Point of No Return

by Tara Fox Hall

  Motherfucker! I was completely still in my fury. Lash clinked my glass with his, then drank most of it down. I drank a good deal of mine down, too, in my anger. I sat there and trembled with frustration, furious with him.

  “Something I said, Sar?” Lash hissed slyly.

  “Fuck you!” I hissed back at him. “I tried to be nice to you all day, you jerk—!”

  “Shut up,” Lash hissed easily. “I’m Dev’s friend. I’d do anything for him, including watch your ass, as stultifying as I find you. But Theo’s a thorn in his side and mine. I’ve kicked his ass repeatedly over the years, yet he’s stupid enough that he always comes back for more. A male has to know his limits. He should accept when he’s just not good enough.”

  There was a good deal of resentment in his easy words. I sipped my wine and didn’t reply.

  “For example,” Lash went on. “If it had been me there with Dev that night he came for you, he’d have gotten you without losing men, or getting shot.” He turned menacing. “Later on, he’d have done whatever he wanted with you, because I would have stopped anyone interfering.” He gave me an evil smile. “But don’t think too much on it, Sar. It’d be such a shame if you weren’t sitting here with me now.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  I averted my eyes. I was going to hit him. God, give me the strength to control myself until Devlin got back.

  Abruptly, the first strains of Bad Company’s “Feel Like Making Love” came on the jukebox, as a scantily clad woman in jeans strutted her way to her man at the bar.

  “I can smell your anger,” Lash hissed, pleased. “At least something’s going right tonight—”

  My control snapped. I turned to Lash, sprawled in his chair beside me. “Listen you—”

  As my eyes met his flat ones, The Lust washed through me.

  “Listen to what?” Lash hissed tauntingly. “Why don’t you try and threaten me? I haven’t had a good laugh in ages.”

  He was the nastiest SOB here for sure, the most dangerous, the worst of the worst. He would hurt me if he could. I shivered, because I wanted him to.

  I wanted him.

  I lunged at him, knocking over both chairs. As we both fell, Lash moved supernaturally fast, getting out from underneath me so we landed side by side, still entangled.

  Devlin yelled, “Sar!”

  If Dev got to us, I’d never have Lash, not how I wanted him. Cin could be a problem, too. I closed my eyes, teleporting us instantly. We arrived in Devlin’s bedroom, still lying on the floor. I was immediately relieved to not be outside the gates.

  Lash shot to his feet immediately, yanking me up as well. “Damn it! I told him to tell you that you had to go to the kitchen first!” he hissed angrily. “Take us back to Devlin, now!”

  “No,” I snarled. “I want you here on this bed. His bed.”

  Lash narrowed his eyes, but said nothing.

  “Come on,” I purred seductively, strutting closer. “Don’t you wonder what it would be like with me? Why Devlin would give up his other women, just to share me?”

  A cell phone rang. Not taking his eyes from me, Lash took out his phone, and held it to his ear. “Dev, we’re at Hayden. Get here as soon as you can. Something is wrong with Sar. I’ll hold her until you get here.”

  “The hell you will!” I sneered, striding fast to the door. “You won’t do it, I’ll find someone else to do the job!” There had to be at least one bear here somewhere...

  I threw open the door, heard a soft hiss, then was yanked backwards, the end of Lash’s whip coiled about my waist. He got between me and the door, then closed it.

  “So this is the infamous lust Devlin’s been talking about so eagerly,” Lash hissed, turning to face me. “I knew it wasn’t going to be what he thought.” He gave me a grin, then pulled me toward him. “But this is too good to be true.”

  He was relishing this. I didn’t want him to be happy; I wanted him to be angry. “Are you ever going to shut up—?”

  “Ask me to fuck you,” Lash hissed dangerously, baring his snake fangs, his tongue flickering out. “Beg me.”

  Slight fear twitched inside me, then was consumed by need. I grabbed a hold of the whip at my waist, struggling to undo it. Lash held it taut, then began to slowly pull me toward him.

  Anger consumed me. I leaned hard away, pretending to strain to get free, then quickly ran towards Lash, closing the distance between us and catching him off balance. I took the opening, reaching quickly for his pants zipper with a sultry smile. He fended me off, dropping his whip and his phone on the bedroom floor as he grabbed my hands. At once, he shoved me hard to the side. I sprawled on the floor, struggling to get the whip off me.

  I had to get it off and get us both somewhere where no one would find us. Titus would be here with Devlin in moments.

  I finally got the whip off me. Lash was crouching, reaching for his ringing phone, which had skittered under the edge of Dev’s bed.

  I knew someplace where there were no phones, somewhere Titus wouldn’t be able to follow. I grabbed hold of Lash just before he reached it and teleported us again, this time much farther. We were suddenly in a moonlit house, the air cold around us. I shivered, my breath a white plume. The furniture around me was covered in sheets, dust thick on the countertop.

  Lash’s head darted around wildly. “Where the hell are we?” he hissed in shock.

  I took his confusion as an opening. Running my hands up into his wild black hair, I kissed him hard, moving my mouth hungrily on his. I’d expected his hair to be oily, or maybe spiky with gel, but it was soft under my hands. His lips were hot, his long, thin fangs hard beneath them. Was all of him like that? I groaned at the thought, pressing myself against him eagerly.

  He broke away from me. “Sar, where are we?” he demanded. “Take us back to Hayden—”

  “Fuck me first,” I hissed back at him, then kissed him again. “I’m asking you. I want you, Lash—”

  He pried me off him, thrusting me away. “But I don’t want you, Sar. I don’t particularly like you, even—”

  “I don’t like you either,” I said with a snarl. “I just want to feel you come in me, feel your fangs inside me again. Only this time, I want them all the way in, just like you.”

  He went still at my words, like I knew he would. I knew men, knew what they wanted to hear, knew what they wanted me to do to them. A moment’s hesitation was all I needed.

  I kissed him again, trying to convince him with my passion to give in. This time he didn’t push me away. I reached down and felt for him. Ah, my words had had the effect I’d wanted: he was tight for me, the bulge in his jeans rock hard under my hand. I stroked him through his jeans, still kissing him.

  Lash wouldn’t open his mouth to me, but he moved under my touch, flexing gently. If I could push him over the edge...

  “Fuck me,” I whispered sexily. “Now.”

  “No,” he hissed back, then pried me off him and went looking for a phone.

  Relentless, I went after him, pulling my clothes off as fast as possible. The cold made my skin contract, goose bumps rising almost immediately on my arms and breasts.

  I was so cold. I needed his warmth, needed him warm inside me. My lust had reached a fever pitch, my patience gone.

  Lash was just picking up the bedroom receiver when I jerked the cord out of the wall. I lunged at him again. He caught me this time, turning to slam me up against the wall. I stumbled over the cord, jerking the phone off the nightstand with a crash. I let out a gasp, and Lash covered my mouth with his, his mouth opening as his forked tongue began licking me, reaching deeply. His tongue twined around mine loosely, and stroked gently. The sensation was completely new, utterly sensual, spiking my arousal. I let out an eager moan, and clutched him tighter. He turned then and threw me on the bed, scrambling on top of me, then pressed down with a hard thrust of his hips.

  “You want what I’ve got for you?” he hissed suggestively. “Hold still.”

  I went motionless under
him, encouraging him with eager cries. He moved my hands into one of his, still kissing me. I went limp with momentary relief in his grip, then began writhing as he reached down to take off his pants.

  “Yes,” I moaned, my breaths coming fast. “Please, Lash!”

  Then I felt the phone cord about my wrists. In an instant, Lash had me tied by my wrists to the bed.

  He’d been reaching for the cord! “Damn you!” I swore loudly.

  Lash gave me a grin, baring his fangs. “Stay there,” he hissed. Then he got up and strode out of the room.

  Livid with rage, and being denied, I yanked with my arms as hard as I could. The cord tightened, his knots holding.

  Damn him! They’d never come loose now!

  I was bleeding where the phone cord had bitten into my wrist. Letting out a scream of rage, I bit into the cord with my right incisor, grinding hard. The plastic frayed under my teeth. I yanked as hard as I could, the cord snapped, and I fell off the bed to land on the floor in a heap. I scrambled to my feet with hands still bound and went after Lash.

  He was talking on a cordless phone, leaning against the kitchen counter. “I told you, she won’t tell me where we are, Dev. I think it’s in Wyoming though, that’s where the phone book is from, and the area code matched up. What do you want me to do—?”

  As I stalked toward him, his eyes flicked up to watch me. He held my gaze as he continued to talk. My eyes fell on the base of the phone on the far wall near the stove, and I switched direction.

  “Okay, I understand—”

  I ripped that cord out of the wall, breaking the connection and giving him a triumphant smile. Lash let out an angry breath, then threw the phone down with enough force to shatter it into plastic shards. He stalked toward me, grabbed hold of me, and pushed me down onto the floor, laying his body on top of mine. I tried to kiss him, but he held me down with one hand, and took out his knife with the other.

  “I told you to hold still.”

  I went still under him, my wide eyes on the blade in his hand, shining in the moonlight.

  Lash took my bound hands in one of his. With quick motion, he cut the cords, setting my hands free, then lay the knife to the side within reach. I ran my hands back into his hair, and kissed him again, murmuring, “Please. Take me. Please.”

  Lash kissed me again, then unzipped his jeans, shoving them down. He pressed his hips to mine, his erection nudging me. I moaned again at his size. God, he was not as long as Devlin was, but he felt just as broad...Ahh...

  He said nothing, just pulled back my head by the hair, baring my throat, slowly sliding his fangs into me, simultaneously bearing down with his hips to slide his erection in. His long fangs felt like needles, they sank in to me so deep. Lash slid himself in to the hilt, then began moving fast, grunting with effort, keeping his fangs completely in me.

  His mouth began moving on me, his tongue licking as he swallowed. The bastard was drinking my blood. Anger rose up instantly, then it was obliterated by desire. I wanted him to take it, to take all of me, everything I was, everything I had! I writhed under him, moaning and making soft cries of pleasure. God damn, he felt so good...thick and hot and so slippery within me...ahh...

  Lash suddenly withdrew his fangs. He kissed me again, his tongue again twining around mine. I tasted my blood in his kiss, the coppery taste making me shudder. Lash broke the kiss at once, then plunged his fangs back into my throat, biting deep. The feeling of him biting me so deeply as he moved in me so eagerly was enough to bring me screaming, my howl of pleasure deafening.

  Lash pushed his upper body away from me in an instant, bracing himself on his arms, still driving himself into me fast and deep. As my orgasm ebbed, I thrust up, holding his lower body as tightly against me as I could, his contracting muscles coaxing the last waves of pleasure from me. He jerked a moment later, a hot rush of warmth filling me. He spasmed a few more times, his body tightening against mine, then relaxing slowly.

  Lash jerked a little as he withdrew. Easing onto his back beside me, he lay breathing hard.

  He’d made no sound. Even in my lust for him, I found his silence eerie. But as I slowly came back to myself and felt the wetness of his semen on my inner thighs, I curled up in a ball facing away from him, praying he not say a word.

  I’d just had sex with a man I loathed. Possibly the one man in all the world I didn’t want to be with like this. Perseus or Samuel would have been better to be with. Alphonse would have been better to be with. Anyone but Lash, who had just told me minutes before this how much he hated Theo and me.

  The silence stretched. Lash didn’t speak.

  Tears ran from my eyes. I bit my lip hard, because I had to talk to him. I had to get us back, to face Devlin.

  “We’re in Casper, Wyoming,” I said softly. “The house Theo was living in, where I found him.”

  Lash said nothing.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

  There was the sound of shifting cloth, then a knife being sheathed as he got to his feet. A second later, my clothes were dropped next to my back. “Get dressed. I’ll go grab the cords.” Footsteps strode away.

  I hurriedly pulled on my clothes. When I was dressed, Lash came back, then held out my missing sock and underwear. I took them and stuffed them in my pocket, blinking back tears.

  Lash took my hand in his gently. “Take us back, Sar.”

  I teleported us back to Devlin’s bedroom. He was there standing near the fireplace, one hand grasping the mantle, his expression worried. I dropped Lash’s hand and sat down on the loveseat, my eyes averted. Devlin didn’t speak, but took my hand in his.

  Lash stood, arms folded across his chest. “I had her as she asked me to. You were right; she went back to normal. She said we were at the place she found Theo. No one saw us. I covered up the evidence and wiped down everything we touched.”

  “Thank you for doing what she needed, and for protecting her from herself.”

  “You know this means she might well have your child inside her.”

  “I am hoping like hell,” Devlin said wearily. “Because otherwise, she’s changing again, and this time, I don’t know what is happening, or what to do.”

  “You need me; I’ll be in the shower.” Lash turned and sauntered towards the door. “I just hope that stupid cat finds out this—”

  “You might need to do this again for her, for us,” Devlin interrupted. “Are you willing or not? I need to know right now.”

  Lash paused, his hand on the doorknob, then looked back. “Dev, you know that I prefer weresnakes,” he said casually. “But I enjoyed having sex with her. If she needs that again, just one of you tell me. It’s not a problem—”

  A rising scream built within me rapidly.

  “If this is The Lust Danial spoke of, she probably will,” Devlin continued. “And I need you to protect her. That means protecting yourself.”

  Lash turned completely around and faced Devlin. He paused a second, his expression resentful, then nodded. “I’ll get checked out,” he hissed. “I’ll go call Stephen now, and have Titus teleport me tonight—”

  “I need you to do more than that,” Devlin said with a sigh. “I’m sorry to ask you, but I have to, Lash. For her sake, for the baby’s, I have to ask for your word.”

  “Fine; you have it. I’ll tell her I can’t be with her anymore, not like we are at Davy’s,” Lash hissed bitterly, turning back to the door and opening it. “And we won’t be together in snake form at all.”

  “Thank you,” Devlin said, as Lash left, slamming the door behind him.

  “Are you all right?” Devlin asked, squeezing my hand.

  “He didn’t hurt me,” I murmured, after a moment.

  “I know he didn’t,” Devlin said, annoyed. “I asked how you were.”

  “I’m fucking hysterical!” I shouted raggedly. Then I burst out crying. Devlin hugged me, whispering soothing words, then led me into the bathroom.

  “Take a shower,” he said, turning on the water f
or me. “You’ll feel better.”

  He’d said those same words to me that day in the hotel room, when I’d also had sex I hadn’t wanted. Not sure if he’d meant me to recall that memory, I didn’t reply, just got undressed and showered off. When I emerged, he was on the bed reading paperwork, waiting for me.

  Even though Dev hadn’t acted like what had happened mattered, I couldn’t just launch into pleasantries blithely. I sat down next to him. “Look, I don’t know what to say—”

  Dev held a finger to my lips. “Don’t say anything. Danial told me what might happen. I just thought if something did, it would be with me. But I’m not upset this happened, not with you or him.”

  That’s great. “I’m really upset, Dev.”

  He put down his paperwork, and brought me into his arms. “Why? You knew having this symptom was a real possibility, as did I. We can handle this situation. Lash will remain at your side at all times I’m not with you—”

  “That’s impossible—”

  “Not if you stay here with me, it’s not,” Devlin said easily. “You don’t want to risk any more illicit sexual encounters, so that’s the best idea—”

  “No,” I replied firmly. “I don’t want this to happen again, ever.”

  “Lash is safe to be with,” Devlin said firmly. “He won’t hurt you, despite what you may think of him. He’ll keep his word. When he gets back from the doctor’s he’ll tell us the truth, no matter what it is.”

  With revulsion, I remembered we’d not used any protection. “Are you saying I need to worry about—?”

  “He’s probably fine,” Devlin said reassuringly. “Lash is sterile, as a side effect of the potion he takes. But Cin does have a bit of a reputation. Lash is not the only one who goes to her, and lets her act out her fantasies. It’s better to be safe.”

  This was nauseating, not to mention terrifying. “I should call Dr. Camlyn. I need to know now—”

  “Lash will tell us tonight,” Devlin said. “He’ll bring you some meds if you need them. Don’t worry, really. He can’t catch most human diseases, and you can’t catch weresnake ones. We are just being cautious.”