WickedBeast

by Gail Faulkner

  “Seriously?” Kelly frowned.

  Cord smiled down at her. “We’ll be leaving on our journey tomorrow, using human means of transportation just to be sure to lose the little bastards. Tonight is the problem. No whisper of power can leak out of this house.”

  Kelly nodded. “So this means you have time to explain to me exactly what you and Legion are so worried about. What’s to the south that Legion has to keep an eye on?” she stepped out of his embrace and went to the coffee machine. “Sit,” she instructed. “I’ll make coffee and you tell me everything.”

  Cord sat down obediently, grinning at her take-charge commands. “Everything? You know we only have a few hours and I’ve been alive longer than humans mark time. At least how they do it now.”

  “See, its comments like that that make me crazy. What do you mean?” Kelly wanted to know. “You act like history has been cut in half somehow. As if there was a before and there is a now. Time can be measured, but it can’t be stopped and started again. There’s no cutting it off and patching the new part on.” Done with the coffee, she switched on the machine, turning to frown at him as she crossed her arms and waited for an answer.

  Cord was mildly surprised at how clearly she articulated exactly what had happened. She was using the phraseology as an example of what could never happen when it was exactly what had happened. “Kelly witch, the ladies of your kind did exactly that. They stopped time. You know what happens in a video game when you hit the reset button?”

  “Sure. Everything disappears and you start over from the beginning. Well, from where you last saved the game.” She stated confidently “There is no way you can tell me witches are capable of doing that with a planet.”

  “Exactly why it worked, being the inconceivable option was its brilliance. So yes, I am telling you they can do it. You could do it if you had to. It wasn’t simple and it wasn’t easy. Taking that path involved the death of all life at that time. They saved an incredibly small number of humans in the hopes that they would build a new world, one without dragons. It was the biggest gamble imaginable. The choice was made because the vast majority of humans would rather die than live in the world as it was. There was no hope, no other method to gain freedom. So when every possible option is exhausted, all that is left is the impossible. Global reset.”

  Kelly stepped away from the counter, slowly coming to the table and pulling out a chair. She dropped into it heavily, staring at his face. They sat in silence as the coffeepot gurgled on the counter. Her eyes never left his as she tried to comprehend the huge concepts he was so confidently telling her. “The flood? As in the Bible?” she asked dazedly.

  “Yep, that’s the one.”

  “Are you saying there is no God?” she asked softly.

  “No. There’s no question in my mind that God exists. I fully believe God created the world and life in it. God had nothing to do with dragons. Brilliant humans meddling with the keys to life came up with the abominations that are dragons. Humans have tried it in this age too. They call it creating the perfect soldier,” he explained.

  “God’s plan for life and how it should develop is perfect. Even though humans try it all the time, they have never managed to enslave the world under one rule. Humans are ruled by the original laws of nature that inserts checks and balances. Abilities that enable the oppressed to overthrow their oppressors. There is reason, compassion, that spark of Godlike inventiveness that envisions progress. Dragons were not so perfectly made. Once they gained global control, there would be no human power that could defeat them.

  “The great mystery of you ladies called witches is the brilliance of God. You have the capacity to do good that is bigger than yourselves. God gave humans everything they needed to develop into masters of the universe. The only problem is, some humans keep getting impatient with evolution. They sense the power within themselves and seek to use it for all the wrong reasons.

  “The dragon disaster was a human problem to solve. God’s only involvement was that He’d even given humans the ability to fix something that horrific. Humans possessed the vision and power through the three elemental witches. Since humans had played at being God and created life, they also had to accept the responsibility of destroying it. Unfortunately it was not possible for that generation to destroy the abominations. They could only capture them and hope future generations would find a way to complete the job.”

  Unusually still, Kelly stared at him. The coffee had long since finished but neither of them stood to get a cup. “But you are here. How? I mean why would they…” She couldn’t finish the thought as she looked at him.

  “The three elemental dragons are the latest thing in dragon engineering,” he said softly. “We were made differently, created for a different purpose with different abilities. Our makers learned from the mistakes of others and engineered creatures specifically designed to assist the humans. They knew that nature, as God created it, was infinitely resilient. It would take time but they had no doubt their kind, gifted individuals, would reappear in the world. We were made for the witches of the new world. Our mission concealed even from us it seems.

  “The great deception in short was this. The dragon leaders were tricked into believing a final battle for control would be mounted by the humans at the South Pole. At the moment dragon forces attacked, the three witches gathered all the power at their disposal and shifted every tectonic plate. Think of how small a shift is that creates the earthquakes your world knows. Consider what happens when the shift is significant and universal. This triggered destruction on such a scale as to knock the planet off its axis.

  “The result was an instant deep freeze at the poles. The rest of the world experienced volcanic activity, earthquakes, floods, basically the landmasses sank and new ones rose. Everyone and everything was destroyed except for one small group in a boat and the three dragons, whose job it was to ensure only that boat survived. You know the rest.”

  Kelly got up and went to the coffee machine. “Would you like a cup of coffee?” she asked calmly, as if they were discussing the weather.

  “Please. Black.”

  She brought back two cups of coffee and sat down, taking a long sip before she said anything. “So if the icecaps melt, we will find dragons.”

  “Uh-huh,” he agreed, letting her work it out in her mind.

  “But finding them does not bring them back to life, right?” she pointed out.

  Cord shifted in his chair, taking a minute for a drink. “We don’t know. Those dragons were frozen instantly. The few stragglers who went to ground in other parts of the planet were forced into elemental sleep because there was no more fuel. We are fed by human emotion. When the witches destroyed the Earth, they cut off the dragons’ source of power. Waking one of the dragons in elemental sleep is almost impossible. I say almost because Minuet is a new development, but the popsicle dragons could be different. They were not depleted, not starved into an elemental state. We don’t know what will happen if one of those bad boys thaws.”

  Kelly took up the thought. “A dragon freed from the ice could be exactly as he was the moment he was frozen. And now there are lots of humans again… I see the problem.”

  Cord nodded. “Exactly.”

  “So what’s your plan?” she wanted to know.

  “Well, we thought getting you three ladies together would be helpful. Since the humans have somehow found a way to destroy their atmosphere, unintentionally this time, we are looking for a way to fix it. Keeping the ice intact will give us time to figure out a more permanent fix.”

  “If the people who created dragons couldn’t figure out how to kill them, what makes you think we can?” she asked.

  “We know exactly how to kill dragons,” Cord said confidently “but it only works in small numbers. Separate a dragon from his head and the entire beast disappears. Since every dragon knows this, they’re very good at protecting their necks. A couple thousand dragons in one place presents a problem. There aren’t enough warriors
to engage in one-on-one combat that beheading requires. Even if you dress the humans in asbestos, not enough of them will live long enough to do any real damage.”

  “And,” Kelly said thoughtfully, “as soon as anyone gets a glimpse of a frozen dragon, they will be digging up that specimen for study as fast as they can.”

  “It will wake up and kill them,” Cord observed.

  “It does that and the world will be even more interested in it,” Kelly said softly.

  “So we’re back to where we started,” Cord agreed with her. “Curious humans who think they can control what they don’t understand.”

  “You know I have no idea how to fix the atmosphere,” Kelly said. “I’m the Wind Witch and I know less than you do about being that. Can you do it?”

  “Not on my own. You are the source of my life, my power. The answer has to come from you.”

  Kelly frowned and stared down at her coffee for a few minutes. “Didn’t they leave an instruction book or something? A book of spells and stuff.”

  “They’ve left you a dragon, Kelly. There was no way to ensure the information stayed out of the wrong hands. Imagine what would have happened if a wizard got a hold of such a book.” Cord leaned across the table intently. “Their plan worked. We are sitting here doing exactly what they envisioned we would. That gives me hope that they thought of this aspect too. You do have the power to do what’s necessary.”

  “My head hurts,” Kelly avoided his insistent conclusions.

  Instantly Cord was out of his chair and around the table, picking her up in his arms. “Enough history, baby.”

  Kelly relaxed into his hold as he strode into the living room. “I thought we couldn’t, um, you know.”

  “We can do a lot of ‘you know’,” he contradicted with a grin. “I just have to be in complete control at all times. Something I don’t have a problem with.”

  In the living room, Cord sat and adjusted Kelly so she was straddling his lap, but this time facing him. “Relax. Put your head on my shoulder and let me give you a massage,” he instructed. His body was stretched out with lean hips resting on the edge of the cushions, making him a long, hard mattress.

  “This isn’t how it’s usually done,” Kelly mumbled. His hands were already moving over her spine firmly. Somewhere in the process, both of them had lost their clothes and the lights had dimmed.

  “I don’t do the usual,” he assured her softly.

  His chest vibrated with a low purr that she almost couldn’t hear but resonated through her body.

  “Oh my God,” Kelly moaned as he worked muscles in her back, down her neck, across her shoulders. His hands knew exactly where to touch, and she was once again completely available to him. Except for the fact that they were both naked and he was freaking perfect, there was nothing sexual about his attention. And of course, she thought foggily, she was also the Queen of England if that were true.

  He worked on her until it felt as if her body were made of butter. Then he slid from under her, laying her facedown on the couch and started on her legs. Strong, firm pulls on long muscles, deep circling caresses into joints. If she hadn’t already been completely vulnerable to him, this would have sealed the deal.

  How was a woman supposed to resist this? What wouldn’t she do to get more of it? These questions had no answers because Kelly was too busy sinking into the world he created or her, the world where her body relaxed into oblivion as he worked each muscle and tendon with the same relentless attention to detail as he did everything else.

  Cord had appeared in their world and become its center. He was a force of nature. He’d not needed to convince her of his place once she realized his role as her daughter’s guardian. He’d insisted he was here for her, but that had never been her main focus.

  Kelly was aware she needed help. Minuet’s talents were so far beyond her own. She wasn’t sure what she would have done if Cord hadn’t shown up. Things had been getting critical. Then there he was. He’d brought a wealth of other issues, things she was struggling to comprehend, but the truth was he’d solved her problems in a big way.

  Was she simply weak? Was accepting his presence in their lives so easily a sign of her faults? No, he’d been right when he’d stated that if even half of what he said was true, she’d have become his whore to protect her daughter. That wasn’t weak.

  He’d taken her surrender and made her his…what? What did one call a lover who would kill for his woman and her family? He and Legion had dealt death this morning. She didn’t want to know the details, but she had tasted battle on him.

  What did one call someone who worked at finding ways to wait on her? He watched her closely, supplying anything he thought she needed before she could so much as get herself a glass of water. What did one call a man who willingly impersonated the children’s character Barney for her daughter just because it made Minuet happy?

  Calling him the monster images that the name dragon brought to mind didn’t fit. Whatever he was, he was truly content when he had her in his arms, pleasing her somehow. She felt it in him. He literally lived to touch her. It was such an incomprehensible situation. There was nothing weak about him. There was no bend in his will, no hitch in his strength, and yet it was all directed at her and Minuet. What was the word for this male?

  She had no idea when he’d added his lips to her massage. By the time she realized she was not only relaxed to the point of being molten chocolate, but smoldering on passion’s embers as his mouth moved up the back of her calf, she had no hope of resistance. Of course, nor was she so stupid as to want to resist.

  “What?” she mumbled on a moan as he licked the back of her knee. “We can’t.”

  Cord blew a warm breath across the damp skin before answering. “We can’t give away a hint of magic. That doesn’t mean we can’t do what regular people do.”

  “But I ah…” She couldn’t finish the phrase for a second as his lips drifted to the inside of her knee. Who know that was such an erotic zone? “I can’t control anything when you, when we…”

  “I know,” he whispered. “Relax, Kelly girl. Trust me to take care of you.”

  His mouth went back to its drugging task. Her legs were gently pushed apart as he turned to the other knee to give it the same attention.

  Abruptly his head came up and his body tensed. She could feel it. A sheet swiftly covered her as he stood.

  “Stay there. Minuet needs a drink of water. I’ll be right back, and if you’ve move I’ll spank that pretty ass.” Cord strode from the room, fully clothed again.

  Kelly’s head turned to watch him go. She could feel Minuet’s restlessness, but he’d been aware of it first. What did she call him? The person who rushed to answer her child’s half-awake needs while ordering her sharply to remain decadently relaxed. Okay, so who cared what she called him, she really wanted to know what would happen if she moved?

  Chapter Ten

  Kelly closed her eyes and listened with her heart. Minuet could get her own glass of water. What a little girl needed was the security of knowing someone was watching over her. Cord provided exactly what she needed with natural warmth, cuddling Minuet a few moments after she drank her water until she settled back into sleep.

  He quietly left Minuet’s room and was coming back. Kelly took inventory of her limbs to make sure nothing had moved. She didn’t really believe he’d hurt her, the command had been a sensual directive. Possibly he’d meant it as a test to see what she would do, to see if she was willing to move their relationship down that path. Being honest with herself, Kelly admitted she wasn’t quite that brave.

  Closing her eyes as he stepped into the room, Kelly did her own testing. What would his response be? She was in exactly the position he’d left her. Would he insist on taking them in the direction he wanted to go?

  She should’ve known better. The sheet disappeared and he took up exactly where he left off, settling his perfectly naked body between her legs, and the thorough licking kisses continued.


  As his tongue ran the crease where her bottom met her thigh, Kelly had to speak up. His attention had started as a slow burn, but now it was all burn and no slow. “Did I do something wrong?” she asked as his mouth moved over her.

  “What makes you think that?” he wanted to know.

  “You’re punishing me by turning me on and then I get nothing?”

  “Who said you get nothing?” His voice rumbled from the vicinity of her hip. His mouth never lifted from her skin as he answered.

  “I’m dying here in case you hadn’t noticed.”

  His body pulled up a little more as he nibbled the small of her back. His close-cut beard tickled the rise of her bottom as he moved over her. “I noticed, try to relax. You’re not ready yet.”

  “I am so ready,” she insisted softly. She couldn’t help it, her hips moved under him, legs spreading in invitation. His body willingly sank between them. He continued the nibbling up her backbone, his hands caressing her sides.

  “Remember the part about me being in control?” he asked. “I am, and you will enjoy this.”

  “Commanding me to enjoy it doesn’t work,” she groaned as his hands slid under her, grasping the sides of her breasts in a tantalizing caress.

  This time his chuckle came from the back of her neck. “Denying you’re enjoying this isn’t what’s not working, Kelly girl. I can feel the fire in you, I can smell desire in the air and there is no hiding just how much you love this from me. Now turn over. We have the whole other side to do.”

  He stood in a smooth motion and waited for her to roll over. Of course she did. This would make getting what she wanted much easier. Opening her eyes, she enjoyed the view of him standing over her. Long and lean, his body was hard-packed muscle. From this angle, his wide shoulders filled the room. The ladder of tight muscles down his torso led to a defined abdomen. Who in the hell had a defined belly? It wasn’t fair to the rest of the world.

  What was below that belly was what wasn’t fair to the rest of the male population. He wasn’t a man, she reminded herself, but damn, such hard, thick perfection was too much. Perhaps not exactly too much, she mused.