Branded by Frost

by Aliyah Burke

  She sank into him. With her arms around his neck, he lifted her so she straddled him in his chair. Frost rocked against the ridge in his pants and his own passion spiked. She locked around him and he carried her back to his room where he kept her for the rest of the evening.

  Chapter Ten

  Aminta monitored her distance from the deck as she hovered the helicopter over the sea. Colton had been submerged in the icy water, and Dex was on the line to rescue him. This drill had been put on them last minute.

  Another storm was rolling in, and, by her calculations, they had maybe another fifteen minutes before the force of it hit them. In her ears, she heard all of the team communicating with one another. She remained focused on her job. Too low and the rotor wash upped the waves and made the rescue all the more difficult. Too far and there was the chance they couldn’t reach. Celia was on the controls and Sandra was waiting for them to get back to do medical. Mason hadn’t come along on this trip—Rob had instead.

  Another sweeping glance of her gauges before checking the distance again. Sure, her helicopter had all technology to tell her exactly, but she’d been doing it with her eyes from the beginning and trusted them. Plus I won’t always have this bird, so I need to make sure my own skills don’t diminish because I’ve been pampered by this one.

  She wanted nothing more than to go back to the cabin and curl up next to Dex. Ever since discovering he was her mate, they’d been going nonstop. Teague had upped their training, so when they got home, exhaustion owned them. No real talking had occurred. And it had been like that for two weeks. Roz had returned to the vineyard, taking the artifact with her for safe keeping.

  Aminta stared at the gas gauge when she picked up on the hesitation given by the helicopter. Her gaze narrowed slightly. Lower than it should be. And I checked everything out. More wind rocked the chopper before it stabilized. A logical reason to be lower—the winds were stronger than she’d anticipated and calculated for. Outside the waves were increasing in strength and size.

  Relief swarmed when she heard they were on the way back up to the chopper. The moment she got the clear, she got them out of there and headed back to their base. Sandra’s warm voice filled her ears as she worked on Colton. She had a different reaction when Dex interjected, but she shoved that thought away. This isn’t good.

  Everyone disembarked when she landed. Snow continued to fall outside and she stayed to do her post-flight check. Mason loitered and she jumped out to face him.

  “Something you need?”

  He blinked. “No, just a bit lost in thought.”

  She stepped closer to him, power skating along her skin. She didn’t like him being loose and putting the members at risk. “I know who you are, Mason.”

  His green eyes hardened. “I know who you are, Guardian.” He sneered the final word.

  In two seconds she had him tossed up against the side of the stationary chopper, spike points at his throat and kidney. “I want you to leave this team alone. Your beef is with me. Fine then… Come on and take your best shot.”

  His grin was evil. “That’s not how this works. We don’t negotiate.”

  “It wasn’t a negotiation. I made a statement.”

  “I didn’t think you knew I was one. How did you find out?”

  “The one who had been following me through town.”

  His gaze sharpened. “What happened to him?”

  “Hmm. Interesting. Actual concern from a New Order flunky. What was he to you? Family? I don’t see a resemblance but that means nothing. Lover, perhaps?”

  “Where is he?”

  “He met an unfortunate end.” She pushed the spike by his kidney in his skin. “See, he and some of your bastard demons came after me. Like you said, we don’t negotiate, and that sentiment works for us Guardian’s as well. They use you like cattle, trotting you out to do their leg work, to sacrifice yourselves while they stay hidden and wait.”

  “You’re supposed to protect.”

  She gave him a feral grin. “I am. I’m protecting the world from the likes of you. See? I’m with you on that negotiating aspect. Why bother? You’ll still be working for The New Order and if I let you live, then I may have to fight you again another day. That’s not smart of me. There are so many fools who they have brainwashed. Really, what’s one less, except beneficial to me. And that’s what it truly all boils down to, right? What is best for me?”

  She pushed the spike in further.

  “I mean, you were just biding your time before you killed me. You’ve already killed people by sabotaging rescues. All that just to get me up here. Well, I came and I’ve figured out your little plan. It won’t work. Your other men and the stupid demons that were with you are gone. So now it’s just you and me.”

  “You can’t just kill me in cold blood.”

  She lifted her eyebrows. “Why not? You do. And you’re just a pawn. I’m a Guardian.” Her sign shifted along her shoulder, unease moving through her. “Who do you answer to?”

  “I won’t betray him.”

  “Then you have nothing to keep me from killing you.”

  Her sign warned her seconds before the blow came from behind. She dropped low, rolling to her left to avoid it, and watched with disgust as Mason’s head rolled from his body. Back on her feet, she faced the two men who occupied the otherwise empty hangar. The one who’d taken Mason’s life was much nearer than the other, and she sent five spikes into him without thought. He sank in a pile of dead skin and sulfur fumes.

  Moving so she had more maneuverability, she called more spikes to her hand and waited for the last one to attack. Her eyes watered from the smell but she never took her attention from him. The demons looked like human males and if confronted, they could act like them. However, if one knew what to check for, it was possible to know they weren’t human. The main factor was the stench of sulfur. They also had other tells—their eyes were a bit glassier and they seemed to take a long time to formulate a response, like someone who wanted to weigh their words carefully.

  One good thing about facing them was they weren’t exactly rocket scientists and could sometimes be tricked into spilling information a full human wouldn’t.

  “You killed Mason.” He hissed.

  “Actually, dumbass, your idiot friend there took his head. I didn’t do that.”

  She watched him and the ball of fire in his hand. She changed direction again, ensuring her helicopter wasn’t in the line of fire.

  “You would have.”

  “True. I would have killed him, but I didn’t. I did kill the one who was with him. The one who looked like Blake.”

  “Not Blake. His father.”

  She nodded at him. “My mistake. His father then. Why don’t you tell me where Blake is so I can go deliver my condolences to him?”

  “How about I deliver your head to him instead?”

  She beckoned with the fingers of her left hand. Give it your best shot.

  Drones. Mindless soldiers. In many aspects, the demons were like The New Order recruits, willing to do whatever they were ordered to do. Granted, for the most part, the demons liked killing more than the humans, but she wouldn’t give them a blanket statement on that. She’d run into some humans who had a blood lust in them unlike anything she’d encountered before.

  His skin peeled away, exposing his true form. Leathered, scaly wings sprouted from his back and his fingers became three talons. His feet were two-toed with the same talons. He screeched and rose into the air, sending a fireball directly at her.

  She jumped forward and rolled, coming up almost beneath the creature. Flicking her wrists, she launched four spikes up. The demon avoided them with deft moves and she swore and drew some more. Despite the fact it flew inside, he got up some good speed and streaked toward her like a laser.

  Aminta held her ground, biding her time and exchanging spikes for sword. At the last second she fell back and lifted the weapon to rip down his underbelly. Her skin burned at the contact with his acid
ic blood and she shook her head, trying to clear her eyes.

  Listening to her sign, she ducked and went to the right. The wind from his strike ruffled her hair. She switched from sword to spikes again and let them fly from her hands. His agonized cry filled her ears as she slowly got her sight back.

  The three gashes down her arm burned but she could feel her sign doing what it could to help. If Cale had been there, they’d be healed in no time, but as it was, she would feel this for twenty-four hours.

  “Feeling pain is better than being dead and not feeling anything.” She gazed around. “Great. Three dead bodies, one headless, in the hangar by my helicopter. Oh right, and one body is in demon shape where the other is best described as a pile of rancid skin.” She looked at her injury again. “This is going to be hell to clean up. Then I still have to finish my post-flight check.”

  Muttering under her breath, she got to work.

  * * * *

  Dex peeked into the hangar. Empty except for the helicopter. He frowned at the faint scent of sulfur but didn’t linger. Backing out, he drew the door closed again. He didn’t know where Frost was. She’d not returned to the cabin and it was nearing midnight.

  He checked the training rooms—nothing. When he got to the pool he spied a light on at the far end of the room. Striding through, he slowed as he discovered her. Submerged in the hot tub, she rested her head on a folded towel and had her eyes closed.

  “There you are,” he said.

  She opened her eyes, rolled her head on the towel, and met his gaze. “Hi.”

  He crouched beside her and kissed her. “What are you doing?”

  “Soaking.”

  “Do you know what time it is?”

  “Nope and I don’t care either.” She closed her eyes once more. “I’m relaxing.”

  He angled her chin better and scowled. “What the fuck happened to your face?”

  “Demon.”

  It took him a moment. He blinked and waited. She didn’t say another word. He cleared his throat.

  “Demon?”

  “Uh huh.”

  “Frost, would you look at me.”

  She did and he saw faint markings around her eyes. “What?”

  “You’re just lying there talking about how you fought with a demon.”

  “Technically, I’m sitting, but yes.” A siren’s smile lifted her lips. “You could come in and join me. There’s enough room for both of us.”

  Despite his anger at her nonchalance of the demon, his body reacted to her offer. Once he’d whipped his shirt off over his head, he went to work on his boots. Soon, his clothing landed beside her robe and he was making his way into the heated water.

  It felt amazing—the heat totally worked through him, relieving his tension. She sat up and pushed across the area to where he was, straddling him. Her hair covered part of her face and he moved it back as she lifted her shoulders out of the water.

  “I suppose these wounds are from that demon as well?”

  “Yes. Don’t worry, I’ll be healed in a day. Until then, it’s a dull pain. My sign has been mending me.”

  He touched the string holding up her bikini, trailing it below the water line to her breast. She shook her head and backed away.

  “I’m waiting for an explanation on where you fought this thing and how it happened.” He kept on his side although he longed to have her back on his lap and in his arms.

  “Really?” She closed her eyes again. “You didn’t say.”

  “I just did.” He thought she would put him off again.

  “I confronted Mason.”

  Mason had been the saboteur. Anger slammed into him with the knowledge. “I’ll kill him,” he growled.

  “That won’t be an issue.”

  “Frost?” He nudged her with his foot. “What are you talking about?”

  “He’s dead.”

  “You killed him?” Damn it, why is she lying there with her eyes closed as if this is a small matter?

  “No, not me. One of the demons cut off his head.” She lowered herself in the water again until it reached her chin. “Full disclosure though… I would have if one of them hadn’t.”

  “One of them.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “So there was more than one demon.”

  “Two.”

  “And they are now…?”

  “Dead.”

  “Where did this battle happen?”

  Her leg slid along his and her foot found his groin. She lightly rubbed against him. “Hangar.”

  “I looked in there for you but didn’t see you, or any signs of a fight.”

  “Cleaned it up. I’m sure it still held a faint whiff of sulfur though. I had to clean it. How would I explain Mason lying headless by the chopper and two dead demons? One in demon form and one a pile of skin.”

  “Where…? What…? Shit, Frost,” he groaned as she rubbed along his erection. “We need to talk about this.”

  “So ask your questions. I’m just sitting here, soaking. I’m sore. Demon blood is acidic and poisonous. When my body has to repair itself, it makes me sore.”

  He gripped her ankle and began rubbing her foot. Her moan added steel to his cock.

  “Don’t stop. That feels so damn good.” Her words were slightly slurred and laced with pleasure.

  “So, now that Mason is gone, are we safe?”

  She opened her eyes and looked at him. The sadness in her gaze surprised him. “No. We’re never safe. And that brings us to another issue.”

  “What’s that?” He paid the same amount of attention to her other foot.

  “You can’t tell anyone what I just told you. They will look for Mason and ask you questions. Just say you don’t know.”

  “And what are you going to say?”

  She tipped her head from one side to the other, holding it for a few seconds as if she were stretching. “Not sure yet. I’ll think of something.”

  “Where are the bodies?”

  “Don’t ask, Dex. The less you know, the better.”

  “Fuck that.” He dropped her foot and put himself in her personal space. “Fuck. That. We’re mates. That means I have your back and you have mine. It doesn’t mean we have secrets from one another.” Gripping her chin, he forced an eye connection. “Are. We. Clear?”

  He recognized the set of her chin and the tightness of her jaw. Frost was stubborn beyond belief—he’d learned that over their time living and working together.

  “I asked you a question, Frost. Are. We. Clear?”

  “You know if you kissed her, perhaps she’d answer you. I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist her.”

  “Get out of here, Colton,” Dex snapped, not taking his eyes from the woman in the water with him.

  “Oh, I like this. Are the two of you going to fuck in there or have you already? Are you into threesomes, and can I join?”

  She didn’t answer him, just continued to hold his gaze. Stubbornness overflowed from those brown eyes and he wanted to yell and shake her. If having Colton there bothered her, she never showed it.

  “Colton,” he warned. “This is private. Get the fuck out.”

  The man grumbled but Dex watched in his periphery as he headed away. Then he returned complete focus to the woman before him.

  “We’re going to stay like this until I have an answer, Frost. You know we’re not supposed to be in the hot tub for hours and hours but if that’s what it takes, so be it.”

  “I’ll always have your back, Dex,” she said, her words soft and calming, beating back the rage that had pulsed through him at the thought of her taking on everything by herself.

  “Then why won’t you let me have yours?”

  “There is no reason for me to put you in more danger.”

  “Fuck that. I don’t want bullshit answers, Frost. I’m not a pussy who is going to sit around and let some demon fucker or human jackass hurt my woman. I will fight beside you. I can hold my own.”

  “That’s not it.”

 
“Then what? Because from where I’m sitting, that’s exactly what it seems to be.”

  “I’ve been training for this since I got to the vineyard and I don’t feel ready. There are things in my world that don’t make sense to most people. The things people tell their children about to scare them—I have seen those very things. Fought them. I’m not used to having a mate and it’s going to take me some time to get used to sharing more things.” She placed her hands on his abdomen. “But in this case, I’m not telling you. From here forward I will share, but not this.”

  “I don’t like the fact you want to bear this all yourself.” He inched closer as her hands lowered to settle around his cock. He bit his lip when she touched him, flesh to flesh.

  “I didn’t. My brethren know.”

  “I don’t care. You’re not letting me in, Frost. That’s my issue. I don’t want to be second to your fellow Guardians.” He flexed against her palms. “We’re mates. We should act like them.”

  “How do you know what they should act like?”

  “I don’t but I have some idea. No more secrets and lots of sex.”

  She laughed and shook her head. “Oh, that’s sad.”

  “Not really.” He kissed her. “I want you, Frost.”

  She slid one arm up around his neck. “You know, Colton is probably over there watching.”

  “He has to get his own woman.” He dipped his head and claimed her mouth once more.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Oh, oh, oh! Oh, fuck me!” Aminta cried, arching as the orgasm took her nearly off her feet.

  “Pretty sure that’s what I’m doing,” Dex panted in her ear as he continued to pound into her from behind in the shower. “If you’re not sure, I think we need to start over.”

  She shuddered with the mini orgasm that raced over her. “Starting over is a great idea. But we need to get out of the shower. I’m starting to prune. And I don’t have any energy left to stand.”

  He reached around her and shut off the water. She allowed him to hold her up. “Legs back,” he ordered.

  She hooked them around his legs and rested her head against his shoulder as he walked them from the shower to his bed in the cabin. Each step powered his cock further into her. He didn’t move fast, taking his time and tormenting her all over again. At the edge of his mattress, he lowered her so she was on her hands and knees.