by Brenda Trim
Something clicked. It was accompanied by electricity and a burn that filled every cell in her body. It was better than she imagined morphine would be. It took her pain and reminded her of the energy when Dante’s mating mark appeared. She’d been shoving it away and denying him so long it took her several seconds to recognize what it was.
That gave her hope. He was with her. She felt him try to take on her agony and save her any pain. Reaching out mentally, she tried to connect to Dante through their fledgling bond.
She wanted to survive this and make a life with him. Before meeting Dante she would have died without anything. She’d been utterly alone in this world. Now, she knew there was someone out there that loved her. And it was everything as his essence sunk into her.
Snarls brought her out of her head along with piercing pain. It took a few second for her to realize the demon was stabbing her open wing slits. She bucked her back but didn’t dislodge the Daeva.
“There has to be some sign of your angelic essence. I can’t do this without that.” The Daeva sounded crazed now. And, if she wasn’t mistaken was stabbing wildly. He hit something in her spine and all of her agony disappeared.
She sighed in relief. Sounds were now muffled, but she could smell the acrid scent of brimstone. The demon must have opened a portal. Her heart slowed its frantic beating despite her fear she was being carried to the Underworld. If he got her there, she would be bound to it forever.
No! I’m bound to Dante. No one and nothing else! She wished she could go back and tell him how much she loved him. Do things differently. She’d been so freaking stupid.
Love wasn’t a curse to be avoided at all costs. It gives meaning to your days. There is nothing more terrifying or fulfilling than complete love. It’s worth the risk, she realized just then. With an open heart she reached for it with all of her being.
For one blissful second she felt Dante and his love for her. Before she was ready to lose him, her mind went blank along with everything else. Smells disappeared right before she knew nothing more. In the end all she regretted were the chances she didn’t take.
Chapter 18
What the fuck am I doing here? Hayden growled low as he stood on the small street several hundred yards away from Davison Army Airfield. Humans wouldn’t have been able to see the men and women milling about or the vehicles running patrols. Their vision wasn’t keen like Hayden’s.
He’d tossed a coin between coming here and Fort Belvior North. There had to be someone in charge in one of these buildings that had a brain in their skulls. Hayden was sick and fucking tired of debating this issue and was done talking about it. He’d make sure to protect his kind while also forcing the human’s hands.
It wasn’t that Zander didn’t have a point. He did. They all did, but Hayden couldn’t turn and walk away. The mere idea of not taking action made his wolf come out. Fur sprouted along his arms and his nose jutted out and was replaced by a snout.
It was almost as if he was compelled to be there at that moment which confirmed for him that he was following the Goddess’s edicts. None of the others would understand if he tried to explain it to them. Just like he wasn’t truly able to comprehend what it was like when you found your Fated Mate.
It was one thing to hear about an experience and try to extrapolate what it was like from another’s words, and another when you actually went through something and have a soul deep understanding of it.
Hayden calmed his beast and turned away to return to his rental car. Once behind the wheel, he contemplated where he was going from there. Lunch, he decided. Food was important before he tried to tackle actually entering the base. It wasn’t as simple as walking through the check point.
This place had more security than Zeum. Of course, Zeum was surrounded by the best protections available anywhere. Spells. There was nothing better or more effective. No witch or wizard alive could break an enchantment cast by the Rowan sisters. Unlike humans whose minds could be manipulated and electronic systems that could be overridden.
Hayden drove away from the airstrip and decided to head to Fairfax and the North building. His chances would be better there of finding someone to talk to. Punching the voice commands on his phone, he sent a text to Evzen asking how the transfer of the sorcerer went.
Sterling was a wily motherfucker whose luck had better run out soon. It was one more danger the world could do without. He was careful with his minions, never giving them any information that would lead to his whereabouts.
Hayden made a mental note to ask Illianna to have a chat with her brothers about ways they could find out how he was getting angel blood. When he was close to the base, Hayden pulled off the highway and entered town.
There was a café that looked promising from the outside. He hoped they had authentic southern cooking. There was nothing like good fried okra and collard greens. Of course, he preferred spicy Puerto Rican food, especially arroz con grandules, but this was a close second.
Hayden parked and entered the small restaurant, taking in his surroundings. There wasn’t much around. They were in a suburban area, only this part of the country had far more trucks than SUVs or minivans.
The farmhouse décor wasn’t Hayden, but he preferred it to the glass and metal of modern design. Hayden was more of a mix. He preferred leather to fabric on his furniture and wood accents to anything else. His stone fireplace was his favorite aspect of his home. He’d built it himself from rocks he collected from a nearby river.
A woman at the podium gave him a bright smile. “Are you meeting someone? Or dining alone?” Hayden recognized the look she gave him. She hoped he was alone and if she could get away with it would offer to have lunch with him.
Hayden stuffed his hands in his pockets. “The counter is fine. I’m not meeting anyone.” There were several already in that section, as well as a dozen seated at tables.
The hostess bobbed her head and gestured to the bar height stools. “Go ahead and seat yourself then. Marcia will be right with you. And if there’s anything I can do for you just give me a holler.”
“Will do. Thanks.” He was about to sit at the end of the long counter when a scent caught his attention. He followed his nose to a woman that just arrived. She was watching him while she spoke to the hostess.
The scent was hibiscus and intensified as the female passed him. He tilted his head to the side. The two guys in the seats closest to him were watching him as he stood there like an idiot. He couldn’t help it. He was transfixed by the woman as she took a seat halfway down the bar. Shifting gears, he headed for the empty chair next to her.
Taking a seat, he inhaled a lungful of the intoxicating floral scent. He didn’t have time to think about what kind of perfume she was wearing before she turned to face him. She was stunning. Her skin was bronzed, and her black hair was almost to the middle of her back and in loose curls. Her full lips tipped up at the corners and she flashed him straight, white teeth.
“Are you stalking me?” He was mesmerized by the raspy quality of her voice. It was a bit rough and sexy as hell.
Hayden realized he’d been staring silently for too long and forced the corners of his mouth to lift. He hoped it looked more natural than it felt. “Not at all. I’m visiting some friends here while I try to find an officer to collaborate…uh, yeah I am.” He’d never before spewed his life story and it took him several second to realize what he was doing and clamp his mouth shut.
She laughed. It was a husky sound that did things to his body. “Well, welcome to Fairfax. We’re mostly military folk around here on account of the nearby base, but you won’t find many better. And, you picked the right place to have lunch.”
“Millie here is right,” The waitress, Marcia said as she stopped in front of them. “What’ll it be? We have fried green tomatoes today. Those aren’t on the menu. We never know when we will get the right fruit for it.”
“I’ll have my usual Marcia, with a sweet tea.”
Hayden wondered what Millie’s us
ual was while he looked over the simple menu. “I’ll have some shrimp and grits and a coke, please.” After the waitress walked away, he turned to Millie. “I’m Hayden, nice to meet you, Millie.”
“You as well, Hayden. So, are you in town for business then?” Millie was watching him almost as closely as he was her.
“Kinda. I hate focusing only on work, but I’m no good at balancing it with fun. My responsibilities are too demanding.” Hayden thanked Marcia when she delivered their drinks.
Millie chuckled at that. “I understand that. I’m always working myself. My mother insists it’s why I’m still single.”
“You’re young. There’s time to find someone.” Hayden wanted to tell Millie she’d found exactly who she’d been looking for but didn’t. She was human and they weren’t in a bar at the moment. It would be odd to pick her up in a diner.
“That’s exactly what I tell her, only she insists there’s more to life than my career.” Millie scrunched up her nose and pursed her lips. Her features hint of a Hispanic descent. He wondered if she could cook arroz con grandules. It was an odd thing to think about. As if he’d be seeing her again.
“Here’s your lunch. Let me know if I can get either of you anything else,” Marcia said as she placed the bowl in front of him.
The dish looked delicious. “Thanks, Marcia.” He grabbed the pepper and added some to his food while he addressed Millie. “What do you do? You mentioned military.” Perhaps this gorgeous female would be his ticket inside the base.
Millie swallowed the bite she’d been chewing and started coughing. Her face turned red as she turned away. “Sorry,” she gasped. “I, uh, am in research and recruitment. I’m not a soldier.”
Hayden hummed low after he took his first taste of his meal. His mouth watered and his taste buds exploded. “So, are you like a scientist? I have a couple friends that are doctors and can’t imagine spending so much time in classrooms and reading books.”
Millie sat forward and waved her hands through the air. “There’s so much to be learned in a lab. As for books, I’ve spent most of my life between the pages and can’t imagine what it would be like not to read, whether it’s for pleasure or work. So, what are these responsibilities that tie up so much of your time?”
Hayden ate a couple bites while he considered how to respond. “Most days I feel like a babysitter. In reality I run several, uh divisions. I keep everyone in line and make sure nothing goes awry.”
Millie set her glass down and taped her fingers on the counter. “So, you’re in charge. What company do you work for?”
“I’m in charge, yes. I own my own company, Jesaray International. We’re in animal preservation.”
Millie’s mouth dropped open, but she snapped it closed just as fast. “Your aversion to labs and science makes sense.”
Hayden laid a hand on her arm. Electricity sizzled between them. Millie yelped and he drew his hand back. “I have no problem with science or labs. I don’t condone animal testing and never will, but science has furthered everything in life from medicine to makeup. Besides, I find intelligent, driven women irresistible.”
Millie’s eyes darkened for a second before she looked down and ate more of her shredded pork. She sighed heavily. “I’d better go then. I can’t afford another stalker. Half of the police force are already assigned to watch guys that are infatuated with me.”
Hayden barked out a laugh. “Yep. There’s nothing like a sexy, intelligent woman. Before you leave, can you tell me anywhere I can take some friends tonight? We all need a change of pace and they have no idea what’s near here.”
Millie grabbed her purse and got some cash from inside then placed it on the counter. “There’s a bar, the Fox Hole, over on Sixth Street downtown. Great music and drinks.”
“It’s not country music is it?”
Millie laughed and shook her head. “No, it’s not. That’s why I like it. It’s pop rock.”
The corners of Hayden’s mouth lifted. “Perfect. I’ll be sure to visit.”
Millie got to her feet but paused before leaving. “If you’re lucky you’ll see me later.”
Hayden chuckled and watched the sway of Millie’s ass as she walked out the door. “Right now, I feel like the luckiest sonovabitch alive.”
“Are you sure this is wise?’ Jason asked as Hayden parked in the Fox Hole’s lot.
“We all need a break every now and then. We’re here to have fun and let loose.” Hayden slapped his shoulder. “Relax. You might even find a female to fuck.”
Jason chuckled then he climbed out of the car. “Don’t let any humans hear you say that. They get offended. As if it’s a mortal sin to say fuck when talking about sex. I mean they act as if they don’t fuck.”
Hayden scanned the parking lot as they walked to the entrance. “Agreed. I will never understand humans. Their actions make no sense to me.”
Jason said something back, but Hayden heard none of it. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Millie since he met her at lunch that morning. The woman was confident, intelligent and beautiful. Three qualities he loved.
She suggested the location and he hoped she’d show up. The bar was wall to wall people when Hayden entered. His senses were overwhelmed for several minutes while he and Jason found a table.
There were so many different types of cologne and perfume it was enough to make his gag reflex work overtime. That coupled with the alcohol, sweat and arousal of those around him and it was not the best soup du jour he’d ever smelled.
“You want a beer?”
Jason shook his head as he met the gaze of a blonde bombshell at the next table. “Whiskey sour.”
Hayden smirked as he bobbed his head. “You got it.”
He was forced to push his way through the crowd to the bar. A female stepped into his path and placed her hand on his chest. “Omega. Nice to see you here.”
How the hell had he missed the fact that Lydia was there. “I needed to give Jason a break. It’s dangerous when alphas don’t take breaks. Is this a popular spot for pack?”
Lydia’s hand ran in circles over his pec, inciting Hayden’s animals. “We come here on occasion. More often than not we head to Mint Julep. It’s easier on our animals to be in a realm club, but on occasion Jackson hosts a party and invites doms and subs in the realm.”
Hayden hadn’t known the club owner allowed the activities in his basement playroom to spread to the upper floor. He wouldn’t mind being part of that. Hayden was dominant by nature, given his mantle of power, and he liked indulging more than he usually allowed.
“Maybe I’ll head over there if things here don’t pan out.”
When Lydia’s hand slipped from his body, he realized he’d fucked up. Lydia was a maternal. Shifters fell into three basic categories in their hierarchy. Maternals were those that cared for others in the pack while there was a group that lived for adrenaline and action. Those often became Lieutenants in his C.L.A.W. (Core of Lieutenants Against the Wrathful). The alphas were the last group and they kept order in the various packs.
“Well, it was good to see you, Sire. Have a good evening.” Lydia hurried away before she was even finished speaking. He watched her meet up with a couple other pack females.
Hayden leaned on the worn wood surface and placed an order for a rum and coke and whiskey sour with the bartender. The scent of hibiscus filtered to his nose. Before he could pinpoint its location, he was jerking around when a hand landed on his bicep. “Millie. I hoped I’d see you here tonight.”
“I wasn’t going to come, but then I thought better. After all, I wasn’t sure you’d even be here, and I had a long damn day.”
His drinks landed in front of him and he placed cash down before giving Millie his most seductive smile. He leaned in and brought the back of one hand to her face. “I’ll make it worth your while. Let me take this to my friend and I’ll be back.”
Millie’s head waved back and forth, and her long black hair swayed with the movement. Mor
e of her sultry scent was released and replaced the acrid scents all around him. “You go share your drink with him then meet me on the dance floor.”
Taking a chance, Hayden closed the distance between them and laid his lips to hers. Every cell in his body lit up. And his lips tingled as electricity traveled through him. His cock went hard, and his hands shot to her hips. His heart raced and he swore fireworks went off behind his closed eyes.
He groaned when her hands landed on his chest. For a split second he noted the way this female’s touch made him burn and ache to sink inside her dripping pussy while Lydia’s incited his protective nature.
His eyes snapped open when he felt a gentle shove. She was out of breath and her eyes were glassy. She licked her lips and her eyes fell to his mouth. “Go to your friend. Don’t make me wait long though. You wouldn’t want me to leave.”
Hayden got lost in her gorgeous brown eyes for a second. “I’ll give him his drink then leave. Should we meet on the dance floor or at the door?”
Her eyes darted around the club before landing on him. She swallowed and bit down on her bottom lip. “How about the door?”
Hayden pressed his mouth to hers one more time, this time he made it fast. He was walking away and tipping his drink back to cool his arousal. He needed to keep his shit in check. Millie was human.
“Looked like you made a friend,” Jason quipped as he took his drink.
“I did. I’m stepping out for a few. Lydia and a few others are over there. Hang with them. I’ll be back soon.”
Hayden left before Jason could respond. Sweat broke out over his forehead and his heart started thumping hard in his chest. He was breathless with everything. Wiping his forearm across his face, he wondered why Millie affected him this way.