The Eternal War Series Box Set

by Holly Vane

  He was perched on a felled trunk watching the sun rise whilst trying to slow his pounding heart. After the big fight with Jade outside The Devils Orion he had guided a zombie like Holly and a drunk Layla into a cab.

  He could see things from both Holly’s and Caleb’s point of view and sympathized with them both, but if Caleb didn’t man up and start telling Holly the truth of things, he would lose her for good.

  If he hadn’t already.

  Holly had been insatiable in bed. Dom had been more than okay with just holding her but she had been half crazed and his cock was still sore from the friction she had took him with. He would be surprised if she wasn’t feeling bruised herself. Their relationship was intensely physically sometimes too intense, he tried to keep things as restrained as possible but she made it impossible for him to be gentle. She drove him wild with lust and her body provoked him with every shudder it made. She was just so…wet and warm and Jesus the way she took all of him inside her so eagerly…

  “Hey.” Caleb’s low voice interrupted. “How is she?”

  “How do you think?” What were you doing Caleb? Letting her find out like that?”

  Caleb exhaled hard and used a fir tree to lean on. “I know it’s bad Dom. I just couldn’t help it…the way she looked...” Dom knew he wasn’t talking about Jade. “I should have listened to you and been honest with her.”

  Dominic tried to hold in the smug grin. “Yes you should have.” He threw the rest of the contents of his mug onto the wet grass and paced restlessly.

  “You saw him last night didn’t you?” Caleb asked him suddenly. Dominic nodded. “He wants to talk.”

  Caleb sighed. “What are you going to do?”

  Dom ran a hand through his hair. “What I can I do? He’s my brother Caleb.” He sat back down on the stump as the first spots of rain fell onto his bare torso. “Last night was the first time I’ve seen him since…Well you know.”

  Caleb nodded. “Did he admit to working with Michael?”

  “Yes but I don’t think he’s on anyone’s side. He wants to meet up again today.”

  “Where?”

  “I said Portland. It keeps him away from Holly.”

  Caleb smirked. “You think he’d hurt her?”

  Dominic shrugged. “I’m not giving him the opportunity to find out. I need you to stay with her today. Legion isn’t stupid. If his playing Michael then he has to have a back-up plan and with me away from St. Heralds…”

  “I won’t let her out of my sight.”

  “I should get going; I’ll probably not be back till late. Use the time Caleb talk to her, tell her what’s going on with you.”

  “You really want me to tell her everything? What if I do and she comes back to me?”

  Dominic chuckled. “Never happen.”

  “Oh really.”

  “Caleb you’ve made a believer out of me. You wanted me to fall for all this fate shit, I have. Holly’s staying where she is because it’s where she was always meant to be.”

  Caleb’s jaw dropped. “You believe…What made you change your mind?”

  “She did. The whole soul mate thing, being tied to another was a load of mushy bull I never believed or wanted. Until yesterday.”

  Cable recovered quickly but not fast enough to hid the agony in his eyes. “The library.” He said quietly.

  Dominic nodded. “No one has ever been able to control me like she does. I went into that library yesterday to finish with her,” he noted Caleb’s head jerk up. “I’m not good for her Caleb we all know it. I bring out her dark side but after…She had me against my will… I’ve yielded to no-one but yesterday I was her helpless slave. That’s when I believed…”

  “She’s your soul mate.”

  Chapter Ten

  ∬

  The Truth Is Out There

  Holly patted the silk sheets.

  “Come back to bed.” She told Dominic who gave her a lop sided grin before removing the towel from his waist. Her blue eyes blazed over his perfect body as he dressed; escaping from the tangle of bed sheets she crawled over to the edge of the bed and planted kisses in the small of his back while he fastened his jeans. Overwhelming desire filled her to the brim and she ran her eager fingers over his pale skin caressing every inch of his hard Abs.

  He turned to her and cupped her chin. “I have to go over to Portland.”

  She nodded her head not really paying attention to anything but his glorious body. Her lips brushed against his abdomen and she felt him shudder with delight. “Please?” She begged him.

  “We’ll have to make it quick.” He said laughing.

  A shot of nervous excitement shot through her as he pushed her down against the bed. Their eyes locked silently expressing the unquenchable lust that controlled them. Dominic’s gorgeous head went south and she closed her eyes waiting for the euphoria he brought. Holly fisted the covers when his tongue slid into her slick opening. She was still tense and sore from riding him last night but his soft wet tongue lapped at her with relaxing strokes making her muscles unwind.

  “Aw…that’s it…” She moaned as she hung her legs over his shoulders, allowing his spearing tongue deeper. Dominic brought her to a climax within minutes. While she was on dream street she heard him undo his fly. “God…I want you.” He said while rolling her onto her stomach. She was at his command and loved it. He held her hips and lifted forcing her on all fours, holding her still while easing into her, she gasped at the size of him.

  Dominic thrusted into her forcefully reaching forwards to fondle her breasts she pushed back against him and cried out with every powerful thrust.

  “Give it up Holly.” He groaned fingering her soaking slit. She obeyed willingly and felt his member slide into her with less friction than before as she came a second time.

  “Oh…God…” She panted while he continued thrusting furiously into her. Dominic was so deep in her that his tip brushed her uterus wall making her shake with the prolonged effort of taking it. He forced her knees wider apart then closed the gap between them pushing his cock into her and kept it there slowing to short hard thrusts.

  They both came together then collapsed on the bed. “Fuck Holly you’ve made me late.” He breathed.

  She rolled onto her side feeling his hot sticky come drip onto her thigh. She was so full of him that it was spilling out of her. “Why do you have to go to Portland? It’s our first weekend together.” She pouted.

  He pulled her to him and she laid her head on his chest listening to the pounding of his racing heart. “I have to see someone. If it goes the way I want it to…This could be what we’ve been waiting for princess.”

  Holly looked up at him. “What do you mean?”

  He got up and quickly dressed. “I don’t want to say too much.” He shoved his jacket on then crossed to her, his hand slid between her legs forcing her to part them a little. She lost her breath at this sudden and unexpected feel. “I like you full of me.” He mused before taking her mouth hard. Dominic eventually softened the kiss and she knew he was having trouble walking out the door.

  “Go.” She told him pulling away. “I’ll be here when you get back.”

  “You’re killing me.” He started to walk towards the door then turned back. “Holly Caleb’s downstairs.” He held a hand up to halt her refusals. “He’s been going through…something. Just hear him out, please for me.”

  The last thing she wanted was to get into another fight with Caleb, she didn’t even want to be in the same room as him, but how could she say no to Dom?

  “Fine.”

  “I’ll see you tonight…Holly…”

  “Yeah?”

  “Please be here when I get back. I love you.” He left quickly but his words lingered, the way he said them like he was begging her to still be here threw her off balance. Where did he think she was going to go?

  After taking the longest shower in history Holly grudgingly left the en-suite and slowly dressed. Pulling the comb through her black c
urls she contemplated staying up here all day, she didn’t think her heart could take Caleb’s revelations right now, but she had promised Dominic that she would listen. Nervously she went downstairs and found the dining table laid out with blueberry pancakes.

  “Hey.” Caleb greeted her.

  “Hey.” She said back without enthusiasm choosing to stare at the wall instead.

  “I made breakfast.”

  The ice that had formed in her gut started to thaw; his voice was full of hope and sadness that it broke her heart. “Where’s Layla?”

  “I gave her a lift into town a while ago. She didn’t want to disturb you and…she’ll text you later.”

  Holly watched him squirm while he talked, it was clear that he found it hard to digest the physical side of her relationship with Dom.

  They sat down to a tense breakfast then Caleb suggested a walk in the woods. The minute they stepped out the lodge a cold September gust breezed through the trees rattling their branches, Holly pulled her black windbreaker tight and followed Caleb.

  They eventually came to a cliff and paused for a rest.

  Caleb stared out at the small town of St. Heralds that huddled beneath them. She sat down on the cold stone and waited.

  “Holly I swear nothing happened between us until you and I split up.” His tight tone said out the blue.

  She inhaled deeply fighting the pain in her chest that burned wherever she remembered seeing him in the club, melting in Jade’s mouth. It was totally unlike him. Dominic was the playboy of the group not Caleb.

  “Do you love her?”

  Caleb glanced at her. “I care for her, but there’s only one girl who will ever have my heart.”

  “Then why’d you leave her? Her shakily voice asked. He sat down in front of her. “It was out of my hands Holly. Leaving you was the only thing I could do.”

  “What do you mean?” She desperately wanted to understand the reason behind his strange behaviour.

  “When I escaped from Heaven I was hell bent on never leaving your side again. But Jade was always there just below the surface. It felt wrong abandoning her; it went against everything I am. It got to the point where I couldn’t ignore her pleading calls anymore. But you always came first; I would wait until you were relatively safe before I left to go to her.”

  “Who wants to kill her? You’re only appointed a Guardian Angel if someone is after you, so who’s after her?” Holly added on seeing his confusion.

  “Jade is a very powerful Nephilim, she has a rare gift of seeing one’s future. Heaven and Hell are both looking to recruit her, but the danger comes from her. She’s destructive and untrusting. Guardian Angels also act as a guide helping their charges stay on their correct path. That is what I am to her.”

  “So what…You couldn’t get through to her by convention means, so you resorted to fucking her?” She couldn’t help the anger bursting out. The pain was still all too raw.

  He sighed and looked away. “I’ve crossed a line with her that I shouldn’t have, Jade was abused growing up and she expects that all men what from her is her body, I haven’t helped her outlook much.”

  “Why…” Holly broke off when tears slid down her cheek she composed herself then started again. “Why wouldn’t you let me touch you like she does?”

  Caleb breathed in then out slowly trying to stay unemotional in a deeply emotional situation. “Because it’s just sex with her.”

  She gave him a perplexed look. “I don’t…”

  “If we had…done it, I would have lost my wings.” He said quickly.

  “What? But it’s fine to do it with her?” None of this was making any sense.

  “Holly unlike Jade you have more than just my body, you have my heart and soul…It’s more than just sex with you.”

  “So let me get this straight. You can go and bang the first woman you see, and it’s perfectly okay because you don’t love her?”

  “You have the tact of a hammer, but bluntly put yes. We can share our bodies but not our devotion.”

  Holly took all this in with tightness in her chest. “That’s not fair.”

  “Tell me about it.” He muttered. “Normally we get a slap on the wrist and thrown in exile for a few days, after that we’re welcomed back with open arms, everything’s forgiven. But the minute our devotion starts to sway Heaven cuts us off before we can infect the rest. Think of Heaven as a machine Holly. Angels or rather our energy is what feeds that machine, the minute we become tainted we have to be amputated.”

  “So that’s how Angels fall?” Asked a flabbergasted Holly.

  “Yes.”

  “And that’s why you left me?”

  His face darkened and he froze like a rabbit caught in headlights. “No.”

  Holly felt another Earth shattering revelation coming and she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear it.

  “Heaven devised the perfect punishment for me.” He began. Holly had tried to get out of him what Heaven had done while they had kept him captive, but his face would cloud over and he would get this far away look in his eyes. “It wasn’t physical, that I could have took, instead they showed me…what would happen if I stayed with you.”

  “They showed you?”

  “The Thrones are Angels that are gifted with premonition. They can see everyone’s future down to the last detail. They showed me yours and what would come to pass if we stayed together.”

  Holly’s head spun she didn’t want to ask but she had to know. “What happens to me?”

  He ran both hands through his brown hair and looked at her. “You die.”

  The wood around her fell away till there was just Caleb and two words she could never outrun.

  “How?”

  Caleb looked away and she saw tears hit the grey stone floor. “Holly no one should know their future.”

  “Caleb please, how do I die?”

  “You…die giving birth.”

  Holly let out a snort of disbelief. “I…” She couldn’t even bring herself to say it. Children?

  “You were never supposed to have any. You are the last of the witches’ line. It ends with you, but I mess it up…Our son will have to spend his entire life running from the same thing you are now. Holly our child inherits your power as well as mine only he’s much stronger than both of us. They would hunt him to his grave. He would never know what it’s like to grow old surrounded by grandchildren. I had no choice.”

  “Wait a minute…How do I get pregnant if we never…”

  He shrugged. “I must give in somewhere along the line. I waited to let go of you till I knew you had someone else to lean on, someone who would love you just as much as I do…who would place your life above their own…”

  “Dom.”

  “That’s why I pushed you two together Holly, and I wasn’t wrong Dominic worships the very ground you walk on, he just doesn’t express it very well.”

  “Oh he does okay.” Holly uttered catching Caleb’s arched eyebrows.

  “Holly Dominic is where you belong. The tug you feel towards him, the constant need, pining…you’re his soul mate.”

  “What?”

  “Despite what you may have read about soul mates, the term is actually less romantic than it’s portrayed to be. You see every soul that’s created has an equal, a mate if you like. You and Dom could go in total different directions and yet in the end you would always come back to each other. That’s why you feel so strongly about him, he’s your equal. Your two half’s of the same whole. You’re bound to each other.”

  “Jesus.” She muttered. “How long have you known?”

  “I’ve suspected it for a while. Watching the connection you two have…It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. So now you know everything.”

  “Why didn’t you just tell me all this from the beginning?”

  “You had enough to deal with.” He got to his feet. “I brought you here because it was the only place that could hide you, Jade was secondary.” He helped her up and they sto
od watching the sun sink downwards behind the buildings. Holly was astonished by just how well Caleb knew her and that he’d put her first, even before his own happiness. She owed him more than she could ever express. “I’m sorry for being a bitch Caleb.”

  “Bitch?” An amused smile parted his lips. “That’s a bit strong isn’t it?”

  “I’m selfish and bratty. All this time I’ve just been thinking about me. You and Dominic have sacrificed so much just to keep me breathing and this is how I thank you. By screwing around and getting drunk, starting fights, Ether…”

  “Ether!” Caleb repeated sharply and she knew she had landed herself init. “What do you know about Ether?”

  “Crap. I…”

  “Holly what have you done?”

  She crumbled under the weight of his stare. “Remember Madrid…” She faltered at telling Caleb the truth but then again he had just come clean to her. “You left me with Dominic and had to come back because you sensed my life was in danger?”

  “You were bleeding.” Caleb finished remembering the exact moment. “Dom said you’d tripped and fell on a knife.”

  “Caleb I didn’t trip…I tried to kill myself.” It had been the night after she had left Cherry Falls. She had hit rock bottom faced with an uncertain future and none of her family left to help her she had felt so alone and…scared.

  “What?”

  “You had barely said two words to me all day if it hadn’t been for Dominic…He stopped me.”

  “But I should have felt it.”

  “Dom gave me Ether to help me sleep and I guess that messed with your…stuff. I’ve been taking it ever since.”

  “Dominic gave you Ether?” Caleb’s fists curled at his sides.

  “No Caleb, he’s not to blame he was just trying to help me, and it worked. Sometimes I struggle to get out of bed in the morning, and you know me I’m not so good at expressing my feelings. The Ether it takes the pain away. It helps me cope.”

  “Holly Ether is dangerous.”

  “I know Dom read me the warning label, but I can’t do without it.”

  “What exactly do you know about Ether?” He asked slowly trying to get a handle on his anger.