Blood Ties (11 page)

As she dropped to the floor, the furniture fell with a clunk and the room went deadly silent. She put her hand over her heart and felt wet sticky blood seeping from her. Because they were still part human, a bullet had the power to kill them.

She glanced around at the bodies strewn everywhere. Mikel crawled in beside her and cradled her body in his as Ayden and Janaa rushed forward to plunge their daggers into each fallen vampire’s heart.

“Dari, no!” He hugged her to his chest.

She gave a feeble smile. “We did it, Mikel, we killed them.” It took all her effort to speak.

Mikel felt an odd surge of energy curl around him as he held her in his arms. He worked to focus his thoughts and concentrate on Dari as her body grew cold.

“You have survived the exchange, Mikel. You are now gifted with the power to transcend time. That is the energy you feel. Use it to save Dari.”

Understanding dawned as Mikel glanced up to see Ayden looking at him. His heart leapt with hope. “Dari, hang on,” he whispered into her mouth. “I won’t allow you to leave me.” He temporarily pushed back his emotions so he could concentrate on the task ahead.

Mikel brushed her hair from her forehead, closed his eyes and settled his mind. Sifting through time and space, he willed himself to go back five minutes previous. Soon his mind started spinning, as though he was watching a movie in reverse as the wind picked back up and the strewn bodies were once again lifted from the floor and caught in the vortex.

He blinked his lashes open and found himself in the eye of the storm. He glanced at Dari just as she placed her hands on him to push him away. This time he dragged her with him, wrapping his body around her in a protective manner while Ayden rushed forward to kill the vampire who wielded the deadly bullet.

He held her to him for a long moment, not daring to let her go, as the room fell silent. Emotions ripped through him as her heart beat against his body. She was alive! His body shook almost uncontrollably, and the fact that she had risked her own life to save his turned his insides to mush. Ayden’s voice finally caused him to stir.

“They are all dead, Mikel.”

Mikel glanced at the woman in his arms. “Are you okay?” Her smile touched him so deeply it was everything he could do not to crush her weakened body in his embrace.

She grinned. “You might want to loosen that grip a bit,” she teased.

A rich rumble of laugher sounded low in his throat. “Forget it. I’m keeping you chained to my side from now on.”

She rolled her eyes then dropped a soft kiss on his mouth. “If you insist.” She inched back. “We did it, Mikel. We killed them.”

The love shining in her eyes brought tears to his eyes. “Yes, we did it,” he whispered into her mouth.

Mikel climbed to his feet and lifted Dari into his arms. “Let me take you and Janaa to our chamber while Ayden and I take care of things here. You’ve both been through enough already.”

“We’ve all been through a lot,” she said. “I can help—”

Janaa exchanged a look with Ayden then cut her off. “Dari, the men need a moment.”

After Mikel settled the two women in his room, he made his way back downstairs and glanced at the destruction of his castle.

“Leave it,” Ayden said.

“I’m not about to leave my home in such a state.” Glass crunched beneath his feet as he picked up a lampshade.

“It is no longer your home.”

Mikel righted a side table and set the shade on it. He turned to Ayden. “I don’t understand.”

“It is time for us to talk.” Ayden closed the distance between them and touched Mikel’s shoulder. “I am Nallie, Mikel. I was sent here to watch over you.”

Mikel’s head jerked back. “Nallie?” He frowned as his mind raced. “I knew you weren’t human, that you’ve come from far away, Ayden, but how can you be Nallie? Literature spoke of only two children being saved.”

“Literature was wrong.”

His heart raced with hope, and with confusion. How could this be? Did Dari and he really have a biological family? Something they’ve both always wanted and craved? Was it possible? Mikel had no reason to believe Ayden would lie to him. But how? And why was he telling him this now? “How can there be others? I don’t sense them.”

“They live on another planet.” Ayden squeezed his shoulder to calm him.

Baffled, Mikel gave a quick shake of his head. “I don’t understand.”

Ayden nodded, as though fully expecting his reactions, his disbelief. “Not all Nallie were evil or controlled by Grayson. We were put here on Earth to infiltrate and kill mortals. After a few of us learned to mask our signature and shield our thoughts, we banded together and secretly left the planet, colonizing on planet Kelan.”

Shocked, Mikel stood there, his brow furrowed, waiting for Ayden to continue.

“After the military launched an attack, we thought all others like us were killed. It was only a few years ago that we detected a faint signal and learned of your existence.”

Mikel paused, lowered his head and whispered under his breath. “That’s when I first began to make love to Dari in her dreams.”

“Yes, that increased your signature and the connection reached us. We knew if it reached us, Grayson would soon pick up on it too.”

“I came here to determine if you were good or evil,” Ayden continued.

“When you discovered we were good, why didn’t you rescue us and take us back to your planet?”

“It isn’t so simple. Grayson would have been able to track you.”

“I see.” Mikel knew deep in his heart he’d never, ever under any circumstances consciously put his family in danger.

“You and Dari could not be brought to our planet until you developed the skill as well. Fortunately, the fallout from the blood exchange has now gifted you both now with the ability to shield.”

“Yes, I can feel it.” He paused then asked, “Why didn’t you just teach us the skill?”

“Such things can’t be taught, Mikel. It is instinct and must happen naturally. On Kelan, an infant’s signal is weak, barely recognizable. A mother can block it until a child develops the skill. Your signature was too strong for us to block for long, and I only hoped that through mating and bonding, you would develop it quicker. If you failed to develop the skill, and Grayson captured you, he could find our colony through you. Which is why I could never tell you what I was. But just know, if either you or Dari were captured I’d never give up on you. I’d spend an eternity searching for you and wouldn’t quit until I had you both safe on planet Kelan.”

With his heart full of love for his friend, Mikel took a long moment to sort things through. “When I asked you how you knew so much about my breed, you said you wished you could tell me. I thought it was because you didn’t know yourself.”

“I knew, Mikel, and the truth was, I really did wish I could tell you.”

“This must have been hard on you.”

Ayden threw his arms around Mikel and the two held each other for a long moment. “It was hard on all of us.” Ayden eased back and glanced into Mikel’s eyes.

Mikel narrowed his gaze. “If our breed is stronger than Grayson’s, why do you fear him?”

“We are a small colony compared to his. And we are peaceful beings. It is not our wish to start a war. We only wish to live our lives in peace and contentment.”

Mikel nodded his understanding. Just then Dari and Janaa descended the stairs. Mikel opened his arms for her and entered her thoughts to share the information.

“I know, Mikel. I heard it all.” Her body molded against his.

Ayden gathered Janaa’s hand in his. “Come, Mikel and Dari.” Ayden and Janaa both reached for Mikel’s and Dari’s hands at the same time, closing the circle. “Come home and meet your family.”

Mikel smiled at his friend and turned his attention to Dari. “We have both found what we’ve spent our lives seeking. A family and a home.” He squeezed her hand and noted the moisture glistening in her beautiful eyes. “Now we can be together forever.”

She returned his smile. “Forever is a very long time, Mikel. Perhaps I will grow tired of you before that.”

A low growl rumbled in his throat, his teeth descended. It pleased him to see her playful spirit return. He felt an unexpected stirring of his desires as she leaned into him. “Have you forgotten what your teasing does to me?” he asked.

She arched one brow. “Not even for a minute.” Her bold words sent a jolt of need zinging through him.

A half smile curled Mikel’s lips. Suddenly he became hyper-aware of the thin dress she’d changed into. His gaze caressed her creamy shoulders and her shapely curves.

He turned to Ayden. “We have to go,” he rushed out. His gaze flitted back to Dari as his cock grew another inch. “Now!”

About the Author

A former government financial officer, Cathryn Fox graduated from university with a bachelor of business degree. Shortly into her career, Cathryn quickly figured out that corporate life wasn’t for her. Needing an outlet for her creative energy, she turned in her briefcase and calculator and began writing erotic romance full-time. Cathryn enjoys writing dark paranormals and humorous contemporaries. She lives in eastern Canada with her husband, two kids and chocolate Labrador retriever.

To learn more about Cathryn Fox, please visit
www.cathrynfox.com
Send an email to
[email protected]
or join her chat group,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wicked_writers/

Coming Soon

One on One

All Tied Up

Tending the Spirit has never been so sexy
.

Future Found

© 2008 Mima

A
Claimed
story.

As a tree singer, it is Shay-non’s duty—and pleasure—to tend the chi of the few remaining trees left after the Cataclysm. Even if it means enduring the life-sucking presence of the greedy cybernetic elites who own them.

But the moment she steps into Elite Sandor’s compound, he throws her world into disarray. Instantly, she finds herself tricked into twenty-four hours as his sexual “guest”, an infuriating prospect. Then he lets her see, but not touch, the magnificent oak in his possession. An oak that shouldn’t exist. For one moment with the tree, she’ll do anything—even submit to Sandor’s attentions.

Sand has waited years for Shay’s unmet sexual needs to weaken her defenses enough to make his move. The time is ripe to begin a spiritual revolution, plus convince the lovely singer he has always loved her from afar—all in one day’s time. A daunting task, especially since her earthy sexuality has him making all sorts of deviations from his plan.

Now that he has her captive, he can only pray. That she’ll agree to help him defy the Council and raise an illegal forest temple.

And that she’ll see past his sensual blackmail into his heart.

Warning: This book includes brief references to m/m and ménage relationships. Some readers may be disturbed by references to a death during sex. There’s also sex involving a tree that will forever make you smile when you hear the term “tree-hugger”.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Future Found:

He stopped while the droid laid out the eating cloth and set the food precisely in the middle. Then it left. And he was still staring. She was on the altar, unveiled. The opalescence of her skin was more glorious than the silver veil. Kneeling with her legs splayed, he could clearly make out her sex below her spread ass. Her cheeks rested on her heels, her back arched, her hands reaching gracefully up into the cone of light. The crown of her ruby hair faced him since her head was thrown back in apparent ecstasy. It was worth the cost of the sunshine bulb he’d installed.

He walked around her, within touching distance. Her belly was adorable. Her nipples were hard, bitty berries. The position she held flattened her breasts to merest swells. At mouth level.

Slowly, her hands drifted down and rested on those splayed thighs. She rolled her head forward to look down at him. He’d meant to initiate the contract after a meal and some conversation to reassure her. But the plan could tolerate this new deviation.

“Shay-non, you are unveiled before me.” His voice sounded husky but he didn’t care. Let her see that his attraction was more than the plan needed.

“Sand, I initiate this contract.”

He did not think about the plan, his goals, his faith or his tree. He thought about the impact of those eyes without a veil between them. That skin, blushing in the strong light. That musk scent rising from her spread thighs. Those blood-red, lickable nipples.
Wait. Wait for her. It must be her.
His eyes flitted from one part of her to another, dazzled by her reality. Curves, everywhere. His cock fattened.

An eternity later, her hand rose toward him. His gaze flew to hers, but she was staring at his hair. She reached out like a slowed, half-time vid. Her touch landed on his hair near his left ear. He watched her eyes dilate, the brown fading from chocolate to black. He saw the tremor of her long lashes, her lips break open revealing a row of tiny white teeth. He was lifting in his pants, the cotton catching him.

Her fingers threaded into his hair and touched his scalp. He could feel each of the three fingertips. She pulled her hand down through his layers, behind his ear, heat scalding the rim. A hectic red appeared on her cheekbones that had been too pale. She hesitated at the bottom, then her thumb gently trapped his earlobe and rubbed it with her forefinger. He was so aware of how it was fleshy, and hot, in her firm grip. His head spun as his cock abruptly hardened.

Her gaze moved along the line of his jaw, and he felt her focus on his mouth like a physical touch. His own lips parted, fascinated, as the blush on her face spread down her neck. His earlobe was abandoned when she delved in a sweep along the curve of his ear. His breath began to come heavier. The head of him was rubbing against the soft waistband.

Her fingers moved where her gaze had, all of them trailing along, petting his lips, the outer edge, the inner skin. Rotating her hand, she sent her palm gliding on the sensitive skin under his chin while her thumb tested the edge of his teeth, boldly daring his lips. He froze absolutely still when she held her breath. She pushed her thumb into his mouth and he closed his lips over the joint while his tongue curled and sucked. The blush cascaded onto her chest, and his gaze followed it.