Fighting Destiny

by Amelia Hutchins

  His eyes raked down my body with a hint of disgust in their golden depths but he remained silent. I followed him down the hallway and to the front door stopping only to look at a note from Larissa, she’d gone shopping. Figured, I was paying the rent and Miss-Shopaholic was out shopping, which meant she better be bringing home coffee.

  “Problem?” Ryder asked when I didn’t move fast enough for his Highn-ass.

  “How the hell did you get inside my house?” I asked as I closed the door and we headed to the elevator. His only reply was a cocky grin, which left me with my question still burning inside my head.

  The elevator was waiting on my floor with the doors open, so we didn’t have to waste time waiting for it. I stepped in and felt the pressure as it shut me inside firmly with the Dark Prince. I’m not normally one to fidget when nervous or uncomfortable, but standing next to six plus feet of pure masculine grade A alpha male? I was so freaking fidgeting! My hands fisted and relaxed, only to fist right back up again. I chewed nervously on my bottom lip with my eyes plastered to the floor.

  The silence was deafening, bad enough that I was suddenly wishing we had some corny elevator music. I could feel the sizzle of his power more so now that I was shut in a tight place, alone with him. When the doors opened to let us out, I gave a loud audible sigh of relief. If he noticed, he said nothing.

  His car was a Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4, orange in color. I whistled and just stood gaping at it for a moment before a subtle cough pulled me back from making love to the car with my eyeballs. His eyes went from mine, back to the car and back again.

  “Try not to drool on the upholstery,” he said.

  I was going to have to touch everything inside of it, just to piss him off now. I watched the door rise with a soft smile on my lips. I’d never been in a car that cost as much as this one did. Hell, I hadn’t even actually seen one in person until now!

  “How fast does this thing go?” I asked unable to stop myself, the leather seats were black and actually real leather!

  “Fast enough.”

  I met his golden eyes and narrowed my own, “Bet you’ve never taken it past the speed limits.”

  He said nothing. He was un-rattled or moved by my goading—damn. I wanted him to let loose and floor it, instead, he slowly pulled out into the light traffic of downtown Spokane. You would think that he being Fae that he’d let loose and break pretty much every law that the human race had.

  I reached over making sure my hand stayed far enough away from his leg as I turned on his stereo. Godsmack’s I Stand Alone blared rattling the windows of the expensive car. I don’t know what I had been expecting him to have in, but it wasn’t that.

  He turned his head slowly, inhumanly. His eyes glowed iridescent amber as he growled. I swallowed to keep myself from gasping audibly. “Do. Not. Touch. Anything.”

  Okay then! I placed my hands in the seat and folded them on my jeans, wishing I’d brought a jacket or something since he’d turned the air-conditioning on when we had gotten in.

  I was watching traffic, right up until the point I could feel his eyes bearing down on me. I looked over at him, his eyes still doing that glow thing, lowered down at something below my face. I looked down and blushed from head to toe. My nipples were straining against the thin shirt and completely visible due to the air-conditioning. I crossed my arms and held my tongue. Not having caffeine running through my veins was sorely testing my temper.

  His lips quirked up and then he was once again watching the road. We drove with the music now off. I didn’t want a repeat of the earlier performance. I thought the elevator was bad, this was ten times worse. I could actually feel his strength and power pulsing against my skin. It was like standing next to a transformer with the power on full capacity.

  “Where are we going?” I asked after the silence had gotten to be too much.

  “This way,” he replied without turning his head.

  “Do you speak more than four words? Or do you lack the brains to?” I asked after another few moments of the blistering silence.

  He ignored me.

  “Seriously—”

  We had hit the highway and he floored it. The motor hummed and I smiled. I was pressed back against the cool leather seat, my hands instantly going to it for balance, as if it would help. I sat like that, listening to the motor until I looked back over at him. The smile left my face instantly.

  “Stop looking at my boobs!” I said more sharply than I wanted to.

  “I don’t play with my food,” he said calmly.

  “I am not your food,” I said through clenched teeth.

  “If I wanted you, that fucking spell on your neck would do little to stop it from happening I assure you of that.”

  My hand flew up to the back of my neck, my fingers trailed over the white ink that was invisible to the naked eye. “How did you know it was there?” I asked uncertain I wanted the answer.

  “I watched you sleep,” he replied unamused or affected by my surprise at his words that showed all over my face. He turned his head and stared directly at me as his foot pressed down further on the gas pedal, pushing the speed even faster on the deserted highway.

  Disturbing, he actually watched me sleep and I hadn’t even noticed he was inside my bedroom. The ward inside the bedroom should have stopped anyone not marked as one of our group. The one for the apartment was only to ward or restrain anyone intent on harming us. Still, it set my nerves to fried just thinking about how long he’d been inside my room and I’d been naked since I’d gone to bed too tired to care.

  The car decelerated and started pulling off the highway which caused my attention to jump back to where I was and who I was with. There was nothing but pine trees on both sides of the highway as far as I could see, the road was still deserted, but he pulled off anyways onto the soft shoulder.

  “If you brought me all this way, just to drop me off in the middle of bum-fuck-nowhere, think again,” I warned, irritated that we’d stopped.

  “Get out of the car. We need to discuss some things before we hit Darklands.”

  Darklands? No freaking way! Sidhe Darklands was an exclusive by invitation-only club owned by Mister Highn-ass himself. It wasn’t somewhere I had ever wanted to go either. I fumbled at the door, but he was out and around the car with those Fae freaky movements of super-speed before I could continue to fumble for more than a second. The door was lifted and I glared up into his beautifully etched face.

  I stood smoothing out invisible lines from my jeans and I waited, for what I had no clue. When he stepped closer to me, I stepped back only to fall on my ass inside the car at an awkward angle. He grinned, amused.

  “They told me you were one of their best, I’m beginning to think they lied,” he growled now unamused with my reaction.

  “They told me you were taller, guess they lied to me too,” I instantly regret it, it was lame to say.

  I stood up again, my hands fisted at my sides, frustrated with my own nervous reaction to him.

  “I need to put my scent on you Synthia,” his evil little smirk came back.

  “Excuse me? Is that some lame-ass Fae joke?” I cringed.

  “My club is invitation only,” he said, as if I didn’t already know that, everyone knew that.

  “And?”

  “And you are either owned…or food, so if you want to take your chances and come in as a free agent, be my guest. But those who come in unclaimed are unprotected.”

  “Which means?” I asked already twirling the implications of that inside my over active mind.

  “Which means, if another Fae claimed you…he could make you his bitch,” his voice had lowered on the last word.

  “And if I allow you to claim me…then I’m your bitch?” I wasn’t doing this, I hated the Fae. They used humans as food and while a lot of other creatures did as well, his kind could leave a shell behind of whomever they fucked.

  “You work for me Synthia, you are already my…bitch,” he replied coldly,
deadly, chills ran over my skin and my heart sunk to meet my toes on the dirt that I stood upon.

  “I. Am. Not. You’re. Any-Fucking-Thing!”

  “You will be,” he said with an air of confidence that only pissed me off more.

  “You wish. I won’t sleep with you. Period! If I wanted dick, I’d take it. And yours is so not on the list of dicks I’d take, buddy.”

  “If I wanted you Witch, you’d crawl to me. Begging for release…” he stopped talking, his eyes doing that Fae-fuck glow thing again. And then I was. Crawling, in the freaking dirt no less!

  “Stop it!” I shouted even as I pushed my ass out and up for him. My skin was afire with need. My sex grew moist and ready for him. I wanted to crawl into the fetal position and cry. I wanted to get up, off the cold ground and smash his pretty fucking face.

  “Beg me,” he purred, his arms folded over his massive chest as he watched me continue to crawl to where he stood leaning against the car. “Are you wet for me, I could make you show me just how wet you are. I could make you do a lot of things right now if I wanted to. I won’t, but know that I can do this at any time. So can those inside the club we’re going into. So make a decision, go as my property, or take your chances with those who would take you. I won’t babysit you. I just figured you might care who fucks you.”

  I growled angrily, my hands biting into the sharp rocks on the ground while my ass was in the air, hips spread wide with fuck-me-hard vibes coming out in heated waves. I could feel the moisture pooling between my thighs, my nipples were hard and in need of his mouth. I wasn’t feeling this, it was his Fae-fuck mind game, I knew that but the heat was too much.

  “I ache,” it came out husky and filled with need he had created.

  He said nothing.

  Did nothing.

  Watching me silently as my hips gyrated with a mind of their own.

  “Please,” I cried, not from fear, but from a need so hot and fucking raw that at this moment in time, under his influence, under his power, I’d let him drive himself into my body just to make it stop.

  “Touch yourself for me Syn,” he said roughly, sending my pulse soaring.

  I ground my teeth together, a strangled noise tearing from my throat as I rose up on my knees unable to stop myself from doing what he had said. I knew the Fae could use compulsion and even worse…they could do this. Make you crawl in the dirt, like some fucking dog with no more than a single heated look. He was able to override the tattoo and control me.

  I glared up at him, or tried. My eyes had slanted, filling with lust for him. His were no longer on my face but on my hand that was even now cupping, stroking my junction through the rough jean fabric. I wanted to die as I moaned, the storm building inside of me demanding to be released. Demanding he remove my hand and replace it with his own more skillful touch.

  “So, have you made a choice? Or shall I make it for you, I could always use a snack,” he replied seductively low, his tongue coming out to lick his full lips, his eyes searching and locking with mine.

  “Fine, just make it stop!” I winced as my voice which was weak, filled with heat and a roughness that bruised my pride.

  “Stand up,” he ordered and my traitorous legs obeyed him instantly, as if they belonged to him.

  “I have to touch you,” his head tilted as his nostrils flared, “To mark you as my own.”

  As my own…

  I hated it! I was being reduced to nothing. My bones felt like heated putty, my blood was flowing in a heated rush to parts that I had left neglected since Adrian. I hadn’t been laid in so long that I couldn’t even remember how long it had actually been.

  I watched him slide forward, his eyes intense and still piercing me with his glow. I wanted to step back. Needed to, but all I could manage to do was arc my flipping hips! My body strained for his touch, anticipated it. Begged for it.

  “Are you wet?” He whispered softly as his lips touched against my ear, as he pulled my body flush against his.

  I wanted to scream at him, but the most I could manage was an explosive “yes” to his question. His hands reached out, removing my own that had continued to stroke where the wetness was now visible through the jeans I wore. He held my hand in his much bigger one as it continued to move.

  I thought he would drop it, but instead he brought it up and held it to his nose, inhaling deeply for a few seconds as a deep blush stole up my body to flood my cheeks. Drawing my scent in before his lips moved down to my flesh and softly touched my palm, his heated breath making me growl my need from deep inside my chest.

  “You smell good, Witch.”

  I moved closer to him, it wasn’t the direction I wanted to go.

  “Tell me to fuck you, tell me to fuck you until you come.”

  My lips quivered, but as much as I despised myself for weakness, I said it. “Fuck me, please…I ache. Make it stop, oh God just make it stop please.” Another violent moan exploded as soon as the words were out.

  He moved closer, finally dropping my hand as his body closed the distance and pressed against mine—hard. “You hate this, but you need to know what can happen and your place. There is a reason no one fucks with me, next time you want to push my fucking buttons, remember this,” he pressed a magnificent erection against my navel, “Because next time, I will fuck you. I don’t play games, nor do I take shit from anyone. I take what I want. I don’t fuck around, if you mind fuck me…well I will fuck you. Next time, you won’t get a warning.”

  I said nothing, my mouth felt as if by speaking I would violate him…crazy I know, but whatever spell I was under, be it compulsion or something worse, was making it impossible to say anything besides what he wanted to hear from me…which sucked because I had so many comments to throw in his face.

  His free hand came up, grasping my chin between his fingers as he tipped it up until I was looking into those dangerous fiery endless pits. He leaned in closer to mine at the exact same moment his other hand applied pressure against the fire he had started in my core. I felt sparks ignite from his touch as his mouth claimed mine gently. Tasting me, softly.

  His mouth went from soft, to forceful as his teeth grazed against my lips, demanding more. Demanding I open for his pleasure. I was lost. I opened for him, giving him back what he wanted, what he demanded. The combination was overwhelming, his slight pressure, combined with his kiss made the storm intensify until my legs quivered and refused to hold my weight any longer.

  I didn’t fall as far as I thought I would, instead his leg was there catching me, his hands pushing back against the cold metal frame of the car while he stroked me with his hand and his fingers magnificently. My heart raced, as liquid heat poured from my core. I was about to explode and he knew it.

  “Good girl,” he whispered as he pulled away to watch my reaction.

  “Ahhhhh…stop….please,” I stuttered over my tongue, which was refusing to work around him.

  “If I stop, you agree to be mine while inside the club. You need to be wearing my mark as well.”

  He pulled his hand away and dammit my body cried in response, it was if he’d ripped my heart out and my mind felt battered, as if he’d been in control of it instead of me. “…Fine.”

  “I think I like you better obedient,” he replied hoarsely.

  I struggled to get my mind back, to make the raging storm inside of me calm. I was still being held by him, he’d released my chin and neither region, but if he released me completely I’d fall, so he held my waist, his thumbs caressing where my shirt left the skin exposed.

  I wanted to fall. I deserved it for being weak. The spell on my neck was useless with him, useless against him. He removed his knee slowly, letting me feel it as it was withdrawn from where it held me up. “Can you stand?” He asked after another moment. I nodded but started to fall, only to have him once again save me from falling.

  “Lie to me again and I will punish you for it severely.”

  “Suck…it.” I had to force my teeth not to clatter
together audibly while getting the words out.

  He was up against me instantly, his hard muscles pushing me once again into the unforgiving frame of the car. “Make no mistake Witch, if I wanted you it would be simple to part your legs and fuck you right here, right now. I am in full control of you at this moment and unless you want to be fucked on the hood of this car you will cut the fucking comments!” He was growling from low in his chest.

  I bit my lip. No way in hell would I give him an excuse to do as he had threatened. I flicked my eyes up to meet his probing stare. My lips trembling with need for him to do as he had threatened. Hell, I think my entire body wanted him, even my little toe!

  “That’s better, now let’s try this again. Can you stand?”

  “No.”

  I was picked up deftly and with little effort I was deposited on the car’s sleek hood. He took measures to ensure my head didn’t fall back too fast as he placed me on my back on the warm hood of his exquisite sports car.

  “Stay.”

  Like I could go anywhere if I tried? I was a hapless mess of liquid heat. This was embarrassing, I’d never been more so in my entire life. I didn’t hear or see any cars go by thankfully. My body was still shuddering from the loss of his touch and I resented it to no end.

  The crunch of his shoes over the gravel made me hiss. I hated him. I’d hated what he was for this very reason. He’d just reinforced my hate. He’d just made me feel weak and worse—he’d made me his even if it had only been for a short time.

  “Pouting? Sit up.”

  I rolled my eyes and tried.

  Nothing happened.

  Fuck buckets! Why me? There were a thousand other Witches in Washington State, why the hell did they have to pick me?

  “Ask for help, pride will do you more harm than good here.”

  My eyes flew to his, which now had the royal Fae lines inside of their endless depths, swirling hypnotically, searching, only to discover I saw passion and desire inside of them as white hot as my own. That is something I never wanted from a Fae, ever.