Playing With Fire
Page 152
But that would have ruined the moment. So, I just sat there and waited for him to make the next move.
Chapter 32
We left the church grounds on the bikes. I followed him without a word. Letting him lead me to where we would be alone. His need had to be met. Now, before it engulfed him even more—to breaking point.
We stopped at a house. I didn’t notice anything more than the door that led us inside. I was completely absorbed with Gabriel. What the fuck was happening? First Metisse, now Gabriel. My libido was doing overtime. It was ruling me, my thoughts, my actions. This was not me. Yet it was, in some perverted way. This was exactly where I knew I should be at this time.
There was no need to wait anymore. I had him exactly where I wanted him. He was mine. There was no way he could deny the attraction and live. He acknowledged as much by bringing me here. This was on my terms.
I pulled him towards me. My hands moving over his pecs, down to the six-pack. Then further. To the turquoise and silver buckle on his belt. I pulled it loose, zipped the fly down and stuffed my right hand down his jeans, my fingers closing over his hard member. His hands grabbed at my tank top, ripped the material and he cupped my breast in his rough calloused left hand. The other one held my face as he kissed me hotly.
His jeans dropped to the ground. He stepped out of them and picked me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist, his throbbing cock pushing at the supple leather of my pants, the only thing that held him from what he so desperately needed. Gabriel swiped the kitchen table clean with one arm and laid me down on the cool white surface. I reluctantly relaxed my legs and let him step back slightly. His hands unzipped my pants and pushed them down my hips as I arched my buttocks off the table. In one fluid motion he yanked them down my legs and over my boots. I was naked underneath the leather. Both of us went commando. Who knew? Well, it was handy now. He spread my legs, his hands stroking the tender inside of my thighs, sending tingles up my spine.
Slowly, ever so slowly, he moved up my inner thighs towards the hot core between my legs. The light fluttering touch of his fingers belied the urgency of his need. He had more restraint than I ever imagined. I was now the one at risk of losing any last discipline that I thought I had. His fingers finally found the wet nucleus of his dreams. He pushed his finger into me as I cried out in utter pleasure.
That, and my scent, pushed him over the edge and he grabbed my hips, plunging his throbbing member deep into me. I screamed now in earnest as he lunged deep into me again and again. No restraint, no holding back. Plain and pure need on his side and lust on mine. I felt the heat swell from my core out to my nipples, up further to my neck and face. It engulfed me as I rode the orgasm to the fullest. Again, and again the waves rolled over me as he continued to ravish my body.
In my ecstasy I felt him tense, his whole body became rigid as his climax neared. His right hand moved up my body to my breast, his lips followed. He bit the hard nipple, not enough to break the skin, just right to once again push me over the edge. I felt his hot semen explode deep inside of me as he too gave in to the climax.
Chapter 33
What the fuck was I going to do now?
Gabriel struck a chord with me. He was getting under my skin. Big time.
Even my trysts with Metisse didn’t quench my need to jump Gabriel’s bones. Gabriel touched me in ways that Metisse didn’t. Literally and figuratively, but mainly literally.
Sex with Metisse was intimate, soothing even, though it could get heated. We made love. We never went too far, never crossed the line. Not even in feline form. With Gabriel it was rough, maybe even violent at times, but oh so satisfying. I was slowly becoming addicted to both of them. This was definitely not the plan. I had to stop the imminent war, quickly, and clear up the mess I was getting myself into with these two hotties.
I thought I’d figured it out; killing Gabriel would solve the problem and I could continue to have my little trysts with Metisse. But now, now I had really fucked up. I was getting deeper and deeper into this mess. Something had to give. But what?
* * *
Even riding through the dark forest on the bike hadn’t cleared my mind. The big two-cylinder thundering between my legs usually had a calming effect, but now, even that didn’t help. Revving the gas up I increased the speed to a dangerous level. I threw it into the curves, the exhausts screeching over the ground with every right turn. I didn’t care. I needed to get this out of my system. I howled into the night, even outdoing the deep thunder of the Harley. Nothing helped.
I threw the bike into yet another curve, too fast, much too fast. The back wheel slipped, losing its grip on the tarmac. The scream of the metal hurt my ears. I countered, trying to right the bike as I came out onto the straight stretch. The back wheel flipped from one side to the other, threatening to crash the bike and me with it to the unyielding blacktop. It would hurt, badly. Broken bones, road rash. All of it flashed in my mind as I struggled to keep the bike upright.
I finally managed to regain my balance and let go of the gas, steering the bike to the side of the road. I kicked out the stand as I killed the engine.
Once the shaking had stopped, I got off the bike and walked a few metres into the brush at the roadside. The walking calmed me further and I was finally able to think straight. I got myself into this mess, now I had to get myself out.
Ok, it was time to take another look at what I was doing. I had a mission. I was tasked to stop a war between Werewolves and Sabres. I had identified who the players were, and in my wisdom thought of a plan that ended in my being romantically involved with both of them. Hmmm. Not good. At least not if I wanted to keep them both alive. And to tell you the truth, killing either of them would pain me. In my own way I was getting attached to them. Both of them.
My thoughts kept on coming back to Gabriel and Metisse. This was going nowhere.
I needed help. Someone to talk to. Yeah, like this was a conversation that I could have with anyone. These were the times that I missed my mother most. She would understand. She knew me. If she’d been around, I probably wouldn’t be in this mess.
I returned to the bike and straddled it, turning the key in the ignition when a thought struck me. The last time we spoke she made a strange comment. ‘When the time is right, go to Waisland. Talk to he keeps watch.’ It hadn’t meant anything to me at that time, it sounded rather strange, an unfinished sentence. Now it was a lifeline. Somewhere to start. Not that it meant anything to me now either. It was cryptic. “He keeps watch” what the hell did that mean? No idea.
I turned the bike around and headed back to the farm.
Time to hit the Internet. Time for research.
Chapter 34
Internet can be your friend and your enemy.
There is such a wealth of information on the web that you can educate yourself on anything you want. If you can find it, that is. The sheer volume of the data works against you when it’s just that one little bit of information that you have to work with.
I started off with “Waisland”. That was a given. That I combined with “observation” reasoning that someone who watches would probably be in an observation post. That gave no sensible leads, so I changed “observation” to “investigation”, using the thesaurus to find synonyms for the words. After three hours and multiple cups of coffee, my eyes were starting to blink profusely with the fatigue. This was not my idea of fun. It was getting me nowhere. I tried the regular web and finally the paranormal and dark one.
In desperation, I finally entered “he who watches” and “Montana” in the google search field and was rewarded by another seventeen and a half million hits. How the hell was I going to find one man in all this data? Then a thought struck me. What if that was his name? “He who watches” it could be a name. Now slightly apprehensive, I typed that in the field with “name” behind it. OK, that got rid of a million hits. Then I added “Native American” and the number of hits skyrocketed. But I was sure that I was on the right track.
They were the first strong lead I had.
I searched all day. Finding a lot of information about the tribes that made this place their home. The Blackfoot was the main tribe in the area around Waisland. They lived in this area for longer than recorded history. That made them my first port of call. I found a site dedicated to the Blackfoot; from there I looked up Blackfoot names and their meaning and struck gold. Askuwheteau was a traditional Blackfoot boy’s name. Its translation was “he keeps watch” My new challenge was how to approach them. I could hardly drive up to the council house on my bike and demand to speak to the chiefs.
A thought crossed my mind. The pack. Wolves and Native Americans had mingled throughout the centuries of coexistence. The pack members all had what I originally thought were Hispanic characteristics. I realised that I made a stupid mistake. Their ancestors weren’t Hispanic. They were Native American. They would know more. Maybe even help.
Chapter 35
Later the next night I lay in Gabriel’s arms as he softly stroked my hair. My fingers followed the contours of his chest, lightly passing over the skin and soft fur that always lingered for a while after our love making. This had been the first time that we had taken our time. Our needs hadn’t dictated the pace and it was almost serene. Deep in my being I felt the connection that I tried my best to ignore. Gabriel was a part of me. Whether I liked it or not. We were joined in a way that transcended the physical. I guess you could call it love, but it was much, much more than that. This was a centuries old pull. Designed by nature to bring the best characteristics together. The thump of Gabriel’s heart soothed me. Pushed the anxiety of the connection to the background for the moment. I would deal with that later. ‘When?’ That pesky voice at the back of my mind asked. When I wanted to, I answered silently to shut it up.
Gabriel noticed my agitation. ‘Are you okay?’ he whispered into my hair.
‘Yeah,’ I answered unconvincingly.
He laughed. Gabriel was very sensitive to my moods. He read them like a book. He read me like a book. It already caused some quite anxious moments. But that was the thing about Wolves. They observed. They noticed.
‘Spill the beans,’ he laughed. ‘You’re going to anyway.’
I pushed my upper body up onto my elbows and looked down at my lover. The amusement made his eyes sparkle. The lines around them gave him character and depth. They softened his visage and made my spine tingle. His black beard with the occasional grey-white hair usually made him look hard and dangerous. Now it appeared soft and welcoming. In the pack, he was the alpha. The strength of the pack. Never wavering. Dominant. When he was with me, he was a totally different man. His big heart showed. Along with a burning urge to love and be loved. He’d yearned to find his mate for hundreds of years, never making that one connection that completed him, that made him whole. This he found with me.
Regret and sorrow threatened to make me cry out. He was my target. I had to kill him. But here I was, living a connection that even I could not ignore. What the fuck was I going to do? I closed my eyes, frantically pushing back the tears.
I felt the soft touch of his hand as he pushed my hair away from my face.
‘What is it, my love?’ he asked softly. ‘I can help.’
‘No. Not this time,’ I answered. ‘At least, not yet.’ I looked deep into his eyes. ‘This I have to do myself.’ I tried to lighten the moment. ‘Let’s change the subject for now.’ He observed me intently, deciding whether to push the question. Thankfully, he finally just smiled and kissed me.
‘Ok, what shall we talk about now?’
This was my chance. I pretended to think for a few seconds. ‘Where did the pack come from?’ I asked.
He took a deep breath and answered me. ‘The pack has been here for more than two thousand years. They came from the northeast, from what is now Canada. They settled here and stayed through all the challenges that were thrown against them. It is our home.’
‘Was it deserted when the pack arrived?’
‘No, there were Native people here, the Blackfoot, Kootenai, Gros Ventre, Crow and many more.’
‘What happened?’ I asked ‘When you arrived. Did you fight for the land?’
‘We didn’t have to. The Blackfoot welcomed us to the territory. They had an age-old history with the spiritual, and their Shaman was intimately knowledgeable about our kind. I think he had some Wolf blood in him. He came out to a clearing on the mountain top at full moon and waited for the pack. His chanting led them there and they surrounded him. None of them attacked. They waited to see what would happen. I guess they were confused. Humans usually ran from them. Anyway, the alpha pair approached the Shaman and a truce was made. One that has lasted through thousands of years.’
‘You still have a truce?’
‘It’s not necessary anymore. The tribe and the Wolves intermingled, sharing their blood and heritage. Most of the pack have Blackfoot blood in them now, and a lot of the tribe have Wolf ties. We are brothers.’
I digested what he told me. The connection that I deduced was there and much more pronounced than I expected. Now what?
‘Ok, spit it out,’ Gabriel broke my reverie. ‘Ask what you really want to know.’
‘What do you mean?’
He laughed again. ‘Cut out the innocent act Trish, I’m not falling for it. There’s something on your mind. Something connected to the pack and the tribe. You might as well ask what it is that’s eating you up.’
I smiled. He knew me so well. I would have to be careful. There were still things he could not know. Like my deceit.
‘Is there someone in the tribe called Askuwheteau?’
‘Yes,’ he answered. The crease in his brow deepened. This was a very direct and detailed question, not what he expected. ‘He is the Shaman. Why?’
‘I need to talk to him,’ I answered.
‘About what?’ Now it was his turn to question me.
‘Please, Gabriel. This is something I cannot share completely with you now. Not yet. I need to talk to him. Ask him about something my mother said the day before she died.’
‘What was that?’
‘She just said, “talk to he who watches.” That is Askuwheteau in….’
‘In Blackfoot. Yes, I know. What did she mean?’
‘I don’t know,’ I answered truthfully. ‘But I need to find out. Could you take me to see him?’
His eyes pierced mine, probing for more information, answers to all the unspoken questions that I could see in his face. Please Gabriel, I thought, just go with me on this. Don’t look too deep—not now. I don’t want to lose you yet.
‘OK,’ he finally answered. I let out the breath that I didn’t know I was holding and smiled.
‘Great. Let’s do that tomorrow.’ My left hand continued to follow the contours of his muscles, only now the nails were more pronounced, sending goose-bumps up and down his arms. ‘And now, let’s do something else.’ My hand moved down further, past the six-pack to the awakened member in the black curls of his pubic hair. I grabbed him and squeezed. He gasped and forgot all about any questions he might have had.
Chapter 36
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br /> We thundered through the gates of the reservation at two o’clock the next afternoon. I followed Gabriel down the rough track. You couldn’t call it a road. The tarmac stopped just after the sign that we were nearing the reservation. It was not the only sign of poverty here. We rode at a snail’s pace through haphazardly placed trailers, broken down trucks and rusty agricultural vehicles. Small children followed our progress with empty eyes. The state of their clothes and occasional shoes tantamount to the hardship that these people faced. These were the tribes that had been displaced from their ancestral grounds after gold was found there. They were moved time and time again, as each site proved to have some value after all for the white Americans. Finally, once all the precious metals had been removed and the soil ravished, the people were sent back. Yet another travesty in American history. My heart went out to the people here. They had been relentlessly persecuted, as were we; the paranormal. If you could find us that is. We are amongst you. We hide. But we fight back. Here, I could see no way out. No hope.
Occasionally someone would wave to Gabriel and he would acknowledge them. I just followed in his shadow. Feeling worse very minute.