“How far in the future was the vision?” Kyle stood and helped Ava to her feet.
“I have no clue. We didn’t look significantly older, so I suspect it was months not years from now. But I did apologize for making you wait so long.”
“Wonderful,” he grumbled, and his mother laughed.
“The blood ritual has nothing to do with your personal relationship,” Erin reminded them. “Were you still lovers or perhaps even more?”
It was impossible to miss the hopeful catch in Erin’s voice. “We were still together,” Ava assured her. “But I’m not sure if we were bonded mates.”
Her answer seemed to please Kyle, but his gaze remained thoughtful.
Erin stashed her journal back in her overnight bag then motioned toward the door. “Dinner was ready awhile ago. I told them to start without us.”
“I want to tell Carissa I was able to read the journal, but the vision felt personal. I’d rather not share that information with anyone but you two.”
They both nodded then Erin said, “I consider anything I hear private unless I’m told otherwise.”
“Thank you.”
“We’ll be right there.” Kyle pulled Ava into his arms as his mother slipped out of the room. “You’re really all right?”
“I’m fine. Honestly.”
He leaned down and kissed her, his lips warm and tender. “Then don’t scare me like that again. I don’t like feeling helpless.”
She drew his mouth back to hers as a smile curved her lips. She understood what he was feeling all too well.
* * * * *
Zophiel stared at her sister with a mixture of fear and loathing. Nehema was weak and Zophiel had no tolerance for any form of weakness. Zophiel liked to think blood ties accounted for something, but she wouldn’t hesitate to end Nehema if her theatrics drew any more attention to their operation.
If it had been Zophiel’s choice, their road to justice would have been more direct. The atrocities perpetuated by Therian males had been concealed and excused for centuries. Retribution was long overdue.
Nehema agreed with Zophiel that Therian males needed to be punished, but Nehema was obsessed with “saving” innocent females. Zophiel’s thinking was less complicated and much less forgiving. Any female who didn’t openly rebel against the injustices was enabling her own mistreatment. If they were foolish enough to allow their own abuse, who was she to interfere? Zophiel preferred to focus on the males and let Nehema play hero with the females.
“Osric told that bitch everything,” Nehema lamented, baby-blue eyes wild, pale features tinged with gray. Though Zophiel was older than Nehema by almost ten years, Nehema had allowed herself to age while Zophiel culled enough energy to maintain her youthful appearance. They now looked more like mother and daughter than sisters. Another sign of Nehema’s inevitable decline.
“We don’t know that for certain. All Barns said was Carly spoke with Roberto after spending the night with Osric. Barns wasn’t able to unscramble the transmission, so we have no idea what they said.”
“What else would Carly have told Roberto? The only thing Osric knows that he hasn’t already told the backers is what he knows about you.” Nehema wrung her hands and Zophiel wanted to shake her.
When Zophiel first learned that a Therian was assisting the backers, she’d been appalled and enraged. Traitors existed in any society, but this betrayal was exceptionally crass. She’d found out everything she could about the traitor and set out to end his miserable life, but something about Osric had been so dark and twisted that she’d decided to toy with him instead.
She arranged an “accidental” meeting then allowed him to believe he pursued her. It had been many years since she indulged her sexual appetites and Osric was perfect for her unconventional needs. He wasn’t afraid of pain, enjoyed giving and receiving it to enhance his partner’s pleasure. And he was oh so trainable.
Fascinated by his obsessive appetites, Zophiel cultivated his devotion into something akin to worship. She was his guardian angel, his provider, his Mistress. She used her empathic abilities to anticipate his every need then amplified the pleasure, allowing her to fulfill his most twisted desire. No one could satisfy him the way she did because no one else possessed her abilities.
But if he displeased her in anyway, she would punish him with pain every bit as intense as the pleasure. Then she would disappear for weeks, sometimes months, leaving him aching for a level of satisfaction impossible to attain without her.
Shaking away the distraction, she refocused on the present complication. “The conversation Barns reported to you might not have had anything to do with Osric.” If Carly were a more effective spy than they’d thought, they would simply have to deal with her. All this worrying was a waste of energy.
Nehema’s brow arched as a bit of her spirit returned. “If the backers know about you, it’s only a matter of time before their investigation leads them to me.”
“They already know who you are. If they’d wanted you dead, you’d be dead.”
The reminder earned Zophiel an impatient glare. “The only thing they can prove about me is that I’ve been helping females escape their abusers.”
“Tell that to Gage Seaton.” Zophiel laughed. “I’m sure he’s given the cats quite an earful by now.”
“You approved his actions. I had nothing to do with it.”
“We know that, but Gage has no idea he was talking to me not you.”
Nehema stomped her foot and started pacing, fists tightly clenched at her sides. “You intentionally complicate things. I’ve done everything I can to avoid violence, but you seem to crave it.”
Zophiel had had enough of Nehema’s denials. Their tactics might differ, but they were both equally guilty in the eyes of the Therian nation. “You’d rather kidnap children and terrorize adolescents with tales of demon possession and evil spirits.”
“The spirits are real and you know it.” Her steps sped as her agitation mounted. “How can you speak such blasphemy?”
Zophiel stepped in front of Nehema, grasped her shoulders and gave her a good hard shake. “Snap out of it! Osric knows nothing but my name and how to make me come. Even if he did run his mouth to Carly, we are not in danger.”
“I want to believe it’s that simple, but things never work out that well for us.”
Ignoring her sister’s pessimism, Zophiel went on. “Even if the backers miraculously connect you and me, I’ll kill them long before they harm either of us.”
Fear flickered in the depths of Nehema’s eyes. “Is violence your solution for everything?”
“Pretty much.” Nehema gaped and Zophiel laughed. “Relax, little sister. You’ll end up with an ulcer if you keep tying yourself in knots.”
“We need to know how much the backers have pieced together, which means you need to search one of their memories.”
Zophiel tensed as she searched the depths of her sister’s gaze. “You know what happened last time I tried to probe that deeply. Do you really want me to try again?”
Nehema sighed then squared her shoulders. “I don’t see that we have any other choice. I will not allow us to be blindsided. It’s time for the Angel of Justice to make another house call. I’ll let you choose which one you visit.”
* * * * *
Ava’s vision left her with a sense of belonging that she’d never experienced before. She’d always been close with her family, but the safety precautions that shaped her childhood had kept her isolated from everyone else.
To begin with, the easy camaraderie the Therians shared had made Ava feel isolated and sad. But now there was no doubt left in her mind that this was where she belonged and she would one day be as exceptional as the others.
Her buoyant mood lasted through dinner and well into the evening. Yet by the time Kyle made their excuses and led her upstairs, some of her old uncertainty had starting bleeding through her newfound calm.
Kyle closed the door to their bedroom and leaned back again
st the sturdy panel. “You’ve been talkative and smiling all evening. Why are you so tense now?”
She averted her face as she considered the question. Trying to think clearly while she looked at him was an utter waste of time. He attracted her physically, challenged her mentally and complemented her emotionally. How was she supposed to resist him?
Or why did she feel the need to try to push him away? Most people spent their entire lives searching for that one special person who was compatible with them in every way. If she’d been lucky enough to find hers, why should she fight the attraction?
She licked her lips and glanced away, not sure she could make him understand her hesitation. Not sure she understood it herself. “This has always felt sort of…preordained.”
“Is that a bad thing?” His tone was quiet, nonconfrontational.
“I hate being manipulated.” She looked at him, needing to see his reaction to the statement.
His brows drew together and his lips thinned. “Do you feel like I’ve manipulated you?”
She shook her head. He’d been nothing but gallant. “That’s not what I meant.” She sat on the edge of the bed and pulled off her boots. “You haven’t had any more of a choice in this than I’ve had. I don’t blame you for any of it.”
His gaze gleamed like expensive emeralds and the soft lighting in the room accented the lighter streaks in his tawny hair. He watched her with the lazy intensity of a predator that had already cornered his prey. “Many things in a Therian’s life are triggered by instinct and seem ‘preordained’. I suppose I’m just used to being manipulated by forces more powerful than myself.”
“Well, I don’t like it.” Before he could react to her statement, she pulled her shirt off and let it drop from her fingers. “I won’t pretend I don’t want you. Hypocrisy is not in my nature, but the vision gave me a glimpse into the future. It assured me that this is my chosen path, but it also gave me back control over when and with whom the bond is formed.” He started to reply, but she unzipped her jeans and wiggled out of the snug denim. “I know it’s your nature to take control and I’m not trying to change you. But tonight I need to reclaim control over my desire.”
His gaze meandered from her face to the swell of her breasts. “What’d you have in mind?”
“I want to make the decisions.” Adorned in her bra and panties, she crept toward him, pulse increasing with each step. “I need you to follow my lead. Just for tonight.”
His gaze locked with hers, fierce yet amazingly tender. “You can have whatever you need, as long as I’m the one who gives it to you.”
“I don’t want anybody else.” She tugged his t-shirt out from inside his jeans and slipped one hand under the soft cotton. “I don’t think I never will. I just need to remain in control tonight, to know this is something I’ve chosen.”
“I’m yours to command.”
A sexy growl threaded through his voice, making her nipples tingle. “Take off your shirt.” His fast, focused movements pushed his body against hers, further arousing her senses and accentuating the ache rapidly building between her thighs. His torso was corded with well-defined muscles, compact and lean.
He didn’t touch her. Instead he silently waited for her next move. She ran her hands across his chest then down his arms, enjoying every dip and curve of his amazing body. As her hands explored, she pressed her lips to his chest, absorbing the heat of his skin and the steady thumping of his heart.
She kissed her way to one of his nipples, wondering if he’d enjoy the firm pull of her mouth as much as she enjoyed his. Closing her lips around the tiny peak, she could barely form a circle. Rather than abandoning the task, she used her teeth, nibbling and pulling until he pushed one hand into her hair and released a throaty moan.
Excitement rushed through her body and she switched to the other side, determined to hear the sound again. Responding to Kyle’s skill had been easy. All she’d had to do was surrender and receive the most powerful orgasms of her life. Giving him pleasure might require more concentration, but each time he tensed, each gasp and groan sent desire cascading through her body.
Her hands drifted downward as her mouth continued to play. His hand remained in her hair, yet he didn’t tighten his grip or try to control her. She wasn’t sure how long his mood would last, so she took full advantage of his willingness to indulge her.
Slipping to her knees, she kissed her way farther down. Each quiver and hiss fueled her determination to watch him lose control. She slowly unzipped his pants, freeing his cock from its denim prison. His shaft was thick and hard, the flared tip deeply flushed and weeping.
She caught a drop of clear fluid as it escaped and smoothed it over his sensitive crest. Her thumb glided across his velvety flesh and his fingers slowly tightened in her hair.
“This is hard enough.” His voice sounded gravelly. “Don’t tease.”
“But I like teasing you.” She wrapped her fingers around the base and slowly stroked up and down. “Isn’t that what you said the last time I begged you to let me come?”
With their gazes still locked, she pumped him, swiping the moist tip at the apex of each stroke. His other hand clenched and unclenched as his cock grew harder within the circle of her fingers. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the door. And she stopped.
He muttered a curse and opened his eyes.
“Finish undressing. I want you naked.” She stayed on her knees as he frantically tugged off his boots, socks and jeans. Knowing her touch had created his urgency empowered her to be even bolder. She pointed to the bed as she stood and unfastened her bra. “Sit on the edge and spread your legs.”
“You better be careful, sunshine. Payback’s a bitch.” Golden flecks shimmered in the depths of his eyes, revealing the heat of his desire and his cat’s restlessness.
“I’m not worried.” She smiled, high on feminine power. “Sit on the bed and show me how much you want me.”
He sat and moved his legs apart then rested back on his elbows and flexed his abdomen, making his cock jerk before it came to rest against his flat belly. “I’m all yours, sweetheart. What are you going to do with me?”
“I think I’ll just enjoy the view.” She stepped closer but stopped well out of reach. “You have an amazing body.” She skimmed her hands up her sides and cupped her breasts. “Makes me hot just looking at you.”
His gaze narrowed, but he didn’t move.
She rolled her nipples, enjoying the tension in his thighs and the flush crawling across his skin as much as the pressure of her fingers. Suddenly their link expanded and scalding need saturated her mind. She groaned, pressing her thighs together.
“That’s not fair.” She gasped.
“You’re the one who wanted to play.” One of his tawny brows arched, emphasizing the challenge in his tone. “You told me to show you how much I want you.”
Determined to remain in control as long as possible, she caught the sides of her panties and pulled them down as she spun in an undulating circle. Her panties briefly caught around her upper thighs then fell to her ankles and she kicked them aside.
“Very nice.” He licked his lips, gaze boldly moving over her naked body. “The back view is just as appealing as the front.”
Twinges of pleasure raced from her nipples to her clit and back, each sensation compounded by the emotions flowing across their link. She approached him one step at a time, pausing in between to touch herself in progressively bolder places. By the time she stood between his legs, her fingers were buried between her thighs, rubbing with almost frantic urgency.
“Your scent is driving me crazy.” He inhaled deeply, his hips bucking. “Let me touch you.”
She drew her fingers out and smiled into his eyes. “Is this what you want?” She brought her fingers to his mouth and painted his lips with her cream. He licked his lips, eyes half closed as he savored her taste.
“More.”
“Not yet.” She put her fingers in her mouth and shivered as
her taste spread across her tongue. This was what he wanted, what he craved whenever they made love. Would she find his taste as evocative? She looked at his straining cock and smiled. There was only one way to find out.
Kneeling between his spread thighs, she cupped his balls with one hand and gripped his shaft with the other. His legs flexed and he groaned. “If you do this, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop.”
She ran her tongue around the head of his cock then caught the bead of moisture perched on the very tip. The salty-sharp taste sank into her tongue and stirred a primal hunger for more. “I don’t want you to stop, so don’t hold back.”
Her lips formed a firm circle as she slowly sucked him into her mouth. She cradled him with her tongue, absorbing his heat and the contrasting textures. He was hot and soft, warm and moist, and she couldn’t get enough of him.
He let her set the pace, remaining as passive as his consuming desire allowed. His hand steadied the back of her head, but his hips stayed nearly still as she slid her mouth up and down the length of his shaft.
She released his balls and stroked his legs, his hips, his sides. She wanted to touch him everywhere, know every contour of his strong body by heart. His chest heaved as his breathing sped. She slid her knees outward, lowering her mouth and tilting her head to a better angle. She took more of him, felt him bump the back of her throat with each rotation.
“Oh!” He framed her face with his hands and helplessly rocked into her mouth.
Thrilled by his urgency, she relaxed her throat and tilted her head back even farther. Come for me. She pushed her excitement across their link, showing him how eager she was to know his taste.
He cried out and pushed to the back of her mouth, shuddering violently as his seed released in rhythmic jets. She swallowed and swallowed again, taking as much as he had, unwilling to let him go until he’d surrendered every last drop of his pleasure.
They stared into each other’s eyes as she licked him clean. He brushed her hair back from her face, his hands trembling and careful. “I love you,” he whispered. “You know that, don’t you?”
TherianPromise Page 19
