by Sedona Venez
Her heart hammered like she had been running a marathon. “Alik… he showed up at my pre-concert party, saying he was sent by the Collective to kill me.”
His fingers stilled, staring at her, watching warily as she seemed to slip into another world. “Go on,” he demanded, nipping her lips, forcing her dazed gaze to slide back to him.
“I don’t know how to describe what being around him is like. I hate him to the core, but there’s something between us that’s dark and sordid.” She cleared her throat, looking at him uncomfortably.
Boulder could sense her unease.
“You know, this a really awkward conversation.”
“Are you attracted to him?” he asked while searching her eyes carefully. He stepped back, giving her enough space to answer without the pressure of his body pressed against her. Clearing his face of all emotions, he waited.
Her eyes narrowed. “Alik? No! He sickens me.”
He waited tensely before she looked at him for the first time with lucid eyes, then stared into space with furrowed brows. She continued. “But there's this dark thing within me that gravitates to him.” Gritting her teeth, she paused. “And when I get my hands on him, I'm going to kick his ass for using compulsion on me for the second time.”
He watched curiously as she continued as if trying to piece together a story she couldn’t quite figure out.
“When he bit me… I saw the evil monster he truly is. Jeezus, he’s narcissistic and pure destruction.” She swallowed hard.
“He wants me desperately, and this is not me bragging as if I’m the hottest chick on the block. Believe me, when it comes to him, I don't want to be that chick.” She bit her bottom lip. “He wants this dark, evil power within me. He wants to merge with me like some freaky unity of crazy and evil. It's fucking bizarre.”
He grunted. She grabbed his face with both hands.
“That’s all you have to say? You need to give me more than grunting like some damn caveman.” She waited, but he remained silent. “Okay, let’s get this straight, Big Red. I don’t want him sexually. You get that?”
Boulder arched a brow with an impassive stare.
She continued. “He and I are like oil and water, but every time he’s around me, the evil in him feeds the darkness within me like nourishment. It’s sordid. I know this. Wanting to consume his darkness like food is fucking crazy, but it's freaking there.” She paused. “He’s a smorgasbord of crazy waiting to be consumed.
“I know I can’t let it happen, Boulder. People will die… lots of them.” Her fingers twitched.
He sighed heavily when he saw the way her eyes dilated when she mentioned killing and death. He thought that he had more time before the battle began, but that was not to be. Now he understood the reason the Immortals brought him here tonight. He had to claim her before all was lost, and he planned to do exactly that. She was going to be his without a doubt.
Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him. Running her fingers through his hair, she tugged it roughly.
“I can’t explain why, but when I’m with you, all the darkness, all the simmering urges to destroy and kill shift to calm.” She swallowed. “You make everything all different. You make me different.”
Her eyes widened with desire when he fisted the hair at the nape of her neck. His stamp of possession. It was one thing to smell the lust rolling off her in waves, but when he saw the raw emotions in her eyes, his heart raced. She wouldn't admit, yet, that she loved him. Just as he loved her.
“As it should be. True-mates will always balance each other.”
Her eyes saddened as she shook her head in denial. “I can’t do this with you, Boulder. I want to, but I can’t.” He could see her struggling to let go of what they had. He would not allow it. He couldn't. Squeezing the back of her head gently, he kissed her hard before nibbling on her full bottom lip.
“You’re not my savior nor my protector, Infinity. So don’t even try to let go of what we have. I can take care of my damn self.” He saw the tears glistening in her eyes. She was scared for him. Just as he was scared for her. “Don’t you get it? Nothing will ever be right for either of us apart. You know this. We belong together.”
She touched his chin. “I'll never deny that I belong to you. In my heart and soul, I know it. Boulder, I want it so bad… I can taste it. But this evil festering inside me will destroy you and everyone around me. I've seen it.” She smiled sadly. “I can't give you what you need. What you deserve.”
He gritted his teeth. She really didn’t get it. She was the only woman who could give him what he needed, and he would fight to show her that and more. He grabbed her ass, hoisting her up. Instinctively, Infinity wrapped her legs around him, her hot womanhood rubbing against his lower abdomen.
He released a soft growl of satisfaction, pleased she knew exactly where she belonged… with him. Her curvy body molded against his as she linked her fingers together at the back of his neck, tracing over the tattoos of snarling wolves surrounding his muscular neck.
Mumbling against his chest, she said. “Oh, Big Red, let me do the right thing for once in my life.” She lifted her head, grabbing his face between her hands tightly. “Maybe I'm not being blunt enough. You. Will. Die. If Mason doesn’t kill you, Alik will. If both of them don't complete the job, my idiot sperm donor, Maxim, will do it.” She forced a hard tinge in her voice. “It's all there in black and white. Now, let me go and walk away… while you still can.” Holding her breath, she waited.
His gut tightened at the raw pain he saw in her eyes. She had been lied to, used, and manipulated all her life. She didn't know anything else, but he swore he would spend the rest of his life showing her that he was different. That he could give her what she deserved: a lifetime of love, trust, respect, and protection.
“What I get is that you're trying to be a fucking martyr.” He kissed her hard. “And I don't need that shit. I need you to fight by my side and love me hard. That's it. You let me worry about everything else,” he said with an equally hard edge to his voice.
She gritted her teeth with frustration.
He continued. “And on the death thing… I'm not going to die, trust me on this.” He smirked before nipping her neck. “The Immortals won't allow me to escape their wrath that easily.”
She sighed heavily. “Oh, Big Red, no one can escape death.”
He was more powerful than he wanted to reveal.
He smirked, loving that she still held his gaze even when he could see the nervousness lurking there.
“Infinity, I’ve done a hell of a lot of living, and I’m still here on this realm for a good damn reason. So let me take care of us.”
She arched a brow. “Uh-huh.”
He continued. “You have a hell of a lot to learn about Others, darlin’. A lesson we'll save for another time.” He licked the seam of her lips. “Now I have some more important business to tend to… like claiming my woman.”
Her body trembled. “Big Red, you scare the living crap out of me.”
He felt her delicious shiver. “I know that, baby. It's hard for you to give that part of yourself you’ve kept hidden for far too long. It is all right, you know? I’ll take care of you. Mind, body, and soul.” He opened his soul, his heart, and mind, letting the love he felt for her burst through.
Infinity moaned with delight. She touched his jaw, locking eyes with him.
“Boulder, I spent a lifetime at war with myself, not understanding why I felt the way I did. Why I had visions that scared the shit out of me.” She sighed heavily. “My mom was there, but I knew that there was a hell of a lot of stuff she hid from me.” She shrugged. “And Mason… well, he hurt me years ago.”
Boulder's eyes urged her to continue.
“I thought I was in love with him. It was a stupid crush, but you couldn't tell me that.” She laughed bitterly. “Even before I offered myself to him on a silver platter, the spirits in my visions told me that he would rej
ect me. That he was not the one. And when he did exactly what they predicted—rejected me, and quite brutally I might add—not only was my ego bruised, but I started resenting this thing within me.”
She looked at him pointedly. “I see things before they happen. Bad things. So, you see, I know what my path is. I've been shown it too many times to forget. I’ll destroy and kill. And that won’t change no matter how bad I want it to.” She paused. “And because you refuse to tuck your wolf tail and run and because I want you so damn bad that I can taste it on the tip of my tongue, I’ll never let you or this go.” She sighed dramatically.
He arched a brow with a sensual smile.
“Yeah, I know, that was way too drama. Cut me some slack, wolf… I'm a drama queen.” She pulled his head down roughly, kissing him quickly. “Learn to deal with it. It's an Infinity thing… You wouldn't understand.”
He leaned in, nipping her bottom lip possessively. “Trust me on this. No one's path is written in stone, especially yours. I don't deny that it’ll be a challenging journey, but it’ll be you and me together in the end. And there's nothing that the High Council can do to change that, and that's what scares the shit out of them.”
He saw the uncertainty in her eyes. “Baby, I'm different than most shifters. I can't go into details right now, but when this whole shit with Mason and Alik is over, I'll explain everything. But for now, understand that I've had a whole different life than most shifters.” He hesitated, not knowing how much the Immortals would let him reveal before silencing him. “I’m the son of a very powerful pureblood.” He bit his tongue, leaving out that his mother was both feared and revered among the High Council and that the crazy hag had no intention of letting anything happen to him. Her sadistic streak wouldn't allow it… Besides, she needed him.
She arched a brow. “As in Druids?”
“Yes.” He sighed heavily, feeling the looming sense of his mother's disapproval. He was toeing the line by revealing this information. The Immortals hovered closer, readying to snatch him away before he revealed anything more.
He heard a sinister whisper. Be careful, Boulder.
His mouth tightened. His mind rebelled, but he knew the repercussions would be severe.
“But the most important thing you must know is that some have pledged their allegiance to the High Council, like Alik and Mason. But they have higher ambitions. Alik leads a band of killers that seeks to overthrow Stephan. This technically wouldn’t be such a bad thing if it were not replacing one bloodthirsty prick with a bigger, badder version. Then there’s Mason. If he gets what he wants, the position of tiger king, his people will suffer under his rule. The wolf-shifters don't give a shit if they kill each other off, but conflict and chaos always bleeds, and we can’t afford another Fire and Ash war. Either way, it’s all about…” He looked at her pointedly. “Using you.”
A shiver ran down her spine. Her eyes narrowed. “Why don't you want to talk about Druids?”
“I can only tell you so much. The rest you must learn on your own.”
“And what do you want?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Before you came along… I was consumed with wanting revenge for the senseless death of my adoptive parents.”
“And now?”
He laced his fingers with hers, his lightly tanned skinned contrasting beautifully with her glowing mocha skin.
“From the minute we met, I knew you were different.” His voice was a mixture of lust and triumph. His mouth was on her instantly, demanding entry. She opened them with a breathy sigh, twining her arms around his neck. He nipped her bottom lip before pulling back. His green eyes flashed with emotion. “I need you by my side.” Leaning forward, he licked her bottom lip slowly before nipping it. “As my mate and eventually as the mother of my children.”
Arching a brow, she asked, “Are you going to kill Alik and Mason?”
“Darlin’, that's a given.” He grabbed her chin gently. “Understand this. I don't take the preciousness of life lightly, but if it's a choice between your life and theirs… I’d choose you every time.” His canines dropped with a feral glint in his eyes. “Besides, you and I know they have it coming at the dull end of a rusty knife,” he stated icily.
Her arms tightened around his neck as she looked deeply into his eyes. Boulder kissed her lips.
He smelled the fear all over her. He wanted to give her words of comfort, but they would be meaningless in the days to come. There were hard times ahead for both of them. His mind rebelled at the secrecy he was bound to, but he knew that revealing it would only have disastrous results. Her fear would eventually pass and somehow she would deal with the heartbreaking loss… no matter how temporary. Her resilience would cement their bond in the end. This was her burden to bear. Her test to pass or fail.
He buried his nose into her neck. “Your smell is intoxicating,” he muttered. His nose lingered along her pulse as his hands pinned her arms above her head. His lips touched her ears. “I need you.” His voice became hard, demanding, showing her he was in charge.
She blinked, nodding slowly.
“No nodding, darlin’. All verbal from here on out. I need you to understand that once I claim you, there is no going back. Wolf-shifters mate for life and I wouldn't have it any other way,” he rasped. There is no one that could come between a wolf and his mate once the final bond was completed.
Releasing her hands, he allowed her to unwrap her long legs, sliding down his body sensually. He pulled her T-shirt over her head with one smooth movement.
She bit her bottom lip anxiously.
“You want to mark and claim me as yours,” she croaked. Tugging at his waistband, she reached between his legs, closing her hand around his huge swollen manhood.
He growled with satisfaction. “And someday, you’ll be able to mark me as yours. A mark that I will wear proudly.”
Leaning forward, his tongue slid against hers. His lips slid down to her throat before placing kisses all over the column. She moaned as his hands skated down to her velvety smooth back, then gripped her voluptuous ass. As she pressed firmly against his manhood, she cried out in ecstasy, but he caught the noise in his mouth, swallowing it.
A low growl rumbled deep into his chest as he lifted his head to lock eyes with hers. His lips caressed hers, soft and still. Leaning into him, she stood on her tiptoes, wiggling her hips closer to his.
“I may never be able to shift, Boulder,” she said with a frustrated grunt.
He smiled, proud she was embracing her wolf side. “You'll be able to shift, baby. It’s just going to take time to unite your wolf and Valkyrie side.
She shrugged. “I'm not a patient girl and not being able to mark you will send me crazy.”
“They’ll know who I belong to. I belong to you, heart and soul,” he responded sensually.
Before she had a chance to say anything, he kissed her. His eyes locked onto her before lifting her into his arms and starting to move toward the bed.
“Stop,” she whispered. He stilled. “Put me down.”
He squeezed her before releasing her to her feet. He tilted his head in a wolf-like way. “Second thoughts?” he asked calmly.
She smiled slightly. She circled him slowly. “Not a chance, Big Red.” Stopping, she grabbed his jeans waist and tugged. “I want my brief moment of control before you get me on that bed.” She snapped open the button at his waist, pulling down his zipper slowly. “Good God!” Her eyes widened. “No underwear.”
She made an almost strangled sound as she zeroed in on his hard length. “Very nice!” She licked her lips.
Following the sexy pink tip of her tongue, his manhood jerked before he leaned forward and bit her lower lip.
She pulled back slightly. “No way, Big Red. I'm in control now.”
He snorted. There was no way that was happening. He liked to be in control. It was his nature, but he'd decided to entertain her lust for control… this time. “I see.”
For a long moment, they stared at each other.
She smiled as something possessive began to glow in his eyes. “Now, since this is our first time… I'll let you take the driver's seat.” She nodded toward the bed. “Only there. I can't have you thinking that you have me completely wrapped around your finger. It would inflate your big…” She pushed his jeans down and licked her lips when his thick manhood surged forward. “Ego…”
She winked saucily. “Now it takes a lot to impress a girl that’s been around the world and seen a lot of things. But consider me impressed.”
Wiggling his jeans down his muscular legs, she licked her lips, watching as he stepped back slightly, kicking his jeans away.
Crossing his arms and wearing a very sexy smile that dared her to check him out, he widened his stance. Never one to back down from a dare… she did. She bit her bottom lip as her eyes slowly roamed his body. He was simply beautiful, sinewy with hard lines and a smooth, muscular chest that had a light dusting of cinnamon-red hair that dipped below his navel, mixing sinfully with the thatch around his groin.
He growled low. “How impressed?”
His voice felt like a caress. She bit her lower lip, running her hands slowly over his throbbing, swollen manhood. “Very.”
She slithered down, getting down eye level with his manhood. A husky moan escaped from her parted lips. It was large but completely manageable. She ran her hands up and down the sides before cupping his firm balls. She marveled that his hair there was the exact bright cinnamon-red as the hair on his head.
“Hmmm… I guess I don't call you Big Red for nothing.”
Running her fingernails along his thighs, scratching along the sinewy muscles, she smiled when his manhood jumped in response. Leaning forward, her long, thick curtain of jet-black hair swung forward as she swirled her tongue around the tip, catching the sweet and salty drops of his essence.