by Brianna West
Never would I have imagined the sheer volume of passion that Lucas harbored within him until now.
He was a passionate love-making machine!
His body was both powerful and magnetic as he increased our pace. I was barely breathing, gasping and panting just to stay alive enough to reach the peak of ecstasy. I was riding the line of it, so I groaned in frustration before gyrating my hips at another angle. Shortly after, I was finally feeling the familiar crash of my orgasm.
“Fuck,” I moaned as the heat rushed through me and left me numb and oversensitive.
Lucas increased our pace once more before stiffening and pulling me into a rough kiss. His body was trembling in a luscious way as he rode out his orgasm. It was mesmerizing to watch this powerful man, whom at all times remained in control, lose that very control he worked tirelessly every day to maintain.
It was starting to become my drug of choice.
“Oh god,” I said burying my face into his shoulder. “They could no doubt hear all that.”
“They were good friends and even better comrades,” Lucas started as he pressed gentle kisses against my wet hair, “and I will miss them.”
My laughter was muffled by his shoulder. “We're never going to live this down.”
“Which is reason enough to kill them,” he countered evenly.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell if he was serious or not. His sarcasm was sometimes very difficult to read.
I pulled away with a smile. “I forbid you from killing your friends.”
“What if I were simply to injure them greatly enough that their memories of the event were lost as a result?” Lucas inquired with a mischievous smirk that was very unlike him but was effectively giving me butterflies in my stomach.
“No,” I laughed softly.
Lucas lovingly cradled my neck and pressed his lips against me, pulling me flush against him in the process. “I will protect you, Izzy. Whether it is our enemies or our friends, I will never let any form of harm come to you.”
“Right back at ya,” I countered with a kiss.
–
The next morning, I attempted to prepare eggs and bacon for those of us that ate. I had noticed how the Cowboy Twins inhaled the meat from yesterday, so I made damn sure there was a mountain of protein.
I might actually make a good wife at this rate.
Bacon fat popped and burned my arm. I spoke too soon. “Shit,” I cursed as I rubbed the injured arm.
Lucas was immediately at my side, inspecting my arm before healing it a moment later. “I should cook.”
“Back off, mister. I'm cooking this morning,” I warned before turned back to the eggs fluffing in the pan beside the bacon. “Besides, I'm starting to get uneasy. I need to do something.”
“If you insist,” he said reluctantly.
“I do,” I said, pointing the spatula at him with a glare. “Now, go back to your seat, you overprotective brute.”
There was a look of defiance for a moment before Lucas sat down and once more gazed at his laptop.
“Whoa, she tamed a guy like Lucas,” came a voice from the far end of the kitchen.
Pavel strolled in behind Bernie saying, “Even Lucas can't say no when it’s his woman.”
I glared back at the two of them before pointing my spatula at the table. “Sit. Now. Both of you.”
To my surprise, both men instantly sat down without complaint.
Hey, I could get use to this.
I huffed before turning back to my task.
“She's mighty energetic for a lady who was up all night making noises like those,” I heard Bernie say.
Before I could even turn around, I heard Bernie's yelp coupled with a loud smack.
“Damn that hurt,” he groaned, rubbing his head where he had apparently received the hit. “You don't play fair with that ungodly strength of yours, boss.”
“I heard the cry of an idiot,” Carl said as he came into the kitchen. “Surprise, surprise. It was you, Bernard.”
“I'm making breakfast,” I chimed in. “Go ahead and sit down. It'll be done soon.”
“Why is she so nice to Carl?” Bernie whispered to Pavel.
Carl cleared his throat before stating, “Because I respect the lady, which is more than I can say about you two idiots.”
I served the slightly overdone scrambled eggs and pile of bacon to them, grinning at my accomplishment.
Hell yeah, I was awesome!
Despite my horrible cooking skills, all of them, save Lucas, devoured the entire spread. It was a satisfying feeling. Guess men were won through their stomachs.
“I'm curious,” I said towards Bernie as I felt out the energy in the room. “What it is that you and Carl are mixed with?”
His slow smile sent shivers straight down my spine. “Are you now?”
“They are were-tigers mixed with warlock,” Lucas supplied coolly.
Bernie's smile dropped into a frown. “You're no fun.”
“I think the mystery you were going for ended up coming off as incredibly creepy,” I said simply.
“As in, remarkably disturbing,” Carl added. “I was almost inclined to smack you myself, brother.”
Were-tigers.
A month ago, I would have been terrified. Today, I was merely curious what their tiger forms looked like. Would it be considered heavy petting if I touched them in tiger form? I burst into uncontrollable giggles.
“There she goes again,” Pavel said while leaning back into his chair.
Izzy.
My laughter ceased as I bolted upright.
Cecile and Gustave were attacked. We are in the process of locating them. I need you to speak with Lucas and Pavel. We may require their assistance in this. Victor’s deep voice echoed in my head.
Gasping, my eyes widened. Cecile and Gustave were captured?
“Izzy?” Lucas questioned firmly. “What is it?”
My stomach felt heavy as I attempted to swallow around the building anxiety in my chest. “Someone attacked Cecile and Gustave. Victor is requesting that we help find them.”
All four men stood abruptly.
“Get every detail you can from him,” Lucas ordered.
--
Cecile and Gustave had followed a lead about a possible Bleeding Stars hideout. Victor and Cecile had remained in contact throughout the entire operation until the connection was severed. Since Victor was unable to directly intervene, he was seeking us out.
It was a risky move on our part. We could be walking into a trap. Lucas believed as much, but our fellow Guardians were worth the risk.
“I'm coming with you,” I demanded as the four of them hovered over the table planning their strategy. Lucas ignored me as he spoke quickly to the other three. “Lucas,” I growled, “I'm coming, too.”
“Absolutely not,” Lucas rejected. “You will remain here.”
“Alone?” I quipped angrily.
He faltered but immediately recovered and slammed his fists down on the table. “You will remain here with Carl.”
“I should go with you,” Carl interjected, “Leave Bernard.”
Lucas scowled. “I will not leave your idiotic brother to watch over Izzy.”
“Hey, I resent you for saying that,” Bernie pouted.
Pavel patted Bernie on his back. “You are kind of an idiot.”
“I know, but you guys don't have to say it out loud,” Bernie argued.
“Then you should watch over me, Lucas” I interjected, eager to sway him any way I could.
This insufferable jerk was going to make me pull my hair out. Time to pull out the big guns.
I eased closer, running my hand over the exposed skin of his arm. He faltered once more in his speech and turned to glare at me, but it lacked its usual ferocity.
“Please don't leave me here,” I implored sweetly, batting my eyelashes prettily at him.
All my failed attempts at seduction had led me to this.
Long minutes passed as Lucas
watched me severely. “You will not leave my side,” Lucas stated in defeat.
Pavel grunted in approval.
“Now that everyone is sufficiently satisfied, I would like to get back to how we're going to infiltrate this hideout.”
These ninjas were going to pay for kidnapping my friends.
Game on.
Chapter Eleven
Strapping the belt that held an assortment of weapons to my waist, I gave myself one last look.
I looked badass, if I did say so myself.
I had chosen simple black clothing that would allow me to move easily but still managed to show every curve of my body. I had drawn my hair tightly back into a ponytail so that it wouldn't get in my way; the last thing I needed was to be choking on my own hair while fighting amazingly agile ninjas. The soft and hard angles of my face were exposed, and I was finding I quite enjoyed how the long hours of training had helped me tighten my body and lose a little bit of my donut weight.
I was ready to slay me some ninjas.
If I knew anything about ninjas—which was very little and supplied only by the one anime I had been forced to watch by an ex—it was that they were quick. Probably not as quick as Lucas, but I didn't plan to let Lucas play protector this time.
I was going to kick me some ninja ass. Izzy style.
I narrowed my eyes at my reflection. The blue and yellow irises were almost entirely thinned by my pupils. Apparently, I liked what I saw. I did look a little sexier than usual.
There was a pink flush to my cheeks, and my lips were glossy since I had previously licked them. It probably most closely resembled the way I looked after Lucas and I did the naughty.
You know, minus the mess of tangles that defied gravity and the satisfying hum of my body post-coital that made me lazy with speech and even lazier with movement.
Fighting got me excited in more ways than I cared to admit. It was a rush that I was starting to get addicted to like some sort of junkie. Hopefully, I could keep my head in the game and not lose sight of our main objective tonight.
Recovering Cecile and Gustave.
I gripped the counter tightly. I was going to save my friends. I was going to rescue them, and then I was going to beat the shit out of the people who had kidnapped them. Scoffing, I released my hold on the counter and left the bathroom.
The boys were waiting downstairs, all of them fashioning their own style of gear and attire.
I was in no way surprised that Bernie had decided to wear a cowboy hat. He seemed like the guns-blazing type of fighter. He had also decided that a sleeveless white t-shirt that stated 'don't need permits for these guns' was appropriate for the occasion.
Carl had slicked his hair back, looking a little too done up to be heading into battle. He fashioned a gray blazer and vest, his guns and knives hanging securely on a belt. Instead of a cowboy, he more closely resembled someone in the mafia.
Pavel was in his usual clothing, form-fitting and all black. He had styled his hair away from his face tonight, exposing the sheer beauty of his face. He still looked crazy delicious even despite being locked up for the last few weeks. Of course, he was still very much the Russian bastard I knew so well, but at least he was consistent.
Finally, I assessed the man I was most eager to look at. Lucas' hair was hanging loosely around his face, giving him a particularly wild look. He wore a sleeveless, black leather top, exposing his massive arms that were corded with protruding muscle. The shirt he chose to wear was nearly painted to his form, leaving nothing to the imagination.
It sort of resembled those chest plates that Roman soldiers would wear in all those timeless classics I found myself watching.
With black pants and combat boots to complete the look, Lucas looked every bit the powerful leader he was.
Scrum-diddly-umptious!
Dammit. Focus, Izzy. Stop ogling your comrades.
The direness of the situation had not, unfortunately, suppressed my sexual appetite for hunks. I was seriously beyond help at this point.
“Hey, Pavel,” Bernie called out in a flamboyant voice as we started for the door. “Do these pants make my butt look fat?”
“More importantly, your shirt makes you look like an asshole,” Carl commented gruffly.
I knew I liked Carl for a reason.
“It misleads enemies into underestimating me,” Bernie shot back. “It's called strategy, dear brother.”
“Strategy requires intelligence, of which you lack,” Carl returned as we followed Lucas outside.
“You're always such a meanie,” Bernie whined, losing all the respect he had earned from me just moments before with his amazingly stupid strategic move.
Carl snorted. “And you're always an incomprehensible idiot, but I'm dealing.”
Lucas was immediately beside me, easily disregarding the bantering twins, and quickly helped me onto his back. The position made me feel a tad childish. So, I kicked my legs back and forth in an effort to dispel the awkward with my always spot-on humor.
“Riding you has never been so much fun, Captain Lucas,” I said with an insinuating grin.
Bernie ceased talking to gawk at me. “Some of us are single and bitter. Stop rubbing your relationship in our face.”
“Some of us shouldn’t procreate,” Carl teased at his brother. “For the good of all mankind.”
Carl didn't pull any punches.
Poor Bernie.
I offered Bernie a sympathetic frown and then followed it with a thumbs up. “Stay positive, Bernie. Someone will be ignorant enough to be with you. Maybe even have your babies in hopes that those particular genes don’t pass on.”
Pavel barked loudly with laughter, slapping Bernie's shoulder with a little too much strength. “Yes, you need to go for the ones that don't know any better. Like girls in colleges, or maybe even high school.”
Carl was shaking his head, rejecting the statement while I said, “That's gross, you pervert. Don't tell him to prey on young girls. Don't you have any morality?”
Pavel was shrugging with his usual grin when he was thinking something very naughty. The guy was a real pervert sometimes, or rather all the time.
“Morality is a concept that unattractive people developed in order to distract from their lack of conquests. I said it merely because Bernie would be desirable by high school girls the easiest since he owns a vehicle,” he explained as if it commonly understood knowledge.
Why was it that Pavel exposed the level of his intelligence in the most perverse ways?
“Even the younger generation these days would figure out very quickly that he is just a pretty face with muscles. And despite his head being so large, there's nothing in it,” Carl interjected with a small smirk, eyes glistening like a mischievous child.
The Cowboy Twins may look exactly alike, but their personalities couldn't be any further apart.
“I hate all of you.” Bernie grumbled bitterly.
“That's enough. We need to leave. Izzy, I know this is your least favored way to travel,” Lucas began, situating me comfortably, “but it's my preferred method for this operation. I want you with me at all times.
I made a noise of disapproval. “Fine. How are the other guys going to get there?”
“With a little bit of magic,” Pavel replied, smirking devilishly. I very nearly rolled my eyes.
“Although this method makes my tummy go all willy-nilly,” Bernie added with an expression of distaste. “If Lucas would just take us with you—“
“I refuse to carry all of you,” Lucas interjected immediately. “Besides, with all of us, it would be harder to remain concealed for long.” This was followed shortly by a glance back to me. “Izzy, I need you to concentrate on creating an invisible barrier around us. Think of it like you do when you are closing your mind, but instead you will be imagining an invisible wall around us.”
Seemed easy enough. I knew it wouldn't be though.
“So you want me to make us invisible?” I asked.
; “Essentially that is the idea,” Lucas asserted. “It will take a great deal of focus, so I need you to concentrate. If this is a trap to lure us there, it will be vital that your concealment of our persons works. Pavel will be able to conceal himself and the others but not for long.”
Okay.
I closed my eyes, imagining a wall building and hiding us away. The warmth grew from my belly and slowly flowed through me until my entire body was heated.
“Amazing,” I heard Bernie breathe. “I can't see or feel a damn thing. That's pretty impressive, girlie.”
As much as I wanted to be flattered, having that come from an idiot seemed to detract from the value of the compliment. It was especially hard to take him seriously in that shirt.
Now I was starting to see the genius in it.
“Wait until you see what she can do to a forest of trees,” Pavel stated in a prideful voice. I was never going to live that down. I didn't mean to decimate an entire forest! “Time to go,” I heard him add before their essences disappeared.
We instantly followed, the plan being that once we arrived, we would assess the hideout before attempting to infiltrate it. Lucas had used a lot of big words that I barely understood the meaning of, so I wasn't completely sure on all the details.
I planned to Google them later.
At least for my part, I was going to help feel out the enemies and relay the information to Lucas. Usually that was Pavel's job, but it would seem I had proven myself capable enough to replace him.
We were going to split into groups; me with Lucas—of course—and the Cowboy Twins with Pavel. After locating Cecile and Gustave, we would immediately rescue them and get the hell out of dodge. Despite my eagerness to kick some Bleeding Stars ass, my priority was to our friends.
By the time we reached the supposed hideout, I was sweating and feeling a little weak. Concealing us had seemed easy at first, but the longer I kept it, the harder it became. The back of my shirt felt damp, and my breathing had become somewhat labored.