by Brenda Trim
The night was brisk, and light rain fell as she reached the vehicle. Cursing, she realized she had no key. She was heading back when she saw Santiago. He had put his shirt back on, but hadn’t bothered with pants. He still had on those deliciously tight shorts. It had taken all of her strength to keep from pouncing on him before he entered the ring.
“You are the sexiest thing ever when you are jealous,” he said by way of greeting. “For the record, I wouldn’t have noticed the female if you hadn’t attacked her. You are the only one I see, dulzura.”
Her mate was endearing and irritating all at the same time. “Don’t get used to that sort of behavior. I won’t be coming back here. And you can guarantee that I will never act like such an imbecile again.”
He grabbed her around the waist and hauled her to his side. “You don’t have to worry about that, because I don’t plan on coming back here either.”
Her mouth fell open and she stared at him for several seconds. “Were you banned for bad behavior?” She wanted him to stop the fight club, but she wanted it to be because he realized the error of his ways not because he’d been forbidden.
“No, I think Matthew hopes we will be back tomorrow. Your little show made him more money tonight than he’s made in a long time. I did some soul-searching, and I’m not saying you are right, but I realized that I need to set a better example.”
That was a start, she thought. He was too proud to admit he was wrong about the fighting, yet making changes and not using excuses. “I know I’m not the first to tell you about your behavior and I’m glad you’re listening,” she murmured, leaning her head against his shoulder.
His masculine scent teased her nostrils and had her twining her arms around his neck. Her lips found the pulse pounding beneath his skin. Inhaling deeply, she kissed a path up to his jaw.
“If this is my reward, I’ll listen more often. Let’s go back to my place,” he urged at the same time his arms wound around her and his hands slid up her back.
“I don’t want to go to your place,” she objected. “I want you to do that thing you did with the lightning again.”
“Mmmm.” He groaned against her ear before he lifted his head. “It’s too open here with the club so close. I don’t want to have to kill anyone tonight. I’m turning over a new leaf, remember?”
“You won’t kill anyone. C’mon, where’s your sense of adventure?” she coaxed.
“I will kill anyone who sees you naked,” he declared as he picked her up.
Her legs instinctively wrapped around his hips. She enjoyed the way his erection brushed against her aching core as he walked. She didn’t bother to lift her head but kept kissing his neck and jaw, trusting he was taking her somewhere less public than the parking lot.
They made it to the trees that lined the farm and he stopped briefly. “There has to be a clearing close by,” he muttered as he glanced around.
“Use your senses, wolf. Find a place you can hit me with your power,” she said, grinding herself against his groin.
“You keep that up and I am going to fuck you against that tree,” he promised.
In a matter of seconds, he had managed to get her so worked up that she no longer cared if she experienced his lightning again. “Sounds good to me. Just don’t make me wait any longer. I need you.”
He claimed her mouth and walked until her back hit rough bark. His hand was a brand on her stomach as he placed it under her shirt and explored. She was squirming by the time he reached her breast. He pinched and pulled her nipple, dampening her panties further.
He mastered her body and she heard a clap of thunder, indicating he was manipulating the weather. His tongue danced with hers and tasted and devoured her as if he were starving. Her mating mark flared to painful life the moment his hand skimmed over it.
“You’re overdressed,” he rasped after breaking the kiss. Keeping her legs locked around him, she removed her shirt in a hurry. Her wings fluttered under her skin, wanting free. She wasn’t ready to go full Valkyrie on him yet and held back. She tended to get lost in this male when she allowed her other half loose.
“You are so beautiful,” he declared. “I used to be afraid of wanting and needing someone so deeply. Now, I can’t imagine life without this fire.”
Allowing her claws free, she shredded his shirt and pushed the remains off his shoulders. “Thank the Goddess that Freya is a calculating female and decided she needed something from Morrigan. I can feel your lightning in the air around us. Feel what you do to me,” she urged.
One of his arms banded below her ass and he deftly undid her jeans and thrust his hand between her legs. Her wings shot out as his fingers teased her slit, circling the bundle of nerves that was begging for his attention. Leaning in, he bit her lower lip then kissed the abused area.
“You are so fucking wet for me. You drive me crazy,” he growled against her mouth.
“You’re the one making me crazy. I suggest you remove those shorts quickly or I’ll use my claws. My control is hanging by a thread,” she warned.
“I like to live dangerously, dulzura. I never understood what it meant to be made for someone else, but I do now. Hold on to me,” he ordered.
She tightened her hold and whimpered at the loss of contact when he removed his hand. Glowing brightly, he kept his eyes pinned to her as he brought his fingers to his mouth and tasted her. She swore she’d never seen anything sexier than when his eyes rolled back and his cock pulsed against her core.
“I need to taste you,” he said before he set her on her feet again. Wobbling as if she’d just run a marathon and her legs were Jell-O, it took a minute to steady.
Rather than reaching for his shorts, Santi grabbed the waist of her jeans and she found cool air brushing her legs in the next instant as he had them at her ankles. “Off,” he ordered, picking up one of her feet.
She toed one of her shoes off, and he pulled the pants and underwear all the way off, but never made it to the second leg. He stopped as soon as she was no longer in danger of falling over, and buried his face in her core.
The act startled her, but he gave her no mercy. He licked, sucked and probed her core with his tongue. She wound tighter with every swipe of his tongue. Her skin prickled as electricity built around them. The air thickened and the storm picked up as lightning struck the ground behind them. Santi didn’t flinch and didn’t stop his ministrations.
When the next bolt struck millimeters from her side, Santi inserted two fingers and sucked her clit into his mouth. That was all it took for her to detonate. Crying out his name, her climax escalated and she clawed his back, likely leaving furrows, but she couldn’t stop to care.
He seemed to like what she was doing, as he surged to his feet and had his shorts at his ankles in a heartbeat. Before Tori could ask what was happening, Santi was lifting her and burying his cock to the hilt.
Her core convulsed around him and she thought she’d hurt him when he suddenly stopped moving. They were both panting and breathing hard as their gazes locked. “You are mine, Tori. I will have all of you. Your heart and your soul.”
His declaration brought a lump to her throat and made her want to tell him she was already his. He had proved to her that he could change, and she already knew he wasn’t the coldhearted murderer she’d pegged him as. She had been falling for the wolf for weeks and knew it was already too late. “You’re growing on me. Especially when you combine your power with that talented tongue.”
He chuckled and pulled out until the head of his cock was all that remained inside, then thrust back in, making her bounce off the tree at her back. The bark scraped her wings, but she barely noticed as he set a furious pace.
Claiming his lips, she gave herself over to the passion. Her wings kept her upright and allowed his hands to wander over her body. One hand teased her breasts while the other tried to stroke the area where her wings came out of her back. Their fluttering was too frantic, and he moved to her clit instead. Bombarded by sensations, Tori
was overwhelmed at the same time her core clenched as another climax built.
Breaking their kiss, she fisted his hair with one hand while the other tried to grab his balls. He’d liked it when she’d done that the other night. She hadn’t expected it to make him stumble and fall to his back, taking her with him. Her wings compensated, and they didn’t slam into the dirt and debris on the forest floor.
“Having wings is handy,” he observed, lifting his hips to meet her downward strokes. He stretched her, filling her to the point of near pain. When his cock swelled, indicating his orgasm was imminent, he pressed his thumb against her clit, turning the discomfort into searing pleasure. And, then he called the lightning and it hit her in the back. Electricity and pleasure swamped her.
All she could do was nod and allow the sensations to wash over her as she came harder than ever before. His movements were inhibited as his cock swelled, locking him inside. Gripping his balls tighter, she rocked on him as much as the swelling allowed, and exploded.
A second later she watched as he threw his head back and howled while his hot semen left him in a rush. She rode the wave, milking him until they were both spent. Collapsing on his sweat-dampened chest, she ran her hand over his bulging bicep.
“That was incredible,” she said, and shivered. The cold hadn’t bothered her while they were making love, but it hit her full force now.
“Let’s find your clothes and warm up in the car,” he suggested, finally separating their bodies.
“I prefer to stay wrapped in your arms,” she admitted.
“Me, too. But we have a sorceress to find and drug dealers to foil.” The reminder was enough to get her moving. As much as she’d like to bask in the afterglow, there were still skeletons between them that needed to be cleared. They were making progress, but still had a way to go.
“Before I get sidetracked again, I need to tell you about what I discovered,” she began, wanting his opinion on Sam and Horus.
She filled him in on what she’d discovered at Horus’s house, the state of his grandmother, and what she suspected about Sam. Not only did she want his professional opinion on the matter, but also, she was beginning to think of him as her partner. Not exactly the end of the evening she had planned, but she didn’t want to wait, afraid it would cost an innocent female her life.
*****
Santi nearly turned around and headed home before pulling into the parking spot. He didn’t have a good feeling about this. Not only did he hate the idea of bringing his Fated Mate in to an unknown situation, Orlando had been the one at his side for longer than he could remember.
“I want your promise that you will listen to me and leave at the first hint of danger,” he prompted as he turned in his seat.
One corner of her mouth quirked and her eyes shone with amusement. “What gave you the idea that I would follow your direction? I am good at what I do and can sense danger better than most warriors.”
“I have no doubt that your instincts are unrivaled, but I have to know that you are safe. You have no idea how difficult it is for me to even allow you to go in there. And, before you accuse me of being a Neanderthal, as Elsie would say, it is not because I want to dictate your actions. I would lose my shit if anything happened to you. It’s my job to protect you and keep you safe,” he professed.
Placing her hand over his heart, she murmured, “You have protected the most important part of me since before I was ever born. You have to stay safe, too. We aren’t here to fight anybody. This excursion is purely for intel gathering. And if I have to, I’ll eat some fish. You may need to have a bucket on hand, but I’ll do what I need to in order to keep our cover.”
“I won’t make you eat fish. I know how you loathe it. I’m sure they have wine. They may even have chocolate,” he teased, knowing they were her favorites.
He chuckled at her sudden excitement as she jumped out of the car. “You had me at wine. Let’s go, wolf. What are you waiting for?”
He twined their fingers as they crossed the parking lot and headed for the front door. The iron sign hanging from the old brick building was out of place surrounded by neon signs. Humans had a different way of attracting attention to their businesses than supernaturals.
Santiago knew the shifters who owned the upscale seafood restaurant and wondered why they would be cooperating with Lady Angelica. Hayden had issued an edict that shifters were to report any information regarding Angel’s Kiss. It wasn’t often Hayden was disobeyed, mainly because he never hesitated to skin some hides.
“Do you know what to look for?” he asked Tori, not sure what she knew about the drug trade.
“Aside from Von, no. I have no idea. I hate to admit that I never really paid attention before Miguel died, and since then I have been so bent on taking my revenge out on you that I didn’t do any due diligence where the drug was concerned.”
“Angel’s Kiss is a combination of angel blood and a human drug, crack cocaine, and is in liquid form. I have no idea of the magic behind bonding these two substances, but don’t expect Lady Angelica to be here. I don’t have definitive proof, but she is a vile creature capable of it, and my gut tells me it’s her,” he informed her.
They reached the door, and he held it ajar as she responded to him. “Can you sense angel’s blood? I know shifters have extra-sharp senses. I have no idea if I will be able to sense it or not. I have never been around it.”
“Yeah, I can. I’ve been around angels enough to pick up the unique signature.”
“Life as a Dark Warrior must be exciting. I understand why you miss it so much,” she replied as she shook her head.
He’d opened his mouth to deny her assertion when a tall cambion greeted them. “Table for two?”
“No, we’d like to look around,” Santiago said, contemplating showing his police badge, but deciding against it. A human police badge would get him nowhere in a realm establishment.
“So much for the subtle approach,” Tori muttered under her breath. It would have been smart to inform her of his decision to take a direct approach, but he hadn’t decided that until he met the maître d’. The male’s aura was clear and open, unlike everyone’s he’d encountered in the drug trade.
“I’m sorry, but that is not allowed. I am going to have to ask you to leave,” the maître d’ said with a lift of his chin.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Santiago said as he pulled up his right sleeve. “The Dark Alliance council will want the information I’m seeking.”
The cambion’s eyes went wide at the sight of Santiago’s Dark Warrior tattoo, and his entire demeanor changed. “I was wondering when you guys would investigate. John and Mary have been under a spell, and all of our families have been threatened so we couldn’t say anything,” the male rushed out. “They’re in the back, but you might want to call for backup.”
“You don’t need to worry now that we’re here. I will make sure everything is handled and your families are safe. Stay put, no matter what you hear, and tell the rest of the staff. I don’t need any innocents trying to help but ending up a hindrance,” Santiago requested.
The male was nodding as Santiago and Tori walked away. The maître d’ was quiet as he approached staff, but Santiago could still hear him and hoped he wasn’t giving them away.
The interior of the restaurant hadn’t changed. For some reason, he had expected the crystal chandeliers and white linen tablecloths to be destroyed. He had no idea why he imagined the drug dealers coming in and defiling the establishment. The elegance of the location fit Lady Angelica’s tastes and further convinced him that she was behind it all. The question he couldn’t fathom was why.
She had been bent on obtaining the Mystik Grimoire from Jace’s family to gain power. The female wanted to rule the entire Tehrex Realm, from what he recalled. Why destroy it piece by piece? Perhaps she was one of those who believed if she couldn’t have it no one could.
Santiago sensed angel’s blood as soon as he entered a back hall, and even i
f the maître d’ hadn’t told him where, he would have found them. He motioned to the door at the end of the hallway and held up his hand to Tori.
Leaning down, he whispered in her ear. This was another scenario in which he wished their mating had been completed, so they could communicate telepathically. “I’m picking up at least six in the room, but none of them are the sorceress. What about you?” he asked, wanting to get a picture of what they might be facing.
“Von is in the room, along with five others,” she replied, surprising him.
“I should have smelled his funk a mile away. Which side of the room?”
“Left. We can take them,” she said, surprising him at her faith in their combined abilities when he had been contemplating sending Orlando a text message. “On the count of three,” she said, taking over. There wasn’t a submissive bone in her body. The Goddess was wise in choosing resilient mates for all of the warriors. A timid female wouldn’t stand up to the demands of their lives. “One, two, three!” She threw the door open.
It banged against the wall, but Tori and Santi were through it before it slammed closed from the force. Six heads swiveled in their direction. Santi went straight at Von, wanting to rip his head off. He settled for grabbing the phone out of his hand and throwing it across the room.
The whoosh of the stalvajer as it arced through the air behind him was comforting. His mate was a badass and wasn’t daunted by the situation. Thankfully the room was clear of furniture except for two long tables, one of which Von was standing behind.
The tables held various vials of blood, as well as a clear liquid, burners, a large cauldron, and various candles and herbs. Santi recognized the ingredients of spellwork and knew this was where the drug was made.