No, she had seen that emptiness before. Each time she looked in the mirror.
She slowly lowered into the chair, the heat from his body heady. He was too close, nearly suffocating her, but she refused to move. She refused to pay attention to the need flooding through her as well.
“I have a name, and it’s not Blondie.”
Matthias eyed her, but didn’t comment. Instead, he leaned in close, as if he would whisper something in her ear. She awaited the words, a breath catching in her lungs as she paused. Nothing ever came. Britt suddenly jumped as she heard him inhale.
Had he actually had the gall to scent her? She turned, shock filling her, but stopped as she was hit with unabashed lust in his gaze.
“Do I need to leave the two of you alone?”
Britt turned to Nicolas, his raised eyebrow making embarrassment run rich in her veins. “Immortality is something from a fantasy novel, so why don’t you tell me the truth.”
“So is the ability to heal wounded men,” she heard come from the behemoth beside her.
Nicolas leaned his elbows on the table. “There is much in this world you don’t know.”
“Enlighten me, then.”
Nicolas looked to Matthias before returning to her. “We’re Knights Templar. I was born in 1279 near Paris. Matthias is five years older than I.”
Britt did a quick bit of mental math in her head. “You’re both over seven hundred?” She laughed. It was impossible. “And what’s kept you around so long? Wine, women, and song?”
“Gaia saved us from the Templar Massacre for a greater purpose.”
“Gaia?”
“You might call her Mother Nature or Mother Earth. She’s the spirit of the Earth itself.”
Either these guys were pulling a fast one over on her or they were completely insane. She hoped for the former and not the latter. “And what greater purpose did Mother Nature save you for?”
“There is a great war waged every single day on this planet between the forces of good and evil.”
Sure. She played along. “You are the good guys or the bad?”
“Neither, really. Angels and demons are the good and evil that fight. They’ve used earth as a battlefield since its inception, and they truly don’t care about the collateral damage they cause. We protect those on this planet and the planet itself from their wrath.”
“Angels are supposed to protect us.”
“In their minds, they are protecting you. If evil wins, then the universe is plunged into darkness. Sometimes the few must die to protect the many. At least, that has always seemed to be their philosophy.”
“If this battle is being waged on earth, then why don’t we see it?”
“You do see it. Famine. Plague. War. It’s constantly going on around you all the time. They don’t fight the way in which humans do. They fight for the very souls on this planet in the largest game of chess you’ve ever seen.”
“The man in the hallway? Are you telling me he was a demon?”
“No, he was Illuminati. The Illuminati are our counterpart on earth. They thrive on creating chaos and turmoil. They wreak havoc on the planet and its inhabitants, profiting from war, disaster, and disease. The more collateral damage, the better, in their minds, and they open the door to allow for more infighting between angels and demons. It’s a sort of job security for them. We do everything in our power to stop them and keep the peace.”
Britt grew quiet a moment as flashes of the man in the hallway shuffled in her mind. “Did I truly kill him?”
“I honestly don’t know what happened. I’ve never encountered anyone like you.” Nicolas openly appraised her, not bothering to keep the lust from his gaze.
“I’m not a killer.” Am I?
“Have you always had this ability?”
Britt was suddenly hit with how familiar she was becoming with her abductors. Sitting around the table like friends, sharing a story wasn’t how she should regard them. They were drawing her in and making her forget herself. Stories of angels and demons, the dead and undead, it was all too much for her to handle. She had to be careful of what she shared. Her gut told her she could trust them, but she didn’t know them. “A long time.”
“Can you raise the dead?” Nicolas’ stare tightened.
“No! I can only heal to a certain point.” Or so I thought.
The light that Nicolas had had in his eyes diminished, and he appeared to grow colder. She shivered at the sight and wondered what was coming over the man for his gaze to become so steely. “What happened in the hospital, when you healed us?”
“Nothing like yesterday has ever happened to me before.”
Nicolas watched her closely. She shivered at his appraisal. “What are you holding back?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“We told you our story. Tell us yours.”
His bearing stopped her in her tracks. She no longer wanted to discuss anything with him. “I don’t know you well enough to do that.”
Nicolas banged his fist on the table, making her jump. Anger rolled off him in waves, and she realized in that moment he wasn’t the calm, peaceful man she’d initially sensed. Matthias might be the big brute, but it seemed you got what you saw. Rage simmered in Nicolas’ gaze belying a depth that made her tremble.
“Calm down, Nicolas.”
Britt turned to Matthias and saw the man’s brow furrowed. He appeared to have been affected by Nicolas’ demeanor change as well.
Nicolas quickly recovered, the thick lines of his face easing into a smile of sorts. “We brought you here to save you from Illuminati clutches. You may not be able to appreciate that from your perspective, but we’re not the bad guys here.”
“Leave her be, Nicolas. You don’t earn trust with force.”
Britt turned to Matthias, his words allowing her to breathe a little easier. She caught his gaze and saw the emptiness once more. Need filled her. She wanted to be the woman to make that desolation disappear.
Nicolas stood from the table and walked to the front door. He left the cabin, a surge of cold air rushing through the opened door before he closed it. Britt shivered as Matthias moved closer to warm her some and block the frigid breeze. She looked up into his face and was drawn to him in a way she’d never felt before.
“So his story is true?” Her head screamed at her that it was illogical, but her heart told her the truth, no matter how far-fetched it seemed. They were who they said they were no matter how nonsensical it was. How could she call them illogical when she was the epitome of illogical? Most people didn’t go around shining blue lights into others to heal them.
“I was born in Normandy in 1271. My father was a knight, although I’m not sure how he acquired the title. He was a ruthless bastard who had taken my mother as his prize when he’d ransacked my grandfather’s keep. I was fostered out at nine to an even more ruthless bastard who took Nicolas’ sister as his prize when he took their keep five years later.”
“I thought you were brothers?”
“Brothers-in-arms. After living in close confines for over seven hundred years, he’s more family to me than even my own was. My Templar brothers are just that. My brothers.”
“How many of you are there?”
“Not as many as there should be. Our numbers are down to the dozens at this point. In our heyday, there were hundreds of us.”
“This is some story to take in.”
“Of course it is. He warned you.”
Nicolas had indeed, before he’d gone off the deep end. She watched Matthias and his heady stare for a few moments. Did this man have a dark side like his friend? She didn’t think so, but she had to be careful she didn’t let down her guard. “How did you learn you were Immortal?”
“We left once Nicolas was old enough and fought for our king. Eventually, we rose within the ranks and found ourselves within the Order of the Temple. Knights Templar. One night in Constantinople, we came face to face with the Illuminati and we won, barely. It
appeared to have appeased Gaia and she saved us, or so she calls it. From that moment on, we’ve never aged another day. Our wounds heal on their own. We don’t die.”
“Just because you happened to fight the Illuminati and won?”
“You must have heard the story behind Friday the 13th? It is claimed that’s the day in 1307 when King Phillip rounded up Templars and murdered them, which isn’t exactly the whole truth, but you get the gist. If we disappeared, no one would have been shocked. They probably assumed we were one of the many who perished. Gaia repurposed us, to become warriors for her. And since most of us only know killing and death, it was a good match.”
Britt watched Matthias as he talked, realizing he wasn’t the brute she thought him to be, no matter how tough he tried to sound. Yes, there was an aura of barely leashed power about him, and it made her leery, but she had the realization that she’d seen him at his worst the night before. He’d been struggling to save his brother. Would she have gone to such extremes for her own family, if she had any left? She would have, but she didn’t have the power within her to make happen what he had. Or did she?
“Do you truly believe I was in danger if I stayed there?”
Matthias grew very quiet and for a moment, she wasn’t sure he heard her question. He shuffled in his chair, and his stare hit her again. It nearly took her breath away with the need she saw there. “Yes. I do. But I think you may be in just as much danger in this house.”
“W—why is that?”
“Because I’m not sure I can keep my hands off you.”
A tremor ran through Britt’s body. No man had spoken to her with such desire in his tone and never had she ever expected to be as turned on as she was. Her nipples puckered against the thin cotton of her lace bra. They ached as the points brushed against the fabric, which had always felt so soft. It might as well have been sandpaper bristling across the tips.
She moved her lips, but no words came out. Britt rose from the chair, the proximity of his body overwhelming her. As soon as she stood at full height, his hand clasped around her wrist and she felt a zip of pure electricity run through her. Her pussy throbbed in time with her escalating heartbeat and if he held her much longer, she was sure she would orgasm on the spot.
Matthias’ eyes grew wider, and she wondered if he’d felt it as well. He quickly drew her down. Before she could determine what happened, she was astride him, the thick brand of his cock etched along her inner thigh. She swallowed, her throat tight, as she watched his lips, needing his kiss like she needed her next breath.
“Don’t run from me. It’ll only make me want to chase.”
“I—I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves here.” Her mind screamed at her to make him stop. Her body told her another thing. Her eyes had never left his firm lips.
Fingers speared into her hair and wrapped around the nape of her neck. Matthias drew her close, the heat of his breath mingling with her own. A hint of cinnamon and vanilla hit her, the sweet, spiciness of it making her want to close in for a taste.
“You never told me your name,” Matthias whispered to her.
It might as well have been a bucket of cold water he’d thrown on her. She was sitting on a man’s lap, one who may or may not be insane, and who definitely had abducted her. And he didn’t even know her name.
She pulled away from him, a deep sigh leaving her lips. “Britt. My name is Britt.”
As she’d pulled away, his hand had slid along her neck and now rested on her shoulder. The heat coming from his body warmed her and made her want to snuggle deeper into his embrace. She wanted to forget like she had a moment ago and embroil herself in the cocoon of sexual haze he’d dragged her into.
Instead, she slowly stood. His eyes were hooded and didn’t give away anything. She wasn’t sure how he was responding to her withdrawal. Not that it mattered. She had the right to say no. Britt should be happy the big brute had let her go.
He sighed and stood, towering over her. “Are you hungry?”
Hungry for him. “No.”
“You haven’t eaten in days, you really should eat.”
“Days? How long was I out?”
“You slept all through yesterday.”
All the long hours of overtime had apparently caught up to her. No wonder she’d felt so refreshed when she’d awoke. “I’ll rummage for something later. I’m not hungry now.”
He nodded his head. “There are books in the study as well as a television. We don’t get cable this far north, but there are movies on the shelves, too. They can keep you occupied as we settle in. I left a pair of Nicolas’ sweat pants and a sweater in there for you, as well. We can rummage you up some other clothes later.”
“How long do you plan on making me stay here?”
“As long as it takes.”
As long as it takes for what, she wanted to ask. The question died on her lips as he strode out the front door, following in Nicolas’ path.
Chapter Four
Matthias grasped the bow in his hands, stalking through the cold. They had no idea how long they would be stuck out there, so it was best to start stocking up on supplies. He began checking the ground and soon found a set of deer tracks. Moving stealthily through the woods, he felt in his element once more. While he’d become assimilated to the contemporary age, it was all too much sometimes. He’d bought this cabin high in the mountains as his escape from the modern world.
Yet the modern world had brought Britt into his life. He still vibrated with the energy he’d sensed upon touching her. He felt stronger. It was like a drug. He wanted more, wanted to touch every inch of her and feel her power flowing through him.
The death mask of the man in the hospital came back to him. Her power had a dark side, and he needed to remember that. She was still an unknown part of the equation. What had she done to him? Nicolas’ answer seemed to fit, but Matthias feared it was more deadly than his simple explanation.
Until they knew the truth, he shouldn’t give in to the screaming in his head. He’d always held on to his control easily. Years of abuse through the ages had numbed him. She had brought sensation and emotion into his gray existence. Quite literally, she was a light in his darkness.
As he rounded a copse of trees, a pair of deer came into sight. A doe stood beside her buck, and they nibbled on a patch of grasses below the trees. Spring had come to most, but up here in the mountains, the season was much slower to change. Finding a patch of green grass was a treat to these two and lucky for him.
He lifted his bow and trained the tip at the chest of the buck. He was a magnificent creature, at least ten points, if not more. The deer lifted his head and scented the air but didn’t jolt. Matthias froze in his spot and did his best to slow his breathing. The animal had a regal air about him Matthias could see in his stance. This male had been around for many springs.
Matthias drew his arm back and tensed in preparation to release the arrow. The doe moved closer and nuzzled against his head before dropping her head back to the grasses. Slowly, the buck bent his head to eat once more. Matthias released a breath and tightened the bow.
****
Nicolas dropped the axe into the log, splinters flying out as it shattered into smaller pieces. Sweat cooled on his neck and back, the cold air swirling around him as he worked off some of his anger. His anger was irrational, and he knew it. It was off-putting to feel so out of control when he was around the woman, but it was starting to occur even when she wasn’t in the vicinity. Britt had every right to be wary of them. They were strangers to her, strangers who had taken her out of her world and dragged her into theirs without truly taking the time to determine if it were the best course of action.
Yet, her reticence wasn’t what had angered him. He’d seen the way the woman’s gaze had often gone to Matthias. She was enamored with his friend.
Nicolas felt the jealousy rage through him. He wasn’t an envious man, especially when it came to Matthias. The man had laid down his life for Nicolas more
times than he could count. Matthias had lived a near celibate life, refraining from using women as Nicolas had over the years. In all rights, she was Matthias’ due.
So, why had he been imagining planting the axe in his hands deep into Matthias’ skull with each and every plunge? It made him sick to his stomach that the sight had come to him, but it had come. There had to be something wrong with him for him to even consider the errant thoughts in his mind. Matthias was his closest friend, his brother. They rarely argued and never, ever fought over a woman.
Yet, Nicolas wanted her with a need he could barely contain and that wouldn’t be ignored. He had sensed her slight interest when they’d been in her bedroom. He’d seen her shiver as he’d touched her ear, knew she felt it, too. Even then, he’d felt the surge of her power rush into his fingertips, and he needed more.
He propped another round on the chopping block and adjusted it before splitting it evenly into three pieces. Each drop of the axe took a little of his anger away and half an hour later, he had nearly gone through a whole cord of wood. They had plenty to get them through for a week or more. The spring thaw could be smelled in the air even now, so there was no threat to make him chop more.
Yet he couldn’t stop. He needed to exhaust himself so he could think more rationally. He had no right to feel the way he did. Matthias was his friend, his brother. Hell, the man was almost a father to him. Matthias had been there to show him the way when Eustache had come in and forced him into fostering. Without Matthias, Nicolas was sure he’d be a much harder man than he already was.
Seven hundred years later and he was still a hothead. He wore his emotions on his sleeve instead of being the calm, collected man Matthias was. If he couldn’t control himself around her, he’d push her away.
Hell, she only had eyes for Matthias, so was there any point in worrying about pushing her away? And considering their life of constant battle, it wasn’t even a possibility she could become a part of their world. His attraction to her had to be forgotten.
Two Knights of Indulgence Page 5