you know about her? What do you know about me?”
The room was still dark nothing but the light of the moon spilling in. Willow was snug against him her head resting on his chest. She loved to listen to his heartbeat when she was sleeping. Her head pillowed on his chest gave him comfort. He untangled himself from her and made sure she was sleeping soundly before he sat up.
“Who are you?” This was the first time he was able to get a good look at the stranger. His skin was dark. His white teeth gleamed in the midnight but were a little pointed. He wasn’t human although he could pass. He also wasn’t one of the other races that inhabited the mountain.
“Have you wondered even briefly how Mutufa gets on your island? The others have been too busy fighting to ponder that, but you’ve had more than a century to wonder.”
“He has help, but who here would help him? What did he offer them and what kind of power do they have? I’ve wondered, but no answers have come.”
“If you can’t close that door why am I here?” He blinked out of the room as easy as he came into the room.
Once again, he went through all the possible people that could be helping Mutufa until he fell asleep repeating their names.
“Javon?” A smile played around her lips. She felt so much better today.
She wrapped her legs around his and waited for him to wake up. The sun coming in through the balcony warmed her. It was a new day, and they would be able to figure out the riddle before them.
His arms went around her and pulled her closer to his body.
“Good morning.” He kissed her making her toes curl.
“Morning.” She rose and kissed him.
You have too much to do to lay in bed and kiss. She knew that, but she didn’t care. Her foot hooked around his leg, and she began to run it up and down his leg.
“Javon?” She was asking him everything by saying his name.
His eyes told her the story, no they didn’t have the time to come together to celebrate life. They needed to get the day started, but he was going to take the time because he didn’t know when they would get it again.
If he thought she was going to fight him, he needed to think again. She rolled over bringing him with her. His body was lying half on her. She could feel his weight holding her down while his warmth continued to heat her up. She loved to feel of him holding her down on the bed. She wasn’t submissive but his strength told her he had her, she could crack, splinter apart, but he was holding onto her so she would never disappear no matter how good the lovemaking was.
Her nipples hardened as he bit her shoulder than her neck. She shivered liking the feeling as a sound of pure desire left her lips.
“Me,” she whispered trying to make her words make sense. Her hands went to the flat of his chest and pushed him over. Well, she pushed, and he played along.
When he was on his back, she climbed over him until she was sitting on him. How could one man be this d
evastatingly handsome? His navy-blue eyes caught her in their stare, and her breath came faster. She tried to swallow to make sure she could breathe before her hands went to the bottom of the tee he had on. It was black, one of his brothers probably picked it up for him.
She tugged on the hem until he rose up allowing her to bring it over his head.
“Yes, please.” The expanse of his hard chest was a sight she would never forget. Her hands splayed out over him allowing his chest to make them sensitive. She took a finger and ran it over one of his nipples as it puckered and hardened under her touch.
It was a heady feeling knowing his body responded to her. She lowered her head and took one nipple in her mouth. He let out a groan of pleasure as his hands tangled in her hair holding her down. She sucked and licked at his nipple until she finally took it between her teeth and nipped it.
The hiss that came from him was connected to her wet pussy. Spasms of pleasure rolled through her like mini orgasms. She went to the other nipple to suck and kiss until she finally nipped it.
Her body was on fire even as she began to explore his chest. Looking for the secret areas that would turn him on, make him want her more. He gave her words of encouragement as she licked and tasted his chest. When she took her nails and traced his muscles, his body bucked begging for more.
She had never seen a male as needy as he was or as responsive. He loved being touched by her. His eyes watched her every move, she could see approval in them when she touched one of his secret spots. He wasn’t sharing telling her where to touch so she would have to touch all of him to figure it out. She was on her way to his belly button when she bit the skin over it, and he yelled out.
He liked it. Her head rose to give him a wicked smile before she went back to that unexpectant sweet spot. His neck arched and his head lifted as he watched her torture him with pleasure. This spot was covered in his dragon form. It was a vulnerable spot one that nature took extra care to cover. When he was in his human form, it was open and vulnerable as well as being extremely sensitive, and his Willow had found it all on her own.
Willow's Dragon: Dragon Mates: A BBW Paranormal Romance Page 10
