by Mandi Casey
In one fluid motion, he lowered me onto him. My sheath stretched as he slowly lowered me down onto him further.
“Blake, I can’t stand this waiting!”
“You don’t have to wait. I just wanted to give you a moment to adjust to the size of me.” He smiled. His eyes were glowing, heavy with lust, in the poorly lit room.
That’s when his hips began to move, and he pumped his length slowly in and out of me as he lifted and lowered me with his hands. My nipples rubbed against his muscular chest as we moved. My body was erupting again from the onslaught of sensations shooting right through me.
“Oh, Sydney, the Moon Goddess has blessed me this night. You are mine.”
With that, he plunged in and out at a quicker pace, increasing the friction, the urgency for release.
“Come with me, oh come with me!” he shouted into my shoulder as he sucked on the skin at the nape of my neck. Sharp spears of erotic pleasure shot through my entire body. The tension in my nether region built alongside of his, our bodies calling and singing together.
“Arrrhghgghg!” Blake slammed his hot cock into me, through me, while he released his orgasm.
Without separating our bodies, Blake carried me back to the metal safe against the other wall, turned us around, and sat down with me on top of him. He kept me straddled on his lap while he kissed my breasts with butterfly kisses. The exquisite sensations running through my body took their sweet time calming enough for my nerves to relax a bit.
Blake put his hands on each side of my face so that he could gently kiss my lips.
“After that, I wouldn’t ever call you a wet newspaper.” Mischief and playfulness glinted from his eyes as he smiled wickedly.
“No, you’re not half bad yourself, wolf.”
We laughed together. My breathing was finally returning to a more unlabored rhythm.
I needed to process what I’d just let happen.
I wasn’t an impulsive person.
I didn’t do things like have sex in the back of a store. Blake really had my head, and my heart, very confused. I seriously needed to decide what I was going to do about it. I had to find a way to make him stop pursuing me, because obviously I wasn’t too capable of refusing his advances.
Wrapping his warm arms around my waist, he pulled me closer to him. He was still sheathed inside of me to the hilt. To my surprise, he was still fully erect.
“Sydney, I want to talk to you about this ball.”
Wow. Way to go, mood killer.
“Blake, there’s really nothing to talk about. I know something will probably happen at the ball. Now that I’ve had those visions, it’s almost a sure thing. The rogues are up to something. Most likely they have evil intentions. We know that. And knowing that gives us the advantage. We haven’t told anyone about my visions that would leak the information to the rogues. So, we’re already one step ahead of them. If I have another vision, I’ll tell you right away.”
His shoulders slumped. I felt the same about it, but I had to go. My future was at stake. There was no way I would skip my fate being decided for me while I wasn’t there to have a say in the matter if the Elders decided to make changes I didn’t like.
“I know.” He lifted me off of him and gently set my feet on the floor. Without looking my way, he dressed. I did the same, minus the torn panties that lay ruined on the floor. I picked them up. Not knowing what to do with them, I slid them in the pocket of my jeans. Then I realized going commando in jeans wasn’t the most comfortable way to dress, especially after sex. I planned on not doing it again anytime soon.
“Please, Blake. Don’t be mad at me because I have to attend the ball. You have to, too.”
The Midnight Moon is Calling to You. His cell phone rang from within his pocket. Talk about bad timing. I didn’t want him mad at me right after we had sex for the first time. First time? Did I think there were going to be other times? The answer was most definitely ‘yes’, but what were the consequences going to be? I’d just have to wait and see.
“Yeah.” After he paused, listening to the caller on the other end, he said, “I’m on my way.”
Shutting the phone, he looked at me. I knew he wanted to argue, plead with me to not go to the ball, but he wouldn’t. We both had serious responsibilities to deal with tonight.
Blake walked to me and put his arms around me in a gentle embrace. He placed a feather-light kiss on my head. It felt right, having my head against his chest with his head resting on my scalp. I felt safe, loved.
“I have to go. I’m not mad at you, if that’s what you were thinking. I’m mad at the situation, which won’t help anyone.”
“I know. Be careful tonight. If I hear or see anything, you’ll be the first to know. Okay?”
He nodded and let go of me.
I followed him out of the storeroom to the front door. Luckily no customers had come in while we were in the back. I hadn’t even thought of locking the door.
Before he opened the door, he lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed the top of it.
“Sydney, please be safe. I know Kieran will be there tonight, but you know I don’t trust those bloodsuckers for anything. The thought of you being surrounded by the most dangerous of them all makes my skin crawl.”
“I know. I’ll be all right.”
“We have some things to discuss when this ball is over. What just happened changes our future.”
“We do, and we will.” I smiled with more joy in my heart than I’ve felt in a long time. He laughed when I didn’t give him the confirmation that we were now an official item.
“Sydney, I love you no matter how stubborn-headed you are.”
Blake left, leaving me to finish unpacking the supplies from the storeroom after I went in the ladies’ room to get cleaned up.
A few minutes later, Brianna walked in through the front door of the store with her cell phone glued to her ear.
“Mom, I don’t get it. You were fine when I left. Have Dad take care of it.” She listened to my mother on the other end and said, “But, Mom, I’m supposed to spend the night with Auntie helping her with her plants or something.” Brianna’s face stretched with frustration. Her mouth pursed with irritation.
“Fine, yes, I’ll call Michael and tell him. Yes, Mom, I said I’ll be on my way shortly.” She closed her phone with an irritated snap and tossed it with her purse onto the counter.
“Can you believe this? Mom called, she said she wants me to come home. She said she needs my help with something but wouldn’t say what. Sometimes I wish she could hold it together better. And where’s Dad in all of this? I don’t understand why he can’t help her with whatever her problem is.”
I shrugged my shoulders. For a mother who lied to us our whole lives, the person who had us believing that we were nothing but a normal family, she really didn’t come up with a great reason to make Brianna go back down to Chicago. It’s like she didn’t even try to make it believable. She needed help with something? Whatever. Brianna agreed to go. Having her out of the city during the Blood Rites Ball was all that mattered. I couldn’t be too picky or judgmental on how my mom made it happen. She achieved what I needed her to.
“Brie, I don’t know where Dad is. I haven’t talked to him in a while. So you’re going back home today?” There may have been a little too much relief in my voice because her brows furrowed as her cheeks pinked with irritation.
“Yes! I said I would. Geez, what’s with everybody lately?” Brianna snapped.
“Hey, I’m sorry. I just wanted to know, that’s all. You don’t have to get all snippy with me because you’re mad at Mom.” When the truth was out in the open, she was going to be more than just a little mad at Mom.
Brianna was going to be downright livid with me for not telling her the second I found out, about me, a
bout Grandma, Michael, and the whole vampire and werewolf thing. I’d have expected her to tell me right away if our roles were reversed. That’s what sisters who were best friends did.
She took a deep breath, blew a lock of hair out of her eye, and sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. It’s just I don’t get all that much free time because of school. Our parents always find things for me to do so I can’t come up here and visit. Now that I’ve actually made it up here, I have to cut my visit short and leave without Michael.”
“Don’t worry about Michael. I’m sure he’ll be busy doing his family stuff.”
“I know. Life just sucks sometimes, you know?”
My sister didn’t know the half of it—what life sucking was all about. But I was happy she considered having to take care of errands around the home front the worst of it for her. Soon, she’d be bogged down with medical school, dealing with the rigorous schedule, studying and doing her clinic portion of the program. She wouldn’t have much time for anything else, including time for her to come to Kenosha to visit. I hoped Michael didn’t pressure her too much. I was afraid my sister’s feelings for the wolf would tempt her to quit school.
“Yeah, I know it does. But at least this way you’ll be home if anything happens there. I always worry about Mom.”
“I know. Me, too.” She pouted while she looked around the store and I finished stocking. When she was done stalling, she said, “Okay, I guess I’m gonna go home.”
“Brianna, I’m sorry. It’s for the best, though.”
“I know. I feel bad not wanting to deal with her, but she makes me feel guilty. I mean she is our mom, but she’s always got something for me to do. It’s like she intentionally finds stuff to occupy my time down in Chicago. It’s weird. I’ll see you later.”
My little sister left with her tread heavier than its usual spunky bounce. My heart ached for her. I hated myself at that moment. I hated being forced into the position of the Selected and having to keep it from her. She was my sister and best friend. I knew where her boyfriend was going to be all night. He was going to be watching over a bunch of vampires. I also knew that if it were necessary, he would risk his life to save that of Blake’s, the next in line to be leader of his pack. Besides just knowing all of that, I was the one to call our mother asking her to make Brianna go home. Yep, I felt like a big giant jerk at the moment.
I assumed the heavy pain in my chest was part of being the Selected. Dealing with guilt wasn’t very pleasant. Lying to someone wasn’t a nice thing to do. I’d probably have to lie to others as well to keep them safe, but it was for their own good. The more humans that knew vampires and werewolves existed, the more dangerous and chaotic life would become. I didn’t know what I would do if Brianna hated me because of it.
Being in this position made me even angrier at my mom. It was her fault for keeping the truth from us. If she had told us right from the start, I wouldn’t have to hide Brianna in a different city while the ball occurred.
But she’d find out eventually, about everything, and she’d realize we’ve all been lying to her.
Chapter 12
Zine, the rogue, annoyed the hell out of Andras. The mangy animal and his followers couldn’t do anything right. It didn’t seem to get into their thick skulls that time was of the essence. Andras fumed. The incompetent fools had better not ruin his plans. He was the great demon, Andras. It was once again time to strike fear into those that served him. The rogues needed reminding of the punishment for what happens when they fail him. They needed to be willing to die for the cause out of fear for what he would do to them if they didn’t get him what he wanted.
“You will have the Ley-lines connected by the time we are ready for the arrival of my beloved’s brother. If you piece of shits fuck this up, you will die very painful deaths. I’ll make sure you won’t be able to change back from your wolf forms, either. There will be no healing from what I’m going to do to you if you don’t get this right.” He circled Zine as the rogue stood with his head faced to the floor. The greasy hair on top the rogue’s head was disgusting.
There were showers upstairs in the compound, but the mangy animals didn’t seem to find personal hygiene a priority. Too bad they didn’t have the ability to will themselves clean. He guessed that even if the rogues were gifted with that ability, they probably wouldn’t use it. The rogue vampires were much more conscious of their appearance. The wolves seemed to lose themselves to the wolf when they broke away from their pack, but the wolves seemed more loyal to the cause. Those vampires were shifty creatures.
All the rogues put together had done nothing but screw everything up. He was tempted to use one of rogues as an example of what would happen if they let him down again. Maybe they would have a better understanding of who they were dealing with if he made one of them skin their own kind, alive, and unable to heal themselves. Maybe their colleague’s screams of excruciating pain when he ignited every nerve in the skinned rogue’s body with lightning would spur them into more efficient service. If nothing else, it would make him feel better. He loved it when they screamed. The sound literally sang to his soul. Lately, nothing made him happier. That would soon change.
When Trevor was brought forth through the portal, they would wreak havoc on the world together. His wife, Lisa, was a useless twit. Unfortunately, she did not live up to his hopes for her true potential. Andras was sold a woman who he’d thought would make a perfect partner in creating chaos. Lisa was more interested in making children now than causing trouble. Despite his resolve to only tolerate her to ensure the creation of his kin, he loved his wife. But she was not like her brother. He and Trevor would take that vampire leader out and whoever was near. How convenient they were all getting together in one place. Even better, the Selected would be there, also. The massacre was going to be glorious. He planned on enjoying every moment. Spilling the blood of Kieran, the Elders, and the Selected would satisfy his need to exact revenge for what they have done.
The lightning demon had special plans in mind for the Selected. Andras hadn’t forgotten when she kicked him in the back and escaped without turning Lisa immortal by sharing her blood with Kieran. Vengeance fueled his blood with every breath he took. Because of the Selected, he had to pawn off two of his most prized minions of his top legion in order for the Dark Lord to agree to change her himself. The Dark Lord hadn’t been kind to his wife in the process.
She was immortal now, but she was changed. The Dark Lord made her suffer, leaving her weak-minded. No longer did Lisa find enjoyment in killing like she once did. Kieran and the Selected would pay for their misdeeds against them.
Andras owed it to his wife to make them pay for the breaking of her soul. It didn’t matter that Lisa wanted them to go off and start new lives together. There were still tasks that needed to be completed in this life before they could leave this realm forever, and he refused to budge until he felt fully satisfied that those who had wronged them felt his wrath.
Andras couldn’t decide which would make him feel better, their death, or having them wear the brand of a lightning demon for the rest of their days. That brand would make their covens shun them for fear of betrayal. Maybe he would do both.
Zine spoke, bringing him back to the task at hand. “Yes, Master. They will be ready to bring forth the demon. All will be well. I swear it!”
Sweat beaded on the rogue wolf’s brow. Werewolves were disgusting. At least the pale-faces didn’t sweat through every pore when they were scared out of their wits. He liked it when the rogues were scared. It meant they would do everything possible to make sure he got what he wanted. They knew he would kill them if they failed. Andras had killed enough of their kind for them to know his threats were genuine. Examples needed to be set on a routine basis. He rather enjoyed reminding them that their vile lives meant nothing.
“You’ve got about an hour, and then I start killing yo
ur beasts. Maybe I’ll start with your precious daughter. Will seeing the agony on her face and sear marks all over her body due of your incompetence, make you work a little faster?” Andras stood in front of the rogue. The mere height difference gave him a great intimidation factor over most of the wolves. The animals believed size did matter. Not in the Underworld, though. Some of his smallest minions were the most vicious. Anyone of them could take down a wolf with a flick of their evil little talons.
A smile crossed his lips. His minions made him happy. Their penchant to cause suffering was something he felt pride in. They were his people, and he had taught them well. The hell they were put through just to become a member of his legions proved they had enough evil inside of them to be constructive servants.
His mood darkened with thoughts of his wife. He was stuck with her. He loved her, but she was a disappointment. They were supposed to take over the earth dimension together. Now she was just an embarrassment. All he could think of was getting her back to the Underworld. Someone there would hopefully be able to reinstate her spite, her fondness for mayhem. If not, then his life would be a cruel joke. He may as well resign from his post as the leader to the legions of Hell. He couldn’t very well tote around a wife who asked him not to do his work every time revenge needed to be exacted. He would be a laughing stock. No, they would find someone to fix her, to undo the damage the Dark Lord had inflicted upon her soul.
The rogue wolf cowered down onto his knees, afraid to look him in the eyes. Good thinking on the rogue’s part. The demon could feel the lightning begging to be unleashed from his body. It wanted to burn something; it wanted to travel through flesh and make the wearer sing in pain. The lightning coursed through him, waiting like a viper ready to strike. The power was only satisfied for so long with the death of the rogues when he used them to make examples for the others. Then it was hungry again for more blood. Humans, werewolves, and vampires didn’t know what it meant to live.
