by Brenda Trim
“I hear something in the distance. It might be birds, but I’m not sure about the rest.”
He leaned in and whispered in her ear. “You can hear it, Mackendra. And, I’m betting you can see and smell the smoke from a fire in that direction,” he said as he reached his arm around her body, pointing. Her orange-vanilla scent reached his nostrils, making him crave another taste of her. He had never tasted anything so divine.
After several silent minutes, she said excitedly, “I see it! Holy shit, this is incredible.” Enthusiastically, she turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. Stunned, he wasn’t sure what to do, so he stared blankly at her, and that fast, his banked tension was back in an instant.
He imagined pressing his lips to hers and taking her mouth in a slow exploration. She had been his first kiss and it had been but a fleeting meeting of their lips. His breath heaved out of him while he thought about licking his way inside her mouth and sliding his tongue against hers. He wanted her to clutch at his back and dig her nails into his flesh as she struggled to get closer to him.
He stopped that fantasy right there. He had already made concessions for his mate and done things he’d never imagined he would. “Over time, your senses will become sharper. Come on, I believe the fire is coming from a home and maybe we can stop there.”
“What’s the plan when we get there?”
“Once I determine if they are friends or no’, I’m going to ask them to take us to the leader of the dragons. The dragons I saw talked aboot guarding the portal so I’m guessing he controls the way in and out of this realm.” He grabbed her hand and began walking.
She didn’t pull her hand from his, but intertwined their fingers instead. Compared to his, she had small hands, which were incongruous with the callouses on her palms. He was aware that she was a warrior through and through and it was going to be a struggle to stop her from wanting to fight beside him. He couldn’t deny that she would be a valuable asset to their team. Already, she had accomplished far more than any of them by locating Kadir’s lair.
“You never did tell me what shape the females were in when you saw them?” It was one thing to engage in consensual pain during sex, but he couldn’t abide by these females being tortured. He was first and foremost a Dark Warrior and his vow to protect ran all the way to his marrow.
“They were filthy and half of them had no clothes. No one said it, but I fear that the demons may have abused them in ways that go beyond physical torment. Most of them were terrified and sat huddled at the back of their cages. They have haunted my dreams for days now and when I finally find one of the Dark Warriors, I’m stuck on some island with no way home.”
“We will get home and save them. I promise you this, Mackendra. What else can you tell me? Did you see how many guarded them?”
“I didn’t see everything. I only saw a few skirm and the huge dog and the demon. The women said there were too many for me or the police to fight. Tell me more about these Dark Warriors. Are they like a vampire army?”
It would have been so much better if she’d been able to see how many they were potentially facing. “We are like no army you have ever conceived of. The nine of us in Seattle accomplish more with simple titanium blades than an entire platoon of your military. And, we are not all vampires. We have shifters and sorcerers, as well as, cambions.”
“Shifters and sorcerers I get, but what is a cambion?”
“A cambion is the offspring of a sex demon and a human. They are creatures ruled by their lust, but powerful allies to have,” he said pulling her close, ruled as much by his lust at the moment. She was a tall female and her curves fit perfectly against his body. The feel of her generous breasts pressing into his chest aroused him, but that was such a mild term for what she did to him. She inspired a primal need within him and made him ravenous with hunger for her.
She pushed against his arm with her shoulder, but didn’t let go of his hand. “How is it that so many different creatures are working together? I always believed vampires and werewolves were enemies. Hell, at one point, I prayed to find a werewolf and get him to join SOVA,” she laughed.
“Lesson number three, Mackendra. Doona ever let a shifter hear you calling them a werewolf. ‘Tis one of the highest insults you can give. As for how we are working together, that would be because of Zander. After he assumed the mantle of power from our father, he formed the Dark Alliance Council with these various factions and then he formed the Dark Warriors.”
“So there are only nine Dark Warriors?”
“There are hundreds all over the world, but there are only nine of us in Seattle. Zander has warriors in every major city because that’s where skirm tend to congregate.”
She crouched down suddenly and began cooing at a tiny animal. He stood next to her, ready to kill the animal, if necessary. “Be careful, Mackendra. ‘Tis fluffy and cute, but that doesna mean it has a friendly disposition.” The animal was smaller than a koala bear and it had so much grey fur you could barely see its face. All that could be seen was a small black nose and blue eyes.
“It’s not going to hurt me. It’s frightened of us, look at it shaking. And, I told you to call me Mack. Mackendra is so formal and I can’t think of one single person that calls me that.”
“Mackendra is a beautiful name. Mack makes you sound like a large, hairy male, which you are no’.” He tensed as the tiny bear crawled closer to them. He was ready to grab his blade and behead the creature and was shocked to see it roll over and bare its stomach to Mackendra. She laughed and rubbed the exposed fur. She scratched its head and her fingers disappeared into the fuzz. Kyran thought the little bastard all kinds of lucky when its eyes rolled back in its head with pleasure.
“You’re just too adorable. Are you all alone out here?” she cooed, picking it up. Its white tail ridiculously stuck out of the crook of her arm. She stood up and looked back at Kyran with the biggest smile of satisfaction he’d ever seen on her face. She was absolutely stunning when she smiled. “See, I told you,” she replied and continued in the direction they had been heading.
“You canna mean to bring that thing with us,” he said, incredulous that she was carting around the animal.
“Yes, Kyran, I am taking him with us. At least for now,” she called back over her shoulder. “Do you think this water is safe to drink without boiling first?”
He nodded his head as they approached a stream. “Och, it should be fine. You are immune to bacteria that might be in it. Put the animal doon. If he drinks it, you know it’s safe.”
“How about you come over here and take a drink first?” she teased with a smirk, setting the fuzz-ball down.
“I’m not thirsty for water, lass,” he husked, allowing his eyes to go half-lidded.
She blushed and shook her head at him before proceeding to fill her bottles with water. She then bent over and cupped her hands, filling them with water and took a drink while he stood back, enjoying the view.
He began imagining how sexy her ass would look tinged pink from a good lashing. His cock filled with blood, hardening at the idea. The curve of her ass beckoned and he wanted to drop her pants and take her hard and fast right there. The loud splash of water, as she fell in, disrupted his fantasy.
He was at her side in a flash, wrapping his arm around her middle. He pulled her out of the water and two things hit him at once. One, her shirt was soaking wet and see-through. She had no bra on and her nipples were pressing against the fabric. Two, she had cut her hand and was bleeding. His fangs burst into his mouth, punctuating how badly he needed to feed.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Lost in a haze of need, Kyran was on Mackendra before he blinked. He had tackled her to the ground and was ripping at her jeans, while at the same time, his lips were making their way from her mouth to her neck.
“What is wrong with you, Kyran?” she yelled. He was too busy going for her vein to answer her. He was consumed with bloodlust and the need to fuck his mate. There were too many clothes in his
way. He found the zipper and the next thing he knew, her jeans were open and he was pushing them to her knees.
The tearing of fabric registered somewhere in his frazzled brain, but he didn’t pause to contemplate what it was. “You ruined my favorite shirt, leech! Get the fuck off me,” she screamed.
He’d buy her a new one. He inhaled deeply and drew in her unique scent that was combined with her anger and fear. Intoxicating. He scraped his teeth over her vein and sucked on her neck. A sharp sting in his groin stopped him cold. He looked down and saw that Mackendra had her blade pressed into his erection. He wished the sight deflated him rather than making him harder, but it did give him the clarity he needed to pull it together.
“Shite,” he breathed. He closed his eyes and practiced all that deep breathing and visualization bullshit Elsie had tried to tell him about. After he had killed Charlotte, Zander had forced him to talk to Elsie who had some training in psychology. Kyran loved his new sister and had listened to her attentively, hoping to understand how he had lost control, as well as, ways he could keep it from happening again. He hadn’t felt out of control until now and he realized that the techniques she’d taught him weren’t doing shit to calm him down. Ultimately, it was the smell of his mate’s fear that stopped him.
“Yeah, shit, jackass. Get off me, or I swear to God, I will geld you right here and now,” she said through gritted teeth.
He shoved himself off of her and growled his frustration as she eyed him warily. “What the hell has gotten into you? Up until now, you haven’t seemed ruled by your need for blood, like skirm, so what gives?”
“I lost blood when you stabbed me and again when the redcaps attacked. Lesson number four, Mackendra. Vampires may not subsist solely on blood, but they do need it, and yours, mate, is irresistible to me,” he pointed to the palm that still trickled blood.
“Oh,” she flushed and removed her shredded shirt and wrapped it around her hand. That left her topless and her nipples looked like ripe blueberries in the purple moonlight, making his mouth water. His fangs punched out again, urging him to take his mate, to hell with the consequences.
“Did you have to destroy my shirt?” she asked as she pulled her other tee from her backpack.
“I have no excuse for my behavior. The mating compulsion is making it harder for me to control myself,” he explained, getting to his feet. Ignoring his needs, he turned his head away, because the longer he stared at her naked breasts, the more his resolve was chipped away. “Get dressed, unless that’s an invitation to your blood and your body.”
He glanced at her askance and watched the blood rush to her cheeks as she hurriedly threw her shirt on. He lamented when her breasts were encased in fabric, although her nipples were still hard and jutting. The night was warm and humid, with minimal breeze so her hard tips told him that she was as affected by him as he was by her. She may be angry at his aggressive behavior and afraid of him, but the mating compulsion drove her just as much as it did him. He smiled at the fact that she hadn’t gelded him. That could only mean one thing, she no longer detested him.
“You’ll be lucky if you ever touch me again. Apparently, you need to feed. Can you drink animal blood?” Her smooth transition from reproach to business belied the irritation that glittered in her eyes. Oh, he’d be touching her again, no doubt about it. Putting that aside for another time, he focused on the fact that her anger had gone down a couple notches.
“In an emergency, I can,” he replied, picking up her new, furred friend.
“Oh, no, you don’t. Give him to me,” she reached out and slid her hands around the animal that began making a noise similar to a purr at her touch.
“I wasna going to eat him, lass. I was teasing. Unless the animal is a shifter, animal blood will provide me no more nutrients than water. Doona fash, I plan to find a female dragon and feed before we move on,” he said, baiting her. Despite the fact that she hadn’t flayed him alive, he worried he had ruined his chance with his mate.
He smiled when she snatched the koala from his arms and stomped off. She was jealous. He was unsure how to handle this particular situation because he did plan on finding a female dragon to feed from. He was in desperate need of blood and couldn’t afford to be any weaker, nor did he want to lose control with Mackendra. He doubted she’d care very much that he became lethargic and his reactions were slower when he was blood-deprived. If she felt even a fraction of the possession he did, she wouldn’t want his fangs anywhere near another female.
She stopped and looked back. “Are you coming? I don’t think we’re far.”
“Verra good, Mackendra, we are no’ far at all. I hear the hum of electricity less than a mile away. I had feared that this realm lived primitively. Thank the Goddess they may have some creature comforts to share.”
“You can hear electricity that far away? That seems impossible.”
“In Seattle, the noise of the city drowns oot such minute details. Here, it is easy to differentiate the jungle from the dwelling.” He reached up and pulled a branch from a tree, denuding the limb of its dark green leaves. Holding one of the starbursts, he was reminded of her spiky hair. He reached up and tucked it behind her ear.
She smiled at him. “What’s that for?”
“It reminds me of your hair.” He allowed his finger to trail across her cheek.
“Oh,” she touched her black hair. The strands looked silky, but he hadn’t noticed before because she usually kept it spiked and stiff. “I must look like a mess. And, I hope you are right about those creature comforts. I’m filthy and need a shower.”
“You are as beautiful as ever. And, I like your hair down. It makes you appear feminine and soft.”
She barked out a laugh. “Buddy, you got screwed in the mate department then because I am about as far from soft as you’ll ever get. And, if these dragons don’t have hair gel then I’m cutting down a tree and using the sap. This shit,” she lifted her hair, “is going to be standing on end by morning,”
He narrowed his eyes at her defiance. It ignited his ardor, while at the same time, made him want to shove a ball gag in her mouth and shut her up. She began humming to the animal in her arms, completely ignoring his reaction. He stalked to her and grabbed her hand. When she entwined their fingers, he lost all objections and recriminations.
They walked a few more minutes in silence before the area opened and they came to a house in a clearing. He gazed around and saw a small garden off to one side, but no other buildings. The house was like nothing they had on earth. It was round and made of steel. The humid jungle air had left a patina on the walls and the roof was a large panel of glass. Amidst the flora and fauna, the home couldn’t be more out of place, especially, with the bright lights shining in the windows.
There was no yard as they knew it. In fact, the foliage they had encountered in the jungle continued on to the front door and he wondered why there wasn’t even a walking path. The flowers were the size of dinner plates in every color of the rainbow. Whatever they were, they had a sweet fragrance that was overwhelming his senses.
A flapping sound stopped him from moving forward and had him pulling Mackendra under the cover of the trees. When she opened her mouth to speak, he placed his finger to his mouth and then pointed up. She stepped into his side and he thought she would crawl into his body if she could as the dragon flew closer. The creature was as big as the others he had seen and the same slate color. As he looked closer, he noted the difference was this one’s eyes. They appeared faceted and gleamed deep red, like a ruby.
The beast slowed its descent by flapping its wings which stirred up leaves and other debris from the ground. They shielded their eyes and watched as the ceiling of the roof retracted and the dragon floated into the house.
“Are we really going in there with that ginormous dragon? It could eat me in one gulp,” Mackendra whispered.
“Aye, we are. I doona see what other choice we have. We need to find a way home,” he replied, tugging her towar
d the house.
He picked their way through the flowers and stood on the stoop before the metal door. Taking a deep breath, he lifted his hand and knocked. At first, he didn’t think anyone was going to come to the door, but finally it opened, revealing a large male dressed only in leather pants. His ruby eyes told Kyran this was the dragon that had just returned home.
*****
Mack felt like she had fallen down a rabbit hole and was lost in Wonderland. She may have been aware that vampires existed, but she hadn’t believed it went beyond that. In the span of a couple days she had been through hell. She had almost died in a house fire and had been transported to another realm entirely through a magical portal with a vampire. What she thought of as vampires were actually humans turned by demons from hell and called skirm. Shifters existed, but they weren’t werewolves. She had been attacked by a poisonous spider the size of a small car and was saved by vampire blood. Dark Fae called redcaps had sliced her to shreds and if Kyran hadn’t been there, she would have died.
Kyran had thrown her for a loop. He wasn’t the blood-sucking fiend she expected. Like anyone, he had issues, but he had saved her life three times. Unfortunately, that required giving her his blood which happened to alter her DNA, making her immortal. And, to top it off, she learned that she was his Fated Mate and her safety and protection seemed to be his highest priority. The idea was utterly baffling to her, but according to Kyran, she carried part of his soul. She had never been a religious person and hadn’t given a second thought to the idea of having a soul, much less two.
In this strange turn of events, she was working with a vampire rather than killing him. She had even been intimate with him. In her defense, he was drop-dead gorgeous and she couldn’t be near him without wanting to jump his bones.