Breanna

by Karen Nichols

  child.”

  “I am not a child.”

  “You’re a mere child be comparison,” he corrected. “Hold still, please.” Brea wasn’t sure why she listened, but she did and felt the softest stroke along her ear. Her eyes widened at the tingle that raced through her.

  “What’re you doing?” She whispered.

  “She doesn’t remember. No, that’s incorrect. She never knew. She doesn’t know, because she was never told. Never shown,” he announced to the others, zipping back and down to the ground. “The shield around her is old, as old as she is.”

  “Shield? What shield? Could you please be more clear?” She begged in mounting frustration.

  She looked down and watched him pace.

  Then the crashing began. Branches were breaking, leaves being shoved aside.

  Orders were given, the wings all taking to the air with the faintest rush of air upward.

  Brea jumped to her feet, looking around anxiously. She couldn’t see anything but she felt a current in the air around her.

  Hot, angry and hunting.

  Hunting her.

  She stared around frantically. She could feel tiny hands tugging on her, trying to pull her back. They were shouting at her, telling her to run. Telling her to flee quickly.

  “No!” She moved toward the noise, her hands up as she moved through the 88

  underbrush, shoving leaves aside until she came to the clearing where it stood.

  “He’ll kill her!”

  “She’s not ready!”

  Brea stood staring, her eyes taking in the leather-like covering over the large being standing before her. Then she realized it was his flesh the color of a dark, dark horse. The face and most of the figure was human….like….she thought with a little grimace. Human-ish? She wasn’t sure of the right word, but let it go.

  “They brought you to me….how very convenient.” His expression was one of arrogance, his sneer confident. “Although, I must admit, your parents were doing a reasonable job keeping you hidden.”

  Brea raised a brow and stared into eyes that didn’t have a center. Dark and empty, she thought with a frown. And almost seven feet tall!

  “Do I know you?” She figured it sounded innocent enough and hoped he couldn’t hear her kneeing knocking together.

  “Should I allow you to know me, half-breed?” Dark eyes gave her a very slow once over, from feet to her head.

  “This is one very odd dream and no one brings me anywhere. And I choose not to be here any longer,” she announced and opened her mouth.

  It always worked when she was a child. You want out of a dream, scream bloody murder and don’t stop. She threw both hands up, palms aimed at the thing with horns and let loose with the scream at the same time.

  She didn’t see the stark surprise on the faces of her new friends with the wings.

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  Or the crooked grin from the little scientist one who just nodded as if proving his own theory.

  And she didn’t see the absolute astonishment on the face of the being with horns as he was not only flung back several hundred feet, but seared by the power that accomplished the task. He blinked out of their realm quickly, swearing and cursing as he went.

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  Chapter 10

  Nick and Jase came from their rooms as if the house were on fire. They barely squeezed past one another getting into her bedroom, both choosing a side of the bed and sliding over the sheets on bended knees.

  Brea sat upright in the center, palms out in front of her, thumbs touching and her scream finally dying off to nothing. Long, amber hair hung freely around her face and shoulders in feathery layers, the longest tapping the pert nipples that topped her breasts and strained against the satin top.

  Jase reached her first, gripped her shoulders and shook lightly. Harder when the scream finally stopped and her eyes popped open. He shook once more when he realized she hadn’t drawn in a breath.

  “Brea! Breathe, damn it!” Nick took her hands, frowning and rubbing them briskly. “She’s like ice.”

  Brea snapped from the once peaceful forest, her eyes wide and held that way for a long, long minute before her body seemed to melt against Jase. She felt Nick massaging her hands.

  She didn’t know why they were so cold, where the warmth had gone. She hadn’t been cold in the forest. It had been sweet and warm feeling there. Right.

  Until the horned thing showed up and ruined the party.

  “A dream…” she whispered, her head shaking against the, oh so male chest. A bare male chest. She pressed her face closer, inhaling slowly.

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  “Lady, that scream could wake the dead,” Nick finally exhaled, flexing her hands and wrists. “And how the hell do you get hands colder then ice in the freezer?”

  “I don’t know. I was warm….the forest was warm and smelled sweet,” she murmured, snuggling closer and not wanting to move away. “But you guys smell much nicer…..different and good.”

  “Doesn’t sound like a bad dream to me,” Jase commented, sending a silent signal to Nick. The rearranged the blankets, stretching out on either side of her and letting her snuggle down.

  “This isn’t a bad dream,” she giggle softly against his side. “This is nice. The other…it wasn’t….not bad, I mean….well, unless you count them telling me I wasn’t very bright and more than a little dense,” she thought, wiggling back against Nick and sighing. “You guys are so nice and warm. They said you belong to me. That I should take care of you,” she said drowsily. “I like that idea.”

  “Who told you that, Brea?” Nick turned on his side, her back and behind against him. His palm rose, brushing the long strands of amber from her face and shoulder. She lay with her head on Jase’s chest, one hand held in both his. “Where were you, Brea?”

  “Don’t know. Forest….pretty flowers….wings….and they got in my head,” she giggled. “I thought they were bees…..they didn’t care for that much. I haven’t dreamed of them in forever. I think I was four or five last time I saw fairies flying around my bedroom. Mother said they were watching over me. I knew I was sleeping, but they were so pretty. But don’t try and touch the wings….they get really testy.”

  “It doesn’t sound like a screaming dream,” Jase said softly, settling down and 92

  letting the rightness of them seep into him.

  “Well…..” she frowned, lips pulled into a taut bow. “They were arguing. Said I was a child and said I was ignorant….not stupid ignorant, uninformed ignorant…..and I told her to stay out of my head again. Then this thing with hooves….and kind of creepy looking….with horns….but human….said my parents had been hiding me…..he was grateful they brought me to them. That he didn’t have to go in search of me. They tried to pull me away….I think I was pissed off….and then it gets a little fuzzy,” she listened to the two sets of chuckles and breathed deeply. Nice and toasty, she thought.

  And they smelled so good. She never noticed guys smelling this good before.

  “What happened?” Nick asked cautiously, their frowns meeting over the closed eyes and puckered lips.

  “I remember raising my hands….together…touching, I mean and palms aimed at him….just my palms….and I felt the heat leaving me,” she said curiously. “But the little people were frightened. Said he’d kill me,” she snorted softly. “It was my dream. No one is going to kill me in my own flipping dream,” she announced defiantly. “I heard him swearing….and lots of crashing….and I saw him kind of fly backwards….and some really bright lights and I remember screaming. I think that part woke me up.”

  “It woke us up,” Jase admitted with a long breath.

  “I’m sorry,” she yawned and snuggled lower. “You’re not leaving, are you?”

  “Do you want us here?”

  “Yes. She said you were mine and I had to take care of you,” she announced firmly. “Both of you,” she informed them, yawning again. “Good night.” 93

  They waited a quiet few m
inutes, looking over the slight figure curled against Jase.

  “She’s out,” Jase said quietly.

  “This dream….”

  “Probably not. I know enough that the position she says her hands were in….” Jase looked down at the relaxed features in the dark of the bedroom. “We both know there are forces out there capable of summoning you either physically or psychically.

  Evidently the Fae operate through her dreams. But maybe only when the snare wasn’t in place. Like now.”

  “If her parents hid her, it wasn’t just from her own kind, but whoever or whatever was after her,” Nick slid lower, his hand around the dip in her waist and face against her bare shoulder.

  “It’ll be a few days before we get information about her history, about her heritage,” Jase said with a yawn, laying on his back and pulling the blankets up, his eyes closing. She seemed to realize they were relaxing and pressed closer, a deep sigh breaking free.

  Somewhere in the middle of the night, Brea shifted to her stomach. It was the way she usually slept and had snuggled her face into the pillow. Her hands were curled beneath her head and she was deliciously toasty, the warmth on either side of her adjusting and staying close.

  She swore she heard mumbling. But didn’t give it a thought. The weight across her lower back was curious because that was new and felt like a hand on either side of 94

  her waist, just at the rise of her hips.

  But she was mostly asleep and didn’t want to figure it out now so she went in search of the dream again, hoping for more conversation with the tiny fairies. But all she found was a nice run on the beach and a few talking seagulls whose main topic of conversation was the lack of crab in the shallows.

  She stirred shortly before seven and this time she was positive about the grumbling.

  And the scents. Warm, close males.

  Leftover from her dream, she thought, stretching her arms toward the headboard, arching her back and sending her behind up slightly.

  “She stretches like a cat,” came the gruff, sleep hoarse voice.

  “I noticed,” Nick answered, his hand sliding from its place at her hip to stroke over one firm, rounded globe of her ass. “And damn if she doesn’t have the sweetest curve….right here…..”

  Brea froze.

  Probably not her best idea, she realized as another palm….a different palm, her mind mentioned casually, slid beneath the abbreviated silky tank top. Warm, caressing fingers stroked along her spine and back down, slipping possessively inside the bottoms.

  “Skin like silk,” Jase said softly, his fingers sliding over her skin and back along her spine.

  She felt her breathing stop, she swore it stopped! Who could possibly breathe 95

  when a warm mouth began kissing her neck and shoulder?

  Maybe this was another dream, she tried rationalizing. Certainly not any more confusing than talking fairies.

  And who was whimpering in her head? Oh, god, that wasn’t in her head!

  It came out of her mouth when the hand caressing beneath her top slid on top of the fabric, stroking higher until his fingers speared the hair at the back of her head, taking a strong hold and tipping her face up from the pillow.

  Brea groaned against the warm, caressing kiss. His tongue tasted the lingering sleep, pressing against the opening when she tried gulping in a breath of air.

  Jase angled his mouth over hers, spearing his tongue between the full lips and sinking into her heat, sweeping her tongue along to play. His hand tightened on her hair, holding her there but knowing she wasn’t trying to move away, but closer to him while her body arched against the palm and mouth stroking and caressing her neck, her shoulders and lower, flowing over the satiny fabric.

  Brea groaned into the kiss, a fresh, wild heat flowing into her when she felt hips pressing into her from behind and from the front! So much pleasure sweeping through her she was positive it was a dream.

  “Sweet,” Nick whispered against her throat, his tongue trailing hotly down the slender column. “It’s like tasting candy,” he breathed, nipping her shoulder and letting his palm caress over her side to the edge of the top she wore.

  Hot, hungry fingers slid beneath the fabric, along her rips and to the front where they stroked ever so lightly on the full cup of her breast. Soft and learning the small 96

  swelling shape of her before taking her breast completely in his palm, the aroused nipple stroked and teased to a hard little pebble.

  “Beyond sweet,” Jase whispered against her mouth, breaking off the kiss and nudging her head to the side. He felt Nick shift and urged Brea to her back, both men groaning at the taut peaks of her breasts thrusting against the fabric for them.

  “A taste,” Nick moaned, pushing himself to his elbow over her before lowering his mouth to hers. Not a soft gentle touch, a burning hungry claiming, tasting Brea’s need and more: her acceptance of them.

  His palm replaced Jases’ in her hair, tender and stroking the soft thick strands, fingers caressing along her jaw while Jase let his hand push the top out of the way, small perfect mounds topped with pink, demanding little nipples. He shifted slightly, lowered himself and dragged his tongue over the nipple closest to him, his palm cupping the mound and squeezing.

  Brea lost herself in the cascading sensations.

  So many were flooding into her at once! Her back arched, pushing against the mouth suckling her breast while her own hand squeezed free to sink her fingers against Nick’s scalp. Soft, wild little pants were pulled free when he broke the kiss, leaving moist, hot kisses along her jaw.

  “Fuck,” came the hot whisper from Jase, his free palm sliding over her stomach and inside the bottoms of her tap set. His eyes lifted to meet the equally glazed look of his friend. “Smooth….silk all the way down,” he groaned, his fingers trailing along the slit between the swollen petals, creamy syrup meeting his touch.

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  He felt like he was on fire, each new taste, each little whimper from deep inside her fueling the flames. He was hard. Hell, he was beyond hard, the length of him pressed against her hip.

  Brea wanted to touch! She could feel them both, one pressing against her on either side. She tried moving her hands lower only to have her wrists grasp and pulled high above her head.

  “Oh, no beautiful…..you touch us right now and we’re as good as dead,” Nick whispered against her throat, his tongue licking a hot path along the crease where her shoulder met the column. Soft and sweet tasting, the possessive growl from deep inside him vibrated along her body and his.

  Us. The word registered in some far, hidden reaches of her mind.

  Her lips parted, gasping for breath at the same time she felt a long finger slide through, swirling softly at her opening, spreading her and continuing deeper. Slowly.

  Very slowing until she was positive she’d scream from wanting more.

  Nick watched the thick tawny lashes open, pale brown eyes edged with gold and calling out silently for more. He covered her mouth before she could either protest or make demands, his tongue surged forward to wrap around hers, pulling, stroking and arousing. Her body gave up a savage shudder, her back arching against Jase while her hips thrust forward when he eased two fingers inside her.

  She called to them. Their names whispering, pleading for more of their touch.

  They felt the heat and pleasure radiating from her, filling her and sweeping through them with a power they had only dreamt of being possible.

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  Brea felt her body like she had never known it before. Sensations crashed around her and over her. Part of her wanted to blame being unable to breathe. No oxygen to the brain, she whimpered, the edge right in front of her and held just out of her reach.

  It was the sound of a decidedly feminine voice that broke apart the delicately woven threads.

  If the loud ringing had registered in any of them, no sign was given until the voice spoke.

  Loud and irritated.

  “Jase? Nick! I k
now you’re there! It’s not even eight in the morning! Answer the phone, I need to talk to you! NOW!”

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  Chapter 11

  Brea’s eyes slammed wide and her body jerked upright, dislodging the hands and mouths exploring and arousing her body. Her head swiveled to take in the definitely aroused males; the tousled hair that she knew her hands had been involved with and the stark, open hunger in their eyes.

  “Oh-mi-god!”

  Breathing way too fast, she scrambled up and then down to the bottom of the bed, her head shaking wildly.

  “It was a dream!” She whispered fervently, wide eyes sweeping from one to the other. “What….how…..I don’t…..oh, god….”

  “Brea, take it easy, baby, it’s alright…” Jase moved slowly, reaching out for her at the same time Nick eased to sit up. Before either of them could make a move, her feet entangled in the blankets and she backed up again, tumbling over the end of the mattress and onto the floor.

  Nick swore softly and was up, moving to the end of the bed only to have her surge to her feet and run into the bathroom, the door closing loudly behind her. He brought two hands up and pushed a long breath between his lips.

  “That was….interesting….”

  “Interesting my ass. I’m killing Mariana first chance I get,” Jase growled furiously. “It’ll be a fucking mercy killing.” He threw the blankets to the bed and stormed to his own bathroom.

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  Nick blamed the caffeine and made a stop in the kitchen before heading to his bedroom to shower and get dressed. One of them would have to call Mariana and find out what was so important to call before eight on a Saturday morning.

  Brea leaned heavily against the bathroom door. Shoulders against it and refusing to look into the very large mirror above the double sink. She squeezed her eyes shut.

  She knew she was a very unbecoming shade of red at the moment.

  She’d been in bed with two delicious looking, yummy smelling males.

  She had two sets of hands all over her. ALL over her, she repeated as if that was necessary because her body was still humming happily from the whole experience.