by Tina Holland
“What?” Her green eyes pierced his soul.
“Your taste is compelling.” The words were heavy and hard to speak.
“I’m in heat.”
“That must be it.” Z lowered his mouth to hers once again. He trailed his tongue along the column of her throat, grazing his teeth along her jugular.
Tierra moaned beneath him.
Z lifted his head to find a nipple begging for his attentions. He lowered his mouth, pulling her amber areola between his fangs, minding not to pierce her fair skin. His hands blazed a trail before his lips and found her flame-colored mound of curls.
“Oh yes, Max. Touch me there.”
His index finger found its way between her delicate folds and plunged into her depths. Tierra was wet, her channel was slick. He hardened, wanting to delve into her nethers.
Z continued down the path with his tongue, circling her navel before resting his chin on her pelvis.
“I’m compelled to taste you, princess,” he whispered huskily against her hip.
“Please do.” Tierra’s legs fell apart, opening herself further for him.
Z parted her soft pink lips before running his tongue along her damp flesh. He lapped her delicate folds, tasting and absorbing her essence. If anything, her dew was more stimulating than her kiss. Z continued to thrust his tongue in and out, wondering if he would ever get enough.
Tierra arched into him, demanding more. Her hand pressed at the back of his skull to draw him closer to her. She needed his tongue deeper. Tierra made small whimpering noises at the back of her throat as she clutched at his head, and her thighs wrapped tighter around him. Tierra suddenly cried out, howling her pleasure, as her body went lax.
“I will never be more ready,” she panted.
Z rose up and ran his body along the length of hers. She was soft and pliant now, but he could tell by the look in her eyes she was a real spitfire.
His cock rested at her glossy entrance and bucked toward her. Z needed her acceptance before he proceeded.
“Tierra, are you sure?”
“Don’t ask silly questions.” She pulled his head down toward her and let her fangs pierce his lips. She drew back.
“It’s all right, princess. I don’t mind your bite.” He smiled.
She raised her hips, beckoning him to take her.
Z couldn’t resist any part of her, finally driving his hardened staff into her swollen flesh. Her cry gave him pause, but once her slender hips rose to meet his thrusts, he knew she craved his aggressive nature.
He plunged into her velvet heat, damning the consequences of his actions. He cared not that she was his bounty. In this moment she was his. Her passion was more than any immortal could bear. Her tight channel squeezed his shaft with each thrust he dealt. Her soft thighs wrapped around his flanks, allowing him no retreat. Her toned arms wound around his neck, pulling him closer to her. When her lips pressed against his, he nearly came.
“It’s never been like this, Max.” The undertone of her words ran along his spine until he could bear no more and finally surrendered.
Z cried out into the night as his release took him. He rolled off Tierra, pulling her to rest against his chest, and promptly fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter Three
“Wake up! Someone’s coming!” Tierra shook the mercenary from his sleep.
Max stood, faster than seemed possible from a sleeping state. “I slept.”
“Bloody wonderful. We have to go.” Tierra couldn’t keep the irritation from her voice.
“I never sleep.” He continued to look dumbfounded.
“Do you have something I can wear?” She wrapped the blanket tighter around her.
“Over there in my pack.” Finally, he functioned.
Tierra made her way over to the tan rucksack and opened the largest compartment. She rifled through until she found pants and a leather top.
“These are mine.” She held them up, the question unsaid.
“Yeah. Sierra gave them to me.” He shuffled his long legs into his tight trousers.
“My mother gave you clothes for me?” Tierra mimicked his actions struggling into her pants.
“She’s your mother? Huh.” Max pulled a shirt over his head, covering the last of his tempting flesh. “Who’s following us?”
“Wolves. Originally looking for me until you were scented. They are looking for you now, and their intentions are not good.” Tierra remembered the thought: We’ve found Z. We can kill him and take Tierra. The words had startled her awake from her comfortable slumber with Max. “I can’t hear their thoughts now.”
“Can you smell them?”
Tierra sniffed the air, “Not yet. They are out of range.”
“Good. We still have time.” Max reached into his pack, pulling out a gun.
“Are you going to shoot them?” Tierra didn’t want possible innocents to die.
“Tranquilizer gun.” He pocketed the firearm in a holster slung over his chest. “Do you want a weapon?” He knelt, digging into his bag.
“No. I won’t need one.”
Max looked unconvinced.
“Trust me. Let’s get out of here.” Tierra was restless. She couldn’t tell if the wolves approaching were friend or foe.
“Come here.” He beckoned her further into the cave.
“We don’t have time for whatever you want to do.” Tierra truly wished they did but she wanted to escape. Soon.
“Oh my princess, I’ll see to your pleasure later.” His voice caressed along her spine causing her loins to tingle. Her body longed for his touch. She lingered until her quickened pulse stilled.
She walked over to him, and he grasped her long auburn tresses in his hand.
“Can we cut some of this?” he whispered against her ear.
“Why?”
“I want to throw off their trail.”
Realization dawned on her. “Yes. Cut it. You won’t need much.”
Max removed a knife from the belt at his waist and cut maybe an inch off her long crimson hair.
He cut along his forearm, drawing his own blood, rubbing her hair in the dark liquid. Z tossed the concoction deep into the cave.
“The combination of scents should buy us a little more time. Let’s go.” Max led her out of their lovers’ hideaway.
It was midday before they were able to stop. Tierra noticed within the first hour of their journey that his skin was actually the color of flesh and not the soft gray of yesterday.
“Why did your skin change color?” she asked, before sitting on a nearby rock.
“I told you; because I slept.” He tilted his head at her.
“You’ve never slept.” Tierra gazed at him in wonder.
“Not for many years.”
Her look must have been one of confusion because he continued, “When I sleep, I heal, though I don’t recall regeneration happening this rapidly before. The renewal must have something to do with the sex. Are you a healer?”
“No.” She didn’t want to talk about her powers. He would find out soon enough.
“You hear people’s thoughts when you sleep?”
“Or meditate.”
“Maybe my change has something to do with your abilities?” His silver eyes held a curious light rather than the foggy appearance she’d grown accustomed to.
“Maybe.”
“Let’s find out.” Max approached her, sliding the zipper down on her leather jacket to cup her breasts inside.
“We don’t have time for this. I have to go home.” Her words came out in huffs. It was damn hard to speak when all she wanted was to have him inside her.
“This chase could delay us a few days.” He rolled the pads of his thumbs over her already pebbled nipples.
“No. I have to return to the coven in two days’ time.” She moaned the words this time. This was not good. She desperately needed him.
“I understand I was supposed to return you before the Lunar Eclipse, but you are going to have to miss
the festival.” He tilted his head down toward hers and captured her lips.
Tierra summoned her strength and pushed him away from her, zipping the jacket back up. His hands fell away, as did her satisfaction. His kiss held the promise of temptation, lust, and something she was uncertain of.
“What’s wrong?” His look of shock was unmistakable.
“You don’t understand, Max. I can’t miss the ritual. I am the ritual!”
“They will just have to make do without you.”
“My powers need to return to the coven. It’s why Limikkin took me. He didn’t need another harem slave. He wanted my powers. Whoever burns me on the Lunar Eclipse will receive my energy.”
“They’re going to burn you?” He moved toward her, grasping her shoulders.
Tierra nodded.
“At a stake? Like a witch?”
“Yes. But it’s not what you--”
“How barbaric. Like hell I’m returning you now.” His grip got tighter.
“Going to sell me to the highest bidder now, mercenary?” Tierra intentionally baited him.
“No!” He released her, taking a step back.
“What then?” She jerked the zipper up the last few inches, closing the jacket and covering her exposed flesh.
“I’m keeping you.”
“You can’t keep me.” Tierra crossed her arms over her chest.
“I certainly can. Who is going to stop me?” His hands rested on his hips. Goddess, he was stubborn.
“I will.” A new voice entered their fray. A man with chestnut brown hair and green eyes filled with spite.
“Michael. I should have guessed you were on my trail.” Max turned to face their adversary. “You’re not alone?”
“Do not even look at her, Z.” He moved to block Max’s view of the dark woman beside him.
“Nizhoni.” Tierra recognized the woman with long black hair.
“You know her?” Max turned to Tierra.
“She’s my cousin,” Tierra answered. “Our mothers were sisters.”
“We’ll take Tierra back to the coven.” Michael moved closer to them.
“Touch her, and I will kill you, Mike.” Max placed himself between Tierra and Michael. Tierra was both pleased and unsettled by his possessiveness over her.
“Not if I kill you first.” Faster than even Tierra could follow, Michael took out a tazer and hit Max in the center of his heart.
Max dropped like rocks in a pond. Tierra rushed to his side. She heard footsteps behind her.
“Don’t touch him.” She spoke, venom lacing her words.
“Tierra, we’ll take you back to the Coven.” Nizhoni touched her shoulder.
“Not without Max.” Tierra looked into Nizhoni’s gray eyes, pleading with her.
“He requires disposal.” Michael’s cold words chilled her to the bone.
“He is not a monster!” Tierra rose quickly and faced him, poking him in the chest. “We bring Max with us.”
“No, we don’t.” Fangs peeked out between Michael’s lips as he growled at her.
“You don’t intimidate me, wolf.” She bared her own fangs in response.
Michael didn’t back down.
“You better tell your mate what he’s dealing with, Nizhoni,” Tierra warned.
“How did you--?” They spoke in unison.
“I can smell you two all over each other,” she spat.
“So you’re a werewolf. Big fat hairy deal.” He tried to intimidate her.
Tierra simply laughed at his naiveté.
“She’s not only a werewolf, Michael.” Nizhoni put her delicate hand on her mate’s shoulder.
“What, then?” His expression changed to one of tenderness and love. Jealousy struck at Tierra’s heart.
“She’s the fire wolf--a phoenix.” Nizhoni’s voice was one of awe and respect, as well it should be.
Chapter Four
Z’s head split as much from being unconscious as from the voices nearby.
“So you’ve finally joined us.” Michael’s face hovered above him.
“Are you all right?’ Nizhoni’s head joined Michael’s.
“What did you do to me?” Z was weak.
“Tranqs. They work wonders on guys like you.” Michael grinned.
Z struggled against the chains holding him down.
“Don’t bother, buddy. They’re enchanted silver.” Michael always was a cocky SOB. Z remembered the children of Fifty-One Clan well. Every last one of them, trained assassins. Ten years ago, Z and a few other experiments staged a riot and escaped. Now some scientists’ pet projects tracked them down, disposing of the older experiments, along with other monsters.
“Where’s Tierra?” Z could smell her.
“Don’t think humping some princess bitch is going to get you special treatment.” Michael went back into the shadows.
“I’ll hurt you for those words.” Z wouldn’t allow any soul to speak so derisively about Tierra.
“You’re welcome to try.” Michael laughed in the darkness.
“Why are you tracking me?” Z wondered what kind of trouble he was in.
“The Coven told the Mojave they hired you to return their princess. Lucky for you, I spend most of my time with the tribe. I was able to fill them in on what kind of mercenary you are.”
“Did you, now?”
“Of course. Imagine their horror when they discovered they’d sent an abomination to retrieve their prized princess.”
“I know what I am.” Z didn’t need the reminder. “I’m surprised, Mike. You’ve become the very thing you used to hunt.”
“It’s time for you to go to sleep.” Mike held up a tranquilizer gun and shot him, point blank, in the arm.
*
“He’s right,” Nizhoni whispered to her mate.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“What are we going to do with him?”
“Once your cousin is torched, we are taking him back to the compound. He must be locked up.” Michael turned to leave; Nizhoni followed her mate.
Tierra watched the couple leave the tent before she entered. Her steps lingered as she brooded over the cart her lover was chained to.
She touched his skin and remained amazed at how warm he was despite his weakened state. Tierra ran her hands over his bare chest. Her skin glowed in reaction to his heat. She ran her tongue over a bare nipple and then blew on it. The brown bud puckered. His response to her, even passed out, fascinated her. Tierra proceeded to the other nipple and repeated her actions. She trailed her tongue down his abdomen and around his navel before dipping her head lower. He smelled musky, and Tierra longed for a taste.
Tierra drew back and proceeded to undo Max’s pants. She pulled them down to his knees. When she raised her head, her mouth was met with his magnificent erection. The head glistened from the moisture escaping from the tip. The scent stimulated her to action.
Tierra stuck out her tongue for a taste. A simple lick wasn’t enough. She drew the length of him into her warm mouth, curling her tongue around his shaft. Though he filled her with his entirety, she lowered her lips farther along his cock until he tickled the back of her throat. His erection bucked in her mouth, and she moaned, imagining him inside her.
“Tierra.” His voice was groggy.
She raised her eyes to find Max staring groggily down at her. She lifted off his cock with such force a “pop” echoed in the small tent.
Max groaned.
“I thought you were unconscious.” She ran her hands over his striking face.
“Oh princess, I would come through any fog to find you. If Mike continues with this particular tranq, I’m going to build up a tolerance for it.” His answer was sluggish.
“Do you want me to stop?”
“Not at all.” He looked at her like she must have two heads.
“But you can’t reciprocate.” Tierra knew she sounded self-indulgent. She wanted her man untied so he could touch her.
“Take off your clothes
.”
Tierra followed his command, though she had no reason to. She unzipped her jacket slowly, hoping she enticed him. Once her breasts were bare, he spoke.
“Stop. Come here.”
Tierra sauntered toward him, heat filling her loins. She leaned over him so he could grasp a nipple in his mouth.
His warm tongue caressed the tender bud before he lightly nipped her with his fangs.
Tierra moaned.
Max released her breast and whispered against her skin, “I think you are perfectly capable of impaling yourself.” He nuzzled against her.
Tierra laughed at his wry sense of humor. She was falling for this man, even with his occasional “in it for the money” attitude. Tierra didn’t buy it, not one bit. He could have approached her captor. She was sure Limikkin would pay handsomely to possess her. She furrowed her brow.
“Tierra, I’m in serious need here.”
She shook off her worries and backed away to run her hands over his expansive bare chest.
He shivered beneath her palms. She moved further away to peel her pants from her legs.
“I may not be able to see what you are doing, but I can smell your sweetness from here.” Max inhaled deeply. “Come to me, princess.”
Tierra walked toward him.
*
She should not trust me, Z thought. He watched as her muscular form came into view. Gods, she was perfect. He rarely thought anything was perfection, but something about his princess called to him. He smelled her when he could smell nothing else. He sensed her presence when he sensed nothing else, and probably the most disconcerting of all, she put him to sleep.
Z knew he should not want Tierra. Desire in his line of work was simply asking for trouble. Trouble didn’t bother him, though, not if she came in this wondrous package.
Tierra’s hips straddled his own, but she did not allow him entrance; instead she ran her slick heat back and forth over his already strained erection. Her clit tickled the sensitive underside of his head as she rocked against him, her movements slow and torturous. He could love this woman. Tierra bent over him until her soft lips caressed his, and she ran her tongue over his own. Her pink tongue darted into his mouth as a moan escaped past his teeth.
