Authors: Stacie Simpson
Tears slid down my face. “He?”
She nodded. “You would have had a son.”
A son. The child I lost would have been a boy. Would he have
looked like Rook? Would he have been strong and confident like his father? As
caring and compassionate?
Wiping away my tears I asked Claire, “Will Rook ever forgive
me for letting Adan take his son from him?”
Red flames flared in her eyes when she said, “Adan will pay
for his crimes against you and your son, but I promise you, no one here will
ever blame you for his actions, especially not Rook.”
I started to argue but she cut me off. “Angela, you can’t
live your life in fear and we certainly don’t want you to feel like a prisoner
here at the resort. You went to the store and even followed security protocols
by taking Malcolm with you.”
She waved her hand when I opened my mouth. “I know that was
an afterthought on your part but you’re still getting used to needing security.
The point is, you didn’t create the danger to yourself and your child, Adan
did. Adan, and only Adan, is responsible for what happened to you, and to
everyone else who was harmed by his actions, including your unborn child.”
I didn’t try to argue any further. I still wasn’t sure if I
agreed with her, but I’d at least consider what she had to say before I
dismissed her opinions altogether. She was after all, centuries older than I
was and that had to count for something.
Claire talked me into getting takeout from The Dragon’s Lair
on our way back to Rook’s apartment. When we stepped off the elevator I
realized there were no curtains in the next room and asked Claire if it was
safe for her to go any farther. She said the storm shutters would close when
she placed her hand on the control panel if needed, but the sun had already set
a few moments earlier.
Once we were inside Rook’s apartment Claire pointed out
glass doors on both sides of the TV that I hadn’t noticed earlier and asked if
I wanted to sit on the balcony while we ate. The balcony was wide with several
seating arrangements and enough space to dance at one end. We sat near the
railing where we had a good view of the torch lit beach below.
The wind was blowing pretty hard so I had to hold my hair
while I ate but it was nice to get some fresh air. Just after we were finished
eating the front door opened and Claire said her goodbyes. A few moments later
Rook stepped out onto the balcony and I knew it was time to tell him about his
son.
* * * * *
After searching just about everywhere in the resort I
finally found Dragon sitting with Doyle on the edge of the ring in The Dungeon,
the fight arena here at the resort.
When they noticed me walking down the aisle Doyle said, “I
hadn’t expected you to leave Angela’s side for at least a decade.”
Stopping in front of them I crossed my arms over my chest
and jerked my head towards Dragon. “She’s with his mother who told me he needed
my help.”
Dragon snorted and shook his head. “I wonder what she’s up
to this time. Doyle and I were just discussing the tournament that will take
place a few months from now at Supernova. Do you remember what happened the
last time the tournament was held there?”
I shrugged. “Sure, Lucien’s lucky ring was stolen and he
lost the marksmanship competition for the first time in centuries.”
“And he hasn’t won since,” Doyle added.
Dragon nodded and continued, “When his ring was stolen it
was replaced with a replica that only Lucien can tell isn’t the original. He
said he could just sense that it wasn’t his ring. To the rest of us, the
replacement looks and feels exactly like the one that was stolen.
I was just telling Doyle I wished you could go back in time
and replace the original ring with a fake one just before it was stolen. The
thief probably wouldn’t know the difference so the timeline would remain the
same but if you could somehow bring the original ring back to this time we
could return it to Lucien. Maybe then he’d be able to win the tournament this
year.”
“It couldn’t be that simple.” I said more to myself than to
Dragon or Doyle.
“What couldn’t be that simple?” Dragon asked. “I know you’re
gaining powers, but that was ten years ago and as far as I know you still can’t
return to your original time once you go back.”
“Not the ring, the prophecy,” I told him impatiently and
quoted the line I was thinking about,
“Time for one, can make the trade. The
other is lost, his life must fade.”
I paused then asked no one in
particular, “But who is the ‘other’?”
All the air went out of my lungs with my next thought. No.
Oh Goddess, please let me be wrong.
“I have to go,” I told Dragon and Doyle over my shoulder as
I hurried to the exit. They called after me but I just kept walking. I needed
to find Angela, to know if what I suspected was true.
Claire met me in the living room of my apartment. One look
at her grim face and I knew I was right.
“Where is she?” I asked.
“She’s out on the balcony,” Claire replied.
When I strode past her and stepped out onto the balcony
Angela was standing near the railing looking out over the Gulf with her hands
cradling her lower abdomen. The wind was blowing her long blonde hair all over
the place but she didn’t even seem to notice.
“Why didn’t you tell me Angela?” I hadn’t meant for the
question to come out, and the words weren’t angry but they still caused her to
start. With a softer tone I said, “I’m not angry, I just want to understand
what happened.”
As I moved slowly towards her she turned to face me with
tears running down her cheeks. “I ignored the signs because you were so sure it
wasn’t possible. Then we realized it was a possibility, but I wanted to be sure
before I said anything. That’s why I went to the store; to get a home pregnancy
test. When Adan found me I had the test in my hand, so he knew I was pregnant,
or at least that I suspected I was.”
She fell into the chair beside her and put her head in her
hands. “He tried to bond with me but he said you’d done something to prevent
it. He said my soul was
stained
with yours. He thought it was because of
the baby, but I knew it was because we nearly bonded the night before. Whatever
caused you to start the bonding ritual saved me from being bonded to Adan.
Before he pushed me out of his car at the ER he said he’d try again after the
baby was gone and you had one of your nightshifters heal me.”
I crouched down in front of her and she looked up at me with
pain contorting her beautiful face. “He said the baby was an
abomination
because we weren’t
anai
so it wouldn’t have the ability to shift time.
He said he was doing me a favor by getting rid of it.”
Her breath rushed out with a sob and I reached out to pull
her into my arms, holding her close while she cried and our hair tangled
together in the wind. Smoothing my hand up and down her back I told her, “Our
child was not an
abomination
and whether it had the ability to shift
time or not, I would have loved it because it was ours.”
“It was a boy. Claire said it was a boy. Adan took our son
from us Rook,” Angela sobbed and I felt tears falling from my own eyes.
Pulling back I held her head between my hands and met her
blue eyes with mine. “I swear to you, Adan will pay for what he has done to you
and our son will be avenged.”
“I believe you Rook,” she said, then she grabbed a fistful
of my hair and pulled my lips down to hers.
I tried to be gentle but her tongue shot into my mouth and
her fingers tightened their hold on my hair and something in me snapped. All
the fear I’d felt when I didn’t know where she was and when I wasn’t sure if
she would live after we found her came rushing over me like a tidal wave. I
needed to feel her warm flesh pressed against mine, to bury myself inside her
and feel her life connected to mine in the most primal way.
Surging to my feet I took her with me as I stood then turned
and put her back against the wall. Grinding myself between her legs I continued
devouring her with my mouth until suddenly I realized she was no longer with me
- not emotionally or mentally anyway. Her mouth was still keeping up with mine
but her body was stiff and her hands were clenched. She was trying to hide her
reaction from me but it was obvious she wasn’t enjoying herself. In fact, she
seemed to be cringing away from me.
Setting her down on her feet I stepped back and took a deep
breath.
“You can’t stop Rook,” she insisted, coming towards me.
I put my hands up and she stopped. “You’re not ready for
this, why are you trying to push yourself?”
“Claire told me you knew how to save Rachel, but you would
need my help to make it happen.”
Me and the psychic were going to have a talk first chance I
got.
“Even if that was true, it could wait until you’re ready.”
She shook her head and stepped towards me again. “The longer
we wait, the farther back you’ll have to go and the harder it will be. If we
wait too long, we might miss our only chance to save her.”
“Do you think I don’t know what you left out of your story?”
She looked away from me and I reached out to grip her arms. I wanted her to
look at me but she recoiled from my touch. “Look at you; you can barely stand
to have me touch you. Do you think I don’t know what he did to you? What any
time demon without human morals would do if he got a hold of a conduit? I will
not do what Adan did to you, not even for Rachel’s sake.”
She shook her head and started to argue but I shouted, “I
will not rape you Angela. Not even if you say that’s what you want. We will
wait until you are ready to accept me into your body or until I can draw enough
power from the River through you without having to have intercourse.”
“What if that’s too late to save her Rook?” she yelled back
at me.
“Then so be it. I’m sorry Angela, but this is one thing I
cannot do for you.”
There was so much pain in her eyes that for a moment I almost
gave her what she was asking for. Instead, I let go of her arms and stalked
past her through the living room and out the front door before she could say
another word. I wanted to help Rachel but I knew without a doubt that our
relationship would be over if I allowed Angela to have her way in this. She
thought she could force herself to suffer through intercourse but I knew
better. If we did this, it would always come back to this. Any intimacy we
shared in the future would always be overshadowed by the ugly truth of what she
was asking me to do.
Somehow, we would find another way to help Rachel.
I learned a long time ago that if a psychic wants to avoid
you, there’s not a whole lot you can do about it. After leaving my apartment I
checked a few places where Claire could usually be found then decided to try a
different tactic. While I waited for nine o’clock to roll around I asked Lucien
to notify me immediately if Angela set one foot outside my apartment then I
went to my office and tried to get some work done.
Sitting in my chair behind my desk I wondered how I could
help Rachel without causing irreparable harm to Angela or our relationship. I
hadn’t wanted to leave her alone, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold out
long in the face of her determination. If there was anything I knew about
Angela, it was that she would do just about anything for her daughter, and she
was stubborn as hell.
With a sigh I shook my head because I knew she wasn’t going
to let this go until Rachel was either cured or dead - never mind the
consequences to herself or anyone around her.
Shortly before nine I entered Lilith’s Lounge and scanned
the room looking for Claire. Through the crowd of resort guests and staff
members dressed as vampires I spotted her sitting alone at a table in the back
corner. Cutting a path through the packed nightclub I made my way to Claire’s
table and took a seat across from her.
“There’s no need to scowl at me, I only gave her a push in
the right direction,” Claire said.
Taking a deep breath I closed my eyes and counted to ten.
When I opened my eyes again I asked, “How can what amounts to rape be the right
direction Claire?”
“We both know you would never let it go that far. Trust me
Rook things have a way of working themselves out for the best.”
“Or they have a way of working out how you want them to,” I
snapped, then gritting my teeth I told her, “The outcome of the prophecy is
still unclear to me, but I think I have a good idea what it will take to get
there. I will not let you manipulate Angela into making that decision. She will
make that choice freely or it will not happen - the prophecy be damned.”
She sat back and considered me for a moment then inclined
her head. “I give you my word; I will not influence her decision in this matter
one way or the other. Your Goddess however, will not be so easily deterred. If
you will not bend to her will, then she may try another approach.”
I grimaced knowing she was right. Both times the bonding
ritual was triggered the voice in my head had a familiar warmth to it that deep
down I knew could only belong to the Goddess.
“What possible reason could she have for rushing us into
something that I know with every fiber of my being will one day happen all on
its own?” I asked running my hands through my hair in frustration.
“I’m sure her reasons will eventually be revealed,” Claire
said then looked over my shoulder and smiled. “Liliana, I’m so happy you were
able to make it on such short notice.”
From behind me an accented female voice replied, “It’s not
every day that a world renowned psychic invites me to meet her for drinks. You
piqued my curiosity.”
I stood and turned to greet Claire’s guest but Lucien was
coming up behind her fast and the look on his face had me asking, “What’s
happened?”
The woman spun around and Lucien’s eyes flicked in her
direction. What happened next would have been comical if I hadn’t been so
concerned over his previous expression. Lucien stopped dead in his tracks then
his gaze slid over the ample curves Liliana had barely concealed under a
designer dress. His spine straightened and his shoulders squared as a confident
grin curved his lips and, despite his tech geek appearance, he was suddenly
channeling what Angela dubbed his Superman persona.
Claire came up beside me and said, “Liliana, I’d like you to
meet Lucien. He’s one of the division heads here at the resort.”
Liliana raised an eyebrow as she took in Lucien’s T-shirt,
faded jeans and Converse shoes.
Undaunted by her reaction Lucien’s grin transformed into a
full-blown smile and he offered her his hand. “It’s very nice to meet you
Liliana.”
Hesitantly she reached out to shake his hand. The instant
their palms met I understood why Claire invited Liliana to meet her at this
specific time and place. Lucien’s body jerked like he’d been struck by
lightning and Liliana’s breath hitched as her eyes widened to the size of tea
saucers.
“Lucien.”
Nothing.
I tried again, “Lucien, why are you here?”
Slowly his eyes turned away from his newly discovered mate.
After a moment he released her hand and took a step back. Liliana seemed to
shake herself as Lucien said, “It’s Angela, she left your apartment and you’re
not going to believe where she went.”
My heart sped with a sudden rush of adrenaline. “Where?”
“Mystique,” he answered then stepped between me and Liliana
when I turned on Claire with a growl.
“You knew what she was going to do,” I accused.
“Perhaps,” she agreed with an unrepentant grin and a shrug
of her slender shoulder.
Without another word I stalked out of Lilith’s Lounge
praying that I wouldn’t be too late. I hurried through the casino taking the
shortest route to Mystique then took the stairs two at a time to the upper
level. Peering down through the misty darkness and colored spotlights into the
writhing mass of bodies below I searched one lust filled face after the next
for Angela. Finally I found her near the center of the crowd and my heart
stopped beating for a second.
She was wearing the dress. It was the green dress I’d seen
in the window of the gift shop several months ago. Something about the dress
drew my eye and every time I thought about it I imagined what it would look
like on Angela.
How many times had my fantasies with Camila starred Angela
wearing that dress?
Goddess she was beautiful. The pale green dress hugged her
curves as she danced with her hands in the air letting her body move to the
sensual rhythm of the music. Her head fell back and she bit her lip, but not
the way she usually did, more like she was holding back a cry of pleasure.
The two men surrounding her had been keeping their distance
but as I watched one of them slid an arm around her waist and his other hand
moved to cup her breast.
Not in this fucking lifetime.
Vaulting over the railing I landed on the outskirts of the
dance floor. The humans were so consumed by the sex demon pheromones they didn’t
even notice me, but a few supernaturals raised an eyebrow before going back to
groping their dance partners.
Wading through the sex crazed mob I came up beside Angela
and glowered at the human males she was dancing with. Even through the haze of
lust they recognized the threat I posed and scurried off like dogs with their
tails tucked between their legs.
Angela turned to face me with her hands landing on my chest
and said, “Dance with me Rook.”
Her pale blue eyes were glazed with lust as her hands
traveled from my chest to my biceps, all the while her body undulated to the
music thumping and vibrating around us.
There were no less than twenty sex demons dancing on stages
and pedestals surrounding the dance floor; each one of them working overtime to
incite lust and encourage sexual promiscuity in those of us gathered below. I
was far from immune to the pheromones in the air and the scent of sex filled my
senses but I still wasn’t convinced this was a good idea.
“Angela, if I let go in here neither of us will be worried
about anything but the pleasure. We won’t think about privacy, or birth
control. Are you prepared to be pregnant again so soon after what you just went
through? I know Claire’s blood healed your body completely, but are you
emotionally prepared for what could happen if we do this?”
She met my eyes and I was sure there was at least a tiny bit
of awareness in hers. “Claire left me a diaphragm. Hopefully that will keep me
from getting pregnant tonight, but if it doesn’t, then I am willing to deal
with the consequences.”
She moved closer to me so that her lower abdomen pressed
against my throbbing erection with every twist of her hips.
Gripping her upper arms I told her, “I’m not even sure if I
can save Rachel. All I have is a hunch based on something Dragon said and the
prophecy Claire saw the other night. It might not work out no matter how much
power we draw from the River.”
With a fierce glint in her eyes she said, “If there is even
a slight chance we can save Rachel then I will do whatever is necessary to make
that happen.”
I held her gaze for a moment measuring her resolve then gave
in to the pheromones and the need for sexual pleasure.
Spinning Angela around, I pulled her in close to my body and
cupped her breast with one hand as the other splayed across her lower abdomen.
She ground her ass against the front of my pants as our bodies moved together,
driving me mad with the need to free my aching cock and drive it into her wet
depths until we were both mindless with pleasure.
Normally dancing was about the last thing I wanted to do,
but here in Mystique no one could resist the pull of the pheromones for long.
Like everyone else writhing around us, Angela and I were consumed by desire and
need, our dance driven by primal instincts hardwired into every being capable
of procreation.
Her arms came up and circled my neck as her head fell to the
side. The tempting sight of her bared throat drew my lips and I trailed kisses
over her sensitive flesh. Her hand gripped my hair and her hips never stopped
moving, the relentless friction pushing me closer and closer to the edge of
madness. I had to have her. I had to feel her wet heat squeezing my rock hard
shaft, and I had to have it now.
Reaching down I opened the front of my pants then turned
Angela quickly around, lifted her into my arms and impaled her with one hard
thrust. Her eyes widened then closed with a groan as she began moving, her legs
tight around my hips and her hands gripping my shoulders. I helped, lifting her
with my arms and rocking my hips to match the rhythmic pace she set.
Like a domino effect the couples all around us came together
seeking that ultimate moment of release just as we were.
After a few moments Angela’s eyes snapped open and locked
with mine as she cried out and the essence of her orgasm poured out from between
her legs. With a growl I propelled us off the dance floor where I braced her
back against a wall and drove myself into her hard and fast.
Her head slammed back against the wall and she yelled, “God,
yes, fuck me harder Rook.”
I gave her what she asked for and moments later fire raced
up my spine as the orgasm shot out of me and I emptied myself into Angela’s
warm, wet body. Still hard and ready to go I placed my hand over the nearest
security panel and opened the door to a private party room. It was in use, just
as they all were, but I didn’t care.
Inside, one man sat on the couch getting a blow-job from the
female on her knees in front of him. He was watching another female dance naked
on the stage in the corner while his buddy was going at it with another female
who was bent over the back of the couch.
Striding inside with Angela wrapped around my waist kissing
and nipping at my neck, I growled to the humans, “Get out, now.”
They all hesitated but when I growled again they grabbed
their clothes and hurried from the room.
Once the door was shut I scooped up a cushion from the sofa
and placed it on the stage in the corner. I sat Angela down on the cushion and
pulled the green dress up over her head from where it was bunched around her
waist. She came up on her knees and ripped my shirt off over my head then
grabbed the back of my head and pulled my lips down to hers.
Our mouths came together in a furious dance of give and take
that left me breathless and so hard I thought my cock might split wide open
with the amount of blood pumping into it.
Breaking away with a snarl I met her eyes and knew she could
take whatever I had to give. I didn’t need to worry any more about how fragile
she might be, at least not here in Mystique, not for tonight.
Gripping her hips I flipped her over and put her on her
hands and knees right on the edge of the stage. She was at the perfect height
for me to pound into her from behind. Plunging in hard and fast I fisted her
long hair in my hand and yanked her head up to meet my eyes in the mirrors
surrounding the stage. They were arranged to reflect every possible angle of whatever
was in front of them, designed that way because of the stripper pole just a few
feet away.
Her eyes when they met mine burned with desire and a hunger
that wouldn’t be sated for hours yet to come. I knew because it was the same
need that coursed through my veins with every frantic beat of my heart.
But before I gave in to that need completely, I had to try
and help Rachel.
Watching Angela’s face in the mirror I rotated my hips as I
thrust in and out of her wet center until I saw the look, that one that let me
know I’d found the spot that would drive her absolutely out of her mind with
pleasure. It didn’t take long before she was screaming my name and her inner
muscles clamped down hard pushing me over the edge with her.
In the midst of our pleasure I reached out to the River and
pulled the power into me. It came easily, rushing to me on command and I used
it to do something I never would have thought possible. I took the Rachel from
our current time and place, and traded her for the Rachel on her knees in front
of Danarius in Solaria. I waited until the last possible second to make the
trade, just before he pulled her to her feet and poured the Oblivion between
her lips. That way he wouldn’t notice anything was amiss and the timeline would
remain intact.