by Lia Davis
Her Spartan entered the room, his beautiful eyes roaming her body. Instantly, she wanted him touching her, over her. "You're still dressed."
"So are you," she countered with a smile. "Come here, let's do something about that."
Under his black suit jacket, he wore a button up, pale blue shirt and black slacks. She'd never seen him dressed up like this. He was breathtaking. "I'm glad we'll have pictures of tonight. I'm going to frame them and put them everywhere."
His lips covered hers and he pulled back just enough to speak. "Can we talk about decorating later?" The sensation of the zipper lowering down her back was followed by the dress pooling at her feet.
Not taking her eyes from his, she unbuttoned his shirt with shaky fingers. While she pushed it off his shoulders, he unfastened his pants and pushed them off. Then in one fluid move, he scooped her off her feet and carried her to the bed.
He came over her, his long hair falling forward in a beautiful, silver cascade. "I want you. Not sure I can be gentle right now." The gruffness in his voice sent every nerve in her body to tingle.
"I don't want gentle. Not this time." Rachel accentuated her statement by wrapping her long legs around his waist.
The meeting of their mouths was all heat and hunger, as if they'd not been together in forever. So much desire filled her, she began to shake needing him.
"Rod." It was all she could say. Thankfully, the message was clear. The pronunciation of his name, although so rough on her lips, sounded erotic in her ears.
The nudging of his penis at her entry shot arrows of heat through her, pooling at her core. Rachel lifted her hips just as he thrust in.
"Yes! Please..." his mouth covered hers and his tongue dove in. Taking her completely as he pulled out of her and pushed back in.
She clutched first at his shoulders then needing more, slid her hands down his broad back and dug her fingernails into the taut skin of his butt.
Roderick was lost; the only reaction to her pleas and nails biting into this skin was to move faster and deeper. His thickness filled her completely before pulling out, leaving a trail of need. Overwhelming her every sense, his movements combined with the beauty of the man, Rachel let go, unable to process it all. She screamed and flailed, unable to see anything other than the bursting of lights behind her eyelids.
On he continued, thrusting and pulling in and out continuing through her climax, the friction of it sending her, once again, to soar. Just as she thought she could barely stand it, he bit her.
"What?" She gasped at the sensation of him sucking at her neck. He held her head and shoulders steady while buried deep in her. When he pulled back, his eyes were darkened. "It was the last part of the bonding. I haven't told you, but we drop fangs when fighting or when mating."
A part of her wanted to shove him off, but then she saw it. The look. He was nervous, self-conscious.
From the corner of his lips a tiny drop of her blood trickled down and she watched it. "I want to see."
"What?" He knew what she asked. He was sure of it, but wanted her to say it.
"Your fangs."
"Are you sure?"
Rachel nodded. "Yes, I want to know everything about you, Rod."
He opened his mouth and slowly his incisors grew, forming perfect, but quite long, fangs.
"You bit me with those? It didn't feel like they were that big."
"You were preoccupied."
"Hmm." She reached out with her finger and touched the tip. It pierced her skin. A bright red dot formed. Shocked at how sharp it was, her eyes widened. "Whoa, those are dangerous."
He smiled around the fangs and she grinned. "Wow, just when I thought you couldn't get any hotter."
"Well, it's a good thing I'm not finished." He moved his hips and her mouth fell open in a loud gasp. She pulled her Protector down for a kiss, careful of his fangs and pushed her hips up to take him deeper.
Minutes later, they were, once again, lost in the moment.
Six months later
“Move it a bit over to the right,” Rachel studied the placement of the crib, her pretty face pinched in concentration. “What do you think?”
Roderick came over to where she sat and pressed a kiss to her brow, his hand moving automatically to her swollen belly. “What I think doesn’t matter. I want you to be happy.”
The curve of her lips brightened the room and he kissed her again lightly.
They’d set up a crib, small dresser and changing table in the spare bedroom next to theirs. It was all set to be the baby’s nursery.
He bent to pick up a framed photograph of them in Italy from its box. “I’m glad we got that couple to take a picture of us in Florence. I like to see this reminder of when we finally agreed to be together.”
Her fingers traced across her swollen stomach and her eyes met his. “Yes, I had to have a souvenir of our honeymoon for the baby.”
It was hard not to linger on the soft curve of her lips. She was getting uncomfortable, their child would be born soon, and so he'd kept from taking her in bed. The last time they'd made love, although erotic, had been awesome until he'd stayed up the rest of the night worried he'd hurt her or the child. By her snores and deep sighs, Rachel slept soundly, seeming more content than contrite. Yet he vowed not to have sex until she delivered, which would be any day now.
"We did it kind of backwards, don't you think? Honeymoon before the wedding." Roderick laughed and broke his train of though. "But it worked for us."
Rachel slid to the edge of the seat and he helped her to her feet.
She took the picture from him and held it up against the wall over the crib. She turned to look at him. “What do you think?”
Love for her and the happiness she’d brought into his long and lonely life filled him. He could only nod in response, words not getting past the knot in his throat.
Her eyes softened. “I’m glad you are able to take a couple days off from the hospital to help me set up the nursery. Our son will be here soon and I want everything just right.”
She watched him hammer a nail into the wall and carefully hang the picture. He turned to see her eyes had filled with tears.
He came closer to cradle her in his arms and pushed the hair out of her face. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
“You hate your new job don’t you?” She sniffed and pushed her face into the space between his neck and shoulder. “Because of me and all that mess with the stupid demon, you can’t do what you were destined to. I know you miss being a Protector. Hate being stuck at the hospital while Cyn and Fallon do whatever it is they do.”
“I don’t hate being a doctor. I save lives instead of taking them. It’s rewarding. And I still help the guys out when they need me. Besides, not putting my life in danger on a regular basis means I’ll definitely be around for you and the baby.”
“That’s true.” With a wide smile, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled his face to hers. “I love you so much,” she pressed kisses all over his face.
A chuckle escaped and she frowned up at him.
“What’s so funny?”
“That I never thought I could be so happy. I’ll love you forever,” he said, not quite being honest. He wasn’t sure of her reaction to him thinking it comical how pregnancy affected her emotions.
“Oh, Rod, you make me so happy.” Rachel sighed against him.
That after all these years he’d found a renewed purpose in life beside a woman, didn’t cease to surprise him.
Yes, he missed spending his nights out on the Atlanta streets battling those that sought to hurt innocents, but he wouldn’t trade his life with Rachel and the son he’d soon meet for anything in the world.
Perhaps Julian would change his mind one day and allow him to join the Protectors again. For now, he accepted the punishment. Such as it was.
Secretly, he hoped the Roman would not seek his sword arm until his son was old enough to understand. Especially since one day his son would join the Protector
s himself.
There was no choice; any son sired by a Protector was predestined. Rachel didn’t know yet. There was plenty of time for that conversation.
“I’m hungry.” His beautiful wife tugged his hand toward the kitchen. “Want some ice cream?”
Roderick followed her from the room. “Anything is good as long as I share it with you.”
Her delighted giggle died as his lips moved over hers. Then she grabbed his shoulders and pulled him tight against her.
"I can't wait until we can have monkey sex again." She murmured against his lips. “I miss seeing you naked.”
"Want me to strip?" he offered and she laughed. "A strip tease and ice cream. Now that is every woman's dream come true."
Epilogue
Sixteen years later
“Brock!” Rachel called from the kitchen. “Sweetheart, please answer the phone, it might be your dad.” She finished slicing cucumbers and tossed them into the salad bowl. Once the salad was finished, she'd pour a glass of wine and relax until dinnertime.
She glanced through the opening of the kitchen towards the family room where Brock played a video game. The house phone rang again. "Get the phone!" she yelled louder in case he wore headphones.
Ever since he'd been grounded from using his cell phone, the house phone rang nonstop. Some kind of punishment it turned out to be. The phone calls never stopped.
Any calls she got came to her cell directly.
The insistent ringing stopped and she let out a sigh.
Her chest constricted and she frowned. For some reason she'd been on edge all day, barely able to concentrate. She wrapped the salad bowl with plastic wrap and placed it in the refrigerator.
She'd call Roderick and ensure all was well, Rachel thought. She looked around the space for her cell.
"Brock, do you see my phone?" she called out. Instead of a reply, the lanky boy walked in holding the cell phone out to her. She eyed his mused hair, the same striking silver as his father’s. Brock blew a lock out of his eyes. “It’s Uncle Cyn; he says it’s important.”
“Son, comb your hair. It’s almost time for your dad to get home. We'll have dinner then.” Rachel waited for him to leave before bringing the phone to her ear.
“How are you Cyn?” She heard Roderick’s closest friend clear his throat and her stomach clenched. “What’s wrong?”
“Roderick’s been taken.”
The stilted words filtered past the shock and ringing in her ears only to confuse her. Surely, she'd misheard him. “What did you say? That's not possible, he called earlier and said he was going into surgery.”
“He must have gone outside the hospital this afternoon. Maybe someone called him to come out or he could have taken a break. Hell, I don't know."
She stumbled backwards and stuck out a hand, grabbing the counter to steady herself. "How can you be sure he was taken? Did someone see something?"
"Yeah, there was a call to the local authorities by a hysterical nurse who witnessed several men grabbing Roderick and forcing him into the back of a van.” His voice cracked. “Rachel, I’m sorry, but from the details, we’re sure it was demons.”
"Why would they take him? He's not working with you right now. It makes no sense."
"Which made it easier for them to do so. His guard was down. I can't see any other way they could have done it. Roderick is one of the strongest Protectors. They had to have done something or said something that made it easy to get him to go with them. I was worried about Brock until he answered the phone."
She let out a breath. "What happens now?"
"Julian is on his way here to Atlanta with several others to help. Just make sure you keep Brock inside. Fallon and I are out searching. Kieran will head there shortly,” he said, referring to his brother. “Turn on the alarm system."
All breath left her body and she collapsed onto a chair, her eyes jerking to the doorway hoping Brock did not overhear. “Cyn, is he alive?” she whispered.
“I don’t know.”
The next book includes the harrowing rescue... Betrayal
About the Author
Writing is my dream come true. There is nothing I love more than bringing my characters and stories to life and sharing them with you. Writing paranormal romance is a rewarding and enjoyable part of my life.
I live in a large town in Georgia with my super hero husband and two unruly Chihuahuas.
If you enjoyed Choices, read the next book in the series, Betrayal, there's an excerpt below. Please recommend me to your friends and family. And if you have time, I would sincerely appreciate a review.
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Charmed Wolf
Wolves of Whiskey Hollow, book 1
Lia Davis
Chapter 1
Pain arched across her skull, piercing every nerve ending. Dana growled, holding her head in her hands. With deep, calming breaths, she gathered the built-up magic that ran in her veins, the power that grew stronger every day.
Dreams of destruction and loss had interrupted her sleep over the last month. With only a few hours of rest a day, she feared the control she tried desperately to maintain would slip. She could kill her brother, then the Pack.
Ross did this to us. Her wolf’s words cut through the hammering ache in her skull.
Ross wasn’t their true mate. The mating had been a political arrangement between his Pack and hers, to merge two small groups of wolves together. The first few years had been good, and she’d actually believed she could grow to love him. She’d trusted him to be the strong Alpha that her father was.
However, when the Alpha power transferred to Ross from her father, everything changed. As Ross’s mate, the Pack magic mixed with the power Dana been born with. The power the witch’s Coven, her great-aunt’s Coven, believed was a gift from the goddess, Diana.
Ross became drunk on the magic and wanted more. He went from a compassionate wolf to a power-hungry, abusive mate. He distorted her Pack, and broke her in ways she wasn’t sure could be fixed.
She’d learned to hide the witch’s power from him, containing it deep within her soul. But that power had only grown, and now, it wanted out.
“You don’t have to go.”
Dana squeezed her eyes shut and willed away the ache in her head and her chest. Her twin brother’s soft plea hurt on so many levels. In all of their hundred years of life, they’d never been separated. Never needed to be. They were linked through a familial bond, as well as psychically.
Since Darin had taken over Whiskey Hollow as the Pack Alpha, his power was now hers. And her agony was his. She couldn’t stay, knowing that she caused him pain and may one day hurt him physically. “Dare, we both know I can’t stay. Our link is too strong, and I’m not sure how much longer I can hold my wolf back from challenging you. She grows more aggressive as the poison inside me grows. A healthy Pack can’t survive with two Alphas.”
“You are not poisoned. I took Ross’s Alpha power when I killed him.” Darin stepped closer, his hand extended to her.
Involuntarily, Dana growled and jerked back. “Don’t touch me!”
He let out a soft sigh and lowered his hand. Disappointment and sadness flowed along the link that bound them as twins. Dana hugged her waist. She wanted nothing more than to embrace her brother and believe that everything would be okay. But she couldn’t.
“Where will you go?”
Dana shrugged. “Not sure. North, maybe.”
Darin shoved his hands into his pockets. “I can call a few Packs and ask if you can stay in their territory.”
She sighed and shook her head. “I’m not going to put any other Pack in jeopardy. I know where the neutral zones are, and I plan to stay within them.”
The truth was, she had a place a
bout twenty miles west of Whiskey Hollow. However, she didn’t want to tell her brother that was where she planned to go. Although, he’d find her anyway. And he would, just to keep tabs on her.
She needed the time to get control of her wolf and the growing power within her.
“Take an enforcer with you.”
Dana whirled on her twin and snarled. “I am not taking anyone with me. I’m not helpless, and I don’t need a fucking babysitter.”
His wolf flashed in his blue eyes, and he curled his upper lip. “I know you don’t need a babysitter, but shit happens.”
She strode to him, placed a hand on the center of his chest, and felt the beating of his heart through the thin cotton T-shirt he wore. Instantly, she calmed. That was Darin’s gift as a charmed one—a shifter with magic in their bloodline. “The time has come where I need to search for my own Pack.”
There, she’d said it. Up until then, she’d let her brother believe that her leaving was temporary, that she’d return. However, she didn’t plan on coming back. “Look. You may be fine with lying to yourself, but I have to face reality. The Alpha blood runs thick in my veins, just as it does in yours. Being mated to Ross only added a shit ton of fuel to the fire.”
She stepped back and turned away from him. The unspoken words lingered between them. Her guilt for mating the former Alpha had further distorted the Pack and left her bitter. Especially after she’d watched the bastard kill her parents. When Darin had killed the asshole and claimed the Pack, Dana was no longer responsible for protecting it against her mate.
