Forsaken (The Found Book 2) (3 page)

There were only five known children who had been discovered naked, with no memory, in Atlanta, Chicago, Taiwan, Russia and England. They had been discovered the same day at roughly the same time. As they grew, they were able to assimilate languages with startling speed. They could learn within minutes of hearing it. All five of these children graduated early and at the top of their classes. Two of them were considered prodigies.

Somehow, someone at a large corporation called Rixitron had ascertained Seth was also one of these
found
children, even though his parents and grandmother never told anyone. Since he was deep undercover with the DEA, and couldn’t be located, those bastards had changed their focus to his daughter, Nell.

Shilah Natani had somehow known Nell was a target. Grandmother always knew things. Annie smiled. She was surrounded by the unexplainable, so the older woman’s second sight no longer surprised her. When Shilah said they needed to hide at the Natani’s ancestral home in the desert mountains of New Mexico, Annie took Nell and followed Shilah. They stayed there for almost a month, and many times men came looking for them, but they were never discovered. It took a man with the special ability to find things, he and his partner were on the side of the angels.

Annie, Nell and their grandmother had been approached by another
found
who was a member of an elite naval task force. Noah Kukailimoku offered them sanctuary, while also doing what they could to find and stop Rixitron. Annie was happier in the well-appointed apartment in California than in hiding in New Mexico, since if there should ever be the need, Nell was close to medical care. However, she resented living her life in hiding, but giving up some freedoms was worth anything in order to keep her daughter safe.

Since their arrival in California, Annie had intended to be of assistance to the others. There were plenty of things she could do to help find and stop the people after Nell, but it seemed every day Annie had less energy. All of her strength went towards taking care of Nell.

One of the other women staying with them was Sarah Johnson. She was a physician, and didn’t miss a trick. Annie was thankful she was staying there in the apartment complex with them, and answered any questions she had when Nell acted fussy, but there was a downside to having Sarah around. She noticed Annie was lethargic and had lost weight, and wasn’t getting the sleep she needed. So far Annie was able to convince Sarah it was due to the stress of the situation, and she didn’t want any prescription medication. She didn’t know how much longer Sarah would be put off.

Once again she awakened out of a sound sleep because of Seth. He haunted her. Ever since he left on assignment he would visit in her dreams. It seemed so real. At first it happened once every few weeks. As her pregnancy progressed, his visits increased. Each time it felt as though he was holding her, comforting, loving her. Then, the day she gave birth, he had been there the whole time, a soothing presence. He didn’t seem to know what was going on, he just knew she needed him, and was there. Annie knew she wouldn’t have survived those long hours without him.

He continued to haunt her dreams, and the visits became more carnal. She would wake up sweaty and needy. As time progressed the dreams lasted longer, he loved her longer and she would wake up moaning her release, thankful she hadn’t awakened Grandmother or Nell. But tonight…tonight was the worst, or the best dream she had ever experienced. She could have sworn Seth was there. He had never taken her like he had in tonight’s dream, with such ferocious demand.

“Annie, I need you. It’s gotten so bad. I can’t stand it anymore. I know you’re not real. I know you’re only in my dreams, but my dreams are all I have left.”

“I’m here, Seth. Whatever you need, I’m here for you.”

“You’ve always been my rock—my soulmate. I think it’s why I cling to you when things seem so crushing.”

“Oh Seth, I know you’re just a dream too, but I need you. You were my everything.”

“Thank God you’re only a dream, I need so much more from you than I would ever ask in real life. I need to love you as I never have before.”

Annie let out a sigh, relishing the touch of his hands as they slid along her body. She always slept naked in hopes he would come to her during the night. She wanted nothing to keep his hands on her flesh. She pushed back the covers, eager to for his touch. It always started the same, he would coast his hands from her hips to the indentation of her waist up the ladder of her rib cage to her breasts.

“You’ve lost weight, you have to take better care of yourself.” Her subconscious was in full effect, she realized wryly. How else would he know her body had changed?

“I will”

“Promise me.”

“If it means that much to you, I’ll do it. I’ll do what you say.”

“Yes! Do what I say. It’s what I want. What I need. I need to be in control tonight. I need to know I control one God damn thing in my life, even if it’s only this make believe world.”

Annie saw him, it usually took longer, until the final moment when they were joined, and then she’d see her dream lover. But tonight he didn’t waver above her, he was a fierce vision, his hands solid, his visage clear.

“Do you understand me? Do you understand exactly what I need? What I am asking?”

She did, and she would willingly give him anything to erase the agony she saw in his face. “I freely offer you my body.” The lines around his mouth eased a little, and then he frowned.

“Baby, tonight I need more.”

“Oh Seth,” Annie stroked his cheek, loving that she could finally touch him outside of those moments of release. “Whatever you want, whatever you need, it’s yours. I’m yours.”

“Put your hands over your head and hold your wrist in one hand.” When she complied she understood why he would want the position, because it arched her back and raised her breasts.

He pulled her legs apart and made a place for himself, his jutting cock resting against her slick folds. She pushed her knees against the mattress so her sex parted a little more bringing his hot flesh against her moist heat. It was sublime.

“No. You don’t move until I say tell you.” She stopped, and looked into glittering black eyes. He must have read her intention to thrust upwards.

He gently palmed both of her breasts and thumbed her nipples, back and forth scraping his calloused thumbs over her delicate nubs, causing her to whimper. “It’s too much.”

“You can take more, baby.” He rubbed harder and faster. Her nipples had always been sensitive, and he knew it. But it was as if he was taking her past the point of pain to a world of pure sensation. Rivers of heat were flowing from her nipples to her clit and back up again, her juices flowed, she tried to push her hips up, but he pressed her body down into the bed without giving her the friction she needed.

“Seth,” she wailed quietly. Even in her dreams she knew to be quiet.

He looked down at the hard red tips and stopped. “Look at how pretty and swollen you are.” He swooped down and sucked one pebbled nub into his mouth and she let out a low keen, grabbing the back of his head, pulling his long hair. She didn’t remember his hair being so long. When did he get long hair? Why was she dreaming of Seth with long hair?

“Hands over your head.” He lifted his hips and looked down at her with a wild look in his eyes. Who was this man? Never had Seth been so commanding, and why was she even more on fire for him? She immediately obeyed him, and he rewarded her by grinding against her needy clit.

“Please, I’m begging you.”

“My way.” He dipped his head back down, and sucked her other distended nipple into his mouth, tonguing it towards the roof of his mouth. He kept the rocking motion of his hips against her core, until she was close to coming.

“Yes, oh God, yes Seth.” And then he stopped. Once again she grabbed his hair and yanked him back. He reared back and roared. “Annie, do as I say!” She trembled at the power in his voice and immediately complied melting into the bed, her desire spiking even higher.

His arms wrapped around her, pulling her up against his hot chest, molding them into one person and his lips pressed against hers, his taste something long denied but never forgotten. He plunged his tongue into her mouth, thrusting and stroking her ever upwards into a blazing need. Then he ripped his head away, and started a path of kisses and nips along her jaw. He licked at the pulse of her neck and bit down, and even more of her juices leaked onto his erection. He was sliding easier and easier against the parted folds of her labia.

Continuing his path downwards, he lightly brushed her stinging nipples, but she still arched upwards into the beautifully painful caress. He nipped at her concave tummy, and then swirled his tongue into her belly button. He licked over her smoothly shaved mound.

“You’re still bare for me.”

“You liked for me to do that. It makes me feel like one day we could be together.”

“My deepest wish is to be together again, but this is only a dream.” Tears pricked her eyes. She didn’t want honesty from her dream lover. She wanted to revel in pleasure, in the need they had for one another.

“Don’t talk about the future or the past, I want to concentrate on the here and now. I’ve needed you so much.” Then what little breath she had he took from her, as his thumbs parted the petals of her sex, and his tongue traced the valley from her opening to her bud and then swirled around until she couldn’t talk, couldn’t move, couldn’t think.

How was it possible she felt every tiny detail of their lovemaking this time? Every nuance was magnified, and then he slid his thick fingers into her hot tight core and they groaned as one person. Ever so lightly he took her clit between his teeth and laved it with his tongue, pressing in and out with his fingers.

“So close.”

“No. I’m in charge,” he said, lifting his head and looking at her through hooded eyes. “You will hold on until I’m inside you.” He bent back down, and continued to raise her up. Her body shook with hunger, and she panted for air.

“P-P-Pl-Please stop. I can’t hold on.”

He lifted up again. “You can hold on. You will do as I say. You gave your word.” He continued for long minutes, adding a third finger and twisting, layering sensation on top of sensation.

“Seth.” The shivering wouldn’t stop. So very close. He pulled back at the very second when she would have gone over. She watched as he licked every drop of her honey off his fingers, lingering and savoring.

“Annie, you were, are and always will be the best thing in my life.” He seemed so real, she had to tell him about Nell, and then he was covering her. Surging inside, and every thought splintered. Her mind shattered with pleasure, she couldn’t hold back her cries of rapture, his name a benediction on her lips. Then he was gone.

Chapter Four

She was still trembling as she woke, tears streaking down her face. Pulling up the covers, she buried her face in her pillow to stifle her sobs as she begged the universe to stop this madness. She didn’t need to look at the clock on the nightstand to know she had only been asleep an hour or two, or that she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep for the rest of the night.

Then she heard Nell crying and it soothed her as much as it worried her. Nell always seemed to know when Annie needed her. There had never been a time Annie was upset, and Nell hadn’t cried as well, even when Annie had been in another room, or miles away. It was as if they had more than the normal mother child bond.

She put on her robe and went to her daughter’s bedroom. Not surprised to see Grandmother Shilah’s door closed, despite the fact she probably heard Nell’s cries, she knew Annie needed this time with her daughter. When she entered the room, she saw her daughter sitting, and bathed by the dim glow of the princess nightlight, her dark face wet with tears. As soon as Nell saw Annie, her green eyes lit up with a smile, and she reached out, sure of her welcome. Annie lifted her warm little girl and hugged her close.

Nell nuzzled between her chin and shoulder, warming her neck with her soft breath, and just like that, the sorrow Annie felt from the loss of Seth’s touch was gone. Annie sat in the padded rocking chair and rocked. She knew from previous night’s Nell would not stay awake for long. However, tonight she surprised her. She pushed away from Annie’s shoulder, showing surprising strength. She often forgot her daughter was not an infant any longer, it was a couple of months past her first birthday.

“What is it sweetheart? Do you want to talk to Mommy?” Nell didn’t talk. Sure, she made some of the cute baby noises other babies made, but none of the babbling most children her age would have started months ago. It concerned Annie, but Sarah said not to worry, all babies developed on their own schedule.

Nell patted Annie’s cheek and gave her a smile, showing her five small baby teeth. She was beautiful. She looked so much like her daddy, only in a feminine way, but she had Annie’s green eyes. Emerald is what Seth always called them, and that’s how they looked on Nell, big shimmering emeralds surrounded by the longest black lashes. Nell patted Annie’s cheek to get her attention.

“I’m sorry, baby girl. Are we playing the guessing game?” This was a new game she had started last month. Annie would ask questions, and Nell would nod or shake her head until Annie would guess what Nell wanted her to know. When Annie would guess the right answer, she would get a great big baby kiss. Annie showed Sarah, who was delighted. Then Sarah, Noah and Niko played in different languages.

It had worked for getting a cup of apple juice, her blanket, and finding her stuffed elephant behind the couch. So despite the fact she wasn’t doing any talking, she was obviously assimilating not only English, but Russian, Spanish, Hawaiian and German.