Triquetra

by Marguerite Labbe

  “Of course.” I smiled in response. “You taught me that yourself. Are you going to let me unwrap it?”

  Jacob nodded, studying my face, a twinge of nervousness striking him. “You’re probably going to think it’s silly.”

  It was impossible to miss how much it meant to him to give this gift to me. “I won’t.” I picked it up, feeling his eyes on me as I unwound the soft cotton. The light gleamed off the torc and for a moment my mind blanked. My hands tightened on the gleaming half-circle, which I had believed to be destroyed.

  The ache started deep in my chest, working its way up to my throat. It wasn’t even so much that he’d found it. I was glad to see it again. It was a part of my past and losing it had wounded me. No, it was the fact that Jacob had thought to search for something that could be salvaged.

  “Say something, dammit.” Jacob poked me in my side.

  I caught his face between my hands and pulled him down, kissing him hard before releasing him. “You have a streak of romanticism in you I hadn’t known existed,” I said, allowing him to feel my joy at seeing the torc again.

  He grinned back, relief and happiness flooding his thoughts. “Do not,” he retorted. “I just thought you might like to have something back.” Curiosity overcame his embarrassment. “Just what is it?”

  I picked up the torc, running my thumb over one of the fierce griffin heads. “It’s a torc. It was given to me by my foster father just before I returned home. It was a symbol of my new status as a warrior.” Despite the centuries, I still had not forgotten what it felt like when its weight was first placed around my throat.

  On impulse I slipped the ring around his neck. Before my eyes he was transformed from a college student into a pagan warrior from my past. He could’ve been one of the Dalrieda with his fierce blue eyes and the tattoos marking his muscled body. I ran my hands down from his shoulders over his chest. My fingertips traced over the figures painted into his flesh and tweaked the nipple rings. I wanted him out of his jeans, naked before the fire in our room to complete the fantasy.

  “I’m glad ya like it.” He was a trifle breathless as he ground his hips against mine. He went to take off the torc and I stopped him.

  “No, I want to see you wear it.” Overcome with desire for him, my turbulent need to make him mine, I rose from the couch. When I picked him up and threw him over my shoulder he shouted and smacked me on my ass, trying to get me to loosen my grip.

  I grinned and carried my captive into our room and tossed him down on the bed before flicking the fire on. It was electric instead of a real one and I missed the smell of wood smoke, but it would do. My eyes stayed focused on his body as he kicked out of his jeans. He was so beautiful. Just like the first time I saw him it struck me anew, this time with the deliriously powerful knowledge that he was mine.

  “So I’m your prisoner?” Jacob asked huskily as I flipped off the lights and approached him in the firelight.

  I nodded. “Mo bhraighdeán, mo leannán, mo chroí.” I sensed him pull the meaning from my mind. My captive, my lover, my heart. Then I sensed his intent just before he scrambled off the bed and a predatory smile crossed my lips.

  “It’s not as much fun if I just let you, is it?” he asked from the other side of the room, eyeing me as I stalked toward him. His mind was as feral as my own and I liked seeing this side of him.

  He shifted on his feet to elude me as I closed in on him and as I moved to intercept him he switched stances and grabbed me instead. I had forgotten how quick he was and with a measure of my own abilities he was even quicker still. He spun me around so my back was to him, his cock pressing against the cheek of my ass. His teeth nipped the nape of my neck in chastisement. “I thought you were the submissive one.” He tightened his arm around my waist, bending me toward the bed.

  “Not tonight.”

  I twisted in his arms, catching his hand and flipping him over me. Our excitement had built to dangerous fever pitch. Jacob’s heartbeat thundered in my ears, his breath had quickened, and the scent of his arousal intoxicated me like nothing else ever had.

  I caught my struggling captive and carried him over to the carpet in front of the fire, bringing him down to the floor with me. Jacob was even more wild-looking than I had fantasized. His hair was in disarray, his eyes stormy, the muscles in his body straining as he fought against my grip.

  I rolled him onto his side, firelight licking over the front of his body as I spooned him from behind. The torc shone against the tattoos, the griffins fierce in the low light. His cock was hard, rising up from the nest of curls between his legs. His breath caught and I could smell the anticipation on his skin. I traced my tongue over his jaw, capturing his wrists in my hand and dragging them above his head.

  I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. I slid my hand down his chest and stomach, watching the fluid way his muscles tensed as he arched into my touch. I started whispering all the things I wanted to do to him in my own tongue and he groaned in response though I knew he didn’t understand what I was saying. I licked down his straining bicep, nipping the tender skin just underneath.

  “Oh, no you fucking don’t,” Jacob gasped, jerking his hands out of my grip and snaking a hand around the nape of my neck. He kissed me hard, lips bruising as he slung his thigh over my own and pressed back against my cock. “Quit fucking around. No foreplay.”

  I groaned as the head of my cock started to push through the tight ring of muscle. The heat was incredible. Jacob’s breath hissed through his teeth and I paused, pulling out of him and dashing away to grab the lube before it could register that I was gone.

  He turned around as I returned, eyes snapping blue fire. “Warn a guy when you’re gonna do that.” He pushed me onto my back and grabbed the lube from my hand. “You took too long; now we’re doing things my way.”

  Jacob poured some of the lube onto his hand and stroked it rough and impatient over my cock. I raked my nails over his ribs, watching his fire flare hotter in his eyes. He hissed again, settling on his heels, straddling over me, eyes locked with mine. The muscles in his thighs flexed as he sank down on my erection until I was halfway inside of him before slamming his hips down hard. We both cried out and Jacob’s head fell back. I grasped his hips, bracing my feet on the ground, and thrust up as he rode me.

  I was never going to forget the picture of him this night. His expression taut, his mouth half-open, eyes heavy-lidded. He looked wild and primitive as we clawed at each other, setting our marks on our skin for as long as they would hold them.

  Chapter 32

  “YOU AND Tony, I swear, are going to make me batty.” Steve scowled. “First you go running off in mid-sentence as if your life depended on it. Then, before I can say a damned word, Tony chases after you, and neither of you came back. Not that I was expecting it, or even a damn phone call.”

  “Tony followed me?” I hadn’t seen him. My mind had been occupied with Kristair and getting to him. Tony could’ve busted me in the back of the head and I never would’ve known. “You can bitch him out when he arrives. He’s supposed to meet me here.” I glanced down at my watch and frowned. In fact, he was pretty late.

  “You can outrun him any day. He didn’t have a chance to catch up with you.” He motioned for the waitress to come over and took out his wallet. “I tried calling his cell today, but he didn’t pick up. If he pulls a disappearing act again I’m kicking his ass. Living with you two is a freaking joke.”

  I grinned. “Okay, Pops.”

  Steve shot me a warning look, tossing a twenty on the table. “Shove it, Jake. I gotta use the can. I’ll meet you in the lobby. We’ll head up to the room and figure out what we want to do from there.”

  I felt a rush of gratitude. Steve still believed it was in my best interests to cut my losses and stay away from Kristair. I don’t know what made him change his mind and want to help, but he did, and that meant more to me than I could say.

  “Thanks, man.”

  He shrugged, and then smirked. “S
omeone needs to keep an eye on you before I open the newspaper and see your mug shot in it or something.”

  “Funny.” I picked up the check as the waitress brought it and winced. Geez, a couple of drinks were ridiculous here. Next time I was meeting Steve in a bar.

  I sighed. Who the hell was I fooling? As long as Kristair needed me, I wasn’t going far. The only reason I was down here now, instead of up in the room, was because I’d thought Tony would show. He’d seemed so insistent.

  I couldn’t shake off the instinct something was wrong. It didn’t bother me to take Steve up to our room. And he hated my lover. So why did I hesitate to bring Tony there? Kristair’s paranoia was starting to rub off on me. I laid out the money for my half of the bill and downed the rest of my beer. If I was being charged ten bucks for it, I wasn’t going to leave any behind.

  God, I hated this. I hated the fucking anxiety of waiting, not knowing what was gonna happen next. I dropped my head in my hands, overwhelmed with weariness. We had the fucking Syndicate on one hand and Kristair’s illness on the other, neither giving us room to breathe. Kristair’s symptoms always seemed to get worse after an encounter with those assholes. The stress couldn’t be good for him. Unless maybe they were somehow causing his deterioration, I didn’t see how.

  Kayla thought I was grasping at straws. We’d talked for hours today, researching our options and arriving at nothing. I set my jaw and lifted my head. I wasn’t about to give up and neither was she. Steve wanted to help too, if for no other reason than because he pitied me. I didn’t care why; I’d take it. I’d take anything at this point.

  What really scared the crap outta me was the thought that Kristair had given up. No, giving up wasn’t it, but he’d lost hope. That was just as bad. I couldn’t explain the intuition. We’d spent the remainder of last night before the fire, not letting go, making love over and over again until dawn when he had to leave me. I couldn’t get over the thought that he was trying to say goodbye.

  It pissed me off so much. I wanted him to fight, dammit. I wanted him to be as angry as I was. I wasn’t gonna lose him after having only three months with him. It wasn’t fucking fair. I wished he had claimed me sooner. Or I had given in before I did. Maybe then, the spell would’ve worked better. At least we would have had more time together. Why had I fought him so hard? Tears pricked my eyes and my throat closed up tight.

  No, I wasn’t gonna cry. Not here, not now. I took a deep breath, shoving everything down into an aching knot deep in my chest. We would think of something. I couldn’t think of losing, or else I’d end up losing it and bawling like a fucking baby. What good would I be to him then?

  “Jake?”

  My head jerked up and I met Steve’s eyes. I had been so lost in my own misery I hadn’t heard him approach. “Yeah, I’m coming,” I muttered, looking away from the concern I saw. I felt like I was only hanging on by a thread. It would be so easy for it to snap into two.

  I rose, glancing at my watch. It was almost six. Tony should have met with me hours ago. Where the hell was he? I could buy him being a dick once, especially when a girl was involved. But twice in a row, after how intense he’d seemed? No, that didn’t add up at all. I re-ran over our conversation in my mind, trying to wrap my brain around it. The jackass could at least answer his cell.

  “When will he wake up?” Steve asked as we left the lounge and headed toward the elevators.

  The question pulled me from my thoughts. “You can use his name, you know.” Lord it pissed me off that he wouldn’t. “He’ll be up in an hour or so.” If not later. He’d been more sluggish the past couple of nights. He tended to sleep well past nightfall and started getting sleepy earlier. “Kayla should be here soon.”

  “Your super-hot friend you were telling me about?” Steve asked as we got onto the elevator. “Was she pissed when she showed up and we weren’t there? You forgot to call her, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah, but we were wrapped up with Kristair. She’ll get me back later on.” I struck the button for my floor. “Hey, you said Tony never came back last night?”

  “Nope, and I haven’t heard from him today either. Maybe his pretty lady sunk her claws into him again.”

  I chuckled, an uneasy churning in my gut. “He called me at one or so in the morning. I thought he was at the apartment. I must’ve been wrong.” Tony hadn’t come out and said he’d been there. I had just assumed he had been.

  “Yeah. Maybe he came in after I went to bed. He wasn’t there when I woke up.”

  I should have left it alone, but it wouldn’t stop bugging me. “What time was that?” I asked as casually as I could.

  Steve frowned. “Three…. Why you askin’?”

  Why would Tony lie to me, especially over something so stupid? Steve’s brows were drawn in confusion. “It’s nothing.” I didn’t know what to think and wouldn’t until I had the chance to speak with my friend. He had probably been mistaken.

  The ding of the elevator seemed extra loud when we reached my floor and the doors opened with a soft whoosh. I stepped out into the hallway and froze as I saw a group of people hanging around outside our room. They were such an odd mix, no one person looking as if they’d hang out with another in their group.

  Holy shit! Time slowed to a crawl as my mind raced. Fuck, Kristair was still in there, sound asleep and vulnerable. How the fuck had the goddamned Syndicate found us? Violent rage tore through my body as my shaking hands clenched into fists. I could happily tear them limb from limb with my bare hands.

  I had to lead them away, buy Kristair time to wake up. Jesus fucking Christ, they were here. I turned and stabbed a random button on the elevator and shoved Steve back inside.

  “Get the fuck outta here,” I hissed, meeting his shocked eyes as the door shut.

  My heart pounded impossibly fast as I turned to face the intruders, backing up toward the stairwell. One of them looked up and noticed me, nudging her companion, lips curling back to reveal her fangs.

  “Hey, fuckers!” I shouted, moving quicker as the rest of their heads jerked up. “Think you can catch me?” I didn’t wait to see what they did. I turned and exploded into the stairwell, praying they would drop what they were doing in favor of chasing me. They couldn’t know Kristair was sleeping in the room, not with as much as they had studied him. I hoped they assumed he was hidden in a wall somewhere and I was the one they wanted to catch.

  At least Kayla wasn’t early. With any luck, they wouldn’t know about her.

  I vaulted over the railing, stumbling as I landed unevenly on the stairs. I caught myself and ran on, taking the steps two at a time. The door behind me crashed open. I didn’t look back, but kept running even harder. A multitude of feet echoed in the stairwell, setting off a confusion of sounds. Their taunts followed after me and I ignored those as well. I hurdled another railing, trying to put some distance between me and my pursuers.

  Finally, I saw the door to the first floor and barreled through. If I could just make it to the lobby, I’d be safe. There would be too many witnesses for them to do anything. Just a little bit farther. I bolted around the corner and staggered to a halt. Another group waited for me, blocking the way. Behind me I heard the others spilling out of the stairwell with mocking laughter.

  Air seared my lungs as I struggled to catch my breath. I turned to go back the way I came even though I didn’t stand a chance, but the others were already gathered behind me. That was one defensive line I wouldn’t be able to bull my way through.

  The hallway seemed to shrink from their presence as they started to surround me. Oh man, I was fucked. One of them sniffed the air. “Find the one who was accompanying him,” he ordered.

  I gnawed on my lip, as several of them broke away and went searching for Steve. Damn, I wish I had told him to stay with a bunch of people, but Steve’s instincts were good. If anybody could get away and hide, it was him. My eyes darted around and lit on the emergency exit at the end of the hall.

  “Run!” I shouted, waving i
n the direction of the lobby as if I was looking at Steve. Some of them turned and I took the opportunity to bolt in the other direction. I lowered my shoulder and broke through the vampires with an explosion of speed and strength I didn’t know I had. Maybe Kristair’s abilities weren’t all bad. If I escaped this mess I was gonna kiss him senseless and apologize for every snarky, prideful remark I had made.

  My head down, my arms pumping, I burst through the door, out into an alley stinking of piss and garbage. I didn’t even look for which direction to take and kept on running. Oh please let them want me enough to leave Steve and the room alone. But, with the way my luck was going, I might never know.

  They were right on my heels, our feet pounding on the pavement. The sound of their laughter was horribly close. Fuck, if they breathed I bet I would’ve felt it on my neck.

  A small sound of animal panic and despair escaped my lips as the end of the alleyway appeared, gated over with a chain-link fence. My momentum carried me forward and I hit it with a resounding crash. Without thought, I began scrambling up, the metal links digging into my fingers, my sneakers slipping for toeholds.

  Then their hands grabbed me, dragging me back. I screamed in fury, kicking back, clinging to the fence with all the strength I had. Yards away I could see the main street, cars driving by, its unlikely safety out of my reach. Rough hands yanked me down and spun me around, pinning me against the fence. Their hands in my hair and on my body held me still.

  I couldn’t tell if they were all there or if some had chased after Steve. There was no sign of him. Please, god, please let him have made it. My breath came in harsh pants, my heart thundered against my ribs in fury and terror.

  “You have no idea who you’re fucking with,” I snarled, trembling with the force of emotion surging through my body. “Kristair is gonna rip you into shreds. You haven’t fucking seen anything yet.”