William (8 page)

She paced, not caring what James thought. She had to find William. He wasn’t dead. She would have felt it—she was sure she would have.

No, not dead.

“I love you, Katie.”
Katie heard the whisper echo across her temple. She recognised the voice. William was in a trap. She had to help him! If he could connect with her here, she could try to save him.

They were partway bonded.

“You evil, motherfucking bastard.” Using her anger, her fire and everything she possessed, she drew on the elements closest to her. She shot her power at James. He was thrown directly across the room and through the door.

“You little witch.” He charged her.

Throwing her right arm into the air, she slammed the door and pressed her hands forward to push all the heavy furniture in the room against it.

“Shit, now what do I do?” She stood and spun in one complete circle, bringing forth the power of fire. She was surrounded by a circle of flames.

She sat down, took a deep breath and thought about William, opening up the connection he’d made several months ago with their exchange of blood.

She felt him. It was like being plugged into another circuit.

Pushing past the last little bit of resistance, she found that she could see what he saw. The wolves, the blood. William was wounded, bitten by a werewolf. They were all struggling and had no room to escape.

“William, I’m here,” she said to him.

He looked up, trying to find her. “Katie?”

“William, this is a trap.”

“Don’t you think I’m aware of that?” he replied.

“Unlock your mind.” Katie opened her eyes, staring straight ahead. She released her mind to the elements. Wind, fire, water and earth. She connected with them. She could feel everything. She touched the ground beneath her feet. The window on the opposite wall smashed, allowing her a connection with wind. She had the earth, wind, fire and the pitcher of water. She was a part of the forces.

She felt the elements and she found William. He was so close it was unbearable.

“Open your eyes and trust me,” she told him.

He dropped his weapon as the werewolf approached. The connection would only last for a short while. She knew her strength would give out.

The werewolf lunged to attack.

“Now,” she yelled, and thrust all of her magic into his hands, their minds working as one.

William directed the magic, working quickly, spreading it around the room.

Wolves collapsed in a heap on the floor.

For five minutes she kept it going, her magic draining, her hands shaking. Her chest felt tight and her head hurt.

“Keep going Katie,” he urged.

“I’m trying,” she answered.

The last wolf lunged at the woman in the group. Katie tried to hold on. She couldn’t. She drained and crumpled on the ground.

The door was flung open as she lost consciousness.

Their souls separated. She didn’t even know if William had made it out alive.

* * * *

“Poppy!” Adam shouted, running towards her and the giant wolf biting into her side.

He put three bullets into the wolf, flinging it from her body.

“What the hell happened?” he asked William.

“Katie.”

All the people who had made it limped over. Adam inspected Poppy’s wound. She screamed as he moved the cloak out of the way.

Blood was pooling around her.

“We’ve got to get out of here,” Adam said, scooping Poppy into his arms and securing her against his chest.

“You go, get home, we’ll get the wounded,” Robert ordered his brother.

Don limped over. “The witch is on our side, I presume?”

William nodded.

“That much power could kill her,” Robert reminded him.

William turned and growled at his oldest brother. “You don’t think I know that?”

William took in the bites on Don and the rest of the crew.

“Aren’t those infected?” he asked.

Don shook his head. “These aren’t full werewolves. Humans turned—their bite is harmless, but hurts like hell and slows the healing process. If a full werewolf had bitten me, I’d be dead within the day.”

“That’s good to know,” Robert said. “Gather the wounded.”

Jason limped over to the group. He was bleeding. “Where’s Adam?” he groaned.

“Taking care of the girl,” Robert said.

“The necromancer?”

He nodded.

Jason moaned. “She could kill us all.”

Don frowned at him. “What the hell are you talking about, boy?”

“Everyone knows necromancers control the dead,” Jason argued.

“Well I didn’t think it was possible, but you’ve made me laugh tonight.” Don tapped him on the shoulder, chuckling. “Remember, fairy tales that you read in books are simply that—fairy tales.”

He left Jason looking at him with confusion.

“What the hell is he trying to say?” William looked at Robert with a raised eyebrow. He was the oldest for a reason.

William walked across to stand with Don.

“The witch is special to you?” Don asked.

“Yes.”

They both looked at the bodies, which had changed back to human form when they’d died.

“Do you know where she is?”

William looked at Don. “Do you really think that if I knew where she was I would be standing here? I want her back. She’s mine.”

Don nodded.

“We’re going home. You coming William? Don?” Robert called over.

“Yes,” Don said, and William was about to refuse but the look Don gave him had him shutting his mouth.

Chapter Seven

Katie woke up on the edge of Beyer West Forest. The place where he’d left her last time. Her gown was the sheerest white and she was sure he would be able to see her body through the sheer fabric. She turned around, wondering where he could be.

She moved deeper into the forest, where James’s kiss had taken her the night before. She examined the locked metal door.

William had to have survived.

“Thank you,” he whispered into her ear, circling his arms around her waist. Katie relaxed against him, feeling him. William was alive.

“It worked.” She breathed a sigh of relief.

“At what cost?” he complained.

“Don’t spoil it, William,” she pleaded with him.

“I won’t. But what was the cost, Katie?” He sounded concerned.

Katie tried to think about the cost of sending all that magic to him. “I don’t know.” She really didn’t. She hadn’t even woken up yet.

He leant forward and kissed her cheek and she moaned, enjoying the contact with him.

“That feels nice.”

He held her and they looked at the door together.

“I can’t believe it was a trap.”

“I can,” she answered honestly.

They had come so close to losing each other.

“Come on. Staring at that thing is making me depressed and I don’t want to be depressed—not here.” Taking her by the hand, he led her through the forest, guiding her out into the open.

The sky was blue with white, fluffy clouds. Katie couldn’t help but release a giggle.

“What?” William asked.

“Someone who is so serious has such a pretty place to hide.”

He took her to the only tree in the meadow and pressed her against the bark, moving closer.

“I can’t be serious all the time.”

Katie felt his erection push against her belly. William took each of her hands in his and lifted them above her head.

“I have you now,” he moaned.

Katie could feel the pool of heat spreading between her legs. He was so close and it felt…real. She didn’t want it to end.

“I like you having me.” She twined her fingers with his, showing him with that one act that she was where she wanted to be. Katie was no longer fighting to get away—instead she was fighting to get closer to him.

“I want you so bad,” he growled. He pressed against her neck, feathering her skin with kisses. Katie shivered with excitement.

“I want you, too,” she groaned as he thrust his pelvis against her. This was the first man who had shown an interest in her and she didn’t want it to end.

She loved having him close.

Her nipples were hard, budding against the flimsy fabric of her dress.

“Touch me, William,” she begged.

Taking both her wrists in one palm, he brought his other hand down, cupping her cheek, running his thumb along the line of her lower lip. Katie touched the tip of her tongue against him, tasting him.

She watched as his eyes flared at the contact and she retreated, not wanting to take him too far.

He applied pressure to her lips to encourage her to accept him and thrust the digit between her lips, observing her as she sucked him into her mouth.

“You are one wicked witch,” he gasped, making Katie laugh. “I love that sound.”

“What sound?”

“You, laughing.”

“I love you making me laugh, William.” She kissed his thumb, looking into his eyes.

“I love you saying my name—say it again,” he instructed.

Katie smiled. “William… William…” She moved closer to his ear, straining against his hold. “I love you, William Valentine.

He moved his hands, sinking his fingers into the length of her hair. He grasped it in his fist and kissed her with a passion she had never experienced before.

He took over her mouth, her lips, showing her how wonderful it could be to love and be loved.

It didn’t scare her to be in love with a vampire. She loved him so much.

She moved her hands to his shoulders and held on.

“I want you so much, William,” she gasped against his demanding lips.

“I’ll have you Katie. You’re mine.”

She gasped. She didn’t want to wait. “Make love to me now?” she asked him.

William stopped, pulling back from her. He gazed at her and Katie could see him assessing her.

“What did you say?”

Katie touched his cheek affectionately. “I want you to make love to me, here and now.” She moved her hands to the bottom of her dress, ready to pull it up over her head.

“Stop, Katie.” He placed his hands over hers, holding the dress in place.

“Don’t you want to?” she asked him, worry and hurt pulling at her.

“More than you can ever know.”

“Then why are you stopping me?”

“Katie, my first time making love to you is not going to be in my dream and spirit world. When I make love to you, it will be with you in my arms, so when I wake up you are right there with me. I can make love to you here but it won’t stick. You’ll still wake up a virgin,” he told her.

Katie cried out in frustration.

“I’m going to die a virgin. In this world wherever the hell I really am.”

William took her to the floor, settling her between his legs. He leaned against the tree with her back pressed against his chest.

“Don’t ever talk like that again.” Taking her hands in his, he circled her waist with his arms. Katie loved the feel of him around her. He made her feel beautiful.

They sat in silence, watching the changing view, peaceful in each other’s arms. Katie chuckled as he started to sing, his smooth, rich voice near her ear. She squirmed against him as a pool of heat gathered between her thighs, his notes pulsing through her, heightening her arousal. Her breasts grew heavy, her nipples sensitive to the fabric of her dress. Her tummy tightened against his hands. Moving her hands from under his, she placed them on the tops of his thighs, relishing the strength of him.

She held her breath as his thumb danced little circles across her belly. She waited, wondering what he would do.

He kept his hand on her stomach, not moving, and when it seemed he wasn’t going anywhere she calmed against his touch.

“Relax, Katie, it’s only me,” he said gently in her ear.

“I can’t. You drive me crazy,” she gasped as he moved his palms delicately up her body to rest under her heaving bosom.

“The untutored witch and the insane vampire. We make a right pair.”

Katie burst out laughing, all her nerves leaking away from her amidst the humour.

His hands lay on top of her breasts. Katie stopped and looked out at the scenery before her, seeing nothing but feeling everything. His comfort surrounded her; his hardness pressed against her back.

Katie groaned as he circled her nipples with his fingers. “That feels so good,” she murmured. Her nipples budded, swelling as the flow of blood spread through her body.

The flush heated her skin, awakening her desire further.

“You’re so lovely and full. You fill my hands perfectly,” he complimented her.

“I want more, William.”

He was showing her his lust and she wanted to absorb and taste every new sensation, as much as she could.

“You
won’t
die on me and I’m going to give you something to look forward to.” Every delicious word filled her with renewed excitement. “Do you trust me?” he asked before doing anything else.

“Yes, I trust you,” she said without hesitation.

“Close your eyes.”

Katie closed her eyes and listened.

* * * *

William gazed at her for a few seconds, just basking in her beauty and the love he had within him for his witch.

“William?” She sounded nervous and unsure.

He shushed her. Everything he had planned was meant for her pleasure.

He brushed her thighs and smiled against her hair as she opened a little wider to accept him.

“You have gorgeous legs, smooth and full.” William saw her as the healthy woman she’d been after she’d fed on his blood.

“Is that your way of saying I’m fat?” she chuckled.

He tapped her. “Don’t say such things. More flesh for me to nibble on.”

She moaned. “We really are a strange pair.”

“At least we’ve found each other.”

He lifted her dress, pulling the fabric up her thighs, exposing her to his eyes. He lifted her with a hand around her waist—his vampire strength had to come in useful for something—and peeled the garment over her head and dropped it in the grass.

She lay naked and vulnerable to his probing gaze.