“That is good.” The Lady smiled and turned toward the door. “We have many years until Hades starts to make trouble again, and then he will be someone else’s problem. I plan to roam the world and visit my favorite places. I suggest you all enjoy your new lives.”
“My Lady?” It was Mordecai who asked the question. “What will I do?”
The goddess glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him. “Rediscover the world and the many wonders it has to offer. Find happiness. Live. You all have your full powers again and can be by my side with but a thought. You have your fellow warriors. You are not alone.” She put her hand on the doorknob but paused. “Mordecai, you and Stavros and Phoenix need not be alone. If someday down the road you find your mate, you may share your immortality with her as the others have done. That is my gift to all of you for your years of imprisonment.”
The Lady left them then, disappearing out the door. Arand felt the moment she was gone from the area, her power taking her to the other side of the country. He smiled, pleased to be able to feel his goddess once again. He concentrated for a moment and felt the connection he had to his fellow warriors as well. It was as it once had been, only better. He now appreciated what he had much more than before and would never take it for granted again.
Arand pulled Sabrina into his arms, holding her close to his heart. “Thank you.” He didn’t have to tell her for what. He knew she understood he was thanking her for her unwavering support of his decision to remain with his goddess.
“She’s part of you.” Sabrina patted his chest and then her own. “Of us.”
Arand knew he couldn’t wait any longer. He scooped Sabrina into his arms. “My woman needs her rest. Feel free to stay. There’s not a lot of food, but you’re welcome to it.”
“Arand.” Sabrina gasped and started to speak, but he cut off her admonishment with a kiss.
Roric snorted. “Thank you for your hospitality, but I think we’ll all head into the city and find a hotel. We’ll meet again in a couple of days.”
“Works for me,” Arand called over his shoulder as he carried Sabrina into the bedroom. Marko’s booming laugh followed them as Arand kicked the door shut behind them.
“How could you do that?” Sabrina wailed. “They’ll all know what we plan to do in here, and it doesn’t involve a nap.”
“Sure it does.” He tossed her onto the bed and pounced on top of her, careful not to crush her with his weight.
“It does?”
He caught the disappointment in her tone and smiled. “Yes, it does. After.”
“After,” she repeated.
He kissed her as he ripped her top open and dragged it off her body. “Much later.”
Sabrina laughed and the sound went through him like a physical caress, making his spine arch with pleasure. He willed his own clothing to disappear, freeing his engorged cock.
Her laughter died as she reached for him. “Much, much later,” she agreed, wrapping her fingers around his erection.
Arand sensed the others leaving the cabin and the swamp. They were finally alone. He yanked off her shoes and the rest of her clothes until she was naked. He paused, as always, taken by her beauty and the way she gave herself to him, holding nothing back.
Humbled, he leaned down and kissed her, the caress gentle and filled with love. Sabrina stroked his heavy erection and the kiss changed, becoming ravenous in a heartbeat. They were both breathless when he pulled back, but he still managed to laugh. Sabrina had changed his life, made him feel alive once again. Happy.
He threw back his head and howled his joy. Then he made love to his mate, again and again and again.
Epilogue
Sabrina started to wipe some powdered sugar from her lips, but Arand beat her to it and licked away the sweetness left behind by the beignet she’d just finished.
“Mmm, tasty.” He licked his lips and sat back in his chair, a roguish grin on his face.
She laughed at him and glanced around the room, half-listening to all the conversations flowing around her. Café Ledet was closed to the public tonight, but there was a private party going on. All of the warriors and their women were here, along with Tilly and Jessica.
She and Arand had returned to the city this morning, and the first thing she’d done was find her friends. They’d had so much to talk about and share. Jessica had apologized profusely for not telling them about her grandmother’s journal, but both she and Tilly had waved it away. They were all friends and understood. Jessica and Tilly had put themselves on the line for her and Arand, and Sabrina would never forget that.
Her only sadness came from the realization that her friends would age and grow old while she wouldn’t. It was weird to think of herself as immortal. She couldn’t quite wrap her head around that one. She guessed she would given time, which was something it seemed she now had plenty of.
Mordecai seemed to be paying particular attention to Jessica. The two of them had been talking all evening. The other warriors were still a bit tentative around him, and Sabrina knew he had to feel still somewhat like an outsider. Jessica would be good for him, plus they had a connection through her grandmother.
Phoenix, on the other hand, couldn’t seem to take his eyes off Tilly. Her friend threw back her head and laughed at something the self-contained warrior said to her, her dark-brown eyes twinkling with pleasure.
Sabrina toyed with the handle of her coffee mug and studied both couples. The more she watched them, the more convinced she was that she might not be alone in her immortality. Not that she really was. All the other women were really nice. Kellsie, Aimee and Araminta had all gone out of their way to speak with her. They all belonged to a very special group—they were all mated to immortal, shapeshifting warriors. And being with an alpha male brought its own set of special problems. They’d already exchanged phone numbers and email addresses.
She liked them all, but she really hoped her friends joined the select group down the road. A girl could only hope.
Then there was Stavros. He seemed content to simply be among them all, and she prayed that he’d find someone to love too. As if he sensed her watching him, Stavros swiveled his head in her direction and his black eyes pierced her, as though he was trying to read her thoughts. And maybe he could, because a second later he smiled before turning back to his conversation with Marko.
All the men were handsome, not always in the traditional sense, but they all possessed an animal magnetism that was undeniable.
“Are you tired?”
Her heart swelled at the concern in Arand’s voice. “I feel fabulous.” She took a sip of her rich, aromatic coffee before continuing. “But what are we all going to do now?” The other conversations around them died and she suddenly found herself the center of attention.
Sabrina shrugged. “I mean, all us women have careers. So do we keep working or not. What do you guys want to do now that you’re free?”
Roric frowned. “It is harder to make a living in this world than I anticipated.”
“I will work in movies, I think.” Marko looked at Kellsie for confirmation.
“I can definitely get him work if he wants it.” Kellsie rubbed Marko’s arm. “My guy is hot and has major fighting skills.”
All the women laughed, while Marko sat straighter in his chair, a chair Sabrina was surprised hadn’t broken under his sheer size. He was the biggest of the bunch.
Mordecai cleared his throat, catching all their attention. “That won’t be necessary.”
Leander frowned. “Why not? We must earn money to live in this modern world.” They all understood they couldn’t do anything that might alert the humans to the fact they were immortal. Sabrina shuddered at the thought of how much trouble that would cause all of them.
“One thing I’ll say for the devil is he knows how to make money. I watched and learned.” Mordecai rubbed one hand over the leg of his jeans and it occurred to Sabrina that he was nervous, not sure how his fellow warriors were going to take what he wa
s about to say. “I also spent much time in this realm brokering his deals for him and handling his business interests.”
It was Jessica who broke the tense silence. “Tell them,” she encouraged, and Sabrina knew that her friend was already aware of what Mordecai was going to say. She wondered how much time they’d spent together the past few days while she’d been holed up at Granny’s house making love to her wild wolf.
“Ah, I’ve been investing for decades now, primarily in oil and minerals.” Mordecai looked at all the other warriors. “We all know where to find such things. It wasn’t hard to start a company—Dragon’s Holdings. You’re all shareholders. There are bank accounts in your names with roughly a few billion dollars each. I also invested in a few startup computer and technology companies back in the eighties and nineties.” He raked his finger through his hair. “So, yeah, you’re all rich.”
The room erupted. The women squealed and Kellsie jumped up, raced over to Mordecai and hugged him. Marko roared and tore her away from the other warrior before grabbing Mordecai himself and thumping him on the back.
When the furor died down, it was Roric, their unofficial leader, who spoke for the rest of them. “Why? Why did you even bother?”
Mordecai shrugged. “Guess I had some hope after all.”
Hope. Was there a word more powerful? Maybe love. Sabrina looked at Arand and her heart filled with it. He caught her gaze and lifted her from her seat and placed her in his lap. “Are you happy?”
“More than I thought possible,” she replied. “You realize you’re stinking rich now, don’t you? All of you are.”
Arand shrugged. “As long as I can give you whatever will make you happy, that is all I need.”
Could he be any more perfect for her? He was loving and giving and completely hot in bed. “All I need is you.”
He grinned. “Then you will always be happy.”
Sabrina laughed and rubbed her nose against his. She knew they’d have disagreements. After all, she was a modern woman and he was an ancient warrior. They were bound to clash on some things. But there would always be love, and that was bigger than any disagreement could be.
“I think I’m ready to go home.” She wanted to make love to her man again. One perk of being immortal was her body healed fast. No matter how many times they made love, she didn’t get sore.
Arand stood abruptly with her cradled in his arms. His chair tipped back and fell to the floor.
“Going so soon?” Kellsie teased.
“I think it is a good idea.” Marko scooped her into his arms and headed for the door.
“I’ll call you,” Kellsie promised. “I think we should discuss buying a large piece of land somewhere for all of us to build homes so we can be together.”
“There’s a couple of houses in a row in the French Quarter for sale,” Tilly told them. “I think both of them have several apartments in them. Enough for everyone.”
Sabrina laughed again as a rush of happiness filled her. “We’ll make an appointment to look at them tomorrow. If no one else wants in, Arand and I could buy them so everyone would have a place to stay when they come to visit.” She stopped when she realized not only was she making a decision without discussing it with Arand, she was also spending his money. Not like she had enough money sitting around to buy it.
She glanced up to find Arand watching her, an indulgent expression on his face. “Whatever makes you happy,” he reminded her.
Roric spoke as he wrapped his arm around Aimee. “We’ll get together and discuss it tomorrow.” He went to Mordecai and held out his hand. “Thank you, my brother.”
Arand set her back in her chair and Marko did the same with Kellsie. Then all the warriors went to Mordecai and they wrapped their arms around one another. It reminded Sabrina of a football huddle. She glanced at the women and shrugged. What the hell. The women stood and came together in a huddle of their own, even Jessica and Tilly.
“Go team,” Sabrina called, and they laughed.
Arand wrapped his strong arm around Sabrina’s waist and pulled her from the pack of hugging women. “Guess this means we’re leaving.” Her friends, old and new, all laughed as Arand hurried her from the café.
The night was cool, but she didn’t mind it much. That was one thing she had noticed over the past few days, she didn’t seem to notice the heat or cold as much as she used to. She was still learning what being immortal meant for her, but so far so good.
Arand scooped her into his arms again, never breaking stride. The man did like to carry her. She knew it was a result of how close they’d both come to death and figured it would ease up in a decade or so.
“I love you.” His deep voice was filled with emotion so intense it brought tears to her eyes.
“I love you too.” She twined her arms around Arand’s neck and buried her face against his throat. He gave a rumbling growl and she knew her wolf was happy.
About the Author
N.J. Walters has always been a voracious reader of romance novels and decided one day that she could write one as well. The contemporary story, Discovering Dani, was the very first novel she wrote while living in a little town much like the one Dani O’Rourke lives in, though all other similarities to Dani’s life pretty much end there. Then she wrote another one that followed up on Dani’s friends and neighbors. But she didn’t consider herself a “real” writer yet.
Just a few years later N. J. had a mid-life crisis at a fairly young age, gave notice after ten years at her job on a Friday and received a tentative acceptance for her first published novel (an erotic romance) from a publisher on the following Sunday.
Happily married to the love of her life, with his encouragement and support she gave up the job of selling books for the more pleasurable job of writing them. She now spends her days writing novels of her own. Werewolves, vampires, time-travelers, seductive handymen and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to do it. And some days she actually feels like a “real” writer.
N.J. enjoys hearing from readers, and she can be reached at [email protected]. You can check out her web site at www.njwalters.com.
Look for these titles by N.J. Walters
Now Available:
Jamesville
Discovering Dani
The Way Home
The Return of Patrick O’Rourke
The Seduction of Shamus O’Rourke
A Legal Affair
By the Book
Past Promises
Legacy
Alexandra’s Legacy
Isaiah’s Haven
Legacy Found
Quinn’s Quest
Finding Chrissten
Damek’s Redemption
Spells, Secrets and Seduction
A Touch of Magick
Dreams of Seduction
Love in Flames
Hades’ Carnival
Night of the Tiger
Mark of the Bear
Pride of the Lion
Coming Soon:
Craig’s Heart
Hades’ Carnival, Book 3
Araminta Davenport has arrived. After giving up her librarian job to be a full-time writer, all those lonely nights alone with her cat and her keyboard have paid off. She’s been invited to participate in one of the biggest reader appreciation weekends—as a professional author.
She can’t imagine her life getting any more exciting than that…until she accidentally releases a sexy, shapeshifting, immortal warrior from a five-thousand-year-old curse.
Finally free of his carousel prison, lion shifter Leander is determined not to let Hades lure him to the dark side in a quest for world domination. Nor will he give the delectable Araminta up to the clutches of the dark one. If they can survive twenty-four hours—and somehow resist losing themselves completely in the sexual haze threatening to swallow them up—the curse will be permanently broken.
But the clock is ticking, the heat is r
ising…and only the ultimate sacrifice will save them both.
Warning: This book contains one shy writer who is learning how to cut loose, and a warrior who’s been cut loose and he’s ready to roar. Stir in enough hot sex to make Hell itself seem like the Arctic, and you have a recipe for one wild ride.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Pride of the Lion:
“This isn’t real.” Araminta sat back on the bed with a heavy thump, her hands twisted in the sheet covering her. She was losing her mind. There was no other logical explanation for what was happening. The lion was massive, much larger than a normal one. He looked as though he could eat her with one gulp.
He prowled toward her and she held out her shaking hand. “Nice kitty.” She should call hotel security. But what would she say? I have a lion in my room. They’d send for the men in white coats. She tried to swallow around the lump in her throat but couldn’t. The lion stopped in front of her, his face level with hers.
She could hear his heavy breathing, feel the warm puff against her skin. His teeth appeared even sharper this close up. His long golden tail with a black tuft on the end swished lazily behind him.
“I must be going crazy.” The words came out in a breathy rush, and she sucked in a lungful of air. Her heart raced and her stomach was in knots.
There was no other explanation for having a sexy stranger in her bed, one who could shift into a lion. “I’ve been doing too much research and writing. Maybe I’ve had a mental breakdown.” The words tripped out, one after another. She always talked to herself when she was nervous, and the fact she was on the verge of being eaten by a large lion was no reason to stop. In a weird way, it calmed and grounded her.
The lion grumbled and caught the edge of her sheet between its teeth. She clung to the thin fabric, refusing to let her only covering go. “Hey, let go. That’s mine.” And why was she arguing with a full-grown male lion? She’d truly lost her mind.
Leander growled again, but this time he sounded as though he meant business. The fabric ripped and she released it, afraid he might decide to chomp on her next if she didn’t. She pushed herself back onto the bed, but he caught her forearm in his powerful jaws. He didn’t hurt her, his teeth touching her skin but not digging in. She froze, afraid to do anything that might upset him further.
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