The Fury

by Sloan McBride

  “You can call me Enki.”

  She shook her head. “Okay, Enki. Why haven’t you visited my father, your son in his time of need?”

  Dagan’s hand stopped. He shot a freaky glance her way and then turned his eyes on Enki.

  Enki continued to shovel food onto his plate. “You have every right to ask, Reese. As it happens, I have gone to see him, but he never knew. Sometimes, I came in dreams letting him relive moments with your mother. Other times, I made sure he slept deeply and came to talk about how he felt and why it was important to get past the debilitating emotions.”

  “He loved her more than life, I think.” She lowered her eyes to her plate.

  “Yes, I believe that too. But it does no good for you to lose both of them and I tried to get him to understand that.” He smiled at her. “Actually, he had started coming out of that void.”

  “So you were the reason he finally began doing things around the house again.”

  He loaded a fork full of food into his mouth and nodded.

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “I have kept an eye on all of you since you were born.”

  “All of us?”

  “There are others to be sure.”

  She broke a small smile. “Of course, there would be. You are the water god after all.”

  He pointed his empty fork her direction. “Exactly.”

  Reese chewed a bite of food before turning her blue powered gaze on Enki. “So why are you here?”

  “Of all the children, you are one of the strongest. Not just in spirit though, your blood or to be more precise, the part of my blood that flows in you, is powerful. I have placed protective wards around your home, plus added more of my own energy to make them extremely powerful. However, you are vulnerable when you are not here.”

  “I understand.”

  “Although Clive is nephili, you did not inherit any powers.”

  “So I’m told.” She sipped her wine. Dagan silently watched them.

  Enki loaded his mouth with more food and swigged his wine to wash it down. “I have come to offer you an opportunity.”

  “What kind of opportunity?”

  “To come to Dilmun and train with Gilgamesh.”

  Dagan choked on a piece of meat. Reese got up and patted him on the back. He grabbed for his wine glass and guzzled down the entire contents. “Thanks,” he finally said when he could speak.

  Glaring at Enki, Dagan said, “No human has ever been brought to Dilmun before. Not in the entire history of our life here.”

  “You are correct.”

  “The Pantheon will not allow that.”

  “You forget that I am one of the four. I have the power to do this without their consent.”

  Enki looked on her expectantly. “Well, what do you say?”

  “Gilgamesh? The first hero of record. The one the stories were written about?”

  Enki nodded.

  Dagan poured himself more wine. “Gilgamesh trains warriors.”

  “I’m not a warrior,” she announced.

  “All too true, however, you are bright, strong and have already shown you are unafraid of these creatures. Without the proper training, you fight them.”

  “Fight for my life.” Now she downed her wine. “And who said I’m not afraid? I’m scared shitless.”

  “If you work with Gilgamesh, you will also have the talent to hold your own against them. You do not have their brute strength but even that can be gotten around if you have the knowledge.”

  She sat quiet for a few minutes, pushing the meat around on her plate, contemplating this new twist.

  Dagan had quit eating, but poured more and more wine into his glass, which couldn’t seem to stay full.

  “I’ll think on it,” she finally told him. “It’s a bit much for me to absorb.”

  “I understand, my child. The offer is open to you for as long as you need.”

  Enki pushed away from the table. “This was a lovely meal. Thank you for your hospitality.”

  Reese walked up to him, hesitant to touch his person. He gave her a wide smile and pulled her into a bear hug.

  “We will see each other again, have no doubt.” Enki turned to Dagan. “I will see you soon, Time Walker.”

  Dagan bowed to the deity, who vanished.

  She turned to him. “Well, that was interesting.”

  Dagan grunted his response. “I’ll make one more sweep of the property before closing us in for the night,” he said and marched into the next room.

  “Okay, Grumpy,” she mumbled and began clearing the table.

  “Training with Gilgamesh,” Dagan mumbled while spearing his hand through the arm of his duster. “Like hell she will.”

  Making circuitous passes around the property in the cold night air helped cool his temper a bit. Still, he would be damned if he would let her go through that rigorous training when he could very well protect her.

  But he wouldn’t be here forever.

  “No, she’s not doing it.”

  Ticked that he hadn’t run into any of the creatures when he was bursting for a fight to settle him down, he plowed into the house, locked the doors and windows with the will of his mind, and raised his hand while chanting the incantation that would seal the home. The concealment spells were enough, he knew, but knowing that she would be unable to leave made him feel better. He had a sneaky suspicion that what Enki offered her would be quite a draw for her curious nature.

  His temper still simmered. How dare Enki offer her something like that? It was his job to protect Reese—his. He trudged into the kitchen.

  Reese caught a glimpse of him as she turned to place another plate in the dishwasher. She straightened. He caught her wrists, jerking them behind her back and securing them as he spun her around to face him and shoved her back against the door, pinning her between the panel and his hard body.

  “What are you doing?” she gasped.

  He growled, tangling his fingers in her hair as he swooped down to bury his tongue in her startled mouth.

  Reese’s knees buckled but he had her pinned too tightly for her to worry about falling. One knee pressed between her thighs. She thought her body would combust from all the heat building between them.

  His body quaked even more than her own. He tore his mouth from hers and gasped for air in greedy gulps. Covering her cheeks and neck with open-mouthed kisses, he melted her surprise until she clung to him with desperation.

  Through the volcanic rush of hot blood coursing in her veins, she felt a cool breeze across her midsection. Dagan’s thigh kept the pressure between her legs, and with determination, he lifted her shirt free of her body. Goose bumps rose on her exposed skin but were quickly chased away by Dagan’s warm hands as they roamed over her arms, waist and ribcage. Her nipples pushed against her lacy bra, the cold making them stand at attention. It didn’t take long for Dagan to cover first one then the other with his hands, massaging and kneading her sensitive flesh and making her sob. The delicious pressure building inside her focused on the spot where his thick thigh muscle rubbed against her core. She grabbed onto his massive shoulders and tried to move her body in just the right way against his leg to get what she craved.

  He squeezed and plucked her nipples. Her inner muscles clenched. He took her mouth again, stealing her breath. She felt him slide his hand between their bodies and into the front of her pants. She whimpered when one long finger stroked her weeping cleft. She thought she would die from the sheer vibration of her breaths and his when he found her opening and slowly pushed his finger inside.

  Tearing his mouth from hers, he leaned heavily against her. “You feel so good, so tight and wet for me.”

  Her heart stammered at his breathless words and how they made her stomach quiver and her muscles tighten around the finger still imbedded deep within her channel. She heard the sound of a zipper and anticipation kicked her heart rate up another notch.

  Dagan reached behind his back and pulled out a long,
thin blade. “Don’t move sweetheart. I can’t wait another minute.”

  It barely registered to her fuzzy brain what he was about to do. His hands were now steady as they cut down the front of her pants and underwear, leaving them hanging wide open. He put the knife on the counter and stared hungrily at the bold position he held her in. He cupped the globes of her ass and raised her hips. She looped her legs around his waist instinctively.

  His cock felt like steel covered in silk as it eased its way into her passage. He panted and her breath hitched when he curled his hips and plunged into her. He shuddered and his hips jerked, driving him deeper into her depths. She closed her eyes and arched her back, accepting the intrusion and reveling in the feel of his thick shaft stretching her sheath. Reese cried out as her body exploded into a million sensations and rapture. Dagan pumped harder and faster until with a howl his body froze but his cock jumped inside her, spewing hot fluid to coat her womb.

  It had happened. He fought his way through the blind desire screaming through his taut body. The fury had taken over and he was helpless against it. All his senses were now focused on Reese. Her need called to him and drove him mad with desire, the desire to pleasure her in every way, the desire to bury his cock in that luscious channel and make her scream his name for days on end.

  For now, the intensity of it had settled. Still joined in that erotic position, he gently massaged her ass and ran light lips over her mouth. She circled her arms around his neck and leaned into him. Fully carrying her weight, he did an about face, walked through the hallway and down to the bedroom where he lay them on the bed without breaking the contact of the kiss or separating his body from hers.

  He spent several moments kissing Reese, letting his tongue slide up the sides of her mouth, dance with her tongue and drive a moan from her. Hesitantly, he broke away and stood. He snapped his fingers, causing all the lights to go out. He waved his hand and the fireplace in the bedroom leapt to life.

  First, he removed the tattered clothes from her body, kissing the valley between her breasts when he took away the bra, and running his tongue around her belly button when he discarded the remains of her pants. She watched him with such passionate longing he didn’t think he’d be able to wait long enough to take off his own clothes. No, this time, he wanted to go slow and make it better, make it last longer for the both of them.

  In the firelight, the sweat on her body made her skin glisten. He stretched his arms over his head, took a deep breath and tried to relax. Expelling the breath as he brought his arms down, he grabbed his cock and stroked it slowly. She licked her lips while watching his shaft jump.

  Reese crawled onto her knees and came to the edge of the bed where he stood. Lifting one light brow and with a quirk on her lips, she darted her tongue out to caress the tip. He sucked in a breath. The sensations crawling over his skin threatened to make him lose control—again.

  Growling, he gently pushed her so she fell onto the bed and he followed her down, covering her body with his. Massaging the base of her skull with anxious fingers, he delved into the sweet cavern of her mouth and groaned.

  She locked her legs with his and massaged his ribcage with her pussy, giving them both benefit from it. Her juices coated his skin and his heightened senses flooded with her scent and taste. The fury was building again. She had no idea what she could do to him during this time if he let her. Reese could make him wither into a begging mass of bulk if she put her mind to it.

  He had no intention of allowing her time to do it.

  Dagan tore his lips from her and rolled to lie next to her, propping his head on his hand. He plucked her nipple until it stood erect then rolled it between his thumb and forefinger. Moving his hand down to her stomach, he snuggled her closer. Finally, he ran a lazy finger in the crease between her legs. She responded by spreading her legs wider.

  He spent the rest of the night letting the fury have free reign.

  The morning came too soon in Reese’s opinion. Exhaustion pulled at her to dive back into the depths of sleep, but she smelled the delightful aromas of coffee and bacon. Memories of the night came rushing back. She smiled and stretched.

  Getting out of bed, she ruffled her hair, put on an oversized T-shirt and socks, and headed for the kitchen. She stopped in the doorway. The bacon sizzled in the frying pan, steam wafted off the biscuits on the counter, and Dagan stood at the stove scrambling eggs. He was bare on top and she took a moment to appreciate his broad shoulders and narrow hips where a pair of jeans hung loosely. His back stiffened.

  “You make it hard to concentrate when you do that.”

  She smiled and walked further into the room. “Do what? Look at you like you’re candy in the store window and I want to eat you up?”

  He spun around, grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her up to sit on the sink. “Yes.” He gave her a quick kiss. “Good morning, beautiful.”

  “Don’t you say the nicest things?” She batted her eyelashes.

  “Don’t get used to it. I’m sure we’ll be at each other’s throats before the day is out.”

  She nudged his shoulder. “You’re cooking.”

  “Looks like,” he said as he turned back to the stove.

  “I didn’t know you could cook.”

  “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me, Reese.”

  How true. They really didn’t know that much about each other.

  The doorbell rang.

  Reese looked at Dagan. He shrugged. “The seal has expired. It’s not galla or I would sense it.”

  She jumped down from her seat. Dagan grabbed her arm. “But be careful.”

  “I will,” she said and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

  Smiling, she opened the front door to find her sister, Riley, standing there.

  “Hi, sis,” Riley said and pushed her way into the house.

  Stunned and trying to recover from the shock of it Reese said, “Riley, what are you doing here? I thought you were in Europe.”

  Riley dropped her purse on the couch. “Was.”

  Reese waited for further explanation but none came. “And?”

  “Daddy called a couple of days ago. He sounded so good and more like his old self again.”

  “So you decided since he seems to be dealing with his misery, you could come home?”

  Riley folded her arms across her chest and took her usual obstinate stance. “I don’t know what you mean. Pierre had gone back to college and Jean-Luc got a new job at the museum, so…”

  “Who the hell are Pierre and Jean-Luc? What happened to Bob or Fred or whatever his name was that you supposedly followed over there in the first place?”

  She frowned. “You mean Toby? He only stayed for the summer. I met and became friends with Pierre and Jean-Luc and they invited me to stay with them after Toby left.”

  “I’ll bet,” Reese mumbled.

  Ready to lay into her sister, Reese noticed Riley had stopped talking and stared toward the kitchen. Turning, Reese saw Dagan leaning against the open doorway frowning.

  “So, who’s tall, dark and yummy?”

  Reese sighed. “Riley, this is Dagan, Dagan, Riley.”

  Riley let out an appreciative whistle.

  “What the hell is she doing here?”

  “How should I know? I opened the door and there she stood.”

  He turned around mumbling and went back into the kitchen.

  “Wow, where did you get him and does he have a brother, a cousin?”

  Reese waved her hand in the air and followed Dagan.

  “This creates more problems,” he hissed.

  “Why?”

  “Because now not only do I have to worry about you and your father, who at least is more able to protect and take care of himself, I have to worry about her.” He pointed to the open doorway and the other room.

  She crossed her arms over her chest, a mirror of the same stance her sister had taken. “I beg your pardon, Mr. Macho He-man Stud, but as I recall, I’
ve held my own. Enki was impressed at how I handle myself. You are being a real sexist pig. Why is it you think my father can take care of himself, but me you have to dote over?”

  “Because he is nephili,” Dagan roared in exasperation.

  “Hey, kids,” Riley strolled into the kitchen. “Is that food I smell?”

  Dagan and Reese both glared at her. Riley raised her hands in front of her.

  “Don’t mind me. I’ll just help myself.” She scooted in between them and started loading a plate.

  Dagan stormed out of the room with Reese on his tail. “Where are you going?”

  He grabbed his shirt from the floor and pulled it on. “If she is here, then Angelique will be as well.”

  A cloud of jealousy passed over Reese’s face. “Who the hell is Angelique?”

  He tucked his shirt into his pants in jerky movements. “A friend.”

  “I’ll bet.”

  He stopped and stared at her. “She lives in Europe and I asked her to watch over Riley when I found out about your sister being there.”

  His cell phone rang. Dagan searched the pockets of his jacket to find it. “Hello.”

  “Yes, I know. She’s in the kitchen.” He listened to the person on the other end of the line and shook his head. “No, I’ll come out. I’ll see you in five minutes.”

  “So, what, you’re leaving?”

  He strapped his weapons on his belt and his leg then laid his coat and sword on the bed. He took her chin between his fingertips and lifted her face to his. “I would love nothing more than to stay here with you forever in that bed.” He nodded in the bed’s direction. “But I have work to do and so do you. I have to make arrangements with Gideon and Angelique.”

  She stiffened at the mention of the other woman’s name.

  “Where will your sister be staying?”

  She sighed. “Most likely with my father.”

  “Okay. I want you to go directly to your office. The others will meet you there. I’ll have Rufus and Gideon on watch. I’ll leave Angelique with your sister and father.”

  “Where will you be?”

  “Doing my job. I’ll come to you when I can.” He slanted his mouth over hers for a long, tender kiss.