by Sandy James
At least he hoped so.
Artair and Rebecca were both deeply engaged in their sword fight, and they didn’t notice Johann passing by. He didn’t wait around to see who won.
He knocked softly on Megan’s cabin door with the back of his hand and waited to see if she and Freya had finished talking.
“Come in,” Megan said, barely loud enough for him to hear.
Johann peeked inside. “You two all right?”
Freya stood next to the desk where Megan sat in the chair. “Aye,” the goddess replied. “We have much to do to mend this rift.”
“But we’re both willing to try,” Megan added.
“Good.” Johann laid his hand on her shoulder, pleased she didn’t immediately pull away.
“You shall care for her now, Sentinel,” Freya said. “I will be back soon, my daughter. We may talk more then.”
She popped out of the cabin in a vivid flicker of light.
Fire was subdued, not a state Johann was used to seeing in any Amazon. He wasn’t sure what to do. Amazons never wanted soothing, especially Megan. Even the normally calm Rebecca lashed out at Artair when she was under extreme pressure. When upset, the women preferred to be alone, like some injured animals licking their wounds. He was surprised when Megan’s hand reached up to cover his. He squeezed her shoulder.
Megan stood up, took a few steps away and turned her back. That was when he noticed that the twin bed was gone, replaced by one large enough to almost fill the tiny cabin.
Risking a typical Amazonian burst of temper, he went to her, wrapped her arms around her waist and pulled her back against his chest. Then he rubbed his chin on the top of her head. “You okay? I know you’ve had a lot thrown at you.”
She breathed a heavy sigh and leaned back against him. “I’ve got a new bed.” That translated as, “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“We’ve got a new bed.”
“We?”
“I asked the changelings to get us a bigger bed.”
Megan glanced over her shoulder and knit her brows. “Why?”
“Because the other was so small, I’d fall out. And because you said you wanted to make love in a bed—like normal people.” With that, he pressed his lips to her temple. “So do I.”
When Megan tried to turn in his arms, he stopped her. He wanted to ease her hurt and anger, especially the hurt and anger she had to be holding onto over the reason he’d been sent to Chicago. There would be time to talk later. Right now he knew what she needed, and it damn well wasn’t chitchat.
Johann slipped his hands under the hem of her shirt and caressed her stomach, working his way up her body. He pressed his pelvis hard against her backside. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?”
“Would you have taken away my powers?”
So much for waiting for a discussion. “No.”
“Really?” She sounded so hopeful, like she wanted to believe him instead of starting a fight.
“Really. I knew you only needed some help and guidance. I would’ve sent you back here to train with Artair as a last resort. If you had to go back to the world, I would’ve gone with you.” He stroked her silky skin. His cock had stood at attention from the moment he’d embraced her, and desire swept through him. “I’ve never wanted a woman as much as I want you.”
Megan reached behind her, sliding her hand between their bodies until she was caressed the erection straining the front of his pants. “I want you too.”
She tried to turn again, but he stopped her by letting his hand drop to the waistband of her workout pants. “Open up for me, baby.” Without a hesitation, she widened her stance. “That’s it.”
He delved his fingers inside her pants, inside her panties and deeper until he was opening her up, exploring all the warm, wet places he craved. When he found the sensitive nub he’d sought and rubbed it, Megan moaned and arched back against him, pressing the back of her head against his shoulder.
Johann stroked and teased and enjoyed her uninhibited response. If only for a short respite, he’d help her forget everything that troubled her. As he slowly pulled his hand away, he kissed her neck, nipping at the smooth skin with his teeth and enjoying the gooseflesh he raised there. This time when she tried to face him, he allowed it, pulling her hard against him and dropping his mouth to hers in a kiss so hot, sparks began to fly.
He reached around to tug the band holding her hair in a ponytail, then laced his fingers through the long, silky mass that fell around her shoulders. He cupped her neck and angled her head so he could have better access to continue to ravage her sweet mouth. Their tongues dueled.
A moan of pleasure slipped from her lips, and she pressed herself to him, flattening her breasts against his chest.
With a chuckle, he broke the kiss and undressed Megan. First the shirt as he ran his hands over each new area of exposed skin, savoring the tremble in her tight muscles. Then the loose pants, which fell to the floor and were quickly kicked aside. The bra was banished, thrown over his shoulder and landing on the computer monitor. And finally the lacey panties were gone.
She tugged at his clothes, interrupting his own progress undressing her as she yanked his shirt over his head and pushed his pants and briefs over his hips.
Once both were gloriously naked, they just stared at each other for several heartbeats. The anticipation whet his appetite, and he couldn’t wait one more moment to touch her. As he held his arms open, she rushed to him.
She pushed her arms around his neck as he picked her up and laid her on the big bed. She stretched out, and he covered her body with his. Bracing himself on his elbows, he savored each place their skin touched. He kissed her nose, then her chin and gazed into those mesmerizing blue eyes. “God, you’re beautiful.”
Megan thanked him by kissing him with the type of long, drugging kiss he craved. He loved that she was the first to intensify the kiss, making a groan rise from his throat when her tongue pushed into his mouth.
With no warning, she wrapped her fingers around his shaft and gave him a few strokes.
His sucked in a sharp, hissing breath and stopped thinking. All he could do when he was skin to skin with Megan was feel. He didn’t plan the timeline of the seduction as he had with other women, always maintaining total control over his mind and his body—always holding a part of himself back. When he was with Megan, both mind and body belonged entirely to her and his discipline vanished.
Her warm fingers on his erection nearly pushed him over the edge. He returned the favor by rolling to his side and caressing her inner thigh until his fingers were close enough to stroke her intimately. She pushed her hips up to meet the thrusts of his fingers as he penetrated her.
“Oh, God. Now, Johann. Please.”
As if he could deny her. He wanted to be inside her as urgently as she was begging for him to be there. Promising himself he’d go slower next time—that he’d torture and tease her the way she tortured and teased him now—he only needed a few seconds of her touch to give up that promise. He was totally at her mercy, and he’d never been so happy.
Johann rolled back on top of Megan, separated her legs with his knee and settled himself between her thighs. One strong thrust found him buried deep inside her tight heat.
Their rhythm was fast and furious and they climaxed together. She, calling his name—he, so lost in her, words wouldn’t come.
When his senses returned, he reluctantly broke their connection and fell to his back. He wrapped his arm around Megan’s shoulders while she pulled the sheet over them and snuggled up against his side, bringing her knee up and laying it over his thigh.
He kissed her forehead. “I love you, Megan.” Then he waited and hoped she would give him the words.
Each second ticked by like an hour. Perhaps she was still too angry after learning why he’d been
sent to her. Perhaps a woman like Megan just had a hard time admitting what she probably considered a weakness.
He fell asleep waiting for three simple words he feared he’d never hear spill from her lips.
Chapter Twenty
Johann opened his eyes at the first unexpected noise.
Something was wrong. The soft sounds of a person moving in the cabin sent adrenaline racing through his body. Somehow an enemy had breached the magical borders of Avalon and found a way into their cabin.
He eased away from Megan and grabbed the sword he’d habitually placed next to the bed. Before he could confront the intruder, he heard fingers snapping and light suddenly bathed the room. Johann squinted against the bright invasion.
Standing next to the desk was a tall, blond man wearing an expensive black Italian suit. “Put your weapon away, Sentinel. Not only is it useless against me, but I am of no danger to you.” He gave a smug chuckle. “At least not at this moment.”
Megan had reached for her own sword. Johann put a restraining hand on her arm. “It’s all right. Seems we have a divine visitor. I’m guessing he’s your uncle.”
She set the sword back down as he pulled the sheet a little higher so she wasn’t revealing quite so much skin.
“You’re Freyjr?” she asked.
The god gave one quick nod.
“What are you doing here?”
Johann had assumed they’d met before through Freya. Perhaps one of the reasons Freya hadn’t raised Megan was to protect her daughter from her malicious brother. The leer the god was giving her disgusted Johann. Not only was she Freyjr’s niece, but she was Johann’s woman.
“Ah, Megan, my dear. ’Tis nice to know you recognize family.” Freyjr flicked his fingers against the forearm of his suit as if brushing away some lint, but his gaze never left her body.
Vain. Like one of the arrogant guys who posed for catalog pictures. Long, wavy blond hair with too much gel holding it in place. Manicured fingernails. Pierced ear. Pinkie and thumb rings.
He was more than bit surprised Freyjr didn’t wear something dated like most of the other Ancients did as a way to set themselves apart from, and in their opinion above, humanity. But then again, Freyjr liked to mix with humans more than the rest of his kind. He didn’t act like he wanted to rule them. Instead, he used them like pawns in a game of his own design. While he might have adopted modern dress, he did, however, use the very formal and outdated speech of the patron goddesses.
Freyjr’s gaze blatantly raked Megan. “Had I known what a beautiful woman you would become, I would have demanded you come to Alfheim. I could have taught you many, many wonderful and intimate things.”
Johann pulled the sheet higher up on Megan. If he hadn’t already hated Freyjr for practicing the black magicks of Seior, that last statement alone would have earned the same disdain. God or not, the guy was disgusting. “What do you want, Freyjr?”
Freyjr adjusted his gray silk tie as if he had all the time in the world.
Johann grew tired of the stall. “You came for a reason. Tell us, then leave.”
“You are rude, Sentinel. Are you not supposed to show respect to the Ancients? Should you not salute me as you do my twin?”
“The only Ancients I have respect for are the patron goddesses. The rest of you can go to hell.”
The smile the god gave him was ice cold. “Why, I have traveled there many times. Such interesting people reside there. You might wish to visit Hades’s home as well. He hosts a killer party.” He snorted a laugh at his own lame pun.
Red sparks shot from the crown of Megan’s head. “Enough of this shit. Tell us why you came or get the hell out.”
“My, my. The cut by family is always the deepest,” Freyjr said, the amusement plain in his voice. “Fine. I have come here in concern for my beloved twin. ’Twould seem she is missing.”
Megan gasped. “Freya’s missing?”
“Aye. One of her priestesses called to me. Timid little thing. Quite beautiful, though. Freya always did have the best taste in handmaidens and priestesses.”
“How long has she been gone?” Johann asked.
“I forgot to ask. I suppose in retrospect that might have been a good question to pose. Ah, well. The opportunity has passed. Mustn’t be concerned over water that has already flowed under the bridge.”
Had Freyjr not been an all-powerful Ancient, Johann would have pounded his fists into the guy’s face. This one brief visit had taught him all he needed to know about Freyjr, and none of it was good. “How can an Ancient go missing?”
Freyjr’s lips curled in a sneer. “My kind may be powerful, but we have our own weaknesses. Should someone truly wish us harm, there are ways to inflict it. Only those closest to us know what those weaknesses are.”
Megan turned to Johann. “We have to find her.”
He nodded, but when she threw her legs over the side of the bed—knocking most of the sheet covering her out of the way—he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. He spread the cover over her again. “As soon as Freyjr leaves.”
She blushed and clutched the sheet to her chest.
“If there’s nothing else you can do to help us find your sister, Freyjr, you can go,” Johann said.
The god yawned. “Perhaps you might wish to know dear Natasha is also missing.”
* * *
“Rhiannon!” Johann called for the third time. “Please, m’lady. We need your help.” He turned back to Megan.
She shrugged, not knowing the right thing to say or do. The poor guy wasn’t getting anywhere, not that Megan had expected the goddess’s help.
“We’re gonna have to call Ix Chel or Ganga to get us back to Chicago,” he said. “But they only listen to Gina and Sarita. I need my damn phone. Do you have their cell numbers?”
“Duh. Of course I do. Do you want me to call one of them?”
“Not yet.” Johann looked so angry, Megan was amazed steam wasn’t pouring out of his ears.
“Maybe if Rebecca calls Rhiannon…”
“Wouldn’t matter. Not if we want help for Freya. Or me for that matter. Damn it. I need my phone and my laptop. I feel so…disconnected. If I could find some news of the supernatural, it might lead us to Freya.”
Artair came striding in the cabin. “No luck summoning our Lady of the Lake?”
Johann shook his head. “You?”
“Nay. She refuses my summons as well.”
“I’m going over to your place to use Rebecca’s computer. It’s not mine, but it’ll have to do.” He brushed a quick kiss over Megan’s lips and hurried out the door, slamming it behind him.
Megan wasted no time filling Artair in on all she knew, just as Johann had filled her in about her Aunt Tasha’s past. Her gut was telling her that Tasha was involved in Freya’s disappearance. She tried not to let her own dredged up bitter feelings about Tasha taint her judgment, but they kept creeping in anyway. Plus, Freyjr had all but said Natasha was involved.
Why?
The question kept echoing in Megan’s mind. “Artair, I don’t get it.”
“Get what, lass?”
“Tasha. I mean Natasha. She may not have been much of a mom, but she was one of Freya’s high priestesses. She had whatever she wanted, and Freyjr gave her immortality. Why would she give all that up?”
“We’re nae sure ’tis your aunt who has taken Freya, nor that Freya faces danger. Could be she was simply stirred by the memories of Beltane and left to tryst with Ottar again. She might not wish to be found. ’Twould not be the first time she’s been out of touch, and the quarrel with Rhiannon might have forced her to put some distance between them. Perhaps your aunt accompanied Freya.” His expression didn’t hold much conviction for his words.
“You’re not sure—but for some reason, I am.”
Artair ran a hand over the light stubble on his chin. “Becca feels much the same. She sent me to fetch you. We need to make some plans. ’Tis time all the Amazons are called. Be it Natasha’s doing or not, a patron goddess is missing. We also have four dead girls. We must act to be sure there isn’t some greater evil ready to be sprung.”
Megan followed Artair back to the house.
Johann sat in the great room at Rebecca’s desk and concentrated so hard on her computer that he didn’t seem to notice she’d arrived.
Rebecca passed Darian off to Beagan, and the changeling left with the baby, heading in the direction of the nursery.
“Good morning, sis,” Rebecca said before she picked up a ceramic mug full of coffee that smelled delicious. A hint of vanilla wafted from the coffeemaker. “Want some?”
“Please,” Megan replied. She was so stressed, she almost asked for a cigarette, too. Maybe Beagan and Dolan could scare up some nicotine gum for her.
Setting her cup down, Rebecca walked up to the kitchen island, grabbed another mug off the counter and poured some coffee. She handed the drink to Megan then cradled her own like the beverage was something precious, taking delicate sips.
“Here!” Johann said, turning to look over his shoulder. “I knew it. Something big is happening. If I would’ve had my own computer, we would have already known about it hours ago.”
Megan put her mug down and hurried to him. “How would we have known?”
“I’ve got a program constantly scanning the Internet for strange happenings, stuff that might involve magicks.”
She put hands on his shoulders as she read the screen. The news wasn’t good. “Shit. How many are missing?”
“The reports are coming in so fast, the number might be in the hundreds, maybe the thousands,” Johann replied. “It’s like a bunch of teenagers from the Chicago suburbs are just gone.”