by LJ Vickery
Marduk had brought a motorcycle and an extra helmet today, in case he decided to make his move and coerce Tess into coming back to the compound. Now he’d make use of work-out clothes he’d spotted in the pack.
“Sounds fine to me.” Tess told him. She looked to be happy for the anticipated company and probably wondered if he could keep up. Wouldn’t she be surprised. She chirpily added, “I’ll wait.”
Marduk hopped off the wall onto the sand and began walking back the way he had come. He traveled into the trees, counting his strides, and when he reached a hundred, his body dissolved again. So a hundred yards was as far he could get from her without going all “poof.” Good to know.
Another fifty yards and he came to where he had left his invisible bike up against the guard rail. He rummaged in the pack that belonged to Lahar, a much leaner god than Marduk, and found shorts and a tank top he thought would fit, along with sneakers and socks. He shed his jeans right there. What did it matter? The passing traffic and pedestrians couldn’t see him. Lahar’s shorts hugged his groin a little too closely and the shirt was obscenely tight, but at least the sneakers fit. It would have to do. If he were gone much longer, Tess would wonder what had happened to him.
On the way back, he checked for footprints in the sand and, sure enough, he regained his body in exactly the same spot where he had disappeared earlier. He continued out of the trees, stretching as he had seen other humans do before they started running. Very odd, wasn’t running going to stretch things anyway?
Tess’s eyes nearly popped out of her head as Marduk appeared. Oh my God, he might as well be naked again! The small, bright yellow shorts he’d put on did nothing but accentuate the bulge between his legs…and those legs; highly muscled and sprinkled with dark hair, they screamed power with every stride. Her gaze went back to his shorts. No. She knew her face reddened.
She needed to skip the shorts and move her eyes higher. Damn. His white tank was so tight and sheer that she could clearly make out every ridge of muscle that covered his stomach and chest. That wasn’t any better! Athletically built didn’t adequately describe his body. Every inch of Marduk was ripped. Tess wondered if she would have any breath left in her lungs to run.
“So what do you say? Are you ready?” He leaped over the seawall in a motion so fluid it almost defied gravity, and reached for her hand where she sat. Tess tried to keep her eyes in her head. Marduk smiled and she blushed even brighter. She stifled a groan. The man would have to be blind not to have noticed her reaction.
“Ready.” Tess shook off her stupor and refrained from grabbing the offered hand. That’s all she would need to set off her libido again, his rockin’ body combined with the shakin’ earthquake she seemed to feel at his slightest touch. Tess scrambled to her feet and started jogging. She heard Marduk chuckle as he fell into step beside her.
The ensuing silence was companionable, each harboring their own thoughts. Tess mused about why she was letting this arrogant male accompany her. It could only mean trouble. She didn’t “do” men anymore, let alone an enormous, testosterone-filled version of yummy man-flesh like Marduk. She picked up the pace.
They headed down Quincy Shore Drive and turned right onto Sea Street. By the time they reached the cemetery, Tess was covered with a fine sheen of sweat that ran down her neck and disappeared into the V of her shirt. Her breath was coming in small bursts, as much from the shots she kept getting of Marduk’s fine ass in those tight running shorts when his longer strides moved him in front, as from the vigorous run.
Tess turned to the right, ascending a small hill up into the cemetery. At the top, she stole a glance at Marduk, who was now following her lead, and was amazed to see that he looked completely unaffected by the exercise. His feet seemed to fly over the ground and his breathing was deep and even. How often did he work out?
Tess prided herself on being in awesome shape, but even she couldn’t have maintained that fresh-as-a-daisy look he was sporting. Slightly annoyed, she came to a stop among the headstones and stately trees to take a drink of water from the bottle strapped to her waist. Marduk stopped ahead, giving her another clear view of his ridiculously taut-muscled backside.
“I’ve never been up here before,” he stated evenly. Tess was aware that Marduk was giving her a thorough once-over. Her throat moved as she sucked down more water. She tried not to be self-conscious, but her body couldn’t possibly be the sort he was attracted to. He had to go for the more curvy, luscious type…and nobody had ever accused her of being luscious. Tess tried to shake off her ridiculous disappointment. What did she care, anyway? She held out the bottle to Marduk when she was done. He took it and walked a few steps away.
Tess cleared her throat. “I’ve just discovered it myself. It’s called the Mount Wollaston Cemetery.” Tess watched his lips surround the mouth of the bottle where hers had just been. She couldn’t stop the small sigh that escaped. A satisfied spiral of desire lit her up from throat to pussy. Shit! Where had that come from?
“I’m more familiar with the old Hancock Cemetery,” Marduk replied. And besides, he thought, Richard Wollaston was a traitorous bastard. Why would they name anything after him? He chuckled to himself. It was not like he could admit that he’d known Richard, and that there were people buried within the confines of the old cemetery whom he had known personally. Asking why so many things in Quincy were blessed with the asshole’s name was, therefore, out of the question.
Marduk walked back to where Tess leaned against a tree. As he got closer, he could feel her nervousness and see that she was looking around, obviously noticing, for the first time, their isolation from the busy street below. When he was almost close enough to feel her body heat, she edged slightly away.
“It’s okay, Tess,” Marduk reassured her in a soft, velvety voice. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
She snorted. “You better believe you’re not!” She spoke with a hard bravado that he liked. She was a contradiction of fragile femininity and tough talker. He didn’t know which he enjoyed better or which to believe. He surmised that the truth lay somewhere between the two.
He lowered his lids slightly and stared at her lips. “I hoped maybe you were beginning to like me.” Marduk moved forward another inch and Tess looked decidedly uncomfortable. “I know I’m starting to like you.”
Tess’s small tongue came out of her mouth again and played over her bottom lip. A surge of desire hit, and Marduk was hard in an instant. He did nothing to hide his burgeoning lust from her widening eyes. He stilled; poised to swoop in if she gave him the slightest encouragement. What he got was a…whimper?
Marduk’s ardor cooled fast. Was the noise that had come from her throat fear? He looked into her eyes and confirmed it. Well, shit! What the fuck was that all about? Was he scaring her? Now he was good and confused. Hadn’t his initial plan been to take her back to the compound, with or without her full cooperation? Now, seeing the terror on her face, every protective instinct in his body was on alert.
“What’s wrong?” he growled, frustration leaking into his question. He knew he was scaring her further, but he couldn’t help himself. She moved another foot away. “Am I overstepping some boundary I’m not aware of?”
“No, no.” She held one small palm up as if to keep him from moving closer. “It’s fine.” He watched her swallow hard. “It’s not you…it’s me.” Marduk could see her trembling. Her stance remained tense. “I’m, umm, not really comfortable around men,” she admitted reluctantly.
“Lesbian?” It popped out of his mouth before he had a chance to stop it, his jaw dropping at his lack of finesse.
“No! Not at all.” He heard the amused denial in her voice and, thank the gods, it broke some of the tension. “I guess you could say I’m just not comfortable with physical contact.”
His elation at her sexual preference was immediately dashed by the thought that she might be frigid. But was that possible? She had definitely been giving off “hot” signals while checking out his bo
dy. Not just when she saw the running shorts, but before in Boston. Had he misread the entire situation? Hmm. Something was not quite right, and it was buried so deeply in her psyche that he was unable to get a read on it.
“Trust me, Tess,” he demanded, looking straight in her eyes. He knew he could compel her to do his bidding, but that was not the way he wanted her.
“I don’t even know you,” she managed in a very small voice.
Marduk was aware that he shouldn’t pursue the physical desire he was finally able to feel. That wasn’t why he was pursuing Tess. The point was to find out why he could be visible around her. So why did kissing that perfect little mouth suddenly seemed so important?
“Just one kiss,” he groaned, picturing himself taking possession of her tongue. He heard Tess scream no in her head. Was she really going to refuse a kiss? What the hell! Marduk’s immediate need was so far greater than anything else, he lied to reassure her. “Nothing will touch except our lips.”
Tess tried not to panic. Could she trust him? She scanned his face, noting his rapidly changing emotions and the almost palpable glow that seemed to emanate from his skin.
He seemed sincere, and she admitted that she found him attractive. She’d been checking out his body; something she hadn’t dared allow herself in a long time. Could she quell her fear for just a few moments and see which of her warring emotions would win?
Tess steeled every nerve in her body and turned her face up to his. She didn’t protest any further as she watched Marduk close the distance between them and lower his head. She could already imagine the salty taste on his lips from their run. She could do this…or maybe not! She turned her eyes away at the last minute.
“Marduk,” she squeaked.
“What is it, Tess?” His voice had turned magnificently low and dreamy, but it wasn’t going to stop her from what she had to say.
“I think I’ve suddenly become a magnet for wacko’s,” she whispered. Marduk paused. “Umm…over your right shoulder…there’s a guy in a white loincloth heading toward us, and he doesn’t look happy.” Before the god could move, a voice cut through the silence of the graveyard.
“Marduk!” The cry was powerful and loud, shaking with anger. “Touch her and die!”
The statement echoed across the graveyard.
It was a toss-up which of the three was more shocked—Tess at the intrusion of the stranger, Marduk who was being cock-blocked by one of his own brothers, or Enlil, snarling and raging, who appeared stunned at the feelings blazing through his body for the first time in centuries.
Chapter Six
Enlil stopped and smashed his fist into a tree. Pain! Pain was good! It was what he was going to inflict on Marduk for daring to touch the girl. He growled. Enlil had been watching them, following the pair from a few hundred yards’ distance all morning, curious to see if Marduk would abduct the human, which Enlil clearly thought was the way to go, or if Enlil would have to take matters into his own hands.
What he didn’t count on were the ambivalent feelings that had overtaken him as he watched the two together. The more attentive Marduk had acted, the more enraged Enlil had become, and not because he wanted the girl for himself. No…it was more like he wanted to protect the girl, shelter her from the increasingly sensual attention that Marduk was pouring on.
He approached the couple, growling, circling, crouching low in a fighting stance. He had no idea what had overtaken him, but he’d be damned if Marduk harmed a hair on the mortal’s head.
“Enlil!” Marduk demanded, unsure of the other god’s intent. “Whatever it is you’re doing, stop. Right now.” He remembered Enlil’s dissatisfaction when he hadn’t brought Tess back to the compound the day before. He could only mean to force the issue now.
“You know this guy?” Marduk could see that Tess was dumbfounded by the increasingly odd situation. He watched her eyes dart between him and the golden haired god with braids.
“He’s one of my…uh…roommates.” Marduk was trying not to be completely distracted by the approaching Enlil and hoped to reassure Tess. “Stay back and let me take care of this.” He pushed Tess behind him, but the sight of his hand on Tess’s arm seemed to inflame Enlil even more.
“I said don’t touch her,” the golden immortal roared.
“Why, Enlil,” Marduk goaded. “So that you can have her for yourself?” His eyes held fire as he confronted his irate brother, and the sky darkened ominously to match his mood. “What if I told you that I have chosen? What if I told you that she is the one?”
“I would know you are lying,” Enlil snarled.
Marduk wondered why he had said chosen, knowing he couldn’t possibly mean it. What did any of them know about choosing a mate? What he did know for certain, was that this encounter with Enlil was not going to end well. He and Enlil were about to go at it, and he needed to make sure Tess was safe. He would compel her to leave. Turning quickly, he stared into her eyes.
“You will leave here and go back to your car…run. I will find you another day. I promise.”
Tess’s feet began to move sluggishly down the hill as if against her will. She was inching away from the two men but never actually turning away. Marduk could tell she wanted to stay…needed to stay and make sure…what? That they didn’t kill each other, which he and Enlil looked perfectly capable of doing as they circled like wolves.
“Go, woman,” Enlil howled at her, agreeing with Marduk on this one thing.
Still Marduk sensed that Tess fought the compulsion, which had now been doubled inside her head, the edict being issued by two gods. It seemed that she would not leave. Maybe it was for the best. Fully embodied and fighting in the physical realm for the first time in centuries, blood would be shed. At least one of them would need her to call 911 before this was over.
Enlil struck first. Hurtling from higher ground, he launched into Marduk’s midsection, looking to knock him from his feet. Marduk maintained his rock-solid stance despite the fact that the breath had been expelled from his body by the blow. He grabbed Enlil’s head and spun him around, throwing the immortal against the monument of a weeping angel. Blood gushed from the wind god’s side as it was sliced by the stone.
They both paused at the advent of the wound. Enlil reached a hand to touch the bright red liquid that quickly spread across his ribs. Marduk inhaled sharply. Neither had bled in almost 400 years.
“Do we stop?” the thunder god questioned.
“Hell, no!” Enlil growled and catapulted toward Marduk, landing a hard blow to his jaw. Marduk saw stars, allowing Enlil time to wrap his hands around his throat.
Marduk was astounded. Even in pain, the hands surrounding his neck felt so sweet. This is what he had missed in the years he had remained bodiless. He could once again feel the life being choked out of him. Not that he could actually be choked to death. Even if he fully succumbed to Enlil’s hold, he would awaken later, bruised but alive.
Marduk thought quickly, the unaccustomed pain keeping him from passing out. Yes, the unaccustomed pain! Without another thought, Marduk brought his knee up hard into Enlil’s groin. The look of surprise on the golden-man’s face would have been comical if Marduk hadn’t been on his knees, gasping for breath himself. Enlil roared in agony. This was a way of fighting they had both forgotten, not having active nerve endings for so long. Marduk was going to have to remember to protect his own soft bits from now on.
Tess had seen enough! She’d managed, during the heat of the battle, to stop herself from leaving. It had taken all of her resolve, but once she had started back in an uphill direction, the return had gotten easier, and now she moved without restraint.
“Stop this! Stop, both of you,” she yelled, reaching a spot between the two. Unfortunately, timing had them on their feet a mere moment before her entreaty, and Enlil launched out with his fist again. This time it connected with Tess’ cheek, sending her reeling into Marduk. The god cried out and grabbed for her, barely able to slow her descent to the ground.
“Tess!”
“No!”
Enlil and Marduk spoke at the same time, their fight forgotten as they leaned over Tess’s small, still form.
“What have you done?” Marduk rasped accusingly, wanting to pummel Enlil. He turned Tess’s head to see the damage.
“I didn’t mean to.” Enlil sounded pained, more tormented than Marduk had heard him in years, and it made him wonder. Why was the wind god so distraught? Bright red seeped from a cut that ran from Tess’ eye and down to the ridge of her cheek. Both gods reached out to stanch the flow and froze the minute her blood stained their fingers.
Enlil was first to move. He brought his hand up to his nose and inhaled. He met Marduk’s eyes with an incredulous look and nodded. Marduk shook as he repeated Enlil’s motion. He too, took in Tess’s life essence and swallowed hard. His look back to Enlil confirmed both men’s suspicions. There was no doubt about it. Marduk cleared his throat.
“It begins to make sense,” he rasped. Tess stirred in his arms.
“It does,” Enlil agreed.
They both gazed down at the woman with new-found wonder. Marduk wouldn’t have thought it possible, but there was no denying it.
He spoke the words out loud that they were both reluctant to say. “She is of your blood.”
“…blood?” Tess was coming around.
“Yes, little one,” Marduk soothed. “You have an injury.” He gathered her up in his arms, coming to his feet as easily as if he carried no burden at all. Where their bodies touched, a low, rumbling sensation caught Marduk off guard and had Tess pressing her softness even closer to him. Her perfect, petite breasts pushed into his ribcage, and he suffered a renewed surge of desire but resisted the urge to curl his hand over the opposite globe. He stole a glance at Enlil. The god did not look happy.