Her stomach heaved and she tried to back out without being seen. She must have made some kind of noise that alerted them they were no longer alone. Lorenzo’s eyes snapped open, pinning her with a glare. Her hand flew to her mouth, suppressing the keening wail building in her lungs from escaping. Before she could make a hasty exit, he said two damning words that would forever be etched on her brain. “Get Out,” Lorenzo snarled.
Turning, Angelina yanked open the door, unable to form a reply as she ran out. She looked toward the grand ballroom, but the thought of returning and facing her family and friends was the last thing she wanted to do. Knowing her car was with the valet, she kept her head down and headed to the front doors.
Not paying attention to who or what was in front of her, she ran into a large man. His arms came up and kept her from falling. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled into his chest. Looking up she recognized him as one of Lorenzo’s friends.
“Hey, don’t apologize, birthday girl. Where were you going in such a hurry?” He held her by the arms.
Angel tried to hold back her tears, but knew she failed when he exhaled, then shook his head. “I’m fine. I was just going to go outside for some fresh air.” Her voice caught on the lie.
“Ah, Angel, you are a poor liar. Come on. Let’s go for a ride and clear your head. You shouldn’t be alone when you’re so upset. Besides, I could use a friend, too.” His blond hair was styled to perfection and his big hand was gentle as he brushed it across her cheek and led her outside.
The first raindrops started to fall, and she held onto his hand like a lifeline, determined to erase what she’d seen. She let the semi-stranger pull her behind him, having no clue where he was leading her, and in that moment she didn’t care.
The rain beat down and the wind whipped at her now soaking wet hair, but she embraced the violent storm, matching the same emotions churning inside her. She wanted to lash out at someone or something. Angrily she swiped at the tears flowing from her eyes, seeming to blend with the rain, except when she licked her lips, she tasted salt.
When they reached a low riding sports car, a moment of hesitation almost made her change her mind. She didn’t even know the man’s name and here she was, letting him lead her away from her own party. A vision of Lorenzo and the other woman sent a fresh wave a pain through her.
“It’s okay Angelina, I won’t hurt you. I’m Derek. I’ve known Lorenzo since college.”
He looked sweet and sincere. His smile seemed to convey he knew what she was going through, that he felt her pain. Making up her mind, she nodded her head and ducked into the passenger seat.
The heavy roar of the engine and the loud beat of some heavy metal song drowned out the storm. With the expertise of a racecar driver, Derek drove them out of the parking lot with proficiency and speed, and she wondered again if it was a smart idea to go with him.
“Derek, do you think you’re driving a little too fast?” She yelled over the throbbing music. Imagining them spinning out of control on the wet roads, Angelina couldn’t help but feel like it would be okay to die tonight. If a person could die from a broken heart, then she was already dead. She shivered, more from the memories, than the cold of being wet and dressed in little to nothing.
“Here drink this, it’ll warm you up.” Derek’s deep voice soothed her frayed nerves.
He held out a diamond-encrusted flask. She sniffed the contents and smelled sweet lemon. With a shrug of her shoulders, Angelina tipped her head back and let the refreshingly cool liquid slide down her throat. It tasted like lemonade with a kick, and she wanted it to stop the chill taking over her body. Several large gulps later, and blessedly, she began to feel a sense of warmth along with numbness. They passed the drink back and forth between them.
“Yikes, this is some good stuff. But I think we need more.” Angelina shook the container, showing him there was nothing left.
“Ah, sweets, you weren’t supposed to drink it all. Shit, Ren is going to fucking kill me,” he muttered.
“Screw Ren. He’s not my boss, or my anything. He’s a baas-turd.” Her words seemed slurred, and if she wasn’t mistaken, she sounded like a baby sheep. The thought made her giggle and then turn into a full blown laugh as she repeated the word several times out loud.
Derek seemed to be speaking to himself, muttering under his breath about doing good deeds and killing the messenger. His words made no sense to her fuzzy brain, but she no longer felt like crying. No longer had a sharp pain, like someone had taken a knife, and jabbed her in the chest. So whatever he said or did was okay in her not so clear mind. He was her knight in shining armor after all.
Leaning over the space separating them, Angelina placed her palm on his leg. It was wet from the rain, but the muscle beneath her fingers jumped at her touch. Curious, she trailed her hand up, stopping at the juncture between his thighs. She gave an experimental squeeze, and it jumped beneath her fingers. Goodness, she wondered how he kept it contained in his slacks.
“Angelina, stop. You don’t want to do this.” The growl had her looking up to see Derek’s jaw was bunched tight.
“Oh, but I do. Don’t you want me?” She hiccupped, ruining her feigned whine.
With her fingers, she released his belt. The sound of the zipper lowering was overly loud, and his hiss echoed throughout the closed interior, giving her the courage to continue. She marveled at the fact he wore no underwear. The seat belt kept her from her goal. Angelina wanted to erase the image of the other woman with Lorenzo. She wanted to do what she saw Candis doing, be the one to make those sounds come out of his mouth. Finally, the seat belt was open. All barriers between her mouth and the hard cock in her hand were gone.
The car swerved, coming to a shuddering halt. A strong male hand gripped her fingers, pulling them away from his dick before she could explore further.
“Stop,” Derek bit out.
Angelina leaned back in her seat as Derek got out. The world was spinning around her, making her dizzy and lightheaded. The passenger door was jerked open, Derek leaned in, grabbed a blanket from the backseat, and then picked her up, cradling her against his chest. He carried her down the beach with long strides, not saying a word. She had no clue how they’d gotten there, but was glad he was doing the walking.
When he stopped and set her on her feet, her knees nearly buckled. The rain was still coming down, the waves in the distance crashed against the beach just feet away from where they stood. He guided her down to the blanket he’d placed on the ground, and then kissed her. Angelina had been kissed, but never before by a man. All the boys she’d dated seemed clumsy, but Derek kissed like he drove, recklessly.
“Lorenzo,” she whispered, eyes closed tight.
Pulling him closer, the feel of his beard scraping against her palm sent a thrill through her. She tasted the lemonade they’d drank on his tongue and moaned. Her world spun out of control as Derek rolled them to their side. She tried to raise her arm, thinking to pull him back over her.
“Are we spinning?” She asked.
Angelina must have passed out from too much alcohol. The only times she ever drank was on special occasions with her parents’, and even then, it was only a small glass.
A noise alerted her to the man lying beside her. The rain was still coming down, but now it was a light sprinkle and in typical Florida weather, it was warming up. She wiggled out from under his body that was still partially covering her, not wanting to wake him yet. Her heart ached, childhood dreams torn apart by her reckless behavior. Sure, she could blame the alcohol, but at the end of the day, or night as it were, she was a big girl, who made the decision. Poor Derek. He’d been nice enough to take her away when he’d seen she needed an escape, and she had basically thrown herself at him. Shame threatened to swamp her. She squared her shoulders, knowing you couldn’t cry over spilled milk, or in this case, ninety proof alcohol, silently vowing to never make the same mistake again. The next time she makes love it will be with a man
she loves.
On shaky legs, Angelina tried to stand, but felt like she was on a tilt-a-whirl. Not knowing how far they were from the country club, she didn’t want to try to walk back. In her get up, she’d be mistaken for a prostitute. Thinking about how she would explain to her family where she’d spent the night, and how perfectly her birthday had started and how it ended, she was more than ready to leave. With the toe of her bare foot, she kicked Derek in the side, making him groan.
“Derek, wake up. I need to go home.” Speaking hurt her head, so she whispered.
“Huh,” he rolled over, exposing her to a view of his unzipped pants, and she couldn’t help but notice his dick was still exposed.
She looked away, and motioned with her hand. His eyes snapped down and he expelled a loud breath, and a few curse words.
“God, Angelina. Did we? You know?” He sounded like he was in pain.
She didn’t understand why he was upset. She was the one who lost her virginity and had no memory of it. Shouldn’t she feel different? Wasn’t it supposed to hurt? So many things swirled through her hazy mind, but in the forefront was the need to flee.
“Could you please just take me home? I don’t feel well.” Her hand on her stomach gave credence to the lie.
Derek rolled to his feet. “Come on. I’ll take you home.” He left the blanket where it lay, his voice soft and gentle.
She looked around for her shoes, but couldn’t see them, which was fine by her. Judging by the darkness she guessed the time to be well after midnight. It was time for this Cinderella to head home. Her prince had already turned into a frog, however looking at the man who held his hand out, she wished with all her heart she hadn’t already fallen for another. Angelina knew she was mixing up her fairytales, but as she’d learned tonight, fairytales didn’t exist.
“Thank you. I’m sorry I…” Ducking her head, she let him pull her closer to his side.
About Elle Boon
Elle Boon lives in Middle-Merica as she likes to say…with her husband, two kids, and a black lab who is more like a small pony. She’d never planned to be a writer, but when life threw her a curve, she swerved with it, since she’s athletically challenged. She’s known for saying “Bless Your Heart” and dropping lots of F-bombs, but she loves where this new journey has taken her.
She writes what she loves to read, and that is romance, whether it’s erotic or paranormal, as long as there is a happily ever after. Her biggest hope is that after readers have read one of her stories, they fall in love with her characters as much as she did. She loves creating new worlds and has more stories just waiting to be written. Elle believes in happily ever afters, and can guarantee you will always get one with her stories.
Connect with Elle online, she loves to hear from you:
www.elleboon.com
https://www.facebook.com/elle.boon
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elle-Boon-Author/1429718517289545
https://twitter.com/ElleBoon1
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1405756769719931/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wewroteyourbookboyfriends/
An Excerpt from Soren’s Bondmate by Mardi Maxwell
Zarronian Warriors 3
© Copyright 2015 Mardi Maxwell
Chapter One
Soren fought the hands holding him down as his arms and legs were bound with heavy restraints. Sweat poured from his body as his fever intensified until the air above him glowed with a dark blue mist. His primitive growls of rage echoed in the stark room as he bucked and bowed his body in an attempt to gain his freedom.
Rolf Stenson and Rune Haldorson tightened the restraints and stepped back, clearing the area so Doctor Burlson could move forward and press an injection gun against Soren's neck.
"This is the highest dose of ZL3 I can give him without killing him," Doctor Burlson said. "If it doesn't bring his mating fever down then, well, he won't make it."
Rolf nodded. As first-in-command, he and Soren had discussed this very scenario and he'd agreed to take command of the Venturer if Soren succumbed to his mating fever. "Rune and I will stand watch tonight."
"I'll stay as well," Doctor Burlson said.
Soren continued to fight against the restraints and curse them until heatwaves formed above his body and even increased the temperature in the room.
"Tor, why'd he have to be a level six warrior?" Rune slammed a fist into the open palm of his other hand, paced away from the bed holding Soren then returned and stood watching him. "He seems to be calming down. Maybe the drug is working."
Doctor Burlson shook his head. "It won't help enough. Only finding his bondmate can save him now and we all know how impossible that is at his mating level."
Rolf cursed then settled into a warrior's stance, feet apart, arms crossed over his chest. "I promised him I'd let his father know when—." He couldn't finish the sentence. He and Soren had met at the warrior's academy when they'd been ten. They'd been like brothers since then.
"He might make it through tonight," Doctor Burlson said.
"If he does?" Rolf asked.
"This is the third time he's lost control of his fever in the last twelve cycles. The ZL3 no longer works and a higher dosage will kill him," Doctor Burlson said with a sad shake of his head.
"So we just stand back and watch him die?" Rune's face was dark with anger.
Rolf planted both palms on the end of Soren's bed. "No, he wants to die in battle the way a warrior should. At sun's rising we'll find him one."
****
Lost in a world of fire and ice, one moment Soren felt as if his body was on fire and the next he shivered with a cold so intense he thought he'd never be warm again. He knew he was dying as the fever consumed him. For a few nano-units it cooled then the flames increased as his need to find and bond with his mate overwhelmed him. He raged against his fate as the high dosage of ZL3 burned through his blood stream. His life would end here, in space, alone and yearning for his mate.
In a dream state, he found himself lying on a soft mat of blankets. The night sky shone above him yet he knew he was enclosed inside a shelter of some kind. A warm body rested next to him. He drew in a deep breath, caught her scent, and his fever rose but this time he welcomed it as he turned his head and looked at her.
Golden blonde hair in an intricate braid shone in the light that came through the walls. Soft breasts pressed into his side and a slender arm rested on his chest. He picked up her hand and examined her long slender fingers before placing a kiss in the center of her palm. She woke and looked at him with solemn bright teal eyes. "I need you." Her voice was soft with an unfamiliar accent. "You must find me soon."
"I'm coming, mynhartyn. Wait for me," he said then kissed her and the dream faded away.
****
The next cycle, Soren flipped his starglider over and skimmed beneath the enemy fighter, belly-to-belly, while firing at another approaching enemy ship. It disintegrated in front of him and he flew through the debris field with the sound of shrapnel pinging against the sides of his ship. With another quick thought he directed his starglider to perform a loop and return to the battle where an enemy ship flew across his path. He focused and his weapons zeroed in on it. A nano-unit later a burst of light appeared from the nose of his ship and the target exploded into a ball of fire. "Yes," he shouted before piloting his ship back into the midst of the battle.
Rune chuckled then said, "Your new mind-control weapon system is deadly, Soren."
"Don't get too confident," Soren said. "It's still in the testing stage." He identified Rune's ship as it moved in behind another enemy ship and fired at it. Off in the distance dozens of shiny objects appeared and grew in size as they rapidly moved toward the fighting. "Rune, take Alpha squad and handle the targets coming in behind you. Vandar, move Beta squad into a defensive line around Venturer. I'll handle these last two ships then I'll join you."
"If this is the best they have to offer then the
y're in trouble," Vandar said.
"Keep your guard up, Vandar," Soren warned. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"Tor, don't say that," Vandar said. "Your instincts are always right."
Soren chuckled. "I'd hoped we'd find a good battle," Soren said, his voice excited for the first time in several moon phases.
"Then you've found one," Rune said as he and his warriors fired at the approaching targets, destroying several of them. "These things aren't like any ships I've ever seen before."
Soren took out another fighter then evaded one that fired on him before going after it. "Just stay alert." He'd barely finished speaking when his first-in-command, Rolf, hailed him.
"Commander, we've scanned the approaching ships. There are no lifeforms on them."
"Damn it, they're drone decoys. Scan the area around the Venturer, Rolf. Look for anything unusual. Blank spots. Displacements." Soren fired again then hailed Rune. "No playing around. Take them out then get back to the starship." He fired on another target, disabling it but not destroying it. "Rolf, report."
"There are two Prezon warships approaching us, Soren. They'll reach us in ten micro-units."
"Acknowledged," Soren said. "Vandar, have half of your warriors cover the Venturer and the other half cover Rune and Alpha squad while they return to the Venturer and dock. As soon as they're aboard have Delta board the starship."
Vandar acknowledged the order with two clicks as his squad moved into position. Soren flew around the starship, making sure there were no gaps in the defensive line.
The area around the Venturer became cluttered with debris as the battle continued. Pieces hit the shield causing small bursts of light before bouncing off and floating away. Soren smiled again when he realized his new shield was working as well as he'd thought it would. Absently, he continued firing on the drones as Vandar's warriors returned to the starship in a leapfrog pattern. While he protected them he thought about the past two cycles when his mating fever had burned out of control. Even though he'd been drugged and confined the desperation he'd felt to find his mate had driven him into a killing rage.
Her Vigilant Seal Page 22
