It filled her with a kind of longing she’d never experienced. When he finally landed deep within the heart of the Northern California coastal mountains, she finally decided it was alright that she’d gone with him rather than shooting him in the face with her imaginary shotgun.
He let her down gently before landing and shifting beside her. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness and she could make out the walls around her from the light of the stars alone. As soon as Orion shifted, the house lights came on. She gasped as she took in the marvel of what she found around her.
Immaculately kept grounds. A statue of a goddess holding a bowl that spilled water down into a gazing pool. The twenty foot concrete walls around the wide expanse of the courtyard truly did make it seem like a fortress.
She turned to Orion who was holding a clear glass tablet that he flicked and clicked on.
“What is that? And how do you have electricity?”
“Xander’s particle beam can’t interfere with our technology. Only human technology. I’m sure he would have tried, if he had more advanced technology than we have. He’s used all his resources to put out the sun and destroy mankind. You can’t conquer everyone at once. Not even Xander has that much power.”
“Who is Xander?” Lucia asked, leaning over to inspect his tablet. The screen seemed holographic, but it was also very similar to the digital touch screens she was used to.
“Xander Valdis. He’s the leader of The Surge. The grandson of the vampire god Tartarus. He wants nothing more than to enslave humanity and all immortals who oppose him.”
“You lost me a long time ago.”
“Come inside, beloved, you are freezing cold and your cat is having fits.”
He put his arm around her waist and walked with her toward the entrance of the grand house in the distance. There was a long drive framed by well-kept gardens. Beside the house sat a massive garage with five different sliding doors.
The front entrance of the four-story mansion was on the second floor, up a grand staircase. Orion took Lucia’s cat carrier before they started up the stairs. He walked with his arm around her waist the entire time. She was glad to have the physical support because the events of the day had left her shaken up. But being so close to this stranger was giving her body all kinds of strange feelings.
Lucia wasn’t in the habit of flying off with men who broke into her apartment, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She just hoped this wasn’t an elaborate scheme to take her to his lair and eat her brain, or worse.
When they reached the front entrance of the mansion, the door opened and they were greeted by a butler who looked more like a goblin than a man. Lucia gasped and stepped back, terrified of the small green creature. Felix hissed in his cat carrier. The butler bowed and backed out of the doorway.
“Please, this is just Benny. He’s worked for me for ages.”
“What is he?” Lucia stammered as Orion guided her past the bowing green midget.
“He’s my butler. The Goudy tend my fortress. Their kind have a long history of service to the immortals since the veiling. They cannot be seen by humans, so they must find other means of employment.”
“Why can’t they be seen?” Lucia asked.
She still had no idea what Orion was going on about. Not a single word had made sense since they’d landed. And he still seemed to believe she was his dead wife.
“It is part of Gama’s last spell. After the veil, all non-human entities from the center of the Earth and from space were banished or weakened. Most cannot be seen by human eyes or they vanish from existence.”
“They vanish? That’s horrible.”
“Please, come inside, my beloved.”
Lucia followed Orion through his mansion. Everything was luxurious and expensive looking. Antiques that should have been in a museum were mixed with ultra-modern pieces straight from the gallery showroom floor.
The twenty-foot-tall ceiling stretched overhead and the creamy gold walls were covered in masterpiece paintings from the last ten centuries.
Orion led her into a cozy parlor down the hall and around the corner from the front door. It was less grand than the other rooms they’d passed, but far more comfortable for a girl who lived in a one bedroom apartment. The modern rustic furnishings directed the focus to the grand stone fireplace that was blazing with a roaring fire. It was exactly what she needed to warm her chilled blood. She walked past a bank of windows on the way to the sitting area in front of the hearth. She imagined that, when the sun shined, the view must be breathtaking.
“This place is amazing,” she said, warming her hands by the fire.
Orion set Felix’s crate near the glowing warmth and Lucia knelt to open his cage.
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” she said, reaching for her traumatized pet.
She pulled him out and stood, holding him to her chest in front of the fire. He struggled at first but was soon purring with contentment. The poor thing had been scared out of his mind, but she was glad she’d brought him. Leaving him alone to starve wasn’t an option.
Lucia set Felix down and let him run off to find a cozy place to lick himself. She’d have to find him food and litter before she went to bed. If she could ever sleep again with a man like Orion so close.
She couldn’t help but notice the tingle of arousal that swept through her whenever he spoke, or touched her, or pretty much any time he did anything. It didn’t make her angry, it just confused the hell out of her.
He stepped in front of the fire and offered her a cup of steaming hot tea in a pretty porcelain cup. She accepted the offering and sat down in an armchair beside the fire. Orion sat across from her, giving her the space she desperately needed.
All the information coming at her from every side was just too much. She couldn’t process it, even if she wanted to. Everything in her was telling her to grab onto Orion with both hands and never let him go. He had a lot of stories she was sure he believed, but that didn’t mean any of it was true. How could she even trust her strange foreign memories? It was all so absurd, no matter how much she felt for Orion.
Supposedly, she was an immortal priestess or a witch or something. She’d never had any indication that she was a supernatural creature from some godly lineage until today. The suggestion was insane.
Although, her mother always said that her own great grandmother was a psychic back in Spain. She had to hide it because of religious superstition, but that didn’t keep the people of her village from coming to her for advice back then.
“You said a vampire named Xander caused the sun to go out? He did that to bring magic back into the world?”
“Yes,” said Orion, sipping his tea.
“Can the sun come back?”
“Undoubtedly. The sun hasn’t gone out. It’s being cooled due to a chemical reaction created by his particle beam.”
“If the sun can come back, can the electricity?” she asked, trying desperately to keep up.
“Yes. The particle beam is currently interfering with human technology. Without it, normal electrical function returns. I’m sure the solar flare burned out most of the grid, though. No matter what, the world will never be the same.”
“How can the sun come back?”
“My brother Titus is gathering our forces to hit Xander at his underground laboratory in Denver. Now that we know where his beam is located, we can strike him there. Rest assured, the Silverdrake clan will not allow The Surge to destroy humanity. There are many other immortals who agree.”
“You are going to fight him?” she asked, suddenly feeling terrified to lose him.
She barely knew him, yet the thought that he might die in battle ripped her apart. What would happen to her in this strange place? Her heart flip-flopped in her chest, just as it had when the sun went dark.
“I will stay until you are settled, Selene. My greatest priority is to you.”
“Please call me Lucia, Orion. I don’t know who Selene is.”
“I�
��m sorry. That was your name when you were my wife. A long time ago, in another world.”
Chapter 8
Orion showed Lucia to a sleeping chamber. She held her cat to her breast, the subtle scent of anxiety still clinging to her body. How he wished he could wash it all away and bring her to life again with his touch. But that could not be tonight.
“Thank you,” she said, holding her black and white cat in her arms as he wiggled to get loose. “There is so much I want to know, but all this energy coursing through me is exhausting. I can barely keep my eyes open.”
“Sleep, and I will reveal all in the morning.”
She turned to go, but he stood in the doorway, watching her walk inside. He held the doorknob. She turned to him and gave him a questioning look. Finally, he closed the door and started down the hall.
His blood burned for her. He could feel the elemental fires in his belly raging bright for his mate. His beloved. How he needed to feel her feminine curves awaken at his touch. He longed for the scent of her ready cunt, begging to take his tongue, his fingers, and his cock. The memory of her taste lingered still, two thousand years later.
The beast inside him, forced to slumber all this time, was growling for the old ways. His woman had to know him. Their primal attraction had been timeless and ageless when they’d met three thousand years ago, and nothing had changed.
He turned the corner and took an elevator up to the top floor where he had his workshop. Most of his advanced technology was stored safely in the basement, but the top floor was where he did his best thinking and much of his work.
A massive wall of windows faced the valley that sloped away from his estate. Stars shone like torches, burning through the blanket of the black sky. With no other light, they burned in all their glory.
He went to his glass pad dashboard and waved his hand over the computer terminal. His three-dimensional holographic dashboard rose above the terminal, and he opened his communications network, pinging his brother Titus.
“We’ve moved on Denver,” Titus said into his camera. “But Xander’s forces have destroyed New York and several other cities abroad. They are organized and have legions of zombies. We simply can’t move fast enough.”
“You must concentrate on bringing back the sunlight.”
“You need to be here,” Titus growled.
“I’ve found her.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve found Selene, brother.”
“Selene? How can you be sure?”
“I would know her anywhere. I need time with her.”
“This is a critical moment for our cause. You must come here now.”
“Selene is everything to me, Titus. I will not leave her unmarked in these times.”
“Marking your witch is not as important as saving the entire planet from Surge rule!”
“Don’t belittle my love for my wife. You would feel the same if you’d ever found someone to love you.”
“This is not the time, Orion.”
“Is that my father?” he heard Ajax say.
Orion saw his son’s face on the holographic screen. His expression was grim and already battle hardened. Ajax squinted his bright green eyes and the wind rustled in his shaggy black hair. As one of the younger immortals, he was strong and in his prime.
“When are you coming, father?” Ajax asked.
“I’ve found your mother, Ajax. I need time with her.”
“Mother?” he started. His eyes narrowed. “How do you know?”
“It is her and she’s frightened. I must claim her before I leave her alone.”
“She’s in the fortress. Xander can’t rut her behind your walls,” Titus scoffed.
“I will join you the instant I feel it’s safe.”
“You are wasting precious time. You must join us on the battlefront now.”
“I will be there shortly,” Orion growled, flicking the application closed.
He gritted his sharp teeth, knowing his brother and his son were right. He had to join them. As the acting Alpha of the clan, this was his fight. But after two thousand years without his mate, his heart wept to be with her again. He needed her love. He needed to bind her with his mark and be sure no man could ever touch her besides him.
Losing her once had almost done him in. He did not intend to lose her again. The world be damned. All that mattered was his need for his precious Selene. All the money and all the skyscrapers in all the world could not replace his lost love. Nor could the glory of defeating the monstrous vampire Xander Valdis. Above all else, it was Selene who mattered most to him. Since the first day his bright priestess looked at him with her shining green eyes, he had gladly dedicated his life to her.
Titus had wanted the position of Alpha for a thousand years. Let him have it. Now was his chance to prove himself worthy of leading the clan. Orion had been their leader for three thousand years. He was tired, all he wanted now was his wife. He wanted to give her the child they’d lost and introduce her to the child she would not remember having.
He strode to his chamber behind the workshop. It was outfitted with everything he needed, but far from the most opulent room in the house. He sat on the bed and pulled a bottle of cognac from his black mahogany liquor cabinet. He uncapped the bottle and poured himself a glass. Sitting back on the bed, he waved his hand and made his shoes disappear. His nano-technology came in handy as a shifter. The dragons had been using it since before the veil, when their father, Dahaki, still walked the Earth. With his glass of cognac in hand, he leaned back against his fur-covered headboard.
His communications network pinged, and he dragged a finger over his glass pad to bring up the app on the glass screen across the room.
“Father,” Ajax said, his handsome face burning with the fight. “Why are you barefoot and drinking? You should be here.”
“Ajax. Sometimes those who would inherit power must learn to brave the battlefront alone.”
“Enough of this, father. We need your dragon in this fight. The Surge is winning. We will never deactivate the device if we can’t break into their labs. They have legions against our few. You are our last hope. Don’t you wish to see the sun back in the sky?”
“Of course, my son. But to leave the woman I love? It’s impossible.”
“If you must claim her then just claim her and be done with it.”
“You don’t know what you are saying, Ajax, and I forgive you for that. Since you have never loved a priestess of Gama, you have no clue what you are talking about. Your mother is not one of your mesmerized human women. Don’t think I don’t know what the younger immortals do in their free time.”
“Father, that is beside the point.”
“I think not. The women of Gama will awaken in the world again and they will be desired beyond all else. Mark my words. I believe it is my duty to protect them. And that starts with your mother.”
Ajax sighed, knowing he’d been bested. “You are right father. Titus and I will hold the fight until you arrive. But please make haste. We all want to see the sun shine again on our planet.”
“I will come soon, son. Fight well.”
Orion waved off his screen and stood, taking another swig of cognac. His son had a fine point, but so did he. Selene had been the leader of her coven when he’d met her and had remained as such for the rest of her too-short life. Her priestesses would come to her. They would reestablish their order. He intended to be there to protect them.
He finished his glass of liquor and waved his shoes back on. He had to speak with his wife. He had to know that she remembered him. He didn’t care if neither of them slept. This was too important. Selene was with him again and her body still did not bear his mark.
She was his. The dragon cried out inside him. It roared in his brain, shaking the very foundation of his being. He had to claim her, but he would not force his bite onto his shining star. Never. It would not happen. No matter how much he burned for her.
He went to her door and
didn’t stop to knock, he walked in and found her sleeping under the blankets of her queen-sized bed. It was across from a bay window with fluffy pillowed seats, wrapped in floral covers. The cat slept beside Lucia and didn’t look up to hiss as Orion approached her bed.
He knelt beside her and looked at her sleeping face. Her full lips puckered like a budding flower. He wanted to steal just one kiss while she slept. One kiss would be okay. Then she would taste him on her lips when she woke. She would remember the subtle flavor of his kiss. It had to be.
Orion leaned in, knowing he was crossing a thin line in the sand. He had to taste her. His lips brushed hers, ever so softly. He took a breath, drawing her breath into his mouth. The taste of her filled him with longing. His body became electric with desire for the little forgetful human asleep in bed.
Her sweater opened to reveal the rise of her full breasts, her nipples hard under the thin tank top she wore beneath. Her lips pressed back against his.
The cat scuttled away, irritated he’d lost his place. Orion pulled back, standing above her in the darkness. He couldn’t taste Selene like this, without her full mind. He turned away, disgusted at the dark depths of his longing for her. This was his woman. His mate. His priestess. The dragon within growled. The power of an immortal demigod sang within him. The fiery elemental powers of his ancestors roared in his blood.
He would not allow the reawakening of his raw power to taint his love for Selene. He walked away, and her cat hopped back into the bed beside her.
Chapter 9
Lucia woke with a start, having dreamed of Orion. He’d kissed her. She could almost taste his breath on her tongue. The strange man with the deadly gaze had brushed his lips over hers.
The world was still dark outside the broad windows on the other side of the room. The shades were drawn back, showing the blackness of the night sky and the mountain landscape. The only light in the room was a lamp on a desk on the opposite wall. She pulled the blankets back, alarm ringing in her brain. She went to the window and looked outside at the bright courtyard and the dark sky above.
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