He shrugged one heavy shoulder and pulled his hand from her thigh. “Joseph doesn’t know, but Samson’s foster parents are expecting us.”
She was so excited to see him again and hold him close. He was so precious, and the fact that he was still alive after several weeks was more than a miracle.
She reached for the car door handle, and hurried toward the house. Iain slipped smoothly in front of her, blocking her path. “There’s something you need to know before we go in.”
Was something wrong with Samson? Was he sick or dying like all the other half-Synestryn babies?
Fear sat in her stomach, cold and hard. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know. “What?”
“He’s not growing normally.”
She grabbed his arm to steady herself. This couldn’t be happening, not after he’d beaten the odds and survived.
Denial rose to Samson’s defense, protecting Jackie from her worst fears. “They can’t know yet. He’s only a few weeks old. There’s no way they can tell he’s not growing yet. Give him time.”
Iain’s hand smoothed over her hair in a comforting caress. “No, it’s not that. He’s growing, but he’s growing too fast. He’s not the infant you remember. I didn’t want you to be shocked when you saw him.”
“He’s too big?”
Iain nodded, cupping her shoulder. “I’m sure he’s exactly the size he’s supposed to be, but it’s not normal for a human. He may have been altered in some way so he would grow fast, or it may simply be a side effect of his parentage.”
While he was touching her, her fear for Samson was manageable. There was something about being near Iain that made the worst things seem not so bad.
She nodded her understanding, and then reached for his hand, threading her fingers through his. She needed to be strong for Samson, and if that meant clinging to Iain like some lovesick schoolgirl, then that’s what she’d do. “I want to see him, but we can’t stay long. It’s almost dark. I won’t draw any danger to him.”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
Hope spent all day hydrating and lounging in the sun, soaking up as much as she could. It sank into her cells, reviving them in a way she still didn’t understand. By the time dusk fell, she hurried back to the suite she shared with Logan.
She stripped out of her clothes and crawled into the bed next to him. It was still chilly outside, and his living heat curled around her, making her shiver. Even as deeply as he slept, he must have sensed her presence and turned to wrap his arms around her.
Hope stroked his arm, marveling at how his body had changed from the first time she’d met him. He’d been all gaunt angles and sharp bones, starving for sustenance. He’d been heart-stoppingly beautiful, but now he was even more so. Dense planes of muscles stood out under his smooth skin, tempting her fingers to roam over him, memorizing every ridge and hollow.
His breathing was deep and even, but as the sky darkened, he began to stir and waken.
She had to time this just right. If he was too sleepy, he couldn’t respond to her, but if waked fully, he would reject what she wanted. And Hope was determined to have her way in this. Grace’s life depended on it.
She draped herself over his naked body and rubbed herself against him. His cock twitched and hardened, and he let out a low moan of pleasure. She was already wet, having plotted out her seduction all day. A low buzz of arousal suffused her, making her feel weak and powerful all at the same time.
Hope fitted them together and rocked her hips, sliding him into her in slow, clinging thrusts. His breathing sped, and his lovely eyes began to flutter as he woke more.
Any second now, his brain would engage and his need to protect her would kick in. He’d fed from her only two days ago, and she knew he’d resist doing so again so soon for fear of hurting her. No matter how hard she argued with him that she was fine, that all it took for her to recover was a bit of time in the sun and some water, he still refused.
But not tonight. Tonight she was getting her way.
She tugged on his shoulders, urging him to sit up. He moved slowly, lacking his usual grace, but he did as she insisted.
Hope lowered herself onto him fully, loving the feel of him buried as deep as he could go inside of her. She cradled his head, bringing his mouth to her throat. “Drink,” she whispered.
Logan let out a low, animalistic growl, but kept his lips clamped shut.
What if she’d waited too long and he was already awake enough to know what he was doing?
It was hard to think with his erection stretching her, and the press of his body against hers. She’d thought she could keep her head better than this. They’d been together so many times since they’d met. It wasn’t as if this was something new.
“Please,” she said, using her fingers to ease his lips open. “I need it. Bite me.”
The growl deepened, vibrating her chest. A second later, she spun around and landed hard on the bed. Logan’s hips pumped, powering against her with deep, heavy thrusts. His teeth grazed her neck, and then a sharp pain made her gasp.
Logan’s mouth sealed over her skin as he drank, the slight suckling sensation making her head spin. His cock continued moving within her, driving away the ability to think. She let go, giving in to her body’s demands, and started moving in time with him.
Pleasure coiled inside of her, pulling tighter and tighter with each thrust, each suckling pull at her neck. She didn’t even bother to try to stop it. She let go and let her orgasm come, ricocheting inside of her.
The sound of her cries filled the room and Logan’s arms clenched around her as he drove deep. He let out a rough groan and came deep within her, filling her while the last pulsing waves of her own release eased.
Languid and sated, she lay there, enjoying the stroke of his tongue across her skin and the heat of their joined bodies.
“You manipulated me,” said Logan. He’d levered himself up on his arms and was staring down at her with a faint glow emanating from his pale eyes.
“Maybe a little. But I wasn’t lying. I needed you to do it.”
“Why?” His jaw was tense, bulging with anger.
“That woman I told you about? The one who sent me here? I remembered how to make contact with her using the Sentinel Stone, and I’m going to need your help.”
“You didn’t need to trick me to get it.”
“I did, and you know it. All of your efforts have been going into healing those children, ridding them of the poisoned blood flowing in their veins. You’re exhausted all the time. Don’t try to pretend otherwise.”
“I don’t want you to worry,” he said, stroking her hair away from her face. He was still hard inside of her, seemingly in no hurry to disengage their bodies.
He’d be moving away from her if he was truly mad, wouldn’t he? Or maybe he was doing it to distract her. There was no way a woman could think straight in this position. It simply wasn’t possible.
“You said messing with gateways was dangerous. I don’t want either of us too weak to do this, so I spent the day in the sun refueling so that both of us could be strong.”
His eyes scoured her face, looking at her with such love she still couldn’t believe how lucky she was. She’d never expected any man to love her the way Logan did—certainly not one built like a god.
“Let’s do this thing, then,” he said. “And then we’ll come back here where I can make love to you properly.”
She grinned at that. “Properly? Is there something wrong with what we just did?”
“Yes. You need kissing and foreplay and many more orgasms.” He moved off her and headed for the shower.
She didn’t dare follow him for fear he’d make good on his promise and they’d spend the rest of the night in bed. The sad truth was Grace might not have that long.
A few minutes later, Hope led Logan outside to the Sentinel Stone that had been recently located in the old Tyler building. It had taken a flatbed truck and the magic of several powerful women to get it into place
here, but it had been worth the effort. It looked right set among the trees and tranquillity here. It belonged.
“What are we going to do?” asked Logan.
Hope took the wooden amulet from around her neck—the one inscribed with her name. It had been the only item that had come through the gate with her. She hadn’t even had her memories to guide her, only this one thing that had offered more questions than answers.
Until she’d met Logan. He’d helped unlock the door to her past, allowing her to know who she was for the first time in years.
She rolled up the message she’d written and wrapped it up in the leather cord holding the amulet. “We’re going to crack open the gate and toss this in. With any luck, someone will find it and send help for Grace.”
He tucked her hair behind her ear and slid his fingers down over her throat in a heated caress. “Are you sure this is worth the risk?”
Hope nodded. “Grace is worth it.”
“She is, but are you sure that there’s some hope of finding her help in this way?”
“If that woman who sent me here is as powerful as I think she is, there’s a real chance she could create some kind of cure. All she has to do is toss it through the gate and we’ll be able to save Grace.”
Logan pulled in a deep breath and nodded. “As you wish, love.”
Chapter 15
Iain felt Jackie’s raging emotions pulsing through the luceria. She was excited and fearful, filled with hope and denial. She was no fool. She knew that Samson’s odds of surviving were low—not only because so many children like him had died within hours of their birth, but also because if he showed even the slightest sign of Synestryn tendencies, he would be caged or killed.
Her fingers trembled between his, and it brought out protective instincts he’d thought long dead. It was one thing to know it was his job to keep someone safe, but another thing entirely to want to do so. That desire had been gone for so long, it was hard to keep it in check.
He had no idea what was happening to him—whether his own emotions were being restored, or if he was simply borrowing some from Jackie—but whatever the case, he was finding it difficult to remember his duty beyond where she was concerned.
There was a potential demon breeding site not far from here. That’s where they should have gone, but he couldn’t control the urge to make her happy—to give her a chance to see the child she’d saved with her insight.
If Jackie hadn’t noticed that the sun seemed to drive away the Synestryn taint lingering inside Samson, chances were he’d already be dead. It seemed only fair that she get to visit with him and see with her own eyes how he fared.
Iain rapped on the door, and it opened to reveal a young man. He was clean-shaven, wearing a crisp button-up shirt and a loosened tie, as if he’d just gotten off work. “Yes?”
“I’m Iain Terra. This is Jackie Patton.”
The man’s face brightened with acknowledgment. “We’re expecting you. Come in.” He stepped back to make room for them to pass.
“I’m Will, and this is my wife, Dana.”
Dana rose from the couch. She was also young, pretty, and wearing rumpled sweats and a stained T-shirt. Weariness hung around her, but also an air of happiness. She offered them a tired smile. “We’re so glad you could come. Hold on. I’ll go grab Samson. I’m sure he’s awake by now.”
“Don’t wake him if he’s not,” said Jackie. “I don’t want to disturb him.”
Her fingers tightened around Iain’s, and he tried to send her comfort through their link. He didn’t know exactly how to do it, or if he was even capable of such things, but he had to try.
With every passing minute, anger grew within him. It wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been before his meeting with Tynan, but he felt it creeping in, swelling as time passed. For now he was able to think clearly and offer Jackie what she needed, but he wasn’t sure how long it would be until all he could think about was finding something to kill.
His days were numbered. He didn’t want to spend the last few he had fighting his rage, when he could spend them trying to help Jackie see that their world wasn’t so bad. That she belonged here.
“We’re so happy that Joseph decided to let us keep Samson. He’s brought so much joy to our lives,” said Will.
“So there are no signs that he’s evil?” asked Jackie.
Will hesitated. “He’s…different than most kids. As I told Iain, he’s growing fast. He eats a lot, and he seems to prefer meat to other foods.”
“Meat?” asked Jackie. “He’s way too young to be eating meat.”
Dana walked into the living room. A toddler walked beside her, wobbling on his feet.
Jackie’s shock blasted through their link, and a split second later, her body began to sag. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her against him to keep her on her feet.
“He’s so big,” whispered Jackie. “How is this possible?”
“Please,” said Dana, “watch what you say. He’s smart and picks up on the emotions of others too easily. If you’re upset, you’re going to upset him.”
“I’m sorry. I was just surprised.”
Samson stared up at them with bright blue eyes. Iain thought he saw a few specks of black flitter through Samson’s irises, but he couldn’t be sure without staring.
“You’ve made sure he gets plenty of exposure to sunlight?” asked Iain.
“Yes. Just as Joseph said. Samson likes it, so we play outside a lot. Will built us a greenhouse so we could be out there in the winter, too.”
Jackie looked at Dana, then back at Samson. The look on her face was one of awe and tenderness. “May I hold him?” she asked.
“That’s up to Samson.” Dana knelt down and asked the child, “Do you want to go see Miss Jackie?”
Samson looked at Jackie, then back at his foster mother. He nodded.
Jackie stepped forward, out of Iain’s arms. He didn’t like that she’d left, and he had to fight back a surge of irrational annoyance.
She held her arms out to Samson, waiting to see what he’d do.
He toddled into her embrace, and she hefted him up, grinning as she hugged him tight. A look of longing consumed her features, barely hidden by the joy beaming out of her. “You’ve gotten so big. I’ve missed you so much.”
Samson pulled back, gaze somber as he studied her face. His chubby hands patted her cheeks, and then he pointed at her eye, then at his.
“He remembers you,” said Dana.
“Of course he doesn’t. He was too little.”
“No, he’s telling you that he’s seen you before. It took us a while to work out his hand signals, but I’ve gotten pretty good at it now.”
“Do you remember me, Samson?”
Jackie’s eyes widened and she swayed slightly on her feet. Iain hurried forward and wrapped his arms around both of them so she wouldn’t fall over with the child.
“He…” Jackie trailed off, shock whitening her skin.
“It’s okay,” said Will. “It’s part of how he communicates. Don’t be afraid.”
“What did he do?” Iain demanded, struggling to keep his voice in control.
“I saw a flash from the night he was born. I saw my own face backlit by the sun.”
Dana nodded and pulled Samson out of Jackie’s grasp as if worried for his safety. “It’s what he saw that night. I told you he remembers you. He seems to remember everything.”
“Has he shown any signs that he’s dangerous?” asked Iain.
A second later, his mind filled with an image of him scowling, towering over Jackie while she held newborn Samson. He’d threatened to kill the child, thinking he was a demon, but Jackie had stayed his hand.
That night, Iain had been the dangerous one. He realized now how that had to have looked to Samson, so small and helpless—how afraid he must have been.
“He’s a good boy,” said Dana. “He’s different, but not evil. We’re raising him right.”
“I know you
are,” said Jackie. Then she looked at Samson. “I always knew you were a good boy from the moment I saw you. You’re going to make us all proud.”
Iain didn’t like it. The child was a risk, or at the very least an unknown. He couldn’t let Jackie linger here. Night was falling, and it was no longer safe. For any of them.
“We should go now. It’s getting dark, and we still have work to do.”
Jackie nodded and leaned over to kiss Samson on the cheek. She pointed at his eye, and then at her own. “I’ll see you again soon.”
They left the modest house and went back out into the cold. Jackie hugged herself, and he could feel a wistful sadness radiating out from her. He wanted to wash it away, but there was nothing he could think to do.
Once they were in the car, she said, “Thank you. For bringing me here. It’s good to know that he’s okay.”
“It made you sad.”
She was quiet as he pulled out of the driveway and onto the road. “It made me wish I’d been able to keep him. I’ve missed so much in such a short time. He’s already walking. He’ll be talking any day now, at this rate. I hate that I wasn’t a part of that, you know?”
“He remembered you.”
She smiled, shaking her head. “He did. It’s hard to believe, but he did.”
“He’ll remember this visit, too.”
“So will I.” Jackie looked out the side window, leaning her head against the glass. “I’m not going to let Joseph stop me from seeing him again. I’m not going to let that child think that I don’t want to be a part of his life.”
“Even if it’s dangerous? We have no idea what he’s going to grow up to be, or what he’s capable of now, even.”
“I don’t care. I understand that Joseph doesn’t want to risk having him inside Dabyr, but he gets no say over what risks I take on my own.”
“What about me? Do I get a say?” he asked, knowing it was stupid to even hope for such things.
She turned toward him. “Do you think he’s evil?” she asked.
“Evil is not something you are—it’s what you do.” It had to be, or Iain was a giant hypocrite for not killing himself long ago, the way he did with other soulless creatures. “As long as his actions are good, then he deserves to live.”
Dying Wish: A Novel of the Sentinel Wars Page 18
