A Reaper's Love (WindWorld)

by Charlotte Boyett-Compo

  The hellion’s upper body wavered like that of a cobra being charmed by a flute. It hissed at Cree, rows of serrated teeth lining the maw of its mouth.

  “Don’t you fucking hiss at me, you piece of green slime,” the Alpha Prime snapped. He clicked the forceps like a pair of pruning shears. “I’ll fucking take your head off!”

  A stream of acid slime shot out of the hellion’s mouth and barely missed Cree.

  “Stop it!” Taylor yelled.

  The creature froze again and swung its angry glower to Taylor.

  “You belong inside me,” Taylor said. “You were born inside me!”

  “It is mine!” Coulter snarled.

  “You belong inside me,” Taylor repeated, holding the beastlet’s complete attention. “Let the Reaper extract you and return you to your rightful place.”

  At the title Taylor gave the man standing beside the gurney, the creature swung its ugly head around once again to stare at Cree. It drew its head back as though it would strike.

  “He is an Alpha Prime,” Taylor said. “Show him the respect he is due.”

  “I am a Gravelord!” Coulter bellowed. “It is me you need to listen to!”

  Swaying back and forth once again, the hellion continued to observe Cree.

  “Wolf,” it said with a sneer.

  “Aye,” Cree agreed. He never took his eyes from the creature.

  Taylor started to speak to the hellion again but the room suddenly seemed to be sucked clear of all sound. Those within it ceased to move. They stood where they were, like statues. Only he could move, but when he tried to get up, a firm hand was laid to the middle of his back.

  “Lie still,” the female voice said. He didn’t recognize the sultry tone but as soon as She moved into his line of sight, he knew She was the goddess of the Panthera.

  In the vacuum of soundlessness and complete stillness, She moved to Coulter’s gurney, wrapped Her slender fingers around the frozen beastlet and tugged it clear of the Gravelord’s back. She turned and placed its cold body into the incision in Taylor’s back then swept Her hand over his flesh to close the wound.

  “You’ve suffered enough, My son,” She said. “There was no reason for you to feel the pain of the hellion’s return to you.”

  He looked up into Her beautiful face and felt his cock stiffen instantly. Her eyes were glowing. Her red lips were moist and he longed to sweep his tongue over them.

  “Sleep,” She said as She laid a cool hand on his brow.

  The Panthera’s eyes closed instantly and Bastet smiled, running Her fingers down his handsome face. She could see why the Triune found this one so mouthwatering. Had he not been one of Her children—albeit from many years in the future—She would have taken him to Her in wild abandon.

  As it was, She sighed as a mother proud of Her child and turned to the hellion in the jar. With distaste, She reached inside, retrieved it then all but tossed it onto Coulter’s back, making a very feminine eeww sound as She did. Using the tip of Her finger, She pushed the inanimate beastlet into the wound then closed the incision. When She was done, She stared down at Dixon Coulter and nodded.

  “You, I could take many times over,” She said. “But I doubt Morrigunia would approve.”

  “I would not,” came the instant thought all the men heard.

  “Still, he is not Yours,” Bastet reminded Her counterpart.

  “Neither is he Yours,” Morrigunia sent to her. “Leave the boy be.”

  “I’ll bide My time for now,” the an Éigiptian goddess said. In a flash of green mist, She was gone.

  * * * * *

  Laci did not sense the lovely woman who came at her out of the shadows. She did not feel the light touch on her brow. The only sensation she experienced was a mild rush of wind flowing over her as she sat on the roof in a light mist of rain that coated her lashes and hair, dampened her sundress.

  She did not hear the soothing voice that bid her forget nor see the gentle smile that was bestowed upon her. All she knew was that she needed to go downstairs to her life-mate. He needed her.

  She needed him.

  “You will work with the Gravelord, but there will be no feelings beyond loyalty and camaraderie extended from you to him. Your love is with your life-mate as it should be and is.”

  The face of the man she would now be Extension to passed across her mind’s eye. She liked him. She respected him and they would make good partners.

  But she loved Taylor Reynaud with every fiber of her being.

  “All memories of the Gravelord’s attempts to seduce you are now gone from your memory. He will have no sway over you ever again.”

  A deep calm settled over Laci and she smiled.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Coulter sat very quietly, staring at the polished tabletop. The Hesar brothers sat across from him in the conference room. All three men were staring at him, waiting for him to speak. They were there to interrogate him, to learn what he had planned.

  “You have nothing to say?” Alexandru inquired.

  “What would you have me say?” Coulter asked. His back was healed and the hellion that resided inside him now was still. It had yet to speak to him which was just as well. He wasn’t ready. In a way, he hoped this one would remain silent.

  “Is it your intention to continue with your decision to become the Alpha here?” Constantine asked.

  “Nothing has changed in that regard,” Coulter said softly. “I will do my job to the best of my ability, using the powers that were given to me.”

  “Powers that are no longer as potent,” Constantine said.

  The Gravelord looked up, eyes glittering. “You would do well not to believe that, Lord Constantine,” he said.

  “Supervisor,” Constantine corrected harshly. “You would do well to remember.”

  “Duly noted,” Coulter said.

  “Are you saying your powers have not diminished with the removal of the Panthera hellion?” Alexandru queried.

  “My powers did not spring from the hellion, Supervisor,” he said, stressing the title as he swung his attention to Alexandru. “They were latent within me. The hellion merely brought them forward and gave me the ability to shift. Having it taken from me changes nothing save ridding me of the evil of its voice.” He cocked his head to one side. “Is it whispering that evil in Reynaud’s ear now? If so, I hope you have an exorcist on staff. Reynaud will be in need of his services.”

  “Her services,” Hesar snapped, his glower steady on Coulter. He was cradling his bandaged hand against his chest. Since he was not a Superlord his healing would take time.

  “I am sorry for what happened to you, Dr. Hesar, but I did warn you,” Coulter said. “You didn’t listen.”

  “To answer your question, we believe the goddess cleansed the hellion before She transferred it from you to Reynaud. Her mere touch might well have ridden it of all foulness. There have been no illicit mutterings from the beastlet,” Alexandru stated.

  “That’s great for him,” Coulter mumbled.

  “And the hellion given to you?” Constantine asked. “Has it begun conversing with you?”

  Coulter leaned back in his chair with his wrists braced on the chair arms. “Nope,” he said. “Wouldn’t hurt my feelings any if it kept its mouth shut.”

  “It won’t,” Alexandru told him. “It will speak when it needs to.”

  “Do you have an assignment for me?” Coulter asked, his tone weary.

  “We do,” Constantine said. “But first we need to ascertain—”

  “Whether I can work with Laci Albright without throwing myself on her and raping her,” Coulter said. “I assure you I can.”

  “She remembers nothing of her time with you in Greece,” Neal Hesar told him. “All trace of what you tried to do to her there is gone.”

  Coulter flinched.

  He had known the moment Laci’s memories had been wiped. From that moment until he had walked into the conference room he had not spoken a single word. Docilel
y, he had allowed them to lead him to a con cell where he Transitioned into a wolf this time and stayed in that form for three days before reemerging as a silent, withdrawn warrior. He had spent three days mourning the loss of the woman he loved so dearly. He now knew that he had never lain with her, never taken her body to his and it was another loss that hurt almost as bad as knowing Laci would never be his life-mate.

  In the cell down from his own, he had heard Reynaud Converting to his jaguar form but found he could not dredge up any hatred for the Reaper. Reynaud had the rights to Laci’s body and soul but he also had her undying love. At least one of them could make her happy.

  When he passed Reynaud’s cell on the way to being escorted to the conference room, the black jaguar had growled, bared his teeth at him.

  “You won,” he told the Reaper.

  Reynaud had charged the door—hitting it with brutal force—and as far as Coulter knew the man was still being held in the containment area.

  “Regarding Albright, if you try to influence her—” Constantine began.

  “I won’t,” Coulter said. He put his right palm over his heart. “On my honor, I swear to you I will leave her be.”

  “You took what you knew did not belong to you,” the Supervisor of the Exchange said. “You abused your powers to enchant and attempt to corrupt her. You tried to sully a fellow Reaper’s life-mate.” When Coulter opened his mouth to protest, Constantine held up his hand. “You knew damn well she wasn’t yours and don’t try to convince us it was the hellion prodding you. You are strong enough, powerful enough to have resisted the urgings of the beastlet. You chose to compromise Albright.”

  “Because I wanted her,” Coulter defended his actions. “I needed her.” He leveled his gaze on the older man. “Perhaps you can’t understand that but it was desire so powerful I could not fight it.”

  “That’s bullshit,” Alexandru said.

  Coulter threw his hand up. “Believe what you will.”

  There was a firm knock at the door and Constantine bid the visitor enter. Jonas Cobb appeared when the portal opened.

  “She is here, milords,” he announced.

  “Bid her wait a moment,” Alexandru said. “We are not yet finished with the Alpha.”

  “Whoopee,” Coulter said under his breath.

  Cobb quietly closed the door and could be heard speaking to Laci.

  “You say you can work with Albright without trying to force her to your will,” Constantine said. “What of Reynaud?”

  Coulter’s lips twitched. “I won’t force him to my bed, either.”

  Alexandru slammed his fist down on the table. “There is nothing comical about this, Reaper!” he shouted.

  “My apologies,” Coulter replied, chastened. “If you are asking if I can work with him in whatever capacity he now holds, I can.”

  “You won’t be working with him in any capacity,” Constantine said. “We intend to keep the two of you as far apart as possible.”

  “The man wants you dead,” Neal Hesar said.

  “I’ll leave him be if he leaves me be,” Coulter told them. “I do realize he was the wronged one here.”

  “No, Albright was,” Constantine snapped. “Reynaud was residual fallout.”

  “You start anything with him and you will be taken to Tearmann to spend the rest of your miserable existence,” Alexandru warned him.

  “And if he starts something with me?” Coulter countered. “Do I just let him beat the shit out of me and not defend myself? Stand there placidly while he tries to eviscerate me?”

  “You deserve it,” Hesar muttered.

  “We will be speaking with Reynaud,” Constantine replied. “There is a cell at Tearmann with his name on it too if he acts up.”

  “And we will make that clear to him,” Alexandru said.

  “It would have been good for you to have Reaper backup on your assignments but none of them want to work with you,” Hesar said. “Can’t imagine why.”

  “I don’t need backup,” Coulter told him.

  “Albright might,” Constantine said.

  “I can take care of my Extension,” Coulter vowed.

  “For as long as you have her, you’d better,” Alexandru warned.

  Coulter’s head snapped around. “What does that mean?”

  “She is Taylor Reynaud’s bonded life-mate. She is first and foremost his Extension and though he will no longer be working in the field, there will be times when their connection—as strong as any I’ve ever come across—can be utilized by the Company,” Constantine said. “Once the goddess has brought your life-mate to Terra—”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Coulter said, his eyes wide. “What life-mate?”

  “The life-mate of the Reaper whose hellion now resides in your body,” Alexandru replied. “She will become your Extension.”

  “Oh hell no! I don’t want another woman!” Coulter said, shooting to his feet, his chair crashing to the floor behind him. “You might have taken Laci from me but I will always be mated to her in my soul. I will never love another woman. I could never love another woman!”

  “Sit down,” Alexandru said in a voice as quiet as it was cold.

  Coulter stood there trembling, his fists opening and closing. A red haze had formed over his vision and he felt the hellion inside him stirring. His fangs descended to puncture his bottom lip but he dared not open his mouth to show the aggression the sight of them would generate in the Shadowlords and their human brother.

  “Don’t make me repeat that order, Reaper,” the Supervisor of Tearmann said in a menacing tone.

  Turning, Coulter bent over to set his chair back on its legs. He sat down, his chest rising and falling rapidly as fury raced through his system.

  “Did you think we would allow you to keep her, Coulter?” Constantine inquired.

  “She is my—”

  “She is nothing to you,” Alexandru said cruelly. “Nothing whatsoever. She belongs to Reynaud and there is not a damn thing you can do about it.”

  “Before we call her in here to discuss the assignment, you’d better make sure you understand that,” Constantine said. “You pledged not to use your powers to influence her. If you can’t honor that promise, you will be dismissed as Alpha.”

  “And will accompany me to Tearmann,” Alexandru added.

  “Your choice,” Hesar said with a snide grin. “That’s the only way you are going to be allowed to work with her.”

  “You’ll be watched like a hawk, Coulter. The moment you go back on your word, overstep your bounds, you are in Tearmann,” Constantine stated.

  “Where you will stay,” Hesar injected.

  Coulter slumped in his chair. All he had ever wanted to do was protect his country, to make sure the devastating war everyone knew would eventually overtake them was put off for as long as possible. To either rid the world of terrorists and extremists, fanatics and fundamentalists or at least contain them had been his personal mission when he had joined the SEALs. Until he had been captured by Hassan he had no idea some of those zealots were using psychic and paranormal powers to advance their agendas. Using his own powers against them to destroy their evil was now his only purpose in life.

  “I have a lot to give to our world,” he said almost in a whisper. “If it means living my life in misery to protect those who cannot protect themselves, so be it.”

  “You are sure?” Alexandru pressed.

  Coulter nodded then lowered his head, closed his eyes. “I’m sure.”

  Silence hung in the room for a moment then Constantine got up from his chair and walked to the door. He opened it and stepped back.

  “You can come in now, Albright,” he said.

  * * * * *

  Laci glanced up at Coulter as they walked. “Are you okay, Dixon?” she asked. He was quiet and had barely looked at her back in the conference room.

  “I’m fine,” he mumbled. “Just going over the mission in my mind.”

  “Sounds e
asy enough,” she said. “But I’ve learned nothing is quite what it seems when you’re dealing with religious radicals.”

  “Religion has nothing to do with this, love,” he said then winced at the use of the familiarity. He rushed on, hoping she hadn’t noticed. “Their agenda is to make money from these so-called protests. They need to be stopped and using a demon against them seems like as good a way as any.”

  She smiled. “They’re always going on with the hellfire-and-brimstone crap, showing them the real thing should be an eye opener for them.”

  He nodded his agreement. “Wheels up in thirty,” he said as they reached the corridor that led to the monorail platform. “Should give you time to pack.”

  “See you up top then,” she replied.

  “You’re not going to your apartment?” he asked, stopping as she headed in the opposite direction.

  “I’m going to see Tay to tell him goodbye,” she told him. “He’s out of Conversion.”

  Grinding his teeth, Coulter watched her walking to the elevator that would take her down to the containment level.

  “Are you enjoying hurting me?” he asked for he could feel one of the deities close by.

  “Immensely,” She said and he realized it was the Triune Goddess plaguing him.

  “Because I dared to want to be loved,” he said bitterly.

  “No, because you attempted to force her to love you,” She replied. “How’d that work out for you, Gravelord?” She made the title sound dirty.

  “The way You planned I imagine,” he replied, a muscle grinding in his cheek.

  “Perceptive man,” She said with a laugh. “But not to worry. I have a life-mate for you.”

  “I don’t want—”

  “It matters not what you want,” She interrupted.

  “No doubt she’ll be as mean as a rattlesnake,” he groused.

  “You have no idea what mean is,” She told him. “Yet.”

  The sound of Her tinkling laughter followed him into the monorail car. He snagged one of the poles as the car started forward and wondered just how bad things were going to get for him.

  And if they would ever get any better.