Guardian Awakening (The Guardians Series) (3 page)

Essen moved his hand to her round ass and pushed his long fingers lower between her legs where he longed to bury himself. He felt her shift her feet so her legs were farther apart. He knew he had her now. Her body was responding to his, just as he imagined it would when she danced for him. Without releasing her lips, he picked her up so she straddled his hips, and he carried her to the bedroom he had spotted when entering her home. She clung to him, kissing him back just as forcefully as he kissed her. Once in the bedroom, he lowered her onto the bed and quickly pulled her T-shirt over her head. Underneath was a simple, plain white bra, so different from the ones she wore while performing. Her nipples jutted out under the fabric, asking for his mouth to claim them. Her eyes were misty with desire. Essen wasted no time and assaulted the first nipple, sucking and biting so that the cotton was wet. She squirmed under him, holding his head against her breast. He moved to the other nipple while his finger and thumb played with the first. Romy let out a low moan and arched her back up to him. He massaged both her heavy breasts and pushed them together and then licked from one nipple over to the next. Romy moaned and wrapped her legs around him, using her thighs to hold him to her, rubbing herself against him constantly.

He took his time unbuttoning her jeans and then slid them off, revealing a matching pair of undies and those slender legs of hers that he wanted wrapped around his waist when he thrust deep into her. Essen stood back to drink in the sight, full breasts, a nipped-in waist leading to rounded hips and then her pussy, where he intended to bury himself. She had awoken him from a long sleep. Now that he was awake, she would be satisfying him over and over again. Her eyes were half-closed; he felt her heart was pounding away. He could smell her arousal and wanted to taste that sweetness.

“Touch me...please,” she whispered. The ache in her voice matched the ache in his cock.

No longer did he wrestle with himself. She was his, no matter what. He needed her as much as she needed him. As they touched each other, he could feel the bond between them strengthening; maybe that was the reason he had resisted killing her before. But what was more surprising was that he had not thought he was capable of feeling this way about someone. For him, life had stopped the moment she and the baby had died. No, not died. They had been slaughtered by Romy’s tribe. But now he felt life returning to him in the most unimaginable way possible—through her, his enemy.

Essen removed his shirt and jeans while hardly moving; having powers could be useful from time to time. He leaned onto her, his cock painfully hard, and kissed her lips again. He explored her breast with his hand, massaging slowly and then stroking her flat stomach. She gasped when he slid his hand into the elastic band of her panties and farther down. Oh, yes, she was wet for him! He ripped off her panties swiftly, and she spread her legs so his fingers could slide over her moist folds. She was completely bare of hair, so smooth to touch. Over and over again, his fingers scraped her nether lips, gently parting them each time until she was pushing her hips up to him. Such a lovely offering, how could he could he say no? He moved down, kissing each breast, licking the plains of her stomach, and finally arriving at her clit. Her treasure glistened for him. There, he took his time, bathing her with his tongue, up and down and around in circles until he heard her breathing quicken. She quivered, and then he took all of her into his mouth and sucked. She rotated her hips and panted shallow breaths. He could feel her heartbeat accelerating and her wetness increase. She was close to orgasm, but he didn’t want it this way. He moved up to her and kissed her parted lips, letting her taste herself. Essen balanced himself on his elbows, gazing into her eyes.

“Now?” he asked.

“Yes,” came her breathy reply.

Essen moved his aching cock to her entrance that was so ready to receive him. He stopped above her, kissed her gently, and then thrust himself fully into her. She was so ready for him, wet and warm. Her internal muscles stretched to accept his girth and length. He thrust in and out, grabbing the back of her knee and bringing it up to her chest, and pushing harder and harder. Her eyes deepened in color, and he knew she was about to orgasm, but so was he. He felt her vaginal muscles clamp on to his cock as her orgasm hit her. Romy screamed and grabbed on to him, digging her nails into his back. That pain sent him over the edge, and his cock exploded inside her. He continued to thrust harder, pouring more of himself into her soft, eager body. She was his and his alone. This was surely heaven on earth!

Chapter Three

Romy’s eyes opened to the sunshine entering her bedroom. She stretched her legs and yawned. The arm around her waist tightened, reminding her that he was still there, behind her. Her mind did somersaults, thinking about last night. The ache between her legs was evidence of a night spent in wild abandon. It was the kind of passion she had never felt before, with someone she knew very little of. He had only revealed his name—Essen. She did not understand how she could feel overwhelming desire for one person. Romy felt his warm breath on her back, and she smiled to herself, enjoying the warmth of his body spooned against hers. She had never had someone stay the night. Sex was always in hotels, anonymous. She never let it become personal, no real names and not in her home. But somehow this was right in a way that nothing and nobody else had been. She rotated around to face him, to look at the man who was causing her so much confusion.

His eyes were closed. He seemed peaceful as he slept. Romy stroked his blond hair and ran her fingers down his cheek to his shoulders. But something strange was happening. He was glowing, actually glowing blue. A shimmering light wafted across his skin. Romy raised her head a little to see if it was something reflecting onto him. No! Each time he took a breath he shimmered blue.
Hell, he is blue.
Panic gripped her throat.
No, not him! Not now!
Her past had caught up with her. Why had she not realized their connection was more than two humans reaching out to each other? Their night together had been out of this world, and now she knew why. He was not human; neither was she. She shot out of bed, and the movement woke him . His eyes were swirling blue! Romy screamed. Grabbing her T-shirt that had been discarded, she ran out the bedroom, thinking only of how she could get away. But somehow he was in front of her, hands holding her still. She tried to struggle against him, but he was like a brick wall, immoveable.

He spoke in her ear, holding her against his smooth chest. “Stop, I can explain, Romy.”

“Please, I...I don’t know what’s going on. Let me go.” Panic etched in her voice.

Her plea fell on deaf ears. Essen just held her tighter and continued to whisper. “I will explain, but you must be calm.” His voice was mellow; he rubbed her back.

Romy stayed in his embrace, taking deep breaths until she felt she was in control, calmed by the gentle stroking of his hands. His grip around her loosened enough for her to step away from him. She moved back and his chest came into focus. No, not blue. Romy shook her head to clear it.

“You...you were glowing blue.” She reached out to touch his skin, and gazed up into his eyes that were back to their normal blue. “I saw it, I did!” Doubt played in her mind.

“Yes, you did, and there is a reason.” She saw him clench his jaw. “Get dressed,” he ordered.

Romy went into the bathroom and stood staring at the mirror. Her black hair falling about her face, gray eyes staring back at her from honey-colored skin. The unusual combination was the result of Russian and Indian blood. It made her appearance distinctive in the club, yet strange to the world around her. But she also knew her background
was
strange
.
Her family, part of the Asuriya tribe of demons, loved power, which drove them to further their greed through the worship of the ultimate evil, the Dark Master. At first it had been just money; the thirst for wealth slowly consumed her family and tribe members. With money came power and the ability to control others. The Dark Master taught them how to manipulate people and drain them of their souls. Once done these soulless humans were enslaved, and then they were treated as toys to service the blood lust of the Dark Master. Romy cast her mind back. Cries of pain and anguish hurtled through the closed door of her past. Dark ceremonies to bind the soulless to serve him, to stretch his power throughout the world. It was something Romy fought hard to leave behind. Perhaps they had been right when they had said she would never really escape. Right now it seemed her past had caught up with her in the form of Essen. Was he to take her back to her family and ultimately the Dark Master? Only time would tell.

Romy scrubbed her face clean and got dressed; memories that had been locked away fought to be released. Gritting her teeth to hold them at bay was the only thing to do. She knew running was not an option; after all, getting past him would be the first problem, and if her instincts were right, there would be no outrunning him, so forget that! She would face whatever he had to say or whatever he wanted—that would be the only way, she reasoned. Romy took a deep breath and stepped out.

Essen was dressed when she came out of the bathroom. He wore blue jeans and a black T-shirt that clung to his torso and emphasized his wide shoulders. Essen’s blond hair was scraped back off his face, and his blue eyes stared down at her. He stood with his arms by his sides, hands in fists, ready to strike. Her reaction to him was instant; like a predatory animal, he drew her to him with an invisible force. Need rose in her body. Romy wanted to be in his arms, held tightly against him. The only man she had ever felt right with was staring at her like he wanted to kill her. She knew why; saying no to her family meant she was marked for death, or worse, to serve as one of the soulless.
Do they plan to kill me?

“We need to travel.” His voice had a harsh edge to it.

“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me who you are.” Romy stood in front of him, hands on her hips, trying hard to be like the no-nonsense character she portrayed on stage.

He stood looking at her, then motioned to the sofa. “Okay, let’s sit.”

Folding her legs underneath her, Romy took a seat. Essen sat next to her, arm stretched out across the back of the sofa.

“I am Guardian, a demon.” Essen paused.

Romy’s heart beat faster, and her palms were sweaty, but she tried not to show her reaction, tried just to listen. This was her worst nightmare. It was not her family who had found her but the sworn enemy of her tribe. She had always been told of their barbaric nature, and now one sat opposite her. Inside, her mind was racing, trying to gain a handle on what he was saying.
Surely he is out of his mind; after all, they are all dead!

“We Guardians are like peacekeepers. I come from a line of original demons. We protect the Gateway between the human world and the supernatural world. Do you understand what I have said? I am not human.” Essen stopped.

Romy felt him staring into the very depths of her. “I know you’re not human, I guessed that when you glowed.” She took deep breaths to stem the fear rising in her. Maybe trying to pretend she did not know what he was talking about would mean he would think he had made a mistake in recognizing what he thought was her lineage. Perhaps he would then leave her alone.

“I know you understand this. You have an unusual mixture of blood in you...not quite...”

“My mixed blood in no way compares to your...blood!” she spat out.

“But you have Asuriya blood in you,” Essen replied.

“How did you know that? No one knows that.” She had worked hard to erase any links to her family, choosing her own way rather than what was expected of her. Fear gripped her throat; Romy swallowed hard. He did know who she was after all. The many stories she had been told were all of Guardians wanting to destroy the Asuriya. Tales of their evil deeds against her people. It was said Guardians would take and kill the young of the Asuriya so her people would not be able to grow in numbers. They were the enemy, not to be trusted. But the older she became, the more these stories did not seem to make sense; the actions of her own people showed her that they were not innocent in this ongoing battle.

“We Guardians protect the Gateway from the Dark Master and his forces who want to unleash full force of evil into the world. We have been charged with stopping that from the beginning of time by Caeles, the Creator.”

Romy began to fully understand the rivalry between both sides.
What is not certain is how I fit in.

Essen leaned across, and she felt his hand go to the back of her head. Romy had expected him to grip her tight; instead, he massaged her head, the act a comfort. Leaning back into his hand, Romy enjoyed his touch, relaxing her shoulders and closing her eyes for a moment. He was a confusing man; one minute he looked as though he wanted her blood and the next his eyes filled with tenderness.

“The rest I need to tell you where it all started. Come.” He stood up and held out his hand to her.

She hesitated, then slowly placed her hand into his large one and felt firm, strong fingers grip her. Romy had not used her inherited abilities for a long time. But tuning in to her long-forgotten senses, she closed her eyes and focused her mind. She reached out with her inner mind to him, but she could not get deep into him. There was a barrier, but then she should have expected that. But she did sense something; she felt safe with him, but something else too. Something darker. What it was exactly was not yet clear, but she had a feeling she would find out pretty soon.

“Hold on, this will feel strange, Romy. Keep your eyes closed.” Essen’s voice in her ears acted like a balm on her fraying nerves. She felt his arms come around her, bringing her close to him. He pulled her head to rest on his shoulder. She felt heat radiate from him straight into her. It was a tingling in her head, then a slow release of heat through her body. A warm sensation akin to the feeling of sitting close to the glow of a roaring fire surged through her. She had never felt anything like this before, but for some reason she was not scared. In his arms she was secure. She raised her head slowly and gazed into Essen’s liquid-blue eyes.

Suddenly the world around her faded until all was a swirl of colors. Cool air whipped around her like a sudden gust of wind on a breezy day. Then the air seemed to lift her up slowly, and she felt as though they were flying. The sensations hit her stomach, and she thought she was going to be sick. So she shut her eyes and put her head on his shoulders. Romy began to feel dizzy, and she was glad Essen was holding her tight against his broad chest.

He spoke soothing words into her ear. “Be calm, all will be well.”

Her body began to tingle, and gusts of wind hit her from all directions. Indistinct voices, all chattering at once, filled the space around her. Romy glanced to the side, peeking out from Essen’s grip. Deformed faces hurtled toward her from all directions. She let out a scream, horrified as indistinguishable limbs grasped for her.

Essen’s hand pressed her face into his shoulder, shielding her eyes from the scene around her.

“Nothing will happen to you, they cannot touch you. I will keep you safe,” he reassured her.

Where the hell was she? Could this be hell? Is that where he was taking her? The chaos around her was reflected in the chaos in her mind.

The voices faded into the distance, and Romy felt warm air around her instead of the icy chill from before. Within seconds they seemed to stop. Essen was still holding her close, and the heat from their bodies diminished, slowly returning to normal. Romy felt his head lower, and his breath fanned her ear.

“We are here; you can open your eyes now,” he said. Romy lost his warmth as he stepped back.

Her stomach lurched, and she felt nauseated. Her knees could not support her body, and they buckled. Essen jumped forward and lifted her up into his arms so her head rested against him as her body fought to return to its equilibrium.

“It’s okay, I should not have let go so soon, you’ll be fine. We will rest here for a moment; just take deep breaths.” His tone comforted Romy, and she followed his instructions.

***

Essen moved a few steps and then placed her gently on the ground under the tree. His emotions were in turmoil as he watched her lying there. He fought to focus on his original goal. Because of his protective instincts, honed over years, he wanted to make sure she was safe and not far from him. But there was a rage inside him and the need for revenge because of what her people had done. Essen gritted his teeth, swallowing back emotions that had been storming through him and had thrown him off balance since she had danced for him. Damn her!

Her eyes fluttered open gradually. Gray eyes awash with uncertainty stared back at him, helpless. His heart faltered, and inside he knew he was wrong to have made love to her. His body had responded to her like no other. They had been on fire, fitting together in a way that was perfect. But it would be harder to do what he must do now.

She began to sit up; Essen helped her. “Easy now, easy.”

“What happened? It was...” Romy glanced around. “Where are we, Essen?”

Essen watched her get up gradually and brush away remnants of grass and soil from her jeans. Part of him wanted to go to her, help her up, and make sure she was okay, but the darker half of him knew he must distance himself from her.

“We are where it all began and where it will end.” He gritted his teeth.

“Yes, you said that, but what does that mean? And what the hell was that place we passed through?” Romy glared at him. He could see she was feeling better and ready for answers. Her eyes were blazing at him, seething underneath her apparently calm exterior.

“You know nothing of your people, Romy?” Essen deflected awhile.

“What do my people have to do with this place or with me?” He watched her fling her arms into the air wildly.

“The actions of your people—the Asuriya have everything to do with the fate of mine. But tell me, what do you know of yourself and who you are?” Essen watched her face, trying to read her. Was she as innocent as she made herself out to be? Could this be a mistake?

“Well,” she began. “My family origins can be traced back to Asia. My ancestors settled in Eastern Europe for a while, which is where my father met my mother and I came into being.” Romy stopped.

“And nothing else?” Staring at her directly, he tried to push to see how much she really knew.