by Bonnie Vanak
His thumbs dug in a little harder. “Too late for what? Where’s the Orb? Don’t tell me you gave it to those bastards or I’ll—”
“No! I hid it. They won’t get near it, I promise. It’s safe now. Now it’s safe.” Tears streamed down the Fae’s face. “Please, let me go. I only wanted to protect it. There are things you don’t understand, forces at work….”
“Tell me.”
Pedestrians neared the window and then headed for the door. Matt released the Fae, who gasped and rubbed his throat. He called for Sienna.
“Sienna, let’s go. We’re done here.” He gave the Fae an even look as he took the shopping bag. “For now. I’ll be back.”
Soon as they exited the shop, Tim slammed the door behind them. A shade rattled. On the shade was printed the words Shop Closed.
As the tourists left with disappointed looks, Sienna frowned. “There’s something here.” She pointed to the words on the shade.
“Can you make it out?”
Her brow wrinkled in concentration. “It’s Old Sidhe. It says…”
“Don’t say it aloud,” he murmured. Matt glanced up and down the street. A heavy malevolence hung in the air, though the sun burned bright in the cerulean sky. Yet he felt that something was off.
They were being watched, and standing here made them targets. Matt touched the glass. “Shop closed,” he said loudly. “Damn it, you’d think this was one of them foreign countries where they take siestas all afternoon. Can you read the fine print saying when he’ll open again? Left my glasses back at the room with Sue Ellen. Maybe we can come back earlier than the jeweler said he’d meet us. When did he say he’d meet us again?”
Sienna playfully pulled the rim of his hat down. “Midnight, Jim Bob. Our appointment’s for midnight, after he gets that lovely gold ring finished. Let’s return to the hotel so you both can tour the cathedral before dinner.”
But she trembled slightly, like a leaf caught in the wind. He wanted to slide a protective arm about her waist, kiss away the fear shadowing her eyes. But if he did, he might be tempted to never let go.
Instead, he gave a reassuring wink.
As they exited the street and hit the sidewalk leading to their hotel, Sienna relaxed. The air of thick menace had vanished. Matt heard her small, relieved sigh.
He wanted to hold her hand, something he hadn’t done in a long time with a woman. As they went to cross the street, he took her palm. She glanced up with a look of surprise, and then she smiled.
It felt good, having her close. For a long moment, he could imagine they were just another couple out for a day’s enjoyment.
A normal couple. Tightness compressed his chest. Yeah, right. With pyro demons and Darksider Fae at their heels. Nothing was normal. Or ever could be, with his life.
Chapter 6
Upstairs in their room, Sienna sat on the bed fumbling with her hair. Pins rained down on the neat spread. She ruffled her long locks and plucked at her dress.
“I hate this,” she muttered. “I hate this dress, hate this look. Everything Fae and natural, for what? We live for a code of honor and, seeing Tim, he violated it and took everything I believe and trusted in as a lie.”
At her hurt expression, his heart gave a small twist. “You can’t judge an entire people on the basis of one bad Fae, especially him.”
Moss-green eyes regarded him with sorrow. “Just like I’ve judged the Draicon? And you’ve judged my people, as well.”
Matt recoiled from the truth, rubbed his chin as if she’d sucker punched him. “Yeah, you’re right. It’s easy to find blame, see everything in black and white. Guess we’re both wrong.”
She gave a little sigh. “I don’t understand. Tim had everything. He was highly regarded for his craft, he loved nature, he protected the wildlife. And now he’s forsaken everything. He can never go back. He belonged. It was his by right and he threw it away. I’d have given everything to have what he took for granted. He left, and everything that is Fae about him is gone. Even the Old Sidhe…I couldn’t read it. His scrawling was too obscure, I’m sure that’s why I had trouble deciphering it.”
He let her talk, let her get it out, knowing she needed to process and deal. When she fell silent, he sat beside her, the bed dipping beneath his weight. “Tell me what you read on the sign.”
“‘Come back at ten. Tonight.’ That’s why I said midnight aloud, in case anyone was listening.”
“Good thinking,” he said quietly. “What else?”
“‘Come back when there…are no more objects upon me.’”
“Objects? Translation, please.”
She tapped her face. “Eyes.”
They had been watched, and Tim knew it. The Fae wanted them back. Wanted to talk when he wasn’t being watched. Something else was at stake. Maybe the poor bastard realized he was dancing with the devil and was getting a little too close to the fire.
Literally.
She hugged her knees. “How could he desert his people?”
He touched the edge of her dress, rubbing the cotton fabric between thumb and forefinger.
“Maybe he needed something more. I understand that. Sometimes family can be a bit restrictive.”
“But they’re your family! Your people… Tim’s all alone. I sensed it about him—he had this air of loneliness. A lone wolf. I hate what he did, taking the Orb, but I feel sorry for him. He’s miserable.”
“He’s terrified.”
Sienna rested her cheek on her knees. “He’s in trouble, and he knows it. And he has no one to turn to. No family. I’d have given anything to have the complete acceptance he had. And he threw it away.”
“I know,” he said softly. “It hurt when they ostracized you.”
The misery on her face tugged a soft spot deep inside. Couldn’t help it. He wanted to comfort her.
“It felt like someone shoved me off a cliff. I had a cabin, a job they found for me and a life, but no sense of place or people. No acceptance. Everyone longs for acceptance. You have your team. I think they’re more a part of you than your Draicon heritage.”
Her insight hit him like a hard punch. She was right. He’d subtly turned his back on his family, his pack, and fully embraced the SEAL lifestyle. Hell, he relied these days more on his sidearm than shifting into wolf. If he didn’t have the guys, his unit, what would he do?
How would it feel to lose everything as she had?
“The worst thing in the world is to be alone. Like the last of a species dying from extinction. I have to get the Orb. I have to show my colony that I fit in and belong to them.”
“And what about your other half? You’re partly Draicon. Don’t give up on your wolf side. There’s good and bad about both sides.”
Sienna said nothing. Her sadness sliced through him. He had to make her smile again, forget about that bastard Tim and what he’d done. That Tim had blithely thrown away his birthright and his rightful acceptance, something she desperately craved.
The shopping bag rustled in his hands as he plucked out the gift box. Matt handed it to her.
“This is for you.”
A questioning look in her eyes, she undid the ribbon and lifted the lid. Sienna stared into the box. She lifted out the purse with a gasp. Sienna stroked the beading. A glow lit her face and it seemed to immerse her entire body. She looked up with an expression of utter joy.
“Thank you, oh, thank you! Why did you do it?”
He sat on the bed. “I bought it for you. Because you liked it. And you were so sad. I only wanted to make you smile again.”
Damn, he hadn’t meant to reveal that. But the shining gratitude in her eyes and the wide smile she gave him was worth it. Long, satiny hair spilled over one slender shoulder. Sienna set the purse down.
“It’s a lovely gift. Thank you, Matt. No one has ever bought me anything I ever wanted before.” Moisture glistened in her green eyes. “No one has ever done anything so nice for me.”
“Ever?” he asked, incredulous.
“No one else cared. You’re so different. You notice things. You’re not like the others, lost in your own world.” Her voice deepened to a husky whisper. “You make me feel so alive.”
She leaned forward and he caught the intoxicating scent of her, all female and warm skin. The fragrance made him heady, sent blood rushing to parts much lower. The wolf inside him growled in approval.
Couldn’t help it. Matt cupped her face, gently thumbing her cheek, relishing the silky texture. He lowered his head, watching her soft, wide mouth part.
An invitation. Never one to refuse such a tempting offer, he took the plunge.
Her mouth was soft and delicious, tasting of ripe berries. He kept the pressure light, wanting to accustom her to his touch and scent. When her mouth moved against his, he increased the kiss, licking the inside of her mouth, stroking delicately against her seeking tongue.
One kiss wasn’t enough. Never enough. Not even dozens of kisses. He wanted his mouth over her sweet skin, the taste of her on his tongue. Watching as her big green eyes grew smoky with passion, her arms stretched out to welcome him.
He wanted to have sex with her. In the bed. On the floor. Bend her over against the desk and take her as a wolf did, again and again, hearing her cry out with pleasure. As her lush breasts pressed against him, need became a wild, clawing thing. Reaching beneath her, he squeezed her bottom and lifted, bringing her closer. Sienna rubbed herself against him, making frustrated sounds. Her hips rose and fell with frantic urgency.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I know what you need,” he soothed.
Thrusting a hard thigh between her legs, he rubbed against her, knowing the friction would increase her pleasure. Her skirts draped around her like a flower. Thin silk scraped against his jeans, the sound driving him wild. Matt stopped and she moaned. “More,” she begged.
But he let her set the pace. Sienna rocked against him, making little moaning sounds that drove him crazy. Heat from her body inflamed his desire. He wanted to touch her all over, feel her satiny skin beneath his hands. Let her grow used to a man’s body, gentling her with his touch.
Seducing her would be easy; she was becoming more aroused. But he didn’t want seduction. Not with Sienna. Not loving her and leaving her. Deep inside, he needed something more lasting, more permanent and emotionally fulfilling. Even though nothing about his life was stable.
He wanted a long, slow loving, showing her every exquisite pleasure he could teach her.
He dropped tiny, hot kisses over her throat. Desire drove him now, his muscles locked tight and tensed. Sienna raised her face, her eyes sleepy with desire, passion flushing her face.
Oh, he could give her more. Much more.
Then she unfastened the tiny buttons on her dress and pulled it down, revealing the white lace of her bra. Making a pleased sound, he cupped her breasts and squeezed lightly. Matt slipped the satin straps off her shoulders. Golden with the light, her skin seemed luminous and begging for him to touch.
Sienna unfastened her bra, letting it fall. He stared at the perfection of her breasts, with their coppery nipples, hard as pearls. From beneath her long, dark lashes, she darted him a shy look.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said thickly.
Marveling at the silky perfection, he took a nipple between his thumb and forefinger and massaged. Sienna threw her head back on a low moan, her hands braced on his thigh. Couldn’t resist. He lowered his head and took her nipple into his mouth. She gasped, the shock of contact making her draw away at first, but as he suckled her, she drew closer, fisting her hands in his hair. Closing his eyes, he flicked his tongue expertly, enjoying her whimpers, the exquisite taste of her. It would take so little to lay her down and spread her thighs open, taste her much lower….
He was a Draicon male, filled with the instinct to claim and conquer. The primitive wolf urged him to mate. As the heady scent of her arousal flooded his nostrils, a low, possessive growl rumbled in his throat. Matt tried to choke it back. Too late.
She went rigid, her heart beating fast. Not with sexual excitement. Fear. He caught the scent threading through her sweet fragrance.
He released her breast with a slow pop, drew back. “Sienna,” he murmured. “You okay? Don’t be scared, sweetheart. It’s only natural.”
For a wolf… But not for a Fae.
Sienna licked her mouth, swollen from his possessive kisses. Apprehension clouded her gaze. Scrambling backward, she yanked at her bra and her dress and then sprang off the bed. The bathroom door slammed behind her.
He punched a pillow, hard, sending feathers flying, sexual excitement tightening his body to the point of pain. His cock throbbed, his balls ached.
“Thanks,” he muttered to his wolf.
The animal inside him whined in hard disappointment. Next time, he’d use his brain, not his other organ. He wanted her badly, so much his hands shook.
But the hard facts couldn’t be denied. She hated Draicon wolves, especially males. And he was a red-blooded, very powerful male Draicon in his sexual prime longing to mate. He represented everything dangerous to Sienna’s life.
Matt rubbed the back of his neck. Never had he lost sexual control like this. It was the pretty Fae with the red, wet mouth and the beguiling sensuality simmering just below the surface.
Getting close to Miss Sienna McClare threatened more than loss of his common sense. He was dipping dangerously close to a precipice.
He was starting to care for her. And he could not afford to care for any woman, let anyone into his heart.
Especially not a Fae who denied her Draicon half, and wanted nothing to do with his world.
* * *
Dinner was strained, neither of them saying much. Though the beef burrito was excellent and the rice seasoned just right, she ate little. Sienna seemed shaken by the intimacy of what happened. Hell, he was shaken, as well. He’d never felt anything so right, so perfect. Sex for him was a necessity, fulfilling his body’s urgent needs.
Not this head-spinning sensation of craving and wanting her so badly he felt like he’d die without having her.
Now as they walked to Tim’s shop, he regretted her insistence on accompanying him. His instincts screamed danger. Even though Sienna had tossed up a glamour of an elderly couple enjoying a twilight stroll and window-shopping, it wasn’t enough. The need to keep her safe overwhelmed him. And with every step that brought them closer to the store, his senses screamed to send her back to the hotel.
Streetlamps glowed with a soft golden light. Matt tensed as they drew near. The street was empty. Something foul and thick clogged the air, making him want to gag.
Sienna held a hand to her nose. “Sweet mercy, what is that?”
“I don’t know.” He gently pushed her behind him, every nerve alert. “Stay behind me.”
The door to the shop was closed, the shade still drawn, now on both the door and the display window, the lights out. The stench grew stronger. Adrenaline pumped through his body. He turned and looked at Sienna.
“I’m going in. No matter what happens, stay here. If you feel threatened or see anything wrong, call 911.”
“This isn’t a police matter.”
“Do it,” he ordered.
“Wait. You’re not going in as wolf? Isn’t that safer?”
He didn’t answer. Matt drew out his weapon. He touched the door’s bottom with the toe of his boot.
It creaked open. Awareness shot through him with knifelike precision.
“Be careful,” she whispered.
He nodded and pushed the door open wide.
Glass crunched beneath his boot heels. Through a pall of smoke, he saw smashed display cases, their contents emptied onto the floor. Exquisite, expensive jewelry lay in a pile, ripped apart as if by strong hands. The walls were slightly blackened, soot covering them. His wolf shrank back with the odor of acrid smoke, something dark and foul….
Burned flesh.
Matt sidestepped, checked the corner, cupping h
is pistol. The stench was stronger in back. Through a fog of smoke, he saw something on the floor. A large shape, clawlike fingers curled up, back arched to the sky.
Tim. What was left of him.
He coughed and resisted the urge to retch.
Then the smoke cleared a little and he saw the words scrawled on the floor by the body.
Feau teinl.
Senses screaming with awareness, he quickly searched the store. Not wanting to leave Sienna alone, he exited the shop.
In the dimming light, her eyes were huge.
“Tim?” Her face was pale as moonlight. Matt steeled himself, holstered his pistol and placed his fingers on her trembling, slight shoulders.
“He’s dead.”
Matt scanned the street. Whoever did it could still linger, watching the store to glimpse new arrivals. Demons couldn’t read Old Sidhe, but they wouldn’t desert the shop. They were nearby, watching…
Waiting.
A shadowy figure hovered in the doorway of a store across the narrow street. Matt’s nostrils flared. He pushed Sienna behind him. “Get back to the hotel. Now. Use that glamour of yours and disguise yourself.”
“But you—”
“I’ll be fine. Go.”
When she’d cleared the street and made it to the parallel side street, she shifted into the form of a teenager with wild pink hair. Good girl, he thought silently.
In the reflection of the store window, he saw his own glamour fade, replaced by a tall man dressed in black jeans, black T-shirt and black leather jacket.
Then he turned toward the shadows. The figure stepped out into a soft pool of light cast by a streetlamp.
A woman with long, red hair and a sultry air about her lithe body. Dressed in a long mink coat, she gave a little smile.
His keen hearing picked up an odd vibration. A distant, but irritating wheeze, like a bellows billowing air into a…
“Fire,” he breathed. “Hellfire.”
She lifted her hands, and was breathing hard. Not so fast. He was across the street and on her before she could raise her hands to blast him.
But no heat filled her body. She was cold, long since extinguished. Matt pushed an arm beneath her throat, pinning her to the brick wall. The redhead panted, yellow ringing her eyes growing wider.
