Shame colored her cheeks and ripped across her heart.
There were no more words, no tender encouragement. This was a joining that fed the darkest parts of their souls and filled a need long ignored.
Jaden pushed aside all thought and arched her back as he quickened his tempo, his long cock sliding in and out of her with torturous measured strokes. Each pass spread fire along the way, and the walls of her womb constricted and vibrated as he pounded against her flesh with a savage need that was answered deep inside her.
The tattoos along her neck burned, her chest felt like it might explode, and, deep within, a crushing orgasm was brewing. The sounds of flesh against flesh reverberated inside the chamber, and when Julian’s teeth broke through the skin on her shoulder, when his hands cupped her breasts and massaged her aching nipples, a low, keening growl erupted from deep inside her throat.
She felt her jaguar shift beneath her skin, felt the ancient magick surround her as he slammed into her flesh. When her orgasm crashed through, and she felt him shudder against her skin, in that moment, clarity opened her eyes.
Slowly, her breathing returned to somewhat of a normal state, and she felt a rush of cool air against her heated flesh as he withdrew. There were no tender words, no soft lover’s endearments.
There was nothing. She felt empty, and though her desire was sated, it was bittersweet and left her wanting.
It was a cold dose of reality.
Julian rolled away, and she wrapped her arms around her body, squeezing her eyes shut in an effort to force away the tears that pricked the corners. They infuriated her, and she clamped down her teeth tightly. She had no time to cry for things lost and those that would never be gained.
Julian Castille was her mate, and that would never change. But she’d never let him use her again, regardless of how much she needed the physical bond.
Not like this.
She would die before she’d let that happen.
Chapter 17
Julian turned from Jaden, needing some space between them. Though he knew he was acting like a total fucking asshole, he’d been unable to stop himself. Such was his curse, this need to hurt and punish. This disregard for feelings.
It was easy to do when you had none. His were long gone, torn in half and buried beneath layers of pain. He knew he was on the edge of crazy, and it was only a matter of time before he was lost forever. Each hour that he spent in the human realm destroyed a little bit more of what was left of his soul.
If he and Declan didn’t find the portal and return it, they’d both be done within the week.
He ran his hands along the puckered flesh beneath his heart and hissed, his frustration nearly blinding him with rage. He felt like he was coming apart, and the loss of control was something that pissed him off. It was something he’d just taken back, and he’d be damned if he’d give it up so easily.
He heard Jaden move, felt the air stir as she gathered her clothes, and he turned to watch her in silence.
She’d pulled on her jeans and was about to don her bra and T-shirt when she looked up and paused. Long waves of silken hair slid across her skin, and she made no effort to hide her nakedness from him.
Her full breasts showed evidence of his passion. He saw small blemishes, love marks along the soft curves, and the nipples remained turgid, hard peaks under his gaze.
Her eyes shimmered as if unshed tears filled them, and for a second, as their eyes connected, something inside him twisted.
It soon passed, and he rolled his shoulders in an effort to alleviate the tension he felt.
“The answer is no, by the way.”
Her voice was muted, no animation or emotion.
He remained silent, an eyebrow raised in question. What the hell was she talking about? She pulled the T-shirt over her head and shook out her hair.
She smiled though her eyes remained cold. “Nico.”
She began to walk slowly, her head turned from him as she studied the chamber they were in. “I haven’t had sex with him, so, no, he’s never fucked my animal into submission.”
A hint of bitterness entered her voice. “You win that award. Hands down.”
Julian was surprised by her admission, and if he was truthful, there was a part of him that was pleased by her words.
“So now that you’ve satisfied my itch, we can put this behind us and forget it ever happened.” She cocked her head and turned to him, cool as a cucumber. “Are we clear?” she asked softly, an edge to her voice.
Julian nodded, feeling the dead space inside him expand and pulsate. “I have no problem with that.”
Liar.
“Good,” she retorted sharply.
Something flashed across her face, a fleeting wrinkle of pain, but it was gone just as fast. The intimacy of the moment, if it had every truly existed, had all but disappeared.
“We need to get out of here,” she said, her voice neutral, devoid of emotion, “and you need to get some clothes.”
Julian glanced down at his nakedness. “Sorry if it offends, but there’s nothing I can do about it at the moment.”
“Whatever,” she muttered. “Glad it’s not my bits hanging out.”
She turned once more and ran her hands along the stone wall. The damp chill of the earth at his feet slowly crept along his flesh, and he shivered slightly as it clung to him.
The smell down here was brutal, old and stale. He inhaled sharply, his nostrils flaring slightly as the lingering scents of their sexual encounter teased him.
He shook his head, cleared all thoughts from his mind except one, and that was getting the hell out from beneath the temple. Time was fleeting. If the portal wasn’t retrieved, if Azaiel wasn’t dealt with and Cormac destroyed, the consequences would be unimaginable.
“Why did you come here?” he asked abruptly as he walked toward the wall, his eyes traveling along the gray stone as he studied it closely. “What did you think you’d find?”
“Answers.” Her tone was matter-of-fact. “Kragen said something to me that got me thinking about the whole situation, about Azaiel and the portal. I realized I don’t know shit about the fallen, about his connection to us, and I need to know everything because when I find him, this ends.”
Julian ran his fingers along the stone, and his hand caressed the rough surface. It pulled at something deep inside him, and, for a second, he felt humbled by the history it represented.
Hundreds of years before, someone had carved this from the earth. Some Aztec man who’d wanted a temple for his god. He shook his head. It still stood, had somehow survived the test of time. Amazing.
“Only he who created the portal can destroy it,” Julian murmured, more to himself than anything.
“Or an eagle knight can seal it, I get that.”
“Then what the hell are we doing here?” He felt anger tickle inside his mind. “We should be searching for Cormac and Azaiel, not fucking trapped beneath a temple.” He snorted. “Hell, the sex was good, but we could have done that anywhere.”
Jaden’s mouth tightened, and the color of her cheeks darkened noticeably.
“I didn’t ask you to follow me, so quit your bitching.” Her eyes narrowed. “How did you know where I was anyway?”
“I figured out your password and hacked into your computer.”
“My password?” Her cheeks flushed red, and he smiled.
“I’m flattered.”
“Get over yourself, Castille. I chose a password that no one would ever guess. There was no other reason.”
He changed the subject. “Why have you not had sex with Nico? He follows you around like a pathetic pup.”
“We will not discuss Nico again,” she hissed, angry at his baiting. “I care about him, but his feelings are . . . misplaced.”
“So you only screw men that you hate?” Julian was at her side in an instant, savoring the heat of her flesh as it caressed the bare skin of his body. He flashed a wicked smile down at her. “Good to know.”
Her eyes looked like glass, deep reflections of the pain and anger that burned beneath her skin. He heard her heart beating strong inside her body, and though she would deny it, he knew that she was still aroused.
Her animal was ready. He could smell it.
Julian’s smiled widened. He could take her again if he so chose. His eyes fell once more to the vibrant clan tattoos that shimmered along the side of her neck. They pulled at him, deep in his gut, and his hand rose, but her long fingers closed around his wrist and held him in place.
The two of them stared at each other for several long moments. Her chest rose and fell slowly as she stood there, her stance wide as if on the attack. She was strong, a warrior, and her fierce, passionate nature was something to behold.
He could snap her arm in two. She had no idea what he’d become, yet he let her dig her claws into his flesh and push him away.
“Let’s get something straight. I’ll never let you touch me again,” she said hoarsely. “This here was a one-off. Maybe I was too close to death and needed that connection, I don’t know.” She pushed long ropes of hair away from her face, the strands sticking to her moist flesh.
“What I do know,” she continued, “is that time is running out, and I’ve missed something. I can feel it, a piece of the puzzle . . . it’s tied to the eagle knights and Azaiel.” She looked at him, her face earnest. “He created the portal for Toniella, but why? Why did she want it? Why was he cursed into hell, and what happened to her? It’s like all mention of her has been wiped clean.”
Julian shrugged. “The answers you seek will be found once we locate Cormac and Azaiel. There’s nothing down here.”
Jaden raised an eyebrow. “It’s no coincidence that I came across a demon on the way inside. They’re watching the temple, like they’re waiting, and the dude I wasted said something that . . .”
Her voice trailed off, and Julian’s radar began to pulse. He turned to her.
“What did he say?” he asked, trying his best to control the urges that were falling through the cracks with too much ease. There was too much at stake, and if she was going to get in the way, he might have to resort to drastic measures.
Jaden stilled, and she looked away as she bit her lip in concentration. Her brain was working overtime, calculating, wondering. She clenched her hands together, and he got the impression that the woman would love nothing more than to crack his skull open.
She looked at him and spoke softly, a deadly whisper. “He said it was the others they were gunning for.” She paused. “What are you not telling me?”
Julian’s mouth tightened into a thin line, but he remained quiet. It was obvious certain factions knew what he and Declan were up to. They’d stop at nothing to keep the fallen from being returned to the upper realm.
“What do you know? What did you learn down there?” Her anger flushed her face a dark crimson. “Did you make some kind of deal with the devil or something? Are you his bitch now?”
She was hitting a little too close to home.
“I answer to no one.” Liar.
“Yeah”—Jaden eyed the mess beneath his heart—“sure.” She snorted. “You spent six months underground and somehow miraculously escaped. A little dark and twisty, mind you, damaged for sure, but you’re out.”
“Lady, you have no idea,” he spit out; his voice was rough.
“You keep saying that, but I think it’s a little too convenient. Are you going to elaborate?” she asked, and shook her head. “Don’t bother, I’ve a feeling anything you’re willing to give up will be nothing more than a bunch of bull anyway.”
Julian’s gut tightened again, twisting harder. “Our agenda is the same. Find Azaiel and the portal.”
“It better be.” She turned from him and began to feel along the wall once more, her long, elegant fingers caressing every nook and cranny. “But if you and Declan are hiding something,” she continued, her back to him, “you can bet your ass I’ll find out what it is.”
Julian clamped his mouth shut as an image of the woman from below flashed through his mind. She of the ethereal light—giver of unimaginable pain.
“Do you think this is part of The Temple of the Warriors? Because it looks like nothing but a pile of crap to me.”
Deftly she changed the subject, but he knew she wouldn’t give up. He chose to play along and was about to answer when a low-intensity rumbling began to build. Vibrations fingered their way out along the earthen floor, tingling up his legs, and he watched Jaden spring back from the wall in alarm.
“What the . . . ?” she said, glancing back to him quickly.
The entire section in front of her had caved in, most likely when they’d been sucked beneath the temple floor.
The limestone began to glow an eerie shade of green, and the entire pile pulsated as if it was being squeezed from the inside out.
The wall began to moan, and as the air shimmered around it, symbols appeared, then disappeared. Weird illuminations that were snatched from the air.
Julian grabbed her arm, and they both ducked as the wall exploded, and the entire chamber was filled with dust and debris.
He pushed her behind him, coughing, as his lungs filled with the ancient crap that floated in the air, and he gritted his teeth as a voice floated toward him.
“Jesus Christ, Castille, this ain’t no nudist resort.”
Declan stepped through an opening the size of a fridge and grinned at the two of them. “For God sakes man, I’d cover up if I were you.” He cleared his throat and nodded. “It’s a little cold in here, no?”
Julian glared at the sorcerer, ignoring the obvious taunt.
Declan reached around and pulled something from the satchel that hung across his shoulder. “Lucky for you I’m always prepared.”
He threw a pair of jeans at him and winked at Jaden. “Damn shifters always losing their clothes.”
Julian pulled the soft denim up over his legs and had just snapped the jeans closed when Nico and Finn slid through the opening.
“What the hell happened?”
Nico’s nostrils flared, and Julian felt a keen sense of pleasure as the jaguar inhaled the remnants of his sexual encounter with Jaden. He watched as the shifter’s gaze moved over Jaden, and a ghost of a smile slid across Julian’s face as Nico turned to him.
“What the hell did you do to her?” he snarled. The jaguar was at Jaden’s side in an instant, and when his hands fell to the bruising along her cheek, Julian’s pleasure melted and disappeared into a black hole of anger.
Jaden’s hand fell to Nico’s, and Julian clenched his teeth together so tightly, his jaw throbbed.
Nico’s massive chest expanded and fell in rapid succession, and his anger was such that his voice shook when he spoke. “I will kill him.”
“It’s all right, Nico. It wasn’t Julian, it was . . .”
An understanding passed between the two of them, one that spoke of a closeness, an intimacy Julian didn’t much care for. It left a knot in his gut, but he backed away. He wanted no claim on the woman, and she could take what comfort she wanted from whomever.
“Your father,” Nico finished.
Jaden nodded tightly and moved away from the shifter. “You know how he likes to play rough.”
An uncomfortable silence fell between them all.
Julian rolled his head, trying unsuccessfully to alleviate the tension that hung on his shoulders.
“Where’d you get those?”
He glanced at Finn. The eagle knight was staring at the artwork etched into the flesh beneath his heart.
His teeth flashed white though the smile never reached his eyes. “You think this is interesting, you should see O’Hara’s.”
Declan made a face. “Unfortunately, the bitch was honing her skills on me. She perfected them by the time she got to you.”
Julian remained silent and watched as the eagle knight ignored them both and moved to kneel in front of the far wall.
Jaden walked toward Finn. “What
do you see? What is this place?”
Finn moved his hands over the stone, and Julian heard the eagle knight hiss softly. He followed Jaden to Finn’s side, and, in seconds, they were all gathered around, but as far as he could see there was nothing but dull, gray wall.
Finn continued to run his hands over the wall. “This is amazing,” he whispered. “This is one of the original chambers, a place of ceremony and great magick.”
“And you can tell this how?” Declan asked casually, though he glanced at Julian, his eyes flat, his mouth thinned into a tight line.
“Symbols and etchings tell me everything.” Finn’s hands grazed over the stone in a slow, methodical gesture.
“I can’t see shit,” Declan said.
Jaden pushed Declan out of the way and knelt beside Finn. “Does it tell us anything about the portal? What do you see?”
Julian held his breath, and as Finn shook his head, he let it out slowly.
“These are more like ceremonial prayers.” He looked up at them. “It was a chamber used to prepare and orientate the original eagle knights.”
“And they did this, how?” Declan asked.
“By sacrifice,” Finn answered quietly. “Human sacrifice.”
“Nice ancestors you got there,” the sorcerer said as he turned away. “Though I suppose we’ve all got skeletons.”
“There has to be more,” Jaden exploded. “What about Toniella? What happened to her? Who cursed Azaiel into hell? Was it Nanauatl? Or someone else?” Her chest heaved, and Julian could tell she was barely holding on. “Who or what the hell do I need to track down in order to find that son of a bitch?”
Jaden twirled around, her hair flying everywhere, and Julian found himself mesmerized by the sight. “We need to seal the portal, Finn.” She shook her head, and whispered, “You know this . . . or we’re totally screwed.”
Finn sighed. “Sorry, Jaden, a lot of what happened is cloaked in mystery. What we do know is pretty bare-bones. The original eagle knights and jaguar warriors were created to protect the portal, among other things.”
His Darkest Salvation Page 17