Just last month, one of Dr. Cull’s archaeologists had dug up a large text with an unknown language. Dr. Cull had handed Rianne the responsibility of uncovering the text’s origins and seeing if she could crack the language. So far, she hadn’t made much headway, but she could feel herself getting closer.
Her one-bedroom apartment was just five miles from Cull Industries, making the commute relatively short, or at least it would anywhere else. Rianne hated living in the overly crowded city of Washington, DC, having grown up in a small town in Illinois. The constant stop-and-go of traffic nearly drove her crazy most days, but she refused to ride the bus and walking was definitely not an option. She’d grown up hearing horror stories of what happened to women who ventured out alone on the streets of the big cities. So she muddled through, always varying her drive time to make sure she wasn’t caught in morning or afternoon traffic. On a good day, she could make it home in half an hour to forty-five minutes.
Pulling into her parking spot at the apartment complex, she eagerly anticipated falling onto her bed and sleeping for the next twelve to thirteen hours. Loud bass could be heard as soon as she entered the building, not uncommon considering most of the tenants attended college at Georgetown, just a few blocks away. Rianne’s apartment was on the fifth floor of the nine story building, having been renovated from a warehouse in the 1960s. Her floor-mate, Lynda Byrd, was kissing her new john good-bye as Rianne went past. Lynda gave her a wink over his shoulder, no doubt a promise to come over and share details later. Lynda had decided Rianne wanted to live vicariously through her since Rianne had no sex life to speak of. A twenty-eight-year-old virgin was unheard of, and Lynda was adamant about fixing the problem.
Rianne shouldered her door open, sighing in relief at finally being home. The apartment was small, sparsely furnished, and clean. Perfect for her since she rarely spent any of her time within its walls. All the furniture was bought at a secondhand store or had been handed down to her by friends and relatives. She dropped her bag into one of the kitchen chairs on her way to the bed, not caring if the contents spilled out.
As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out.
* * * *
They had been tracking the journal for three days and being away from Laurasia was starting to take its toll. Nikolas was starting to feel weaker and knew Dorin was feeling the same from the way the wolf struggled to stay awake. Nikolas didn’t think they would be able to stay in this world for much longer, not that he minded. The human world was a disgusting place full of uncivilized people and strange new devices. Nikolas hated the contraption they called the “car.” It went too fast and was too loud. He much preferred travelling on his own four legs.
Nikolas looked up when he heard someone come out of Cull Industries, where they’d tracked the journal. He and Dorin were seated across the street at a small outdoor café, giving them the perfect view of the main entrance. A group of fresh-faced young ones had walked into the building a few minutes ago, but this was the first person they had seen leaving.
The woman was a tiny thing. Even from this distance, it was easy to tell she wouldn’t have come but about midway up his chest. He didn’t doubt he would be able to lift her with one hand from the looks of her. Her brown hair was pulled back high on her head and fell down between her shoulders. A breeze blew her scent directly to him, making the hair on the back of his neck stand up as well as his cock.
Mine.
The soft growl coming from his friend’s throat let him know Dorin was feeling the same thing he was.
Our mate.
They watched as she got into her car and headed south.
“Come on,” Dorin growled, moving to follow her.
“Wait,” Nikolas insisted, grabbing hold of his shirt and pulling him back.
“We can’t wait, we’ll lose her,” Dorin hissed.
“We’ll find her again. We’ve got her scent, and we know which direction she’s headed. We need to get the journal,” Nikolas reminded him.
Dorin growled at being denied, but didn’t move to follow their woman. He returned to his seat, continuing to glance in the direction the woman had travelled. Nikolas could feel his control slipping, wanting to follow their mate as well, but he was used to forcing himself into uncomfortable situations as a soldier.
“How much longer do we wait?” Dorin asked, unable to hide his frustration.
Nikolas stared at the building for a few minutes, going over everything they had observed in the past few hours. Morna hadn’t given them much to go on, only that it wouldn’t be hard to retrieve the journal if they made sure to go in at the right time. How they were supposed to know when it was the right time was beyond him.
“What is that ungodly noise?” Dorin grumbled, shaking his head viciously.
“What are you talking about?” Nikolas frowned, unable to hear anything unusual.
“Don’t you hear that ringing?” Dorin whimpered, rubbing at his ears.
Nikolas looked around, but Dorin was the only one affected, with his superior wolf hearing. The humans went about their day as usual.
A scream came from across the street, and Nikolas looked over to find Cull Industries employees rushing into the parking lot. Shouts of “fire” drifted to him, and he realized this was what they’d been waiting for.
“Come on,” Nikolas insisted, jumping to his feet.
Dorin followed him across the busy street. With all the pandemonium in the parking lot, no one noticed when the two slipped into the side entrance. Nikolas blinked against the heavy smoke, bringing his arm up over his mouth to block out the worst of it.
Find the journal, find our mate. Find the journal, find our mate.
With the new mantra ringing in his ears, he took off into the burning building, Dorin right behind him.
* * * *
Her entire body protested as she rolled over, away from the harsh light streaming through her bedroom window. Three days really was too long to go without sleep. She would have to pace herself as she worked through the new text to make sure she didn’t lose three days’ worth of sleep again. It wasn’t worth it when her body ended up hating her in the end.
The unmistakable sound of voices woke her up fully and she rolled back over, glaring at the wall separating her from the neighboring apartment. Clearly Daniel, her next-door neighbor, required a hearing aid if he needed his TV turned up that loud.
“Good. You are awake.”
Rianne bolted up in bed, finding herself staring into a pair of the palest blue eyes she’d ever seen. Before she could open her mouth to scream, a hand clamped over her lips.
“Do not fear us, little one,” a husky voice urged from behind her.
Struggling to breathe, she fought down the terror working its way through her veins. Two men had broken into her apartment and were in her bedroom. What had they done to her? Why were they here?
“Gods, you’re trembling worse than a newborn foal. Easy, danalya,” the man behind her murmured.
Rianne was surprised to find that while her mind was thinking of all the ways these men might be plotting to rape and kill her, her body had no trouble responding to the soothing voice urging her to relax. She was grateful when the hand was removed from her mouth, licking her lips in an attempt to moisten them.
“Who…who are you?” Rianne asked, finding her throat surprisingly dry.
“My name is Nikolas, and the man holding you is Dorin,” the man in front of her answered.
“What do you want with me? I don’t have any cash, but…some of my jewelry is valuable and you can take anything else you want. Just, please, don’t hurt me,” Rianne found herself pleading, terrified of what these men might do.
“We have no desire for your…cash or your jewelry. We came here for you,” Nikolas frowned.
“No, please. I’ll give you whatever you want. Please, don’t rape me,” Rianne begged tearfully, struggling against Dorin’s hold.
Nikolas made a rumbling noise before vaulting from his
position at the end of the bed. In a flash, he was hovering over top of her, pinning her arms to the mattress. His white-blond hair fell around her face like a curtain, trapping her within his blue gaze.
“Rape. What a disgusting word. I assure you, capora, it will never happen between us. You will come to crave our touch just as we crave yours,” Nikolas growled dangerously.
“No, please. If you leave now, I promise I won’t tell anyone,” Rianne nearly sobbed.
“You’re scaring her,” Dorin insisted angrily from beside them.
“Am I, capora? Are you frightened of me?” Nikolas asked, as if the thought amused him.
“I…I don’t know,” Rianne admitted truthfully.
While her mind was screaming all the reasons she should be afraid, her body didn’t seem to want to listen. Her skin prickled at every place they touched, sending lightning through her veins. Despite the fact that he was so strong and could likely break her in two with his pinky finger, she felt safe in his arms.
“No,” Rianne finally whispered.
“That’s because your body recognizes mine as its mate, just as it recognized Dorin. Your body knows it has nothing to fear from us.”
“What do you want from me?”
“You will return to Laurasia with us and we will form the mating bond,” Nikolas answered, running his nose along her cheek.
“Laurasia? As in one of the continents after Pangea?” Rianne asked, her voice cracking in her shock.
“Yes. Though the continents broke up millions of years ago,” Nikolas answered.
Rianne felt her panic begin to spike again. These two thought they were from the past, nearly two hundred million years in the past. Maybe they had escaped from a mental institution. It was a possibility. She could simply go along with their delusion until she managed to call the local hospital to have them returned to the psych ward. Yes, that’s exactly what she would do.
“Okay. Sure, I’ll go with you.” Rianne hoped she sounded convincing enough, but she didn’t hold out much hope for herself either way.
Nikolas frowned down at her as if trying to decide if she was being truthful. She fought against shrinking underneath his intense gaze. Seeming to come to a decision, he nodded once before moving off her.
“We’ll replace your clothing once we arrive. Your current selections are unfit for the position you will hold in Laurasia,” Nikolas informed her.
“What’s wrong with my clothes?” Rianne frowned.
“Women do not wear trousers.” Nikolas glared pointedly at her rack of jeans.
Great. She was being kidnapped by a Neanderthal.
Feeling at a disadvantage remaining seated while they both stared down at her, Rianne scooted out of bed, slipping her fuzzy slippers on before her feet touched the cold hardwood floors. The apartment was always cold due to a broken thermostat, but she preferred the cold to the heat. It just meant sleeping under three blankets during the winter.
Dorin made a choking noise, bringing her attention to him. He was nearly the exact opposite of his coconspirator. His hair was the color of dark chocolate, curling temptingly around his temples. Melted-caramel eyes stared at her exposed legs hungrily, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled sharply. While not as large as Nikolas, there was no doubt Dorin was strong. The T-shirt he was wearing stretched tight across a well-defined chest, showcasing hard abs. Her fingers actually twitched in her eagerness to trace along his sun-kissed skin.
“Gods, danalya, I can smell your arousal,” Dorin groaned, rocking on the balls of his feet.
Rianne felt her face heat up in embarrassment. How could he smell her? Granted, she’d never been so wet in her life, but still. He was standing at least three feet away.
“Dorin,” Nikolas warned from the foot of her bed.
Dorin breathed in deeply, his eyes sliding closed as he moaned. The sound had her nipples hardening, and she bit back an answering moan.
Goodness, what was going on with her?
“We need to leave. We’ve spent too long here as it is,” Nikolas insisted.
“Right. You’re right.” Dorin nodded, shaking his head further as if to clear it.
“You need to change,” Nikolas told her, turning to her closet.
“Maybe we should let her bring this little outfit, Nikolas. I quite like the way it makes her legs look,” Dorin smirked, stepping forward.
Rianne swallowed nervously, taking a half step back. She was only in an old T-shirt and a pair of shorts, but Dorin looked at her as if she was wearing the sexiest lingerie. He reached out and caught her wrist, pulling her against his chest. He made a rumbling noise deep in his chest, similar to the sound Nikolas had made earlier, before lowering his lips to hers.
Too shocked to do anything at first, she found herself melting against him as his tongue gently licked at her lips. She gasped as his teeth nipped the lower lip, granting him access to her mouth. His tongue stroked along hers, thrusting and retreating as his hands traveled to her hips, pulling her flush against him. She whimpered as he moved her against his hardened cock, craving more.
Suddenly, Rianne was standing alone in the middle of her bedroom. Her eyes fluttered open to find Dorin staring at her from against the wall, his chest heaving. Nikolas stood between them, facing Dorin.
“Easy, Dorin. You know we cannot mate with her here. We need to wait until we return home,” Nikolas said, his voice soothing.
“She smells so good,” Dorin groaned.
“I know, but you must resist,” Nikolas urged.
Dorin breathed in deeply from his mouth and exhaled through his nose, probably trying to rid himself of her scent.
“Good. Why don’t you wait in the other room while I find her something suitable to wear on the trip home,” Nikolas suggested.
Dorin nodded once before striding out the door, shutting it behind him. Nikolas turned to her, frowning in concern.
“I’m sorry. I do not think he would have lost control, but it was best to stop before he got too far. Your scent will affect him more because of what he is,” Nikolas explained as he returned to her closet.
“What is he?” Rianne asked, following him with her eyes.
“A wolf, for one. They have a more heightened sense of smell than most shifters. His hearing is better than most as well. On top of that, he is also a royal. His desire to mate with you will be extremely high until you become pregnant. Usually he would be able to control himself better, but we have been in this realm too long and his strength is waning,” Nikolas informed her matter-of-factly.
“A wolf?” Rianne cried, stumbling away from him.
Nikolas sighed and turned to face her, a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt in hand.
“Yes, a wolf, as I am a polar bear. We are shifters. I do not have time to cater to your hysterics at this moment. We need to leave this plane before the Hunters discover we’re here. Put these on. We’ll have to find you clothing once we pass through the portal.” Nikolas haphazardly threw her clothes onto the bed.
Rianne stared at the man who was trying to take over her life, wondering if it would be better to just run away now. Lynda always left a key under her doormat for her johns that wanted to swing by. She could easily barricade herself in Lynda’s apartment and call the cops to arrest the wackos talking about themselves as if they were animals.
“Get dressed, capora. I won’t tell you again,” Nikolas warned darkly.
“Could you give me some privacy, maybe?” Rianne asked, feeling her anger rise above her fear.
“You should get used to me and Dorin seeing you without clothing, capora. It will be happening often,” Nikolas insisted, stepping closer to the bed.
Rianne’s breathing became ragged, her heart racing as Nikolas approached. His body heat and scent enveloped her, making it difficult to form a thought. He leaned over her, causing her body to slide down onto the bed. His body was huge above hers, blocking out everything but the light blue of his eyes.
“You belong to me an
d Dorin. Do not think of escaping us. We will find you, no matter how far you run. We have your scent now. It’s burned into our souls,” Nikolas told her.
Rianne licked her suddenly dry lip, inhaling sharply when his icy eyes snapped to follow the action. A rumble sounded from his chest, almost like a growl, and she whimpered as the vibrations sent heat spreading through her core.
“Oh, capora, you know you belong to us,” Nikolas groaned, running his nose along the column of her throat.
Rianne shivered at as his hot breath washed over her skin. His fingers skimmed along the edge of her shirt before lifting it over her head and off her body. She squirmed as his fingers traced along the edges of her bra, his eyes bright as he took in the bland nude color.
“What is this?” Nikolas asked, completely mesmerized.
“Don’t tell me you’ve never seen a bra before,” Rianne tried to snipe, but her words came out breathless.
“No, I have not. We’ve no such contraptions where I come from.” Nikolas frowned, cupping her breast experimentally.
She bit her lip to keep from moaning, but Nikolas chuckled as if he’d heard her internal cry. He placed a kiss on each breast, above the cups holding them in place. Rianne swallowed her plea for more, focusing instead on his hands as they removed her sleep shorts.
“By the gods,” Nikolas groaned once he discovered her cotton boy-shorts underneath.
“I’m guessing underwear isn’t common where you come from either,” Rianne whispered, finally able to put some sarcasm into her words.
“We have undergarments, but nothing like this. Tell me you have more,” Nikolas insisted, looking up at her with wild eyes.
The Journal Keeper (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 2