by Morgan Wylie
“So I’m a weakness?” Alana asked instantly put off, placing her hand on her hip.
“Yes. You are my weakness.” He moved in close, so close their chests were touching and he could feel every rise of her breasts as her breathing escalated. “I’ve waited so long for a mate, to find you. I can’t think straight when I’m this close to you. My defenses are weakened when I feel your skin on mine. My animal is restless and all I want to do is curl up next to you and crawl inside you where I know I will find home. But we can’t do that just yet.” He stared into her eyes for a moment as his mouth rose in a smirk.
Alana stared breathlessly into his eyes then took a step back and shook her head. Closing her mouth, she realized her jaw had been wide open. Rylen tapped her on the nose and took another step back and took in a deep breath. He nodded at no one in particular then whispered, “Show time.” He squared his shoulders and turned his features stony.
Rylen opened the door and walked in, Alana close at his heels.
Inside Headquarters, Tom sat in his usual spot and to Rylen’s pleasant relief so did Poppy. Her countenance beamed as her fingers flew across the keyboard, happy to be home. Her few wounds were healing well too. As soon as they entered, Tom fumbled and stood to greet his boss with unease and Poppy simply chuckled and rolled her eyes at Tom. Rylen smiled at her and realized how much her presence had been missed.
“Poppy, I believe you have had the pleasure of meeting Alana.” Poppy smiled and nodded with a little wave which Alana returned in kind. “Tom, this is Alana.” Rylen turned back to Alana. “Alana, Tom is one of the head engineers in our IT department along with Poppy. Any technological needs you might have, these two can help you with. They are also quite handy with gadgets as well.”
“Nice to meet you both.” Alana grinned. “Officially,” she added in Poppy’s direction.
“Come in. Sit down.” Poppy gestured to the theatre seating directly behind the control panel seats in front of the largest screen Alana had ever seen. “Let’s get this show on the road.” Poppy turned back around to the front and began pushing buttons.
“You ready, Rylen?” Poppy looked over her shoulder for confirmation, her finger poised above one button ready to push at his word.
“Yes.” He stood tall and proud right in front of the screen, a sentry positioned at the forefront of his castle, ready for whatever might come through. The screen came online instantly with a crystal clear view into another room, into what could be another dimension for all any of them knew. No one knew exactly where the Black Widow’s lair was; rumor was that the headquarters she used was in New Orleans, but Rylen believed her personal lair could be in a lower level of hell itself.
“Rylen,” the Black Widow crooned from the monitor before her face was revealed. “You disappoint me. The high members of the alliance still live. And you are running out of time to prove to me you are the leader I need you need to be.” Her face instantly appeared in the screen too close to the camera, creating a distorted and creepy view of her eyes until she moved back and twisted. She had been upside down, then slowly righted herself, always so careful not to show too much of herself. Her movements were twitchy and inhuman. Her overly large eyes of coal reflected the light from the computer screen on her side. “I will find out if you are hiding anything from me, Rylen. Make no mistake of that.”
Rylen noticed Alana stiffen in his periphery. Black Widow was quite a presence for even those that had dealt with her before. He didn’t blame her but wished she hadn’t yet drawn attention. Widow’s eyes barely shifted but Rylen knew she was aware of most everything in the room.
“We have scouts out looking for the remaining members of the Fairfax group as we speak. They have gone underground for now, but they will resurface they are intent on their mission. You know this.” Rylen informed her, choosing to ignore the other comments she made. If she knew anything about the Oracle, they were in trouble of this he was sure. “But that is not why I have called for you today.”
The woman in the screen ticked her head in curiosity. “Did you bring me a gift, Rylen?”
“Mistress, this is Alana.” Rylen inclined his head indifferently toward Alana. “I happened upon her only to discover she is the chosen mate of my beast.”
Something sparked in the obsidian depths that took on new interest at the woman now standing awkwardly next to but a part from Rylen. Black Widow appraised Alana with what seemed to be hunger and a hint of sexual interest. A low rumble of warning came from Rylen’s chest. Black Widow snapped her eyes back in full to Rylen’s own in challenge. Rylen gripped Alana’s bicep and pulled her roughly behind him, emitting a cry of shock from her.
“My beast has claimed her. Whether I want her or not, she belongs to me and I will protect her as such.”
Alana pinched Rylen’s arm. In return he squeezed her arm back and gently rubbed his thumb over her soft skin where he held her, reminding her it was for show.
“Interesting,” Black Widow purred. Placing a long spindly black-tipped finger upon the side of her face, she continued. “Is that what you said to her father when you stole her away from the very organization you were supposed to be destroying?” She stopped and looked at Rylen then again at Alana, though it was hard to tell exactly where the black orbs that were her eyes were trained. “Or perhaps did he just let her go without much of a fight, resigned to the cycle that is her life?” The Black Widow was taunting them, Rylen knew, but he also knew Alana wasn’t going to let that go.
“How do you… What are you talking about, the cycle of my life?” Alana looked from Rylen back to the screen. Feeling the slightest bunch in his back muscles, she knew she spoke out of turn, but she didn’t care at this point. That woman—thing—in the screen knew something.
“I see he never told you, then.” Black Widow moved closer to the screen as if she could see better or perhaps she wanted Alana to see into her eyes. If they were, in fact, the window to the soul, then Alana should be able to see something that would give her the slightest hint as to who or what this woman saw. But what Alana saw, she couldn’t put into words. She could see her own reflection, but she saw herself over and over again through time in various places and doing things she had no memory doing in her life. And yet it was definitely her, and even her father, in some of the images she saw. The reflections she saw moved so fast, she couldn’t be entirely sure of everything she saw. The last image was of a little girl with soft blonde curls wearing a dress, the vintage of a time long since passed, playing near a well-traveled dirt road. The girl kicked the ball into the street. She went to get it right as a horse-drawn carriage steered erratically onto the lane. A boy, slightly older than she, came running up the other side of the road screaming soundlessly at her. He extended his hands, and a bright light exploded from them, throwing her violently back from the road. She thought he had pushed her, but he wasn’t close enough to make it in time. Just beyond her coming out of the storefront was her father, his face white as a ghost stricken with fear and also relief… until he studied the boy. His face turned into a fierce scowl, he charged toward his daughter protectively. The images clouded over and disappeared once again in to the vastness of the black pools of the Black Widow’s eyes. She moved slowly back away from the camera, giving Rylen and Alana a fuller vision of her face.
Alana tightly gripped Rylen’s arm still slightly behind him. Her breathing accelerated and her heart skipped a beat.
“I don’t understand. I have no memories of what you just showed me. That can’t be me… and yet it looked like me.”
“You are cursed, dear child, to live life over and over again upon your twenty first birthday. No memories. Just simply starting over from the age of the small child in the image you saw,” the Black Widow explained.
“What?” Alana and Rylen exclaimed simultaneously.
“You heard me.” Black Widow glared at Rylen’s outburst.
“How do you know this?” Alana questioned quietly.
“What you
need to be focused on is that you are coming upon your twenty-first birthday, are you not?” Black Widow teased as if this was a game. “Running out of time, I’d say.”
Alana looked to Rylen who simply watched Black Widow intently. When he did turn his gaze to hers, he shook his head in denial. He didn’t know anything of it.
“How does she reverse the curse, my lady?” Rylen spoke, his tone flat, but deadly.
“Good guess, my pet, I do know.” She looked at Rylen without a care for how he spoke to her. She was not threatened, hidden away in her private den. “It’s quite simple really.” She steepled her hands together in front of her mouth and drummed the long and sharp black tips together menacingly. “She must find her magical counterpart. If it is you, Rylen, you will be the one to ignite her magic. If not, then I’d say her time is dwindling to find that counterpart. She’ll have to try again in the next life.”
“Let’s say I believe all that you’re saying—crazy as it is—how do you know any of this?” Alana asked for the second time. This time slightly stronger than the time before.
“And why are you telling us how to break it? Why does it benefit you?” Rylen questioned.
“Ahh, would your happiness not benefit me, Rylen? You are one of my own,” Black Widow spoke with mock sweetness. Rylen knew she didn’t really care. She had an end game. Something was always in it for her even if for pure enjoyment. “Let me just say that I’ve decided to take an interest in the outcome now that she is a part of your team.” Black Widow tittered about for a mere moment, adjusting her position, always needing to move, to react.
Alana stepped forward and steeled her spine. She needed to know. Looking Black Widow directly in the eyes, she spoke with a steely tone. “How do you know this?”
Almost as if she had forgotten Alana was still there, Black Widow turned back to her. Her eyes held a burning image of her father directly at their center. “Because, child, I cursed you.”
The screen blacked out. Alana stared at the empty screen breathing hard, her chest heaving on the verge of panic. Rylen gripped her hand.
“Disconnected. Sorry, Boss,” Tom spoke in the silence of Headquarters. Rylen nodded to Tom it was fine. Poppy gave Alana a concerned look.
“Come mate. Let’s go,” Rylen spoke gently and pulled Alana from the small room, now feeling even smaller, the air thick and heavy despite the air conditioning. Alana followed with Rylen numbly from the room.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
“Do you believe her?” Alana finally spoke once they were privately shut into Rylen’s room. Her voice was quiet and unsure. Rylen wanted to go after Black Widow right then for stripping his mate of her confidence. He wanted to shake that she-demon to her core for her fucking revelations. Rylen knew Black Widow was up to something. She had reasons for everything. It was one thing to mess with him and his future, but she messed with his mate and it was all he could do to contain the beast at the moment.
“I do,” Rylen ground through his clenched teeth.
Hearing the change in his tone, Alana searched Rylen’s face. Realizing he was on the edge of his control, she approached him slowly. “Are you all right?”
Rylen shook his head. “I’m sorry. I am here to comfort you, but my beast can’t seem to get past that you were cursed, that you’ve been hurt so much and he wasn’t there for you. He wants to tear something apart until someone pays for the treachery against you. I do too.” Rylen paced in front of the large king-sized bed.
Alana moved directly in front of him, forcing him to stop pacing and look her in the eyes. She put her hands on his chest, feeling the rapid beating of his heart, the quick rise and fall of his lungs, the heat the seeped from his body. It gave her comfort to touch him, to know he was near and he cared. He reached up and cupped her cheeks with both hands, staring intently at her.
“Alana. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. We will discover the way to reverse the curse,” he spoke quietly.
“I believe you,” she whispered breathlessly. “I believe you are the one to reverse it, Rylen. You have already saved me and you’ve brought me truth.” Alana gazed longingly at Rylen’s face, igniting a hunger deep in her belly when she studied his mouth. She wanted to taste him.
“Go ahead. I’ve got you, Alana,” Rylen encouraged.
Without further encouragement, Alana stood on her tip toes and slid her hands up the remainder of Rylen’s hard muscular chest then clasped them behind his neck. Painstakingly slow, she moved closer, pressing the soft smooth lines of her body flush against his until the only thing left to touch was her mouth to his own. His strong, masculine arms encircled her, caging her in with warmth and protection. First, she was tentative in her kiss. Then something sparked in her, beginning in her core then moved outward to the rest of her body. It sent shock waves to every nerve ending. Her body felt alive and hummed with an energy that was not only natural, but also magical. Rylen’s hands skimmed across her body, learning her curves and moving with a need to touch and claim every inch of her. Hunger for more of it, for more of Rylen, drove her to boldness and ignited her passion. Their kiss deepened and their tongues danced seductively together.
At Alana’s moan of need, Rylen scooped her up and took her to the center of the bed and gently laid her down, her blonde hair strewn beautifully around her head, framing her face. Rylen gazed unabashedly at her starting at her face and slowly taking in all of her. He climbed up next to her on the bed, watching her as he moved in closer, slowly as a predator ready to devour his meal. Chills popped out all over Alana’s silky white skin, but she was not afraid. She wanted him and he could smell her desire all over her. Climbing on top of her, he bent his head to hers then sliding it down, he nuzzled her. His nose rubbing across the sensitive, soft skin behind her ear. He inhaled, her scent bringing him home.
“You are so beautiful, Alana. And you smell so delicious, my mate,” Rylen said, his voice roughened with his desire and need.
“Rylen,” she started breathlessly, “I need you.”
Rylen sat back, but before he could get off her, Alana’s hands roamed up underneath his shirt, gliding her fingers across his taught abdomen. Rylen closed his eyes, caught up in the sensation of having his destined mate touch him and feel her desire through her every movement across his skin. Her movements took her hands to either side of his lower stomach. Boldly, she slid her fingers in the band of his pants and skimmed her fingers toward the button of his jeans. Rylen reached down, his arms crossed and gripped the hem of his shirt, quickly pulling it up over his head and throwing it uncaringly to the ground.
Alana’s eyes grew wide with desire as she took in the sight before her, his beautifully sculpted masculine body called to her. She wanted to touch him and never stop, she wanted to lick him and explore his taste. Her fingers rested on the button of his jeans while she openly devoured his upper body with her eyes.
“You’re killing me with the way you look at me, love.” Rylen smiled at her. She then cocked an eyebrow and flicked her fingers over the clasp of his pants and the button came undone. Slowly, so slowly, she pulled the zipper of his fly down. “Nope, that’s killing me,” he chuckled as he jumped back off her and the bed.
“Hey!” she pouted just as she was about to let him truly loose.
“You first,” Rylen’s eyes smoldered with heat and desire. He grabbed her hands and pulled her to sitting then he reached down and took hold of the bottom of her shirt. She raised her arms as he began to pull her shirt off. “So lovely,” he whispered with awe as he threw her shirt behind him. With feather light strokes, he caressed below her collar bone trailing his finger over the luscious swells, dipping down to the “V” between her breasts, causing her to moan with pleasure. “Lie back, Alana.” She did so and slowly he teased her as he removed her pants. Once off, he glided his hands back up from her ankles up her calves and over the outside of her thighs. Rylen smoothed his hands over the tops of her thighs then down to the insides, slightly spreading her le
gs further apart. Alana offered no resistance, encouraging him further—not that he needed any. He teased her by running one of his fingers over her skin at the outside edge of her panties, around the outside of her hips and all the way down to where they rested just below the juncture where he knew she needed him most.
“Rylen!” she protested.
“What do you need, love?”
“I need you, now,” she demanded. He chuckled at her boldness.
“Perhaps you are part animal, you saucy minx.” He continued to tease her, touching her and loving her everywhere near but not at the place she desired his touch most. “Where do you need me, Alana?” Rylen kissed her left hip then kissed her right hip.
“You know where,” she replied.
“Show me.”
To that, she moved her hand seductively down her stomach not stopping until she reached the final destination. His eyes lit with hunger. “You are a little minx.” He smiled and hooked his thumbs up under the edges of her panties and pulled them down, his hungry eyes taking in everything they revealed.
“Yes, Rylen. Touch me, please.”
“Here, is this where you want me to touch you, Alana?” He placed his hand at the apex of her desire.
She nodded her head but cried out in frustration when he removed his hand. He took her hands and placed them above her head, slowly gliding his hands back down her arms until they covered her breasts still protected by a lacey white bra. Alana sighed with pleasure at his touch.
“Do you like my hands on you, Alana?”
“Yes. Everywhere.” Her breathing escalated, and sparks of electricity hummed in her veins just under the skin. Rylen must have felt it, sensitive to magic as he was. He reached for the clasp of her bra in the front and unhooked it, unveiling her exquisite round full breasts for his eyes to feast upon. The cool kiss of the air conditioning tickled her nipples stirring them to instant state of attention. He pinched and twisted them each between his fingers. Alana’s chest rose with excitement and need. Rylen bent to place his mouth over one while his hand caressed and massaged the other. His teeth scraped and nibbled as his tongue followed, lavishing and circling her hard tip deep within his mouth. Then he repeated on the other side.