Lunar Bound, page 17
part #4 of Sky Brooks World: Ethan Series
I sighed, didn’t address the issue. “Let me know when he wakes.”
Not waiting for an answer, I made my way to the infirmary. As I approached the double doors, Gavin rounded a corner. Judging by his grimness, he’d been looking for me. I’d already pushed my way through the doors when he let me know what was on his mind.
“You’re going to challenge him,” he stated.
Sky was alone in the chair where I’d left her. The edge in Gavin’s voice stirred her. I glowered at him, expressing in silent definite terms to shut the fuck up. Sky stretched. When she yawned, I noticed the thin healing line of a knife wound across her neck, courtesy of the Ares, or Ethos. For a blissful moment she was at peace. Reality settled in as her eyes focused on the empty table where Sebastian had been when she’d fallen asleep. It was clean now, sterile.
She glanced around the infirmary. “Where is Sebastian?”
“We moved him to another room.”
“He’s better?”
“It’s been twenty-four hours, so we took him off the machines. His wishes.”
While she tried to absorb the information, I handed her a set of keys from my pocket. “You have to leave. Your home has a blood ward and everything was changed early yesterday. It should be safe, but if you want to go back to the penthouse, I understand.”
Behind me, Steven and Winter walked past the door. Sky noticed their hushed whispers. I couldn’t meet her gaze, didn’t want to try. Tension steadily filled the room as she realized what was going on. I could only await the explosion. Her face had grown a full shade darker when she finally blurted, “Ignore the fucking rules! Ignore Sebastian’s requests!”
The veracity of her outburst took her by surprise. Her eyes searched mine, expecting either a rebuke or an argument. I wouldn’t argue her moral compass. The ensuing silence seemed to sap the anger from her. When she spoke again, her voice was softer, pleading, “I don’t want to leave.”
You don’t want to stay, not for this. Some part of her believed she’d be able to change my mind at the last moment if she stuck around.
“It’s not about your wants, Sky,” I said gently. “I am tired, don’t make me force you out.”
She crossed her arms as another pack member walked by, taking a good long look inside the infirmary. I knew him by the scent of his aftershave. How he could stand the smell was beyond me. I knew by his look that he was anticipating the challenge; regardless of who won, he knew a fight to the death meant a rise in rank. Every pack had their power seekers.
Sky scrutinized me for a moment, her eyes searching mine, looking for hope. Not finding what she wanted, her shoulders drooped. Her arms unfolded. Her head lowered and she uttered a somber, defeated, “Okay.”
Grateful, I lifted her chin. Meeting her gaze for the first time, I bent and gently kissed her lips. Rather than risk an argument, I walked out of the infirmary. A few minutes later, I watched from the library window as her Honda drove off the property. Relieved, I returned to wandering the house, exuding a calming presence. I wouldn’t challenge Sebastian until I’d no choice. Until then, I’d do everything I could to stave off the need. After organizing the pack into action teams, I sent a few into the kitchens to prepare food for everyone, with no thought of a siege. We’d empty out the fridge and the pantry, but I wanted every belly full before dark.
An hour later, with most of the pack either busy eating or carrying out their assignments, I returned to the library. Peace and quiet was hard to come by. Only a moment after I began pacing, Josh walked in. He looked haggard, like our prior discussion had taken years of his life. Seeing me, he hesitated in the doorway, considered leaving. But this was his library, his oasis. I didn’t expect him to abandon it. He didn’t disappoint. Out of fairness, I chose to leave him alone. We nodded to each other in passing. While he sat at the table, I strode toward the door. I had one foot across the threshold when I heard a clatter behind me.
I turned, found him sitting on the floor, his chair tipped over next to him. He was upright, his body rigid. His eyes were black. I knew before he said it aloud.
“The blood ward at Sky’s is broken.”
“I need you to transport me there.”
When he didn’t respond, I shook him.
“Josh!”
He remained distracted.
Seconds later, I was in the Maserati, speeding off the property. My only thought was to reach Sky. The front door to her house was open. The moment I brought the vehicle to a screeching stop outside her home, I threw open the door and shifted. I didn’t care who saw. My claws clattered on the concrete porch. I raced inside to find Ethos with his back to me, confronting Sky. A knife in her hand, she wore the determined look of someone ready to sacrifice everything for a taste of blood. Ethos’s fury filled the room as he drew on his magic.
I leapt onto his back, burying my claws into his flesh. Ethos howled, reached back to throw me off as he whirled. As he careened off the furniture, I found myself losing my grip. Against another foe, I’d abandon his back to take his leg, bring him down to the floor where he was vulnerable. Ethos was far too dangerous. I held on, shifting my weight to try and topple him. Furious, he whirled faster. The momentum caught up to me and my teeth slipped. My claws lost their grip. I tumbled to the floor. Before I returned to my feet, he was gone.
A transport spell for a being like Ethos was normally powerful enough to take with him any trace of his presence, like hair, blood. Whether he’d been in too much of a hurry or just pissed, he’d left a stain of blood soaking into Sky’s carpet. Recognizing the importance, she carefully soaked up what she could with a kitchen towel. Once done, she sealed the towel and blood in a plastic garbage bag.
Quick thinking.
Josh might be able to use the blood to locate Ethos. Anyone else’s blood, a sourcing spell was guaranteed to succeed. With a being of Ethos’s power, nothing was certain. Thanks to Sky, we at least had a chance.
As the adrenaline faded, exhaustion crept in. I clambered onto the couch and changed to my human form. Anticipating the change, Sky pulled a throw blanket off the back of her couch, draped it over my groin. If I hadn’t been so tired, I’d have laughed.
She sat next to me.
Sitting up, I deliberately let the blanket slip to the floor, enjoyed the look she gave me.
I looked her over for wounds, found none. From the looks of it, she’d held her own against Ethos. I wondered what would’ve happened if I hadn’t arrived. Would she have killed him? She’d intended to. Offering her the best compliment that came to mind, I said, “That was a hell of a fight.”
“Not really.” She frowned. “I failed. I needed more time.”
Entering the house, I’d seen the look in her eye as she’d confronted Ethos, the determination. “You can’t blame yourself. You did what you could.”
She gave me a curious look. “Did Josh tell you everything?”
“Everything, including that you went after the shooter with a knife.” I rubbed the stubble on my chin as I shook my head. “So,” I chuckled, “you literally took a knife to a gunfight.”
She reached under the sofa and drew out a knife hidden there. With an easy gesture, she buried the blade into a displaced couch pillow on the other side of the room. “I know how to use a knife. Can’t shoot the side of a house from ten feet away, but I can use a knife.”
I considered her, how much she’d changed from the defenseless wolf I’d first brought to the retreat. She’d been afraid of her own shadow then. At the time, I thought she’d never survive in our world. I’d underestimated her. Sky Brooks had a talent for proving me wrong. “Something tells me Ethos didn’t just come here to attack you.”
“We gave each other ultimatums. His was either I allow Maya to take control or he starts killing all of my friends. Mine was I kill him unless he becomes a professional gambler in Vegas. He declined, so…”
She shrugged.
“His plan has changed then. He’s focusing on Maya, not the pack.”
An anxious look came over her as she nodded.
I asked softly, “Did he try to call her?”
“Fighting him was the only way to keep her from taking over,” she admitted. Her gaze fixed on mine, imploring me. “You promised we’d get rid of her.”
I brushed a stray curl from her eye. “We will.”
She nodded, glanced down at the blood on her hands, then her shirt. “I still haven’t gotten used to other people’s blood on me.”
You shouldn’t.
As her gaze passed over the room, I noticed the distinct but fading mark of a vampire’s bite. Anxiety settled back into my stomach. She’d fed Quell. That she couldn’t just give him up wasn’t a surprise. Glancing at an Ethos-sized dent in the drywall, I wondered if the vampire was the same threat to her that I’d believed he was. Had Sky changed enough that she could kill him, if necessary?
My fingers gently traced the line of her jaw, turning her gaze to mine. My voice was soft, gentle. “You went to see Quell first.”
She tensed, turned away. For a moment, she didn’t answer. “How is Sebastian?”
Deflection. She’s getting good at it.
I sighed. “He’s breathing on his own. Dr. Baker seems hopeful. You didn’t answer my question.”
When she did, her tone was reluctant. “Yes.”
She expected anger. All I had was relief that she was safe.
“Okay,” I said. “You should get the blood off.”
I stood, offering her my hand. Reluctant at first, she accepted, allowing me to guide her to the bathroom. My gaze fixed on hers, I turned on the hot water. She raised her arms as I gently lifted off her shirt and tossed it aside. Her eyes searched mine as I unbuttoned her jeans, expecting some hidden fury or reluctance. I’d earned that much when I urged her to be with someone else. Standing this close to her, inhaling her scent, hearing the pace of her heart, I wanted it to be me. I remembered my words and her face and realized it wasn’t going to be.
Setting regret aside, I helped her slip one leg out of her jeans, then the other. Still holding her gaze, I reached into the shower to check the water temperature. After an adjustment, I gathered up her clothes. Her eyes tracked me as I hesitated at the door, uncertain. Longing welled in me. I wanted to join her. Normally decisive, assertive, I found myself searching for some sign that she wanted the same. Choosing caution over desire, I walked out and left her alone.
In the hallway, I placed her clothes inside the washing machine. After finding her detergent, I twisted off the measuring lid. My hands started to quake as I tipped the container, spilling detergent over the edge of the lid and over my hand. Delayed fear rushed through me.
Ethos would’ve killed her.
She’d intended to kill him. I’d no doubt she would’ve tried, but he was more than a match for any single were-animal, myself included. The last time we’d fought him, it had taken the combined strength of the pack and the Seethe. Even then, we’d failed to kill him.
If I’d been a few seconds slower to arrive.
I imagined arriving to find Sky murdered, and the quake worsened until I clasped my hands together and squeezed, hard.
From the bathroom, I heard the shifting patterns of running water, imagined it streaming over Sky’s shoulders toward the small of her back. The humid scent of strawberry body wash drifted into the hall. Longing returned, intertwining with fear until the emotions became an indistinguishable cocktail.
From the doorway, my eyes traced the lines of her curves on the other side of the nearly opaque shower door. The thought of losing her drove a desperate need to be close to her. I opened the door and prepared for rejection. Her eyes widened in surprise, then drifted down. When her eyes returned to mine, I found the shared longing that I needed. The desire and forgiveness was there. Could she possibly want me as much as I wanted her?
Steaming water streamed against her neck, over the healing bite marks, as I sidled into the shower next to her. A light shiver rippled beneath my touch as my fingers gently roved over the small wounds. Bending to her, I brushed the marks with my lips, tasted them with my tongue. Her breath quickened. With a slight turn of her head, she invited more. I obeyed, tracing with kisses along the nape of her neck, along the length of her jaw, until I reached her warm, soft lips.
As our kisses gained urgency, my hands roamed her curves, kneaded her hips. She gasped as my fingers reached the place between her thighs, sending a wild thrill through my body. Her hands gripped my hips, urged me closer until I’d pressed her against the wall. Still, we pulled at each other, trying to satisfy a shared, desperate need to become one.
Needing to satisfy the primal desire that rose in us, binding us in that heated moment, I kept her close. Blindly, I reached out to shut off the water. Guiding her out of the shower, we continued kissing and caressing, dripping a trail of water into the hallway. She leapt to wrap her legs tightly around me while I carried her to her room. Neither of us willing to let go, we landed entwined on the bed, her beneath me.
Her embraced eased as she encouraged my lips to wander. Her fingers wrapped themselves in my hair, applying a gentle downward pressure until I found her pleasure between her thighs, eliciting soft gasps and whimpers of pleasure that urged me on. The arousing sounds continued until they were just short pants. Her fingers clawed at the sheets, her hips writhing against me. I wanted her. Could I ever have considered turning her away?
Returning to her lips, my need for her became all-consuming as I nestled between her thighs, the warmth of her body beckoning me. Her hands kneaded the muscles of my lower back, encouraging me until I eased into her. She uttered a pained gasp at my entry, giving me pause. Holding her emerald gaze, I remained there as she got used to me. Warm breath passed between our lips as they lightly brushed against each other.
“Você está bem?” Are you okay?
When she finally nodded, I gently pressed deeper into her until I’d breached the barrier there. She gasped again, biting her lip against the pain. Her fingernails raked my back. Once more, I waited. When her heart slowed and I felt her body relax beneath me, I eased into my movement. Inhaling her scent, reveling in the pleasure of being one with her. Being connected to Sky. Mine. She was mine and I was hers.
Within minutes, our hips ground together in perfect unison. Shared pleasure washed over us as we continued, our gazes locked together until her eyes fluttered closed.
I whispered, “Olhe para mim.” Look at me.
Her eyes opened, gaped into mine as we reached deeper into our pleasure. With a soft groan, she closed her eyes once more, fixing her attention on the pleasure between us. Her fingers clawed at me as she pulled me closer, deeper. A soft, throaty pleasing moan escaped my lips. Our kisses grew harder as we tried to consume each other. Our rhythm quickened, became fevered as we built toward a shared, heated ecstasy.
We remained locked in an embrace, both unwilling to yield to the other as our pleasure faded. Our hearts pounded together in near perfect unison as we caught our breath. My lips gently caressed her neck, kissed her lips. Her arms remained wrapped around me, still holding me close. We remained entwined, recovering, until her grip slackened. I eased off of her, gently easing her to her side so that I could cradle her against me. She closed her eyes, smiled, as she squirmed her body against mine. Within a moment, she was sound asleep. With her in my arms, I followed the gentle beat of her heart into a deep, blissful slumber.
CHAPTER 9
Some hours later, I woke to a sunlit room. Sky’s warmth remained pressed against me. Watching the slow rise and fall of her breath, I wondered if I could sustain what we had. In all of my encounters and relationships, the one constant had been my reserve. I’d never hesitated to walk away because I’d never cared enough to stay. If my partner walked away, so be it. A selfish life was simple. But I cared for Sky. Somewhere along the line, her happiness and her safety had become my obsession. If I wasn’t careful, I’d push her away like the rest. Changing my ways had never been part of the equation, until her. I wondered if I’d found her too late, if being a selfish ass was too ingrained in my being.
Part of me wanted to remain there, watching her sleep, but waking at dawn was an ingrained habit. Given the brightness beaming through the windows, I’d already overslept by a couple hours. Careful not to wake Sky, I eased back from my embrace.
On my way to retrieve a fresh change of clothes from the trunk of my Maserati, I hesitated on the front porch, unusually aware of my nakedness. The neighborhood was quiet, peaceful, empty. Even if I were noticed, I hardly cared about my nudity.
Sky cares.
This was her neighborhood. She cared what her neighbors saw and how they thought of her, a consequence of maintaining relationships with them—precisely why I ignored my own neighbors. While I didn’t share her concern, I respected it. Staring across the yard to my Maserati in the driveway, I considered the distance, the likelihood that someone Sky cared about might see me, the chances that the same someone might talk to other neighbors. It occurred to me that in the time I spent debating whether to act, I could’ve already retrieved my clothes and returned to the house. Self-consciousness gave me a headache. Finally sick of the internal debate, I grumbled my way into the house. With a bathroom towel bunched in front of my crotch, I ventured back out to the Maserati.
While I fished in the trunk, Sky’s voice surprised me from the doorway. “Are you serious?”
She threw anxious glances around the neighborhood as if it was going to come alive at any moment to witness her embarrassment.
I grinned. “Good morning.”
“Get in the house,” she half ordered, half pleaded. “If that thing falls off, the neighbors will have you arrested.”
Clothes in hand, I closed the trunk. Walking up the porch, I kissed her on the cheek. “I think I’ll be okay.”
“Why, because you’re an attorney or because you don’t think anyone will call the police on you?”
After another kiss, I said, “Both.”
