Wild Lands (Savage Lands Book 2)

by Stacey Marie Brown

  “Found what?” His voice was so low, chills ran over my skin. “What did he find?”

  Licking my lips nervously, I spoke. “They found my antibodies were beyond normal levels. More to the point, I should be dead from organ failure, but they are even healthier.”

  “What antibodies?” Warwick prickled with anger.

  “Something immune something—ending with an M.”

  “Immunoglobulin M.” His glare drilled into me, his chest moving quicker.

  “Yes.” I bolted straight, my heart tripping over itself. “How did you know that?”

  “Fuck.” He swung around, his shoulders quaking with fury. He stalked to the window, smashing his fist into the wall. “FUCK!”

  “What? What does that mean? And how do you know?” His violence didn’t scare me. If anything, it made me want to calm the beast. “Warwick?” I touched his arm.

  He jerked away, his head repeatedly knocking against the window frame.

  “Stop.” I grabbed him again, not letting him back away. “Talk to me.”

  He tipped his head to me.

  “I have the same thing.”

  Chapter 15

  “This place is magical.” A voice hinted at the horizon of my consciousness. “It’s like swimming in jelly.”

  Chirp.

  “Ach! Ugh! No, it doesn’t taste anything like jelly. Yuck.”

  Chirp.

  “You did not. You told me to try it.”

  Chirp.

  “Why yes, your fingers do slide up easier with it. It actually looks fun.”

  A strange odor filled my nostrils, yanking me out of the sleep I had finally found, my lashes bursting open.

  Bitzy sat in front of me, her fingers wiggling in my nose. Seeing I was awake, she slowly slid them out, trying to look innocent.

  “Oh, gods…” I sat up, rubbing my burning nose. “What the hell was that?”

  I puffed and wiped at my nostrils, gagging at the texture and smell. My gaze finally took in the scene.

  My mouth dropped open, whispering, “Az istenit…”

  Opie was inside the shallow nightstand drawer, dressed in a leather studded collar and leash he wrapped around himself like a bodysuit. Red, black, and pink pleasure feathers stuck from his back like wings, while his bare feet skated around clear gel… from a lube container.

  Chirp.

  My attention darted to the imp sitting on my pillow. Bitzy wore the same feathers as wings, with a dart-shaped object strapped on her head.

  “Oh, my gods… Is that—?” A groan-laugh heaved from my chest, my hand rubbing my forehead. “I don’t even want to tell you where that has probably been.”

  “Fishy, this place is amazing. Like a giant funland.” Opie did running moves through the jelly. “This stuff even warms up. My toes are so toasty.”

  “My brain can’t handle this so early.” I couldn’t fight the giggle. The post-dawn morning light broke through the curtains. I could tell it was overcast and still early. A chill nipped my skin—the weather grew colder each day.

  Without having to look over, I knew the room was empty. I could feel Warwick’s absence or presence like an electric shock wave. Warwick still hadn’t returned.

  After his little reveal, he had basically shut down, told me to stay put, and left. My sleep had been anything but restful. I tossed and turned, waiting for him to return, his revelation rolling over and over in my mind.

  Another thing which linked us.

  “Look at my spins.” Opie twirled like a ballerina.

  Chirp.

  “My form is fine. My toe is pointed.”

  Chirp.

  “Yes, it is.”

  Chirp.

  Opie pointed his large hairy foot. “Oh, you’re right. That is better.”

  “Guys.” I waved my hands. “What are you doing here? How did you know I was here?” A flash of fear seared the back of my neck. If they knew, had others learned where I was? Had Istvan or Killian already found me?

  “Like how we found you at the last place.” Opie did a pirouette. “You smell, Fishy.”

  “I smell fishy?”

  “No, you have a smell, Fishy.” Opie dropped his arms, climbing out of the drawer. “Thought we went over this.”

  Chirp.

  For some reason, I had the impression Bitzy just called me an idiot.

  “But why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be at Killian’s?”

  Chirp.

  Opie shot Bitzy a look as he jumped on the bed, leaving greasy footprints across the duvet.

  “See, there was a little misunderstanding… a little mishap with an appliance… and well… let’s say Master Finn did not approve.”

  Chirp. Chirp. Chirp. Bitzy waggled her middle fingers in the air, her face wrinkling with anger, her large ears lowering.

  My eyes widened as I sensed her anger.

  “And well, I guess the whole brownie clan had been… not so happy with my ‘performance’ and the magic-operated corkscrew, which was totally a misunderstanding, by the way. But…” Opie’s shoulders slumped in sorrow. “Anyway, Master Finn kicked me out of the clan.”

  “What?” I exclaimed.

  “They had enough of my shenanigans and basically said I was unfit to be a brownie. I was a disgrace to my whole kind.” Opie sniffed, his grief tearing at my heart.

  “Oh, Opie, I’m so sorry.”

  He shrugged dejectedly.

  I watched him for a moment, my head shaking.

  “Well, fuck them!” I hit the bed, both Opie and Bitzy turning toward me. “I say they are a disgrace if they don’t see how awesome you are.”

  Chirp! I agree, fuck ‘em!

  “Right?” I nodded at Bitzy. Holy shit, was I sort of understanding her?

  “Really?” Opie wiped his eyes.

  “They are the losers. Boring and predictable. You,” I tapped Opie’s chest, “are extraordinary. And you will have a life full of adventure.”

  “Ohhhh, brownies don’t have adventures.”

  “But you are special.”

  Chirp!

  “I don’t think she meant that kind of special.” Opie huffed at Bitzy, trying to put his hands on his hips, but the pointy spikes from the leather collar dropped them back down awkwardly.

  “Finn and those others didn’t deserve you in their clan. I want you to be in mine.”

  “Whhaaattt?”

  Chirpppp!

  Both drew back in shock.

  Crap… did I say something wrong? “Is it okay?”

  “Oh my goodness, Fishy…” Tears filled Opie’s eyes. “That is the highest honor you can bestow on a brownie.”

  Chirp! The gist of that I took to mean: “You sure you want this asshole?”

  “Yes.” I glowered at her. “And shocking as this is, I want you too, Bitzy. Kind of a package deal.”

  “We will be honored to be in your clan.” Opie dropped to one knee. “Master Fishy!”

  Chirp!

  I was pretty sure she did not repeat the same sentiments exactly.

  “Fuck.” A deep growl came from the door. We all jerked toward the beast filling up the doorjamb. “I hope you know what you just did,” Warwick snarled, shaking his head as he stepped into the room.

  Opie squeaked, diving under the pillow. Bitzy glared, flipping him off, while my body flamed with heat, feeling his aura cover my flesh like a blanket, pressing into my thighs.

  “Do you understand you are now the proud owner of two pets… until death?” Warwick stomped across the room, his expression heavy with exhaustion.

  “They are not pets.” I twisted, following him to the chair where he sat and yanked off his dirty boots.

  Chirp! Bitzy tossed up her middle fingers, sticking her tongue out at him.

  “Exactly.” I nodded to Bitzy.

  Warwick snorted, the light catching the unreal color of his eyes as he glanced up at me. “You do realize you are speaking to something that doesn’t talk, right?”

  “
Doesn’t matter. I understand her perfectly.” I totally didn’t.

  Chirp! Chirp!

  “Like, I know that was not nice.” I clicked my tongue.

  Chirp!

  “Yeah.” I leaned back on my arm, my brow lifting. “She really doesn’t like you.”

  He huffed again, his head wagging.

  “Where have you been?”

  He blew a sharp exhale. “Needed to take care of something.”

  “You going to tell me what that something is?”

  “No.” He stood, tugging off his T-shirt, exposing his broad, tattooed chest, his muscles rippling and moving under his skin, his jeans hanging low on his hips, displaying the deep V-line. I sucked in, darting my eyes to the side.

  Chhhiiirrrppp.

  “I second that… dammmnnn.” Opie’s voice tugged my attention back to the pillow. Both sat with their mouths open, staring at Warwick, blinking as if they were in a trance.

  Chirp.

  “Yeah…” Opie sighed. “He is dreamy.”

  “Oh no, not you guys too.” I ground my teeth. Warwick didn’t need a bigger fan club. “Go!” I waved them off.

  “But your room needs cleaning, Master Fishy.” Opie didn’t move, his eyes glossing over. “I could lick—I mean clean—his clothes. Do your jeans need mending while you are still in them?”

  Warwick’s eyebrows lifted.

  “Go,” I ordered. “Go explore Madam Kitty’s. I’m sure you can find lots of things to make outfits from.”

  Chirp.

  “I think I’m gonna like this outside world too, Bitz.” Opie stood up and, in a flash, both disappeared.

  Warwick stared after them, his brows crunching together. “Was he wearing a studded collar? And the imp had a butt plug on its head?”

  “Yeah. So?” I shrugged as if it was the most normal thing.

  “Gods…” He pinched his nose. “And I thought my life was strange before you came into it.”

  “Where did you go?” Pushing off the covers, I stood up, walking over to him in my barely-there clothes. His neck tensed, his gaze moving away from me.

  Grunting, he slipped by me, trying to avoid my touch. He went to the bed, unbuttoning his jeans and tugging them off. His firm ass filled the black boxer briefs. His thick thighs and taut torso were like dangling a gourmet meal in front of the starving. My mouth watered. My body pulsed.

  Air stuck in my throat as I watched him crawl onto the mattress, his six-foot-seven frame claiming most of the bed.

  “Tell me.” My voice came out choppy.

  He didn’t answer. Rolling over on his back, he stared up at me, tucking my pillow under his head.

  “Damn it.” I marched to the side of the bed. “Stop being such an asshole. We are in this together, whether we want to be or not.”

  Hands grabbed my hips, and I was flung down on the mattress. His bulk moved over mine, fitting between my legs. Adrenaline charged up my spine, clipping my air as he pressed down on me, my body instantly reacting.

  “Do not forget, princess… I am an asshole. Actually, I’m worse. I’m death. I crave it like it’s air.” His thumb slid down my chin to the notch in my throat, a thrill zinging into my veins. “There is a reason I am a legend. Killing and fucking are the only things I enjoy. No one controls me. I control them.” He rolled his hips against me. My teeth dug into my lip as my legs automatically widened, craving him as much as it angered me. “There might be a strange link between us, but that doesn’t make us anything.” His hand splayed out over my clavicle, his thumb rubbing over the indention, flames storming through me.

  Anger and lust.

  Desire and hate.

  “If I kill you right now, my problem’s over.” His cock twitched against me, hard and excited.

  Death turned him on. And I realized it did me too.

  “Then do it.” I stared into his eyes. Challenging.

  His nose flared, taking me in. I felt the adrenaline course through my veins, the elation.

  “All talk, Wolf?” I dared him, my legs wrapping around him, pulling him closer. I could feel my heat and wetness seep into his briefs. A deep groan vibrated up his throat. “Do it now… end this.”

  His jaw strained, his hand pressing down harder.

  “Want this to end? To never have to feel again?” I arched into him, my bones quaking with the intense sensation.

  “Kovacs,” he growled, tightening his grip. My eyes watered, and my core pulsed with need. “Fuck… You like it,” he hissed.

  “Go ahead. I won’t even fight you.” I struggled to speak, pushing my neck against his hold.

  “Goddammit,” he snarled.

  I waited several more beats for him to act, our eyes locked on each other.

  My mind focused on his breathing, reaching inside toward him.

  “Stop.” He huffed, putting his full weight on me.

  Again, I was no match physically, but impulse had me reaching deeper inside him. Absorbing. Using. With strength I could not possess myself, my legs squeezed his hips, flipping us over like he weighed nothing. His eyes went wide as I flung him on his back, my body now atop his.

  “What the fuck?” he muttered.

  Ignoring him, I clutched his neck, leaning into him, dragging my hips over his cock. “Don’t forget, Farkas. I can kill too. Death and violence also follow me like a shadow. I am not your minion, pet, or whore. And no one controls me either.” I pressed into him harder, my lips grazing his ear, trying to ignore his rock-hard erection between my legs, my body aching to ease the need battering against my senses. How easy it would be. Just a tug of fabric, and he would be inside me.

  “You had your one chance. Don’t ever threaten to kill me again.” I shoved him back into the pillow, crawled off him, and strolled out the door.

  I had been in the depths of hell and dragged myself out. Survived.

  No one would control me again.

  I should have known the serenity of the lukewarm bath would not last long. My life was now tangled with a feral animal’s, with no sense of privacy.

  Bam!

  The door slammed open and Warwick’s barely dressed form barreled into the room. He could be silent as a ghost and loud as an angry bear.

  “What the fuck is this?” He wiggled sheets of paper at me.

  “The spa menu.” I closed my lids again, my arms out on the edges, the milky water hardly hiding my naked body, but I no longer cared. “I ordered a deep massage at ten.”

  “Don’t fuck with me. What is this?”

  I pried my lashes open, peering at the items he was holding. My stomach sank, seeping slowly down the drain along with the blood and dirt.

  “Where did you get these?”

  “Why?” I sat up, my wet hair clinging to my breasts.

  “Answer me,” he growled.

  Sighing, I pulled myself out of the tub. Grabbing the thin towel hanging on the hook, I wrapped it around myself and marched past him.

  “Kovacs.” He caught me in the hall, yanking me back into him.

  I could see people in my periphery in the hallway, stopping, watching. Even in a whore house, the sight of Warwick in his boxer briefs and me in a tiny towel seemed to stir up excitement and curiosity.

  “Where the fuck did you get these?”

  “Why should I tell you?”

  “I’m not messing around.”

  “Neither am I. You withhold information from me. I can do the same.” I didn’t back down, stepping even closer, my voice going husky. “You know, just looking out for myself.” I grabbed the papers from his hand, twisted, and took two steps for the bedroom.

  “Goddamn it, woman.” Arms looped around me, flipping me into the air with a strangled yelp. Warwick tossed me over his shoulder, carrying me to the room. With a bang, he slammed the door behind us and tossed me on the bed, the tiny towel unknotting as I smacked onto the mattress.

  Warwick’s eyes didn’t move from my face, but I still felt his attention move hungrily over my slight curv
es, making me highly aware of each one. The sensation of fingers trailed up my thigh, hands grazing every surface of my wet skin.

  Desire.

  Hate.

  “Stop it!” I grabbed the towel, wrapping it back over me, though it did nothing to barricade me from Warwick, from this twisted game.

  He smirked.

  “I don’t have to tell you anything. As you don’t seem to feel the need to do with me.” I got up on my knees on the bed, holding the towel painfully to my chest.

  “Fucking hell.” He ran both hands through his hair, growling under his breath. “You are the most infuriating person I’ve ever met.”

  “Same to you,” I snapped.

  “Fuck! Fine! I’ll tell you everything… what I’ve eaten and when I piss during the day. But tell me about these first.” He pointed to the papers lying next to me.

  “How do you even know what they are?” My anger dropped, skepticism straightening out my shoulders.

  “Kovacs.” He rubbed his forehead roughly.

  “I stole them from Istvan.” I picked up the documents. “I snuck into his office. He had files on me… on this doctor…”

  “Doctor Rapava.”

  My lungs jilted. “How do you know that name?”

  “I will tell you, but continue.” He folded his arms.

  “When I was with Killian, he was testing the pills I stole the night I got caught and was put into Halálház. For every person he tested, something strange happened. They changed… then they died. Except me. My body fought it off.”

  “Wait, he was testing you?” Rage gathered on his shoulders.

  “I was his first subject, but he tried it on others, and they all got sick and died horrendous deaths.” I swallowed, sitting back on my heels. “But I got stronger. Healthier. The more he gave me, the more I became a fortress.”

  Warwick started to pace, his mind clearly churning.

  “When did you stop taking them?”

  “I don’t know… a week or maybe a few days before you got me out? Why?”

  “Because…” He peered up at the ceiling. “I tried to reach for you, but I felt nothing. I thought whatever had been there was gone.” He wouldn’t look at me. “It wasn’t until the night on the veranda at the palace I felt you again.”