Dead Again

by Lisa Andel

  "Rafe,” I cried, as he started powering his cock inside my sheath.

  "Mine,” he growled, his teeth finding my shoulder, his fangs sinking into my flesh.

  "Yours.” I ground my hips against him, and felt my muscles clutch his shaft.

  I was shortly reduced to wordless moans as the pleasure drew tighter and tighter within me. I felt my muscles bearing down on him, and he groaned as my cunt clenched, then released, and a wash of cum flooded over him.

  He drove his hips hard against me, crushing the head of his cock against my womb, holding it there until he started spewing his seed. He continued stroking into me after that, as we came again and again.

  When he was finally spent, he dropped his weight onto my body, releasing my shoulder. I cradled him between my legs, my arms around his back, as our hearts began to slow.

  He moved beside me, and pulled my back tight against his chest. His hand splayed across my stomach.

  "I'm not done with you yet,” he told me. He wasn't lying. Over the next several hours he took me every way a man can take a woman.

  By the time he finally let me rest, I was covered in our combined fluids, but too exhausted to do anything about it.

  I started getting an idea on how the big cats killed their lovers when Rafe fucked me awake, then took me again in the shower, and again against the sink, after the shower.

  I made it to my closet, and had started rummaging through my clothes, when he tumbled me to the bed.

  "Rafe, what has gotten into you?” I laughed. I was sore, but it was a wonderful soreness.

  "Babe, this is natural for me.” He nuzzled my neck as he raised one of my legs, bent it at the knee, and pressed it back against the mattress.

  He nibbled along the sensitive flesh under my jaw, as he flexed his hips, and drove his cock into me. He found a place on my neck that pleased him, and settled in to suck on it. I had so many love bites by now, I looked like I'd been in an accident.

  He made quick work of bringing us to orgasm, his extended climaxes lasting, this time, for a short ten minutes, as opposed to the ones that could reach half an hour.

  When I came back to myself, I remembered I had to make a restock at Quaker that day.

  O.K., not the most romantic thought.

  "Can I get dressed now?” I arched my eyebrow at Rafe.

  He adopted a contemplative expression, and I punched him in the arm.

  "I have a restock due at Quaker, and I need to get some groceries."

  "Will you be buying meat?” he leered at me.

  "Yes, lots of meat.” I was actually planning on buying a lot of meat anyway, since everyone that came over ate mostly that.

  "Well, then, what are you waiting for?” He rolled to his feet, and began looking around for his clothes.

  I decided on a soft, layered dress that had an asymmetrical hemline that rode high on one thigh and fell to my knee on the other.

  I picked out some of the newest experiments I'd been working on, as well as several pieces that I knew would be a hit, then called the shop to make sure Victoria was going to be there.

  Rafe followed me down the stairs, then made me wait, while he checked outside for lurking danger.

  When he was satisfied, he led me to his truck. He tucked my bag in the extended part of the cab, made sure I buckled my seatbelt, then keyed the ignition.

  When we got to the shop, he once again made me wait while he checked out our surroundings. I was getting tired of the procedure already, and said so. He ignored me.

  He insisted on coming with me, and staying with me, while I showed Victoria the items I'd brought.

  I could barely get Victoria to pay attention to the jewelry with Rafe in the room.

  "Are you a friend of Lisa's?” Victoria cooed at him.

  "I'm her lover."

  I thought of Rafe fucking Victoria, and got a sense of what he must have felt like over Tyr, and Ash. I didn't know if he knew about Trend.

  When we were leaving, he tried to make me stay behind the door while he checked outside. I just followed him out. At least he didn't lecture me, just opened the door and shoved me into the truck.

  "Can we stop somewhere and get something to eat?” I was starving, and I figured he was too.

  "Where did you have in mind?"

  The Dare popped into my mind, but I didn't want to risk running into Tyr there.

  "How about Dugan's?"

  "Haven't been there. Is it other?"

  "Lots of were types hang out there; they have your basic meat-based menu."

  I directed him to the bar, and even let him open the truck door for me when we got there.

  He kept his hand on the small of my back as we entered, his eyes scanning the crowd. He nodded at a few people that he recognized.

  "Hey Lise, where you been?” A wolf I knew through Ash waved his beer at us.

  "Been busy.” I smiled at him, letting him believe what he would.

  Rafe guided me to a booth, then sat on the same side with me, nudging me over with his hip. He dropped an arm behind me, the heat of his body warming, almost stifling me. This being claimed stuff was going to take some getting used to. It was kind of nice, but then again, also kind of a pain in the ass.

  A waitress with big hair, big boobs, and a tiny outfit, came over to our table. I felt immediately better about Rafe when he didn't ogle the woman, even though she was tipping her upper body in his direction.

  "A Guinness and a glass of Chablis. And could we see a menu?” Rafe looked at me as he ordered. I dropped my hand on his thigh, and stroked it lightly. He shifted as the crotch of his pants tightened.

  The waitress glared at me.

  "Why's she glaring at me?” I asked Rafe when the woman left the table.

  "She's were, you're not.” Rafe leaned closer to me. “She can't believe a simple human could ever satisfy a were."

  I wondered if Rafe felt that way. I removed my hand from his thigh, suddenly unsure of myself.

  He kissed me, then whispered in my ear.

  "You're no simple human.” He brushed his lips over my ear. “You, my love, are the hottest fuck I've ever had."

  Our drinks were smacked down on the table in front of us. Then menus were thrown down beside them.

  Rafe looked at the table to see if she'd spilled our drinks, then looked at her. I couldn't see his expression, but her attitude changed from surly to submissive. She backed away from the table, a soft apology on her lips.

  Rafe ordered enough food for six people, or at least I thought so, when it all arrived.

  "Eat up, you'll need the energy later,” he said, leering at me.

  I dug in. The food here was basic, but very tasty. Before I knew it, Rafe had consumed most of the food on the table. I ogled his long, lean body, then looked back at the rapidly disappearing food.

  I was finishing off my own plate, when Rafe stiffened beside me. I glanced up to see what had caught his attention. Angel was just sliding into the booth across from us.

  Rafe leaned casually back against the booth, and rubbed my shoulder.

  "What do you want, Angel?"

  Angel's stare tracked over Rafe, then down his arm to me.

  "I have some information that I think the two of you will be interested in."

  Rafe didn't say anything for a long moment.

  "And what do you want for this information?"

  Angel smiled. It chilled me to see that smile on Angel's face. His eyes, usually icy, burned as he looked at me.

  "I have a friend that would like to meet Lisa."

  "She's mine."

  Angel turned his smile on Rafe.

  "He doesn't want to fuck her."

  Rafe didn't give any outward indication that Angel's words affected him, but I felt him tense, coil. He was close to attacking the man across from us.

  "We'll pass."

  Angel's smile widened. “I don't think you want to do that."

  "I think we do.” Rafe made it clear with his tone that t
he conversation was over.

  Angel shrugged, slid out of the booth, then turned and looked at me. “I'll be seeing you soon.” Then he sauntered away.

  I looked at Rafe.

  "Evidently we'll find out shortly what it's about."

  We stayed for another drink, wondering if whatever was about to happen would happen here, or when we left.

  Rafe was more alert then I'd ever seen him. He had electrical energy running through him that was humming across my nerves.

  He kept close to me as we exited the bar and walked across the parking lot to his truck. One of the security lights was out, casting the area where we were parked in darkness. Rafe muttered a curse. We were nearly to the truck, when Rafe jumped behind me.

  I saw a yellow flash of light, and heard Rafe grunt, then I was spun around as a flash of pain sprayed across my shoulder. The night exploded in a blue-white flare and an unearthly scream rent the air.

  I dropped to my knees beside Rafe. He'd been hit, and was bleeding badly.

  "Ashur!” I screamed. It was the first thought that came to my mind.

  "Rafe, Rafe, can you hear me?” I tried to peel my dress off to use as a bandage, but my left arm wasn't working. My shoulder had gone numb, so I tugged and wrenched the fabric until I had it in my hands. I pressed it against his side, where he'd taken most of the hit for me, and leaned my weight against it.

  Then Ash was there. He gently moved my hands aside, and studied Rafe's wound.

  His fingers began weaving a spell, and the lines of Rafe's face relaxed.

  "He'll be all right,” Ash said to me.

  "What happened?"

  "Sorceress."

  I waited for Ash to tell me more.

  He continued working over Rafe. As I watched, the bleeding slowed, then stopped. The flesh knit itself together, turning from raw ragged edges to the soft pink color of newly healed flesh.

  Rafe opened his eyes, and shared a look with Ash. An understanding of some kind passed between the two men. Ash smiled solemnly, then moved away.

  "I've taken care of the witch. You won't be having any more trouble with her."

  No one else had ventured into the parking lot, and I wondered about that.

  Rafe levered himself off the ground, noticed I was standing there in my bra and panties, looked down at his own shirt, and realized it wouldn't help.

  Ash placed his hand on my shoulder, his eyes widening when he felt the damage I'd sustained.

  I felt the heat of his power surge through me.

  "I didn't know you could be injured.” I hadn't known it either. “You're either alive and unhurt, or dead."

  "It didn't hurt. Well, not enough to count."

  "Huh.” He walked with us the rest of the way to Rafe's truck. “I'll see you two at Lisa's.” Then he disappeared.

  Rafe made me wait in the truck, once again, when we got to my place.

  "Really, Rafe, I don't know why you do that, I'm not the one that can be killed."

  He just glared at me, and pulled me into the building.

  He hauled me all the way to my secure room, then over to the kitchen table, before he eased his grip on my wrist. He shoved me down into a chair, then took the one next to me.

  Ash had already set out drinks for us.

  I glanced down at my body, wondering why Rafe wasn't bothered by the fact I sat there in my undies.

  "Tell us.” Rafe said to Ash with an almost hostile tone to his voice.

  Ash just raised an eyebrow at him. Then he took a long drink from his beer. He set it down, carefully, and let his eyes play over my upper body.

  Rafe glanced at me, blinked, then narrowed his eyes.

  "Christ.” He stormed away from the table, grabbed my robe, stormed back, and dropped it into my lap.

  "What's with you?” I grumbled, as I put the robe on.

  He got right in my face, his eyes glowing. “Like you don't know."

  "Was something fried in your brain when you took that hit?"

  "Ash!” He practically yelled at me.

  "What about Ash?"

  "You expect me to believe you don't know what he is?"

  "Yes. Because I don't,” I yelled back at him.

  He rose out of his chair, and braced his arms on either side of me. His lips curled back, exposing his fangs.

  "You've practically lived with the man for thirteen years!"

  "Rafe, I was seven, my mother had just died. He took me in. I didn't question it. I never thought about what he was. He was just someone who cared about me."

  Rafe lowered his face to within an inch of mine. “You never wondered why you died when you fucked him, but you didn't die when you fucked the dragon?” His voice was toneless.

  I shivered, a strange apprehension coming over me.

  "What are you saying, Rafe?"

  He inhaled. Then he leaned in close to my neck and inhaled again. When he looked back into my face, his expression had softened.

  "So, what's it like to fuck a god?” He sat back in his chair and lifted his bottle to his lips.

  I frowned. Then my gaze shot to Ash. Ash was looking at me without emotion, his eyes a blank.

  "You're a god?"

  He kept still, his eyes flitted to Rafe, then back to me.

  "In a manner of speaking,” he finally said.

  "Care to explain that to me?” I knew my voice was rising as I spoke.

  "I'm a god. So what. He's a panther. You don't stay dead. It's what we are.” He shifted in his seat, looking uncomfortable.

  I turned to Rafe. “How'd you know?"

  "I was dying there in the parking lot. He brought me back. Aren't too many others powerful enough to do that. It was the—feel—of his power that narrowed it down for me."

  "Shit.” I didn't know what to think of Ashur being a god.

  "Well,” I said as I looked at the man that I considered my best friend, and felt a little ... betrayed.

  "I didn't mean for you to find out this way, Lisa.” Ash leaned his elbows on the table. “I planned to tell you, why we—couldn't be lovers, because of what I am.” He riffled his fingers through his hair. “Oh, hell, I'm making a mess of this."

  Rafe was smiling at his discomfort.

  "That's why you thought I wouldn't come back.” I breathed out.

  He just nodded.

  I could tell when Rafe caught on to what I was referring to.

  "If I could, I would kill you for that,” he told Ash.

  It suddenly occurred to me that Rafe would be dead without Ashur. All the hurt I'd been feeling at not being told before, about what he was, bled right out of me.

  I fisted my hands in the remnants of Rafe's shirt, and twisted his body toward mine. I caught his mouth with mine, rising off of my chair, and straddling his hips while I worked my tongue into his mouth. He hesitated, at first, then placed a hand at the back of my head, another around my middle. Then he pulled me tight, and kissed me in return.

  When I let him up for air, he was purring.

  "What the hell was that for?"

  "You could be dead now.” I didn't know what I was feeling, but I knew I was glad he wasn't dead. “I suddenly realized that. I ... I...” I trailed off.

  "You're glad I'm not?” he supplied for me.

  "Yeah.” I leaned against him. “If you killed Ash, he wouldn't be around anymore to keep you from dying."

  Rafe sighed, but relented. “You're right."

  Ash cleared his throat.

  Rafe met his eyes over my shoulder.

  "We still need to talk about what happened tonight."

  Rafe nudged me, and I moved back to my chair.

  "The sorceress was one Loretta Sproud. She had her sights set on Tyr.” Ash eyed me. “She got wind of you, and the fact that Tyr intended to claim you for a mate. Pissed her off. She came after you. She's the one that got you in the courtyard."

  "Will she try again?” Rafe's hand wrapped around my thigh.

  Ash grinned, a wicked half grin. “She
's unable. Permanently."

  Rafe and I both breathed a sigh of relief.

  "What about the dragons? Are they going to lay off too?"

  Ash grimaced. “Dragons can be so very stubborn.” He took a long swallow of his beer.

  "Does he have the right? Questionable. As I've said, the council is fairly lenient where dragons are concerned. They have such a difficult time finding women that don't burst into flames they're often given preference.

  "For now, you should stay in the house. If the dragons can't get to you, they might eventually tire of trying."

  "Ash!” I was reduced to whining. I hated forced confinement.

  He just gave me a stern look.

  Ash departed a short while later. I was drained. Rafe and I took a quick shower, then we crawled into bed.

  He molded me to his chest, his hands drifting softly over my back. It soothed me, and I relaxed against him.

  "I am such a fuck-up,” I whispered.

  "No, you're not. A little innocent perhaps, but not a fuck-up.” His hands continued to soothe me.

  I pressed my lips against his neck in little kisses. Then I licked him, because I wondered what he tasted like. I mean, I knew what his cock tasted like, and what his chest tasted like, but I couldn't ever remember tasting his neck.

  I felt his cock stir. He stroked his hands down to my ass, and held me in place, while he pressed his growing erection against me.

  I licked my way up to his jaw, then kissed a path along his jaw to his mouth. Our lips met with equal fervor, our tongues tangling as his fingers sank into my ass.

  He broke the kiss, breathing hard.

  "On your knees,” he ordered, physically turning me, and helping me into position. He growled as he hovered over my body, his cock prodding me.

  "Are you mine?” His voice rasped in my ear.

  "Yes,” I breathed, my anticipation building.

  He prodded my opening, but didn't enter. Then he lowered himself over my back, his hot breath raising gooseflesh on my neck.

  "Ready?"

  I wanted to smack him. “Fuck me, for God's sake.” I would have shoved myself back onto his cock if he didn't have such an iron grip on my waist.

  I was panting, on the verge of screaming, when he finally speared his way in.

  "Ahhhhhh.” God, he filled me up.

  He started pumping, hard and wild from the start. He clamped down on my shoulder in a wicked grip, much tighter then he'd ever held me before.