by Mills, Julia
His legs shook from exertion, something he couldn’t remember ever happening before. If he died in that moment, he was sure it would be for all the right reasons. Sure that Sam was too far gone to notice, he used his enhanced speed, pulled her to his chest and twisted, landing with his back on the bed, and the amazing doctor draped across his sweat soaked chest. His fingers trailed up and down her spine, enjoying the silkiness of her gorgeous skin. She half-heartedly shivered in response to the electricity that bounced between them, unable to react, too replete from their lovemaking. “Are you cold, Doc,” he asked, not wanting her to need for anything with him in her life.
“Mmmmm,” she mumbled, not moving.
He chuckled and grabbed the blanket folded at the end of the bed, throwing it over both of them. His fingers ran through her hair, and he marveled at the softness. He found it captivating that each strand fought to curl in its own direction, and then he almost groaned out loud. When in the hell had he ever taken the time to think about a woman’s hair, let alone to watch how it curled? He was so fucking gone where this woman was concerned that there was no going back. While he had been buried deep inside her, calm like he had never known filled him, body, heart and soul. The pieces he hadn’t known were missing had snapped into place. He was whole for the first time in his life. Waiting for the fear to set in or to feel the need to run that never came, he had an epiphany…contentment was his new best friend, and he enjoyed the hell out of it.
Sam cuddled farther into his body, laying her arm across his chest. Her breathing slowed, and it wasn’t long until she had fallen into a deep sleep, exhausted from all the excitement of the day. While one hand continued its exploration of her many, many curls, he threaded the fingers of the other through hers. For several long moments, he stared at their intertwined hands, amazed at how perfect they were together; each part fitting in perfect harmony, one made for the other, to be together forever. He knew his brethren would have a field day with all he was feeling and thinking, but for the first time, he really didn’t give a shit. He could take as good as he gave, and the Heavens knew he had given really damn well over the years, but Sam was worth every single thing his brethren were going to throw at him...
He rubbed tiny circles on the back of her hand with his thumb, dumbfounded again by the softness of her skin. There would never come a day when he would tire of touching every single part of her. Her long, thin fingers were tipped with short cut, well-manicured, unpolished nails, and he was sure that was due to her profession. It would not do for a surgeon to have long talons while operating. He snorted at his own faux pas, thinking of the times he himself sported a rather impressive set of talons, and immediately wondered what his mate would think of his dragon. The beast chuffed in his mind, assuring him she would be impressed. Again he snorted; damned if his dragon’s ego didn’t rival his own. Just another example of how the Universe does not make mistakes.
It took his feet falling asleep for him to realize they were still lying across the bed. He had been so absorbed in Sam that the rest of the world, even his feet and legs hanging over the side of the bed, had ceased to exist. Using his enhanced speed and hoping not to disturb her slumber, he quickly had their position righted and covered them with the fluffy down comforter that matched the room’s décor. “Damn, bring a sexy woman into my life, and I become a fucking interior decorator,” he chuckled to himself.
It wasn’t long until he felt his eyelids growing heavy. Not remembering the last time he had spent the whole night with a woman, let alone wanted to, he pulled Sam closer. He not only wanted to spend the night with his mate, he wanted as much of her bare skin touching his as possible. He smiled and turned to his side, bringing the fronts of their bodies as close as possible. Spending the last precious seconds before falling asleep looking at the face of his angel, his Samantha, absolutely mesmerized by her beauty, he drifted off to sleep happier than he had ever been.
An annoying buzz woke him from the best sleep of his life. After deciding to ignore it and finding that impossible, he followed the noise to the pocket of his jeans and found his cell phone refusing to shut up. Noting that it was still dark outside and figuring he had at least been asleep three hours, he breathed a sigh of relief when the obnoxious sound ended. Just as his eyes closed, the noise began again. Apparently, someone really needed to talk to him. Careful not to awaken his sleeping mate, he slid from the bed, grabbed his jeans, and headed to the bathroom. Once the door was shut, he answered the call. “This better be fucking important,” he growled.
“Well, hello to you, too,” Max’s smooth voice floated from the receiver and Lance could tell he was smiling.
“Like I said, this better be important. It’s the middle of the night, and I was…” He stopped short, not wanting to share even the slightest detail of what he had shared with his mate with anyone. He had never been one to keep anything to himself. He shook his head at the protective feelings growing within him.
“Did you hear what I said?” Max’s tones had changed to irritation and Lance knew he had missed something while he was thinking about other things.
“Nope, sorry. Still waking up,” he said, hoping Max bought his lie.
“Yeah, I’m sure it has nothing to do with one very charming doctor,” the smile was back in Max’s voice, and Lance wanted more than anything to knock the cocky grin he imagined the King to be sporting right off the big cat’s face. While he took several deep breaths to get himself back in control, Max continued. “Like I was saying, Juan Carlos and I are here at your doctor’s home, patrolling the woods and have found something I think you need to see for yourself.”
“Is it Andrew?” Lance was immediately on guard.
“Yes, but that it is not all. You need to get out here. Your traitor is not the only one that has been watching Dr. Malone, and there is an interesting new development you need to see for yourself.”
“All right, Max. I’ll be there in thirty minutes,” he snapped.
“See you then,” Max replied and disconnected the call.
Lance shoved his legs into his jeans and grabbed his dirty T-shirt and boots from the floor as he headed for the door. Just as he grabbed the doorknob, he thought of Sam. He definitely did not want her to wake up after all they had shared to find an empty bed, without at least an explanation. Digging in the drawer of the bedside table, he found a pad of paper and pen. Quickly he scribbled, Doc, got a call about Andrew. Had to check it out. See you for breakfast. Hope you slept well. Ta’ mo chroi istigh ionat, Lance. He knew she didn’t know the language of his kin and had truly never thought he would speak the words to anyone, but in this case they fit, and he was ready to say them to her. His heart was within her and would be for the rest of this life and the next. Looking at her, once again amazed that she was actually his, he smiled for about the hundredth time. Laying the pad next to her phone so she was sure to see it, he slipped out of the room, down the stairs, and out to his Harley, dressing on the way. As he sped down the long driveway, he spoke directly into Royce’s mind, “You up, Old Man?”
“I am now, you pain in the ass,” the older guardsman grumbled.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, get over it. Max called. They found something, and I have to run out to Sam’s house.”
Lance could feel his old friend become instantly alert. “You need backup?”
“No. Thanks. Can you keep an eye on Sam and Sydney til I get back?”
Royce chuckled, and Lance prepared for what he was sure to come, “No way! How the mighty have fallen.” He laughed out loud. “Seriously though, I’m happy for ya, man, but that doesn’t mean I’m cutting you any slack. I’ll take care of the girls. Call if you need us.”
“You know I will and…thanks, man.” Just thinking of Sam in the house with most of his brethren damn near turned him green with jealousy, but it was the best place for them and they would be safe. He had to get this shit handled and get Andrew out of their hair so he could move on with his very long, very happy life with h
is amazing mate.
“No problem. See ya when I see ya.”
Knowing that the old man had everything covered, he sped towards Sam’s house, wishing he could call forth his dragon and take to the skies; the suspense was killing him. What the hell had Andrew done now?
CHAPTER SIX
Perched high in the mountains, he paused in his search, trying to determine which trail was the real one. All the misdirects were really pissing him off, but it was also what he expected. After all, she was the best magic practitioner he had ever seen. Because of all Kyra’s misdirects, he had almost been spotted by the werepanthers that were stationed in the woods between Dr. Malone’s cottage and the Black Lake. As if that wasn’t enough, it was the King of all the cats that had padded in his direction. Did they actually think he was stupid enough to believe she would be there after all the chaos he had caused not more than twelve hours ago? His returning dragon senses told him they were still in the city. He was sure they were at his brother’s home, the brother that had left him for dead. Good thing the son of a bitch had married well because that place was a fortress; stone walls and all. There would come a day when he would march in and take his brother’s head, but at this point he was not prepared to penetrate the grounds. Not until he was full to overflowing with black magic, and armed with a shitload of Kyra’s amazing amulets.
When he had returned to his hideout after his fun at the hospital, John and the others were waiting with several new recruits, one of which was able to perform several rituals that had raised his level of black magic. The young wizard had also been able to scry for the witch. That had lead Andrew to the same mountains he had followed her to before. She had to have a hideout somewhere in the rock formation, and he damn well intended to find it. He had no intention of hurting her. He just needed more of her amulets. Of course, if she required a little extra persuasion, he would do it. Her amulets were the key to the success of his plan, and time was running out. Both of his brothers, as well as all of the ones he used to call brethren, were within his reach, and he was not about to let them get away. Then he remembered that the Commander had not made an appearance yet.
Wondering what it would take to get Rayne to leave his mate and child, he almost missed the sound of a motorcycle stopping in front of Sam’s home. It could only be one person, the mate of the lovely doctor. An idea began to form in his demented mind, one that made his heart race, and an evil smile to grace his lips. All it would take would be one text message to John, and he could kill two birds with one stone; not exactly kill, but definitely use as bait. All he needed to do was get close to see what was going on with the idiots on the ground, and his best idea yet would be a go.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The entire ride he had thought of Sam. The images of her in the throes of passion would not stop the continual loop through his mind. All he thought about was containing whatever catastrophe Andrew had caused and getting back to her as quickly as possible. Preferably, before she left the comfort of the king size bed he had left her naked and sleeping in when Max had called.
He caught sight of a large black panther slinking through the darkness as he entered the woods at the rear of Sam’s house. Magic touched his skin, and from one breath to the next the deadly predator transformed into the King of the Big Cats. Max walked the last few steps towards him in a pair of faded jeans, and for the first time the Leo did not possess his trademark smug grin. “What’s up, Max,” Lance asked, now sure that all hell was about to break loose from the look on the other man’s face.
“Follow me. I want to show you what we found.” Max turned without waiting for a response, heading towards the scent of fresh water.
In just a few strides he was side by side with the King. The silence was almost deafening. None of the usual sounds that he associated with the woods were present. It was as if everything living had vacated the premises. Then the stench of black magic smacked his senses. It was pungent, and if he wasn’t mistaken had the tinge of death about it. His enhanced vision confirmed what his nose had already told him; something had been chased, and died not far from where he stood, and huge quantities of black magic had been involved. There were scorch marks, and dead vegetation everywhere he looked, and the sound of a stream, full from the recent rains, loud enough that he knew it was just over the ridge.
Max stopped dead and pointed. There, not a hundred feet from where they stood, sat a pile of burned animal carcasses lying in the center of a pentagram, large rocks sitting on each of the five points. Melted black wax staining four of the stones, and white covered the stone sitting atop the demonic symbol. He walked closer, and his dragon roared in his mind. The senseless loss of life was something they both found absolutely unforgivable. For his beast it was something infinitely more personal. The massive warrior whose heart and soul resided within him was of the earth, an elemental, and the senseless death of those precious creatures touched something deep inside him.
“You okay, man,” Max asked, sounding like he was miles away instead of a few feet.
Time slowed as his dragon pushed, and continued to roar, demanding justice. Lance breathed deeply, and consoled his beast the only way he knew how, by telling him that the day would come when they would catch the one responsible and make him pay for his crimes. Slowly both beings calmed, and he answered the King through gritted teeth, “Yeah, I’m good. The big guy,” he patted his chest to indicate the dragon within, “had a moment over that,” he pointed to the pile of dead animals.
“Yes, our cats were not pleased, to say the least,” Max responded.
“I don’t smell Andrew near this abomination,” Lance growled, looking for any piece of ground that did not bear the mark of the dark ritual that had been performed.
“You are right. His scent is not here. I’ll show you where he has been in a moment, but there is a scent that you should remember.”
Lance centered himself and sifted through all the scents that continued to assault his enhanced senses, and one he had hoped to never smell again became clear. Mixed in with the various wizards and a few hunters, he could make out the unmistakable scent of at least two of the men that had protected ‘The Auctioneer’ that day at the abandoned warehouse. “What the fuck are wizards, hunters, and henchmen for the human criminal doing in the same place, performing death magic?” Lance spoke more to himself than Max.
He walked the perimeter of the ceremonial space, close enough to see that ten animals of various sizes and species had been murdered. From the look of it, the ritual had taken place while they were all otherwise occupied with Andrew’s bullshit. It only stood to reason that he had somehow been involved. It was right up the little fucker’s alley, but something still didn’t make sense.
“You know what I can’t figure out, Max? Why was Andrew not here? He’s a selfish little asshole. There’s no way in hell he would miss the opportunity to be part of a ritual of this magnitude. It was obvious at the hospital that he is running low on dirty magic. So what gives?”
“What Juan Carlos and I have been able to piece together tells me Andrew is not with this group, at least not at the moment. Follow me. I’ll show what we found of your traitor.”
Used to having everyone follow his every command, Max had already turned, and was heading towards whatever they had found of Andrew. Lance chuckled as he jogged to catch up. “You know, you could wait for a guy to at least answer before taking off there, King?”
“I am not accustomed to waiting, Dragon, keep up or get left behind,” Max teased with his patented ‘cat that ate the canary’ grin firmly in place.
“Oh, I’ll keep up. Don’t you worry…” His next words were cut off by the hiss of a large cat from overhead. The cat landed firmly on the foliage covered ground, only a few feet from him, teeth bared, head lowered in what Lance could only assume meant he was pissed. Max laughed at his side, “Juan Carlos takes your comments as a form of disrespect.” Then to his lieutenant, still in cat form he said, “Stand down old friend, ou
r Guardsman here thinks he is funny. He meant no disrespect.”
“You know Max, your boy there really needs to lighten up,” Lance chuckled but kept one eye on the panther. It wouldn’t do to have Sam see him all torn from a fight with a big cat. Especially since she didn’t know they existed.
“As I have told you before, Juan Carlos does not chill out, but I can assure you he is only trying to intimidate you,” the big cat growled low in his throat but let them pass, and followed as they headed towards the base of the mountains.
“This way,” Max pointed to a trail that had been carved out from repetitive use. Max’s tone had become hushed, and more intense. Before he could ask what was up, the King stopped, “Here is where the traitor’s trail becomes very distinct. It is my belief that he is searching for ‘something’ or ‘someone’. As we moved farther up the mountain there were definitely signs of residual white magic and if I am not mistaken, which I rarely am,” the Leo looked back at Lance, and winked, always the consummate asshole, but apparently trying to ease some of the growing tension, “It is the same white magic yet unbastardized by black magic that we felt in the woods when we chased Andrew, and rescued Aidan’s mate. The magic practitioner that was here is at least a close relative, but more likely the same witch that created those blasted amulets. And it is she that the traitor is looking for.”