by Susan Illene
Minutes passed as he used her mouth, torturing himself. She showed no signs of exhaustion. When he slowed and pulled back, she sucked. When he sped up, she opened and let him go as far as he wanted. It was incredible. And he couldn’t take another fucking moment of it.
Lucas pulled back and flipped her over. Melena had become pliant, ready to let him do whatever he wanted. He looked down and brushed some of the hair from her face. Her expression was relaxed and beautiful without a trace of the stress that had lined her features before. He lifted his hips and pushed into her slick warm depths.
He took it slow, entering her a little at a time. Her breathing was soft and even. She’d let go of her urgent demands for him to be quick. For once, he had total and complete control. One day he hoped she’d reverse their roles. He’d love to see if she could manage it.
Lucas was fully seated inside her now. He let himself revel in the feel of her body before pulling back until only the tip of his dick still rested inside her. Then he began again, entering her slowly. For one hundred strokes, he kept the exact same pace. Melena remained relaxed, letting out the occasional moan to let him know she enjoyed it.
Then he sped the rhythm up. Lucas gripped her hips and pounded into her the way she loved the most. Her breathing sped up and her hands clawed the bed. He reached around, rubbing his fingers against her clit. Melena’s head reared up and she cried out. She was clenching around his dick so hard it was driving him mad, but she wasn’t quite there yet.
He pounded harder for another dozen strokes and then it happened. She squeezed as tightly as she could and let out a scream. Her body convulsed around him. There was nothing more enjoyable, more impressive, than watching his sensor go wild from things he’d done to her.
And then it was his turn. His balls tightened and he pushed as deeply as he was able, jerking hard as he came inside her. For that brief moment, he knew nothing except Melena—her body and her soul. Together, they were one and the same. It was both miraculous and frightening how far their relationship had come.
When Lucas felt himself soften inside her, he pulled away. He lay down next to her and pulled her into the cradle of his arms. They were hot and sweaty from their exertions, but he was pleased to hear a satisfied sigh come from her. Their bond needed to be fed or discontent would grow inside them. He’d only begun to realize that’s what caused his erratic emotions when he hadn’t seen her for a while.
“Lucas?” Melena’s voice came out husky.
“Yes?” He trailed a finger along her stomach as he stared down at her.
“What day is it?”
His lips twitched. “Does it matter?”
She turned to face him, her breasts brushing against his. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes still held a bit of a glaze over them. How he wished he could keep the rest of the world away from her. Take her to a remote hideout and keep her there for his pleasure only. It would probably work for a few days before her threats escalated and he’d have to fear for his life.
“Something tells me the day does matter,” she said.
Melena was returning to Earth and their time was almost at an end. He tipped her chin up and kissed her—trying to keep the moment going for a little longer. Their lips melded and their tongues clashed. He could have taken her again and maybe another time after that, but she’d never forgive him if they were late. Lucas forced himself to pull away.
“Are you ready to face the world now?” he asked.
She smiled. “As long as I get to shoot some bad guys.”
Chapter Eighteen
Melena
It was a cold night, but at least Indianapolis didn’t have any snow on the ground. My body thrummed as I sat in an SUV waiting for the call over the radio. There was that feeling of anticipation I always got right before a mission. The way the world narrowed to only one objective and everything else went away.
Speaking of which, I glanced over at Lucas. Like me, he wore black cargo pants and an Under Armour Jacket. He looked good. His body was completely relaxed as if he didn’t have a care in the world. The only movement he made was thrumming his fingers on the armrest of the passenger door. It looked like I wasn’t the only one who’d gotten energized after the things we’d done back at the hotel.
If our raid team knew what their leader had been doing right before the mission, they wouldn’t look at me the same way. There’d been something totally hot about what Lucas had done. At first I might have fought it, but I had to admit his methods were effective. Our bond was stronger than ever and my mind was clear and ready.
The order came over the radio. Time to move in.
He gave me a lingering kiss. “Be safe, sensor.”
“You, too.”
He flashed away.
“Wasn’t that sweet?” Kerbasi commented. “That’ll strike fear in your enemies.”
“Unless you want a good luck kiss, I suggest you shut up,” Kariann said, climbing up to the front seat.
I put the SUV in gear and sped out of the parking lot. Another vehicle trailed behind me with Fallon driving it and the sups Yerik had brought along riding with him. We were just over half a mile away—far enough the sensors couldn’t catch us on their radar until it was too late. DHS teams were already swarming into the warehouse complex.
I made up for the distance by driving as fast as I could, weaving between the few cars that were out this late time of night. The turn-off appeared up ahead. My tires squealed as I slowed just enough to make it around the corner. I drove past a lane full of industrial type businesses for another quarter mile before the mangled gate appeared. Our advance DHS team had broken right through it.
Rapid gunfire went off as I got closer. I wasn’t too worried about it since we were in a bullet-proof vehicle and we all wore vests. Except Kerbasi, who refused. He’d learn soon enough why I’d suggested it.
Chaos reigned as I sped through the parking lot and into a loading area. Agents surrounded each of the warehouses. Yerik and his team were already inside the farthest one. There were a handful of supernatural signatures coming up on my radar mixed with the sensors. Until I confronted them, I couldn’t be sure if the sups were Jerome’s willing allies or hostages.
I brought the SUV to a halt in front of a warehouse in the middle of the complex. Jerome was in there, along with a dozen other sensors. A DHS team with a bomb-sniffing dog was hunkered down next to their vehicle close to the entrance. They were being shot at by humans hiding behind dumpsters across the way.
I grabbed the M4 rifle Lucas given me as a gift last month, locking and loading it. Nothing says you love a woman like firepower with holographic sights. I hopped out of the SUV. Kerbasi and Kariann followed behind me, dashing toward the entrance. The DHS team looked up as we approached.
“You guys stay here until we’ve cleared the entry,” I ordered them.
Their leader nodded at me.
I might have organized the mission, but each team had their objectives and ability to act on their own. Sups were to go into warehouses first since we could survive the firepower that would come with initial entry. The human teams followed behind, watching our backs and hitting any guys we missed. Agent Brown was in charge of all non-sups and keeping track of everyone’s location. It was his voice I heard the most often through my earpiece.
Bullets rained down on us. We pressed our backs flat against the building just as it stopped. A scream tore through the night. I leaned forward and peeked upward to find Lucas had flashed onto the roof—at least forty feet up—and grabbed the shooter. He snapped the man’s neck and tossed him off the building. The body landed about fifteen feet from us in an open area.
I gave him a salute and moved along.
Kariann and I reached the door—a heavy blue metal one. I jiggled the knob and found it locked. Nodding at Kariann I stood to the side with my rifle ready. She used her six-hundred-year-old vampire strength to tear it off its hinges. We didn’t need explosives to make a good entrance.
Rap
id gunfire came zinging through. It sounded like an Uzi, which explained why the shots went all over the place. I gave the guys inside a moment to waste their ammo before coming low through the doorway. The best place to go when being shot at by that type of weapon was near the ground. Small machine guns tended to fire upward and were difficult to control.
I ducked behind a crate not far from the entrance with Kariann and Kerbasi crowding next to me. There were a ton of them stacked ten to fifteen feet high. We dashed to the next crate and a fresh wave of bullets came at us from down the aisle.
Kerbasi tried blocking the rounds with magic, but they kept coming. I considered pointing out the sensors would have put blood on their bullets to prevent that, but decided it was better to let him figure it out on his own.
“I hate getting shot,” he muttered, gripping his shoulder. There was second wound on his forearm. The guardian was off to a good start and we hadn’t even gone that far.
“You can’t say I didn’t prepare you for it.” I winked at him.
He grunted.
My sensor radar told me there was a guy on top of the crates moving in our direction. I tracked his movement. As soon as he got close I raised my rifle, ready for him. When he appeared, I pulled the trigger. He jerked and fell off the crates, thumping onto the cement floor.
“Which way?” Kariann asked.
We had a few choices, considering the crate maze around us. I used my radar to track my father and found him somewhere up ahead in the middle of the place. It would take weaving through all the damn crates, but he was mine.
“Go left.”
“What about the lights?” She glanced up at them.
Good point. The sensors needed the lights more than we did.
“Kerbasi, would you be up for knocking the lights out? It’d make it harder for them to shoot at you.” It was always best to give him an incentive.
His silver eyes swirled. After being hit a couple times his temper was flaring. Good. Let him take his frustrations out in whatever way he could. It was only too bad his contract stipulated he couldn’t attack sensors or humans. The most he could do was defend himself in a nonviolent way.
“Do I just smash them?” he asked.
“That should work.”
“Very well, then. I shall see what I can do.” His gray wings unfolded and became visible.
With one strong leap, he was in the air and flying toward the rafters. More gunfire erupted, following his progress. He jerked a couple of times but kept going. There were a lot of lights up there. It was going to take him a bit to knock them all out.
“Look for any shooters and take them down,” I told Kariann. “I’m going for my father.”
She nodded. “Good luck.”
She sped off at vampire speed. As soon as she was out of sight I made my way forward. The sensors had pulled back. The warehouse was at least ten thousand square feet and the largest one within the complex. There was a lot of room for my opponents to maneuver.
Kerbasi managed to knock several of the lights out while I weaved my way between crates, working toward my father. As the place grew dimmer, a shot rang out and a bullet clipped my neck. Wincing, I searched for the shooter. There weren’t any sensors close enough to get a shot. Movement on one of the crates drew my attention to a human positioned up top. Damn Jerome. I was afraid he’d have help from guys who wouldn’t show up on my radar.
Pressing my back against a crate, I lifted my rifle and sighted it upward. I snuck a quick look around the corner. The guy had his head up just enough for me to get a clear shot. I pulled the trigger. His head slumped back down and his rifle hit the cement floor below with a clatter.
I continued on, noting Jerome had moved again. He wasn’t staying in one spot for long and he was using his guys to distract me. What was he up to? Usually, he had no problem confronting me face-to-face. This time he was playing a game of cat and mouse.
It was time to speed this up.
I jumped as high as I could, reaching the second level of crates, and climbed my way to the top. Several bullets struck my vest and I almost lost my grasp on the highest crate. I used a burst of immortal strength to swing myself up and land on my feet.
Kerbasi was almost directly above my head working on the next light. Blood covered him. His wings flapped wildly, working hard to keep him in the air. He’d smashed nearly half the lights so far. There was a look of determination on his face as he moved to the next one. For once, I was glad to have him on my side.
More gunfire whizzed through the air.
Several guys hanging out on top of the crates had redirected their attention from the guardian to me. I kneeled down and sighted my weapon at the nearest one. As soon as he saw me he started scrambling back, but it was too late. I clipped him in the shoulder. Swinging around, I found the next one. His shots were tearing holes into my legs. They burned as I tried to hold my crouching position. I didn’t hesitate to shoot him in the head.
The third guy was off to the left and the farthest away. He wasn’t much of a shot so most of his bullets hit the crates with only one nicking my toe. Damn. I’d really liked those boots. With one pull of the trigger, I had him down.
I did a quick survey to be sure no more shooters were up on the crates. They weren’t all at the same levels, leaving some blind spots, but there didn’t appear to be any more. I homed in on my father’s signature once again and began hoping from crate to crate. It hurt. Most of my wounds might already be closing, but they weren’t fully healed. I had to take it easy between each hop.
Jerome was working his way to the corner of the warehouse and I sensed he now had a young witch with him. Very young—about seven. What was he doing with her? My mind raced to remember if there was an exit at that end. All of the buildings had several ways in and out, but not necessarily at every corner. DHS would have their guys covering the perimeter, but who knew what Jerome had up his sleeve with a witch in tow.
Ignoring the pain, I leaped over the crates faster. On the third leap an outside explosion rocked the building, coming from another warehouse. I couldn’t get a good foothold and teetered precariously. Leaning forward, I managed to regain my balance. That was what I got for not monitoring my earpiece more carefully.
I focused on it now and caught that it had been the lab that blew. They hadn’t been able to defuse one of the three bombs in time and had to flee before it went off. The only injuries were from fallen debris and nothing too serious. My senses also confirmed none of our supernatural team had been killed or badly hurt.
Mr. Brown confirmed for me they had it under control. I gave him my own update and continued forward. Only fifty feet to go before I reached my father.
With a running start, I jumped up to a higher crate. Shots fired at me from below. I’d been concentrating so hard on my objective I hadn’t noticed a sensor down there. Crouching low, I fired back. He hid behind the crate. I tried shooting through it, but whatever was in there blocked the bullets from penetrating to the other side. The sensor was emitting no pain to indicate I’d hit him.
Then Kariann zoomed toward the guy. I caught the sound of a snap and then a body hitting the floor. She peered around the edge of the crate.
“He’s down,” she whispered.
The room darkened further as Kerbasi took out another light—less than a dozen left.
“Thanks.”
She looked up and found me.
“Where to now?” she mouthed.
I pointed to another part of the warehouse where I could sense several men and women hiding out.
“That way,” I spoke low. “You’ll find at least a few of them there.”
She nodded and raced off. It was in a different direction than I was headed.
Not sensing anyone close by, I slung my rifle onto my back and climbed down. It was getting too painful to keep leaping the long distances between crates. My feet touched the ground and I listened for any nearby heartbeats. Nothing. No humans or sensors waited to ambush
me as I raced the rest of the way to my father.
He was waiting next to an exit in the corner. His untamed hair had turned fully gray since the last time I saw him and the hint of a gut he’d had before was gone. One thing hadn’t changed. He still looked like the kind of man who could fit into any backwoods place just fine.
There was a trigger in his hand with his thumb holding down the top button. Next to him was the young witch I’d sensed. She had curly brown hair and deeply tanned skin, making me think she might have been American Indian or Latina. There was a vest strapped to her small body with packets of C4 attached and wires running around it. Jerome had put a bomb vest on a seven-year-old girl. Rage filled me as I sighted my rifle on his face.
“I wouldn’t do that,” he warned.
“You’ve sunk to a new low, Jerome.” My voice came out cold.
“What? This?” He glanced at the little brunette girl. “I’ve killed plenty of witches in my day.”
I didn’t doubt it. “But are you willing to kill yourself in the process?”
“This is just insurance. As long as you stay back I won’t let go of the trigger.”
He spoke the truth. He might be crazy, but I didn’t sense any suicidal feelings from him.
I lowered my weapon a few inches. “It’s not just the bomb. I’m also talking about the plague infection you spread.”
He shrugged. “It’s a means to an end. If I can thin the herd, it will be easier to concentrate on what’s left.”
“You’ll never kill them all. What do you hope to accomplish?” God how I wanted to shoot him, but not at the cost of the little girl. That was a death I couldn’t live with afterward.
“All I want is peace and safety for mankind from those bloody savages you call friends.” His expression turned to one of disgust. “You picked the wrong side.”