Denying the Watcher

by Kim Loraine

  Her hands drift down her belly, to the top of her pants, but I stop her. “No. I want to do that.”

  My palms slide over her tits, down her stomach, and with one smooth motion, I remove her leggings and panties and toss them behind me. She’s bare, her creamy skin glowing faintly in the dim light of the room. Parting her thighs with my shoulders, I kiss the spot just above her neatly trimmed pussy. I can smell how much she wants me, and my cock hardens even though I’ve just spent myself only minutes earlier.

  Gliding my fingers through her folds, I groan as I find her slick, hot, and needy. She’s swollen and so fucking ready. Placing one hand on each of her toned thighs, I fit my shoulders between them and nip at the protruding bone of her hip. Her knees are shaking, and when I look up to find her eyes on me, hooded and dark with desire, I know I can’t tease her any longer. I part her with my fingers and touch my tongue to the rise of her needy little clit. Her hips buck and twist, as though she thinks she needs to get away from me.

  “No escape. I’m going to make you scream.” Before she can answer, my tongue is on her, and I press two fingers deep inside her.

  A strangled moan rips from her throat, and her tight heat clenches around my fingers. I’m desperate to sink my cock into her and fuck her so hard she sees stars and my name is the only thing she knows. Sucking the sensitive bundle of nerves into my mouth as I pump my fingers in and out, I start humming my approval as she becomes wetter and surprised gasps fill the air. She’s closing in on her pleasure, her knees shaking and feet sliding along the bed.

  I pull back, forcing myself to take my mouth off her. I promised her I’d take her to the edge, and that’s what I intend to do.

  “Why? Oh, Devin. I was so close.” Her frustrated whine is exactly what I wanted to hear.

  I trail one finger over her, barely touching the sensitive flesh as I watch her face. Her eyes roll back, and a sigh falls from her lips. Then, her fingers are in my hair, and she’s shoving my face back down with a growl. Raising her hips, she grips my hair so tight it hurts, and I can’t help but groan at the force behind her need. I can’t deny her any longer, not with the taste of her in my mouth and the soft pleas she’s making. I don’t think she even realizes she’s begging. My cock strains, and I want desperately to be inside her. Tightening the focus of my tongue on her pussy, I concentrate solely on her swollen clit. A sharp cry echoes off the walls, which turns to a groan as I sink two fingers deep into her body. She’s squirming, her hands fisting in my hair, and then, with a fucking sexy as hell cry of my name, she’s coming on my tongue, on my fingers, and my dick throbs against the bed.

  I continue licking and sucking even after her orgasm has crested, because, damn, she tastes so fucking good. Her hands in my hair tug as she pulls my head up toward her.

  “Stop. Oh God, please stop. It’s too much.”

  I can’t help the smirk turning up the corner of my mouth. Sariel pushes, begging me to feed. “I need inside you, Willow. Are you ready?”

  She shakes her head, rolling over and opening her side table drawer, producing a gold foil package. She hands the packet to me with a stern look furrowing her brow. “You’re not getting me pregnant with some crazy vampire baby. I learned a lot about Watchers after meeting Sariel. There’s no way that”—she gestures at my raging erection—“is coming near my pussy unless it’s got a raincoat covering it.”

  Cocking an eyebrow, I let out a low chuckle. “You’re on birth control.”

  “No deal. You’re lucky I’m not making you double bag it. I’m not the mothering type.”

  Sariel roars in my consciousness. I can’t feed like that.

  He’s going to have to deal with it. If she doesn’t want to risk it, I’m not going to force the issue. We’d already been careless the first time. The last thing I want is to saddle her with a child I won’t even be around to take care of. I turn the condom over, assessing.

  “What?” She sits up and slides a hand up my leg.

  Embarrassment floods me. “I … um … I’ve never used one of these.”

  Her jaw drops, and at first I think she’s going to laugh at me. A slight burn of hurt runs through me, but I don’t think she truly realizes how long it’s been since I’ve been in a position to need anything like this.

  “But … you’ve had sex before me. You’re too good at it to have been a virgin.”

  I am good at it—fucking amazing if her moans and screams are any indication. “Of course I’ve had sex. I just … I haven’t had an orgasm in over two hundred years. Condoms weren’t readily available when I was human.”

  “Wait. You haven’t orgasmed in two centuries?”

  Shaking my head, I stare hard at the pattern stitched into her quilt. “Not until you.”

  “You’re not serious?”

  Without understanding why, I reach out and press my palm over her heart. “There’s so much more here. You’re meant for me. I don’t know when I realized it, but it’s true. The pull between us—you feel it just as much as I do.”

  This could go either way. She could laugh in my face, reject me, and run for the hills, or she could admit the truth. When she rises onto her knees and cups my cheek in her small hand, I know she chose the latter. She’s mine.

  “I do. I feel it. I hate that I want you so much, but I can’t deny it either.”

  My shoulders release all the tension they’d been holding. “I don’t want to let you go, but I can’t always control Sariel. He needs to feed, and I don’t know if it’s safe for you.”

  “How is his feeding different from yours?”

  “You said you did your research. How do you think it happens?”

  She blushes, the rush of blood to her cheeks making my own hunger come to life. My fangs threaten to descend, but I force back the urge. No use pissing her off and reminding her exactly what I am.

  “Sex? But how does that work?”

  “Well, when a man and a woman love each other very much—” As soon as the words leave my lips, I wish I could take them back. She takes in a sharp breath, pulling her bottom lip in between her teeth and staring at me.

  “Has he fed from me before?”

  I thank God for her not so subtle detour. Our conversation had been on a course for serious admissions that I know we aren’t ready for. “He has. Once. But, when it’s spaced out, there’s no risk to you.”

  “Except for pregnancy?”

  “Right. There is that.”

  She lets out a nervous giggle. “I can’t be pregnant. I mean, it was just the once.”

  “It’s doubtful.”

  “Right.”

  The room is tense, and all the heated passion between us has fizzled as she looks down at the condom in her hands. “Devin?”

  I move off the bed, heading to my crumpled pants on the floor. Without a word, I grab my phone and turn on some music. “Lie down, relax. That’s enough talking for tonight, Angel.”

  She doesn’t fight it. Instead, she curls up on her side and lets me slide in next to her. Her juniper scent fills the air around us, and I breathe it in, committing it all to memory as I pull her body in close. Slowly, her breathing becomes deep and even as I stroke her hair and just … watch. I count the constellation of freckles on her arm, connecting the dots and creating the Pleiades with my finger. She sleeps, snuggling back against me and humming softly, a happy little noise that sends a pulse of adoration through me. Holding her tight, I kiss her hair and close my eyes as I fight a wave of dread.

  I can’t let anything happen to her.

  Not Sariel.

  Not me.

  Devin is in love. Though he hasn’t realized it yet. Damn it all. I watch from my prison inside his head as he worships at Willow’s altar, stroking her long, flowing hair, kissing her, and most of all, cherishing her. No. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I know what I need to do. Find him during a weak moment and use all my strength to overpower him. I’ve taken over once already, and that was before I’d fed. I’m stronger no
w, just biding my time until Devin’s guard is down. As he continues to focus solely on the woman in his arms, I realize that this is the time.

  His eyes are heavy, the comfort of being with Willow making him feel the desire for sleep—however unnecessary. I use a small pulse of my energy to suggest he rest, that he fall into a sort of twilight slumber. As his grip on control weakens, I coil all my power, ready to spring as soon as he’s gone.

  “I don’t want this to end, Devin.” Willow’s voice is clear as day when I take control. Her body has lost that boneless weight of sleep.

  Fuck.

  Devin is locked away, probably still unaware I took control at all. Tensing, I scramble to figure out what to say. In the end, I know I can’t let him have her. Selah is out there. Granted, she’s with another man, but I’ll remedy that as soon as I get the chance.

  “I have to go.” I put on my best Southern drawl and slide out of her bed, making a mad dash for Devin’s clothes.

  “Are you serious?” Hurt colors her voice, and I wish it didn’t have to be this way. But she’s not for me. This is so different from Galen and Reese’s situation. Then, I’d thought Reese was mine. I’d tried to keep her for myself. Willow is not mine by any stretch of the imagination. She’s Devin’s soul mate, and I’m the selfish bastard who’s going to keep them apart.

  “This was … fun. Thanks. I’ll see you around, Willow.”

  I can’t look back at her. As much as I want to feel nothing for this woman, I live in Devin’s body. His heart is crying out for her, and I know I’m breaking her to pieces.

  “Devin, don’t you fucking walk out that door right now.”

  My gut clenches, but I stiffen my shoulders, remaining silent, and reach for the knob.

  “You are such an asshole. Fine. Go. But, I promise you, the next time you see me, you’ll have a stake sticking out of your goddamn chest.”

  As I pull open the door to her room, I feel the air shift beside my head as something flies at me. A shoe hits the doorframe with a hard crack. Once I’m free of her bedroom, I blur out the front door and into the night. I can’t be near her and risk discovery. If she figures out that I’m not Devin, she’ll forgive him. I can’t take that chance.

  I have to find my Selah and prove myself to her.

  Standing outside Galen’s house, I listen to the noises of a family settling in for the end of their day. High-pitched giggles assault my ears, working their way into my heart. Through the wide window, Galen’s tall frame appears, a broad smile across his lips as a dark-haired little boy clings to his father’s back. He’s happy. Truly happy.

  “All right, little man. It’s time for bed. You heard your ma. You should have been asleep an hour ago.”

  Sean only holds tighter, laughing hard as Galen pretends to shake him off. “Da, I need a story.”

  “Fine. One story, but then it’s to bed with you, understand?”

  Sean nods his head and climbs down from his dad’s back. He looks so much like Galen, there’s no question of his parentage. A pang of hurt lances me at the thought of the child Selah and I should have had together. The baby we lost. Would he have had my eyes? It isn’t fair to know I gave Galen and Reese their son when my own was taken. As Galen takes his boy’s hand and leads him out of the room, I find myself following, searching for any way to keep them in view. I don’t want the spell to break. I don’t want to face the reality of my situation.

  “What the hell are you doing?” I don’t recognize the deep voice coming from behind me. “You’re pathetic, Sariel.”

  Turning on my heels, I ready myself to fight, but the sting of a needle in my neck and the burn of something being injected into my bloodstream stops me. The world blurs, tilts, and goes dark before I can utter a single word.

  What the actual fuck just happened? The last thing I remember was drifting off enveloped in Willow’s beautiful scent, with her warm body against mine. Now I’m lying in a fucking ditch, my blood burning as the sun begins to rise. Trying to get to my feet, I realize quickly that I’m bound in chains. Had Willow done this? Was it all just a ploy to hunt and kill me after all? No. I’d seen deep inside her heart the last time we’d been together. But, how did I get here?

  “Shit!” No one is around and I have no fucking clue where I am. Out in the open, that’s for damn sure.

  As my skin itches and tingles, panic sets in. I can’t die like this. I have a job to do, a soul to save, and a woman I don’t want to leave.

  “Sariel!” I shout the name into the hazy gray morning.

  He doesn’t answer. I can feel his presence, but only faintly. He’s quieter than he has been the last five years we’ve been together. Something is not right. And considering the fact that I’m about to be vampire barbecue, I’d say, multiple somethings aren’t right.

  “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” I twist and work my limbs as I try to break through the metal holding me. If I can get free, maybe I can find some way to hide from the sun. I’ll bury myself in the damn ground if I have to. But I’m not able to move. I’m weak, and I don’t understand why. My head is pounding. My eyes feel gritty and heavy.

  I call out Sariel’s name again, pleading for some kind of assistance. Nothing. Not a single pulse of energy from the lazy ass. If the Watcher won’t help, I’ll have to call my least favorite angel.

  “Gabriel!” I feel like an idiot, shouting the name of the messenger of God into the lightening sky, but I’m desperate. I think I’ve been drugged. “Oh, come on, Feathers! Please! This is my hour of fucking need right now.”

  I heave a sigh of relief when my ears pop as the pressure changes in the air. Craning my neck, I look behind me to see Gabriel standing over my bound form, his arms crossed, a confused expression on his face. “How?”

  I shrug to the best of my ability. “I just woke up like this. I don’t know what the fuck happened.”

  “Where’s Sariel?”

  The sun is cresting over the hill. It’s the last line of defense before I’m toast, and if the heat on my skin is any indication, I have to get the hell out of here, like, five minutes ago.

  “Not to be ungrateful or anything, Gabe, but I need you to poof me out of here and to a dark space before I go up in flames.”

  His eyebrows rise as he clearly realizes I’m right. It’s disorienting. One moment his hand is making contact with the crown of my head as I feel a sickening tug in my belly, and then I’m safe, unbound and in my own room, in my own apartment. The smell of something burning fills the air around us, and when I look around, I realize it’s me. My skin is an angry red, curls of smoke rising around me.

  Gabriel clears his throat, an obvious attempt to get my attention, because he doesn’t do human very well. Small things like breathing and blinking tend to be the last behaviors he remembers.

  “Thank you,” I grumble. God, he’s such a pain.

  “That’s not what I want. I need to figure out how this happened.”

  Shaking my head, I sit on the edge of my bed, exhaustion weighing on my shoulders. “I have no clue.”

  Then the fucking angel grabs my wrist and slashes it open in one swift movement before he takes a taste of my blood.

  “What the fuck, man? Angels don’t drink blood.”

  “I’m not drinking it. You have fed from the dead. Why would you do that?”

  I drank dead blood? When the hell had that happened? “I’m not stupid. I’d never willingly drink dead blood.”

  But it explains why I feel this way, why I’m weak. Dead blood has none of the properties contained in the blood of the living. The essence of life is what feeds us. Not drinking from the dead is one of the few rules we have to abide by.

  “Willingly. I think that’s the key word.” He places his hand on my head and closes his eyes. “Sariel is weakened as well. But his damage is deep inside. He’s been bound. The only one who could do that is an archangel.”

  “Awesome.” The sarcasm is thick in the single word. “So, which one of your brothers is working
against us?”

  Frowning, Gabriel shakes his head. “None.” He runs his hand over his face and looks up. “Rest. I will return when I have more information. I think it would be best if you stay here for a few days. Someone is obviously after you.”

  “Wait. Can you unbind Sariel?”

  “I can, but before I do, I need to make sure it wasn’t Sariel himself who did this. You said you don’t remember. Is it possible that he took control? Has he tired of your vessel?”

  That doesn’t make any fucking sense. Sariel and I have a deal. Why would he destroy the body he’s waited to take full control of for so long? We’re months away. But, he might have hijacked my body for his own devices. Selah comes to mind.

  Gabriel puts his hand on my head again, and I can’t do anything other than sit uncomfortably as he pokes around inside my mind. Pressure fills my head, until I feel the wall separating Sariel from me crack and then crumble.

  “He had control, but it wasn’t him who made you drink.”

  “Well, then, who the fuck was it?”

  “Lucifer.”

  Oh, shit.

  Had that really happened last night? I swear I’d been in the afterglow of lovemaking with the most beautiful man I’d ever met, both of us feeling a lot more than we’d expected, and then, he walked out my door. He’d told me it was … fun. Asshole. A small part of me wonders if Sariel had anything to do with Devin’s behavior, but he hadn’t sounded or felt any different. This is why I don’t get attached, right here. Now, instead of focusing on my class, I’m torn up over Devin—a fucking vampire.

  Squaring my shoulders, I widen my stance. My sparring partner, Brent, is on it tonight, landing way too many strikes for my liking. As I work to give him a run for his money, I’m finally able to leave Devin’s hurtful dismissal behind. Right now, I need to have my head in the game to avoid a fist to the face. We both bounce on the balls of our feet, dodging and striking over and over as we demonstrate for the class. Typically, teaching is my favorite part of the day, but I can’t be happy and enjoy it today.