Dunn, Daisy - Earth's Desire [Elemental Magic 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (10 page)

Reality crept back into his thoughts, snapping him out of his sexual fantasyland. He needed to secure her first before he could even think about touching her. He went into his closet and pulled out a coil of rope he kept on hand for these occasions. He also had a wooden chair in the corner he could use. He grabbed it, dumping his dirty clothes piled on it onto the floor. He set the chair down at the end of the bed and went back to Ivy’s limp body. He picked her up, his hand squeezing her ass, and placed her sitting up on the chair.

She started to fall forward, but he grabbed her before she hit the floor. Holding her back against the chair with one hand, he clumsily wrapped the thick rope around her midsection. He continued to wind the rope around her firmly, with her hands behind her back. He knew she wouldn’t be able to move. He stood back and looked at his handwork. Her breasts were the only skin on her torso showing, her nipples erect from the cool air in the house.

He couldn’t take much more of the pressure in his loins. His cock pleaded for relief from its confinement, and his balls begged for release. He obliged the demands of his body, pulling his cock out from his newly unzipped jeans, and started to stroke his erection. He stared at her exposed nipples and imaged the multitude of sexual positions he planned to carry through with her, causing a wave of pleasure to shoot straight to his balls.

He felt his body getting higher, closing in on the pleasure awaiting him. His hand moved faster on his rod and, in turn, he pulled harder on her nipple. Suddenly, an alarm went off. Someone came into his yard. Instantly, his desire left him, and he shoved his withering cock back into his pants.

On high alert, he ran out of the bedroom, locking the door behind him. He needed his firearm full of silver bullets and a place to hide in line with the front and back doors. Whoever dared to come in wouldn’t be alive for long. This he vowed.

* * * *

“Shit, Luke. You stepped on a wire. I’m sure they’re alerted to us now,” Levi whispered forcefully behind his brother. They stood at the edge of a long driveway, looking at a two-story white house mostly hidden among the dense pine trees.

“Dammit! How could I be so stupid? I’m so worried for Ivy I’m not thinking straight.”

“Well, get your act together. We can’t afford to make any more mistakes like this.”

“Okay, Levi. What do you think? Do you want to take the front or the back?”

“I’ll stalk my way over to the front while you guys go around the back.”

“I’m coming with you, Levi,” Skye whispered. “I have a gut feeling that Ivy’s deep inside the house, tucked away in a bedroom or basement. My instincts about my Elemental sisters are always right.

“No, it’s too dangerous. I don’t even want you going to the back of the house, but your relentless arguing is wearing me down.”

“Then why don’t you let us help and stop worrying about our safety. You want in the front door? I’ll get you in the damn front door. Come with me.” Skye took off toward the trees, hiding behind them as she moved closer to the house.

Levi sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. “Alright, we’ll pound through the front door in a minute, distracting Simon while you two gain entry from the back and search for Ivy. We don’t know if Simon is alone or not. Be prepared for more hunters.”

“Come on, Flame. Let’s head to the back through the pine trees running alongside the driveway. Follow me.” Luke motioned Flame to follow with a quick wave of his hand.

Levi watched the two run into the trees, disappearing into the thick pines. He turned his attention back to Skye and ran after her. She moved slow, which allowed Levi to catch up. They were close to the front entrance, standing behind the same tree.

“What are you planning to do, Skye?”

“Let’s just say if he’s anywhere close to the door, he won’t be able to attack us in any way. Now, let’s move!” Skye ran for the front door, crouched down with her arms pointed up into the air.

Levi ran behind her, not sure about her capabilities but admiring her tenacity in the face of an ugly hangover.

“Stay behind me and off to the side, Levi,” Skye commanded with great authority.

Levi felt the wind pick up behind him, stirring up old rotting vegetation and dead pine needles strewn about the front lawn. He stepped aside into complete calm as the wind picked up behind Skye. He realized how much control she had over the air.

Skye’s arms flew forward, pointing straight at the door. It flew open, the wind rushing through the door as a cyclone, throwing furniture and tables around the room and shattering them all to pieces as they bounced off the walls.

Levi stood behind Skye, amazed at her powers and ashamed he doubted her abilities. In all the chaos, he managed to spot Simon crouched in a corner outside of the turmoil going on in the living room. Their gazes met, and a knowing grin crossed Simon’s face. He lifted and pointed his gun at Levi, only to have it whipped out of his hand, joining the turbulent air swirling close to him. He stood up and ran, heading for the back entrance.

The door burst open and crashed against the wall across the room. Black burn marks marred the door. Simon jumped, obviously startled from the most recent intrusion. Trapped in the house, he made a quick dash for the stairs, heading away from the group surrounding him.

Once he arrived on the second floor, Levi could clearly see Simon run to the room at the end of the hall, fumbling with his keys along the way. He quickly unlocked the door, with the four intruders barreling down behind him, somehow finding the right key on the first try. He rushed in, slammed the door, and locked it on the other side. The group of them ran to the closed door, and Flame yelled out, “Stand back!”

The three companions took a few steps back in unison while Flame raised her hands in front of the door only a few inches away. Levi watched in awe as fire burst from her hands and struck the door. He heard the sound of wood splintering as the door flung open from the force of her directed fireballs. These friends of Ivy’s amazed him. They had the ability to handle themselves and help with the rescue rather than hinder it. He promised himself to apologize to them at a more opportune time.

When the brief burst of smoke cleared, they ran into the master bedroom and noticed Ivy sitting in a chair, naked. Her ropes were in the process of being untied by some vines protruding through an open window. Levi’s heart caught in his throat, imagining what horrors Simon could have inflicted upon his mate. He ran to her side, helping the long arms of vines untie the rest of her bonds.

Luke and Skye cased the room, looking for Simon, while Flame found Ivy’s clothes scattered on the floor and gathered them together.

With the ropes finally untied, Levi tenderly placed his hands on Ivy’s face. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?” It ripped his soul out waiting to hear her reply.

“I think I’m okay. I don’t remember much. I woke up a few minutes ago tied up to this chair. I heard all the commotion going on outside this room, so I called the earth to my aid.”

Relief flooded through Levi’s body. He kissed her lips tenderly while he held her in his arms, never wanting to let her go. She let her body relax and fall into his embrace. “Whoa, I’m still a little light-headed.”

“I’ve got you, sweetie.”

Flame came over with her clothes and kissed her forehead. “Why don’t I help Ivy get dressed, and you guys see where Simon’s heading.” She nodded her head toward the window.

Levi let go of Ivy and ran to the window, where Skye and Luke stood.

“He must have shimmied down the vines as they untied Ivy’s bonds. The brush is dense, and the trees are so tight together, I can’t see him.”

“We can track him, though. His pungent scent is strong. Let’s go.”

Levi and Luke quickly removed all of their clothes and shoes. They proceeded to jump out the second-story window and transform into werewolves as they fell. They hit the ground on their ferocious paws, running at full speed toward their prey. Levi heard a sound behind him and turned his head slightly to see Skye running to catch up with them. Frustrated, he picked up the pace again to match Luke’s gait.

The dense forest slowed them all down, but they remained close to their goal. Within minutes, they caught up to Simon and watched as he ran into a small clearing and stopped short. His arms waved for balance as he stood on the edge of a rocky abyss. He managed to stop himself from falling forward but turned to face his accusers.

He reached behind his back and, within a second, pulled out a knife and flung it at Luke’s werewolf. It punctured his thigh, and he went down with a furious howl. Simon tried the same trick on Levi’s werewolf, but this time, Skye had been prepared. As the knife sliced through the air, she held her hands up and used the wind to change the direction and trajectory of the knife. It now flew toward Simon at full speed. He ducked in time but stood too close to the edge, teetering on the brink of falling.

With a mighty leap, filled with rage and hatred, Levi bridged the distance between himself and Simon, placing his giant paws on his chest and pushing him over the edge. In Levi’s explosive fury, he misjudged the distance and sailed over side of the rocky ridge with nothing but Simon to break his fall. In those precious seconds he had left to live, he thought of his Ivy and prayed Luke would take care of her and treat her the way she deserved to be treated. His soul would forever be tied to Ivy’s, but he knew his brother’s would be, too.

Stillness crept over him, the sound of Simon’s horrific screams deadened in his furry ears.
Am I dead? Did I hit the bottom and die instantly?
The only sound returning to him were great gusts of wind surrounding him, cradling his body, and defying gravity by floating him back up to the edge of the ridge. Once his werewolf body safely hovered on land, the wind dropped him, and he crashed two feet to the safety of the ground.

He landed on his side and rolled onto his back, panting from his close brush with death, his heart practically bursting through his chest. He stared up at the sky in a daze, thankful to be alive. He turned his head slowly and looked at Skye, who also lay sprawled on the ground, breathing heavily. She gave him a brief smile then resumed staring off into space. He could only imagine the strength it must have taken for her to accomplish his rescue, and knew he would always be grateful for it.

Luke.
He suddenly remembered his wounded brother. He sat up and looked over at him. Luke had already transformed back into himself and lay on the ground, naked. Levi ran to his side, becoming a man again once he reached Luke.

“Are you all right?”

Luke opened his eyes, tears matting his eyelashes together. “Levi, I don’t understand. I saw you go over the side. I thought you were dead.” He reached up and hugged Levi fiercely.

Luke finally let go and flopped back down. “Skye saved me. I think we’ve met our match with these women.”

“Yes, I think we have. Now if you’d please help me get this fucking blade out of my leg, I’d be a tad bit happier.”

“No, don’t take it out,” Skye cried out, turning to face the men. “You’ll bleed too much if you do.”

“We’re different from humans, Skye. We heal ten times faster. As soon as the blade is removed, the skin will seal up almost instantly. However, it’s going to be tender for a couple of days.”

Levi turned to face Luke. “Are you ready?”

“Do it already!”

Levi placed his hand on the handle of the blade and pulled it out in one quick yank. He threw it over the edge of the ridge, tossing it back to its owner. Luke growled in pain, pounding his fist on the ground beside him.

“Absolutely amazing. The skin closed up instantly,” Skye said, her voice filled with awe.

“How does it feel now?”

“It hurts, but I can feel an improvement already. Thank God the blade hadn’t been made out of silver.”

Levi nodded, relieved his brother hadn’t been mortally wounded.

Skye slowly stood up and looked at the two naked men before her. “So how are we going to get your bare asses out of here, and what are we going to do with Simon’s body?”

Chapter 9

The wooziness Ivy felt dissipated while they wandered through the thick woods. She noticed the fresh air helped to clear her mind from the fog the chloroform had left in its wake. Walking through the forest gave her a deep sense of comfort, as if the trees were embracing her and welcoming one of their own home.

“Do you want to continue, or do you need to sit down?” Flame took her arm and held on to it for support. Luke’s shoe dropped out of her arms and onto the forest floor. She bent down to pick it up and placed it on the pile of clothes and shoes she carried for the men.

“I’ll be fine. My head’s clearing. I’m going to try to talk to the earth to see if she can point me in the direction they went.” Ivy bent down to the ground and stationed her hands on the earth. She dug her fingertips into the soil, enjoying the intimate bond the earth had with her. She closed her eyes and focused on the direction nature urged her to go. “We need to head north.”

They turned from their westward direction and headed north. “You know, Flame, I’m feeling much better. I can take a bundle of clothes from you to carry.”

“Don’t be silly, Ivy. I’m fine with this stuff. You need to concentrate on where we’re going and enjoy the power surges you feel from the earth.”