Dominated By Desire (31 page)

“Your gift, my dear. I wanted to see it for myself.”

“You know what my gift is?” Her head filled with so many things. She wished she could release some of the pressure. Her head felt like it would explode.

“I had an idea.”

A strange noise filled the air as a weird contraption came above her and scanned her body.

“Your mind had been going through a lot of changes. It was hard to create a world for you to believe in. But I found one close to your reality and it was starting to work. I should have known your mind would break any creation my computer could make the moment your body absorbed the remnants of your device.”

“Why have you been after me?” He didn’t know Storm had helped her break its hold and she wasn’t about to tell him.

“You’re not the only one with ancient blood in them. And not the only one who gets visions. I knew you would find your mate and that you would come to your full potential. My goal in all of this has been a simple one, Heather. Has from the beginning. I want your child.” Heat filled her as something sliced into her.

She wanted to fight it but didn’t know how. Her main thought was to protect her child. She now understood why her parents did what they did to protect her. It was up to her to do the same thing. “I won’t let you take my baby from me. If I can’t have it you can’t either.” Her mind stretched and pushed, forcing her to do something she never wanted to do but she was able to protect her child at least for a little while.

Now she had to get out of there before the voice knew what she had done.

The chains that bound her were easy to break. They snapped like a child’s toy. Finding herself free, she slid off the bed and onto the floor.

She didn’t know how long she had been there, but her legs gave out when she tried to put weight on them. She struggled to move. There wasn’t much time. She could hear the footfalls of people running toward the room.

Her heart beat hard in her chest when she realized there was no escape for her. She didn’t want it to end this way.

Light blared into the room, illuminating everything around her. She found herself swept up in a warm embrace. One she recognized. Tears ran down her cheeks when she knew she was safe at last.

****

She opened her eyes once again. Was this real? Or was she still trapped inside some nightmare. “Storm?”

“I’m here.” He sat on her bed and took her hand in his. “You’re safe now.”“You sure?”

He laughed as he touched her face. “Yes, my heart. You’re now home where you belong.”

She rested her head back against the pillows behind her. “Did you catch him?”

“No.” He rested his hand against her heart. “He was gone before we arrived.”

“He won’t stop until he has what he came for.” She touched her stomach.

“So you know what he is after?”

“Yes.” She sat up and took his hand. Pressing it against her stomach she said just two words. “Our child.”

“What?” He wasn’t the only one who said that. Heather looked around to find immediate family all around her.

“I’m pregnant,” Heather smiled. Joy filled her when she realized she could now celebrate this with her mate. They made a child together. “She made me aware of her presence the moment my mind broke free.” Storm just stared at her in awe. “A baby?”

“Yes.” The joy she felt was contagious. He looked at her before hesitantly touching her stomach. The knowledge lit his face up.

“Wait.” Storm removed his hand. Concern filled his voice. “You said the baby was what he was after.”

“He was. All he said was she was the reason he went through everything he did. It was never me he wanted.”

“But what about all those times he tried to kidnap you.”

“Look back at those events now. What was the one thing it did? Bring us closer together. He knew our relationship wouldn’t grow if we weren’t united against a common foe. He needed us to bond quickly because of my device. He wanted to kidnap our child before we had the means to stop him and knew once that moment was gone he wouldn’t be able to get to her. He seemed to know when the device would be completely absorbed and he was ready the moment it happened.”

“If he wanted her.” Storm touched her stomach again. “Is she safe?”

“Yes, but I didn’t have a lot of time and didn’t know how to stop him so I tricked him into doing the only thing I could think of. Make him take the wrong egg.” She placed her hand on top of his. “He still got away with one and can still do whatever he had originally planned with it. We have to get it back.”

“And we will.” Storm pressed his other hand against her heart. “But you have been through a lot and need to rest. Mate’s orders.” She smiled at him and lay back against the pillows. Happy to be safe and home.

He walked to his uncle. “You have anything to say?”

“Why would I? I’m just some crazy old man, remember.”

“I think you proved that isn’t true.” Storm wanted to throttle the man, but without his help he never would have found Heather. “Is this over?”

“No.”

“You said she was the key.” He kept his voice down so he wouldn’t be heard.

“And she was, but she is right too. Your children will be targets as well.

I need to meditate more and maybe I can have a better answer for you.” He walked off, leaving Storm to stand by himself. He turned to look back at his nephew. “You did good, Storm.”

He gave him a nod, grateful it had worked out.

Heather’s parents came to him next. “Do you think she’ll ever forgive us for sending her away like that?”

“That’s a question I can’t answer. She’s the only one who can.” He looked over to find her watching them. “Why don’t you go and talk to her?” They weren’t sure what to do but after a few more tries Storm was able to get them moving to her side. He felt like he was in some sort of congratulatory line because people were waiting to speak to him. Next was one of the young men he had assigned to check out the name Heather had given him. “Sir, the search is done.”

“And what did you find?”

“Very rare name. Comes from a very old family that doesn’t seem to exist anymore.” He handed Storm a computer chip that had all the data they could find.

“Thank you.”

“Glad to see her safely home, sir.”

“Me too.” He shook his hand. “Go on home to your family. I’ll contact everyone when were ready to get back to work.”

“Yes, sir.” He saluted and moved on.

“And how are you feeling today, Mother?”

“Much better.” She walked a little slow, but he had been informed she would make a full recovery. “I wanted to tell you that I wasn’t aware of the injections. It wouldn’t have happened if I did.”

“Heather’s parents believed it was for her and my protection. We might not like being manipulated like that, but who knows how different my life might have been if they hadn’t.”

“You’re scaring me a little. That is the most mature thing I think I have ever heard you say.”

“Haven’t you heard? I’m going to be a parent.”

“The other scary thing I heard. You were bad enough, but your child?

We are in trouble. She or he will be spoiled to death. Like their father they will get away with too much, and their grandparent will dote on them too much.” His mother kissed him on the cheek before moving to her rooms.

The doctor came to check on Heather and Storm stood at her side.

“You look wonderful, my dear.” He sat on the edge of the bed and ran a scanner over her. “Glad to see you back and in one piece.”

“Glad to be back, Doctor. How are you feeling? I understand you’ve been a bit under the weather yourself.”

“I’m fine, now.” He smiled at her. “And you seem to be as well.” He closed the scanner and put it back in his bag.

A slight nod from Heather had Storm putting an arm around the doctor so he could take the scanner undetected. He brought it back to her. “Now why did you want this?”

“I didn’t mean anything by it. Just trying a few things.” She held out her hand. “Can I see it?”

He dropped it into her open palm. “What are you looking for?” She checked the readings and sat back. “How prevalent are twins in our race?”

Storm found the question a little strange. “Why?”

“Because we’re going to have twins too. Just like both our parents.” Her face held joy and fear over the news. “I went from not being able to get pregnant to carrying twins so quickly. It’s a lot to accept.”

“You’ll do fine. By the time they’re born next year.”

“Year? How long do Vespian pregnancies last?”

“Eighteen months.”

Her eyes got very wide.

“How long did they last on Earth?” Did he frighten her with that?

“Nine months. Women on Earth got very cranky toward the end of their pregnancy because they wanted it over and that was for only nine months.

How evil will I get when I start feeling like I’m pregnant forever?” He laughed and kissed her forehead. “I will make sure you have all the information on a Vespian pregnancy available to you. It is nothing to be afraid of. Women have been going through it for millennia.”

“One of these times I’d like to meet a race where the male of the species carried the offspring.” Then she grinned. “Or perhaps just gets to feel what women go through to carry a child.”

He didn’t like the look she gave him. “And what are you plotting now?”

“You’ll see.”

He grew tired of the parade of people who came to see Heather. He didn’t realize how far the news of her kidnapping had gotten until all these people came to see her. Her parents said their goodbyes, promising to visit again later.

The room finally emptied out and he locked the door before someone else could enter.

“Now.” He climbed on the bed next to her and cradled her in his arms.

“There was a definite threat in your words earlier and I’d like to know what is going on in that glorious head of yours.”

“Understand I’m still new to my abilities.” She closed her eyes for a moment.

He felt her thoughts brush against his. Gentle, slightly seductive. Then she was there in his mind. He found the intimacy beyond anything he had ever experienced. Her thoughts mingled with his. Then he sensed something else. Her joy filled him as he focus on it. Another thought joined them, then a second one. There wasn’t a lot to the thoughts yet. Their presence in the world still so new but he felt them.

“Is it like that for you all the time?” he was in awe over what he just experienced.

“Sort of. I know there is another presence but wasn’t sure about the second one until we saw the scanner. I got fleeting touches but it would have taken another month or two before I was sure.”

“Will they be with us every time we’re intimate?” Knowing your children would know when you’re having sex with your mate might deter him a little.

“I can block them out right now. Don’t want to over stimulate them while they’re this young, but I’m not sure about the future when they are stronger.”

“And are you going to deny me my favorite play area because of them for the next eighteen months? That’s a very long time for me to do without.”

“I know.” She planted a soft kiss on his lips. “Normally I would say of course not, but I know as time goes on I’m going to need leverage.”

“What sort of leverage.” He closed his eyes when her gentle fingers slipped under his shirt to brush along his abdomen.

“I don’t want to be trapped at home for eighteen months because my mate has this archaic belief that I’m too fragile to work. Would you pull that one on me?” She opened his shirt and started pressing little kisses to his chest.

“You’re my mate and I need to protect you and our children.” She wasn’t fighting fair so the moment she pulled up to glare at him he took advantage and rolled her over. Pinning her with his body he gave his wicked smile. “Although you have proven time and again you can take care of yourself I still feel it is my duty to keep you safe. If I say you can return to work, will you do as I say?”

She looked up at him, her beautiful violet eyes sparkling. “Do I get to fight you tooth and nail on any overprotection maneuver you might pull?” He lowered his lips to hers for a deep, sensual bone melting kiss. She could have anything she wanted if she kept kissing him like this. “Are you going to argue with me in front of any of my men?” He captured her lips for a second time. Their tongues dance their favorite dance together.

She sighed when he broke the kiss for a second time. “I know better.

But I might pout if I don’t get my way.”

“Noted.” He opened the gown the medics had put on her, exposing her body to his touch. “You are so beautiful.”

She opened her mind to him so he could feel the tingles his fingertips brought to her as he drew circles around her nipples. He felt her nipples harden and silently beg for his hot mouth. When he swirled his tongue against the tender flesh they both groaned.

“I may never want to get out of bed again,” he murmured against her skin.She laughed and pushed him over. Having released him from his trousers earlier she smiled a wanton smile. “You think that was good? You haven’t felt anything yet.” In one move she straddled him and impaled them both. She squeezed him on the way down making them shake with need.

His hands moved to her hips, helping her set a tempo that aroused them more. At her mental urging he slid his fingers into her folds and found the small nub he knew she liked to have him caress. Waves of overwhelming need flooded them. Her body clinched tight and sent them over the edge.

The free-fall experience left them a little breathless.

He rolled them over and brushed a few stray hairs out of her face.

“Access to multiple orgasms? Now I know I never want to get out of bed.” Storm moved inside of her, the tightness of her walls hugging him, causing delicious sensations to roll through him. He slid in and out, building the friction higher and higher. Heather wrapped her legs around his waist to give him better access.

The bond between them had merged their individual sensations into one. There was no his versus her, just theirs. It transcended the physical.

White hot energy shot through them both. The faster he moved the stronger it got. The release they craved was there in front of them. Storm reached it first, feeling the explosion in his soul. Heather came right behind him. Once again they had the sensation of free falling.