by Montana Ash
A well-placed kick from Ivy sent one chade flying to its back but there was still two against one. Even as he watched, he saw Ivy evade a swipe of sharp claws by mere millimetres. Throwing his scythe, he sent it tumbling end over end, hitting its target precisely. The clawed hand of the chade sliced off in one clean cut. Lark took a running dive, sliding under the chade’s legs, picking up his scythe and decapitating it in three smooth motions. He remembered himself at the last moment and suppressed the dark glare he wanted to aim in Ivy’s direction. She wasn’t looking at him anyway, but at the two remaining chades – who appeared to be transfixed with Knox.
Knox was planted like a wall in front of Ivy and it seemed his appearance had cooled the other two down a little. One looked at him curiously, as if trying to puzzle him out. The other looked at him like it wanted to slice its fingernail across Knox’s belly, open his intestines, and watch them spill across the ground. No guesses needed as to which one was the evil one. Ivy must have arrived at the same conclusion he did because she promptly cut the now-advancing chade off at the knees. The miserable creature went down hard but uttered no sound and didn’t look as if it felt a thing. It continued to pull itself along in the direction of Knox – very Dawn of the Dead – and Ivy easily severed its head, causing a splash of putrid water to hit the ground. The chade had obviously once been a Water Warden.
The remaining chade hadn’t moved in their direction but it wasn’t looking particularly friendly now that its companions were dead. A quick flick of the wrist from Knox and the chade found himself immobilised by the same tornado shackles Dex had used.
Knowing the chade was secured, allowed Lark to feel the emotions he had steadfastly cut off the moment the fight started. It was something his father had taught him and a rule he still adhered to; don’t take emotions into a fight. And the feeling? Rage. Ivy had purposely put herself in danger. But before he could call her out on her behaviour, she turned to him with a look of arrogant expectation;
“Well, do you have Max on the line or what?”
Censoring his violent words, he closed his eyes and reached for the link; ‘Max? We have one that Knox says is cool,’ he notified his liege, trying to sound casual and calm instead of pissed off and frustrated.
‘Already? That’s good news. Just the one?’
‘There is now,’ he said.
She didn’t question him at all, just said; ‘Okay. Take two. Everyone ready? I’m going to balance the power through all of you this time. Lark, you just think happy thoughts and focus the energy at the chade. Capiche?’
Assent came from every member of his Order and Lark forced his body and mind to relax so he could focus on the important task at hand. Five minutes later, his butt was on the ground and his head was spinning but he was not unconscious and the chade was sitting a few feet in front of him with a look of awed peace on his face. Lark would consider it a success and light years better than last time. In fact, within only a few minutes he was back on his feet with nothing more than a niggling headache as he waved Knox and the new recruit off.
As soon as the taillights were out of sight, Lark wheeled on Ivy, allowing her to see his anger, “What the hell was that?”
“What was what?” she asked in that indifferent tone of hers. She didn’t even bother to look at him, just continued to examine her sickle as if she had never seen it before.
“Don’t give me that. You know what I’m talking about,” he knew his voice was a couple of octaves deeper – anger did that to him. Ivy obviously picked up on that too if her next words were anything to go by.
“What are you so pissed about? Did you want to try talking to them or something? Knox said they couldn’t be saved. Even Max agrees those types of chades need to be put down. I’m sorry if your do-gooder sensibilities were hurt.”
He was incredulous, “You think I care about the chades you put down? You’re an idiot! I care that you didn’t wait for back-up. I care that you were reckless and put yourself in danger,” he informed her, coolly.
She didn’t even spare him a glance, “I was never in any danger. I’ve been doing this before you were even born.”
He felt his hold on his control becoming wobbly as she blew off his concerns like they were nothing. He drew in a deep breath before speaking again; “I don’t know how you work within your ranger units but that lone-wolf bullshit won’t fly with me. We work as a team. If you can’t or won’t do that, we’re wasting time.”
“Really? You’re going to lecture me about how to work within a unit? You’ve been in an Order for less than a year! You’ve had, what, one battle together?” her voice held an insulting amount of condescension.
“Experience doesn’t override stupidity. And what you did was stupid,” he growled at her, pulling her arm around so she would look at him. That damn cloak was still blocking her face and he yanked it back. Her dark brown eyes were narrowed in anger and colour was high on her cheeks.
She looked deadly and so beautiful it took his breath away.
Ivy yanked her arm free, scowl deepening, “Listen kid –” she began.
And that’s what tore it for Lark. His famed control finally snapped and before he knew it he had Ivy pinned against the car behind her. Grabbing her hand, he forced it over his growing hardness, “Do I feel like a kid to you?”
He expected her to sucker punch him or at least push him away but the woman shocked him, cupping him firmly and causing him to stutter out a half curse, half groan. Ivy’s dark eyes actually lightened as her pupils dilated and her breath began to come out in short bursts. Unable to stop his body’s wild reaction to such a sensual display, he tangled his hands in her ponytail, forcing her head back and her neck to arch. He brought his mouth close to hers and felt their breaths mingle. But instead of slamming his lips against hers like he wanted to with every fibre of his being, he waited.
TWENTY-TWO
Ivy felt her breath stutter out when Lark’s lips hovered tantalisingly close to hers. Anger, arousal and an ever-increasing affection raged within her and she fisted her hands in the material of his shirt, thinking to push him away. But her anger was drowning under the seductive feel of Lark’s body against her own and she found herself gripping his shirt for purchase with her one free hand instead. Her other hand was more than occupied feeling the hefty weight of his package through his pants and she was helpless not to cup her palm over him, learning his size and shape.
More than a little impressed about what she was feeling and riding high on courage and lust, her fingers dived for Lark’s zipper. Not wasting any time, she lowered the small metal tab and reached inside, gasping when she felt nothing but hot skin. Lark went commando and he had been absolutely right – he did not feel like a kid.
A guttural groan was her only warning as Lark slammed his warm, soft lips against hers and proceeded to lay siege to her mouth. Their tongues fought for dominance for a few heartbeats before he slowed the sensual dance, his mouth coaxing hers to follow his pace. She took advantage of the change in tempo to fill both her hands with him and give him a few solid strokes. His hard, heated flesh jerked in her grasp and she smiled against his lips, loving the feeling of feminine power that swept through her.
As focused on her task as she was, she jumped and let out an excited gasp when large hands abruptly engulfed hers, pinning them high above her head against the smooth metal of the car behind her. Loving the difference in their height, she came up onto her tiptoes so she could press her chest more firmly against his. He may be the shortest guy in the Order, but he was still a good six inches taller than her five-foot-five frame and she revelled in the feeling of being surrounded by him. She knew the moment those strong arms stopped surrounding her, she was going to kick herself for this act of weakness. She knew she would regret. But for now, for right now … she was going to indulge.
She knew her earlier actions were reckless and dangerous and everything else Lark had said. It had been an act of defiance to prove to herself – and to him �
�� that she was strong and capable and disciplined. Unfortunately, it had only served to prove the opposite. She had regretted her immature decision the moment the three chades converged on her simultaneously. Sure, she was good but taking on three chades on her own was like begging for an arse-kicking.
But Lark had swooped in, severing the chade’s hand with a precision she could only be jealous of. Then watching his fast and nimble movements to slide under the chade and pop up behind him …? Well, his hours of yoga had been more than evident. Her eyes had been spellbound by the display of masculine power and her body had been humming in appreciation and yearning ever since. Which was why, when Lark had pushed her against the car, her brain had shut down and her body had decided to take the wheel.
When a calloused hand skimmed over her bare stomach, she felt goosebumps break out over her skin and she squeezed her legs together to try to relieve the ache she felt between her thighs. Cold air helped to cool her heated skin a little as Lark exposed her flesh an inch at a time. He pushed her top up enough to reveal the practical black sports bra she was wearing but he soon had that pushed up and out of the way too. She moaned when he bit down none-too gently on one hard nipple, before quickly soothing it with a rasp of his talented tongue.
With one hand still holding her own hostage above her head, he trailed the other back down her waist as his mouth continued to play havoc with her sensitive nipples. When his hand reached the waistband of her pants, he didn’t even hesitate, opening them and delving a hand into her underwear immediately. He groaned against her breasts and his hips thrust against her when he found her wet and needy.
“Please,” Ivy wanted the word to be a demand but was fairly certain it sounded more like begging. Lark didn’t seem to mind either way because he finally stopped teasing her mound, plunging a thick digit into her hungry depths. She moaned and pushed herself harder against him, seeking deeper contact, even as she tugged against the hold on his hand. He finally relented and she hissed in triumph when her hands found his hard length once more.
After that, all bets were off. There was no more seduction. No more teasing. No more power games. It was just a race to the finish line as they touched and caressed in time with each other. Feeling pressure begin to build in her womb, she managed to gasp one word, “More”, and was rewarded with another finger stretching her wider. That was all it took to have stars exploding in front of her eyes as her body erupted into a series of small explosions that skirted that sweet edge of pleasure and pain.
She had just enough coherent thought to continue the stroking movement of her hand and recognise the faltering motions of his hips for what they were; impending release. She teased the opening on the broad head of his cock once, twice, and was rewarded by a guttural groan above her. Then they were both shuddering through their pleasure, their pulses wild, as they tried to catch their breath. The vast array of happy little lights was still dancing behind her eyelids when her brain decided to check back in. And the first thing she thought?
What the hell have I done?
TWENTY-THREE
“Well, this is it. Casa de Chade,” Dave said as he opened the main doors to what could loosely be called a hotel.
Max squinted through half-closed eyes because she was a little afraid to look. But as it turned out, the place wasn’t as much of a pit on the inside as it looked from the outside. She hadn’t been joking when she said the building looked like the kind of place serial murderers went to find their next victims. From the front of Dave’s pub one could be forgiven for not even noticing the large building at the back. Even at the back, the densely populated bushland obscured it somewhat and she had barely even given it a glance the first time she had been back here. Though to be fair, she was being attacked by chades at the time.
Looking around the reception area now, she was pleasantly surprised to see the large space was sparse but clean. It housed one sad looking desk, no computer, a surprisingly very green and healthy looking potted plant, and a washed-out green lounge that had seen better days.
“There are forty-one rooms – twenty on the first floor and twenty-one here on the ground floor. One of those is the manager’s quarters and has a living room, two bedrooms, and its own kitchen. There is a large dining area and also a professional chef’s kitchen but it hasn’t been used in years,” Dave explained, walking them through the doors to the left of the desk.
Max was relieved to see the restaurant area was likewise clean and furnished with the bare necessities. It was obvious the place did not see a lot of traffic. She stayed next to her host as Diana, Cali, Dex, and Darius quickly checked out the large space for security risks and other such boring details. She started to space out the second Darius and Dex began talking about blind spots, locks, and man-hole covers. Turning to her companion, she asked;
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Don’t insult me, woman,” was the hairy man’s gruff response.
Max felt herself smile and fall half in love with the taciturn man on the spot. He was gruff and borderline rude more than half the time but she knew now that he had been watching out for her best interests practically from the moment she had stepped her weary feet into his bar. In fact, as she continued to observe him now, a small piece of information revealed itself to her, direct from his thoughts to hers. She hadn’t meant for it to happen – she rarely did. But such occurrences were happening more frequently and with greater ease now than ever before. It was something she wasn’t really a fan of, considering the things she often discovered.
Take now for example, what she had just learned from Dave had her taking a few shaky steps backwards. Her feet tripped over themselves and she would have done a decidedly non-graceful face-plant if large, steady hands hadn’t gripped her upper arms tightly.
“Okay?” the reticent man asked gruffly, quickly removing his hands.
“I … you …” she stuttered.
Dave frowned at her, that creepy mono-brow of his dipping low over his eyes, “What?”
But she could only continue to stare at him as things about their first encounter began to make more sense to her.
“Max, are you okay?” Diana asked her, gripping her by the elbow.
“It was you,” she said, sure she was making sense to no-one but herself. “That day in your bar – the day I met Lark, Darius, and Axel. It was because of you. You rang Ryker and told him I was there!” her voice rose several octaves before the end of her sentence.
Dave’s face went blank and he shrugged his shoulders. Max found herself turning to her paladins, who were now all congregated around her, “Did you know about this?”
Diana frowned, “No actually …”
“Darius?” she questioned. Darius had been there that day. He would know.
He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot for a moment but he did speak, “We were driving past on our way home from the Lodge when I felt a certain shift in the air. It wasn’t really anything big but it was enough to catch my attention. We were already there checking the place out when Ryker sent us a message saying there could be some trouble at Dave’s. We assumed chade or paladin trouble – that’s why we stopped in any way. Dave always gives Ry a heads-up when mischief is afoot,” he added, nodding his head in thanks at the other man.
“But when we arrived, we didn’t see any disturbance, so we figured it was nothing. To be honest, to this day, I had no idea he was referring to you. I honestly assumed he was referring to real trouble. It didn’t even click with me that it was about you – even when I saw you.”
Max didn’t need to look at Darius’s see-through counterpart or use her other skills over the elements to determine he was telling the truth. She could tell by the look of contrition and chagrin on his face that he was … and kicking himself that he hadn’t put two and two together before now.
“Dave, man. Is Max why you called Ry that day?” he addressed the bar-owner directly.
The man in question gave a mix between a nod and
a shrug like it was no big deal.
“Damn,” Darius exclaimed. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
“Thought it was obvious,” Dave grumbled, causing Cali, Diana, and Dex to laugh.
“Wow,” Cali breathed. “Thank you so much.”
Dave shrugged bulky shoulders again, “No big deal. Been keeping an eye on unusual things for Ryker for years.”
“And I was unusual?” Max asked, finally getting her swirling thoughts back into order.
Dave huffed, “Darlin’, you’re about as unusual as they come. I might not be one of you magical folk, but I know special when I see it.”
That had her mouth closing and her frenzied thoughts quieting, “Special?” Was it only her imagination or was the big, hairy man blushing?
“You heard me,” he grunted.
Max felt a slow smile bloom on her face and the other half of the love she had been holding onto joined its counterpart. She was a little concerned that she was now emotionally invested with yet another gruff, testosterone-filled soldier but she wouldn’t change a thing about her new life. That was despite the overprotectiveness of her new family, who were now pushing her behind them because the rear doors were opening. She could have told them not to bother – it was only their invited guests – but she knew it would be a waste of breath.
The wall of human flesh relaxed somewhat when they recognised the three faces that stepped into the room. Well, if she was being accurate, it was only the one face. But there were definitely three different bodies. Three very fine, very ripped bodies to be exact. She both heard and felt the feminine approval from Cali and Diana when Kane, Kai, and Kellan smiled and began heading their way.
