Protector (11 page)

“Done.  I would do the same to myself if I caused her any harm.  However, I
don’t think it is you or I that will claim any demise to our dear angel.”  My worst fear.

“Unfortunate that we agree on that.”  Szar started to leave the space I had cornered him in but stopped and looked away from my face.   “You know, we were once friends.”

“She changed that.”

“It does not have to be that way,” Szar offered.

“It does if it means we have to die saving her.  I can’t focus on anything or anyone else right now.  She is everything.”

“Understood.  If we survive this, perhaps we can cause havoc for the humans again someday.  That was the life man.”  He fist bumped my shoulder unlike the punch I gave him and laughed like it was old times fun.  Most of it was never fun.  We just joked it off that way to lighten the load.  I hate now that I ever involved him in the dealings of my court, but he was amazing to watch with the humans.  He could make them do things with his humor and smooth talking skills more than any supernatural could use a power to get the same effect.  He got me out of more binds then I care to admit.

I remember the time both of us staged a brawl at the local college interrupting the human cage fighting scene.  That was for
fun
, not work.  We tore those dudes to pieces.  Not literally.

“You remember the cage fight?” he asked me like he had read my mind.

“You reading my mind man?” I gave him shoulder smack back like he did to me to remind him of his place with my girl and how much she needed to know. 

Szar laughed aloud as he hurried back to the cause for all our jacked up lives.  And boy was she worth it.

She yanked me over to the sofa and sat her cute derriere next to me like she missed me...or wanted information.  Satisfied, she took my hand in her small delicate ones.  Maybe I underestimated her knowing abilities to manipulate me.   

Szar smiled and complied to her wishes as well, “I always did give in to you no matter how angry you could make me.”  He gave his sister some credit aloud.

“Sounds familiar,” I was winded from just her hold on me.  Not the physical contact, but the mind games.  She kept my head wound in spidery webs of confusion and sometimes I didn't want out.

“Tell me what you do know?”  Szar asked her.

She did. 

Szar took over with more details, “Aligned with the stars they say.  Our mothers were the various goddesses of war and such.  They supposedly plotted this creation of the five who would change the way of the factions.  They've become complacent.  Too set with working alone.  And they, the mothers as I call them, feel we will be the ones to change this.”

“How?  And how is it you know all this and I don’t?” 
And he said five!  Me, Cas, Calum, Szar, and who???

Szar eyed me and hinted whether he should stop or not. 

“Now you two have telepathy?” She notified us of this with her heavy sarcasm questioning our orchestrated effort to protect her.  She just never saw past her rule of “no secrets” to see the reason behind them.

“At least you admit it,” Szar said to both of us.

“I didn’t deny it.  And you knew all this too?”  Stace angled herself back to me.  She then...snuggled closer.  Holy heck, this was too good to be true. 

...
as if we had been together for way longer than…we are not together.  What am I saying?

That you admit to having feelings for me
that are stronger than you want to admit.

Ohhh!  You!
she fumed.

I chortled out a laugh.

“Ya’ll done yet?”  Szar rolled his eyes.

“Do
n't be an ass!” she screamed at his face.

I narrowed my eyes at her language. 

“Gotta be good at something in your eyes,” he shrugged.

“Perfect, Szar.  You are just perfect at it!” she retorted.  They were definitely siblings.

She pulled herself away from me and walked to the other side of the room to blow us off.  “What else?” she turned to both of us and asked.

“You are the one they created to…you are the only freaking girl in this package!  Can
’t you see without me spelling it out for you?” Szar hissed at her.  He abhorred the idea of letting her know he wasn’t first pick

“Harsh ever?  She may not be ready?”  I cursed silently at him.

“STOP telling me I am not ready for anything.  I am tired of guessing.”  She turned back to Szar, “now tell me NOW!”

“You are the direct descendant of the goddess of Anat and he from Ra. I am of my father.  You are of them. Legends left out the union of the two.  They created one once before.  She turned evil.  They were reluctant to make another.  So they created four to tame the one.”  Szar pinned her with a solid gaze.

“And I am that one.” 

Szar and I both nodded.

“And you’re the one’s to
tame
me,” she snorted.

“And Calum,
"  Szar added.

When she glanced at me hearing the name that would send me into a hellish fury, I kept my face expressionless for her only.

“And there is a number five?” she surprised us. 

Szar and I exchanged looks again. 

That is it?  That’s all you two are going to give me?

I nodded at her.

“If I am this crazed idea of a…whatever, why do I feel like I’m not? And who is to prove that my father is not my father?”

“Maybe that is the difference between you and the one before you.  She was quick to please herself.  You have never been anything but what everyone else might need.  You deny yourself.  She indulged,” Szar pegged her well, but it was Szar saying it so it did miraculous things for his standings with her.

She could read her brother mostly, but she didn’t see that he had her best interest at heart.  She never had.  If she knew how many things he had sacrificed for her safety and hidden secrets.  How can I make her see?

“Who was she?”

She wanted to know the one before so I basically told her that I held more secrets by answering for Szar, “You knew her as Cleopatra.”

“Cleopatra?” she insisted in disbelief.  She scoffed several times, “Okay.  That seems like a bit farfetched fellas.”

“Ask father.  He knew before we were born.  Our mother told him just before she died.  And he told me when they took Thorn away from you.  I was too nosy and went looking for my lost friend.  When I found out he was a Vampire, I wanted to kill him.”

I laughed. 
“Alright.  Enough for one night.  Let us get you back before they notice you missing Kissa.”

Wait!
  “Is there anything else I don’t know?”

"Lots!"

“Oh, already have pet names for each other.  We have moved up in the foreplay department.” Szar showed off his butthead ways.

She hissed at him.  Fitting. 

Szar continued when she didn’t return his bantering, “Tons you don't know sis, but nothing that can't wait.  Why don’t you two come by tomorrow night and I'll start a movie.  Pop some corn.  And I will tell you more.”

I loved that idea. 
Like a real kind of date.  Except not with my brother watching.
She made a sour face.

Like he read her as well as I did, he said, “We will talk and then I have a place I have to be at 10:00.  You two can…talk more then.”  He raised his hands to show quotes in her face.

What?  Was this my brother? 

She looked at me but not really asking me directly,
Was this what he wanted?

I watched her carefully,
Is it what you want?

GODS!  He has heard everything I have thought again.  I need to remember this.

She put my face in her hands.  Didn’t she talk to me half the time?  She knew I could hear.

“Do you two need a moment?”  Szar asked.

“No,” she answered tartly.  “We will be here.  Nine o'clock.”

“Or else I am gonna give ya till the count of three.  Got it!” Szar
’s was so weird around his sister.  They had some kind of peculiar arguing point I could never quite figure out. 

“We
’ll be going now.  Tomorrow.”

“Will be epic.”  Szar announced.

“Enough of the EPIC already.  Find a new word.”

“Yes ma
’am. CIPE!” 

Really, backwards is it? 
She gritted her teeth.  He always did that to her.  I remembered that now.

“CIPE, your ass is mine.”  She cussed him and covered him with pillows and pinned him on the ground.  Straddling him and pounding him with pillows, I had wild fantasies and had to get her out before I...“Stop.  I am not through,” she screamed at me.

I laughed loud, “I think you are very through Miss Language.”

I carried her through the door and stood her up before I lifted her in the air.  Szar yelled to her, “Save the ripping off of my shirt for the ladies, sis.”

Moron!

Chapter Seventeen

She cooled off after a while at the edge of the grounds near her court where she remarked inside,
I never even saw my father.

“He is not there.”

“Where is he?” she was probably more curious than nosy.

“Meeting with Dr. Green.”

I am curious how you always seem to just know...everything.

“Not everything.  But I saw your father go into Dr. Green
’s office just before I arrived at the school tonight.

“Oh!” 
Logical.  Not sinister.

Sinister.  You consider me sinister?

“Not at all.  Just eerie that you are all-knowing sometimes.” 
Like an angel of darkness. 

In the back of her head she
didn’t think I heard her exclaim that in some ways she did in fact consider me sinister and maybe a little bit scary.

“I have to be.  My faction would fall without it.  And an angel wouldn't do the things I have to do for my people.” 

Anyone listening would wonder about our sanity.  I would probably laugh at being the one who was trying to follow our conversations,
she thought.

Agreed
.  I laughed at how much I loved the idea of that.  My claim on her would be evident because anyone near would be clear on her belonging to me.

Not always able to follow her thoughts and where they can lead to next, she asked out of the blue, “Do you ever hide your thoughts from me?”

Definitely.  “Yes.”

“Why?” she watched me like my face might tell her something my words
can’t.  I had noticed tonight she seemed to study me more like she was trying to undo me and take me apart.  I would be okay with that.  Especially in the biblical sense.

I told her,
“Things like what you just heard.  I knew you were not ready.  And things I don't think you want to hear.”

I would regret saying that.

“Like?”  Her angel analogy wasn’t playing well on me.  I didn’t deserve it or her for that matter.  I
could not
and
would not
be the one to tell her all the doom and gloom. 

Yet, I was forever holding on to the hope.  Hope that she could want me one day.

When her thoughts turned to the color of my eyes and that apparently  were currently changing, I blinked and kept them closed long enough to hide my thoughts.

...
yellow, almost iridescent color. I wonder why…

She was so hard to resist...I looked at her again.

What is wrong with me?
she asked herself.

Absolutely nothing. 

...glowing... 

Why do your eyes do that then?  I thought I had them figured out.

Standing it no longer, I plunged the distance between us and devoured her.  If she denied me, so be it.  But her thoughts told me she would feel otherwise.  Correct on her denial, I deepened the kiss to let her see my need, her own need. 

Her mind wouldn't free at first.  Then as I slid my hand around her waist and rubbed the side of her hip just above her waist two inches from her sun, MY sun, she released her body and mind to me.  She shuddered when my tongue slid across her bottom lip.  Ahh!

She let me do it again.  Her lips parted on their own accord.  The taste was amazing.  Like nothing else.  I don’t know how she does it, but she was all vanilla all the time.  Sweet.  Warm.  I didn’t need anything else but just her.  

Slowing down was against the judgment my body wanted to will as wrong, but I slowed a little, letting my fingers stroke her hair.   

I am sorry. 

“Why?” she acknowledged the need to know aloud.

“Because I wanted to let you choose the next time.”

“Oh, I fought it terribly well you see,” she breathed.

I chuckled low and needy, “I don’t want to rush you.”  Yes I do.

“Why do your eyes turn almost gold?”

“Did they?” I only know what she has imagined in her brain.  How she sees it?

“Maybe it is linked to what you are thinking.  What were you thinking just before...”

I didn’t hide the shame, “Thoughts I shouldn't be thinking.”

Did he want to bite me?

I jumped back.  “No!  Crap, no!  Stace, I told you.  I don’t want to bite you.  Sometimes you think all the wrong things.”

“You don
’t?  Why not?  What is wrong with me?”

I ran my hands through my hair.  “Nothing is wrong with you.  See— thinking the opposite of what you should.    You…I
can’t control other things around you.”  I would have to just say it.  For someone so intelligent, I thought she was definitely unaware of how men and women worked out.  I decided that was good though.  “Stace, I have feelings for you I can’t explain with words.  I want to more than just kiss you.  I’ve never wanted to bite you the way you say,” I turned my words into a slow roll, “But I’d gladly—”

“I get the picture.  Sorry I am so dense about this subject.”  She put her hands in the air.  She grabbed the back of her neck and moved her fingers around the soft curve beneath her hairline liked she had done many times before under stress.  It made me want to run my fingers through her hair.  

“Oh no, I’m okay with it.  Totally dang frustrated, but fascinated.”

“Why is it so fascinating, because you have probably conquered many and now you want to conquer me?”  She was such a tiger.  

“Um, Stace.  I’ve never “conquered” anyone.  Maybe that is not manly enough for you.”  Crap!  I sounded like a lame idiot.

She smiled an unknowing smile.  
So, we are both mostly unknowledgeable.  I like that.

I am not completely innocent, but if it means you are going to think less of me. 

Think less of you?  Why would you think that?  I think it is absolutely amazing. Not that I want to know of any old flames or anything like that.

I relaxed my grim repose and gave her the smile that made her eyes do that slow blinking reaction.   

I don’t want you to think less of me either, s
he worried.

I could never.
  My arms went around her.  She was for me only, no one else.  Not tainted in any way. Well, except for the idiot Hunter but he would be history soon.  And he couldn’t taint her if he tried.  He just made her see he wasn’t the one for her.

“We are moving kind of fast for only knowing each other five days,” I whispered.

“I don’t care anymore,” she squeezed the middle of me.

She didn
’t?  Crap!  That wasn’t helping my lead to tone it down.

“
You sure?”I asked.

“Yeah.”  She reached up and placed herself against me, including those perfect lips.  She ran her tongue across my teeth, forcing my body to go into some kind of deep shock.

“Can I?”

Her tongue danced back and forth on my top lip.  Bottom lip.  Teeth.  Holy heck, I was possibly dead and gone.  She pulled back driving me out of heaven, and raised herself to her tiptoes trying to reach my neck.  I did the only right thing and helped her up to her project.  She felt the ground beneath her disappear.  Her mouth was on my neck.  Her lips were soft.  They did this little kiss, bite,
suck motion in that order.  Help me now.

She tensed when I kissed her neck.  

“What?” I panted out the word hearing her make an incoherent sound.

“I…I…nothing.” 
He didn’t.  I was right.

“Of course your right.  I told you, I don
’t want to hurt you.  I wouldn't do that.  I’ve only ever eaten out of a dang fridge.  I’ve never wanted to bite anyone.”  I couldn’t seem to convince her.  It was killing me.

“Thank you.  I am completely convinced.” 

“Are you?” I narrowed my eyes.

She backed up playing scared. 

She commented on the color of my eyes again.  She claimed they changed in a course of seconds from one color to another.  What was with that?

...
signal for something.  They turn gold when he wants…yeah Cas, I know some things about men and women…and your—

I pressed her against the length of me and laid her in the grass using my speed.   

“We need to slow down,” I bargained loosely with a heady vibration in my voice needing her kiss again.

“But I
’ve never kissed anyone like this before.  It is just so…” 

Consuming!

  “If I don’t stop, Cas, I don’t think I will be able too.”

I solidified my hold on her and examined her face for the truth in what she claimed, “You really feel that way, about me?”

She pushed her face closer to mine.  I kissed her a few soft lip only kisses and lifted her up.  In the air, our lips were still moving in a rhythm.

That
’s a rush.

Tell me about it.