Tara

by Jennifer Bene

  Alaric wasn’t holding back, and each drive was pleasure combined with the ache as he bottomed out, and she just wanted more. Wanted it harder, faster. Wanted him to let go completely. As if he’d heard her plea, he grabbed onto her thighs and dug his fingers in, spreading her wider so he could lean forward. The new angle had her dangling over the edge in a matter of moments, soaking wet and murmuring his name, and then she arched her back – and came. It was like falling and flying at the same time, a sudden wave of sensation that made her scream out something unintelligible.

  “That’s it,” he growled, and he started to fuck her on his own terms. Hard and fast, and soon a second orgasm was rocking her, her nails digging into the flesh of his arms. Just when she thought he was ready, he slid a hand between them, and his thumb landed on her clit.

  “Wait! Alaric, I can’t – oh, fuck –” She whimpered as the crippling pleasure ran through her, a bonfire out of control, taking out all barriers in its path.

  “Yes, you can. You can come for me again, dolcezza, I know you can.” There was a gleeful, devious tone to his voice, and she growled at him as he pushed her, thrusting hard, and rubbing her clit in the perfect rhythm to have her shaking, drawn too taut. “Come on, beautiful, just once more…”

  The tension snapped and she cried out, arching up against him as he leaned over her and thrust deep. As his cock pulsed inside her, she was floating in a sea of sparkling light, and the weight of him as he settled over her, the meter of his breaths in her ears, all of it merged together into the shivering aftershocks as she wrapped herself around him. “Wow…” she whispered, and she felt him laugh softly.

  “I agree, wow.” Alaric leaned forward and kissed her, still buried between her thighs, and she tightened her legs around his back to hold him there. “You are everything I’ve been missing in my life,” he whispered and she tensed.

  Did he -?

  “Alaric?” She pushed gently at his shoulders so she could see his face, and he smiled down at her, his eyes out of focus in their post-orgasmic delirium. When he kissed her again, she let it go, sinking into the simple pleasure of his body against hers, his tongue dancing with hers.

  “Come here,” he mumbled against her lips and then he slid from her and pulled them both up the bed. The blanket they were on was shoved out of the way so that he could wrap it around them, and then she found herself in his arms. “Rest, dolcezza.”

  Tara turned to look at him, his soft brown hair angled over his forehead, his eyes already closed. Soon, his breathing was even and she knew he needed the sleep. She got the energy boost from Eltera at dawn every morning, but from what she could tell he’d barely slept the last few days, and mortals needed their sleep.

  Even foolish knights.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  He wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep, but the unmistakable vibration of his phone drew him out of sleep. At first he was confused by whatever was tickling his nose and he jerked his head back, until the cloud of golden hair in front of him reminded him of where he was, and who was in his arms.

  Sitting up as gently as he could he reached over Tara to grab the phone that had slipped between folds in the blankets. The readout wasn’t a number he recognized, but knowing it could be Claude he slid out of bed with one more glance back at her profile. Peaceful and asleep.

  Alaric answered the phone so he wouldn’t miss the call, but he didn’t speak until he was safely back in the living room with the door shut. “Hello?”

  “Well, hi there, Alaric. I heard you’re having a little trouble with your latest job.”

  Henrik. Fuck.

  The haze of sleep lifted in an instant and Alaric walked over to grab the gun off the dining table, checking it and clicking off the safety while he kept the phone between his cheek and shoulder. “No trouble, why do you say that?”

  “Oh, I didn’t say it. Luca did. Seems like you’ve fucked up big time, pretty boy.” Henrik laughed. “Over some pussy, too. You are a dumb ass.”

  “Fuck off.” Alaric growled and looked out the peephole to the apartment. Nothing. He flinched as Henrik’s low laugh came over the line, and he started checking the windows.

  “Listen, I’ll be there tonight. I know how sensitive and special you are, so Luca told me you were just going to drug the girl and give me an address to pick her up. Don’t worry, I’ll take extra good care of her.”

  “Not happening, Henrik.” With all the windows and doors locked, and nothing visible outside of them, Alaric stood in the middle of the living room, not even caring that he was naked.

  “Trust me, this is a deal you want to take.”

  “No, I’m good.”

  Henrik laughed again and it put Alaric’s teeth on edge. “Let me be a little more explicit. We’re going to get the girl, and we’re going to deliver her. Whatever happens between point A and point B is all free form at the moment. I can be really nice… or not, and from what I understand that girl can handle a lot of my not-so-nice and still arrive in perfect condition. Personally, I’d like to test that out, but it’s still your choice for now.”

  “Let me be explicit. If you try to come and get her I’ll gut you and happily watch you bleed out.” Alaric’s hand was too tight on the gun, and he flipped the safety back on before he accidentally shot a hole in the floor.

  “Oh, lookie here. Our boy finally grew a set of balls!” Henrik chuckled. “If that’s how you want to play, I’m all for a game of hitman versus hitman, but I’ve been doing this longer than you, boy.”

  “You wish you were as good as I am.”

  “Last chance.” Henrik was still chuckling, but Alaric made himself stay cold. An emotional outburst would only fuel the asshole.

  “No.”

  “Alright then… see you soon.” The line cut off and Alaric stood there for a moment, his rage making him shake. He wanted to destroy the phone, but he needed the documents from Claude, and he didn’t have time to go out and get a new burner. Instead, he walked over and set it down beside Tara’s violin case, along with the gun. Then he grabbed the vodka from the freezer. Some kindly tourist who had rented the place last had left it behind, and he sent up a silent thank you as he upended the bottle and took a few hard swallows. The cheap liquor burned like fire on the way down, but he took a few more swigs anyway before he made himself put it back.

  If they were coming he needed to be sober, and he needed to prepare.

  The bed shifted and she woke up slowly. Her dream had been strange, and for once not a nightmare, even though Leonidas had been in it. She had dreamt he was standing in the middle of a black space, but it wasn’t frightening, or cold. When he had seen her, his arms had opened and his old smile lit his face, and she had wanted to run to him, but for some reason she couldn’t. Then Eltera had appeared, halfway between them, and the golden light coming from her skin had reflected on the water beneath her. A huge expanse of it between her and Leonidas. Tara had tried to open her mouth to scream for him, but she couldn’t make a sound. Instead, she simply looked across, hoping to tell him with her eyes how much she missed him, how sorry she was – and the strange thing was, he seemed to understand.

  “Tara?” Alaric’s voice drew her the rest of the way out of sleep and she turned to find him sitting on the edge of the bed. He gave her a little smile. “I’m sorry I had to wake you, beautiful.”

  “It’s okay, I’m more worried about how little sleep you’ve been getting. What’s wrong?”

  He seemed to have the weight of the world on his shoulders and she leaned forward to grab his hand and pull him back into bed with her. They wrapped around each other like it was the most natural thing in the world, but this time his head ended up on her chest as she stroked his hair.

  “Talk to me?”

  “We’re safe for now, no one knows where we are, but as soon as we get the documents we’ll need to run.” He sighed against her skin and hugged her a little tighter. “I swear… I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

 
“You do know that I can defend myself, right? You’re actually the only person on the planet I can’t kill at the moment.” She smiled and tilted her head so she could see his face. “I was pretty badass in my day.”

  A small smile twitched at his lips. “Oh, really?”

  “Yes, actually.”

  “I saw a bit of that yesterday. But what did you use in your day, Signorina Badass?”

  “Daggers. Two of them.” She laughed when his eyebrows went up. “I told you I was good at close combat.”

  “Now that is something I need to see.”

  “Get me a pair of them and I’ll show you.” Tara took a breath and ran her fingers through his hair, relaxing as his smile finally spread. “You know, a lot of the other Faeoihn chose longer weapons. Swords, bladed staves, one girl even used an axe, but there were a few of us that liked the daggers.”

  “Why?” Alaric seemed calmer listening to her, so she settled back against the pillows and remembered what it had been like on the battlefield. Surrounded by her sisters. The leather of the hilts soaked through with blood, her arms wet with it, a wild grin on her face as she moved forward.

  “Men like to underestimate women. Yes, they’re bigger, and they’re stronger, but we’re faster. Quicker. More light on our feet. Not that the Faeoihn weren’t pretty well matched to most men, but I liked having to get close. Stepping inside their range. When those men would swing an axe, or a sword, they were deadly. You had to watch it, but if you got in close?” She grinned. “They couldn’t even use them. I liked seeing the shock on their face when I came forward instead of moving back when they would attack.”

  He laughed softly. “Alright, I get it. You can defend yourself. I promise I’ll get you a set of knives. Do you know how to shoot a gun too?”

  “I know you pull the trigger?” She laughed in return and he leaned up to kiss her.

  “I’ll teach you, if you’ll show me how you used to fight.”

  “That sounds fun.” A kiss distracted her from the idea of him wrapping his arms around her, teaching her how to fire with the kind of confidence he’d displayed inside Gianni’s house, and then he rolled away from her and stood up.

  “Come on, we should shower.” Alaric held his hand out and she took it, letting him help her up, and when he had said we, he had really meant both of them. At the same time – and it was wonderful.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “Where the fuck is he?” Alaric threw his phone down on the coffee table again, and Tara flinched. It had been a couple of hours since they had climbed out of bed, and every minute seemed to ramp up his temper even further. The only time he’d been calm had been when she’d played the violin, but even then he’d grown antsy and checked his phone eventually.

  “Do you think Claude changed his mind?”

  “No. I think Luca got to him.” He cursed under his breath and she felt her brows pull together.

  “Luca? The man who raised you?”

  “It’s fine, he’s just confused right now. He’ll remember who he is and then he’ll stop all this madness.” Alaric grabbed the phone again, flipping through it.

  “He’s angry with you, isn’t he… because you refused to take me to my new master.” Tara said the words quietly, but Alaric exploded up from the couch.

  “He’s lost his bloody mind! No women, no kids. That’s always been the way of it. He’s a good man, Tara, he saved me.” Alaric grabbed at his hair, clenching the phone in his other hand. “I swear, he’s a good man. This guy has to have something on him, that has to be it.”

  She nodded, even though in her gut she didn’t quite believe it. “I’m sure that’s it.”

  “Why won’t he just ask me to help him? I’d do anything for him.” He paced across the small apartment, cursing under his breath. Into the kitchen, back by the dining table, behind the couch, and towards the bedroom – then all over again. “Fuck it, we should just try to jump the border. I’m sure I can find us a place to cross that’s not so complicated. Maybe I can bribe one of them. Anything to give Luca some time to think this through, to come up with another solution.”

  “Okay.” Tara made herself smile as she looked up at him, but he looked distraught, lost – and why wouldn’t he be? Someone he loved was betraying him, and she was the reason. Guilt gnawed at her, and she once again questioned the sanity of it all.

  Her foolish, mortal knight might as well be tilting at windmills, because none of these pursuits would pay off. She could feel it, and somewhere deep down she felt like it would all result in his death, and once again the loss of a good man’s life would be her fault.

  “You should give me to them, Alaric.” The second the words were out of her mouth she saw how hurt he was, and he froze mid-pace. “Just listen -”

  “No! Are you insane? Has everyone in my life lost their mind?” He came towards her, pain etched into his face, but she had to try and get him to see reason.

  “Alaric, listen, they’re going to come for me, and as soon as they realize the only way to have me is to kill you – they will kill you.”

  “Luca would never let them -”

  “What if Luca isn’t there? What if it’s the others that have been coming after me since Gianni’s?” She shook her head, brushing away the beginning tears. “Just let them have me. Maybe – maybe we can find each other again.”

  “I’m not letting anyone touch you, Tara.”

  “Don’t be stubborn!”

  “Don’t tell me to leave you!” He roared it and the bands lit up bright, a burning ache surging up her arms as his rage funneled into the bands. When it finally abated Tara was gasping, and he was on his knees in front of her, his hands cradling her face. “I’m sorry, I am so sorry, dolcezza. I – I just don’t want to lose you.”

  “I don’t want to lose you either.” She laid her hand over his and sniffled as the bands faded. “But I couldn’t handle it if you died. I would lose my mind.”

  “I’m not going to die.”

  “By the gods, how I wish that were true.” Tara slid to the floor with him and hugged him tight, and his arms wrapped around her just as tightly because they both knew the truth. Even if they lived through this, even if they beat the odds, he would still die. Someday.

  For the first time in centuries, Tara took a deep breath and closed her eyes, and prayed. Eltera, if you are still out there, if you can still hear me… help. Help me save him.

  Alaric lifted them back onto the couch and he held her for a while until they had both calmed down. “Would you like some water?”

  “Yeah, that would be great.” She made herself smile, and he kissed her forehead softly before he stood to walk into the kitchen. Tara took a shuddering breath, glancing over the laptop, her iPod, and the dock – and she plugged it in. Flipping it to a violin concerto she had never quite learned to play she started the song. Alaric was smiling when he stepped out of the kitchen.

  “This is beaut-” His words stopped short because in the middle of the apartment, between the two of them, appeared two people. Out of thin air. A huge man, easily three inches taller than Alaric and a good deal broader, and a woman with long, auburn hair. Alaric turned back into the kitchen, she heard the crash of the glass of water, and then he was standing at the entrance again with two knives in his hands.

  The man that had appeared tilted his head and looked between the two of them before smiling. “I do believe we found them, ma ghaol.”

  The woman seemed to steady herself against him for a moment before she stood up straight and turned, looking straight into Tara’s eyes, and the smile that spread over her lips was one that Tara could not forget. “I do believe we have.”

  “Neala?” Tara pushed herself off the couch, stunned, but the other Faeoihn ran for her, practically knocking her off her feet with the force of her hug. The moment she had her arms around Neala the tears hit. “It’s you? Is it really you?”

  “Yes, it’s me,” Neala’s voice rolled in the lyrical tongue of their long l
ost language, and her tears surged. “Come, let us sit and talk. We must hurry.”

  Alaric was stunned. When the people had first appeared he had gone for a weapon, but now Tara was hugging one of them, and they were speaking in a soft tongue he’d never heard before. The man who had appeared with them had crossed his arms and was appraising him. This guy was big, and built, and Alaric wasn’t quite sure he wanted to go up against him hand to hand.

  “Would you like to put the knives down?” The guy spoke with an accent that Alaric couldn’t place, but he definitely was not interested in putting the knives down.

  “No, thanks, I think I’ll hold on to them. Who the hell are you?”

  “A friend.” The guy smiled and gestured towards the dining table. “Why don’t we sit and talk?”

  “I’m fine standing.”

  “Alright, we’ll just get into it then. You're mortal, correct?”

  “Yes, and I guess you're not?” Alaric adjusted his grip on the blade as the man took a step closer, but he stopped.

  “No. I'm not. Which is why I suggest you put the knives down, they won’t help you.” The slow, wild grin that spread over the man’s face made Alaric question just how willing he was to fight the guy at all.

  With a groan he turned and slammed the knives down on the counter and then raised his empty hands. “There.”

  “Good.” The man nodded, looking much more amicable, and less like a wolf on the hunt. “So, tell me, do you know what she is?” He pointed at Tara by the couch.

  “Faeoihn.”

  “And do you understand what that means?”

  “She's immortal,” Alaric answered, a little frustrated by the rapid back and forth with this guy.

  “Not that, the other part. What she’s been through, her past.”