He examined the damage.
So much blood. She shouldn’t have to see him weak and vulnerable.
“Zander, please. We can’t carry you. You have to get up.” Her fingers were ice against his raw flesh. The flow of crimson refused to slow.
Zander thanked the heavens it was him bleeding out, not her. Grayce was strong. A fighter if he’d ever seen one. She would survive the grieving process.
Chelsea’s voice was faint behind him. “Nikolas and Marcus are coming as fast as they can.” She grunted then applied pressure to his stomach. “Please, please get up,” Chelsea cried.
He wanted to move. God did he want the strength to will his body up and out of the pool of blood. Into Grayce’s arms.
Looking into the eyes of his love, Zander for the first time in his crazy long existence on earth, felt mortal. Shit, she was beautiful. Even with her face contorted in anger. She cried. For him. Made his heart swoon.
Grizzly? Well, first time for everything, right?
The spinning nauseated him. Fuck, he needed to wrap his arms around her and hold on for dear life. Grayce screamed at him. He couldn’t register her words, but didn’t doubt most of them started with the letter F. Rage burned in her eyes. He needed to kiss the fury away. If only he could reach her. If only he could move.
A dark fog clouded his brain, narrowed his vision.
Oh fuck, this was bad.
“Grayce.” He swallowed hard, choked on the taste of blood. “My Grayce...” He searched for her face through the darkness. “I love you.” Raising his hand, he found her tear soaked eyes. “Don’t cry, baby. Don’t cry,” Zander whispered, cursing himself for letting her down again.
Fragile.
Broken.
Tempestuous.
His Firecracker, who hid behind the facade of anger and aloofness, just needed unconditional love. Someone stronger, to help her heal, to guide her out of the private hell she’d been living. It was his job. His fucking duty. His privilege.
Grayce’s lips found his, and damn she tasted sweet. He cupped the back of her head and crushed her to his mouth. He kissed her. Deep. Desperate. All of his being, his love, his emotion were poured into that one kiss. If this was the end, he’d make damned sure she would feel him on her lips for the rest of eternity. He held tight. Drank her. Bruised her. Loved her until the darkness stole her away.
Zander watched from above the tree tops. Lighter than a feather, he ascended toward a brilliant white light when a scream bellowed dark and fierce from below. “You’re not leaving me you son of a bitch.”
Deadly eyes flashed to Chelsea, hazel retinas had been replaced with flaming red. A guttural warning escaped her lips. “Chelsea. Run.”
Zander hovered.
“Grayce, he’s not gone, I can still feel him. Please try not to lose control.” Chelsea made a feeble attempt to calm her friend.
With a heated flash, Chelsea was thrown back onto her rear.
“Please run, Chelsea. Run!” Grayce cried.
Chelsea jumped to her feet and sprinted toward the open path that led back to the mansion.
Zander ached with need to calm her. His ghostly form wouldn’t allow it. “Firecracker. Be strong, you’ll get through this,” he whispered.
Fear and sadness didn’t exist in the realm he entered. Heart and soul, he was saturated with light, peace and pure joy.
A deep boom echoed through the sky above him. A voice, familiar and strong. “It’s not your time, son. Love her well.”
* * * *
With bare hands splayed across the open wounds, Grayce squeezed her eyes closed and prayed for control. Begged. Pleaded to a God she’d never before acknowledged.
Chelsea needed time to get away.
Grayce prayed for Chelsea, prayed for Zander. Prayed they wouldn’t die because of her.
Her wits slipped away. Raw emotion drove her actions now. Blood covered her arms. Her lips throbbed with the remnants of his kiss. A kiss that felt like goodbye. He couldn’t die. The primal need to protect him overwhelmed her senses.
“Take me,” she implored. “Take me instead.”
Hell’s own fire coursed through her veins. Savage. Brutal. Pissed off.
She would’ve sold her soul at that moment to keep him alive. Zander didn’t deserve this. She did.
Earth and grass swirled and gyrated, turned to ash around her. Her small fingers stretched across his bloodied and shredded skin. Her insides boiled. Her skin bubbled and vibrated with indignant protest.
He said her loved her, now he was dying. What the fuck? What kind of cruel fucking joke was this, anyway? Violent trembles overtook her as an earthquake made its way through her body from the inside out.
“I will not let you die. This isn’t right.”
She forced the trembles into her arms. Excruciating pain ripped through her muscles.
“I’m not ready to let you go.” Eyes screwed shut, she directed the tremors down through her hands. It hurt so fucking bad. Her fire had never been this unbearable. Every cell in her body exploded with nuclear wrath.
She was going to die.
Another scream tore from her soul. White fire blasted from her fingertips. Spasms forced her back to arch and her head to fall back against her spine. A blinding white light enveloped their bodies and lifted them off the ground.
Time stood still.
Then nothing. No sound. No air.
Only light.
* * * *
Stephen woke with a throbbing pain at the base of his skull. Ouch. He rubbed the back of his neck. Super ouch.
“Hey, little man.” Marcus burst through the door with a plate full of donuts and a glass of milk. “Time to get up.” He planted his butt next to Stephen. The chair wiggled and made a funny squeak.
Stephen wiped goo from his eyes and looked around the room. Grayce and Zander hadn’t woken up yet, but at least they’d been moving in their sleep.
He hadn’t left their side since Nikolas gave him the okay to go in. Man, they’d been asleep for a long time. Nikolas said they were going to be just fine but they needed to rest and recharge their batteries. Stephen insisted he needed to be next to them and he wasn’t going to leave until they woke up. Thank goodness the doctor didn’t argue. He was a little old for temper tantrums, but if that’s what it took to stay with Grayce, he would’ve done it.
“Thanks, Marcus.” He managed a quick smile before devouring a maple bar. Man, he loved the food around here. Someday, after he was strong enough, he’d bring his mom here so she could have this yummy food too. Maybe she’d get better and be able to take care of him again.
He had a dream last night. Shayde again. This time, he was fighting on a mountain. Marcus and Zander were helping him. The girl was in the dream again too. She was pretty, as far as girls go, especially her red hair. Anyway, in this dream, he wasn’t scared. He was mad. He was mad because Shayde was trying to hurt the girl.
“Fucker,” Stephen whispered under his breath.
“What was that?” Marcus raised his eyebrows.
“I’m sorry.” Stephen smiled.
“Don’t let the ladies hear you talk like that,” Marcus scolded.
Stephen laughed. “Ladies? Grayce talks like that every day.”
“I know, right?” Marcus punched Stephens shoulder. It hurt. Not too bad, though. “That girl cusses more than a trucker.” Milk sprayed across the floor and Stephen doubled over with laughter.
“Hey, Stephen.” Marcus grabbed the now empty plate. “Chelsea wants you to come and eat a decent breakfast. Afterward, I thought the two of us could go outside. You can show me what you’ve got.”
Marcus posed, flexing his chest muscles. Stephen’s pulse raced, eager for the day he’d look like that.
“Show off.” Stephen giggled as he glanced back to the sleeping couple. Leaving was the last thing he wanted to do, but Chelsea would come and drag him to the kitchen if he didn’t go on his own.
“They’ll be here when we get
back, don’t worry.” Marcus headed through the door. Stephen didn’t want to leave, but he followed, running to keep up with the warrior’s strides.
* * * *
The room came into focus one blink at a time. Window, bathroom door, dresser. Everything was right where it was supposed to be. The scent came next. Skin and sun. Zander’s heady smell. Then the heat, pressed warm and hard against her backside. The musk that invaded her senses lit a fire that shot a swelling desire straight to her sex.
Wait. He died.
Grayce rolled over and buried her nose in his chest. An erection pressed against her overheated skin. Maybe they were both dead. Was this a dream? Didn’t matter. She needed him inside of her, fantasy or not.
She slid her foot up his thigh, wrapped her leg around his bare ass and pulled him tighter against her hips.
They were naked, but how they got that way, she didn’t know. Sure as hell didn’t care. Saved her some time and effort. With a slight shift, she positioned her body until his smooth, heated sex pressed against her folds. Three rolls of her hips and his hardened flesh was slick with her moisture.
A sensual groan vibrated through his chest. Oh fuck, she ached with desire. Warmth spread up her legs, through her abdomen, continued upward and burned a blush into her cheeks. As she pressed kisses across his chest, his heart pounded a primal rhythm under his pecs.
“Good God, firecracker. I love you.” Zander kissed the top of her head.
He loved me.
Kiss. Lick. Nibble. Damn he tasted good.
A sharp hiss plucked her from her fantasy. “Careful love, that’s tender.”
What?
With one fluid motion Zander grabbed her waist, flipped to his back and lowered her onto his over eager erection. Sweet agony filled her from the inside out. An orgasm already threatened to destroy her. Damn. This power he had over her body was infuriating.
“Oh. My. Fucking. Hell.” Grayce’s eyes filled with tears as she caught glimpse of his pale, heaving body. Three large scars marred his torso. Covering her face, she peeked through her fingers. What the fuck? He shouldn’t be here. He died in her arms. “Am I dreaming?”
With a sharp thrust of his hips, Zander drove his sex deeper into her. Grayce threw her head up and arched her back.
“Does this feel like a dream, baby?”
No. God no. She leaned forward and traced the scars across and back. “How can they be healed already?”
“You healed me.”
Zander’s name escaped her lips when he gripped her hips and thrust again.
“I don’t remember what happened.”
“You. Healed. Me.” Each word came through gritted teeth. Every force of his hips validation that he was very much alive.
In an attempt to slow the torture, Grayce squeezed her thighs together.
For a moment, Zander relaxed beneath her. “Nikolas thinks your red energy hit the bear and me at the same time. Either gave the grizzly incredible strength or stripped me of mine. That’s how its claws were able to pierce my skin.”
He sat. Pulled her legs around his waist. Drove his cock deeper.
Her insides coiled then exploded in a painful series of convulsion and sweet, agonizing release. Grayce screamed his name and buried her face in his neck as she rode out the soul-shattering orgasm.
When able to lift her head, he brushed her lips with feather light kisses.
“You saved my life.” He breathed against her mouth. “You’re my superhero now.” Claiming her lips again he pulled her harder over his erection, wrapped his arms around her waist, then flipped and pinned her underneath him. “I need to properly thank you.”
Grayce whimpered when he pulled out of her and traced her abdominal scar with his tongue, leaving a trail of fire along the path.
“We match now.” He nibbled her hip bone. “Matching scars. How cool is that?” Another nibble. Her hips jerked up to him. “Firecracker.” His lips blazed a trail from her hip to her clit, kissing and biting along the way. So soft and gentle.
Grayce appreciated his tender touch. His tongue pierced her folds. Brain and libido jumped into hyperdrive. He stroked up and down her slickness, applied just the right pressure in all the right places.
Sucked. Licked. Bit. Then stopped on the brink of another release. One finger, then two pushed inside. Rubbed. Caressed. He pulled them out halfway, then plunged again. Grayce rocked her hips to meet him as his fingers worked their magic inside and his mouth drove her insane on the outside.
How in heaven’s name could she survive another orgasm? There hadn’t been time to recover from the last. “Zander,” she cried, grabbing his head and swiveling her hips back and forth against his hungry lips. “Fuck.” Grayce bucked, wild and wanton, under his head. “Oh fuck!”
Pain and pleasure tore through her from the inside out. Each shiver left her gasping, every tremor melted her muscle and bone until there was nothing left inside her skin but warm liquid.
Grayce’s muscles continued to clench with aftershocks. Zander crawled up the length of her body, eased his cock between her legs, filled and stretched her to the limit. She pulled his face to hers, bit his chin and licked her moisture from his lips.
“My love.” He reached his release, collapsed at her side, and locked their bodies together. Within seconds, he was out cold.
Physical exhaustion wasn’t enough to whisk her away to dreamland. Her brain wasn’t ready to shut down, not with all the nagging questions mud wrestling inside her head. She saved him? How was that possible? Why her? Why give her the power to both destroy and heal? If this fallen angel, warrior, soul mate mumbo-jumbo was true, why did she have to battle these demons? Something dark dwelled in her; it had always been there. But for the first time in her life, there was something light too, something...good? Maybe she was just crazy like her mother.
Great. Would she start hearing voices in her head soon? The thought brought on an unpleasant shudder.
Zander moaned in his sleep and gave Grayce a squeeze. Face pressed against his chest, she breathed deep and let his scent and warmth settle the unease. Concentrating on him alone, to block the bullshit bombarding her brain, she drifted to sleep.
10
Every jaw in the room hung open as Nikolas read the words printed on the front page of the Chastain Inquisitor. “John Houghton, escaped convict, claims he is the father of Grayce Smith. Miss Smith is wanted for questioning in the murders of two local women and the disappearance of another.”
Nikolas continued reading. Grayce pulled her knees to her chest and hid her face behind trembling fingers. When Zander offered an arm for comfort, she batted him away.
He heard the drag of breath as she pulled oxygen into her lungs, deep and slow, trying to stay calm. Good girl.
With a frustrated sigh, Nikolas looked up from the paper. “Did you know your father?” All eyes turned to Grayce.
With a sigh, she raised her head and lowered her hands. “No. My mother never talked about him.” The room temperature rose a few degrees in a matter of seconds. Zander shot her a worried glance.
“I’ve got it under control,” she barked at him, then continued with the deep breathing.
Damn, he was proud of her. He watched as her glow hovered then disappeared into her skin.
“What if he is her father?” Chelsea asked and grabbed her husband’s arm. “We have to get to that man.”
“They’re transferring him back to prison soon as he’s stable enough to be moved,” Zander interjected. He, too, was drawing deep breaths in effort to contain his dangerous and foul mood.
Chelsea turned toward her husband and placed a hand on his thigh. “Nikolas, my love. Will you take me to the hospital with you tomorrow?” Her hand slid closer to his crotch.
Oh crap, Zander thought. Chelsea was pulling out the big guns. Nikolas was in for a fight.
The twinkle in Nikolas’ eye couldn’t have been missed from a mile away. “What are you thinking sweetheart?” His words flowed like mo
lasses.
Zander’s mood wasn’t so foul anymore. This was gonna be a good show. He relaxed into the couch, crossed his arms and nudged Grayce. He didn’t want her to miss this. She’d yet to be witness to a tiff between the Comptons.
“I’m thinking we can get close enough so I can read him. We need to find out what’s going on.” Emerald eyes flashed big and bright. Damned those big beauties. No one had ever been able to say no to them.
Tearing his gaze away, Nikolas swallowed hard. “Darling, I love you. It’s a brilliant idea. But you know as well as I, there’s not a chance in hell I’d let you get anywhere near that man.” His chin jetting in protest, Nikolas folded the paper and placed it on the floor next to his chair.
Her tone darkened. “We don’t have a choice.” The hand on Nikolas’ thigh clenched. The gesture was meant to be inconspicuous, but Zander had been watching and waiting. Her fingernails dug into his thigh, no doubt sending blood to the one place Nikolas didn’t want it to go, and the precise spot Chelsea had intended.
She leaned closer to her husband. “This is Grayce’s life we’re talking about. If he’s connected to Tyr, perhaps I can find out where that monster is hiding.”
“No Chelsea. You’re asking me to put you in harm’s way knowing full well I’ll never let that happen.” Nikolas shifted in his chair.
Poor bastard. He’d already lost the battle. Chelsea never played fair.
In a move so sly only a trained eye could see, Chelsea brushed a finger across the bulge in Nikolas pants before raising her hand to his chest. “Lover. Please. Marcus and Zander can come. There’s no way I’ll be in danger with the three of you. Besides, I’ve made up my mind. You can take me and make it easy, or I’ll go myself and find another way to get near him.” The hard-headed hottie stood, straightened her skirt and sauntered to the kitchen.
Zander exchanged glances with his friend.
Shoulders deflated, cock...not so much, Nikolas rose from the chair and followed his wife.
Aflame (Apotheosis) Page 16