Rapture (11 page)

Raine continued to follow Ferox as
he rushed Lenora from the arena. All she could see was her sister’s head on one
side and her legs on the other; the rest was blocked by Ferox’s massive,
muscled form.

They reached their tent, and Ferox
strode inside, looking around at their things. “Where is your medic?”

She stepped past him, shoving things
off the table in the center of the tent and smoothing cloth over the hard
surface. “We don’t have one.”

“You don’t have one? Who will heal
her?”

“No, we don’t have one,” she replied
curtly. “If we brought a healer, that would suggest possible defeat.”

He laid her sister on the table,
gazing at Raine as though he couldn’t believe what she was saying. “Of course
that’s always a possibility. No one can win every time.”

Raine leveled a glare at him as she
spread another sheet over her sister. “Valkyrie can.”

Ferox answered by raising both his brows.
He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. “At least let me help.”

“Shouldn’t you be with your brother
celebrating his victory?”

“I’d rather be here.”

She tightened her fists and shook
her head. “Why?”

He seemed taken aback by that.
“Because I want to spend time with you.”

“Oh, so much that you’d rather spend
time with me than congratulate your twin?”

“Yes.”

Now it was her turn to be surprised.
She needed to tend her sister, and having Ferox around proved to be too
distracting. It seemed she could never think clearly when she was anywhere near
his vicinity. “Tell me, Ferox, how is it that you healed so quickly? You were
injured during our battle, but you seemed to be in tip-top condition within a
day.”

“It’s just how fast my race heals.”

“When you....” She drew it out,
raising her brows in question.

His eyebrows twitched. “Been
checking up on me?”

“It seemed wise.” Raine shrugged.
“So, how is it that you heal so rapidly?”

“We drink blood. We need it to
survive.”

“Your blood must have incredible
healing capabilities, then.” Though she was still uncomfortable with the whole
idea, the fact that he admitted to it helped marginally. “Will her blood be too
... tempting for you? You’re not going to try to drink her, are you?” The
thought of him taking—or even wanting to take—from Lenora bothered her on so
many levels.

 
“No,” he said, shocked. “It’s not really like
that.”

She nodded. “Okay then.” That was
all she needed to know. After grabbing some rags and dunking them in the water
basin, she set to cleaning Lenora’s wounds. Her sister was still unconscious, a
small favor Raine was appreciative of. Thank Odin she couldn’t feel the scrape
of cloth against her raw flesh. That was a sensation one couldn’t forget
easily. Just the thought of it made her shudder.

Ferox stepped forward and tapped his
fingers on the table. His gaze grazed over Lenora’s unconscious body before
settling on Raine. “How can I help?”

****

“Thank you, by the way,” Raine said,
bumping her arm into Ferox’s before popping a piece of candy into her mouth.

His lips curled up in a half-smile.
He’d tried to hide it from her, but she’d gotten the briefest glance of it. “No
problem. I’m just glad you finally agreed to come with me.”

“Well, how could I refuse?” After
repeated requests to join him for dinner and entertainment in the market, she
had finally agreed, but only because he assisted in cleaning and bandaging
Lenora’s injuries a few nights before.

The other nights had been full of
fun games for demons of all ages. There had been one game in particular that
had been called “Tackle Ball,” where demons were split into two teams and tried
to tackle whoever carried the ball. She’d enjoyed watching that game immensely,
though that was probably because Ferox and Damion played, and the two of them
constantly peered at her and tried to keep the other from doing so. It had
lifted her spirits to see them battle for her attention, though of the two, she
knew who she preferred. Though even being able to admit that to herself caused
her to doubt her sanity. It was wrong to desire one from a different race. Even
one with warm brown eyes that gleamed when he looked at her. “Oh, thank you for
the flowers you left near my tent.”

Ferox eyed her as his brows drew in.
“What flowers?”

“Did you not leave me a bouquet?”

“No.”

“Oh.” She looked at the ground and
continued walking silently by his side. She hadn’t known what else to say, and
thought better of saying anything at all when she’d seen his jaw tighten.

“Are you ready for the games
tomorrow?”

“Mmm hmmm.” She nodded and
swallowed. “How about you?”

“As ready as I can be.”

No one knew what the next game would
entail, and wouldn’t find out the details until tomorrow at first light.

“So,” he continued, “what would you
like to do now? I saw you eyeing that jewelry booth earlier.” They had already
passed the market, having ventured into the woods that lay beyond the tent
city. Moonlight guided their way now, the last of the firelight having faded
some time ago. Ferox flicked his gaze down to the dessert he held and lifted it
toward her. “Do you want to try this?”

“Oh, yes.” She handed him her treats
and grabbed his cocoa-covered pastry, biting into it without missing a step.
“Oof thissighood.”

He snorted and grabbed her hand as
he turned toward her. Raine stopped as well, glancing at where they touched
before peering into his eyes. Narrowing her gaze, she noted where he was
looking. Without a word, he stepped in close, his hand rising to hold the back
of her head. She barely had time to realize what he was about when he bent his
head and gave her lips the briefest of touches with his.

It was only a second, but it had
been enough to send her stomach fluttering.

He pulled back, and she closed the
distance between them again, this time taking his lips. He growled as their
mouths meshed together, his hand still holding her head in place. Her heart
pounded, and her breath came fast. So this is what a kiss was like. She’d never
experienced one; had only seen males and females exchanging them here at the
tournament.

When their lips parted again, she
released a long, slow breath. “Thank you.”

Ferox’s eyes lit with humor. “You
don’t have to thank
me
.”

Raine peered down at her feet,
feeling foolish for probably the first time in her life. She shouldn’t have
allowed him to kiss her. She shouldn’t have enjoyed it.

And now, she feared, she’d never
forget what it was like to feel his lips on hers.

Chapter Ten

Millburn
,
New Jersey

Present
Day

Raine
woke as the electronic blinds whined, opening up and allowing her the first
peek at the night sky. She stretched languidly, reaching over to feel that the
bed was empty on Ferox’s side. She rolled, sighing as she stared at the
indentations her male had left on the pillow, enjoying the memory of their
lovemaking only hours before.

She
rose from the bed and scurried into the bathroom as warm liquid trickled down
her legs, tickling her from her thighs down. She grinned. Just another
reminder.

She
turned on the shower and stepped inside, leaning against the wall as hot water
patted against her skin and sluiced down her, steam filling the space within
seconds. She was tired, but it was worth the lack of sleep to spend time that
much needed time with her mate. It had been a long time since she and Ferox had
stayed up all day, just talking. And though Ferox couldn’t remember any of the
time they’d spent in the past, he was eager to hear the stories.

Raine
took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly, allowing herself to relax for a
minute as she showered. A few of the Guardians were going out in search of Riley
tonight, and though she’d been instructed by Caleen, Raven, and Odette that she
was not to leave, she wasn’t about to sit by while her youngest son was
missing. Her sisters would just have to deal.

She
finished cleaning herself and did a quick rinse before shutting off the water
and stepping out, wrapping a towel around her. The room was cold in comparison,
and she quickly darted over to the closet, donning some clothes that had been
brought from the mansion. She returned to the bathroom and wiped steam from the
mirror, going over her hair with a quick brush. She needed to make an
appointment at one of the salons. It had been nearly two weeks since her last
haircut, and her hair had grown out about a foot.

She
walked from the bathroom and bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Little
Skylar’s room was down the hallway, laughter echoing through the hall. She
listened for a minute, thinking that sounded remarkably familiar, like he and
Ally were having a tickle fight. She was right, stepping back as Skylar and
Ally came barreling out of his room, rushing toward her. Skylar’s hands came
out just as he reached her, and he positioned himself behind her, using her as
a shield against his sister. Ally laughed, dodging this way and that before she
darted in and scooped the boy up, ticking him as he laughed hysterically.

Raine
smiled, remembering doing the same thing when Draven and Ethan were young; and
much more recently, when Riley was a baby.

Ally
set her brother down and Skylar’s laughter quieted. He rushed back to his room,
assumingly to play with some of his new Christmas toys.

“Morning,
Raine,” Ally said, smiling. “That still sounds strange to say it at night.”

“You’ll
get used to it.” She turned to go down the stairs, and Ally walked beside her.

“Are
you going out tonight with them?”

“Yes.”

Ally
nodded. “I wish there was something I could do.”

“I
know,” Raine agreed, nodding. “I think everyone here wishes they could do more.
I wish Thrash were here. He’d be our best shot at finding Riley.”

“Has
anyone heard from him?”

“No.
With all our phones being out of commission, we have no way of knowing where he
is or how he’s doing.” They reached the bottom of the stairs, and Raine caught
sight of some of her boys, suiting up for the night. There was another man there
as well: tall and broad, his blond hair shiny and wavy. He looked around at the
Guardians and all the gear that they’d brought from the mansion, most of which
still sat stacked in the sitting room.

“Dad.”
Ally grinned. She walked toward him and gave him a hug. “You made it.”

“Would
I miss Christmas?” he asked teasingly.

“No,”
she said. “You’re a bit later than normal. No crack of dawn this time?”

He
laughed. “Well, I figured with a vampire taking up head-of-household... Where
are the boys anyway?” her father asked, and then more quietly, “And what’s
going on?”

“Oh,
sorry,” Ally said. “They’re upstairs with Carla. This is Raine. She is Draven’s
mom. And those are the Guardians. Raine, this is my father, Eros.”

Raine
smiled, surprised to see a Primordial God standing in her son’s house. Ally’s
father was even more powerful than Odin, more powerful than any other god she’d
ever met.

Eros
nodded at Raine in greeting, but focused on his daughter again. “What is all
this?” This was said as he gestured to the mess of electronics, books, clothes,
and furniture that had been rescued.

“Oh,
there was an accident at their mansion so they’ll be staying with us for a
while.”

Three
figures appeared right next to Raine. She jumped, holding her hand to her chest
as she glared at the red-cloaked women. “We told you, Eros,” they said, their
voices ringing out at the same time.

Ally
had jumped as well, but her father turned and faced them as though they hadn’t
scared the daylights out of him. “So it’s time to show them then?”

“Yes,”
the three women said.

“Show
us what?” Ally stepped around her father and turned her gaze back and forth
between all of them. By now, the exchange had grabbed everyone’s attention, and
all of the Guardians within earshot had stopped to listen. Even Draven had
slipped in by her side.

Eros
glanced down at her, angling his head closer as he whispered. “Do you fully
trust everyone here?”

She
peered up at Draven in question, and he gave a single, tight nod.