Angel/Hiss (Bayou Heat Box Set Book 7) (18 page)

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Authors: Laura Wright,Alexandra Ivy

BOOK: Angel/Hiss (Bayou Heat Box Set Book 7)

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“What?”

“Well…aren’t you curious? About where he is? What he’s doing? Why he left in the middle of the night?” She shrugged. “I can’t get a thing out of Raph, and he’s usually so forthcoming. Bastard.”

Gia wasn’t always taken with humans, especially after what had been done to her, but she couldn’t help liking this one. She was incredible charming. “I know where Hiss is.”

“You do?”

She nodded. “And I know what he’s doing. He’s with the Hunters, in Baton Rogue, trying to get the lab cleared out, the shifters and children out.” She exhaled heavily, refusing to think he was anything but okay. It wasn’t her way to worry and pine and hope. “I’m not surprised by his desire to go with them. We all have to do what we have to do.”

Ashe regarded her. “And what are you going to do?”

“Go home,” Gia said, her chest tightening a little. “I spoke with my family this morning. They were so happy, so emotional, so relieved. They’d feared the worst. I didn’t give them a ton of details. I thought that would be better to do in person. But they begged me to come home.”

“Of course they did,” Ashe said.

“I really like your Wildlands. It’s a wonderful place. For many reasons.” She smiled softly, knowingly. “But nothing compares to my home. To my Wetlands.”

“I understand,” Ashe said. “To be honest, there’s not all that much out in the human world for me. But I still feel the connection. The pull. I still wonder about family I don’t know.”

“You should pursue that,” Gia told her. “Knowledge, information, those are good things. Whether you want to act on them or not.”

“You’re very…decided, you know that?”

Gia laughed. “I think the word you’re looking for is opinionated.”

Ashe shrugged. “Maybe. Whatever it is, whatever it’s called, it’s refreshing. Can I sit with you awhile? Raphael is with Soyala this morning at Headquarters. It’d be nice to have some big girl time.”

“Be my guest. Of course,” she amended on a laugh, “I’m kind of your guest, but…”

Ashe dissolved into laughter. “The only thing we’re missing right now is cocktails.”

“I make a mean margarita,” Gia told her.

Slamming her hands together, prayer-style, Ashe cried, “Don’t go!”

Laughter bubbled within Gia again. “In the absence of tequila, we have the magic of the bayou. You like to swim?”

“Not sure how that dark, creature-infested water is going to give me a buzz, but okay. I’m more of a swimming pool chick myself.”

“You’ll love it,” Gia told her with a wicked grin.

“I don’t have a suit.”

Gia dropped her towel. “Neither do I.”

At first, Ashe looked a little startled. Then she laughed. “Oh, god. Okay.” She started to strip. “But if one of the Hunters or Suits or god forbid, Geeks sees me naked, I’m blaming you.”

“Good thing I won’t be around for long,” Gia called merrily over her shoulder as she headed for the water.

CHAPTER 9

The morning sun was high in the cloudless blue sky as Hiss left Suit Headquarters and headed for the cottage. For Gia. He’d been back in the Wildlands only short time, meeting with Raphael and Parish, debriefing the mission and where they all went from here.

A new day had dawned in so many ways. Both in and out of the Wildlands. Headquarters was now packed to the gills with captives from the lab—Pantera, human and hybrid. And each was welcome to decide where they wanted to be. The Pantera would help regardless.

For Hiss, the new day brought an end to the charges he faced. After Rosalie had gone to Raphael and told him how Hiss had saved her life, and the lives of so many, the decision to keep him captive was revoked. There was no doubt that Hiss was relieved, even grateful for this. But all that had happened, from years previous to just a few hours ago on the roof of that lab, still weighed heavily on him. He felt like his Pantera brothers and sisters would forgive him in time—some already had—but there would always be a cloud over his sun here.

Reny would need to hear the truth from him. He couldn’t imagine how she would take the news of their mother’s treachery. But right now, he had to see Gia. Had to hold her. Look in her eyes and know he was home.

He spotted the cottage in the distance, smelled the warm earthy scent of the bayou, and his insides liquefied. Goddess, he needed her. Like air to the lungs.

As he drew closer, her scent filled his nostrils. What was she doing? he wondered. What had she been doing? Raphael had told him that Ashe had visited her early this morning. It was all he’d told Hiss, which had been slightly odd. As if the male was holding something back.

The house was quiet when he entered.

“Gia?” he called. “
Ma chère
?”

When there was no response, he headed for the bedroom. Where her scent was the strongest. The bed was still unmade, white sheets askew, reminding him of what they’d shared last night. But there was no Gia.

His eyes caught on the small garbage basket beside the bed. At the bottom was a crumpled piece of paper. His gut tightened and a strain of fear rippled through him. His note? He reached in and took out the paper.

Dammit, she’d been angry. What had Raphael been holding back? What had Ashe told him? Maybe Gia had confided her ire in the human woman. Told her she no longer cared for him.

Fuck, he was spinning.

On a growl of impatience, he left the bedroom and searched every other room before heading back outside.

Had Gia been so angry with him for leaving without telling her that she didn’t want to be with him anymore? Was that possible? He dropped onto one of the porch steps and scrubbed a hand over his face. He was an idiot. An asshole. How could he let something like this happen? She’d asked for honesty from him. That’s all she’d wanted. Had she interpreted leaving without telling her as dishonesty?

Hiss sat on that step for an hour, waiting, mentally beating the shit out of himself. This was it. She wasn’t coming back. No doubt she was on her way home, to the Wetlands. And he was getting what he deserved. The law of nature. He had taken and hurt so many. Now it was his turn.

A wave of such terrible pain blanketed him. He’d found forgiveness and redemption in the Pantera. He was free. And yet he wished to be back in the lab, in a cage, beside her. The knife he still had strapped to his ankle hummed. He slipped it out and held it. Stared at it.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

The breath left his lungs as his head came up. Not five feet away stood the female he’d just been grieving. His eyes skimmed over her, from long, bare legs to cut-off jean shorts and a blue tank top. She looked as edible as always. Her blond hair was piled on top of her head, a few strays bracketing her beautiful face. How had he not heard her? How had he not scented her? The blade in his hand felt cold and he thrust it aside. He wanted warm. He wanted heat.

I want my mate.

“Gia?” He couldn’t believe it. Couldn’t believe his insane mind, and all it had conjured in the past hour. “Oh, fuck,
ma chère
. You’re here. You’re still here.”

She stared at him like he was crazy. She wasn’t wrong. He was mad. For her. For their life together. He didn’t want to live it without her.

“Of course I’m here,” she said. “Look.” She held up the basket in her hands. Inside were about twenty Dyesse lilies. “I’ve been searching everywhere for these. For you. For when you returned.” Her gaze searched his. “Where else would I be, Hiss?”

He was truly a male gone mad. And undeserving…so undeserving…

“You thought I’d left you, did you?” she asked. “Over that?” she pointed at the note.

Hiss hadn’t even realized he’d brought it out here, much less that he’d been holding it. He nodded, cursed and tossed that aside too.

She walked up to him, placed the basket beside him and crawled into his arms. Her eyes found his, and she leaned in and kissed him on the mouth. “In case you’ve forgotten, I mated you.”

“I haven’t forgotten,” he uttered, his body reacting instantly to her closeness.

“Where you go, I go,” she said then kissed him again. “If that’s here or the Wetlands. Even if I’m pissed. Even if I want to slug you for not waking me up and telling me where you’re going.”

His hands went around her, crushed her to him. He growled. “Goddess, I love you, female.”

“And I love you,” she returned. “But don’t do that again, okay?”

“I promise.” He couldn’t believe this was happening. Her with him. Always. Forever. Wildlands, or maybe the Wetlands. He liked that idea. A new adventure. Starting fresh.

He stood up then, taking her and the basket of lilies with him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held on tight as he carried her inside. He needed her. More than air this time. It was something far more special, more primitive…

Something only claimed lovers understood.

Once inside the bedroom, he set her down gently and started removing her clothes, then his own.

“So have you decided to mate me, then?” she asked, completely comfortable in her skin. Her luscious, highly addictive skin.

Totally naked now, Hiss grabbed the basket of flowers and started tossing the blooms onto the bed. He was going to take her surrounded by Dyesse lilies. “Oh, that’s already a done deal,
ma chère
.”

“I don’t think so,” she said with a wicked thread to her voice.

He tossed the basket aside and stalked toward her. “What do you mean, Gia?” he growled. “Make no mistake, you are mine.”

“Of course I am.” Her brown eyes flashed. “But in my sect, we make it official in a very special way.”

He stopped in front of her. “I like the sound of that.”

“Good.” Before he could say another word, she shifted into her cat—a medium-sized gray puma with very mischievous eyes.

For a couple of seconds the puma pawed the ground. Then it came at him, knocking him onto the bed. Snarling, it jumped up beside him and started nuzzling his neck. Hiss had no idea what kind of ritual they were getting into until the cat bit down on his hand.

A curse fell from his lips as blood bubbled up from the two small holes.

Suddenly, the cat shook and shimmered, and in front of him, gloriously naked, blond hair licking the tips of her hard nipples, was his mate. She took his hand and lapped at the blood.

Hiss’s cock went steel-hard.

“Now take me, male,” she commanded, crawling onto the bed on all fours. “Only when your body is in mine will I truly belong to you.”

The cat inside of Hiss roared, and he was on her in an instant.

“Mine,” he gritted out, his cock pressed against the entrance to her sex.

“Almost,” she teased, circling her hips.

With one hard thrust, Hiss was inside her.

Warm.

Wet.

Heaven.

And Gia, his love, his life and his mate, softly snarled back, “Yours.”

Coming 8.11.2015

About The Author: Alexandra Ivy

Alexandra Ivy
is a
New York Times
and
USA Today
bestselling author of the Guardians of Eternity series, as well as the Sentinels and Bayou Heat that she writes with Laura Wright. After majoring in theatre she decided she prefers to bring her characters to life on paper rather than stage. She lives in Missouri with her family. Visit her website at alexandraivy.com.

Book list:

Guardians of Eternity

Hunt the Darkness

May 28, 2014

978-1420125153

Amazon:
http://amzn.com/B00GYLVRRE

Darkness Avenged

June 4, 2013, Zebra

ISBN 978-1420111385

Amazon:
http://amzn.com/B00B60D9ME

Levet

March 26, 2013