Heath eyed the portal she indicated. “How do we know you aren’t to blame?”
The woman stepped forward. “There is a wolf among your people, one who was damaged beyond repair. I … righted the wrong which had been done to him. Tell Dominic and Arturo they are welcome.”
Asherah shifted. “Past. She speaks of the past. Skuld only speaks of the future.”
Heath didn’t understand, but Asherah didn’t say anything else.
“Asherah can’t tell you. It would alter things. I have done what I can. You must leave now. Do what you were born to do, Kieran. Everything you’ve ever gone through, even the lies and the bad, were meant for you to be the man you are to her. Trust in that. Something tells me you may have a friend on that side to help.”
She stepped away and opened a side door, revealing another portal. “I swear, the insufferable nature of this tower is beyond me. Must it always change?”
The woman huffed and moved to another door and opened it. “Ah, here it is. I bid you farewell.”
Kallan lifted a brow. “Trust it?”
What else could they do? Heath needed to get Asherah as far away as possible. “We don’t have another choice.”
Kallan sighed. “So be it.”
They stepped through the portal.
Chapter Fifteen
They came out in Encantado, just steps away from the Scorched Earth. Luckily, not on top of the fucking Guardians who would have taken off their heads.
“Oh gods,” Asherah whispered, spinning in a slow circle.
Heath grinned. “Welcome to the Fragile, Asherah. We are in Encantado.”
Cars honked somewhere in the distance, and Asherah jerked to his side. “What is that?”
He didn’t want to get into what a car was. Not right now. They weren’t safe here. “It’s transportation. I’ll explain everything, but we need to move.”
Kallan nodded, slipping from his armor and using his magic to create dark jeans and a green button-up shirt. Teague, Eiravel, and Cynes followed suit.
“We’ve got to get you changed,” Heath told Asherah.
“Is something wrong with my attire?”
“In Encantado, you appear as though you’re heading to a wedding.”
Heath pictured a look in his mind, one he could see fitting Asherah, and melded her wardrobe. Black leather leggings covered her legs and made her ass stand out in mouth-watering detail. He closed her feet in short black boots with a wedge heel, adding silver chains across the ankle. Finally, he gave her an off-the-shoulder white shirt that tied over her flat stomach.
Fuck, that’s all mine.
Okay, so he made her look like some rocker chick, but it really went with her blue-and-green hair. Sort of a sea-grunge look or some shit like that.
She ran her hands down her outfit. “I am wearing pants like a male.”
Heath groaned. “And they look so good on you, baby. Trust me.”
She preened under his compliment. “Then I think I shall keep them.”
Heath changed his clothes to match her, with black jeans, heavy boots, and a white graphic tee. He tied his hair up in the man-bun style—’cause he was cool like that—and used just enough of his glamour to add golden tones to his skin.
No one would care about Asherah, with this being a city of paranormals, but she was with Heath and he was known all too well. He spread his glamour to make their ears less pointed and alter all the Unseelie skin tones. It hurt to use so much at one time, but it was better than being immediately spotted.
“It’s about to get weird, babe. Just bear with me.”
She frowned as he turned his hair a warmer brown and made his eyes match, hiding the silver sparks.
“You look …” Asherah stepped closer, running her hands over his now sable-covered jaw. “This is different, but still you.”
“You know we’re in danger here, yeah?”
“I know. You changed your look to hide yourself.”
“Exactly. We can go meet up with the Renegade wolves then head to Silva.”
Asherah shook her head. “Fate with me.”
Heat spread across Heath’s cheeks. Um, no. It was not the time to be talking about fucking his woman. “We can–”
“Fating makes us life bonded. If there are those who would see you dead, my sister will stop them if for no other reason than to save me.”
Heath couldn’t argue with her there, and he couldn’t deny nothing would making him happier than seeing his mark across her chest and shoulders. But this wasn’t how he’d planned to do it.
“Look, he’s got performance anxiety. Maybe he won’t be able to get it up.” Cynes chuckled.
“I assure you my male gets it up just fine and keeps it there.”
Cock at full mast.
“I just wanted it to be ours,” Heath muttered.
“I know, but it helps us now. It won’t change the fact that we are Fated. We had our moment in the dream.”
He could accept that. The first time they came together hadn’t been about anyone else but them. This time … he’d make sure it was good for her no matter what.
“We can travel to the end and have the wolves keep watch. We don’t have any other choice,” Kallan offered. “She’s right about having something to stay their hand other than our battle prowess.”
“So be it,” Heath agreed. “We can catch a ride there. The more we’re not on the streets, the better.”
Ash stared at the paved roads, her face slack with awe. Heath looked around Encantado with fresh eyes. The brown and green of the trees, the delicate blue of the sky. Everything was different for her, he knew. She’d been in the In Between so long she barely remembered Seraph, but even her homeland looked nothing like this world.
He couldn’t say he didn’t miss being here, that he didn’t love the hustle and bustle of living in such a large city. But he also felt the executioner’s blade at his neck. Dominic ran a large area within Encantado, and his wolves would be gunning for him. He also had Kalinda at his side, and she was the strongest mage in the city. Even the Guardians, for all their skill, technically weren’t stronger than her. It was their experience and knowledge that made them more dangerous.
Thinking he didn’t want to deal with them any sooner than he had to, Heath moved the group away from the touristy location of the Scorched Earth Memorial walls. They could blend in as best they could and keep heading north to the main thoroughfare.
He tucked Asherah against him, pained that he had to stop her innocent exploration of what she was seeing. But she went without complaint. By the time they reached a road, he was sweating. Power raced over them, seeking, measuring, but he held his glamour tight. He recognized the pull of the Guardians, and he needed to get all of them the fuck out of here.
Tossing his hand in the air, he hailed three cabs. They could all travel to the Cirque Inn just on the outskirts of District 17. It would put them close enough without being found by anyone before they were ready. It’s where he had hidden with the others before.
“Where to?”
“Cirque Inn.”
The cab driver turned around. “You a resident? No one goes there when they’re visiting.”
Exactly. “Yeah, I know where the real fun is.”
“Got you. We’ll be there in about twenty minutes.”
Asherah dug her nails into his thigh as the cab pulled from the curb, and he tucked her face into his chest and held her. He couldn’t imagine what she was feeling. The first time he’d seen a car, it was slow and spunky, puttering in the streets slower than he could run. But it gave him time to get accustomed to it. Now, he took for granted many of the modes of transportation the humans and mages used.
Asherah was being tossed in at warp speed, without any chance to slow down.
“It’ll be over soon. Just hold on to me.”
“It is nothing like the portals or magicked panels of home.”
No, he would suppose not. For the Fae, many could use portals stra
tegically placed and guarded around the city to come and go from high-traffic areas. When those weren’t available, they used a panel—a flat seating area with a forcefield around it—to travel back and forth. They still used animal driven carriages most of the time. It made for cleaner air and less impact on the lands, but it was slower by comparison—portals were the fastest method.
Heath continuously scanned the area, knowing Kallan and Eiravel were doing the same from each of their cabs. If danger was coming, Heath wanted to see it long before they arrived. But it seemed he worried for no reason. They reached the Cirque Inn without so much as a peep. They had a problem though. They needed to pay the drivers.
“I’ve got it.” A large, dark-skinned male with golden eyes met them at the taxi. “Smelled you a mile away.” His smile was sharp, a cruel twist of his lips, but he paid the drivers and sent them off.
Heath was always uneasy around him, even when they worked together. Bastion was a New Orleans native Renegade, and he always seemed to just toe the line of the rules.
But his nose was the best they had, and Heath trusted it.
Heath raised a brow. “Thank you. The others?”
“They are keeping down confusion. I’m running communication. Alpha thought you’d come here first when you arrived and wanted to make sure he knew about it.”
Heath nodded. “We will stop here for a bit, but we will be traveling to Lombardi Pack lands soon.”
“Good.”
“We aren’t trying to fight the wolves, Bastion.”
Bastion shrugged. “A pity. It’s been a good while since I’ve had a challenge. But we joined your cause, so we will stay the course.”
“About that, things may be changing.”
“Oh? Don’t have the stomach for it?”
Heath bristled. “More information has come to light.”
“Ah. Well, we shall see.”
“Yeah, we fucking will.”
Bastion chuckled, shaking his head. “You are all so easily rattled. It’s a wonder you’ve survived so long. Go on in. I’ve got rooms for you.” His eyes danced over Ash. “I thought you might like a suite to yourself. I guess I was right.”
“She’s my mate,” Heath explained, speaking in a way the wolf would understand as he took the key cards from Bastion.
Immediately, Bastion stood taller and the smile he’d thrown at Ash disappeared from his face. “I meant no offense.”
No wolf wanted to violate that sanctity, and it was something Heath could appreciate. “None taken. Get the wolves together to move out. We’ll just be here for a few hours.”
“Done.”
Bastion loped off as Heath escorted Ash and the others inside. The cool, air-conditioned air slid over his skin, a welcome sensation after the stagnant state of the In Between and the heat outside. Their shoes echoed on the floor as Heath directed the group to the elevators. There were no bottom-floor rooms available, but Heath always wanted to be close to the first floor in case they needed to escape quickly. He wasn’t disappointed when he saw Bastion had booked them space on the second floor.
He’s a cocky shit, but he gets the job done.
“I’m going to rest,” Kallan said.
Cynes shrugged. “Fine. Eiravel and I can be on first watch. We’ll switch with you and Teague in a few hours. Heath, don’t stress about out here. We’ll get you if there’s trouble.”
Heath was thankful for that. He didn’t say anything as he unlocked the door closest to the stairs and ushered Ash inside. She hadn’t said a word since the car.
“Are you okay, Foraltae?”
She turned to him. “I am so happy to be free. It’s scary, and I do not understand everything around me, but I am free. It was hard to celebrate out there.”
Heath smiled and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Well, feel free to celebrate in here.”
Ash squealed, leaping on dainty feet and spinning around in a circle. She was carefree, throwing her arms out to her sides. In the center of a cheap hotel room, the king-size bed a poor substitute for the space in the dreamscape, he’d never seen her so alive.
Or let his heart thunder so hard.
He wanted to keep this moment, her expression and happiness on her face. See her give over to the knowledge that, even if danger was coming, she would be defending this. She was awake, part of the world, making her own decisions.
And she was so beautiful she made his teeth ache.
“Asherah.”
She slowed to a stop at his deep call. A flush spread over her cheeks. “Will you claim me now?”
There was nothing he wanted to do more. “Come here.”
She danced over to him, her new clothes fitting the sway of her hips and her smirk. She belonged Encantado, the real world, not that stuffy fucking tower she’d been trapped in.
“I want to drink from you.”
Gods dammit, that made his dick hard. “I promise you will.”
They would be bonded; he’d get to see his mark spread over her body. He was going to come so deep inside her, she’d never been able to remember how it felt not to have him.
Ash ran her hand over Heath’s chest in a possessive way—a woman who knew what she did to her man. There was no doubt in his mind she was perfect for him. Just knowing he was about to have what he never thought he’d get made him feel light, happy, and so full of fragile, scared love that he was bursting with it.
Heath could never forget the way he’d fought his way to her, and she didn’t let him do it alone. Despite the trials and tribulations they had incurred, they’d somehow survived. What mattered was this moment, the knowledge they were a Fated Pair who’d found each other.
Later, they could think about love and building something more. For now, they had this time.
“Kiss me,” Asherah whispered.
As you please.
Never breaking eye contact with her, Heath lifted his face slowly, her full lips a tempting morsel he wanted to taste with his tongue. He did just that, tracing her mouth as he cupped the back of her head with one hand. Her heat pushed inside him as he wrapped his other arm around her.
He kissed her gently, lips moving softly over hers, his hands as gentle as they were strong, and she melted under him.
Fucking melted.
All for him. Just him.
As if she could sense the need in him to be inside her, Asherah let him coax her lips into parting and slide his tongue into that wet cavern. Heath’s tongue dueled with hers almost lazily. There was no rush to their passion, no struggle. This was simply give and take. A melding of souls, hearts, and bodies into one.
She wrapped her arms around him, returning his kiss, sucking his tongue farther into her mouth, enjoying the full press of his lips against hers. Her body was his anchor as he leaned back on the bed, spilling them over in a tumble of limbs.
They pressed against each other until he flipped her on her back on the soft cover. He’d never wanted something as much as he wanted Ash. Painstakingly, he removed her clothing. A trail of pleasure burned through him as he kissed his way over her stomach. He used his shadow magic to part her pants and slide them down her legs, exposing more skin to the cool air. He used the same gift to remove his.
There were some benefits to being out of the oppression of the In Between and near the power of others. He shifted, and the heat of her calves caressed his bare thighs.
“So beautiful,” he whispered against her flesh.
And it was more than what was outside. She’d been willing to give up her chance of getting out just to save him. He’d prove to her she’d always be worth it to him.
Heath kissed his way back up her body, stopping for a second to nip at the undersides of her breasts. When he lay on her, she held him in the cradle of her thighs. Asherah lifted her hips against his, a silent plea for him to move against her, and he answered, circling his hips to catch her clit on the thick base of his cock. She moaned, a sound so soft it could have been a whimper as he pulled her tig
hter to him. Her breasts were crushed against his, her nipples pebbling.
Slowly, he left her mouth, kissing and sucking his way down her throat, pausing to nip at her pulse, leaving his mark. Ash moaned, arching her neck as he kissed farther, running his tongue over the soft part above her collarbone and then traveling on. Heath graze his teeth over the swell of her breast, but he licked away the sting and continued. He sucked her nipple into his mouth, and she gasped. He sucked on it lightly, drawing on her as her fingers dug into his shoulders in the silence.
“Heath,” she moaned, need and urgency pulsing off her body.
He released her nipple and traced her skin with his tongue to her neck. “I’ll give you everything, everything you need.”
He kissed her, rougher than before. Moving his hand down, he cupped her breast, rolling the nipple between his fingers while grinding his hips against hers. Asherah moved with him, kissing him more passionately than before. He rolled, pulling her on top of him.
Pulling away from his mouth long enough to sit up, she looked at him, and he met her gaze. Her face was a study in desire. He could see the urgency, the need to feed in her exposed fangs, but he didn’t rush her as she ran seeking hands down his strong chest and abdominals. She pushed herself down his body, kissing him as he had done her. Ash paused to flick her tongue over his nipple. She smiled around it, giving it one final lick before proceeding downward.
I’m going to die.
She continued, unerringly, toward his cock, the thick, pulsing instrument that wanted to explode the closer she got.
Take me.
She kissed over his stomach and licked the muscles at his groin before taking him in her hand. The warmth of her palm was staggering. And as she angled him toward her mouth, her heated breath kissed the head.
He’d come all over her face before she took her first lick if she kept this up.
“Can I feed from here?”
Without giving him the chance to answer, she closed her mouth over him, and Heath clenched his teeth. She worked her tongue over the sensitive tip, flicking and tasting. She moaned around him, her lips stretched to accommodate his size. She could barely take in more than the head, but her hands nimbly pumped over what couldn’t be engulfed. Ash twisted her hands in opposite directions around him, massaging his shaft at the same time with the motions of her mouth. He growled, clenching his hands at his sides.
Fated to the Traitor (Portal City Protectors Book 4) Page 14