“Anyway,” she went on. “After Asher, uh, cut off Cameron’s head, I couldn’t breathe because his hands were still wrapped around my neck and everything went black. And then…” She swallowed again even though it hurt. “And then I saw this golden light in the darkness. It seemed like a long way off but I could hear…”
She trailed off, shaking her head.
“Hear what?” Liv asked gently, squeezing her hand.
“I could hear my Dad calling me,” Lisa whispered, looking up at her friend. “But, Liv—he’s been dead for years! I could hear him though—faint but very clear, calling my name. So I started to walk towards him—towards the light.”
“Oh my God!” Liv whispered. “Lisa, that almost sounds like you were, you know…”
“Dead? Yeah, I think I was for a minute.” Lisa nodded, feeling strangely calm about the whole thing—though she was sure she would probably be upset later. “Anyway, I was halfway down the long dark tunnel thingy—halfway to the light—when this warm, female voice said to me, “Not yet, daughter.” And then I found myself flying backwards down the tunnel again.”
“The Goddess!” Liv said excitedly. “You were talking to the Goddess—or she was talking to you.”
Lisa frowned. “You mean the Kindred Goddess? Is she a, uh, real thing?”
“She’s real all right,” Liv said confidently. “It sounds like she’s the one that sent you back.”
“Well, someone certainly did.” Lisa shook her head. “The next thing I knew, I was floating above myself and looking down on my own body. Asher was holding me and rocking me and his eyes…” She bit her lip. “His eyes were filled with tears. I could feel his grief—it was so strong it was coming off him in waves and I could feel it all around me.”
“And then what?” Liv whispered. She had settled down on the side of Lisa’s bed and was gripping her hand tightly. “What happened next?”
“Somehow I was rushing down, into my own body like I was an iron filing being pulled by a magnet,” Lisa said. When I landed, it was like falling backwards onto a mattress. Just thump—you know?”
“No, I don’t know and I’m glad I don’t!” Liv exclaimed. “But that’s amazing.”
“I’m sure I’ll think so too, tomorrow,” Lisa said tiredly. “Right now I just feel exhausted. Though of course I’m glad to be home—er, back in my body, anyway. I don’t know where to call ‘home’ now.”
“You’re going to call the Mother Ship home,” Liv said firmly. “You and Asher are going to settle down and start making babies like the rest of us, I bet. And if you don’t want to make babies, well, that’s okay too. As long as you’ll hang out with us and join our little group.”
“I’d like that.” Lisa smiled at her shyly. “If that’s what Asher wants.”
“Honey, he almost lost you,” Liv said. “At this point, he’s going to want whatever you want. You’d best take advantage of it.”
“All I want right now is to sleep for about ten hours straight,” Lisa said. “And I’m sure you want to get back to your family too. It’s…” She looked at the chronometer on the wall, “it’s almost three in the morning. And you’ve got young kids so you’re going to be up early.”
Liv groaned. “You’re right—Daniel wakes at the crack of dawn on Christmas morning. Which means I’ve got to be up in three of four hours.”
“So let me go,” Lisa said reasonably. “That way we can both get the sleep we need.”
“All right.” Liv nodded. “As long as you promise to stay in your own body and not go down any more long dark corridors towards the light, I think I can discharge you.”
“I promise,” Lisa said, nodding. At the moment, all she wanted was to go back with Asher to wherever he was staying and curl up together on the couch or the bed or wherever there was room for both of them to be in the same place at the same time.
“All right,” Liv told her. “I’ll discharge you. Go and have a Merry Christmas—if you can.”
“I’ll try,” Lisa said sincerely. She had a feeling that she was going to be dealing with the events of tonight for quite some time. But as long as she and Asher and their chewchies were together, she knew she would be all right.
Fifty
Lisa came slowly awake and saw Asher looking down at her with loving concern filling his green eyes.
“Good morning,” he rumbled. “Or good evening, I suppose. It’s nearly eight o’clock. Did you sleep well?”
“Sort of—no bad dreams anyway.” She started to get up and winced. “Oh God, I’m so sore.”
“That’s to be expected—you were fighting for your life last night.” He frowned and Lisa was afraid he was going to start apologizing again.
“Do you think I could get a hot shower?” she asked, to forestall him.
She honestly didn’t blame the big Kindred for anything that had happened. She should have known better than to go down to Earth and stay in her apartment like a sitting duck when she knew Cameron was hunting her. She’d just thought she might have a little more time before he found her…
But no. She pushed the memory away. Right now she just wanted to forget the past and live in the present. And she was very much hoping that the present included a nice hot shower.
“What about a bath instead?” Asher asked her. “I have a bathing pool here in my suite that’s quite deep. You could soak in it and ease the tension in your entire body at once.”
That sounded like an amazing idea to Lisa but when she tried again to get up, she found that she was so stiff and sore she could barely move.
“Let me help you.” Asher lifted her easily out of the bed, where she had fallen asleep on his shoulder the night before, and carried her through a small but luxurious suite until he came to a large, well-appointed bathroom.
True to his word, there was a huge sunken bathtub, at least six feet across, that looked deep enough to swim in. It was filled with steaming water that was lightly scented.
“That looks wonderful!” Lisa said, but looked uncertainly at the steep steps leading down into the pool. In her current state, she wasn’t really certain she could manage them on her own.
Asher was way ahead of her on that, though.
“I’m going in with you,” he said firmly. “To support you in the water.”
“I’m a Florida girl,” Lisa protested. “I could swim before I could walk!”
“Just the same.” Asher frowned. “Do you want me to help you remove your clothes?”
Lisa bit her lip, feeling a little shy. Even though he had seen her naked before, she still had body issues. Especially considering how big and muscular and physically perfect he was compared to her own over-generous curves.
“Could we maybe…dim the lights a little bit?” she asked hesitantly. “It’s kind of bright in here.”
“Of course. Lights dim.” Asher spoke in an authoritative voice and the room was immediately suffused in a soft golden glow that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. It was much more forgiving than the brilliant, overhead luminescence had been and Lisa felt immediately more comfortable.
“Thank you,” she said. “Okay, now I don’t mind undressing so much.”
“I don’t know why you would mind in the first place when you have such a luscious, curvy body,” Asher remarked in a low growl.
“Oh, well…” Lisa felt her cheeks get hot. “Thank you. I’m, uh, used to being considered too curvy, to be honest.”
“Too curvy? There is no such thing,” Asher murmured as he helped her off with her clothes—which were the same sweatpants and t-shirt she’d been wearing yesterday during her Christmas movie marathon. Lisa was glad to get out of them.
“There certainly is on Earth,” she remarked and tried to avert her eyes as he slipped his own clothing off—just a long pair of silky black sleep trousers, she saw, like he had worn their night together on Helios Beta. Still, it was hard not to look at his long, lean frame—the broad muscular shoulders and sculpted chest an
d abs. He was positively mouthwatering, Lisa thought.
As soon as he was naked, he swung her into his arms again and then descended the steps of the bathing pool.
“Oooo…” Lisa moaned happily as the steaming water enveloped them both. “Oh my God, it’s almost too hot but it feels so good.”
“It should loosen your muscles considerably,” Asher murmured in her ear. “Do you think you can stand on your own? I would like to get some bathing implements.”
“Oh, uh, sure.” Lisa moved her limbs experimentally. “Yeah, I’m feeling better already.”
“Good.” Asher nodded and let her stand on her own two feet on the tiled bottom of the pool. Lisa found that the water was just at the level of her nipples—which put it around the big Kindred’s waist. She ducked down a little, so that only her head was above the steaming surface. The heat was healing against the bruised flesh of her neck, though her throat still hurt when she swallowed.
Asher went to the far edge and got something that looked like a large, puffy sponge and a tall, thin bottle. Her poured a thin stream of sweet-smelling liquid onto the sponge and then waded back to her.
“All right now,” he murmured, looking down at her. “Do you think you can let me wash you, Lisa?”
“I…um… sure.” Her heart was drumming in her ears for some reason but she reminded herself he was only going to wash her. Surely that wasn’t a big deal, right?
Asher started with her back and shoulders and then moved to do her arms. He reached under the water to scrub the backs of her thighs and calves but that was all. Lisa started wondering if he was going to wash anywhere else. Anywhere more…intimate.
At last he murmured in her ear,
“Would you like me to wash your front as well, sweetheart? Or do you think we should finish up now?”
Lisa knew what he was talking about. He was asking if she wanted him to wash her breasts…to wash her pussy. Despite the pain in her throat, the answer was immediate and definite.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Only…maybe without the sponge thing, okay?”
“You wish me to wash you with my bare hands?” Asher’s voice was low and intimate in her ear.
“Yes,” Lisa moaned softly. “Yes, Asher—wash me like that. With your bare hands.”
“As my lady wishes,” he murmured and put the sponge on the side of the bathing pool.
Then Lisa felt his big, warm hands reach around from behind her to cup her breasts and slowly rub the fragrant soap over them. She moaned again when his long fingers found the tight, aching nubs of her nipples and pinched them lightly, sending showers of pleasure sparks straight down to her pussy
“Gods, you’re so beautiful,” he breathed in her ear as he rolled her nipples between his thumbs and fingers, tugging gently. “I cannot believe I almost let you go. I’ve been such a fool, Lisa.”
“Don’t…don’t say that,” she panted, pressing back against him. She could feel his long, hard shaft pressing against her lower back. “God, this feels amazing. I love your hands on me.”
“And I love to touch you,” Asher growled softly. “And taste you as well.”
One hand left her breasts and traveled down her trembling belly to part her outer pussy lips. Lisa moaned as she felt the hot water rush in to caress her delicate inner folds and the throbbing button of her clit.
“Oh God, Asher, please,” she moaned.
“I want to bite you again,” he growled softly in her ear. “To heal these fucking bruises.” He nipped lightly at her neck with his fangs, not drawing blood just yet. “And to inject my essence into you—to claim you as my own.”
“You…you can heal bruises too? Not just cuts and scrapes?” Lisa asked breathlessly.
“Mmm-hmm,” he rumbled in her ear. “It can heal a great many things. But I will only bite you if you want me to.”
“I want it,” Lisa said without hesitation. “But maybe you’d better put an arm around my waist—to hold me up in case it’s, uh…as intense as last time.”
“Certainly.” He slipped one muscular arm around her waist just under her breasts and then Lisa felt him kissing her neck, leaving a trail of nibbles and licks as he searched for the right place to sink his fangs.
This time she barely felt the sharp little pain at all but the orgasm his essence caused when it hit her bloodstream was immediate and intense.
Lisa cried out, her back arching as pleasure flooded her. She felt her pussy gushing with honey, even under the water, allowing Asher to slip two long fingers deeply into her and fuck upward, which only increased her pleasure.
“Oh! Oh God!” Lisa gasped, writhing in his arms. God, she wanted him inside her, she thought. Wanted the big Kindred to make her his forever! What was that called? Bonding, right? He had spoken of trying to bond her to him.
“Bond me,” she moaned as the pleasure went on and on. “Fuck me and bond me to you, Asher. Please, I need you to!”
The fangs were abruptly withdrawn, though the pleasure took a little longer to fade. It was a good thing he was holding her up, Lisa thought, because her body seemed to have gone boneless in the aftermath. She leaned back against him, panting and then realized, after a moment, that he hadn’t answered her.
She looked up at him, turning her head to see him.
“Asher? Are you all right? Should I not have asked you to do that? To bond me to you?”
“No—I want to. And I’m almost certain I will be able to.” He spoke slowly.
“Even though I don’t have the, uh, the right kind of DNA?” Lisa asked. Damn it, in the heat of passion she had forgotten what he had said about the difficulty in their bonding because of that.
“Tangala DNA,” he supplied. “No, you do not have it but I think I will be able to bond you to me anyway. I just didn’t want to admit it earlier because I was so afraid of losing you—the same way I lost my parents when I was young.”
“Oh Asher, I’m so sorry.” She turned and stood on her tiptoes to put her arms around his neck—though it was quite a reach since he was so tall. “I know how hard that is—I still miss my Dad and he died a couple of years ago.”
“It does something to you, to lose people so important to you, so young,” Asher said in a low voice. “It makes you afraid to love—afraid to open up to anyone.” He gave her a tentative smile. “Until now. Because I swear I will do my best to be open to you, Lisa. Especially if I succeed in bonding you to me.”
Lisa bit her lip.
“And you think you’ll be able to?”
He nodded. “I do. I have already received the first two sights—the Strike and the Sight.”
This was slightly confusing but he explained to her briefly how a Tangala Kindred knew he had met his fated mate when he received the first of the “Three Signs” which apparently let him know he had found his “fated mate.”
“I got two of the Three Signs within minutes of meeting you,” he told her. “When you first touched my bare skin with yours—put your hand on my chest as I was changing into the Santa outfit I got the Strike—an immediate blast of lust—and it nearly knocked me over. And then when you cut your finger on my fang, I got the Sight. I saw a vision of the two of us making love and watched as your eyes changed briefly to match my own. It was…most arousing.”
“Was that the real reason you got that enormous hard-on?” Lisa demanded, grinning. “I wondered about that, you know.”
“Yes,” he admitted. “But your sweet scent was affecting me too—driving me wild, much like it is now.” He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the neck. “I want you Lisa—I want to bond you to me and get the Third Sign,” he murmured in her ear.
“So…you want to try? Now?” she whispered, looking up at him.
“More than anything.” Cupping her cheek, he took her mouth in a long, hot kiss that made Lisa’s entire body hum with pleasure.
“Let’s go then,” she said breathlessly when the kiss finally broke. “What are we waiting for?”
“I wa
nt to get out of the bathing pool first—if you feel healed enough?” he asked.
“Perfectly healed,” Lisa assured him. “Though I think that has a lot more to do with your essence than it does with the bathing pool. I should have asked you to bite me last night.”
“I wasn’t sure you’d want me to,” Asher said, looking troubled. “I thought you might still be upset with me for driving you away, back down to Earth, into the trap that was laid for you.”
“That was my decision,” Lisa said firmly. “I take full ownership of it but right now, I don’t want to think about it—okay?”
“Of course.” He nodded.
“Right now, what I want to think about it getting bonded to you.” Lisa leaned closer, rubbing her bare breasts against his broad, muscular chest.
“That would be my pleasure, sweetheart—and yours, I promise,” Asher growled softly and reached down to tug lightly at her nipples, a move that sent showers of pleasure sparks through her entire body.
Lisa moaned and writhed against him.
“Hurry up then—you’re driving me crazy.” Despite the intense orgasm she’d just had when he had bitten her, she still felt intensely sexually needy.
“Let’s go, then.”
They climbed out of the bathing pool and Asher wrapped her in a long dark red towel which somehow managed to suck up all the water droplets on her skin and even in her hair, yet still leave her feeling refreshed and moisturized. Then he led her back into the living area of his suite and sat down on a black leather couch which was situated in front of a fireplace. A fire with blue and gold flames was crackling quietly in the grate, casting a warm glow over the dim room.
“Mmm, this is nice.” Lisa started to settle beside him but Asher pulled her into his lap instead, facing him.
“Come here, sweetheart—I can’t bond you to me way over there,” he growled.
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