Lost Protector (Midworlder Trilogy Book 3)

by Maggie Mundy

  “It’s fine,” Soren replied. “I’ve been seen as worse things than an angel before. I think I can live with it.”

  Barry stood. “Well, I’m up early in the morning. I’ve some fencing work to do. You sure you can’t stay another day to help?”

  “We’d like that, but we really need to get to Sydney,” Anne said.

  Anne elbowed him and indicated the kitchen, and Soren took it to mean they needed to help clean up the dishes. When they finished, he followed her down the corridor to their bedroom. Soren was experienced with women but at this point his hands went clammy. He didn’t want to disappoint Anne. He considered they might have so little time together that he wanted sex to be special for her.

  She walked back in from the bathroom with her long T-shirt nightie on. It hid her curves, but it wasn’t going to stay on long if he had his way. He was already stripped to nothing and under the sheets as he rested up against the pillows behind him. She shook her head when she glanced across at him.

  “You keep looking at me like that, and I’ll come before you touch me.”

  “I don’t know what you mean, but I don’t care as long as you come again when I do touch you.”

  “I feel like I’m naked already, and you’re about to pounce.” Anne smiled as she got on the bed and straddled him across his hips.

  Soren placed his hands under her top and discovered she was wearing no panties. It made his cock even harder, if possible. He leaned forward and pushed her hair aside so he could plant small kisses along her jaw and down her neck.

  Anne whispered in his ear. “I don’t know if it’s the bonding, Soren, but I want this so much it hurts not to be connected with you. My brain is telling me it’s mad to feel like this so soon, but my body won’t listen.”

  “I want you too. I want to have my lips on every part of you until you beg me to enter you.” His comment brought a little groan from her. The sound of her excitement spurred him on.

  Soren moved back and pulled her nightie off. Everything about Anne was perfect, and he wanted to drink her in. Her long hair flowed about her shoulders, and her lips were parted, waiting for his tongue to delve into the warmth of her mouth.

  Her breasts were full and firm, and her nipples had hardened into tight buds that he intended to nip and suck until she groaned for more. Her hourglass figure accentuated her waist, but it was the triangle of hair and her open legs enticing him. It would take all his restraint not to flip her over and plunge into her warm core right now. He could smell the need coming from her for him, and he had never wanted to satisfy a woman so much as he did now.

  “Stop looking and touch me, Soren.”

  He drew her close so her breasts pressed against his chest. He brushed his lips across hers. She opened to him and he slipped his tongue in her mouth. Slowly, they got to know each other with kisses as they fought to get closer. He could get lost in her mouth forever.

  When he moved away, she panted.

  “Lean back for me,” Soren said.

  Anne supported herself by putting her arms back, which caused her breasts to protrude even more. He put his arm around her waist to brace her as his mouth found her left nipple. He flicked his tongue around the taut flesh, then bit down and sucked. Anne did the little groan again. The sound urged him on as he ran his hand down over her buttocks and between her legs. He could feel the heat coming from her core. She was stunning, and he wanted more.

  He eased Anne off his lap so she lay next to him as he threw back the sheet covering him. Now she could see how keen he was for her. Anne stared straight at his dick and then grinned.

  “Well, my, my. Is it part of the whole angel-demon thing to be well endowed? I’m not complaining, mind you. I’ve thought you gorgeous since I first saw you. I’ve not usually been with a man who looks like he should be on the cover of a magazine.”

  “I’m glad I please you. You should also know I find you irresistible. Now let me do more.”

  “You know the good angel, bad angel thing. If you want to be wicked with my body, then just go for it.”

  Soren took her command literally and moved down the bed so he was placed between her legs. He licked a line from her hip bone down to her groin and her pubes. Her legs relaxed apart as he laid his tongue flat against her clit. She was already swollen with need. He flicked and sucked her little bud as her legs shivered. he hoped the sensations were spreading throughout her whole body.

  He needed more as he licked down her folds and delved into her core. She was so wet for him and he loved the earthy taste of her. He moved back up to her clit and rubbed her opening with his finger. As he pushed one, then two fingers into her, she responded by clutching around him. In and out he pushed his fingers with increasing speed. He flicked her clit until he could hear her breathless pants as she came. It was the most beautiful sound he knew to exist in the world.

  He could feel her spasm around him and then removed his fingers. Slowly, her body calmed, and he moved up until they were face-to-face. He could feel the head of his cock pressing against the heat of her opening, but he wanted to make sure she was ready. His cock was so hard and his balls were so tight he thought he would burst if she said he needed to slow down.

  “Do you want to wait?” They were the only words he could get out.

  “No. I need you in me now.”

  It was all he needed to hear. He edged forward until his dick entered her warm channel. She was perfect and made for him. He was a big man and didn’t want to hurt her, but it was agony to go slow. He eased forward as she wrapped her legs around his hips, encouraging him. She was so wet and tight as he moved slowly back and forth until he was completely encased by her heat.

  Anne smiled and put her hand against his cheek. He leaned down and took possession of her mouth as he moved inside her body. Slowly, their bodies rocked together as their tongues fought to get closer.

  When they stopped kissing, she whispered in his ear, “Take me hard. Don’t hold back.”

  With those words, he plunged again and again into her heat. From the sounds she made and the way her body pulsed around him, Anne would climax soon. Then he came in a rush of heat as his seed poured into her. Time and again, he plunged as she pulsed around him and he grunted his release.

  As they lay there, spent, Soren opened his eyes and noticed that Anne glowed. In fact, the two of them glowed so much they illuminated the room like a hundred candles aglow.

  Anne laughed.

  It was not the reaction he’d expected.

  “I’ve had lots of sex,” she said, “but I have to say this is a first for me. I can see why they paid you extra. Does this usually happen?”

  Soren shook his head.

  “It must have something to do with the bonding. I’ve a feeling we may have just been a whole lot more wicked than we should’ve been, and I don’t care one little bit.”

  “Neither do I.” Anne said. “In fact, I’m happy to repeat the experience.”

  “Thank you for trusting me, Anne. I’m honored you chose to join with me.”

  She reached up and brushed her lips against his in reply.

  He wasn’t sure what had happened, but he knew his connection to Anne felt even stronger now. He rolled off and snuggled into her back and placed his arm around her so he could hold her close. He wasn’t so keen to find Edric anymore. An Angelic Midworlder would not be so happy for him to be connected to someone like Anne. Edric would break the bond if he could. Soren didn’t want to accept the truth, but he knew it would probably be for the best. He just hoped he would die then. The thought of Anne with another man would kill him. Such a short time had passed and yet he could not imagine a world without her in it.

  The glow lessened as Anne drifted off to sleep. He didn’t think sleep would come, but as always, her touch calmed him.

 
~ ~ ~

  Without warning, Soren came awake. He needed to leave. He stumbled from the bed and grabbed his jeans from the floor. He yanked them on, trying not to fall over.

  “Are you okay?” Anne asked.

  “Fine, I just need the bathroom.”

  He made his way down the corridor, using the wall for support. His view of the world tipped as dizziness threatened to overwhelm him. He needed to get out of the house before the anger took over and he tried to kill someone. It was still dark outside, but the world seemed to have taken on a red hue. He didn’t know where to go, but he knew he needed to run. If he remained, he might kill them all, including Anne.

  His thoughts were spinning out of control. The woman called Anne was the problem. He needed to kill her, or he would never be free. He imagined his hands around her throat, squeezing the life out of her. She had corrupted him, and he was meant for Liliath.

  Soren shook his head. No. He cared for Anne. She would never hurt him. He kept on running, away from the homestead. He eventually made it to the rocky outcrop and climbed. He peered out at the land before him. The sun would be up soon, but he didn’t want to see this sunrise if it meant he would kill Anne. She would be better off without him. He could see the homestead in the distance and knew the others would get her to Sydney. Standing on the edge of the escarpment, he didn’t hesitate and flung himself off.

  The air sped past his body as the ground beckoned. Then pain coursed through him and his back burned, as if on fire. Too late to save him, his wings erupted. He tried to control his descent, but they caused him to swerve sideways and crash into the ground. He heard the crunch and felt the snap as his bones broke and his wings shattered. Agony ripped through him. Soren might get his wish and die after all. He tried to breathe but started to cough up blood. As the sun came up, his world went black.

  Chapter 9

  Crushed Wings

  Anne turned over and put her hand out to find Soren. He wasn’t there. She grinned, remembering last night and the amazing sex. She still wasn’t sure about the glowing-body thing, but then again, she had just had sex with an alien. She had a vague recollection of him getting up before to go to the bathroom. She must have drifted back off to sleep.

  Anne shivered as a sense of dread wafted over her. She hated spiders and felt as if one had just crawled across her face. The bed felt cold where Soren had laid. She jumped up and drew the curtains back. The sun was up. There was no way he would leave her after what had happened between them in the night. It might not be love, but it was a strong connection.

  Anne grabbed her clothes and got dressed. Barry and Jeanette were in the kitchen having breakfast as she rushed in.

  “You all right, dear?” Barry asked. “You look pale as anything.”

  “Have you seen Soren? Sometimes he gets dizzy spells and wanders off like he’s sleepwalking. I’m worried he might have hurt himself.” Anne tried to stop the shakes developing throughout her body.

  “We thought he was in with you. The car is still outside, so he couldn’t have gone far,” Barry said as he gulped down his tea and stood.

  Anne went to follow Barry but stopped to grab the table edge as she doubled over in agony. Soren was in pain, and she was sharing in his suffering. At least it meant he was alive. She suddenly felt a coldness grip her as if her heart was in a vise. All she could think was she couldn’t live without him. She had always been independent, but she would not want to go on if he died.

  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to steady herself. She saw a picture in her mind, and it wasn’t a pleasant one. Soren stood in front of her with his hands around her throat. She struggled to breathe as he pressed on her windpipe. The next moment, he gazed at her with tears in his eyes and turned and ran.

  Shaken, Anne sat down at the table before her legs gave out.

  “Let me get you a glass of water,” Jeanette said as she filled up a beaker from the faucet.

  Anne gulped down the drink, finding the world had returned to normal again. “I’m fine,” Anne lied as she took a deep breath and stood. Outside, she stared at the expanse of farmland about them and closed her eyes to see if she could get a sense of where he was. It might be risky making contact after what she’d seen, but she had to find him. Nothing entered her mind except pain. Then her back felt as if it was on fire.

  “I know where he is.”

  Anne turned to see Fiona standing up on the porch.

  “Not now, Fiona. This lady’s young man may be hurt.”

  “I followed him. He flew and then went splat.” Fiona clapped her hands together and frowned. “His wings are not so pretty now.”

  Anne’s stomach turned, and she fought to keep down the bile rising in her throat, but for now she believed Fiona.

  “Can you show us where he is?” Anne asked.

  Fiona nodded and came down off the porch and skipped away in front of them as she hummed a tune. If Anne’s life wasn’t already so wacky, she would have considered this foolhardy.

  Barry stopped and said, “Maybe we should get in the truck. If he’s hurt, we might need to bring him back in it. Come on, Fi. Let’s go for a ride.”

  Anne got in front of the truck with Fiona beside her, and they huddled together. Jeanette waved to them from the porch.

  “Barry. He’s over by Bull Mountain,” Fiona said as she mimicked bull horns on her head.

  Barry drove out through the paddocks and toward the escarpment Anne saw a few miles away. She tried to sort out in her mind why Soren would run. When it came down to it, she didn’t really know him, even if she had slept with him. Soren had warned her about the darkness, but he had been so kind since they met. Foolishly she’d thought if they were away from Cameron then things would be okay. Soren had said he needed some treatment for what was wrong with him. He was spending all his time and energy on her and now he was paying for it. He had to be alive. Nothing else was acceptable.

  “It’s not really called Bull Mountain,” Barry said as they got closer. “Not really any mountains around here. It just looks like a bull's head with horns when you look at it.”

  “There he is.” Fiona pointed toward a group of trees at the bottom of the rock face.

  At first, Anne couldn’t see Soren. Then she gasped at the sight of his torn and battered body. Fiona was right. He had wings, and Anne’s heart ached at the sight of them. She pushed open the car door and ran across to him. His body was a mass of bruises and cuts, and his face was swollen. Anne placed her head against his chest. She could still hear a heartbeat. She would have thanked God, but she wasn’t sure if he existed anymore. If he did, he might not be too keen to help.

  She thought Soren’s wings would be white, but they were red. Despite the color, she could still see where his blood had congealed on them. His wings were open and spread out on either side of him, but they appeared broken and bent at odd angles. There were red feathers all around them, and Fiona ran around collecting them. Anne wanted to hug her right now.

  “Well, I’ll be blowed. Look at that. Fi was telling the truth all the time.” Barry wagged a finger at Anne. “Which is more than I can say for you two.”

  Soren opened his eyes and let out a wild roar of pain. The birds in nearby trees to took to the air, their squawks matching his shrieks.

  Soren grabbed her and held her close. Anne wrapped her arms around him as if she could take some of the pain away. He screamed again as she rocked him back and forth, while Fiona did a little dance around them holding the feathers. Anne knew her life had always been strange, but this was surreal. Could she be dreaming? If it meant Soren didn’t exist, then she would cope with now and the pain instead.

  The world around her became fuzzy as she entered his thoughts. He reached out to her with his mind. He was trying to reabsorb the wings. She didn’t know if it would work or if he c
ould hear her, but she sent her thoughts back to him.

  Take what you need. We’re in this together. I can’t lose you, Soren. Where will I find another great, sexy guy with wings who likes me and my weirdness? I need someone who sings as flat as I do and your voice is terrible.

  She didn’t know how he did it, but she could feel the drain of energy from her body as if she were losing blood at an alarming rate. Her heartbeat quickened as the world about her started to spin. She was going to tell him to stop when he screamed once more and his wings disappeared.

  Anne didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He was still with her, and it was all that mattered.

  “Let’s get the pair of you in the back of the truck,” Barry said. “Thought I’d seen everything in my life but this one tops it all. Even beats when old man Thomson in town said he saw a UFO.”

  Fiona offered a hand while Barry helped Soren off the ground. The three of them struggled with Soren’s weight as they slowly made their way to the truck.

  Anne’s body ached liked she had the flu, and she could only imagine the pain Soren must be in.

  Fiona still held the bunch of feathers in her hand as she put her arm around Anne to support her. Fiona patted her hand. “I have some glue back at the farm. When he makes them come out again, we will stick them back on. I like red. It’s my favorite color. What’s yours?”

  The question seemed so random, but it made Anne smile. Would he ever be able to make his wings appear again? Would he want to? She had to wonder if their appearance was connected with his anger or the bonding. She had so many more questions for Soren, but for now, she would answer Fiona’s instead.

  “Yellow. I love sunflowers. My aunt used to grow them in her back garden. It’s why I wear the silly T-shirts with sunflowers on.”

  “Flowers are good. I love flowers. The sunflower means you adore him and will live a long life.”