Twilight War (20 page)

“Trust?” Von
smirked, pulling Flame back a few steps.

“Yeah…that.
Only the return of your humanity could enable such a bond.”

“A little
glitch in your masterful plan enabled Flame to beat you at your own
game.”

Flame didn’t
say anything, nor did Sandra. They watched the two men enter a
battle of wills.

“We do trust
each other,” Von told him.

“You sure about
that?” Hatch taunted. “Because from what I see right now, she looks
pretty blown away. Unless you’ve won her trust, the curse is not
broken.” He turned on her. “What do ya say, baby, do you sincerely
trust this fiend who kidnapped you, seduced you, and came back to
do it again?”

She felt him
trying to force his way into her mind and decided to end this
torment once and for all. Without answering right away, she took
Von’s knife from his hand and wiped it clean on her pants. Somehow,
somewhere from deep inside she instinctively knew what to do.

“Judge for
yourself,” she said, then swiped the blade across her left palm,
making a deep cut.

Von offered her
his hand before she even asked. Their eyes met when she dragged the
knife over his left palm. He lifted her bleeding hand to his mouth
and sucked the throbbing wound. She did the same to him, never
breaking eye contact. Sheer euphoria flooded his gorgeous eyes. He
placed his other hand at the back of her head, holding her close.
For a moment lost in time, they were the only two standing in the
room. Intense arousal for him mounted in her core and she could
tell he felt the same by the way he drank from her hand.

I trust you,
baby.
She willed her thoughts to his.

He closed his
eyes gently for a second. Long black lashes touched his high
cheekbones. He looked utterly swept away.

You’ve done
it, Flame.
The soothing voice of her Supreme Lioness came into
her mind.
You have stolen the Satellite from the evil realm and
sealed his blood to yours in trust. He will forever belong to
you.

Von opened his
eyes. They remained locked in an intense silent exchange of emotion
for another few seconds before easing apart. He wrapped her in a
protective embrace and turned to face Hatch.

“He belongs to
me now,” she told Hatch, who stood seemingly shell-shocked. “Of his
own free will, he chose to feel again and come to me. I just sealed
his blood to mine.”

“You made a
blood-bond with him?”

“Twice…the
first was to guide his humanity. This one sealed our trust.” Flame
glared at Hatch, channeling all the rage in her soul into that one
heated look. She spoke slowly, vehemently. “We could kill you right
now but it will be worse for you to watch your empire crumble bit
by bit. You threatened to pluck my sisterhood one by one. I am now
your worst nightmare come true. Go ahead and use Sandra to build a
new hoard of creepers. I’ll enjoy watching you squirm as we kill
them all.” She licked Von’s blood from her lips in a deliberate
taunt. “You will
feel
the hell of your own curse every time
I make love to
my
new Satellite as you burn with insatiable
lust. I will make sure of it. And when the time comes to deal the
final blow…you will
know
just how powerful I have
become.”

For the first
time since she’d known him, Hatch appeared visibly shaken. He
didn’t move or offer a verbal response. The regret and fear in his
eyes was unmistakable. Already more powerful than him, she read his
mind—he knew she’d make good on every word.

Von moved her
behind him, then clutched Hatch by the throat. “The next time we
meet, my woman and I will annihilate you and any army you build.
Our combined blood grows stronger every minute.” Using very little
effort, he flung Hatch into the far wall with impressive force.
“Kiss your hybrid plan goodbye.”

“That goes
double for me.” Flame pointed a finger at Sandra, who seemed
somewhat dazed and confused. “You’ll be sorry you ever tangled with
me, bitch.”

Hatch looked up
from the floor. “
Nobody
expected you to win.” He coughed and
wiped blood from his mouth. “I can’t believe you did it, stole my
favorite tool and won his loyalty. I didn’t think Von could care
about anyone except himself.” He stared in open shock, then added,
“This war might be over, but I have something you’ll want much more
than my pathetic Satellite.” He smirked then winced in pain before
vanishing before their eyes, taking Sandra with him.

“Let’s get
outta this place.” She grabbed Von’s hand and led the way out.
“What do you think he was talking about?”

“Empty threats
maybe, whatever he’s got in mind we’ll be up for it.”

“I love the way
you think. What should we do about this bloody mess?”

“Burn it.”

Their eyes met.
She smiled. They found a can of gasoline in the garage.

“You had me
worried for a few minutes over breakfast,” she confessed as they
watched the Kaminski house transform into a raging inferno.

“I wasn’t sure
how much time Ian had bought us. I couldn’t risk blowing my
cover.”

“I see.”

He draped an
arm around her shoulders and leaned into her. “I had a few tense
minutes myself when Hatch showed up. Fuck. Whoever thought Hatch
was the Twilight’s ruler.”

“Really. I knew
he was controlling but never imagined this. It suits him, though.”
She let out a light laugh. “Were you worried I might not hold up my
end after you helped me slaughter his ancients?”

“Maybe just a
little. You blew me away with the surprise blood-bond. That is
hotter than hell. I’m still burning for you.”

“Yeah…” She
looked up into the eyes that stole her breath with just a glimpse.
“The urge seems to come when I need it.”

His gaze never
left hers as he raised her hand to his lips. An intense ache welled
between her thighs when he swirled his tongue over the fading
wound.

She shivered.
“We need to take off because you’re really turning me on.”

He kissed his
way up her arm, over her shoulder, along her neck and across her
face to her lips. She welcomed his seeking tongue into her mouth
while curling her arms about his neck. A blissful sigh escaped her,
relieved to be in his arms with the war behind them.

“I’m taking you
home via the immortal way. Since our blood is sealed, you shouldn’t
feel travel sickness again. You’re tapping into my power quickly.
Besides, I don’t wanna wait three days to have you all to myself
again.”

With an easy
hop, she leapt into his arms and locked her legs around his waist.
“I don’t think I can make it another hour before going crazy on you
again.” She bit at his neck, making him groan. “Take me home,
baby.”

Von adjusted
her weight so that the bulge in his leathers nestled perfectly
between her thighs. “Damn, sweet thing, you keep me hard all the
time.”

“Would you
rather I walk to the bike?”

He drew back
just far enough to look at her. “Hell no. I’ll carry you to
paradise and back if you promise to keep those sexy legs wrapped
around my waist.”

“Mm…you’ve
already done that.” She tugged playfully at his bottom lip with her
teeth. “But you’ve got a deal.”

His hot gaze
moved over her then focused at her neck. “You still wear the
necklace.” He lifted it with two gentle fingers.

“Yes, does that
bother you? Do you think I am still holding onto Raef?”

“No, the
sapphire is stunning just like you and matches your sultry eyes. A
gift from the other side should never be taken lightly. I wouldn’t
want you to take it off.” His smile radiated confidence, sexy and
sincere. “I’m not insecure. You had a past with Raef and I get
that. But your future is with me.”

Flame ran her
hands over his satiny hair. “Yes…it is…thank you for
understanding.”

* * * *

“There has been
a startling turn of events,” the Supreme Lioness spoke with
unmistakable and grave concern. “A gap opened between worlds that
should not have been opened.”

Phoebe sat on
bent knees, gazing up at the breathtaking apparition of their high
ruler. This was her first time at Sacred Pond, her first meeting
with the head Lioness who hovered above the pure crystal waters in
all her glory, enveloped by a shimmering mist. Long golden hair
flowed around her like a mane of gold silk. Warm green eyes,
evident with affection, gazed back at her.

Phoebe bowed
her head. “I’m so sorry. I failed to protect Flame’s horse.”

“Rise, young
one, you have taken the throne much sooner than we planned. How are
you holding up?”

“I’m doing my
best, my lady. The damage control over Naami tainting the lab
monopolized my time and I did not notice the gap.”

“You are not to
blame. Naami took what did not belong to her and broke the trust of
our most esteemed warrior.”

“Why didn’t
Flame’s victory stop the evil realm from stealing Paloma?”

“Naami’s
pregnancy opened the gap while Raef was still trapped in the void
between darkness and light. Her timing couldn’t have been worse to
pursue Raef. The physical connection enabled Twilight to find us,
sneak in, and take the horse.”

Panic gripped
Phoebe. “The evil realm knows of our location?”

“They had
access to our village for a very brief period. I was forced to take
extreme action to prevent disaster. Flame fought hard and overcame
nearly impossible trials to steal their Satellite. She has always
placed our nation before her own desires. I could not let her down
when she’d come so far. I could not risk losing another prodigy
because of one selfish act.” The Lioness appeared very upset,
shifting back and forth over the pond. “I will
not
allow
Naami’s foolishness to interfere with Flame’s success.”

“What did you
do?” Phoebe asked with wide eyes. Her body trembled with anxiety.
To her knowledge, the Supreme Lioness rarely exhibited anger and
had never taken it upon herself to take action.

“I used
Twilight’s trick against them. I had no choice. The gap had to be
sealed before the evil fiends stole more than our rarest horse.
They would’ve descended upon our women and rained hell upon our
village.” She paused. Sadness then fury flashed in those piercing
green eyes. “I used the only connection available to steal Raef
from the void and close the gap.”

Phoebe clasped
one hand over her heart and didn’t move. “You brought Raef
back?”

“There was no
other way to seal the gap. I had to pull him out of the void.”

“And Naami’s
newly conceived offspring was the source you needed.”

“You are sharp,
like your mother. Yes, I took Naami’s pregnancy and used it to
enable Raef’s return.”

Phoebe couldn’t
deny her excitement over Raef’s turn of fate. She’d seen him
strolling through the village with Flame. They’d made a magnificent
couple and she’d been deeply saddened over his death. “I always
thought they belonged together. They looked so right together.” She
sighed. “What of Naami?”

“She has
suffered a miscarriage. A child cannot be born without a soul. And
that soul rightfully belonged to Raef. Balance has been restored in
our kingdom. When Naami is released from the medical ward, place
her under arrest and into holding until we decide her fate. I do
not take betrayal lightly.”

“Yes, my lady.”
Phoebe nodded in compliance, then looked up. “Where is Raef?”

“He is in
transition. Once his body has acclimated to immortality, he will be
returned to the mortal world.”

“This is
incredible. Raef is now immortal? Will he still have his
humanity?”

“So many
questions from my young queen.” The Lioness smiled slightly. “Yes
to both questions. Hence, the delay in his return, the process of
transition is where I make sure everything is stable in his new
form before releasing him from our spiritual realm.”

“Does Flame
know?”

“No and do
not
tell her. Destiny has its own timing. You must contact
Flame and request that she come to me at once, though. Her mother’s
horse must be rescued from the evil realm. Paloma holds the key to
a life-changing gift—a gift meant for Flame and only Flame.”

“I will contact
her without delay.”

A glimmer of
hope touched the Lioness’s face. “You exhibit strength, obedience,
and compassion, true attributes of a queen. I am very pleased with
you, young one. We both have matters to attend, if you have no
further questions, then our meeting is over for now.”

Phoebe spoke in
a humble voice. “I don’t mean to overstep my bounds. I have just
one more question, please, if you don’t mind.”

“Never be
afraid to ask questions. I understand about matters of the heart,
more than you might realize.”

“You mentioned
my mother. Nobody has ever spoken of her, ever. This was the first
time her presence has been acknowledged.” Phoebe drew a deep
breath. “Is Flame my mother?”

About the
Author

Storm is a
multi-published author with various pen names in many different
genres with Extasy and Divine Destinies Books. She dreams big and
continues working toward her goals. Her non-erotic books can be
found under the names Austina Love and Susan Zoe Bella.

Storm has been
building her own worlds since grade school. Always the dreamer,
never the realist, she takes life one day at a time while battling
the daily challenge of Meniere’s Disease.

As an animal
activist, Animal Guardian and Ambassador for the ASPCA, she relates
better to animals than people. She never looked back after leaving
the farm and prefers indoor activities, especially dancing.

The love of her
life was a Bichon named Austin and she believes his spirit is
lighting her way. His story and those of several other very special
animal friends are featured in her novel, Rainbows Hearts and Puppy
Tales.