Dark Guardian Found

by I. T. Lucas

  “I framed it, and it’s hanging on the wall in my bedroom. If you want to see it, you’ll have to come over.”

  Sneaky Bhathian.

  She ignored his hint. “But what will we do with his portrait? Start looking for the guy? To what end? So you can beat the shit out of him?”

  “That too. But no. If there are immortals out there, we want to find them and see whose side they are on.”

  “What if he’s a lone wolf?”

  “Then we find him. I would love to hear his story. After I beat the crap out of him.”

  Chapter 36: Bhathian

  Son of a bitch. Bhathian wouldn’t be surprised if the creep was a Doomer. Taking a woman’s virginity without her knowledge was nothing a Doomer would’ve felt conflicted about. They had no respect for human life let alone a woman’s right to say no. On the contrary, their entire hateful philosophy was about denying women their rights.

  Eva took a sip from her second Moscow Mule, then put it down. “Ever since I figured out who and what he was, I keep thinking that it might have not been as bad as it looks. The necking had gotten steamy with my full blessing. I might’ve even initiated the sex. He could’ve assumed I was more experienced than I really was, and upon discovering my virginity decided to thrall more than the memory of the bite away.”

  “Are you trying to excuse the scumbag?”

  “Not if he did it on purpose, or thralled me to have sex with him. But I don’t want to put the blame on someone for something I did willingly or even encouraged. I want to give him the benefit of the doubt. Don’t get me wrong. I think most people are deceitful and selfish and would take whatever they wanted if they could get away with it. But I also believe in taking responsibility. If I initiated or even just agreed to the sex, then he did nothing wrong.”

  “You were drunk. So even if you agreed he still took advantage of you.”

  Eva tilted her head. “Bhathian. Do you really believe people would do things they absolutely didn’t want to just because they were drunk? Inebriation lowers inhibitions; it doesn’t make you do things you really don’t want to.”

  True. He’d been drunk plenty of times, but he'd never done something completely out of character or that he regretted later.

  Bhathian chuckled. “As I said before, you’re a magnet for the impossible. Not only did you hook up with an immortal who turned you, but he was your first one. Then years later you hook up with another immortal, me, miraculously at the right time of the month to conceive a child, and boom, Nathalie is created. If I were a believer, I would’ve said that all of it was fated.” He shook his head. “You know what? That must actually turn me into one. One miracle can be coincidental. But one after the other happening to the same person? Must be the work of a higher power.”

  Eva nodded solemnly. “God works in mysterious ways.” She took another long sip from her drink, finishing what was there.

  “Do you want another one?”

  “No, I think I’ve had enough.” She snorted and winked. “With my luck, I’ll go home with you, and you’ll knock me up again.”

  “Would it be so terrible? Another child would be a blessing.”

  She shook her head. “I’m happy where I am, with my agency and my crew. Besides, I’m about to become a grandma. I’ll get my baby fix babysitting my granddaughter.”

  “Don’t you want more?”

  Eva looked down inside her copper mug and fished out a slice of lime. “I used to. It didn’t work out for me.”

  The hurt in her tone squeezed at Bhathian’s heart. “You still didn’t tell me what happened with Fernando. Not loving him didn’t stop you from marrying him and even trying for another kid. What changed?”

  She leveled her amber eyes at him. “Can you believe he was unfaithful? I, who supposedly didn’t love him, stayed faithful to him. I believed in the sanctity of marriage. But the man who’d claimed to worship the ground I walked on cheated on me.” She pointed at her chest.

  Not what Bhathian expected to hear. Rotund, bald Fernando didn’t strike him as much of a Casanova. “How did you find out?”

  “Pfft, he made plans for rendezvous right in front of me in the café.” Eva waved her hand in the air, her eyes blazing with pent up anger. “I never told him about my super-senses, so he didn’t know I could hear their hushed whispers.”

  “That must’ve hurt.”

  “You bet it did.”

  “Did you confront him about it?”

  She nodded.

  “What did he say?”

  “At first he tried to deny it, and then when I told him what I had heard, he blabbered the most absurd of excuses.” She rolled her eyes and waved her hand in the air again. “That he needed to reaffirm his manhood because I made him feel insecure. That he didn’t feel appreciated or loved and had to seek it from others. Blah, blah, blah. It was all about him not being able to keep his dick in his pants.” Eva’s chest was heaving and her cheeks were red.

  So much anger after all those years. Maybe in her own way she’d loved Fernando. Otherwise her rage didn’t make sense.

  “If you didn’t love him, why does it still upset you so much?”

  Eva slumped in her chair. “Because he shattered my dream of a happy family. I might have not loved him, but I liked him and appreciated him despite what he thought. Fernando was charming and funny and a great dad to Nathalie. I was content with that. He wasn’t.”

  He understood Eva better now. No wonder she’d put up defenses and preferred to stay detached emotionally. Men had been jerks to her, present company included. Why would she trust anything he said?

  Her initiator had taken her virginity without her knowledge, Bhathian had knocked her up and abandoned her, and her husband, the guy who she’d believed would always stay true to her, cheated.

  What would it take to convince her that she could trust again? That Bhathian would gladly dedicate his long life to her?

  Should he tell her she was his fated mate and it had taken his stupid brain over thirty years to realize that?

  Eva would think it was nothing more than sweet talk. He had to convince her with deeds, not words.

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  “What for? You didn’t promise me anything, and you didn’t cheat on me. Just knocked me up. But I’m not sorry for that. You gave me my Nathalie.”

  Okay, that was good to hear. She wasn’t as angry at him as she was at Fernando. “I’m glad that you don’t hold a grudge against me.”

  Her lips twisted in a wicked smile. “I didn’t say that. You rejected me, and at the time it hurt. A lot. But you can make it up to me.”

  “Tell me how.”

  She raked her eyes over his body. “Take me to bed.”

  In the span of a blink, Bhathian was out of his chair with his jacket draped over his arm. “Yours or mine?”

  “Mine.”

  He offered Eva a hand up. “Let’s go.”

  She let him pull her up. “What about the bill?”

  “Gerard has my credit card.”

  “Then what are we waiting for?”

  Chapter 37: Eva

  It had been an emotionally charged evening, and the best antidote to the turmoil in her head was rough, no-holds-barred sex that would go for hours.

  Only two weeks had passed since the last time Eva had indulged with Bhathian, and she was already antsy and needy as if she’d gone without for a couple of months. Never mind that she’d pleasured herself nightly, sometimes more than once.

  For some reason what had sustained her for years wasn’t cutting it now.

  As Eva reached over the center console and put her hand on Bhathian’s thigh, he sucked in a breath. Encouraged, she continued up until her hand rested on the bulge in his slacks. Through the thin fabric, his shaft pulsed and swelled in response to her touch, but she wanted to feel skin.

  “Don’t.” Bhathian stayed her hand as she reached for his belt buckle.

  “Why? Don’t you like my hands on you?” s
he teased.

  “I fucking love it, but I’m driving and what you’re doing is distracting.”

  The guy was a cop down to his soul. What was he worried about? That they would get arrested for indecent exposure? She was willing to risk it.

  “No one can see what I’m doing to you.”

  “It’s not safe.”

  “We’re immortal, for crying out loud, what could happen to us?”

  Bhathian cast her a sidelong glance. “Nothing, but we are not alone on the road. You wouldn’t want to cause an accident and kill someone? Would you?”

  No, she wouldn’t. That was the last thing she needed to add to her guilty conscience. “Fine.”

  “Ten more minutes,” he said with a smirk and stepped on the gas. Evidently, there were some laws Bhathian didn’t mind breaking.

  They got to her place in less.

  As soon as the front door closed behind them, Bhathian grabbed her and pinned her to the wall. “You’re driving me crazy, Eva.” His lips smashed over hers, and he pushed his knee between her legs. She let herself rub over it for a few seconds then pushed him away. “My bedroom.”

  They climbed the stairs to the third floor as fast as only two immortals could.

  “Why are you making me so horny?” She pulled her dress over her head and dropped it on the floor.

  He kicked off his shoes and chuckled. “Is it a bad thing?”

  “Yes. Usually once a month with a man is enough for me. The rest of the time it’s a solo performance.” Eva unhooked her bra and let it fall.

  Bhathian was on her in a heartbeat. Dropping to his knees, he took one nipple between his lips while cupping her other breast and thrumming her other nipple with his thumb.

  Freezing in place, her thumbs hooked in the elastic band of her panties, she moaned with pleasure. He was so good at this. Either that or the sight of his enormous body kneeling before her was a turn on. Or maybe it was his intoxicating scent, the one that intermingled with the expensive cologne he’d used. Or maybe it was the whole package. If there was ever a man who deserved to be called sex on a stick, it was Bhathian.

  God. Those muscles.

  Her hands itched to reach down and tear the shirt off his shoulders.

  He distracted her by pulling her panties down and lifting her up so his mouth was aligned with her slit. She nearly orgasmed when his tongue found her clit.

  After a few teasing seconds he put her down. “I had to have a little taste first. An appetizer.”

  Naughty boy. “Why don’t you take me to bed and have a full course?”

  In a show of incredible strength, Bhathian lifted her up by her thighs and pushed to his feet at the same time. “How about a five-course meal?” He walked over to the bed and lowered her gently.

  “Be my guest. But first take off your clothes. A body like yours shouldn’t be covered.”

  With a satisfied grin, Bhathian freed two more buttons and pulled the shirt over his head.

  Her intake of breath was audible. “If only I had any talent for sculpting.”

  Bhathian shucked his pants off. “I’d rather have your hands on me.”

  “Then come over here.”

  No man had ever gotten rid of his briefs and socks faster, or sported a more massive erection. It was good she wasn’t small or fragile.

  Eva lifted up from the pile of cushions she’d been propped on and reached for the hard length. Before Bhathian got to devour her, she could give him a blow job that would blow his mind. “Come closer.” She pulled him toward her and lowered her mouth over the tip.

  He groaned the moment her lips touched his velvety skin. Eva was willing to bet that not many women could handle that thing, but she knew she could. Taking him a little deeper, she cupped his sack and massaged it gently.

  His knees buckled, and he braced them against the mattress.

  Men were such simple creatures. Even a mighty warrior like Bhathian could be toppled by a woman with a skillful mouth.

  He surprised her by caressing her cheek and pulling out. “The appetizer whetted my appetite for more, and I’m ready to go to work on those five courses.”

  Such an unselfish move, putting her pleasure before his own. Eva leaned back and pulled her knees up, then spread her legs a little and ran a finger down her wet slit. “I wouldn’t want to keep you away from your feast.”

  Bhathian’s gray eyes, which had been normal a moment ago, lit up like a pair of headlights as he dove between her legs. Spreading them wide with his hands, he speared her with his tongue. For several long moments, he fucked her with it, groaning like a beast, cupping her butt cheeks and lifting her up to his hungry mouth.

  It was almost enough to push her over the cliff.

  With his strong fingers digging painfully into the flesh of her ass, he moved his tongue up to the throbbing center of her desire, giving her the first climax of the night.

  The next four came in quick succession, leaving her boneless and sated. “That’s five,” Eva mumbled, lifting her head a few inches off the pillow to glance at her lover.

  Bhathian looked up from between her legs, his lips glistening with her juices. “I didn’t have dessert yet.”

  “Oh, God. You’re going to kill me.” Her head hit the pillow.

  “With pleasure, I hope.”

  “Yeah, with pleasure. But I’ll be dead nonetheless.” She lifted a limp hand. “Tell Nathalie I love her.”

  He chuckled and went back to work, wringing one more climax out of her tired body.

  “Now I’m done.” Bhathian moved up, kissing her with her own juices still on his lips and sending pulses of desire to her center.

  She spread her legs even wider to make room for him. “I think you’ve earned the right to enter.”

  “I did.” He surged into her, filling her so completely she sighed with the pleasure of it.

  Bhathian wasn’t too big. He was perfect as if he’d been custom made for her.

  Chapter 38: Syssi

  Syssi walked into Amanda’s office and closed the door behind her, signaling to the postdocs not to disturb them. Unless a private conversation was going on, Amanda’s door was always open. “I’ve been thinking.” She took a seat.

  “About?”

  “Ever since our talk about the Fates and finding Dormants, I’ve been mulling over it and realized that there is a big problem with our hypotheses.”

  Amanda closed the notebook she’d been scribbling in, giving Syssi her full attention. “I’m all ears.”

  “William’s game only tests precognition, and all we test in the lab is the same thing and telepathy. That’s a very narrow slice of all the possible paranormal talents.”

  Amanda leaned back. “We talked about it already. We have no way of testing the other more esoteric phenomena without administration shutting us down and recommending psychiatric evaluations.”

  “That’s just one problem. We have a bigger one. I think most Dormants don’t have any paranormal abilities at all. Think about it. I’m not aware of Anandur having any special talent aside from making people laugh. Neither does Brundar. All the immortals I know have varying levels of thralling ability, but very few exhibit something extra. Arwel and Michael are telepaths, Andrew is a lie detector, Sylvia controls technology, Nathalie communicates with ghosts, or at least she used to before her pregnancy, and I see glimpses of the future. Did I miss anyone?”

  “I can exert influence without resorting to thralling and so does Kri, but it’s a questionable talent and not very strong. Annani can sometimes remote view, but again, it’s not always reliable.”

  “You see? If there are so few immortals with special abilities, why would we expect Dormants to have them?”

  Amanda crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her fingers on her biceps. “I found you and Michael, and it only took one year of testing that was sporadic and limited. Before I hired you, I was conducting the tests myself and couldn’t devote much time to it. Maybe we just expect too much too soon
as you said before.”

  “I wish it were true. But I really think we are wasting our time.”

  Amanda shook her head. “I agree, but I would hate to think that it’s all in the hands of fate and there is nothing we can do.”

  “There is one other thing, but I don’t see how we can use it. I think Dormants feel an affinity to other Dormants and to immortals. When I met you, we hit it off immediately even though we are nothing alike. Same with Michael. I liked him and felt comfortable with him despite his constant flirting. There is a connection, an attraction, and I’m not talking about sexual pull. It’s like recognizing like. An immortal and a Dormant just need to be in close proximity, and they’ll gravitate toward each other. Same for two Dormants.”

  Amanda uncrossed her arms and started doodling in her notebook. Her way of thinking things through was either writing down bullet points or drawing squiggles that made sense only to her. Syssi waited patiently for her sister-in-law to gather her thoughts.

  “I think I know what you mean. When I first met Andrew, I immediately felt it, but I thought it was sexual.” She smirked. “You know me. That’s where my mind always goes, and Andrew is an impressive man.”

  Syssi rolled her eyes. “I thought that now that you’re with Dalhu you’d mellowed out.”

  “I did. Naturally, I still think about sex—a lot—but only with my mate.”

  “Any thoughts as to what we can do about identifying Dormants?”

  Amanda doodled a little more. “Even if we assume that immortals really feel a special affinity to Dormants, basing our findings on such a subjective test would be irresponsible. Especially given what Dormants have to go through for the final test.”

  True. The final test was whether they turned or not, and the catalyst was sex for the females and fighting for the males. In both cases prior consent was needed, which meant divulging the immortal secret. If they failed, and most probably would, their memories of the whole thing would have to be erased.

  “What if we have the potential Dormant exposed to several immortals, and let’s say three report feeling it? Would that be enough?”