“I wouldn’t have it any other way. Now that you’ve seen me you can return to your vehicle and leave. You will be able to go on with your lives. That sounds fair. Yes?”
“All we need is the girl. Then we can all live a long life.”
“She is my mate. I am not willing to give her up.”
“Just get another one,” the driver of the vehicle spoke. “They are not worth the trouble. I just kicked mine out. Told her to be gone before I get back. Heck, we can go to a bar and before the nights over you will have lots of women wanting to be your mate. Just give that one up. Look at her. You know she does anyone with the money to pay.”
“Enough talking, kill him,” a voice came from the back of the hummer.
The three gunmen raised their weapons and began to shoot. Hale turned while shifting into his other form. He grabbed Tori and jumped behind the jeep avoiding all but one bullet that struck him in his shoulder.
After making sure Tori was protected, he jumped the jeep and ran for the closet gunman taking his head off his shoulders. He used his headless body as a shield as he advanced on the next gunman killing him with a swipe of his deadly claws against his throat.
The third gunman dropped his weapon and placed his hand in the air. “I don’t know what you are, but I don’t want any trouble.”
“Coward,” the hidden man in the car yelled. “I paid you to kill him! Earn your money.”
“Kill me!” Hales voice came out deeper than she ever heard it before as he issued his challenge.
She was sure she was going to burn for this, but his voice was turning her on.
“No. I’m done, I’m going home to my wife. I quit,” he hollered at the man in the car.
He looked at Hale’s beast. “Look, I don’t know what you are, and I won’t tell anyone about this. Who would believe me? All I want to do is leave here alive. You will never see me again.”
“Go.”
The man turned and ran.
“I will have you hunted down as soon as I get back,” the man in the car shouted at the retreating back.
The last door opened letting a tall muscular man out of the car. He held an Ak47 in his hands.
“I don’t need back up.” He ran his gaze up and down Hale’s other form.
“What are you some type of science experiment? You don’t scare me. I came for the woman. She is mine. I paid for her.”
“Mate.”
“I get it, you fucked her. I’m sure you weren’t the first one. I guarantee you, I will be the last one.”
He raised his gun. “I won’t say it again, turn her over. There is no way you will survive this.”
“Then let’s not put it to the test.” Aran stepped out from behind the hummer and broke his neck. “No one threatens my family.”
He looked around. “Are you alright?”
Hale’s form had already receded. He went straight to Tori and collected her in his arms.
“I am good,” he answered Aran. “Thanks.”
“Anytime, every time,” Aran turned and walked away.
“Tori looked at the men dead on the ground. What about the…”
“Leave them,” Aran said before he disappeared into the tree line.
“Tomorrow there will be evidence of one vehicle going off road. No one will know what happened to them. That’s if anyone finds them,” Hale answered her unspoken question, before he helped her into the jeep.
“We need to go see Nicolas so he can treat your wound.”
“It’s superficial. The wound already closed, it barely broke the skin. You can look at it later and if you insist I will have Nicolas come over.”
She nodded before staring out the window.
“I’m free, Hale. There is no one else looking for me.”
“You’re free, Tori. You can go where ever you want.”
Her shoulders fell. The ride home was made in silence.
“Tori, you’ve been quiet for a while. Is everything ok?”
She gave him a weak smile and shrugged. “Everything is good.”
She turned to walk away then stopped. “Have you ever lived in fear so long that when it’s over you actually feel sort of a letdown? I thought I would have this grand feeling of relief, but I didn’t. Don’t get me wrong I’m glad it’s over with, but now I’m wondering what I should do next. I spent so much time thinking of running that I forget to think about living.”
She left the jeep he had just parked and walked towards the lake that ran through his property. Taking off her shoes she dangled her feet in the water. It felt good on her feet. A soft sigh of relief escaped her body as the fact that she no longer had to run moved through her.
Sure there was still the tainted Created, but he only wanted her because she was associated with Hale. She could break that association at any time.
Who’s lying now? Her inner voice asked her.
She didn’t want to leave Hale. She loved him. She sighed and closed her eyes as tears of joy tried to leak out. He wasn’t the only one who was feeling whole. Every time he was near, she felt complete.
Chapter Twenty Three
Hale laid down by her side allowing his feet to dangle in water next to hers.
“Tori, do you want to talk about it?” She raised her head to look at him.
“Do you want to listen? I may ramble.”
“I can handle that.”
“My parents were older when they met and married. So I was born later in their life, but they loved me. I was devastated when they died. I remember thinking how unfair it was that I didn’t get more time with them. I knew people who didn’t even talk to their parents. Then I was alone except for Rita. We were supposed to be best friends forever.”
Tori closed her eyes thinking of all the parties Rita went to while she sat at home, but she was never mad at her friend. Rita was popular and Tori encouraged her to go out and have fun. It wasn’t until they argued that Rita told her everyone wanted Tori to come to the parties. Rita convinced them Tori wasn’t interested. She didn’t want the competition.
“Then Rita was gone and I was alone and living in fear. Somewhere along the way I started thinking everyone I love goes away.”
“Did you ever get to the point that you realized that wasn’t true?”
“Not until I met you. That’s when I realized life wasn’t promised. Losing my parents made me sad, but almost every day I hear my mom making a joke or my dad giving me advice.”
“Tori, I never had a Father or a Mother. All I have is the memories of a people I have never met.”
She reached over and took his hand. “Hale, here’s my problem. I met this male, who I was sure I was going to want to leave after a while. Except the more time I spent with him, the more he got under my skin. Now the thought of being separated from him makes me feel sick. I know he says he loves me, but will he love me in ten years?”
“Does love come with a guarantee? Here’s what I know, Tori. I want you to be my mate, not because you’re beautiful or exotic looking. Not because my other side recognized you immediately. I want you because I love the way you laugh, it makes my heart light and my smile bigger. I love the way you trust me. I love the way we work things out together. I love how your mind works, it fascinates me. Yes I desire your body, but you’re so much more than your body. I love you, Tori. All I can promise is that I will do whatever it takes to make sure you love me forever.”
“And that is one of the huge reasons I love you, Hale. I do love you. I don’t know how or when it happened, I just know it did. I want to be your mate now and forever.”
He turned over and pulled her closer to his side. “I want you to be my mate, but you need to understand what that means.”
She nodded her head and looked at him.
“My brothers and I have an unusual life span. None of us know when we will die, but we have now been alive for hundreds of years.”
“What does that mean? Will I die and you will go on living? Well actually that’s no d
ifferent than now. One spouse usually dies before the other. Will I continue to get older while you continue to look like you do now?” She frowned not liking that thought.
“That won’t happen. Part of the mating process calls for me to bite you, right around here.” He ran is finger over the base of her neck causing her to shiver.
“I will live as long as you?”
“Maybe longer, none of us knows how long our mates will live. I want to live my life with Tori, for however long we get.”
“What happens after that?” Tori asked.
“We exchange DNA. Through my bite you receive part of me and I take in part of you. It will allow us to communicate mentally, much like we did when we were in the game.”
“What happens to me after I receive a portion of your DNA?”
“You change a little. No longer entirely human, but not created either. A Hybrid.”
“Will I change like you? Will I have another being inside of me?”
“The only being you will have inside of you is me, and our sons.”
“Aww, no kick butt alien for me, that’s ok I think I can survive not getting one. What’s the down side? Do I have to hide once a month or will I develop hideous acne?”
“Your life span will be as long as mine, maybe longer. We just don’t know yet.”
“Let me get this right. I will change like Lorali, Rena and the rest. I will be able to talk to you mentally and I will probably live just as long as you do?”
“That’s it. You may be a little stronger and definitely feel better, but that about sums it up.”
“Tell me exactly why are we having this conversation when you could be biting me? Will the bite hurt?”
“You will love the feel of it, I will make sure of that. I need to know that you understand what you’re getting into if you take me as a mate. There may be other things you should know, but we haven’t discovered them yet. Also you need to understand we mate for life.”
Tori sat up to stare into the water for a long time before standing. She reached for Hale. He took her hand and jumped to his feet.
“Now it’s my time to talk. I don’t walk away from my commitments. When I said I love you, I meant it from the bottom of my heart. I intend this relationship to work and if it doesn’t we may have to have Dante counsel us. Don’t ask me why I chose him, he just seems as if he could do it. I made up my mind, Hale. I’m not going anywhere. I will be here in a year, a hundred or a thousand years I will still be by your side. Let’s go inside.”
She took his hand and led him to the front door. He opened it with a touch of his hand.
“After we are mated I will program your hand into the lock. I didn’t do it before because I didn’t want the smart chip to have to sort between your old hand print and your new one if you agreed to mate with me.”
She nodded as she followed him up the stairs unable to do anything but watch the muscles ripple under his shirt as he moved.
Tonight she was going to become his mate. She wondered if this was how a bride felt on her wedding night. Butterflies made her stomach rumble as she hoped she’d made the right decision.
“Tori? Are you having second thoughts?”
“No. I was caught up in my head for a minute. Have you ever thought your life would go one way only to find out the road you take is so different from what you thought?”
“Yes. I never dreamed I would leave the planet where I was created. I would have never thought they would let us go.”
She took off her clothes and climbed on his lap allowing her legs to spread around his. She leaned down and kissed him rubbing her core over his denim clad bulge. A sound of need escaped her mouth as she ran her hands up and down his back.
“I want you deep inside of me, Hale.” She grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head.
Taking her breasts in her hand she rubbed the nipples against his chest until she aimed one at his and rubbed. The deep groan that came from him had her pussy pulsing with need.
“I want to taste you, Tori. Lick you until your convulsing on my tongue, begging me to pound into you deep and hard. I need you to want it as hard as I need to give it you to.”
I’m already there, baby. My core is weeping and cursing with the need to feel you in me.”
She reached down to work on the button of his jeans. She wrapped herself around him and he stood making quick work of the zipper before pushing them down. Sitting, he kicked them off and took a hard nipple in his mouth.
The feeling of him sucking on her nipple felt so good, but it was when he bit down that she convulsed on his lap. The sharp feeling of pain combined with the searing pleasure had her losing her mind in his lap.
She was rubbing her core against his hard cock as she cried out her pleasure.
“Please, Hale.”
He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her. “Forever, Tori.” His voice was deep and guttural as he and his other side spoke at the same time.
He positioned the head of his cock at her entrance before guiding her down. The weight of her body slowly devouring her took her over the edge with him thrusting deeply within her.
“Hell, yes.” She screamed as her second orgasm took her over.
He pounded into her deep and hard claiming every inch of her body as well as her heart. She belonged to him. She met him thrust for thrust needing to take him as deep as possible.
She needed to own him like he owned her.
The tip of his cock hit her hot spot sending her into a frenzy as she moved up and down with hard thrusts.
“Again,” she screamed, needing more.”
He thrust up putting more power behind the moves until she flung her head back in a scream that ripped through his body. He pumped into her until he felt a pleasure that started in the soles of his feet and traveled up his body. His fangs lengthened, and he bit her when his body erupted into hers.
His fangs slid into her causing her momentary pain before being replaced by pleasure. The drag of them as he pulled on her taking a little of her blood in before she felt a warm sensation leave his fangs and enter her body. Warmth wrapped around her body. She moaned before closing her eyes and drifting off into a never ending sea of pleasure.
She rolled over and stretched, she never felt anything that mind blowing in her life as when he bit her. She wanted seconds and thirds. Could she get that every night for the next several centuries? Opening her eyes the first thing she noticed was that she was no longer in the room.
Her heart beat picked up and her breathing came in pants before she made herself take a deep breath.
“Mate?”
She looked to see Hale standing over her. It wasn’t the Hale she was used to seeing.
“Where am I?”
“You’re in my mind.”
“How did I get here?”
“When Hale bit you he exchanged our DNA for yours. That allows us to communicate mentally. The male has given me control. I have been given the honor to speak with you first.”
She smiled up at him before standing.
“I am so glad to finally meet you.”
He gave a small growl and tried to pull his lips back in a smile exposing his long fangs.
“I am glad to meet you also.”
“Where are we?”
“This was always one of my favorite places on the planet where I was created.” They stood on a mountain peak. “This is where the land meets the sky. This is also where I could watch the winged one fly. I am sure he knew I was here, but as long as I was silent he never protested.”
“It’s beautiful up here.”
“I knew you would like it. I wanted to share this special place with you. Mate, I have a question for you.”
“What?”
“You have seen me kill your enemy several times. Does that make you fear me?”
Tori walked over to her alien mate and lifted her arms. He bent down and she wrapped herself around him. He tried to smile again and picked her up.
&n
bsp; “You don’t scare me. I feel sorry for anyone who tries to hurt me. They should be scared. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, no matter what your form and I refuse to let you go.”
A deep rumble started in his chest. “I love you mate and always will.”
Chapter Twenty Four
Tori shut down her tablet with a smile on her face. Her life was perfect. She was mated to Hale who watched over her like she was the rarest of diamonds. He gave her anything she wanted as long as it didn’t put her life in danger. She was accepted by the entire family and loved having brothers and sisters.
The past weeks were a blur, she spent hours with Lorali making sure each detail of the upcoming wedding would be perfect. She, along with everyone else, adored Alexei. She felt the need to just hold him every time he was around. He was not only sweet, he was also highly intelligent. That was actually sort of scary, but there was no doubt, all you needed to do was look into those eyes. Rena and Aran were going to have their hands full when he started walking.
“Well what do you think?”
She turned her head to look at Lorali before turning back to stare at the huge manmade waterfall the brothers built. She had never seen anything like it before.
“It’s… massive.”
“I know, isn’t it great? They are going to be taking it over to the field today and setting it up. The officials have all made plans to be there when it arrives. I think they just want to see it first. They are advertising it. The only one in the USA. How much do you want to bet the other fields are scrambling to get something comparable?”
“Wait till they get a look at it. I do believe Pittsburgh will bring home the gold for this one,” Tori said.
“What are you two laughing about?” Sergey walked in and gave Lorali a hug and a kiss.
Dante and his brothers walked in behind him.
“I knew it would be huge, but your description didn’t do it any justice,” Mick spoke staring up at the waterfall.
“Are we moving all of it today?” Ash asked, walking into the room.
Hale: Love Me Harder - Alien Paranormal Romance Page 15
