Touch of Temptation (22 page)

“Touch your clit,” he growled, thrusting into her
harder…faster, the slick, erotic friction so good it nearly killed him. She flushed brighter, but followed his gritty command, and the instant she grazed that swollen little knot of flesh with her fingertip, a scalding orgasm burned through her, sharp and explosive. Her power filled the tent, rushing against his body, searing and strong, and he gave a guttural roar as she screamed, her climax dragging him right along with her, milking him…draining him, until he collapsed over her, completely destroyed.

Kellan had no idea how long it took before he could finally find the strength to pull away and take care of the condom. “You drive me over the edge every time,” he muttered a moment later, lying beside her on the pallet, wishing she would open her eyes and look at him. “I promised myself I was going to be gentle with you tonight, but I was too rough again.”

“No you weren’t.” With a yawn, she turned so that her back was against his front, then nuzzled her sweet little ass against his groin. “Regardless of how I feel about the curse and what’s happening between us, I like your wolf, Kellan.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Chloe?”

“You’re always so worried about hurting me or scaring me,” she said in a soft voice, sounding thoroughly exhausted, “so I thought I’d go ahead and make it clear that I like it when your wolf takes over and you lose control. I think it’s sexy as hell.”

Christ, this woman completely blew his mind. She was so sweet, accepting every part of him, no matter how rough-edged or difficult, with open arms. And in return, he gave her half-truths and lies. Ones he had no chance of escaping, much like his fate. The way his
eyes had turned red the night before was proof that the poison was gaining the upper hand. Proof that he was losing the fight.

I’m such a bloody bastard
, he thought, knowing it was wrong for him to be there with her, when she was only going to end up hurt. Knowing she deserved so much more than this. And yet, he didn’t have the strength to get up and walk away.

Silently cursing his weakness, Kellan took her into his arms and pulled her against the heat of his body, simply needing to hold her as close and as tight as he could…for as long as it lasted….

Until his time ran out.

Friday afternoon

O
UT OF THE FRYING
pan…and into the fire.

They’d only just made it out of the mountains an hour ago, and already there was trouble. Having been on the move since the early morning, the group had finally stopped for lunch, and had been in the process of packing up when the scouts that Juliana had sent up onto a high ridge, where they could get a clear view of the forest that spread out for miles below them, reported back with grim news. Not only had they spotted a sizable force coming toward them from the northeast, they’d also reported activity heading their way from the northwest, which meant their group was being hunted on two separate fronts. Since the mountain range formed a kind of J shape, they’d actually come out south of the Sabin compound. Their only option was to go north…right between the two oncoming groups…and there wasn’t enough time to reach the compound before they were caught in the middle.

The situation was the last damn thing that Kellan needed, considering he felt like death warmed over. His condition had been growing worse all day, his body ravaged by the poison coursing through his system, but he ignored the pain, determined to hide any signs of
weakness, hoping like hell that his eyes wouldn’t turn red in front of the others. Though his body was working to counteract the poison, he was losing strength with every passing minute—and it was only a matter of time before his healing abilities were useless.

We need to find the Reyker bastard
, the wolf snarled.
Find him…and fight him for the antidote, just like we agreed to do.

Get real
, he growled back, refusing to encourage the animal’s hope, knowing damn well that the odds were slim he could defeat Asa Reyker in his current condition, and even slimmer that an antidote actually existed. And that wasn’t taking into account the fact that he’d have to find Gregory first, wanting that bastard taken down so that he’d no longer be a threat to Chloe. It was a fucking mess, but he didn’t have time to worry about it now. He refused to leave Chloe’s side until she was safely secured within the Sabin compound—and that wasn’t going to happen unless they figured out a way to survive the afternoon.

Knowing they needed answers, and quickly, Kellan glanced around the small glade where the group had stopped to eat. He wanted to talk to Raine, but he didn’t see either her or Seth, and he knew they’d be together. Despite the palpable tension that remained between them, Seth continued to watch over the psychic, often carrying her when she was too weak to walk. Her body was still trying to heal from the trauma she’d suffered at Westmore’s compound, and Kellan was worried that she might never fully recover. Her power remained unstable, but while she hadn’t been able to get a clear read on where Gregory was, she
had
managed to provide the group with several important pieces of information…
and he was hoping to get more. “Does anyone know where Raine is?” he asked, interrupting the others as they discussed what should be done next.

“Seth is with her,” Noah replied, his black hair falling over his brow as he stood at the edge of the group, his shoulder propped against one of the surrounding trees. “He said she needed some sleep before we start moving again.”

“Where the hell did they go?”

Noah jerked his chin toward a tangle of broken tree limbs that sat on the far edge of the glade, and after making sure that his brother was keeping an eye on Chloe, Kellan headed in that direction, his tension ramped up more than ever. Earlier that morning, Raine had told them the Infettato had managed to track Kierland’s scent along the route he’d taken earlier in the week when he’d traveled from the Sabin compound to the base camp. Considering the direction they knew the Infettato were traveling, Kellan had little doubt that they were the group closing in on them from the northeast, and it was obvious that the Watchmen had underestimated how quickly the infected humans could track.

Raine had also told them that Spark had heard rumors of the Infettato traveling through the Wasteland, and had started searching the “death” journal for information about them, though she hadn’t yet found anything. Though he figured it was probably a long shot, Kellan needed the psychic to try to check in on Spark again, in case the assassin had recently opened the journal and found something useful.

As the Lycan moved around the snarled tangle of stumps and broken branches that Noah had directed him toward, he found Seth sitting on a bit of dry ground, his
back propped against one of the fallen tree trunks. The soldier was whittling at a piece of wood with his pocketknife, while Raine slept curled up on a blanket beside him, still looking too gaunt and pale, her body healing far more slowly than it should have been, despite the blood she’d been taking from Juliana. Knowing damn well that Seth was going to give him a hard time, Kellan cut right to the chase. “We need to wake her up.”

Closing his knife, Seth slipped the blade back inside his jacket pocket and lifted his head, his shadowed gaze making it difficult to read his mood. “We heading out already?”

“Not yet,” Kellan replied, quickly telling the soldier about the report Juliana’s scouts had just given them. “I need to know if Raine can see anything new with Spark.”

“You know, every time you ask her to use that power of hers,” Seth grunted, moving to his feet, “it drains her a little more. Don’t you think she’s been through enough already?”

“Look, I don’t like it any more than you do, but she might be the only chance we’ve got.”

Seth cursed, but he didn’t argue as he turned and dropped to one knee beside the sleeping Deschanel. She came awake with a small gasp the instant he touched her shoulder, and Kellan could tell that Seth was trying to keep his tone as gentle as possible as he told her what had happened…and what they needed. Despite the fact that she really did look like she needed the sleep, the bruises under her eyes even darker than they’d been the day before, she didn’t argue or complain as she sat up and pushed her long hair out of her face. Kellan moved a little closer when she closed her eyes, her forehead
scrunching with concentration as she tried to focus her power. It seemed like he waited forever for her to finally open her eyes again, the gray-blue depths shadowed with frustration as she stared up at him.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t see it before,” she told him, “but Spark is leading the group closing in on us from the northwest. Westmore sent her to get me and Chloe back, and they’ve heard rumors that the Sabins are helping the Watchmen. That’s why they
were
heading for the Sabin compound, but I think the Casus she’s commanding must have caught our scent, because they seem to be heading straight for us now.”

“Since the Casus are naturally able to home in on the Merrick, they’re probably tracking Chloe,” he muttered, fighting to keep a tight hold on his rage, knowing it wasn’t going to help solve anything if he lost his temper. “What about the other group? The scouts said there was something moving in from the northeast as well.”

“That’s definitely the Infettato.”

“Great,” Seth said with a rough sigh, shoving his hands in his pockets. “More effing zombies.”

“What about the journal?” Kellan asked. “Can you see if Spark has read anything more?”

Raine said she would try, and the men waited as she turned her focus inward, the only sounds that of the wind blowing through the trees and the distant murmur of voices coming from the glade. “Okay,” she finally said, after nearly five minutes had passed. “Spark has found something in the journal about the Infettato and she gave it a quick scan about an hour ago. According to the journal, the infected humans become stronger over time, and the way they gain that strength is by consuming flesh. They eat everything in their path, but can be
given a specific scent to follow and will become completely locked on it. The only things they won’t eat are the ones who made them. It seems the Death-Walkers have complete control over them.”

Swearing softly, Seth asked her, “Can they be turned back to normal?”

She shook her head. “I’m afraid these types of things don’t usually work that way. Once life has been taken away, it can’t be given back.”

“But aren’t they still living, at least in some way?” Kellan asked, ready to reach out and lend her a hand as she tried to get to her feet, but Seth beat him to it, taking hold of her elbow and helping her off the ground.

As soon as she was standing, she seemed to flinch at Seth’s nearness, so he immediately moved back a step, the soldier’s expression even more severe than before. Looking Kellan right in the eye, Raine shivered as she answered his question. “I’m afraid not. They’re literally the walking dead, Kell. The best thing you could do for them would be to put them out of their misery.”

“And how the hell are we meant to do that?”

The wind whipped the long strands of her honey-colored hair around her shoulders as she huddled within the thick coat that Morgan had given her. She looked like a lost little girl, but for the grim shadows darkening her eyes. “They can be killed, but it isn’t pretty,” she said in a thick voice. “You have to take their beating hearts from their chests and burn them. Only then will their spirit leave their bodies and finally be able to move on.”

Kellan thanked her for the information then headed back to the others. Noticing that Chloe was looking more than a little worried, he moved close to her side, then
told everyone to gather around and quickly relayed what he’d just learned.

“So what’s the plan?” Quinn asked, his dark gaze locked with Kellan’s. “I can see those wheels spinning in your head, Kell. You’ve got an idea, don’t you?”

With a grim smile, he said, “I’m actually thinking that if we’re smart, we can kill two birds with one stone. Or rather, let the birds kill each other.”

“You mean turn the Infettato against Spark and her crew?” Kierland looked surprised…but interested.

Aiden gave a low whistle and slapped a hand on Kellan’s shoulder. “That’s downright diabolical,” he drawled, his amber eyes glittering with excitement. “I like it.”

Shifting his gaze toward Quinn, Kellan asked, “How’s your wing?”

As a raptor-shifter, Quinn had the ability to fly, thanks to the wide, powerful set of raven-colored wings that normally lay hidden within his back—but one of his wings had been badly injured during a fight against the Casus several weeks ago, and he hadn’t been able to take to the air while it was mending.

“It’s fully healed,” the shifter replied. “Why?”

Looking around the group, Kellan explained his plan. “If we each give up some blood, Quinn can get in the air and head toward the Infettato. When he finds them, he can scatter a trail of blood that will lead the Infettato to Spark’s unit. Once the humans attack and are busy feeding, then we’ll launch our own attack and destroy them, one by one.”

“It’s risky,” Kierland muttered, “but it could work. What do you think, Quinn?”

“The trees should give me some decent cover,” he
murmured, scraping his palm over his chin. “I think the kid’s got a helluva plan.”

Kellan turned his gaze on Aiden. “Yesterday, you said something about having brought some equipment with you from Harrow House. Any chance you brought my tech kit?”

“Just the small one,” the Watchman told him, walking over to his bag and rummaging inside, then returning with a small leather case. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking you’re a saint.”

Aiden gave a rough bark of laughter. “Hardly. But this shit won’t work out here,” he said, handing over the case. “I only brought it because I thought you might need it once we’re out of the Wasteland.”

“Won’t matter,” Kellan murmured, opening the kit. “If we use one of the tracking chips I designed, the signal will kick in when it leaves the Wasteland. We should be able to pick it up on my computer, once we’re back at Harrow House.”

“Who are we going to put the chip on?” Chloe asked, her husky tone a mixture of both curiosity and surprise.

Kellan slid her a slow smile. “Who do you think, honey? Westmore’s little pet assassin.”

Jamison, who’d been quiet till this time, started choking. “We’re gonna tag Spark?” he wheezed, after Noah had whacked him hard on the back.

Kellan nodded. “We’re gonna need those Markers that Westmore has. If we tag Spark, then we’ll be able follow the signal when she meets back up with him. It’ll save us a helluva lot of time tracking him down, since we have no idea where he might run to.”

Aiden gave another gruff bark of laughter. “That’s genius.”

“Can’t Raine just keep an eye on her?” Jamison muttered, clearly not looking forward to getting anywhere near the woman who’d been responsible for his capture the year before.

Shaking his head, Kellan kept his voice low as he said, “Raine’s still in pretty rough shape, and her powers are too spotty after what she’s been through. We can’t put that kind of pressure on her. Our best bet is to tag Spark and follow the signal.”

“Wait,” Morgan said, her gray eyes troubled as she looked from Kierland to Kell. “If Spark’s with her crew, won’t the Infettato attack her, as well?”

Kellan shook his head again and smiled. “Not if we grab her first.”

I
N THE END,
Kellan’s plan had been even easier to orchestrate than he’d hoped, everyone working together so that it went surprisingly smoothly. Using the Deschanel’s ability to mask their scent, the Granger brothers had managed to kidnap Spark as she and the Casus made their way through a heavily wooded area of the forest, and bring her back to the camp. At the same time, Quinn had left the trail of blood for the Infettato to follow, the trail leading straight to Spark’s unit, which he’d managed to douse with blood while using the treetops for cover. Following the scent, the infected humans had attacked the Casus with vicious ferocity, overpowering and killing all of the Casus but the few Kellan, Kierland and Ade had taken down. Then, while the Infettato were caught up in the mindless frenzy of feeding upon their kills, the three Watchmen had used their claws to rip
the humans’ hearts from their chests, one by one, while Quinn had been in charge of burning them.