Hunted Flame

by Rebecca Airies

  “If you’re ready, I’ll text Sean and he’ll come escort you.” Sawyer nodded and pulled out his phone.

  “Why? We know the way to the gate.” Kelly frowned.

  “It’s part of the community rules. Visitors have to be escorted. Since I’d rather not take Tempest out right now where someone could take a shot at her, I need someone to come escort you. There are people here who want to protect their privacy,” Sawyer explained.

  “I guess I can respect that. If I lived in a place like this I’d probably want privacy, too.” Kelly nodded. “Do you think he’d shoot at her?”

  “We don’t know, and I don’t want to take the chance.” Sawyer shook his head. He sent the text. A reply came back almost immediately. Sean knocked on the door about ten minutes later. Tempest hugged her friends and said goodbye to them. She watched as Sean walked them to their car and then hurried to his.

  Sawyer shut the door. “You look more relaxed.”

  “I am. It was very good to see them.” She leaned into him as he guided her back to the living room.

  “I heard some of what you were talking about.” He sat in a chair and tugged her down onto his lap.

  “I thought you might have,” she said as she slipped her arm around his shoulder. Not surprising with gargoyle hearing.

  “What were they talking about your father and your cousin being douche-nuggets? Which is an interesting descriptor that I might have to use at some point.” Sawyer drew his thumb over her lips.

  “Ah, well, my father and my cousin keep trying to give me loans, but the terms are so predatory that if they were part of a financial company they’d probably be in trouble.” She patted his arm. The only thing she wanted think about right now was him. Tingles ran over her lips as he continued to stroke them.

  Sawyer tensed. “What do you mean predatory, and why would someone from your family want to give you a loan like that?”

  She brushed her fingers across his chest. “Because they’re douche-nuggets. But specifically, they want the same piece of land George Smith wanted. Each of their proposed loans included that land as part of the collateral. I wasn’t going to take it. Grandfather doesn’t want that land sold at all.”

  “He didn’t? What did he want you to do with it?” he asked.

  “He wanted me to enjoy it while I was alive, but when I died, most of it was to go to the park that bordered his land. He wanted it to go back to nature.” And she’d make sure that his wishes were followed.

  “Was it your father’s father?” He brushed his finger across her chin.

  “No, it’s my mother’s father. He would have given it to her, but he knew that she’d give in to what Dad wanted eventually.” She lifted her shoulders. “He wouldn’t take that chance.”

  “I’m sorry that they’re trying to take it from you.” He cupped her cheek. “If he tries to do that again, just tell me.”

  “I think they finally understand, but I did take measures to make sure they never get it even if something happens to me. I drew up a will. In a way, I’m glad that I did it before all this.” She tangled her fingers with his.

  “We’ll make sure nothing happens to you and that you get to honor your grandfather’s request.” He smiled and brushed a kiss over her cheek. “Your schooling is no problem. As we said, we’ll help you get back into it once all this mess is finished.”

  “Was there something Sean wanted to tell you when he held you up at the door after the girls got here?” She pulled back. No way had she forgotten that.

  “Yeah, he did. Though you can’t give her a hint about it, you’ll be seeing Maria a lot more soon. Since she’s not involved in all of this right now, he’d like to keep her out of danger.”

  “You mean she’s his mate? That’s all it takes, a very short contact?” She frowned. So strange. How could they be sure from such a brief meeting?

  “That’s it. He caught her scent and bam.” Sawyer laughed. “It’s more than the scent, though. He immediately felt the connection to her.”

  “And I’ll feel this connection once I make the transition?” She bit her lip. They kept insisting, but so far, she’d felt nothing except attraction.

  “Yes, you will. Come on. Do you want to come help me cook? We can have dinner done when Phoenix and Noah get here.” Sawyer rose.

  “Sure. Maybe we can get everything done fast and have a little time to play.” She swept her eyes down his body.

  “Not the type of play you’re implying. After dinner, we’ll play.” He laughed and led the way to the kitchen. “As long as nothing interrupts us.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Tempest stared up at the ceiling. No use lying here. She wouldn’t get any sleep. She sat up. For once, there weren’t arms and legs across her or around her. Amazing. Almost every time she woke up, she had an arm around her.

  She crawled down the middle of the bed. Her pulse pounded. She eased off the bed. Hopefully, she didn’t wake them up. She grabbed a shirt off the chair, walked to the door, and turned to look back. Good, they still slept. They needed it. All of them had to work tomorrow.

  She strolled down the hall. Well, at least here, she wouldn’t wake them with her fidgeting and twisting. Going to the living room, she made her way over to the window. A street light cut through the darkness and bugs swirled around its amber glow, but otherwise nothing moved outside.

  What was she going to do? The situation was crazy. Someone wanted to kill her because they thought she was a monster. And they thought she was a monster because that asshole gave them her name when she refused to sell him her land. That didn’t even take into account the entire situation with Phoenix, Sawyer, and Noah. Mates, transforming, gargoyles. It was enough to send a woman running through the streets.

  She ran a hand through her hair. Three men. It wasn’t just the strangeness of it all. How was she supposed to build a relationship with all of them without leaving someone out or hurting someone? They seemed perfectly happy with it, but it was early in the relationship and the sex was volcano hot. Unfortunately, sex wouldn’t occupy every minute of the day.

  She sighed. Her feelings and thoughts were such a mess about this. Even if she could leave safely, she might not do much running.

  Everything was so out of control. On top of that, she had nothing to do. No work, no school to look forward to, and she couldn't talk with her friends about this. They wouldn’t understand. Hell, they’d probably send someone after her with a straight jacket if she told them everything.

  “Tempest, are you all right?” Phoenix asked.

  She tensed and turned. Damn, I must have woken him up. He walked toward her, wearing only a pair of blue boxers. His bronze skin gleamed in the light. He looked so good.

  Sin and temptation in the flesh. Tingles prickled over her fingers. It would be so easy to stroke her hands over that broad expanse. She closed her eyes for a moment. Now was not the time to get aroused by his looks.

  “Yes, I’m fine. I just couldn’t sleep, and I didn’t want to wake you up. After a while, I thought it best that I should get out of bed. I couldn’t stay still.” She leaned her shoulder against the windowsill. “All of you have work tomorrow or at least, something that you need to be doing. Me, I can sleep late if I really need to.”

  “I thought you tried to leave.” Long strides carried him over to her.

  “And you were coming to get me back.” She held out her hand.

  “Yes, I was. On top of it not being safe out there, you’re our mate. We’re not letting you go.” He curled his fingers around hers.

  “I know it’s not safe. That’s what I was thinking as I stood here having a little bit of a pity-party.” She squeezed his fingers.

  “Are you sad that you can’t leave?” He tugged her forward and wrapped his arms around her.

  “Not sad so much as frustrated. I’ve told you that there are things I want to do.” She slipped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest. “And generally, I feel bored and usel
ess.”

  “We know that you want to get on with your school, and if it was possible right now, we’d let you go. But there’s too much danger with the hunters. They know where you live. They know your identity. Even if you rented a room somewhere other than your home, they’d find you. We can’t risk them killing you.” Phoenix pressed his lips to her cheek.

  “So, are you only keeping me safe because I’m your mate? What about those other people who were on the list?” She pulled back and looked up at him. The others definitely needed some type of guard. They’d have no idea of danger until someone came at them.

  “If we could find them, we’ve done our best to keep them safe. There was one man who was attacked, we have him safe. A couple of them allowed us to put guards on them, but most we’re just watching.” He pulled back and guided her over to the couch.

  “So, you didn’t just pick them up and carry them away.” She dropped onto the cushion. Not that she minded considering someone had tried to bash her head in.

  He laughed and shook his head. “No, most people don’t get our special treatment.”

  “I don’t know whether to feel insulted or honored.” She poked him in the chest. Those three had just taken over. “But I’m thankful that you are watching out for me. Until the attack, I had no idea I was in any danger.”

  “The first time you saw me with Dante that day was the day we learned about the hunters coming our way. As it is, one man was already hurt. We have no idea if the list we found was the only list they were sent. They could have already hurt other people.” Phoenix drew her closer.

  She rested her head against his arm. He was so warm. “Do they hunt other people on their own, without lists from someone?”

  “Yes, they do. Most of the time, when they’ve come into contact with our kind it’s been a small group of them out investigating some strange sighting.” He stroked his fingers over her shoulder and arm.

  “Then they could have just as easily come here looking for someone on their own and stumbled on victims to choose.” She trailed her palm over the ripple of muscles on his abdomen. Damn, he was tempting. “You can’t take responsibility for the jerk off’s actions or the insanity of those hunters. Now, kidnapping me, that you did. If you want to make it up to me, I’ll let you.”

  He raised a brow, but his lips twitched. “How do you propose that I make it up to you?”

  She tilted her head. “Hmm, kisses, breakfast in bed, personal massages, tutoring if I need it when I go to school.”

  His finger swept over her lips. “I can definitely handle giving you some kisses, and I’ll relish the personal massages. Breakfast in bed, you’ll have to make sure someone else cooks it for you.”

  “You cook. I’ve seen you.” She frowned. Was he messing with her? He cooked wonderfully.

  “Dinner and lunch, yes, and dessert as long as it’s relatively simple.” Phoenix shrugged. “If I try to make breakfast though, the fire alarms go off. No matter if it’s just eggs and toast.”

  “Huh, well, as long as it gets to me while I’m in bed, who cooks it doesn’t matter.” She lifted a shoulder. And if they pampered her anymore, she might fall head over heels for them.

  He laughed and lifted her into his lap. “I like the attitude.”

  “You have to work.” She put her hand on his shoulder. Heat curled low in her belly. As wonderful as sex would be, he should rest.

  “Coffee is a wonderful thing, and I wouldn’t miss this for anything.” He nuzzled her neck.

  “Yeah, I haven’t had that in a while. It seems to have mysteriously disappeared from the house.” She tugged on his shirt. And she missed it. Sometimes, that brew was all that got her through the day. She’d searched all the cabinets, but right now, touching him was so much more important.

  “It would cause problems as you’re changing. We’ve taken it out of the house so that you don’t have to worry about trying to resist it.” He guided his hand down her back. “We don’t want you in any pain.”

  “It would be painful?” She blinked. Whoa. But maybe it wouldn’t happen to her. “Does it happen to everyone who changes?”

  “Every full human. There’s been a half Branal who didn’t have the reaction.” His lips brushed over her lips. “And it’s really not pleasant. It can be serious, even deadly if not caught in time with a small amount of coffee ingestion.”

  “What kind of unpleasant effects?” She worried her lower lip. Yeah, she had a serious craving for coffee, but deadly consequences? That was a bit much. Coffee wasn’t worth that risk.

  “It starts with racing heart and shortness of breath, but in very bad situations, it can progress to seizures and stroke.” Phoenix leaned in and nibbled her cheek.

  “Well, at least, I don’t have to get up early for anything.” She lifted a shoulder. Okay, she could live without coffee.

  “That’s true. But I don’t think that you lingering in bed will make it easier for any of us to leave in the morning. We’ll all want to join you there.” Phoenix stroked her back.

  “I wouldn’t mind that, but I think your boss would.” She drew her fingers across his shoulder. And she wouldn’t be the reason they lost their job.

  “He might at that.” Phoenix slipped his hand under the nightshirt. “Do you plan to sit here and talk, or did you want to do something else?”

  She licked her lips. Oh, there were so many options. “Something else sounds wonderful, but I’m not sure that I want to be sitting down when it happens. Sounds a little tame.”

  “Hmm, I can handle giving you wild, but first, a little play time. Sit here for a moment and let me get in some touching.” He slid his hand down to the bottom of her shirt. “Why did you put this on?”

  “I didn’t want to stand in front of the window wearing nothing. The shirt barely covered my pussy as it was. I was tempted to grab some panties but wanted to let you three sleep.” She skimmed her palm over his chest. The heat drew her almost as much as his scent.

  “Good idea. These are ours.” He cupped her breasts. “Raise your hands.”

  She lifted her arms. Possessive man. “Well, technically, they’re kind of attached to me.”

  He whipped the fabric over her head. “I wouldn’t want it any other way. I love your breasts. Put your hands on my shoulders and lean back. I’ll give these beauties a little attention.”

  She gripped his shoulders and leaned back. He licked his lips and eased forward. Hot breath puffed over the peak. A jolt slashed straight to her core. She rocked forward.

  His fingers slid down on her hips, holding her in place. She wriggled in his hold. Frustration rose. He swiped his tongue over her nipple. A sharp spike of desire shot through her.

  She held on tighter. He took the peak into between his lips. She gasped. Moist warmth surround the stiffened bud. He sucked. Oh, fuck, each touch was so intense. She ground against him. His stiff cock pressed against her, blocked only by a thin pair of boxers. It would be so easy to move that aside and slide his cock into her.

  “I can feel your warmth wetting my boxers. Damn, that’s so hot. You’re not ready for wild yet. You need to be hotter.” He nipped at her nipple, then slid his palm over her hip and eased his hand between her thighs. She wriggled. He trailed his fingers over her mound. A spark zipped through her. He cupped her pussy before two fingers pressed between the lips.

  “You’re so warm and wet for me.” He dropped a kiss onto her breast.

  “Don’t play. I want you.” She dug her nails into his arms. The man was a teasing fiend.

  He curled two fingers up. The tip flicked across the sensitive nub. She tensed. A tingle hummed across her skin. He circled and strummed the bud. A rush of sensation slammed into her. She moaned and rocked her hips against his hand.

  “That’s it. You’re getting there.” He tongued her nipple.

  “I’m there. Give me wild. I need to feel you in me.” She dug her nails into his shoulders.

  He stood with her still in his arms, strode over to
the wall, and put her on her feet. “Press your hands to the wall.”

  She blinked. Not quite what she pictured, but as long as he gave her wild, she’d go along. He guided her around and lifted one of her hands to the wall. She raised the other and flattened her palm on the cool surface.

  “Good, Tempest, our treasure.” He drew his hand down her back. “Hopefully, you’ll let me tie you up and have my way with you one of these days.”

  “Maybe. I need you now.” She looked back. Damn, if he made it feel as good as this, she’d definitely give it a try.

  “And you have me. Eyes forward.” He stepped in behind her.

  She faced the wall and bit her lip. His cock brushed against her buttocks. He curled an arm around her and cupped her breast. He tightened his fingers on the mound, squeezing the flesh. Flaring heat seared her. She moaned and pressed back against him. He gripped her hip, fingers biting into the curve.

  He drew back. She tensed. He couldn’t leave her now. His cock slipped between her thighs, before he pulled back and plunged into her. She gasped. A shiver ran down her back. Her inner muscles tightened around his dick.

  “The feel of your pussy around my cock is pure heaven.” His fingers plucked at her nipple.

  Piercing sensation throbbed through her. She ground back against him. He withdrew and slammed back into her. The sensation coiled tighter, and every muscle in her body stiffened.

  His teeth scraped over her shoulder. “So tight. You’ll go right over the edge for me.”

  “Yes, do it, Phoenix. I want that.”

  He pushed back against him, then thrust against her. Sharp teeth nipped at her shoulder, while he simultaneously tugged at her nipple. She tensed. Fuck, his touch made her crazy. He slid his hand around and cupped her pussy, pressing her clit. Her breath locked in her throat.

  “Go over for me, Tempest.” He drove against her, each thrust forcing her clit against his fingers.

  “Phoenix!” Fire burst through her, searing her. She trembled and pushed back into him.

  Sharp pain lanced through her as his teeth sank into her shoulder. He clamped his mouth there as he pumped into her. She fought to catch her breath. He stiffened and came. A harsh groan rumbled against her skin.