"Watch it, buddy—hands off the merchandise."
"Sorry. Please come this way and let me make you more comfortable. Are you hungry? I have an excellent chef on staff."
Still a little uncertain, Nessa followed him down the long hallway into a large office. Huge shelving lined one wall from top to bottom, with all sorts of artifacts, books, clay tablets, pieces of statues, painted bowls and a host of other items. A huge mural hung on the back wall, depicting a pyramid structure in the desert sand with a large silver moon shining down on it.
"That is a Ziggurat, the Moon Temple of Ur in Summer,” Thomas explained, since she was staring at it so intently.
"Neman's temple?"
"Neman? Nanna was the Moon God of Ur."
"Yeah, I know, but he calls himself Neman now,” she told him. “Never mind,” she muttered, feeling tired.
"By your accent, I'm guessing you are Australian. This is something I didn't expect.” He offered her a seat.
"Yeah, well, just because we can't find three wise men and a virgin doesn't mean nothing special comes out of my country."
Instead of a laugh, Thomas looked perplexed. “Allow me to explain a few things and clear up all this confusion. I come from a long line of prophets and priests going right back to the time of ancient Sumeria. The first one being Armod, the great prophet and priest. He served in the temples of the Moon and Sun Gods. It has been our duty to protect each prophecy our ancestors wrote down. It has been a long and heavy burden on my family. The Prophecy of the Prince was the last one uttered before Armod's death and the last one to be fulfilled. And now, here you are, the Chosen One. Can you tell me how he came to you? Did you see him? I hear most gods come to people in their dreams,” he said with great reverence.
"Uh, no, it wasn't a dream.” There was no way she was giving details of her sex life to this man. “Have you been eating too many nuts off the crazy tree? Okay, so you're a priest and you want to see your ancestor's legacy through, that I can understand. But what I don't get is why you kidnapped me away from your revered Moon God's own protection?"
"The great god, Nanna? He, himself, protects you?"
"I didn't get pregnant by sitting on a toilet seat, and he's going to be one pissed-off god. Your Nanna is Neman, like I tried to tell you before. He's got a place right here in Los Angeles."
The man went pale and sat down behind his desk. “Oh, I didn't know. Why would he walk among us? A god?” He looked confused. “If this is true, then I have violated the sacred trust of him who I worship. I must return you right away!"
As he got up to reach for a phone, Nessa stood and walked to the distressed man, patting him on the shoulder. “It'll be all right—it's just a little misunderstanding. As soon as Neman knows you had my best interests at heart, I'm sure he won't cut yours out. I'm guessing there's a lot you don't know about Neman, or Nanna. Things have changed a lot in several thousand years. You weren't supposed to know your god changed his name.” Sure, he was missing several fruit loops out of his bowl, but he seemed harmless enough.
The doors to the office burst open and Neman stood there, with a deadly looking, curved sword in his hand and a dark, dangerous scowl on his face. Nessa drew a sharp intake of breath. He looked just like an ancient warrior. Even with black jeans hugging his perfect ass, Neman was a perfect male specimen. His gaze swept over her and then Thomas, who looked shocked by his sudden appearance.
"Wow, you sure know how to make an entrance,” said Nessa.
In a flash, he had Thomas pinned to the wall with the sword at his throat. “Anyone who takes what is mine will pay,” he growled at the poor professor.
Thomas’ eyes bulged. He was clearly frightened by Neman's sheer power and strength.
"Hey, macho man, put him down right now. He didn't mean any harm.” Nessa grabbed at his arm.
Neman dropped the man at his knees and stepped back.
"It's you, the great god Nanna. I beg your forgiveness. I didn't know. I only wanted to protect the Chosen One as it's my duty."
Neman's dark scowl turned into one of surprise. His gaze scanned around the room and he glanced up at the mural of his Ziggurat, then back to Thomas. “You're a temple priest?"
"From the line of Armod, oh great god Nanna."
"I am Neman. No one calls me Nanna anymore.” Neman gazed over at Vanessa. Her smile was one of amusement and she shrugged her shoulders.
"Don't ask me—maybe you two should have a little chat, catch up on ancient history or something. As you can see, I'm fine. What I need is to use the bathroom—this little blighter is playing havoc with my plumbing.” She rubbed her stomach. “Which way?"
Thomas waved a shaky finger in the direction of a door and Nessa skipped off, stopping to plant a kiss on Neman's shocked face before leaving the room.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter 9
The demon guards shoved them both to their knees as Jezebel stepped down from her platform.
"I do believe you've been keeping information from me, Slazzamar.” She glided around them. “And what is this, keeping company with mortals now? He'll make a nice meal for my loyal guards,” she said, sparing Darren a glance.
"My Queen, no secrets do I keep from you—what worth is my information if incomplete?” Slazzamar kept his head held high, watching the demon queen closely. “As for the mortal, you know me, I will fuck any lowlife."
"Take the mortal away,” ordered Jezebel.
Slazzamar jumped to his feet, towering over her. The guards gripped his arms and he struggled. “If you harm him, you'll be throwing away a great opportunity."
"Oh? Why do you believe this?"
Slazzamar had one trump card to play to keep Darren alive. “You think I've betrayed you, but you're wrong. This mortal is the Chosen One's dearest friend. If you kill him, you'd be destroying a valuable bargaining chip."
"Slazz, don't you dare,” Darren hissed, an expression of betrayal etched across his handsome features.
Jezebel turned with new interest to look at Darren.
"I can use him to draw her out—there is no doubt she would do anything for her friend,” Slazzamar added.
"You know the Chosen One, mortal?” Jezebel questioned, talking directly to Darren.
Darren glared at Slazzamar. “Unlike some people, I won't betray my friends and those I love,” he snapped, angrily.
The queen ignored him, looking back at Slazzamar. “And you know where she is?"
"I knew where she was, until some of Belshazzar's idiot soldiers turned up and failed to do their job. That's when I found him. My methods may seem unhurried, but I always accomplish my goal. The way to kill someone like the Chosen One is quietly and quickly without barging in and blundering about."
"So aptly named, Slazzamar the Sneak.” Jezebel waved her hand and the guards released him.
"You used me,” he heard Darren say under his breath.
Slazzamar steeled himself, turning his cold eyes on Darren. “I told you I was a demon, Darren."
"Well, this is delightful. It seems I underestimated you again, Slazzamar."
"My Queen, I live to please you,” he purred, hiding the hate for her churning in his gut. “The plan, my Queen, is to draw the Chosen One out so she is vulnerable and unguarded, which was working well until your guards burst in on us. How can I use him now that he knows of my plan? At least he was an enjoyable fuck."
"You fucking bastard!” snarled Darren, trying to launch himself at Slazzamar. The guards held him back easily, while Jezebel laughed.
"You are underhanded and evil, perhaps you should be in my employ, full-time."
"My Queen, as tempting as the offer is, I'm too expensive to keep.” Slazzamar needed to think fast. “If you permit me, perhaps I can still salvage my mission. The mortal still may be of use. A word in private, if I may?"
Jezebel smiled evilly, crooking her long finger for him to follow. “Don't harm the human, too much,” she added to her guards, while Slazzama
r followed, fighting not to flinch when he heard Darren's flesh being struck and his resultant grunts of pain.
Slazzamar's brain raced to come up with a believable ploy to get Darren out of this place as quickly as possible. Once alone in Jezebel's chambers, Slazzamar ran his fingers along her arm, keeping up the pretense of still wanting her. She fluttered her eyes at him seductively. Slazzamar felt nothing for her. Once he lusted after her perfectly formed body, but now, she revolted him. “Sometimes, my Queen, being a half-breed has its advantages. I have the power to blindside the human. You will have the Chosen One within the next turn of the moon."
"This would fit in well with my plans. I need not bother with that fool, Belshazzar, but what of Neman? How do you plan to deal with him?"
"The problem with Neman is that he never goes out of his depth when dealing with any of our kind. Once you have the Chosen One, he will blindly stumble into any nest of vipers to save her."
She paced about the chamber, seemingly deep in thought. “I do like the way you think, Slazzamar. Go do this—bring the woman to me and the rest will fall in place like a pack of cards."
Deck of cards, you idiot
"I shall finish what I started and kill the upstart god."
He turned to leave, but Jezebel halted his progress. “If you fail to deliver, Slazzamar, no Realm will be safe for you or anyone you've ever known. I will personally peel the skin from your flesh."
Slazzamar knew Jezebel always followed through on her threats. There was no turning back now. He gave her a self-assured smile.
Darren was face-down on the stone floor. Keeping his pace casual while striding back into the chamber, Slazzamar hauled Darren to his feet. There was blood on his neck and his face was bruised. Still, he struggled in Slazzamar's grasp.
"Get away from me, you traitor!"
Slazzamar used his elfin powers to delve into Darren's mind and force him into a deep sleep.
Darren slumped in his arms while he carried him out of range of Jezebel's throne chamber to a place he could teleport from. He gave the queen a salute, charged his power and popped out.
There was no way Neman would take Vanessa back to Los Angeles. He would have Mark bring her belongings to the Zigg when he arrived.
It was an interesting conversation with Thomas Armod once the man got over his initial fear of being in the presence of an actual god. He begged Neman's forgiveness for taking Vanessa. Neman understood and was amazed at the survival of such a legacy. Neman remembered the old temple priest, but was too caught up in his own affairs to notice he was a prophet of both Realms, or he would have certainly paid more attention to the man when he was alive.
Thomas wanted to help and had a small army of men trained to fight demons at his disposal. Most of Neman's agents were spread out around the globe, and a handful were trained to fight non-human creatures. He could probably do with some extra protection for Vanessa. The man would also be a good addition to the Moon Shadow Agency. He would have Mark contact him soon to talk business.
Vanessa was breathtaking in a blue dress, clinging to her curves and highlighting her pale blue eyes. Her slightly tousled brown hair fell down around her back and over her shoulders. Their gazes met, a smile played upon her naturally pink lips, and Neman's cock hardened, painfully. It was time to leave.
"All playing nice, now?” She came back into the room, and both men rose from their seats.
"Come,” Neman ordered, a little more harshly than he intended. He opened his arms to her. She had been out of them for too long.
"Gee, anyone would think I was a pet with the way he orders me about—come, stay, sit, roll over."
Despite her long-winded protests, she went into his arms, her warmth seeping into him as she pressed her body against his side. Anchoring his arm tightly around her waist, Neman summoned his power and in the next instant, they were in the corridor of his Ziggurat.
"Wow, what is this place? I thought you were taking me back to your place in Los Angeles,” she said, still unfazed by being teleported.
"It's not safe for you there any longer. This is my home. I don't live in Los Angeles—it's just one of the few places I use when hunting in the country."
"One of the few. How many places have you got?"
"A half-dozen or so scattered across different countries."
"You have some kind of network set up around the globe?"
"You could say that.” Neman didn't want to talk about his hunting activities, or his agency. What he wanted was Vanessa naked under him. Taking her hand, he tugged her along the illuminated corridors.
"So where is this? Looks like some kind of mausoleum.” She trotted along by his side.
"This is what remains of my Ziggurat."
"You mean like the picture on Armod's wall?"
He let her go as she spun around.
"But why does it feel damp and dark?"
"We are three hundred feet below ground in the Sumerian Dessert."
"We're in Iraq?"
"Bagdad is three hundred miles in that direction.” He pointed to a stone wall.
"Why hasn't the U.S. bombed the crap out of you yet?"
Neman smiled. “My fortress is undetectable to humans."
"Aaahh, more godly magic, gotcha.” She tapped her nose.
"We're safe here for now, and you should not be able to get yourself into too much trouble in here."
"What do you mean by ‘get myself into trouble'? You're the one getting me into trouble."
Neman pushed open the heavy door leading into his chambers.
She ambled in, taking in the surroundings of his sparse bedchamber. A few weapons and shields decorated the windowless, solid stone walls. His large bed sat in the center of the room and a few wardrobes were in one corner. To the far end was a second door to the bathroom. Vanessa walked to the bedside lamp and tapped at the bulb. “How do you get power down here? You'd think for an ancient pyramid, there'd be flaming torches to light the way. Oh, I do hope you have plumbing."
Neman closed the door, flicking on his security switch. “You don't remember this room, sweetness?” His lips twitched up into a smile at the memory of their first night together. It was something he would never forget.
She turned to gaze at him with mirth and mischief in her eyes. “No, but I'm going to take a wild guess and say this is the place where Junior was conceived."
He smiled wickedly at her before stalking over to her. “Take off your clothes."
She raised her chin at his demand. “Has anyone ever told you how bossy you are? I guess being a god, no one tells you anything, but ‘yes, o mighty one.’”
"I've never known someone to talk so incessantly."
"Well, you're not the one...” She gasped, suddenly finding herself naked.
Neman was through waiting. He used his powers to teleport her clothes from her body.
"Better.” His eyes hungrily took in her lush curves, also noting her lower stomach which swelled slightly, pleasing him all the more. Neman dropped to his knees, his hands on her hips and he tenderly kissed her stomach. “All mine,” he murmured against her soft skin. He slid his hands up to cup her full breasts, squeezing the gentle flesh and loving the way they filled his hands. He strummed her hardened nipples between his thumb and forefingers, and she gave a soft moan while her fingers threaded through his hair. Neman smelled her arousal. It was a heady scent.
"It seems an eternity since I last had you.” He rose up, slipping his hands down to her waist. Lifting her up against him, he gripped her beautifully rounded ass, her legs automatically anchoring around his waist. In a flash, his clothes vanished. Now they were pressed flesh to flesh, his cock inches from her wet heat. His mouth sought her breast, sucking the flesh into his mouth and using his teeth to scrape against her nipple. Without any preamble, he lowered her onto his aching cock. Her tight sheath stretched around him, welcoming him home. Releasing one breast with a soft plop, he lavished the same attention on the other breast.
; "Ooh, Neman,” she moaned breathlessly as he filled her, until he could go no farther.
"Yes, sweetness, you are made for this, made for me.” He lifted her, almost withdrawing all the way, then plunging back in. She gasped and panted, clinging to him while he set a steady rhythm. Careful not to break their connection, he shifted their position and set her down on the bed, never stopping his intense, penetrating thrusts. She tugged at his shoulder and licked her lips. Neman closed his mouth over hers, scraping her lower lip between his teeth before thrusting his tongue deep into her mouth, kissing her with an intense passion. She held nothing back from him, instead giving him everything she had. He angled his hips to hit the right spot within her, quickening his pace. She was wild beneath him; her pale painted fingernails clawing at his shoulders. Her heels dug into his back as she arched, trying to take more of him. Holding her tight, he hammered home, time and time again until she screamed in rapturous pleasure, trembling and quaking in his arms.
Neman gritted his teeth. Her hot sheath squeezing and spasming around him pushed him to the edge. He held on for as long as he was able to push her, straining to hold back his own impending climax until he heard her come again. As a fertility god, he had a reputation to uphold. He reached down between their bodies, his fingers finding the ultrasensitive, swollen, pink nub and gave it a gentle pinch with his thumb and forefinger.
She started to sob beneath him, begging him both to stop and to keep going. Her whole body shaking, she screamed ecstatically once again. It was then he let go, feeling the intense power charge through him more extreme than a god bolt. Multicolored lights exploded behind his eyes. He threw back his head, a deep, guttural groan tearing from his throat and his seed spilled forth into her depths. As though he'd been struck by lightning, he knew in that moment he possessed the greatest power and curse no man or god could ever control: he loved Vanessa. Never had he loved his wife with such intensity as he did this frail, mortal woman. She still panted with closed eyes, while he slowly withdrew from her heat then lying down on the bed to pull her into his arms.
Moonlight Captivation [Moon Shadows Book 1] Page 8