Mandy M. Roth

by The Zodiac Gatekeeper Collection One (BOX SET)

  Someone moaned and it took Phoebe a minute to realize it was her. Her mind told her to pull away. Do something. Anything to break what was going on. Her body did the exact opposite, seeming to mold into the large form before her. The solace she sought was there for the taking and she knew it. The power she’d come to rely on circled her, matching pace with the swirl of tongues.

  The visions receded, leaving only pleasure in their wake.

  “Phoebe,” Heather hissed in her ear.

  Grudgingly, she pulled back from the kiss and opened her eyes to find Sirius standing in front of her. She wanted to panic. In fact, panicking sounded like the best idea she’d had all day but she didn’t. A calm she couldn’t explain settled over her as she maintained eye contact with him.

  Whistles and clapping sounded all around them, reminding Phoebe they were in the middle of a police station. Mortified, she pressed her forehead into his hard chest. Crawling under the desk wasn’t an option even though it was exactly what she wanted to do.

  Sirius let out a manly chuckle and drew her protectively to his body. “Ignore them.”

  “I hope that hot little number knows what a loser her boyfriend is,” an officer ribbed from the sidelines.

  “If not,” Aland snickered, “I’ll be more than happy to tell her.”

  The teasing continued. It was lighthearted and full of offers for a better man. Sirius stiffened and growled, sounding anything but amused as he held her to him. A tiny tickle of laughter bubbled up and erupted from her. Sirius stared down at her, wide-eyed, only serving to make her laugh harder. Even Heather joined in.

  “You’re not mad?” he asked with genuine concern lacing his voice.

  Phoebe covered her mouth in an attempt to contain her laughter. It didn’t work. It did however come just in time for her to begin to snort in a very unladylike fashion prompting Sirius to laugh as well.

  “Come on there, honey. Let me show you what a real man can do for you,” someone off to her right said.

  Sirius’ laughter faded fast and his eyes grew hard. Reaching up, Phoebe placed her hand on his cheek and ran her thumb over his bottom lip. “Don’t, they’re only teasing, une mukko.”

  The sharp breath Aland drew in made Phoebe glance at him. His eyes were large and focused solely on her. “What did you just call him?”

  She thought about it. “I don’t know. Why?”

  “No reason,” he said in an unconvincing manner.

  Heather gave her a pointed look. “Do you think you might want to stop kissing the nice detective and tell him how a guy tried to nab you in the Zodiac Zone?”

  The lighthearted tone diminished quickly. Sirius eased her into the chair again and sat on the edge of the neat and organized desk. She couldn’t help but lean up and peek at Aland. Sirius touched her chin and directed her attention back to him. “Before you ask, yes, it’s my desk.”

  She arched a brow. Somehow, she had Sirius pegged as the messier of the two. He smiled and she returned it. The man had a way of both putting her at ease and unnerving her all with just a look. He took her hands in his and held them against his inner thigh. Phoebe couldn’t help but look at the bulge in his jeans. It was eye level and more than she ever hoped for from a man. Relief that he wasn’t really her boyfriend crept over her.

  He’d never fit in me.

  A deep, warm laugh greeted her mind. Ah, but I think we would fit perfectly.

  Phoebe cringed, wishing her mystical man would stop picking embarrassing bits of information from her head and remain silent, at least until she was out of the police station. She could yell at him freely then.

  Where’s the fun in that?

  “Phoebe, tell them about the guy who tried to nab you,” Heather said, drawing Phoebe’s attention. “Ask them to talk to you somewhere private if you’re worried about people overhearing. Forest swears they aren’t like others. He wouldn’t lie to me, Phoebe. And he wouldn’t send you here if he thought what happened to Sidney would happen to you as well.”

  “Sidney?” Aland asked, plopping down in the swivel chair in front of the messy desk. “That’s the second time the name’s come up. Who is she?”

  “Phoebe’s older sister.” Heather gave her a pensive look.

  “What happened to her and why would Phoebe think it would happen to her again, here with us?”

  Phoebe clutched Sirius’ hand as she forced the breath from her lungs. She began to rock slowly at first but then increased her pace. The memory of seeing Sidney being dragged into the back of a police car came to her. The next time Phoebe had seen her sister, she was strapped to a hospital bed, unresponsive due to the amount of drugs in her system.

  Heather touched her upper arm. “Sidney isn’t in our lives as she once was. She’s in our thoughts and prayers but that’s about all.”

  “So, she’s deceased?” Aland asked as something moved over his face that Phoebe couldn’t read. He appeared hardened by the news.

  Sirius placed his other hand over hers and rubbed her inner wrist gently.

  Slatkiska, you never told me your sister passed away.

  She stiffened and stopped rocking. While she managed to find her voice, it was so soft that she barely recognized it when she spoke. “Because she’s not dead. She’s locked away in a psychiatric hospital and doesn’t even know who I am anymore. They said she was crazy, shouting about men who traveled through the stars without ships but rather through portals. They said she was a danger to herself and others because she kept trying to attack one of the men at the scene. She kept claiming he was one of them and that if they didn’t let her go, he’d kidnap or kill Heather and me. The police took her away and she’s never been the same.”

  She’d never said that out loud before. As Heather’s fingers swept over Phoebe’s cheeks, Phoebe realized she was crying.

  Heather’s smile was tight, yet still managed to reassure Phoebe. “You remember what happened, baby girl?”

  Her gaze went to her cousin as she shook her head. “I don’t know. Some of it. The rest doesn’t make any sense. I do remember the two officers tackling Sidney to the ground and then taking her with them.” She tried to blink back her tears but failed. “Heather, part of me believed she really was crazy. I don’t think she is anymore. Or maybe I am. Who knows. It’s why I don’t…”

  Heather gasped. “It’s why you don’t visit her.”

  Phoebe nodded. “I want to go. But they won’t believe what I saw and they’ll do the same thing to me.”

  Sirius was off the desk and kneeling before her in a matter of seconds. He cupped her chin. The look in his eyes was nothing short of feral. “Phoebe, no one will take you from me. No one.”

  “Huh?” Heather asked, voicing Phoebe’s thoughts.

  Aland cleared his throat. “I think what Sirius is trying to say is we won’t think you’re crazy, Phoebe.”

  “But I saw a man disappear into thin air.”

  Heather nudged her. “Umm, I’m sure it was just dark and he blended into the shadows. Right?”

  “Right. Dark. Blended in.” Phoebe nodded, understanding her cousin was trying to keep her from sounding like a lunatic. “The man had auburn hair and it hung to his shoulders. Light gray eyes. Big scary voice. He was as tall as the two of you.” She cast a nervous momentary look at Sirius who remained crouched before her. “His clothing was out of place.” A nervous laugh escaped her. “It was like the clothing people would wear in my dreams when I was little. Medieval, yet not. King Arthur, yet not.”

  Aland and Sirius exchanged looks before Sirius ran his finger over her jawline. The second his thumb skated over her lower lip, Phoebe’s tongue darted out to greet it. The action should have taken her off guard. It didn’t. She nipped at his thumb and his jaw went slack. The temperature in the room seemed to rise dramatically as she envisioned his cock sliding in and out of her mouth. Thoughts of sucking him while he came in waves down her throat filled her head, momentarily clouding her thoughts and leaving her control on edge. S
he should have been shocked, she wasn’t. Too much had happened in a short span of time to do anything other than go with the feelings. So long as he wasn’t trying to rip her through some white light or claim her for all time, she was happy. Xipil had sort of raised the bar on what Phoebe would overreact to.

  The cords in Sirius’ neck popped as if he were straining his muscles. Her gaze dropped to his bulging shaft. Tipping her head back, Phoebe moaned as he ran the pad of his thumb over her chin and down her neck.

  Aland made a choking sound, drawing Phoebe out of her frenzy. It apparently had the same effect on Sirius because he stopped his sensual caress. She bit back the whimper that wanted to come. She’d made a big enough display of herself and didn’t need to encourage the attraction they evidently shared.

  You’re killing me, Slatkiska.

  She wanted to question why but held back.

  Sirius sucked in a quick breath and seemed a bit unsteady for a moment. “What was he dressed in?”

  It took Phoebe a second longer to collect herself. “A navy robe. It was open in the front. His pants were the same color and were like leather but I don’t think it actually was leather. They opened on the sides and tied with laces. His build was similar to yours but I don’t think he was as muscular. Close though.”

  “Sirius,” Aland said, his voice cracking slightly.

  “I know.” Sirius turned back to Phoebe and offered her an encouraging smile. “What did he say to you, Phoebe? Be specific. We won’t think you’re crazy. You have my word.”

  She wasn’t sure why she believed him but she did. She swallowed hard before continuing. “Umm, he told me not to be afraid of him and, well, that sort of tipped me off I should freak out. I mean, come on, guys in dark alleys telling you not to be afraid. Never a good thing.” A slight smile came over her even though she found the incident anything but funny.

  Always keep that smile, Slatkiska.

  Phoebe licked her lower lip and went on. “He said he’d simply come to collect what was owed to him—me.” She locked gazes with Sirius. “He talked about the Gatekeeper being foolish enough to think he could keep me a secret and then the guy started talking about me being his mate, his wife.” She shuddered. “As if I’d ever in a million years say ‘I do’ to that guy.”

  Heather leaned forward. “He told her she could call him Xipil but would be calling him husband soon enough.”

  “Like hell she will,” Sirius bit out, his voice hard.

  Aland chuckled at his friend’s response and tapped Phoebe’s arm lightly. “How is it you got away when the other girls haven’t?”

  “I think it was because I kicked him in the chest and then punched him in the cheek. I caught him off guard long enough to stun him. Plus, he was by himself, or at least I think he was. Then you showed up. I don’t think I’d have been so lucky if the two of you didn’t come. He was big and fast. Really, really fast.” She left off the bit about him being able to wield magik.

  A slow, steady laugh came from Aland. “Oh gods, if Sirius doesn’t marry you, I will.”

  Phoebe went rigid. “What? Marry? I don’t even know him and I’m never getting married. Sorry but marriage is not for me.”

  She expected Sirius to back her, tell his friend to shut up, do anything to signify he wasn’t considering anything of the sort. He just stared at her.

  Why will you never marry?

  Biting her inner lip, she did her best to mumble, “Can we talk about this later?”

  No.

  She sighed. Only she would have an invisible lover with an attitude. It wasn’t bad enough she heard voices in her head, hers had issues all his own.

  If you loved a man and he loved you, you wouldn’t want to spend eternity with him?

  Phoebe couldn’t answer him anymore without risking looking as if she were insane. Her gaze went to the files on Sirius’ desk and her chest grew tight. “The other women didn’t understand what they were seeing. It’s overwhelming, trust me. And more than one man came for them. They did their best to fight back but were too terrified by the blinding white light that appeared out of nowhere to concentrate. None of them wanted to go.”

  “How do you know all of this, Phoebe?” Aland asked, his voice soft.

  Sirius held her hands and squeezed them gently. “Did you see it when you touched the files?”

  Her breathing halted and the urge to run was great.

  Relax, Slatkiska, no one’s going to hurt you. You don’t have to be afraid of who and what you are.

  Fear consumed her. Sirius leaned forward and again captured her lips with his own. She fed from the sweetness of his mouth and realized she was still crying. The salt from her tears mixed in. The kiss, while heated, was more comforting than anything else. A promise, almost. As if Sirius were trying to reassure her that he was there regardless of her answer. She knew she should pull away but she didn’t.

  Phoebe took the time Sirius offered to explore his mouth. Tiny moans escaped her as he leaned into her more. One second she was kissing him back and the next she was literally moving backwards. Sirius’ mouth left hers and she immediately mourned the loss. The feeling was quickly replaced by shock when she found Sirius on his hands and knees before her and her chair a few feet from where it had originally sat.

  Aland’s laugher surrounded them and the second Heather’s joined in, Phoebe made sense of the scene. She and Sirius had been so swept up in their kiss that they’d forgotten her chair had wheels.

  Sirius glanced up at her and shook his head. “Shouldn’t I be sweeping you off your feet?”

  Chapter Four

  Sirius watched as Phoebe glanced around her apartment nervously. Heather had left to meet with Forest and Sirius had offered to see Phoebe home. He’d wanted to take her out to eat, somewhere nice, but she’d opted for Chinese food with the promise that they could take it back to her place and eat. His cock had hardened instantly at the idea of being alone with her. He’d considered offering to take her home to his place to assure they’d have privacy. He’d resisted for no other reason than he could read her thoughts and knew she didn’t normally bring men she’d just met home let alone go off to their place. The knowledge warmed him. She wasn’t the type of woman who offered herself or her trust to just anyone.

  He’d caught her eyeing him when she thought he wasn’t looking several times since they’d left the station. It was clear she was interested in him but she wasn’t acting on it. Sirius hadn’t gotten a kiss out of her again since the station but hadn’t pushed either. What he wanted to do was to carry Phoebe to her room, lick her sweet pussy until she was slick with cream and then bury his cock in her. He also wanted to shout “Mine” while he was doing it, thus cementing their union and making them a mated pair in the eyes of his people.

  I can’t believe I want to actually complete the mating process.

  “Complete the what process?” Phoebe asked as she set the bag she carried on the kitchen counter. She tossed her keys aside and glanced back at him.

  He hadn’t said that out loud and he couldn’t help but smile. Earlier, at the station, Phoebe had called him une mukko which translated into my mate, my husband. It had shocked him and left him fighting the urge to claim her on his desk. The woman had a way of making his stance on not taking a human as his mate crumble. Still, the idea of watching her grow old and die tore at his heart. He’d outlive her. He was immortal. She was human.

  “Detective…umm, Sirius?”

  He snapped out of his daze. “Sorry, what?”

  Phoebe opened a carton of lemon chicken and handed it to him. “You zoned off there for a minute. Where were you?”

  Thinking of making you my wife and filling your belly with my babes.

  Her eyes widened and Sirius realized he’d projected his thoughts out at her again. It was wrong to keep his identity from her but her skepticism of law enforcement individuals hadn’t been something he’d planned on. He’d tell her. Soon. Just not right at the moment. He needed her to ge
t to know him a bit before he dropped a bomb like being from another realm on her.

  “Are you planning on eating or staring at me with a weird look on your face all night?” she asked as a slight blush tinged her cheeks.

  Sirius’ magik flared at the thought of tasting her and immediately filled the room. Phoebe sensed it and took a tiny step back, visibly looking around, unsure of where it came from. He tried to draw his magik back to him but it refused to obey. Instead, it wrapped around Phoebe, caressing her body as it had done so many times in the past. She hissed and clutched the edge of the counter with one hand as her other hand trembled.

  Moving quickly, he reached for the lemon chicken and caught it a second before she would have dropped it. He set it aside and stared down at the woman who had given him so much over the course of her life. As a child, she’d kept him company by telling him stories and then later, when she was of age, given him sensual pleasure beyond his wildest dreams. Now, she was here, in the flesh, before him. All he had to do was touch her and he knew she’d submit.

  Walk away. It can never work.

  He lassoed enough of his power to make his pager go off. He glanced at it, already regretting the lie he was about to tell. “Shit, I need to go. Sorry, work.”

  Phoebe’s green eyes glassed over as his magik continued to touch her. She nodded. “That might be best.”

  She wanted him to leave?

  He stilled. The thought of Phoebe not wanting him should have relieved him. It did the opposite. It kicked his inherent alpha maleness into full gear. She would want him as much as he did her. There was no question.

  Slatkiska, I want to feel your cunt wrapped around my cock.

  “And I’m tired of being teased. You’re not real and it’s high time I found a man who is.” Her words were clipped and said at a level humans wouldn’t be able to hear. Thankfully, he was anything but human. Leaving her wasn’t an option. Not with her state of mind. He’d pushed too far. Left her unfulfilled too many times. If he walked out now, he’d lose her to another man.

  His mind told him to let her go. Let her find a human to settle down with and have a family—but his body betrayed him. Closing the distance between them, Sirius let his magik run rampant around them. It pulled at their clothing as it tweaked her sensitive nipples. He knew if he dared to touch her he’d never stop. Still, he drew her into his arms and dropped his lips down onto to hers. The taste of her mouth was intoxicating. She drugged him with nothing more than her sexuality. Her thoughts slipped into his mind, alerting him to the fact she knew on some level who he was, that he was the voice she heard but that she was denying it—refusing to believe he was not only present but responsive to her. He didn’t understand why she’d think he’d be anything but and he didn’t care. He couldn’t stop now, even if he wanted to. Knowing Phoebe wanted his cock inside her only made matters worse. If he didn’t get some sort of a handle on it, he’d end up fucking her on the counter.