by Ruby Forrest
Mary-Ann didn’t get much chance to answer. Alister slid his hands around her legs and lifted her into the air, pressing her back against the wall. Her legs were wrapped around his waist, his strong arms sliding around her thighs and cupping her behind, keeping her secure. She blushed at the position, at the fact that she was in the position.
She was doing it in a shower, in a sleazy motel in the middle of nowhere. He had her in his arms, her legs spread, pushed against the shower wall, while he was about to pound her hard. And the part that was both the worst, and the best, was the fact that Mary-Ann wanted it. She wanted this so badly that she couldn’t see straight, couldn’t think straight. She needed him, needed him with a deep, desperate, burning desire. She needed him and it was making her head spin.
Then Alister’s tongue found the sweet spot at the base of her neck and Mary-Ann gasped. She could feel him pushing against her entrance, pressing against her and beginning to slide within. Mary-Ann saw stars. He was so big, he was so big and that hadn’t changed at all. She still felt overwhelmingly full when he moved inside of her and she loved it, needed it, wanted more.
When Alister started moving inside of her, Mary-Ann saw fireworks. She held him tight, gripping his body, her fingers sinking into his skin as he thrusted against her, within her. She groaned softly, breathless pants leaving her lips as she arched her body into him, craving more, needing more, needing him so badly that it was making her ache.
She wanted him. She wanted all of him, the sex the love, the way he looked at her and held her and made her feel. She wanted his smirk, his attentive touch, the hard edge to his eyes when he was focused. She wanted it all, she needed it all. She wanted him and she didn’t know how much until that moment, until the moment that she realized she didn’t want to live without him.
Mary-Ann could feel the pleasure cresting inside of her, building and burning. The water pounded on their skin as Alister pushed within Mary-Ann. He was incredible. He was perfect. This was perfect. The pleasure came crashing down on her in sudden and passionate waves, leaving Mary-Ann gasping and shaking, her body arching against him, water covering them both.
Alister climaxed soon after, holding her tightly, bracing himself with one arm as he moaned her name, shuddering in blissful pleasure and ecstasy. She held onto him tight, never wanting to let him go.
As the pleasure glowed between them, fierce, erotic and bright, Mary-Ann found that she didn’t have to say a word. She didn’t need to say anything when she was with him. He understood. She knew that.
She felt comfortable. Here in this motel room, with a man she had only known for a few days, with his arms around her in the shower…she felt safe, and she realized, with a start, that she could feel safe anywhere.
She could feel safe anywhere, as long as Alister was with her, at her side. He was the soulmate she never knew she needed.
Chapter 15
Mary-Ann finished towel drying her hair off, and combed out any lingering tangles with her fingers. Finished drying off, she took a moment to rub lotion on her skin. It was the complimentary type that came with hotel and motel stays, and it wasn’t fancy, but something about the ritual seemed so normal that Mary-Ann was comforted. She knew that this was silly, to cling to normalcy and try and stay calm in this type of situation, but she couldn’t help it.
The more she could do the normal, little things, the better she could face the massive upheaval in her life. She sighed as she looked at her clothing. It wasn’t exactly practical, especially for what lay ahead, but she didn’t really have anything else on her. She slid into her workwear, glad that she had changed into pants and a blouse before heading to work.
She felt more ready to take on the world when she was wearing a dress, but pants like this felt more practical, at least. She did what she could to freshen up her clothing and smooth out any wrinkles.
Then she put on what makeup she kept in her bag and took a deep breath. Okay, she could do this. She only had to replace an artifact, into a sacred ground of wolves, all while avoiding the men chasing her. No problem. Mary-Ann shook her head at the situation. It was insane, absolutely insane, but this was her life now and she was determined to meet the challenges head on.
Mary-Ann checked herself one last time, before turning and making her way out of the bathroom. Alister was already waiting, dressed in his clean shirt and jeans. He smiled at her and Mary-Ann felt a flutter stir in her stomach. She was lucky to have him at her side.
Thoughts of the past hour made her blush, a tingle moving down her body. He had been thoughtful enough to give her time to freshen up in peace while he packed their things.
“You look good for a lady who’s been on the run.” He smirked, humor in his eyes.
“I do what I can.” Mary-Ann smiled and accepted the food that he passed her. A light snack, but she had a feeling they needed to restock soon.
“Thanks.”
He shrugged, “No problem. We should head out anyway.”
Mary-Ann felt the seriousness of the situation descend on her, “Yes, yes we should.”
Alister didn’t say anything more as they packed up the last of their things and made their way down to the lobby. Mary-Ann could see the twilight starting to move in around them, starting to cover the world with a cool tinge, as the sun slowly went down.
She stared out of the window as Alister headed towards the front desk and checked out, handing over his keys and making sure to fill out all the paper work. It didn’t take him very long to sort it out, before they were heading over to the car. They packed their things in the back seat and Alister ducked back inside to grab a few things from the vending machine.
Mary-Ann settled into the car, did up her seatbelt and stared out into the parking lot in front of her. It wouldn’t be long now. Night would descend on them soon and they would have to be on the move when that happened. It was important that they reached their destination before they were caught.
Mary-Ann fiddled with her necklace- she wasn’t sure where exactly they were going, but she trusted Alister, trusted him with her life. She sighed softly and settled in, relieved that she felt much more awake now and a lot calmer too.
Alister approached the car, dumping the bag of food in the back seat and settling in the driver’s seat himself. He looked calmer, but there was an edge to his eyes as night fell. He was clearly alert for trouble, ready to take it on. Mary-Ann didn’t know if she felt settled of anxious because of this, but she decided not to say anything on the matter.
Alister started up the engine and pulled out of the parking lot onto the main road. A few moments later, they were speeding along, Alister’s eyes focused on the road. Just like before, he had opted not to use headlights.
A few moments into the trip, something popped up in Mary-Ann’s mind, something that had been nagging at her, a thought that she couldn’t quite quell.
“Alister, how do we find out what the artifact is?” Mary-Ann was frowning as she tried to think.
Alister shrugged his shoulders, “Well, it’s something you have, so we’ll start there…” He mused, “It has to be something that you have with you.” He glanced at her, “Something in your purse, for example...” He shrugged again, “Otherwise, he would have attacked you at your apartment, not on a busy bus.”
Mary-Ann nodded slowly in thought. That made sense. Still, she didn’t exactly have a lot of ancient artifacts on her at the moment, so she wasn’t sure what it was that was special to them.
“I have money in my purse.” She smiled wryly, “Money, and makeup and some old receipts. Oh, and my driver’s license….nothing special.”
“Hmm…” Alister hummed in thought, “Something you wear, then? Anything out of the ordinary?” He paused and considered, “Or maybe it is ordinary to you…you’ll have to really think…” He shifted in his seat, “I can make guesses, but I have a feeling only you can figure out what’s special out of your possessions.”
“Yeah, you’re
probably right.” Mary-Ann leaned back, “So…any specifications?”
“Probably lasting…” Alister tilted his head, “So, not paper, because chances of that being damaged are huge. Something durable, something special…”
Mary-Ann nodded and they lapsed into silence while she tried to think. It seemed insane that she was carrying around a magical, special artifact with her every day and she didn’t even know it. She took a deep breath and tried to focus. What did she have that was special and durable that she had with her a lot? It couldn’t be shoes, or clothing. It couldn’t be the contents of her handbag, because credit cards and money weren’t particularly special…
So what? What was it? Mary-Ann bit her lip as the pieces started to come together to form a picture. She felt a shiver move through her. Her fingers went to her necklace. It hit her.
The necklace! She had her necklace on her every day, all the time. She never, ever took it off. It was durable, to a point, being jewelry, and it was certainly special. It was a gift from her late mother and something that she cherished immensely. It was important alright. It was everything that Alister had said it should be.
She felt a pang through her stomach. It felt so surreal- her mother’s necklace being a special, ancient artifact seemed insane…and yet… Mary-Ann knew that there was nothing else she was carrying that could match the description so perfectly, that she always kept on her and was fairly durable. Mary-Ann swallowed hard and deep.
“Alister?” She murmured. Her voice was soft, more timid than she was used to it sounding.
“Yeah?” He glanced over at her.
“I think….” She paused, feeling the world hold its breath around her, “I think it’s my necklace.”
Alister was quiet for a long, lingering moment. He nodded very slowly, as if in thought, “You always have it on you?” He murmured softly.
“Always.” She answered quietly, “It is very special to me.”
Alister nodded and she could see a fire light in his eyes, something burning through him, “Then we better hurry and get it into place. You’re sure there’s nothing else it could be?” He asked quietly. There was no doubt or disbelief in his question, he was just pushing her to think, to make sure.
But there was not a single doubt in Mary-Ann’s mind that this was right, that this was the artifact that they needed, “I’m sure.”
Alister nodded. For a long moment, they drove in silence, nothing but the roar of the engine and rustle of the wind to keep them company. Then Alister spoke, “Thank you, Mary-Ann.”
She glanced over at him, “For believing me.” He smirked, then, relaxing some of the tension out of the moment, “It makes my job a lot easier, you know.”
Mary-Ann chuckled, the sound tumbling from her and making her smile, “I bet it does.” She looked over at him quietly, “This is important to you too, isn’t it?” She murmured softly.
Alister sighed and nodded, “Yeah, yeah it is…” He stared at the road, not looking at her this time. Mary-Ann’s eyes strayed to the stars outside, to the echoes of sons long burnt out, nothing but ghosts now.
There was a long moment of silence between them, where Alister stared at the road, driving forward through the darkness of the night. Then he spoke again, “I don’t like this war, Mary-Ann…” He sighed and took a deep breath, “There’s been a faction that has been insistent on fighting for many years. We are all tired of it.”
“Why are they fighting?” She murmured, unsure of the answer.
“They want power over the humans. They want power over everyone, actually.” There was a bite to his voice, to his tone, something a little bit sharp, a little but cold. He sighed and tilted his head back a little, keeping his gaze straight ahead.
“They want to win, put plainly. They want to win and they won’t want to sacrifice in order to get it.” He shook his head, “They endanger the wolves with their foolishness and they harm humans. They have made it impossible for everyone involved, both wolves and humans and I want no part of it.”
He frowned darkly, “In fact, I made a point of staying out of this fight, at first, made a point of staying away. But it got out of control. More and more people were dying and getting hurt.” He sighed and shook his head, “I had to get involved, had to do something. When this job came up, I took it as fast as I could…”
He glanced at Mary-Ann and something softened in his eyes, “I saw it as a means to an end, but…” He shook his head slowly, “Then I got to know you, and it was only then that I realized how important ending this war really is.”
He tightened his jaw, “After all, if the war continues, you won’t be able to live in safety. No one will and I won’t have you subjected to that. This needs to end now.”
Mary-Ann nodded, looking at him for a long moment, “So we just have to put my necklace in place, right?”
Alister nodded, “That’s right. I think you need to be the one to do it…since you have rightful ownership.”
It made sense, in an odd kind of way and Mary-Ann nodded slowly, taking it all in, “I understand.” She smiled, feeling fear and warmth competing for place in her chest. She was grateful for him, and suddenly felt a lot closer to him than she had in the past. He was here, right here by her side and she understood where he was coming from now, understood his worry, his tension, how passionate about this job he seemed to be. It sent warmth flooding through Mary-Ann, even though the fear was hammering at her chest, insistent and heavy.
“Thank you.” She murmured and she knew, by the smile on his face, that Alister understood.
They drove in silence for a long while. It wasn’t until Mary-Ann noticed darker shadows in the night that she got curious, “Are we close?” She murmured curiously.
Alister nodded, “That’s a forest up there. We’ll find the glade and be done before the sun rises. That way we can end this once and for all.” Mary-Ann could see the tension rolling through his muscles. He seemed a lot more tense now, a lot more on edge and watchful. Mary-Ann supposed that they were close to their goal, so he was bound to be a bit tense and on edge. It was understandable. Mary-Ann realized that, since they had been traveling all night, anyone trying to follow them would have been chasing them too. If Alister had been able to catch up with a moving car, Mary-Ann didn’t see why the enemy couldn’t. The thought sent a pang of fear moving straight through her. It was overwhelming and she bit her lip.
Alister knew what he was doing. He was tense because he was aware of all of this, and he was just staying focused. The thought calmed Mary-Ann down, settled her body and her mind and let her breathe a little bit easier.
“We’ll drive in as far as we can and walk the last bit.” Alister was looking all around. In the dark, Mary-Ann couldn’t make out much at all, except the vague shapes in the distance and the glitter of the stars above.
She nodded quietly, and resolved to listen out instead. Alister was quiet for a moment, before he spoke, “It’s…it’s like a big stone.” He said suddenly, “Almost like a big, round rock, with a space in the middle…” He trailed off and shrugged, looking very uncomfortable.
“If, for some reason, I have to stay behind…” He glanced over at her, “Just put the necklace in the middle, okay? If you can do that, everything will be alright.”
“You’re worried about them catching us…” Mary-Ann whispered.
Alister shrugged, “It’s not outside the realm of possibility, Mary-Ann, and I have to make sure that I am prepared. Your safety is the most important thing here.”
He looked over at her and Mary-Ann could feel the sincerity of his words, see the honesty in his eyes. This might be a job, but, like he said, he was personally invested now. Mary-Ann hoped that he was personally invested because of her too. She blushed a little. The stakes were so high, so overwhelming and she had never been one for romance…but she didn’t want to part from Alister, didn’t want him to disappear the moment the dust had settled. He was beginning to mean far
too much to her and a good part of her hoped that he felt the same way for her.
“Alister…thank you.” She smiled, feeling the warmth ease her fear, if just for a moment.
She took a deep breath and resolved herself for the worst. If they were caught, she would have to fight them off and she would have to run, run until she could find the stone and put her necklace in place. It was a thought that sent a spike of both fear and determination through Mary-Ann. It was a frightening thought, but she wasn’t about to let that stop her, wasn’t about to let that push her away from her destiny. She would be brave. She would be brave and she would fight, she would fight to end this war that was tearing at Alister like a wound. She would fight to improve herself and take this on, no matter how dangerous it was.
The resolve was mounting and strengthening within her. She could do this. She knew that, although the road ahead was hard and dangerous, she was capable of it. She had to be. She had Alister beside her and all the knowledge of what she had to do- all that was left was to take it on.
She felt something renew in her spirit, something gaining strength and growing within herself. It was great to be alone, but not in the way she had first thought. She knew that Alister had her back and he knew that she had his. Even if they were separated, they would be together again, everything would be okay.
They would get through this together and everything would be okay. Mary-Ann knew it.
Chapter 16
As they drove into the forest, Mary-Ann felt a chill move up her spine. They were close, so close. She kept looking back over her shoulder and checking the mirrors. It was feeling too easy, like they should have been caught by now, could have been found. It made her shudder.
She didn’t know what was worse, the thought that they were hot on their tail, or the thought that they had already caught up and they were just biding their time.
Mary-Ann assumed that they didn’t know what the artifact was, only that Mary-Ann was carrying it around- otherwise, he could have just pulled it from her neck, and won the war right there and then. It was a logical explanation, but Mary-Ann wasn’t sure about it. Maybe they had figured it out now. She tucked the necklace into her shirt, putting her jacket on and doing her best to hide it. She didn’t want it being an obvious target to anyone who did manage to catch up with them.