Claiming the East Wind (7 page)

“You never were,” Soren said fiercely.

“The memories…they’re still there, but—” her smile widened “—I know now I can deal with them.” Then her smile dimmed. “You’re free now, too, Soren. You have your memory back, you defeated Apeliotus. You have your life back.”

Why the hell did he sense a goodbye in there somewhere? Now that her sacrifice was no longer needed, was she…done with him? Had all this just been a mission for her? A way to save herself by saving someone else?

If it was, he wasn’t sure he could bear it. Because he had a frightening feeling he was falling in love with Skye Santini.

Luca moved up shoulder-to-shoulder with Soren. “We need to carry out the Ritual of the Four Winds.”

Soren knew that. They’d all defeated their enemies but left unchecked, they’d grow stronger again. The Ritual of the Four Winds would lock the
Venti Tempesta
away, back in the bodies of horses to be kept on Isola del Vento, to be watched over by an immortal Keeper.

He looked again at Skye. She still wouldn’t meet his gaze. Her hands were clenched together in front of her. He hated that she looked so defeated when moments before her strength had helped him defeat Apeliotus.

Soren strode forward. “No. Not now.”

Skye’s head snapped up and she stared at him. “Soren—”

“Luca, the ritual can wait. The
Venti Tempesta
aren’t going anywhere just this minute.” Soren had a need far more urgent than the evil that had plagued them the last few weeks. He tossed one last comment to his brothers. “Meet me tonight at the villa. We’ll carry out the ritual then.”

Turning back to Skye, he scooped her into his arms.

“Soren.” Just a whisper, filled with uncertainty. “You don’t need me anymore—”

“Apparently you have no idea what I need.” All he knew was that right now Skye needed him. He had the vital task of proving how he felt and convincing her to stay with him. “Will you ride the wind with me?”

She nibbled on her lip, but nodded.

The East Wind swirled around them, and as their bodies began to turn into the wind, Soren relished the fact that he and Skye were one and meant to be together.

But could he convince her to stay?

As they rematerialized back in the villa, Skye took a second to savor the final feel of being the wind. Her power was free now, and being able to call the breeze was amazing, but Aurae couldn’t become the wind like WindKeepers.

Oh God, her power was free! She still couldn’t believe it. She wanted to dance and sing in the breeze. But her happiness was entwined with sadness.

After today, she’d have no reason to spend time with any WindKeepers.

No reason to spend time with Soren.

She looked up and realized they weren’t in the living area—instead they were in Soren’s bedroom. She glanced at the big bed, pain piercing her chest, before she looked away.

Soren was watching her.

His gray eyes were calm now. No thunderclouds, just a clean, pearl gray that she loved even more.

Loved.
Oh, God, she wasn’t stupid enough to fall for this man, was she? A billionaire playboy like him would have no use for a shy, quiet woman now that he was recovered.

“I’m so pleased your memories have returned.” The way he watched her made her want to fidget. “And with the
Venti Tempesta
gone, things can return to normal.”

His eyes narrowed. “Nothing will be normal again.”

She couldn’t work out what he was thinking, but she sensed his dangerous mood.

“What are you plans now, Skye?” His voice was like dark silk.

“Ah—” she plucked at her shirt “—head back to London, I suppose. I’m not sure…” This was slicing her up. She hated the thought of leaving him.

“You’re going to leave me? Just like that?”

The sharp whip of his words cut her. “You have your memory back. You don’t need me.”

He stalked up to her, backing her into the wall. “I need you more than ever.”

The hard heat of him thrilled her and made her heart thump a crazy beat. She wanted to believe his words. “You can have your glamorous lifestyle back—”

“Damn it, Skye. All I want is you.” He pressed his lips to her cheek, his breath hot on her skin. His hand slid down her side and his mouth trailed down her neck. “What do I need to do to convince you of that?”

“Soren—”

“You’re
mine
.” He looked her straight in the eyes. He gripped her hand and pressed it to the front of his slacks. The hard bulge filled her palm. “That’s how much I want you.” He moved her other hand to his chest and the firm beat of his heart. “This beats for you now, Skye.”

Emotion rushed into her, until tears stung her eyes. She was too afraid to believe this was true.

“You’re mine.” He nibbled at her lips. “You’re my Aurae, my savior, my love. You helped me defeat the greed. It was you, Skye, who made me realize that if I give instead of take, I can have far more precious treasures.”

“Oh, Soren.”

“Stay with me? Forever?”

She gripped his shoulders. “Yes. Yes!”

With a triumphant laugh, he scooped her into his arms. “Now I’m claiming you. So you’ll never forget who you belong to.”

He lay her on the bed and methodically stripped her of her clothes. She watched the man she was falling in love with take off his shirt, baring his glorious, lean chest. Then he shucked off his trousers and she was mesmerized by the sight of his long cock arching upward.

She scrambled up and reached for him. She smoothed her hand up his shaft, relished his groan. As she explored him, she’d never felt more in control or more turned on. “I want to taste you.”

He groaned again. “I won’t last and I want to be inside you.”

“Just a quick lick.”

His groan this time was deep and long.

Skye dragged in a deep breath. This was her decision. Her man. Her choice. She ran her tongue along his length, felt his big body shudder. For her. Then she sucked him into her mouth. He tasted salty. Not knowing exactly what to do, she followed instinct and his sounds of pleasure.

She was just finding a rhythm when his hands gripped her shoulders and pushed her back on the bed.

When he pressed his palms and knees onto the bed and loomed above her, she felt her muscles tense.
No
. She wouldn’t let the past intrude here, not during the happiest moment of her life.

“It’s okay,
cara
.” He stretched out beside her, turning her onto her left side. He snuggled in behind her, and she felt the hard jut of his cock against her buttocks. “Just let me love you.”

His big hand slid over her hip, trailed across her belly and dipped between her legs. When he found the small nub of her clit, she bucked and cried out.

“Shh. Just feel.” A hot whisper in her ear.

His wicked fingers swirled and flicked. She arched her back, pushing into his magnetic touch.

Then he was lifting her thigh up over his hip and before she realized what was happening, he thrust into her.

Oh, it felt so good. She pressed her hands into the mattress, enjoy ing the feel of him plastered against her, surrounding her, and the hard push of him inside her. His body slapped against hers as his thrusts grew more urgent. She loved this, but needed more.

She turned her head and he was there, his mouth finding hers, the rock of his hips never diminishing.

Moments later, she splintered apart and he followed the next instant, spurting his release inside her.

Their harsh breathing was the only sound in the room, their sated, sweaty bodies a warm tangle that could never be parted.

He pressed a kiss to her hair. “Let me fall in love with you, Skye? You have to say yes.”

She smiled. “Yes. A hundred times yes.” She only wanted to think good things, of the perfection of this moment, but she felt the past like a terrible shadow, lurking, never far.

He must have read her mind. “Our pasts will always be there.” He turned her to look at him, his hands cupping her face. “They made us into the people we are today, so we can’t forget them. The ghost of greed will always be inside me.”

“And my ghost—” would always haunt her.

“But together we have the chance to move on. We can build something new, something stronger.”

She nodded. “Together.” She leaned forward and claimed his mouth.

The kiss was long and slow and lazy. But soon it heated, turned rougher and more frantic.

Soren fell onto his back and gripped her hips. He shifted her firmly astride him. “Fancy another chance to ride the wind?”

Her laughter filled the room. “Soren!”

***

Soren held onto Skye’s hand as they went through the front door of the villa. The sun was setting, turning the lake to liquid gold ringed by shadowed mountains.

Down the stairs his brothers stood, each of them also holding the hand of the women who’d crashed into their world at the worst possible time and helped save them.

His fingers tightened on Skye’s hand.
Grazie Dio.

Luca nodded to him. “You look…rested.”

Soren saw Skye blush and smiled. “
Si
, I am.”

“It’s time we finish this.” Dante tugged Samia close to his side. “We plan to take a vacation. A long one.”

“Sounds good to me.” Antonio flashed his trademark smile at Sophia. “What do you think?”

“I think you won’t hear any complaints,” she answered.

Rayne slung an arm across Skye’s shoulders. “So, get this ritual done. Then I plan to have a long talk with Soren about taking good care of my baby sister.”

The redhead’s words were light but Soren saw the deeper glint in her eyes. He was glad that Skye had someone else who loved her.

“Let’s do it,” Soren said.

The women moved back and Soren stepped into formation with his brothers. They each moved until they faced their cardinal direction.

Soren’s back was to the setting sun, staring past Antonio to the darkening eastern horizon. It felt right. A close to the vice that had plagued him all his life and almost consumed him the last few weeks.

But the best was the promise of a new beginning. A new life with the brothers he loved and the woman who was his.

The brothers reached out and clamped their hands around each other’s wrists. A strong link they’d proven could never be broken.

They summoned their winds.

They’d never completed this ritual before, but with the memories of their ancestors, it was easy to follow the faded recollections of past rituals. The cardinal winds roared up, twining together between the men in a strong funnel.

The wind ruffled their clothes, their hair. The combined strength was beyond anything Soren had experienced.

The tornado speared into the air. Around them, Soren heard the vicious whispers of the banished
Venti Tempesta
. Whispers of envy, anger, lust and greed. They grew in volume and urgency, until the winds snatched them up and the funnel lifted off the ground and flew away to the south.

Toward Isola del Vento and the horses there that would house the evil. It would once again be their prison.

“We’ll need to appoint a new Keeper to watch over them.” Luca scowled. “Livia is perfectly happy being mortal again with our damn horse trainer.”

Soren’s lips quirked. Love certainly hadn’t mellowed Luca’s surliness. The previous Keeper had lost her immortality and was now in love. Livia Cavalli deserved it. “I’m happy for her and Rafe. Hard not to be when we’ve all found our perfect matches.”

As one, the men turned and stared at the four women standing in front of the villa watching them.

“We’ll find a Keeper.” Soren strode up the steps toward Skye. “But for now, Skye and I have better things to do.”

“Sounds like a damned good idea,” Antonio said with a laugh.

As Dante, and even Luca, joined in the laugher, Soren stared straight at Skye. She watched his approach with a smile.

He was free. His brothers were free.

Free to live the life they wanted, with the women they wanted above all else.

<<<<>>>>

I hope you enjoyed reading
Claiming the East Wind.

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Check out the rest of the WindKeepers series:

Book 1: Wind Kissed, Fire Bound

Book 2: Taken by the South Wind

Book 3: Tempting the West Wind

Book 4: Defying the North Wind

Book 5: Claiming the East Wind

Read an excerpt:
Turn the page for an excerpt from
Time Thief
, Book 1 of The Anomaly Trilogy.

The Anomaly Trilogy: Book One

by Anna Hackett

She’d been a thief a long time but bank robbery was a new low.

Bay North stood in line at the Concord Downing Bank and surreptitiously scratched under her wig. The damn thing itched like crazy.

She ran a hand down the pencil skirt of her cheap, gray business suit. It was a challenge trying to blend in with the Denver lunch crowd waiting to bank checks and open new accounts.

The suit, the foreign makeup and brown wig were her attempt at a chic disguise. She swallowed a snort. She wouldn’t know chic if it slammed her in the head with a pair of designer heels. Out of necessity, she usually wore clothes she could run in.

Things might have been different if she hadn’t been born a freak.

Her chest constricted. She fought to keep her hands relaxed, to not curl them into tight little fists.

Things weren’t different. She breathed out. Imagined the rush of emotions bleeding away like a spent wave.

Casually, Bay cast a glance around the bank. The foyer was all marble, mahogany and old-world brass fixtures. Located in an historic building in downtown Denver, Concord Downing catered to the city’s wealthiest clients.

Behind the row of tellers, a door led downstairs to the vault. She didn’t let her gaze linger but she noted every aspect of the heavy, reinforced entry.

A quick glance at her Rolex knockoff. In exactly one minute, two of the bank staff would open the dual combination lock. Then, another minute after that, the time lock door on the vault beyond would open.