by Tina Folsom
“But what if—”
Bare arms closed around her, pulling her into the hard muscles of a naked man she would recognize anywhere. Naked, because the fire had burned the clothes off his body, yet left him untouched.
“I’m here, baby.”
FORTY-ONE
Deirdre had organized everything perfectly. Nobody had gotten hurt. The Cloak Warriors had made sure no innocent bystanders were anywhere close enough to the accident to get injured. Yet the demons who’d followed Aiden and Leila from her parents’ house had seen what they needed to see: Aiden and Leila crashing into the gas truck and being incinerated.
A body that, thanks to dental records, would be identified as Leila’s, would be found in the wreckage. Deirdre had made sure there would also be a dead body behind the wheel of the truck. She had driven it herself, but gotten out the same way Aiden had escaped the flames. To ensure that the authorities’ investigations led to a dead end, the Cloak Warriors had transported a recently deceased man from a Middle Eastern war zone through the portal, guaranteeing there was no chance the charred body could ever be identified in the US. They’d placed him in the stolen gas truck and rigged it to explode when Aiden’s Ferrari hit it.
There was no body for Aiden. It didn’t matter what the police thought of that inconsistency, but the demons, who knew that Cloak Warriors couldn’t be killed by fire, would be satisfied. Add to that the eyewitness account of Nancy seeing them get into the very recognizable sports car, and the demons’ own observations, and Leila’s death would be believable.
For the first time in days, Aiden felt his body relax, the tension shedding like dead skin. There was only one thing now that was still on his mind. And he would take care of it now.
He put a hand on Leila’s lower back, making her turn away from his compound mates who were chatting in the great room. She smiled at him.
“Come,” he murmured only for her to hear.
Interest flickered in her eyes. “Where to?”
But without waiting for his answer she accepted his hand and followed him out of the room. He led her along the corridor leading to his quarters.
“Do you remember that my father took me aside after the council meeting?”
“Yes ...”
“He told me that the council knew that I had brought you to the compound. And no humans are allowed here.”
He sensed her pull in a breath. “Are they going to punish you?” She gave him a concerned look.
“They will, unless I rectify the situation.” Having reached his rooms, he opened the door.
Hesitantly, she stepped inside, and he closed the door behind them. He noticed worry on her face.
“It’s time for that now.”
She nodded, her lids lowering to hide the sadness that had crept into her eyes. “I have to go then?” She turned away from him. “I understand. I do. I knew it couldn’t be like this forever.” Her voice broke.
“I’m not asking you to leave. I’m asking you to stay.” He moved behind her and cupped her shoulders.
She turned her face to him. “But you just said I have to leave.”
He smiled. “I said I have to rectify the situation. But that doesn’t mean you’ll leave. I want you to stay. As my mate, my wife.”
Leila’s mouth dropped open, and her eyes widened. “Your ... you want to ...”
He stroked his knuckles over her cheek. “Yes, I want. I want very much.” He pressed a kiss on her lips. “The only humans ever allowed in any of our compounds are the mates of a Cloak Warrior. The council gave me time to decide. I didn’t really need all that time to know, but I wanted to give you time to get used to me, to see what life with me would be like. What life at the compound would be like, before I asked you. Leila, I love you. Will you be my mate, my wife, mine forever?”
Her eyes searched his, surprise and doubt still shining through them. “But ...” She bit her lip.
His heart clenched. Did she not feel the same for him? Had he misinterpreted her loving gazes, her caring touch, the sparkle in her eyes when she looked at him? He lowered his eyes, her rejection hurting more than anything else ever had. Every time they had made love since they’d defeated the demons in the cave, their lovemaking had become more intense, deeper, more connected. He’d poured virta into her so many times, his compound mates had started giving him dirty looks. Hamish had even pulled him aside one day and told him to give Leila a break.
“But,” she continued then, “you’re immortal. I’ll die in fifty years or so. I’ll grow old next to you while you stay young. You won’t love me then. It’ll never work.”
He lifted his head, relief coursing through his cells. “That’s your only objection?”
“Only? Isn’t that enough?”
“Tell me you love me.”
She hesitated.
“Leila, if you love me, please tell me now. If you truly love me, I need to know.”
“I love you, but—”
He cut her next words off by sliding his lips over hers and searing her mouth with a passionate kiss. She loved him. The confirmation of what he’d hoped for this entire time spread in his body, making it hum with pleasure.
Slowly he released her lips. “Are you sure? Absolutely sure?”
She nodded, her eyes suddenly brimming with unshed tears.
“Good, because if you aren’t, the bonding ritual will kill us both.”
Leila jolted physically. “What are you saying?”
Aiden brushed a strand of hair out of her face. “Remember the first time I made love to you the Cloak Warrior way?”
When she nodded, he continued, “You collected the virta I poured into you, and you concentrated it on me when you put your palm over my heart. It was flowing through your arm. Had it reached my heart, we would have been bonded. And when that happens between a couple that doesn’t truly love each other, it kills them both. Not instantly, but within weeks or months, so they have time to regret their actions.”
“Oh my God!” she gasped.
“Yes, but if our love is true, you’ll feed off my immortality, you will remain young with me and age only fractionally, the same way I do.”
“But that can’t be. Science ...” she whispered, clearly fascinated.
“It’s within our powers, so we can choose our mates freely among both species. However, I still don’t understand how you could have known about the bonding ritual. It’s a secret.”
“I didn’t. I swear.” Then she shook her head. “But that night, I saw inside of you. I saw a bit of your soul.”
He didn’t think it was possible. “Only mated couples can sense each other’s souls.”
“But I saw it,” she insisted. “What does it mean?”
He pulled her head closer to his, looking into the depth of her ocean blue eyes, seeing his love reflected back at him. “I think it means that we were always meant for each other.”
“But what if we’re wrong? What if this isn’t love? We’ve only known each other for such a short time. People can’t fall in love that quickly.”
Aiden gazed deep into her eyes. “I’m willing to take that risk, because even a few weeks or months with you will be infinitely better than living eternity without you.”
“You’re willing to risk your immortality for me?”
There was only one possible answer to her question. “Yes. But I can’t make this decision alone. Your life it at stake too. So if you have any doubts about your feelings for me, you have to refuse me now.”
Her hand came up to stroke her fingers over the scar above his brow, then down his cheek and along his chin, her featherlight touch leaving a trail of fire on his skin.
Then she smiled at him. “I already died once today. What are the odds of me dying again?”
He grinned. “If you put it that way ...”
Aiden slanted his mouth over hers, capturing her lips. Under light pressure she parted them, allowing him to delve inside her delicious cavern, while his hands busied t
hemselves with divesting her of her clothes. It wasn’t difficult, because she was more than willing to help him in his endeavor.
“Eager?” he whispered between kisses.
Leila’s hands went to the waistband of his pants, snapping the top button open, then sliding down the zipper. When her hands found his hard-on and wrapped around him, he let out a groan. Her lips twisted into a smile.
“I doubt I could be more eager than you.”
He thrust into her hands. She had a point; he was positively bursting to take her, the knowledge that this time their lovemaking would culminate in a bonding ritual, making his body brim with anticipation. He’d never felt happier in his entire life.
The moment they shed their last pieces of clothing, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed, laying her on the crisp sheets. She looked perfect there, because it was where she belonged: in his bed, in his life, in his heart. He swept his gaze over her curves, savoring the moment his eyes traveled over her heaving breasts down to her long and shapely legs, those powerful thighs that had held him night after night as he’d thrust into her. The pure bliss he’d found in her arms every night made him dizzy even now.
“You know I don’t like to wait,” Leila purred and crooked her finger.
“I made a note of that when you told me back at the farmhouse.” He slid over her, bringing his raging erection to her core, her thighs spreading for him without any urging on his part. So natural, yet so exciting. So meant for him.
Aiden dove into her slick heat, seating himself with one single thrust. All thoughts vanished from his mind as the sensation of being connected to her filled him. She bucked against him, her body welcoming him.
Without holding back, he allowed his energy to flow. The air stirred in the room, the earth trembling beneath them, quaking in the same rhythm in which their bodies moved. Mist dimmed the lights in the room, making the bedside lamps glow in a soothing orange color.
Leila’s thighs tightened around him, urging him to plunge deeper and harder, her breaths irregular, her skin coated with a thin sheen of perspiration, her eyes sparkling with desire and love. He’d never seen a creature more beautiful, a woman more desirable than she. He felt honored that she had opened her heart to him, that she trusted him with her life, as he trusted her with his.
I love you, she mouthed.
“Forever mine,” he murmured in response. Just as he would be forever hers.
Amidst the churning air and mist that surrounded them—the power that cocooned them—he slowed his strokes, wanting to prolong this experience. Her muscles clenched him tightly, her hands exploring him so eagerly, as if she’d never touched him before. Every touch of her fingers, every kiss of her lips felt new and more tantalizing than ever. He was on fire, and for the first time in his life he understood what it meant when people said they couldn’t live without somebody. Because he couldn’t live without Leila. She was his life.
Without her, he was incomplete, only an empty shell.
Not able to wait any longer, Aiden allowed his virta to flow into her. From every point that their bodies were connected, his power seeped into her, permeating her cells. As he shared himself with her, her body began to glow, the sight driving him to ecstasy.
His strokes became harder and faster, and Leila met him in the same rhythm, her arms and legs suddenly gripping him tighter. She was aware of her power now, her eyes shining with it as she looked at him.
And with every stroke, he sensed the tiny orgasms that charged through her body, making her eyes flutter and her breaths catch. He could have come with her right there and then, but the sight was too beautiful to stop. So he withdrew his cock and thrust back inside, wringing another orgasm from her glowing body. So addictive was the sight and the feeling of her muscles clenching around him that he continued until his balls tightened.
Still he held back, wanting more, wanting everything she had to give. He rolled onto his back, bringing her on top of him without dislodging his shaft from her tight channel.
“Now, Leila,” he urged her.
Their gazes locked. In the depth of her blue eyes, he saw flames light up, and suddenly her entire body tensed, energy traveling through her veins. She laid her palm flat against his chest, right over his heart that beat faster than ever. He felt the approach of the virta that he’d poured into her, but it was different now. It had comingled with Leila’s own essence, with her soul, her power, her love.
The moment it reached her fingertips and sparked against his skin, the world around him stood still. But it was only the calm before the storm that unleashed a split second later: like a blade forged of pure fire, it pierced his heart and lodged there, carving out a place for itself. The pain was as fleeting as a pinprick, yet it left behind an imprint so permanent, nothing could ever remove it.
She had claimed him, and he was now irrevocably tied to her. At that knowledge, his body dissolved into waves of pleasure, his cock exploding inside her just as Leila’s orgasm crested and swept him away. Floating in an ocean of love, weightless, timeless, he pulled her face to his and captured her lips, drinking her in.
And like an endless cycle, he shared more virta with her as she continued to pour it back into his heart, their bodies fused in passion, their love confirmed, their lives together ahead of them.
“Mine forever,” he murmured against her lips.
“For eternity.”
Then another orgasm claimed her and tore him with her. He knew his ability to speak or think wouldn’t come back for hours. But who needed to think and speak when he could feel instead?
EPILOGUE
Zoltan took a reluctant bow before the Great One. Before he could straighten to his full height, the leader of the Demons of Fear rose to his feet and took a step toward him.
“You’ve failed!” he thundered, the sound of his voice echoing in the vast, deep cave where he held court.
Zoltan clenched his jaw shut, fury coursing through him. He had already had the drug in his hands without knowing it. That knowledge gnawed at him. He’d been so close. And now, everything was lost: the scientist was dead. He’d seen it with his own eyes. Later, the medical examiner had confirmed that it was her body that had burned in the wreckage. The Cloak Warrior’s body hadn’t been found. It didn’t surprise him. He would have been able to escape the inferno.
The sharp tips of his claws emerged from his fingertips, evidence that the anger that boiled inside him was getting stronger and would not be so easily subdued today. He wasn’t in the mood to be taken to task over his failure, even less so knowing ten of the Great One’s guards were watching his humiliation.
“An accident,” Zoltan pressed out, even though he had his doubts about it. What if the Cloak Warriors had in the end decided to kill the scientist after all, realizing it was safer for them that way?
“There are no accidents!”
Zoltan raised his gaze. “No, there aren’t.”
But his leader wasn’t done admonishing him. “I believed in your capabilities. You assured me that this woman would be easy pickings, that the drug would be ours. And now, Drago, what have you got to say for yourself?”
Zoltan listened to his birth name, but didn’t like the sound anymore. He had changed. He wasn’t going to cower any longer. He saw himself as the new leader. And the name he’d chosen for himself, the name of a successful entrepreneur, one he’d had to kill after he’d resisted his influence, suited him fine. He’d in fact admired the man for his strength. Yes, his new name, Zoltan, reflected that strength.
“My name is Zoltan now.”
The Great One advanced, bringing them within a foot of each other. “I decide what your name is, boy. I’m your leader. And your chances of becoming my heir died with that woman. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, I understand fully,” Zoltan replied and pulled his dagger, driving it into his leader’s stomach.
Realization flashed in the demon’s eyes as Zoltan drew the dagger upwards, slicing him
open. Green blood and guts spilled, and gurgles escaped his dying leader’s mouth.
“I don’t need you to declare me your heir anymore. I’m taking what’s mine, old man.”
Then he kicked him backwards, dislodging the dagger from his gut. With preternatural speed he turned, witnessing as the guards stared at him in shock, ready to attack.
Zoltan squared his stance. “Are you ready to die for your dead leader, or would you rather live and serve the new Great One?”
He waited, feeling power surge in him, never taking his eyes off his opponents. They exchanged glances.
“Then bow before me!”
One by one, the demon guards lowered their swords and fell on their knees. With satisfaction, Zoltan turned to the throne and took it, molding his broad back against the cold stone.
“Things are about to change. The Cloak Warriors will feel my wrath.” He stared at the demons who were now under his command and smiled to himself.
“Soon, very soon,” he murmured under his breath.
THE END
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Excerpt of Zane’s Redemption (Scanguards Vampires #5)
Copyright 2011 Tina Folsom
Zane wore what he always wore: tight-fitting jeans, a black long-sleeved shirt, and boots that looked like he could kick the shit out of someone with them. His leather coat hung over a chair near the entrance. And damn it if that simple outfit didn’t make him look like sex-on-a-stick. Why Lauren insisted his bald head was unattractive, Portia didn’t understand. She had, in fact, never seen anybody who carried the loss of hair off the way Zane did, with his ‘take it or leave it’ kind of attitude, as if he didn’t give a shit what anybody thought of him. Maybe that’s what she liked most about him.
Liked? That was too strong a word. She didn’t really ‘like’ him—more like she had the hots for him—and that was a totally different cup of tea. ‘Like’ had nothing to do with it.
