Runes: The Immortal Series Book 1 by Em Petrova
Red Sage Publishing www.eredsage.com
Copyright ©2010 by Em Petrova First published in 2010, 2010 NOTICE: This eBook is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution to any person via email, floppy disk, network, print out, or any other means is a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines and/or imprisonment. This notice overrides the Adobe Reader permissions which are erroneous. This eBook cannot be legally lent or given to others. This eBook is displayed using 100% recycled electrons.
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Runes: The Immortal Series Book 1 by Em Petrova
CONTENTS TO MY READER: Runes: Chapter One Runes: Chapter Two Runes: Chapter Three Runes: Chapter Four Runes: Chapter Five Runes: Chapter Six Runes: Chapter Seven Runes: Chapter Eight Runes: Chapter Nine Runes: Chapter Ten Runes: Chapter Eleven Runes: Chapter Twelve Runes: Chapter Thirteen Runes: Chapter Fourteen Runes: Chapter Fifteen Runes: Chapter Sixteen Runes: Chapter Seventeen Runes: Chapter Eighteen Runes: Chapter Nineteen Runes: Chapter Twenty Runes: Chapter Twenty-One About The Author: ****
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**** An eRedSage Publishing Publication This book is a work of complete fiction. Any names, places, incidents, characters are products of the author's imagination and creativity or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is fully coincidental. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or any portion thereof in any form whatsoever in any country whatsoever is forbidden. Information: Red Sage Publishing, Inc. P.O. Box 4844 Seminole, FL 33775 727-391-3847 eRedSage.com Runes 4
Runes: The Immortal Series Book 1 by Em Petrova
An eRed Sage Publication All Rights Reserved Copyright (C) 2010 eRedSage is a registered trademark of Red Sage Publishing, Inc. Visit us on the World Wide Web: www.eRedSage.com ISBN: 9781603105545—1603105549 Runes Adobe PDF ISBN: 9781603105552—1603105557 Runes MobiPocket ISBN: 9781603105569—1603105565 Runes MS Reader ISBN: 9781603105576—1603105573 Runes HTML ISBN: 9781603105538—1603105530 Runes ePub Published by arrangement with the authors and copyright holders of the individual works as follows: Runes (C) 2010 by Em Petrova Cover (C) 2010 by Rae Monet Printed in the U.S.A. ebook layout and conversion by jimandzetta.com
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Runes: The Immortal Series Book 1 by Em Petrova
Runes By Em Petrova
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Runes: The Immortal Series Book 1 by Em Petrova
TO MY READER: The passion felt between two people in love is glorious, but add a third person and experience the breathlessness. I hope you enjoy the sexy trials of immortals Will and Evangeline and the mortal man they both find irresistible. [Back to Table of Contents]
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Runes: Chapter One When Will Cochran backed away from the woman on the bathroom floor, they were both bleeding. She was not fully conscious, but he had to escape before she recognized him. He grabbed a hand towel from the sink, clutched it to his bleeding forearm, then moved toward the door. She would be all right. It might take a few hours for the drugs to wear off, but eventually she would awaken to a new existence. Before he disappeared through the doorway, and from her life, he allowed himself a final glance. Sprawled on the white floor tile, she looked waifish and vulnerable. She wore a black off-the-shoulder top, and a dark violet miniskirt that matched the purple streak on the front of her pixie-short black hair. The blood had stopped flowing from the wound on her neck, and as he watched, the blue-black lines of runes, and dainty stars climbed the bare flesh of her shoulder, up her throat, curling around her ear, and ending in a spattering of stars across her temple. The immortal tattoo. The scent of her was still fresh in his nostrils. That soft whiff of vanilla and sandalwood had tormented him on more than one occasion. The sight of her pale, naked thighs had his teeth clenching against his need. His fingers bit into the door jamb. He was torn between standing guard over her defenseless form, and returning to her sister who waited for him downstairs. With a grunt, he 8
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turned from the scene and hurried down the steps of the small Chicago home. His girlfriend, Jessa Mayer, stood by the door. At his appearance, she offered him a glowing smile. She was petite and dark-haired as well, but not punked out or pierced like her younger sister, Evangeline. She held their winter coats in her arms, eager to get to the club where her friends expected them. "Find the bathroom okay?" she asked, passing Will his jacket. "Yes," he responded, trying not to sound dazed. "I found it all right." He caught her elbow and steered her out the door, away from the house, away from her sister, who would wake to find herself glowing with immortal life. What the hell had he been thinking? The darkness embraced him, setting him apart from the young woman at his elbow. His mind was far removed from her ceaseless chatter. It was still locked in the gripping terror of the bathroom scene. Will tucked Jessa securely in his rental car, and circled to the driver's side. He paused with his hand on the handle, staring at the upper floor of her home. His lungs burned for more oxygen even as he inhaled huge amounts of the wintry air. A tap on the window made him jerk, and he jumped in beside Jessa. Finally, on the way to the nightclub where they'd met two months ago, she began talking of her upcoming holiday break from college classes, and asked if he would return to Chicago to spend it with her. 9
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Will steered the car into a parking spot before the busy club, then cut the engine. The keys swayed in the ignition, jangling lightly. The slash on his arm burned like hell. He turned to her. "Jessa," he said, holding her small hand. "I won't be returning for the holidays. I won't be returning to Chicago at all." Her brown eyes blinked in the darkness. "What?" she whispered. He mentally cringed at the pain in her voice."I've had a great time with you these past months, but I feel it's best if I... move on," he told her gently. God, he hated this part of dating mortals. "What? W. . .why? Is it something I did?" "No, Jessa. Not you." The old it's-not-you-it's-me line was not remotely adequate in this case. How to tell her, though, that she was dating an immortal man? One who had just stumbled across her drug-overdosed sister in the bathroom, shared his blood with her, and made her immortal too? It was best to cut ties. "Whatever it is, Will, we can work it out," Jessa pleaded. "We've been really good together." "Jessa, I'm sorry." He cupped her face and kissed the wrinkle between her dark eyebrows. She cried, and he felt like the shit he was. What right did he have to consort with mortal girls? How many attached females had he left over the years? At first, the attraction and connection he'd felt to Jessa had been remarkable. He'd flown between Vermont and Chicago dozens of times in the months they'd been dating just to feel 10
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her soft body pressed to his. He'd thought it could last forever. Until he set eyes on her baby sister. Jessa yanked away, her anger flaring as it always did after the initial devastation. "Fine, Will. I'm sorry I got involved with you if you had no intention of having a serious relationship. Just leave me here. I'll find my way home." She opened the door and thrust one shapely leg through it. He caught her wrist. "Jessa, I am sorry." "Whatever," she shot back, then stalked away. Will rested his head against the steering wheel, replaying the night's events. He'd made a new immortal. He wondered if she'd awakened from her drug-induced stupor yet? For a mad moment, he considered returning to the Mayer home to check, but sense won out, and he shifted the car into drive and returned to his hotel and his solitary life. Landing in Vermont, he shouldered his leather carry-on, and pushed through the exit into the frigid landscape. The air in his nose froze instantly, and he drew a deep breath into his lungs, reveling in the scent of freshly fallen snow. As he crossed the parking lot, he scuffed his feet through the powder with hopes of hitting the ski slopes. After several minutes of de-icing his vehicle, he climbed inside and closed the door. Alone. He sat, listening to the drone of the engine, and the ticking of the windshield wipers. He was in his home state, but he'd left part of himself in Chicago, in the veins of Evangeline Mayer. If he concentrated hard, he could nearly feel her. He'd lost his mind this time. 11
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The entire flight he'd spent contemplating his single status, knowing little could be done to remedy it. An immortal couldn't randomly hook up with a human or another immortal without sacrificing his heart. Amongst immortals there was a phenomenon known as 'The Calling,' which linked an immortal with his immortal mate. The female 'Called' to the male mentally, and he would be set on an exhilarating path leading him to her. Will was close friends with two couples so united, and knew firsthand the difference between the love of a bonded couple, and his fleeting relationships with humans. Girl after girl littered his past, strings of sexy legs, round buttocks and bouncy breasts. Affairs with blonds, brunettes, and even a fling with an artsy, sumptuous redhead after he'd purchased one of her oil paintings at an exhibit. They all filled him with remorse. He realized he was searching for the powerful connection gained only by bonding with another immortal. As his headlights speared the inky darkness, he saw not the snowflakes assaulting the windshield, but the miniature stars dotting Evangeline Mayer's temple. His vehicle's tires crunched over the snowy roads toward home, and Will thought longingly of his cozy suite within his friends' mansion. For decades, he'd been roommates with several immortals ranging from centuries-old Dante, who'd manned the helm of one of the ships bringing Europeans to the new world, to the newest addition to their group, Gracie, who'd been 'Made' only three weeks ago. 12
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Gracie Donovan had suffered a head trauma and been given a second chance at life. Though she'd been only thirteen years old when she'd been 'Made', she'd rapidly reached her physical immortal age. But her mind did not possess the education of an adult woman, so Will had stepped up to the challenge and accepted her as his pupil. Tomorrow they'd begin their lessons. As he steered the vehicle up the long, meandering drive, he saw the mansion was aglow. Excitement gathered in his chest. He stomped on the gas, roaring up the last two hundred feet to his parking spot. Inside, he hoped to find the immortal friend who'd 'Made' Gracie on that fateful afternoon three weeks ago. Since the moment he'd shared his blood with the dying girl on the bathroom floor, he'd itched with a bone-deep need to confide in another Maker. Will climbed the marble steps to the front door, feeling strangely detached. His steps were muffled by snow and the pressing darkness. His ears were ringing, his muscles suddenly lethargic. The heel of his hand pushed against the thick mahogany door, and he collapsed to his knees in the brightly lit entry hall. The glare of a thousand crystals on the massive chandelier dizzied him, creating spots behind his closed eyelids. "Will!" cried the familiar voice of Lillian, Gracie's Maker. She gathered him to her slender form, filling his head with the lavender perfume that was her signature scent. Her cool fingers cradled his cheeks."What on earth happened?" she 13
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cried, clutching his head to her waist, sinking her fingers into his thick auburn hair. "She's 'Called' me," he choked, and his tears began to fall. [Back to Table of Contents]
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Runes: Chapter Two Evangeline rolled to her stomach, pressing her aching bare breasts into the mattress. Maybe her state of undress had spawned the dream, but she didn't think so. Whatever drug she'd overdosed on had had adverse effects. She'd been hallucinating for a week. Whether sleeping or awake, it didn't matter. Her sister's auburn-haired ex-boyfriend had sidled into her brain via psychotropic meds. She rocked her hips against the bedclothes as the memory of his long, tapered fingers filled her mind. His fingers had circled her waist, spanning it easily, his thumb flicking the thin gold hoop in her navel as his tongue sank between her lips. She could still taste him. Spearmint gum, the faint trace of cigarettes, and the most mind-blowing scent of male. This image, like all the others plaguing her, left her trembling with need of an addict. But she was no longer addicted to drugs, and didn't need cocaine to escape her problems or her body. The hallucinations of her sister's ex had driven her to new heights. Hot and annoyed, she jumped to her feet, and strode across her bedroom to peer into the long mirror. Short, spiky hair, a wave of violet over one eye, a tiny silver stud in her nose, and two other concealed hoops, one in her nipple, the other in her navel. The tattoo still shocked her. She couldn't remember getting inked, not surprising since she'd stumbled home from the club, drunk and buzzed, and tossed back a bottle of 15
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Xanax in an attempt to stop the gnawing pain in her soul. Swallowing pill after pill with tap water, she'd wanted to stop the pain forever. But it hadn't worked. She'd awakened hours later with a tattoo winding from her shoulder to her temple. She touched the stars at the corner of her eye with a fingertip. She had to admit the rune lettering and spattering of stars suited her. What would her lover Sean make of this? She shivered thinking of him. Too much time had passed since she'd set eyes—or hands—on his sexy, sculpted chest, or felt his searing kiss. They'd been sleeping together for six months, but she'd refused to let him draw her into his life. Staring now at her new clear-eyed reflection, she wondered if it was time to move toward a commitment. Her fingers longed for the strings of her guitar, but it was deep night. She couldn't risk waking her sister, Jessa, or worse, her father. So she settled for leaning against the headboard with the instrument, embracing its familiar weight. The hallucinations did more than excite her libido. They inspired new music in her, and she'd been writing. Between her job at the bookstore, and being bombed out of her mind for days on end, she hadn't had time to devote to her true passion—songwriting. Perhaps turning over a new leaf could further her goal of achieving her dream of becoming a songwriter. As a particular bar of music flitted through her mind, a new vision of Will rose inside her. She slung an arm over her eyes and allowed it to consume her. The short, red hairs of his jaw bristled against the sensitive flesh of her stomach, 16
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blazing a trail of heat directly to her sex, which moistened and swelled for him. Then surging upward, his big hands cradled her face, caressing the star at the corner of her eye, and sending a shock straight to her core. Her head fell back, her body shuddering as if on the edge of orgasm. Her fingers fluttered over his muscled chest down to the edges of a tattoo that disappeared into the curling dark hairs cushioning his cock. A flood of emotion surged through her fingertips. A marrow-deep jolt hit her, followed by the taste of desire, and inexplicable tenderness. Evangeline gently laid her guitar on the bed next to her, thrashing herself for entertaining such feelings for a guy she'd seen only once or twice in passing. Her sister's ex, Will What's-His-Name. Fingers shaking, she lit a cigarette, then crossed to the mirror, leaning close again to study her reflection. This cleareyed Evangeline was new to her, but she could learn to like her. Another flash of auburn hair crossed her vision, and she stared hard into her dark blue eyes. Thoughts of Sean plagued her. "Oh Will," she murmured ruefully, "I don't even know you." Evangeline was on her knees, facing east. Stretching her arms overhead, she bent at the waist until her nose touched the floor, then concentrated on deep breathing. Which was important, her only defense against images of him. If only breathing could dissolve the guilt she felt about Sean. She'd never made direct eye contact with Will. Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling she'd cheated on Sean. 17
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The bedroom door opened. Jessa's footsteps crossed to where Evangeline held her meditative pose. Jessa's small socked feet came into view even as her overwhelming floral body spray assaulted Evangeline's senses. "What kind of drug are you doing?" Jessa asked. "I'm not doing drugs. I'm meditating." "Meditating? Since when?" "For awhile," Evangeline answered, realizing she shouldn't have responded to her sister's questioning. Best to ignore Jessa. She'd learned that when they were young. Jessa leaned against the dresser, watching silently. Evangeline forced herself to draw a deep breath, but it hitched and faded as the vision of Will's firm, auburn-studded jaw burst behind her eyes. Stop it, Evangeline. In through the nose, out through the mouth. "Aren't you going to talk to me?" Jessa asked at last. "Talk about what?" "I'm going to Mexico with Rachel over spring break. Daddy gave me money. He thought I'd been working so hard in college, I deserved a getaway. If you worked hard at anything except getting wrecked, maybe he'd treat you too." Evangeline's skin crawled at the mention of her father. "I don't want Daddy to treat me to anything," she ground out through clenched teeth. Jessa continued, nonplussed. "I also came by to remind you to buy our father a birthday present instead of sucking it up your nose like you did last year." "What did you get him? A fifth of whiskey?" 18
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"No. He's barely been drinking this week. I got him an interactive video game console so he can get off the couch when he comes home from work. He needs the exercise. We don't want him checking out early like Mom." Evangeline winced. "No, don't want that," she murmured, wanting exactly that. Statements like that made her wish she had drugs hidden in her bedroom. But she didn't. She only craved more of the shocking sensation between her and Will. Jessa appraised her sweats and spandex tank. "You know, you look like you've put on a pound of two. You should watch it." Evangeline's fingers lashed out to snag Jessa's elbow. She sank her nails into her sister's pale, unmarked skin, and pushed her out the door. "Fuck you," she said to Jessa's back. "Dammit," she swore softly, swinging back into her room. The CD of trickling water filled her ears. She tapped a cigarette from the pack, and shakily placed it between her lips, feeling less relaxed than ever. If she could conjure up the image of Will and his finger at the corner of her eye, the shock would calm her. "Hey, Jessa," she called down the hall. Her dark head snapped around the jamb of her own bedroom door. "What?" "What was that guy's name you were dating? Will something." "Cochran," she said with a scowl and slammed the door. Evangeline returned to her yoga mat with a snicker, but sank to it slowly, drawing air into her lungs. A warm gush of 19
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emotion filled her. She placed her palms together and thought, Will Cochran. The root of her mind blossomed, and his image trickled through, seeping between the velvety petals of her consciousness. Her mind felt ticklish, hazy. She worried that her mental state was deteriorating, because she could now hear him as well as see him. Through the portal, the room glowed brightly, pulsing with the low, burning music of Jim Morrison. Will's head was wreathed in smoke. He drew the cigarette to his full lips, sending Evangeline's pulse galloping out of control. No, he said into her mind, squashing the frail connection. Carefully, she stretched out flat on the floor, face down. Smoke rose from the ashtray beside her head and burned her eyes and nose. She lay motionless for several heartbeats before the sobs overtook her. [Back to Table of Contents]
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Runes: Chapter Three Will stared from the second story window of his office at the slumbering gardens below. At his back sat Gracie, her pencil scratching through the trigonometry problems he'd assigned her. If he turned, he would see her long blond bangs dipping into her eyes, and her tongue caught between her teeth. The freezing wind gusted against the trees, rattling the icicles. He shivered, but not from cold. For weeks, ever since Evangeline had 'Called' to him, he'd been shaking with need. His friends solemnly continued to inform him that he could not battle this phenomenon. It bordered on madness. Maybe he was crazy. Crazy to have Made her immortal when she had obviously chosen to die, and crazy to believe he'd be able to walk away. He'd been bombarded with vision upon vision of her. Full lips of the palest pink tormented him. The dip of violet hair into one blue eye haunted him. And the memory of pouring his immortal blood into her needy veins maddened him. He couldn't bear to think of her hot little body. He couldn't not. He shook himself, and spun from the window only to be faced with Gracie, who'd abandoned her math drills and was tending her fingernails. He crossed the space in two strides, and snatched the nail file from her. Shock rippled across her features.
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"No wonder you had a difficult time in traditional schools," he snapped. "You're gifted, but your nails are more important." "I'm sorry, Will. I did the first two sets and. . . trig is hard on your cuticles." Will paced to his desk and dropped the nail file into the wastebasket. She lifted her pencil, but rather than begin the third set of problems, studied him while chewing the eraser. His eyes blurred as he stared back. He saw the dark purple section of Evangeline's pixie-short hair in his mind's eye. Deep in his soul, he knew she was shaking too. If he waited too long to claim her, she'd go insane. Did he want that? Gracie snapped her fingers before his face. "Will. What's going on?" His mind lived in the Chicago bookstore where Evangeline worked. He could smell the paper and ink of new books, and hear the low hum of voices. Dear God, he could nearly feel her breath in his veins. "Will." Gracie broke through his vision. He emerged with a sigh. "Didn't the others tell you?" Her clear, green eyes searched his. "Tell me what?" "I've been 'Called'," he answered. The instant the words left his lips, more images deluged him. Evangeline's bare hip facing away from him, of grasping her navel ring and tipping her onto her back. Of skimming her taut waist and the gentle swell of her hips with his palms. The vision of his tongue on her immortal tattoo delivered a shock, and he burned with the need to part her thighs and sink into the soft nest of dark curls while sharing their blood, completing the imprint. 22
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"The 'Calling'," Gracie exclaimed, her face alive with happiness. "Why aren't you looking for her?" "Because, Gracie," he said, bowing his head miserably, "I don't want her." "You're being an ass." Gracie cocked a long blond brow at him. "And you're both rude and disrespectful to your professor." She released a laugh, light and carefree. "Whatever, Professor Cochran. We've known each other, what? Six weeks? I only know the happy-go-lucky, boyish Will, not this stodgy jerk who refuses his destiny." He ground his teeth. "You don't know everything." "Then why don't you explain it?" He fought to put his reasons into words. He leaned over his desk, and stared through the window at the icy world. His face felt hot and tight. "I don't want this intimate link with Evangeline Mayer, druggie and party-girl. She's. . . all wrong for me." He jammed his fingers through his hair. "I've seen her in action at one of the Chicago clubs, pressuring a girl to do cocaine. If she could do that, what kind of moral fiber does she possess?" Gracie made a dismissive gesture. "People make mistakes." "You don't understand, Gracie. How could you? You're a baby." "Do I have the body of a baby?" Will avoided looking directly at her. She was smoking hot and she knew it. Model tall, curvaceous with waist-length blond hair, and the confidence of a much more experienced 23
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person. She'd managed to grow into her immortal body with a bang. Enough, he said to himself. He'd had enough women for ten lifetimes. But only one of them was immortal, and he was fighting tooth and nail to deny her 'Calling'. "Yeah, that's what I thought," Gracie said, preening at his dark blush. Grimly, he met her gaze. "Gracie, I'm sorry I treated you like that. We're friends, and I should confide in you, no matter your immortal age." He collapsed into the leather chair behind the desk, and lowered his head into his hands. "Who is she?" Gracie asked, touching his knee. "The sister of the mortal girl I was dating. I found her dying on the bathroom floor of their home and Made her immortal." "You Made her," she whispered. "That's amazing, Will. Aren't you proud?" His eyes flashed to hers. He'd never considered the beauty behind his action, only the distress it had caused both parties. Hell, Evangeline didn't even know she was immortal. "What's stopping you from going to her?" Gracie asked. "She's no longer a drug addict. That's a mortal frailty." "I know." He jumped up, and began to pace, his boots thudding against the hardwood floor. "You dated her sister. How different can they be?" He thought of calm, bright Jessa in her classic jeans, cardigan sweaters, and bobbed hair. Evangeline had a nose ring, a purple spiky hairdo and Goth clothing. Jessa was white cotton where Evangeline was black silk. 24
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He shook his head. "They're cut from different bolts of cloth." "Do you even know her? You're not giving her a chance. Just because she made one bad choice doesn't make her a bad person. Look in the mirror." Will swallowed his gasp of despair, aware that Gracie referred to the event that had taken place shortly after her Making, when he'd killed an immortal, something only another immortal could do. Every night he'd awakened in a sick, panicked sweat with the spray of the man's blood on his face. Yet, he'd committed this crime to save an immortal friend. Faced with the same dilemma, he would do it again. Gracie's arms wound around him, drawing him into her comforting embrace. She was growing by leaps and bounds. "That single act does not define you." He thought it did. "What makes you think a single act defines her?" He hadn't thought of that. Will gripped Evangeline's firm, round ass, and lifted her against him. Her slender arms clung to his neck as his mouth skimmed the column of her throat, tasting each rune and star. The shock of his touch raising gasps from her. He carried her over the threshold of his bedroom, then tumbled her onto his king-sized bed. Music pumped through the space. Her body was locked beneath his, small, warm and fragrant. He gazed into her eyes. Dark hyacinth blue, fringed with thick black lashes. A purple lock of hair dipped over one eye, and he brushed it tenderly aside as he smiled down at 25
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her. He couldn't imagine her without the purple hair. It suited her perfectly. Will emerged from this vision sweating. He lit a cigarette with a trembling hand, and drew the smoke deep into his lungs. Since his conversation with Gracie, he'd experienced one never-ending vision of Evangeline. His immortal mate. The glint of a golden hoop in her nipple, the soft gleam of moonlight on a shapely thigh, the taste of her pale lips. The taste of the moist curls between her thighs. Emotions burned in his chest. Now he knew he must claim her, as his body had told him all along. But he had no intention of hopping a flight to Chicago. Not yet. Though most immortals fulfilled their yearnings immediately, Will felt the need to ease into his relationship with Evangeline. She didn't know she was immortal, let alone bound to her sister's lover. A man she'd seen only three times. She'd stumbled across their mind link accidentally and hadn't used it since. But he could use it. He shook like a heroin addict at the thought. To speak her name, and 'Call' her through all space and time, to feel her mind trickle into his drove him mad with need. All right, Woman. Ready yourself. "Evangeline," he called her. He sped down a dark tunnel, rushing through sensations that made him ache. The sweet warmth of her breath, the rise and fall of her breasts, her legs entangled with his, and the sweat-dampened tattoo on her throat. He exploded 26
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through her defenses in a bright burst of joy. Her mind meshed with his. She gasped at his sudden presence. Dammit, not now. He couldn't stop the laugh from rumbling from his chest as he focused on her mind, and what she was seeing and feeling. Her frantic thoughts resounded in his ears. He knew she trembled with desire. Then suddenly a dark pair of male eyes loomed before her vision. Will held his breath as the intruder's hands cupped Evangeline's face and dropped a tender kiss to the lips of Will's immortal mate. Flames of fury pounded his temples. Coursed through his veins. His lungs flooded with the need to roar, but he swallowed the words. His hands fell open. The cool air stroked his sweaty palms. Happy now, Cochran? You got what you asked for. [Back to Table of Contents]
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Runes: Chapter Four On the first ring, the cell phone flashed to Sean Livingston's ear. "Pinky," he shouted. At the precise moment his sister said, "Weenie." They laughed at their childhood game. For years, they'd tried to call the other's nickname first. "I'd say that was a draw, Sean." Below the comforting notes of her voice were the sounds of the New York City street where she lived. A horn blared in his Chicago neighborhood, and he smiled at the volley of curses between a fruit truck driver and a cabby. Everything was music to Sean today. After kicking ass at the martial arts studio, the muscles of his sweaty body ached. But his chest hummed with the anticipation of arriving home. He lengthened his strides. "I agree that it's a draw. What are you doing up so early, Liv?" he asked, side-stepping a group of people congregated on the sidewalk. Olivia worked as a bartender, and frequently fell into bed exhausted after her shift. Sean's nighttime deejay job only pumped him up for the day's activities. He never went to bed until mid-afternoon. "I'm heading to work, Sean. I got it," she crowed. He could picture her. Dark head tilted up to the sky, crowing to the skyscrapers that she'd landed her first grown-up newspaper job. 28
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"Liv, that's awesome. Did you call Mom?" A grin split his face at the utter joy in her voice. But, also, because he was nearing his warehouse apartment where he would unlock the multiple gates and grills to get to the stunning woman who'd been crashing with him. Evangeline Mayer. As he reached for the keys, his throat clogged with sudden fear. What if she'd left? Olivia's voice drew him back to the present. "I called her. She's thrilled. She's coming up to the city. We're going to celebrate the fact that I'm not working a weekend for the first time in half a decade. Too bad you can't get away. Aren't you growing tired of the deejay routine yet, Sean? Your art's too good to throw away. I can't believe you shucked it for a deejay job. Then again, it's beneficial to your love life, isn't it?" "Actually, Liv, I've been seeing someone." His solemn tone shocked him. It sounded like a Mom-Dad-I'm-marrying-thisgirl kind of voice. Olivia detected it at once. "Uh-oh. What kind of someone? Sounds serious." "I think it may be getting serious. She's staying with me. She's amazing." His first key slid into the well-oiled lock and he shoved the gate aside. "She must be amazing if you're letting her into your apartment, let alone your bed. I know how territorial you are," she said. "She's not sleeping in my bed, Liv."
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There was a long silence, and then Olivia roared with laughter. He held the phone from his head so she didn't deafen him. "Despite your grave tone, I knew you hadn't changed a bit." He paused with his key poised before the second door lock. Mere inches separated him from Evangeline, but he wanted to set the record straight. "No, seriously, Livvy. I love having her with me. I can't let her go now." The words spoke themselves. He didn't need to think them because he'd been feeling them since the moment he'd opened the door of his apartment to find Evangeline waiting there, guitar and luggage in hand, sporting a black eye. "Wow," Olivia said. "I mean—wow, Sean. I can't believe I'm talking to my brother. Wait. Maybe I dialed the wrong number. Let me check." "Whatever, Pinky. I've gotta go. I'm home. Good luck on your first day, and I'll call you tomorrow after Tae Kwan Do." In his excitement to reach Evangeline, the second key stuck in the lock. He couldn't throw open the door fast enough. For the first time he was disgruntled about the four doors that protected him in this section of town. The final door opened, and he squinted at the late winter sunshine that streamed through the upper windows of his loft. Sean tossed down his coat and duffle bag, pocketed his house keys, and navigated the open space. He found her in the living room, fluffing the sofa cushions. His heart quickened at the sight of her slender back. His hands wanted 30
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to circle her waist, and his mouth wanted to nuzzle her throat. She gathered last night's take-out cartons against her chest, pausing to glance up at the flat screen TV which was tuned to a talk show. "Hey," he said. She whirled to him, her face flaming, and he grinned at her embarrassment. She snatched the remote control, then flipped it to another channel. It was a group of ladies discussing sex. Looking mortified, she hit the Off button. He crossed to her slowly, his boots thudding on the concrete floor. He drank in her appearance which belied her reservations about watching a talk show about sex in front of him. Her short denim skirt was slashed at the hip, revealing a patch of pale flesh. His hands itched to grasp her hips and press his thumb between the fabric. At his approach, she gnawed her lower lip, and one knee bounced, but when he took the paper cartons from her, he saw a spark of excitement in her deep blue eyes. He dropped the cartons to the coffee table she'd just cleared, and drew her into his arms. Her moist breath rushed against his shoulder, and she felt so damn right he scooped her up and sank with her to the sofa. The metal grommets of her bracelet—which happened to be his necklace— wound twice around her wrist, were cold against his skin. But she curled into him, her arms winding around his neck. Possessive joy gripped him. After months of putting him off, of never setting foot in his house, now, she was in his arms. For two weeks, she'd avoided his calls. He hadn't glimpsed her at the club she 31
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frequented. When he asked at various parties, no one had seen her. And then she'd arrived at his gate, skittish, and bearing a remarkable new tattoo he couldn't keep his hands or his mouth off. Though she chose the couch over his bed, he felt his days of being kept at arm's length were nearing an end. The brief interludes of passion were evolving into the deeper commitment that Sean craved. When his lips met her sweet, fragrant flesh, his shudder rolled into her. A delicate hand lifted to cradle his head. He kissed a path to the spattering of stars at the corner of her eye, tasting each inky blue line. "What were you watching on TV?" he whispered, sending another shiver through her. "Dr. Phil," she muttered as if mortified. "Thought so," he teased, dropping a kiss to her nose ring. Then he tensed, remembering Dr. Phil's topic. Child molesters and their victims. Evangeline's eyes had flashed, then shut down. She hid her eyes, and a prickle of awareness overwhelmed him. She'd been watching a show on victims of child molesters. He drew away, ducking his head to peer into her face. She jumped to her feet, jerkily gathering the takeout cartons and escaping to the kitchen. Sean jumped up to follow, afraid of driving her away from him. He caught her by the kitchen garbage can and pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry I upset you." "I'm not upset. I'm good." 32
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He studied the crinkle between her brows and the strain around her eyes."Good?" he asked. She dropped her head to his shoulder. When she was in his arms, she was more likely to talk of her problems and her past, but he understood her language even when her lips were sealed. He pulled away, but she slipped her hands into the hip pockets of his jeans and held him. A thrill shot through his groin. Before he could think, she was on tiptoe placing her mouth on his. He let her lead, and didn't yank her closer as he might have with someone he didn't like as much. But her soft, nibbling kisses made his gut clench and his cock harden. To feel the length of her supple body and not be able to sink into it drove him wild. Lately their lovemaking had been filled with more heart-melting flashes from her blue eyes than ever, and he couldn't stop thinking how that had upped the stakes for him. She broke off and rested her forehead against his lips. He closed his eyes shut against the need warring within him. To grab her and pin her against the wall might alienate her. He kissed her forehead, and released her. "I'm going to grab a shower," he said. "Afterward, how about heading out for coffee?" She nodded, finally smiling at him. Sean sank to the floor across the rustic coffee table from Evangeline, a board game spread between them. On a corner of the wood, carved in blocky letters by a pocket knife were the words, I love Dan. 33
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Evangeline traced this with her finger, an amused smile on her face. "What's this about? Is there something you'd like to declare?" "It's from the thrift shop. Apparently someone was in love with Dan," he said with a smile, sorting through a pile of colored money. "How'd you become a deejay, Sean?" She leaned against the sofa, abandoning their game before it started. "That's a long story," he said, shooting a look at the brick wall where his artwork hung. She followed his gaze, her lips twisting thoughtfully. "But do you like your job? That's important." He searched her face. Naturally pale, it pulsed with an inner glow. "Important to me or to you?" Silence fell, and he hoped he hadn't gone too far. "To. . . to us both, I suppose," she responded, and his heart flipped. She shuffled through the game cards, avoiding his gaze. She held one up. "I want to buy this." "First, you need to pay taxes," he said. She passed him the cash, and he pressed her fingers lightly in the exchange. "I was a deejay in college," he said to distract her from the emotion he saw plainly battling on her features. "I didn't know you went to college. What did you study?" "Art." He gestured toward the layered metalwork that was his signature. That particular piece had been salvaged from sections of his first car. It spanned thirteen feet. "I didn't finish," he continued. "I got a job offer I couldn't refuse. In Chicago. At the club. For the past six years, I've dealt in human entertainment." 34
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"You didn't answer my first question. Do you like it?" "I love it," he said without hesitation. "It's great. But there's one thing I've failed at, Evangeline." He leaned across the table toward her. "What?" "I never got you to dance, and that's my express goal." With a laugh, she shook her head. "Then failure is your doom. I do not dance." In that instant, with her laughter ringing in his ears, he knew he wanted more than to see her pulsing to the music he played. In a few short weeks, he wanted her happiness. His fists clenched with the need to touch her luminous skin. She moved her game piece across the board and looked up, her full pink lips parting. "Evangeline, you're beautiful. Do you know that?" Her lashes lowered, but her eyes flashed. A current of electricity buzzed between them. He laid down his card, and crawled across the second-hand Oriental carpet, curling his fingers around her elbow. She was the most delicate woman he'd ever seen, and his body urged him to explore every inch of her. Her small-boned frame called to his protective instincts. "Sean." He watched her mouth form his name, but no sound passed those luscious lips. A surge of hot lust shot straight to his cock. Holding her gaze, he gathered her in his arms, and felt her quiver with anticipation. With a groan, he tumbled her backward and captured her mouth. The first bruising contact inflamed him, and she clung to him even as her thighs parted 35
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to hold him near. The skirt she wore bunched around her hips and he knew—just knew—that her sex was bare beneath it. Her heat was too close, too moist. "You've wanted this all day, haven't you?" he growled into her mouth, his tongue delving deep before she could answer. He couldn't stop touching the runes and the stars that ran down her throat to the fine collarbones beneath her oversized top. Her arms were fragile, and he caressed the silky flesh before tearing away her shirt. Her pale breasts were exposed. She was braless, her nipples straining. Her hand at the back of his head guided him to one, urging him to suckle it. He lightly bit it, and she moaned. He lifted his gaze to hers, to study her against the deep red of the carpet. Her eyes were half-lidded with pleasure, and her mouth was still moist with his kisses. He brought his mouth down hard against hers, grinding her delicious flesh beneath his lips, and the sandpaper of his five o'clock shadow. She begged to feel the scrape of his unshaven jaw against her skin."Sean. You know what I need. You know how to satisfy me. You, only you." Her throaty voice was a hot match to his kindling. He ignited. Roughly, he knelt over her and tore off her skirt. It fell to the floor. And then he was kissing her, scraping her face with his beard as she raked her nails over his back. The pleasure mixed with pain drove him a notch higher, and his cock hardened unbearably. She was making the soft cooing gasps that unfailingly sent him over the edge. He unzipped his pants and pinched the 36
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head of his cock hard to keep from exploding. But then her hands were taking over, her slender fingers shoving the denim down his hips before plunging under the waist of his boxer briefs. He froze, gritting his teeth against the need to explode in her hot hand. But no. He wanted to spurt his seed deep inside of her. To stop her from flicking the sensitive underside of his cock and balls, he pulled himself from her grasp and dove between the silky flesh of her thighs. Her hips bucked upward, seeking the moist heat of his mouth, but he spent a long minute enjoying the sight of her. The pink petals of her pussy fell open slightly, glistening with moisture. The dark curls were kept short on her pubis, but shaven about the sensitive nub. He'd never seen her clit so swollen with need. Her fingers sank into his hair, and she pulled him against her. "Please, Sean." He cupped her ass and drew her to him with the maddening slowness he knew would drive her to the brink, then impaled her on his tongue. Her first cries of bliss were coupled with the sweet juices bathing his tongue. His cock bobbed between his legs, seeking his own release, but he gloried in this part of their lovemaking and would not be rushed. He plunged his tongue into her honey hole, raising more cries from her. Her fist thumped on his shoulder. His chest rumbled with a silent laugh as he tormented her. "Sean." 37
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He knew what she wanted. Her sweet pleasure nub pressed insistently against him with the thrust of her hips. So when he slowly removed his tongue and enveloped the object of her need with his mouth, her cry of ecstasy echoed throughout the soaring space. She was near release. She'd gone too long with her snatch bared beneath her skirt. He could taste the thickening juices, which meant she was about to come. Feeling his own impending explosion, he gathered her clit into his mouth and sucked hard. The first wave of her orgasm made her stiffen, and soon she was pumping her cunt against his mouth. Without allowing her to come down, he surged upward and drove inside her. Insane by the feel of her flesh hugging his shaft, he pushed into her again and again. The walls of her womb still clenched from her last orgasm when he felt her splinter. His balls squeezed tight against his body, and he exploded, shoving his rod into her hot pussy as he unloaded in long, intense spurts. She came, and he watched her face. Her pale lips parted, the pink flush climbing from her naked breasts to her hairline. Her eyes opened, still glazed with the sensations pulsing through her. A swell of emotion washed over him. His throat was too thick to speak, so he covered her with his body, pressing her into the rug to keep her warm. From the doorway of the kitchen, Sean watched Evangeline make up the sofa bed. For weeks, she'd refused to sleep next to him. Even after making love, he would awaken to find her in the living room. 38
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She stood frozen with a pillow in her grasp, staring blankly at the floor. Her fingers lifted to trace her tattoo. She didn't hear him approach, and stayed still, head cocked, as though listening for a far-off sound. When he said her name, she jerked, her eyes blurred by tears. She blinked to clear them. He took the pillow from her. "What's the matter?" "Just a headache." "Will you be all right while I'm at work?" he asked. Usually, she accompanied him to the club, but tonight she'd refused. Afraid of what this meant, he'd stalled. Hell, if she'd let him lift her into his arms and whisk her off to his bed, he'd call in sick for the first time ever. "I'll probably watch old movies," she said. Not acceptable. His words bubbled out, boiling hot. "I love that you're here with me, Evangeline. Say you won't go yet." "Where?" Her eyelids fluttered. "I don't have any place to go." "Don't stay because of that. Stay because you want to be with me." The clock ticked away the minutes, and the distance between them seemed to grow. Finally she gave him a heart-flipping smile. "I love being with you, Sean." Her words burned his heart, but a cold dread coated his flesh at her expression. She'd pressed the red mark at the corner of her eye hard with a forefinger. He worried about her headaches, and wondered if the tense set of her narrow shoulders could be because of him. [Back to Table of Contents] 39
Runes: The Immortal Series Book 1 by Em Petrova
Runes: Chapter Five Evangeline sank to the sofa and tucked her knees to her chest, listening to the gates and grills clatter shut and lock. The tears she'd suppressed burned her chest, and she lowered her face and let them fall. Evangeline. The voice broke through her haze of pain, but only exacerbated it. She didn't know how much longer she could conceal her craziness from Sean. Her mind echoed with voices day and night, filling her with terror. She feared her drug abuse, and past experiences with her father had driven her over the edge, and she was now the proud owner of a multiple personality disorder. You're not crazy, the voice said. Please don't cry. Shut up. Get out of my head. The clang of the metal doors being opened again made her leap to her feet. She half-ran across the room, aware of a pinprick of light in her mind along with the sound of Jim Morrison and the scents of musk and cigarettes. She longed for Sean's arms and smoldering gaze. This time maybe she'd let him carry her to his bed and sleep all night against his protective chest. Please, Evangeline. You have no idea what you're doing to me. She grabbed fistfuls of her hair and yanked as if she could pull him from her head. 40
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The final door opened and she threw herself forward, only to be caught by a much taller stranger. She slammed into him, recoiling at the smell of pot and cheap beer. "Whoa. This is my lucky day," he exclaimed, holding her. She struggled to break free of him, but he gripped her ass, and pressed her to his crotch. A scream ripped from her lungs, and he silenced her with a kiss. They tumbled backward together, her hip striking the concrete painfully. Pinned to the concrete, she fought for escape. His hard-on ground into her, digging her spine into the floor. Outraged, in pain, she bit him on the mouth. He reared up and backhanded her. His huge hand rocked her head, smashing her teeth into her cheek, and she spat blood into his face, twisting and kicking with every ounce of strength. Inside her mind, Will was going berserk. His roars of fury assailed her, and her ears rang from the blow to her head. The intruder fumbled between his legs. She felt the length of his shaft on her bare thigh. Why, oh why, had she worn the short skirt? Don't let him rape you, Will's voice warned. She viciously jammed a knee upward, but her attacker anticipated her move and spread her legs wide, forcing a finger inside her. She shrieked until her vocal chords threatened to tear. In her head, Will sank his knuckles into a wall with a bone-jarring crack. And then suddenly, the weight pinning her to the floor was gone. 41
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From the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of Sean's dark hair. She rolled onto her side, gasping and crying. She struggled to her knees. The finger of her alter ego, Will Cochran, mentally stroked her tattoo, and she collapsed forward once again. The brutal thuds of Sean's blows reached her ears. Her head lolled to the side in time to see him deliver a kick to the sternum of her attacker. He fell forward, and Sean's boot caught him squarely in the mouth. It exploded with streamers of blood and teeth. Sean picked him up by the shoulder and thigh and hurled him into the concrete. His head bounced sickeningly. "Get the fuck out of here before I call the cops. Go on. Crawl if you have to," Sean commanded, nudging him with several small kicks. Evangeline crunched into a ball, just as she'd done when her father struck her. She clapped her hands over her ears, but the sound of her attacker dragging himself toward the door reached her. Sean bellowed at him, his face purple with rage, his eyes glittering savagely. A strand of his shoulder-length hair caught on his lips, and Evangeline's foggy mind zeroed in on its movement as he yelled. Her attacker dragged himself arm over arm to the door. Sean reached down and swiped the keys to his apartment from his fist. "I can't believe I once called you friend," he said in a deadly tone, and then hurled him out into the night. The 42
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doors slammed with four deafening crashes, and then Sean stomped across the floor to Evangeline and lifted her. "Oh, my God. My God. Evangeline, are you okay? You're safe. He's gone, and believe me, he'll never return. Jesus Christ. Look what that bastard did to your face. And your mouth is bleeding. Oh, baby, hold on." He lifted her against his chest, and went down the hall to the bedroom. He tried to lower her to the bed, but she clung to him. Her lip was a ragged mess, and her head whirred. She still felt the invasion of her almost rapist's finger, and bile swelled in the back of her throat. "Evangeline. How hurt are you? Did he rape you?" Sean's fingers traveled all over her body, lightly probing. His eyes loomed before her, but inside her mind she saw Will Cochran's burning eyes, which were dark brown, too. Sean left her for a moment, and she crumpled into a ball, her knees digging painfully into her chest. Her arms ached. Her chest shook with sobs. Sean's heavy, comforting weight jarred her as he gathered her into his arms again. A frigid, wet cloth against her cut lip made her suck in her breath. "Motherfucker. How could he do this to you? Dammit. Why did I leave you alone tonight? I felt uneasy from the minute you said you weren't coming. I never should have gone." "S. . . sean," she whispered. He leaned in to hear. "Let me sleep here with you tonight. C . . cover me with your body and c. . . chase away his memory." He stretched out atop her, kissing her tears, silencing her tremors. But he could not quiet the man inside her head who 43
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chanted, "Don't fall in love with him. You're mine, Evangeline Mayer, and I'm coming for you". Morning light streamed through the high windows of Sean's apartment. Evangeline's fingers rippled over the strings of her acoustic guitar. A song rose in her mind, and she gave herself up to it, releasing it to the still apartment. Singing eased her pain, and gave her an escape. As the final words died on the air, Sean appeared, quietly applauding. His eyes glowed. "I didn't have any idea you could hear the sound that far way." She ducked her head, strumming the guitar once. "Did you write it?" "Yes," she said, blushing to the roots of her hair. "It's a song about my first lover." He made a sound deep in his chest. In a flurry, he knelt at her feet, took the guitar from her arms and crushed her against him. In the deep hours of the night, she'd awakened to find herself alone in his bed. Blinking into the darkness, she'd seen his shadow emerging from the bathroom. "I'm sorry I woke you," he said, crawling back into bed clad in only boxer shorts. His consideration for her, along with the familiar look of him, comforted her. Tenderly, he took her into his arms. His breath trailed over her bare arm and upward to her throat. She angled her head, offering him the place she most wanted touched. Her tattoo. "Beautiful, beautiful girl," he murmured, hovering over her throat. Her skin prickled with gooseflesh and she moaned. 44
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He drew back, his eyes making love to hers, tender, patient. "Evangeline, can I kiss you?" he asked a scant second before claiming her lips. His mouth was full and his jaw rough with five o'clock shadow. Their lips lingered in their own loving embrace, even as her arms locked behind his neck. His arms circled her waist, his palm inching beneath the fabric of her shirt, and probing the small of her back. "Sean," she whispered, "I've never been this close to anyone." He groaned. "Me neither. I'm head over heels for you, don't you know?" A sob rushed up her throat, and she caught his face squarely in her palms so she could stare into his eyes. "And me for you, Sean. But I've never willingly given my body to anyone before you." His eyes fluttered and his quick breath crossed her face. He swallowed audibly. "What happened?" His voice cracked with concern. The soft yet protective expression in his eyes broke open a long-festering wound within her, and the story spilled out. How her father had chosen her for his bed. The raw disgust. How he'd lied and hurt her, and degraded her soul so much that she'd used drugs every day to erase a childhood of pain. Confessing to Sean bound her to him and relieved the guilt she'd been feeling about Will Cochran. No internal voice could soothe her as much as Sean's careful kisses. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her body softening at his nearness. 45
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"Let me tuck you into bed," he murmured against her throat. She nodded with a shudder. [Back to Table of Contents]
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Runes: Chapter Six Will's foot jammed the gas pedal, and he jerked the wheel, speeding into the passing lane. At his side, Gracie clung to the safety handle. He released a humorless laugh. "What are you afraid of? We're immortals, remember? We can't die." She glared at him, but gave an embarrassed laugh. "I forgot. But do you have to drive like we're on a race track?" "Yes," he answered grimly, his mind filling again with the vision of bending Evangeline over his arm, and plunging his tongue into her sweet mouth. And then in a renewed burst of rage, he stomped the pedal and yelled, "Evangeline's driving me fucking mad. She won't answer me, and when I 'Call' to her, she holds her head and cries. She believes she's insane and it's my fault, but how the hell can I show up there and whisk her away? She'll never come with me, and I can't force her. To top it off, she's sleeping with a mortal." This discovery had been the worst. Though his eyes had followed Evangeline the entire time he'd dated her sister, he'd never seen her with a man. Now, he burned with jealousy every minute of the day, knowing her tender body was loved by the mortal man more often than Will cared to know. Given time, he knew he could persuade her to answer his 'Call'. He had dreams of landing in Chicago and finding her glowing face waiting for him. Of dropping his luggage, and yanking her into his arms. Nowhere in his dream did he see the dark, muscular man who never left her side. Sean Livingston. He suppressed 47
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another groan as he thought of her pale limbs stretched beneath that man's body, and the tattoo that belonged exclusively to Will given over to Sean's kisses. Will rifled through his coat pocket for the pack of cigarettes he'd begun smoking again. As a college student he'd been a smoker, but had abandoned it when he woke one morning behind the science building, battered after being run over by a bus, but alive. He remembered crossing the street, preoccupied with lighting a cigarette, and reading a book. He'd heard the blare of horns bearing down on him. Shaken, he'd quit cold turkey. It had taken years to discover his immortal state. Being into extreme sports had taught him that in addition to surviving the wheels of a bus, he could also take a fall skiing that would kill any mortal. After that, he'd pushed the boundaries of his body by skiing the most challenging runs. Today, he would teach Gracie the thrill of defying death on the slopes. She blinked at his outburst, but sassed him fast. "If you want her so badly, go get her. Once she sees you, she'll be unable to resist the 'Calling'." Will glared at the icy highway. Freezing rain gathered at the corners of the windshield, and the taillights of the traffic created blurs of color upon the ice. "You don't need to remind me I'm at fault, Gracie. But thank you very much. Now I can spend the day pondering the idea that I've driven my immortal mate into the bed of a black-belt martial artist and deejay." "He saved her from the rape, Will," Gracie said. 48
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Will gripped the steering wheel like it was her attacker's throat. "Thank God for that. If I get the chance to thank him for protecting her, I will." He sent Gracie a burning look. "How the hell can I convince her to come with me? That she's my destiny? I screwed up. I thought a sort of mental dating would help her see the light, but I've only driven her away."He slammed the heel of his hand against the wheel. "Calm down, Will," Gracie said slowly, twisting a long lock of hair around her finger. "I think that's the answer." He looked at her, but the scream of metal against metal brought his attention back to the highway, making him brake abruptly to avoid the four-car pile-up in the passing lane. His vehicle fishtailed, but he righted it. "What the hell are you talking about, Gracie?" "You need to send her over the edge and into your arms." Gracie's green eyes glowed. "Make her see she won't get relief from the voice in her head until she faces it." Will drew up, staring at the mangle of metal on the highway. Her idea was brilliant, really. It would propel Evangeline into his arms on her own terms. "Gracie, you're a genius." The words died on his lips when he realized the passenger door stood ajar, and Gracie was streaking toward the wreckage. The blade he'd given her as a birthday present was tucked inside her jeans pocket, ready to slash her skin and share her immortal blood with the victims. In a flurry, he shoved through the door too, fishing in his own jeans. Will and Gracie fell back onto the snow, filled with the double high of having just rescued nine victims from their 49
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vehicles, while forced to 'Make' only one immortal. Then, they'd navigated the most extreme hundred-foot drops in the state of Vermont on skis. They lay staring upward at the brilliant sky, Gracie's head pillowed on his bicep. He kissed the blond head with a resounding smack. "That was an amazing run for a first-timer," he said. She laughed, and the wind ruffled over them, blowing a strand of her hair across his face. He wiped it away with a gloved hand, trembling as the first notes of a vision of Evangeline filled his mind. All day he'd tried to see a certain scenario, so when the new vision funneled into his mind, he embraced it. He needed to see her walking away from Sean Livingston and climbing on a plane bound for Vermont. He ignored the ice stinging his face, and the howl of the wind, tuned to an internal song. The vision swallowed him. The strains of guitar music reached him through the walls of the art studio behind the mansion where he lived with his immortal friends. His palm pressed against the rough wooden door, shoving it open noiselessly. He inhaled through his nose and filled his lungs with the scents of a cold fire, carving dust, and the sweet, mouthwatering musk that could only come from Evangeline. A sweeping study of the room revealed her seated crosslegged on the concrete floor, hunched over her guitar. Her throaty voice bathed him in liquid tones, blasting a hole of awareness through his gut. Into the gaping wound seeped the bittersweet need he'd been experiencing since he'd abandoned her on the bathroom floor. In his mind's eye, he saw the inky lines of her immortal tattoo and was caught in a 50
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tempest of desire. His heart pulsed in his chest, flipped, and then raced with a deafening thud in his ears. Electricity shot to his fingertips, rendering them numb, and a shiver of heat dropped downward to enshroud his cock. If he didn't take her to his bed soon, he'd combust. Gracie had rolled onto one side and was staring at him, her heat fanning him. "Vision?" He struggled to sit up. "Yes. When I see the visions, I feel connected to her. I think I'll open my eyes and she'll be in my arms, only to emerge burning for her two dozen times a day, then realize she's in his arms. Which kills me." The wind howled through the valley, but he heard only the gritty sound of Evangeline's voice. He was determined to hear it in person by the end of the week. He stood, brushed snow from his clothing, and reached for Gracie, on the verge of another vision. "Let's go home. I've got to put this plan into action with all haste." Evangeline. When her name first penetrated her mind, her fingers stilled mid-strum on the guitar. Her song came to a strangled end. Then abruptly, she tossed her instrument to the floor and screamed. She grabbed fistfuls of her hair, yanking until several strands gave way. They caught in the web of her fingers, jet and purple, like the most macabre moss. "Leave. Please, please go, Will Cochran. I can't live with this madness any longer. I want you out of my head. I don't want anything to do with you." Baby, you're meant to be with me. I know you feel it. Shut up. You're not real. 51
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I'm real. Look into the mirror, and you'll see the truth of our bond in the surreal glow of your skin. I don't want you. Once I did, but now I have Sean. Once. . . Will repeated, shielding his eyes. It was almost unbearable, hearing her say this. They were bound. Bound. He felt the emotion rippling over her, raising the fine hairs at the nape of her neck. Her fingers twisted together, locking against him. Will steeled himself, knowing he must push on. You want me, Evangeline Don't deny it. We're linked. And you're mine. Leave Sean. Let me come to you. Meet me at the airport, and I'll be on the next plane to Chicago. Get the hell out of my head. Her cry broke from her anew, and now when she lifted her hands, she tore at her flesh. Her pale pink nails raked the vulnerable skin of her temples, leaving shallow furrows which instantly filled with blood. Evangeline, stop. Don't hurt yourself. He grabbed his own hair. It did nothing to alleviate the stinging pain of the scrapes she'd created and tears filled his eyes. Stop! Stop! Stop, he called to her. I can help you end this torment if only you'll come to me. The words dropped into her mind, rendering her instantly motionless. She stood amongst the thrift shop finds of Sean Livingston's apartment. Through her eyes, Will saw the long purple sofa where Sean had stripped her clothes and kissed her laughing lips. To the right stood the computer desk and chair where she'd sat recording her song onto Sean's laptop. After she'd finished, he'd removed the guitar from her arms, tipped her back and sank his tongue deep into her mouth. 52
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Even the mug on the coffee table linked her to Sean. Each morning he'd make her a 'special' brew with his expensive coffee maker. She stared through tear-stained eyes at a brick wall. The metal artwork reflected the glaring sunshine from the high windows. A sob broke from her chest. How can that help me? Will began to shake and a wave of dizziness struck him. Again, he shielded his eyes, though no one was present to witness his demoralization. It will lay that ghost to rest and you'll see for yourself which man you need, he responded. And then into her mind, he spoke the address where she could reach him as he tried not to feel her joy. [Back to Table of Contents]
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Runes: Chapter Seven "Where's Evangeline? Haven't seen her the past coupla weeks." The head bartender stood wiping glasses and lining them up in neat rows on a shelf. Sean settled the bottle of rum with a thunk and tossed the warm liquid down his throat. It burned a path to his stomach, but it didn't burn the pain from his heart. He poured himself another. "Not feeling well. Headaches." His tone warned the bartender not to say anything more. Sean scooped his drink off the bar top and crossed the dance floor to his deejay booth. He opened the door, and was blasted by the heady scent of Evangeline. It hung in the very air. After she'd moved into his house, she hadn't spent a moment apart from him. He loved to tuck her into the booth with him, drag her onto his lap, and ravage her mouth while the bass from the speakers slammed around them. For the past week, since the night he'd played the recording of her song, she'd refused to join him at the club. An agent had swooned at the sound of her voice and signed her on the spot. Afterward, Sean and Evangeline had shared a bottle of champagne and the biggest breakfast of bacon, eggs and pancakes he could cook up. Then, he'd wrapped her legs about him and carried her to bed. In the DJ booth, he set his drink next to the mixing board. Her long woolen scarf hung on the back of a chair, and he lifted it, wrapping it about his hand like a bandage. Tonight, he'd practically begged her to come with him, but she'd 54
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stared through him while fingering her temple with a forefinger. "Maybe tomorrow." His chest burned as he thought of her anger. How could she trust him? After all, he'd given the house keys to his socalled friend who'd nearly raped her. He bolted the doors, leaving her alone in his apartment. Then he'd called his sister Olivia and spilled his guts. Her take on the matter tormented him. "She's using you," Olivia said. Sean stopped walking and stared up at the black, smoggy sky. Anger tightened his words. "You don't know anything, Liv." "I know she needed a place to stay, and you provided it. She's been staying rent-free for months, and so she felt obligated to pay out once in awhile—" "You don't know her." "No, I don't, because she refused to fly out and meet Mom and me, which means she's not serious about you, bro. She's a leech and you're blinded by a pretty face." The annoyance boiling in his chest gave way to utter fury. "You don't know a fucking thing about it. She hasn't paid a cent because I refused her money. I like taking care of her. And as for the trip to New York, she's not ready. Who the hell could ready themselves to meet you?" Olivia went for the bone. "So now she's turning away from you, prepared to latch onto the next poor sucker, who probably has more money than you, and a bigger place. Maybe connections to the music industry, which will fulfill her dream of being agented." 55
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His anger sizzled. "Shut your goddamned mouth, Olivia. I swear, if I were in your face, you'd pay for the things you're saying, woman or not," But her words echoed inside his hollow soul. He tried to apply his sister's thoughts to Evangeline's actions and couldn't. Evangeline hadn't faked her emotions. He'd studied those dark blue eyes. She hadn't given him her body because she wanted something in exchange. He stared through the window of the deejay booth and cranked the music. He watched the dance floor, crowded with undulating bodies, but he saw only Evangeline's face as he'd last seen it: pinched and pale. He grabbed his coat and burst from the booth. He shot toward the exit out into the night. As his feet pounded the sidewalk, he replayed their final conversation. She'd followed him to the door and watched him shrug on his coat. Her eyes had shone with tears, and his heart had surged into his throat like he was riding the Tower of Terror, prepared to drop hundreds of feet in 0.6 seconds. "Evangeline. . . ." Her eyes burned into his, leaving two bloody imprints of her on his soul. "I'm wondering if you feel trapped?" he asked. She shifted toward him on her toes. He knew this body language and yanked her roughly against his chest. He buried his face in the short, fragrant hair over her ear to still the shaking of his limbs.
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"No," she whispered hoarsely, twisting the longer hair at the back of his head. "Not at all. You make me happier than I've ever been." "But you'd tell me if you needed space? If you wanted to go? Because what we have is too good to screw up, and if that means backing off. . . . " Her grip turned desperate, and her mouth sought his. They met in an inferno of need, their tongues wild. He drank in her scent—a mixture of sandalwood and vanilla she said calmed her—threading his fingers in her short hair, and forcing himself deeper into her mouth. If he'd thought she would allow it, he would have lifted her against the wall and driven his cock inside her. He rocked his hips into hers, urging even as his mouth pleaded. But she tore away abruptly, her eyes clouded by pain and passion. She slid her mask into place, removed herself from his arms. Sean's muscles bunched, and he sprinted toward her. Through the streets he ran, weaving in between crowds, his heart racing in dread. Evangeline was hiding something, but tonight he would dig until he found the sinister root, and yanked it free, so the flower of their love could bloom. He reached his apartment building with a stitch in his side, fumbling through his keys, gulping air into his lungs. The metal gates and grills were thrown aside. He was shaking more with each passing second. When he jabbed the final key into the final door, a sick sweat broke over him. Evangeline's cries seeped beneath the door. He batted it open and fell into the apartment, clutching his chest. He 57
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searched the open space and spotted her huddled in a chair, her knees digging into her chin as sobs wracked her body. "Evangeline." He rushed into the room, his knees striking the concrete in the exact place where yesterday he'd knelt over her, making love. He reached for her now, but she flinched from his touch. She was bone white and rigid from crying. Hysteria twisted her delicate features like a blade in his heart. He might as well be dead, he thought. Without her, he couldn't continue. He bent to see her eyes. "Baby, what's wrong?" "I need to go for awhile," she rasped, winding her arms around his neck. "What?" he cried, clutching her to his body which rolled with spasms. Then he searched her bleary, bloodshot eyes. "Is this about drugs?" "No, never again." "Don't go. Stay. You can stay." His voice broke, and he gripped her so tightly he didn't know if she could breathe. But could he breathe at all if she was gone? Their bodies were matching pieces of a puzzle. Her head nestled beneath his chin, and they stood locked together from neck to knee. The sobs built behind the wall of her chest. All at once, his muscles tensed, prepared for a fight. Power swelled within him, and he recognized this feeling all too well—it was the surge he'd gotten when he'd laid eyes on his friend trying to rape his woman. Her quiet rasp filled his ears, and his body responded to her voice. It was the same tone she used when he was between her thighs. 58
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"I need to go and see." "Don't leave, Evangeline. You won't come back to me." His throat constricted on his words. She shuddered and he held her tighter to him. "We're good together, so damn good. Don't let it end." He stared into her ethereal blue eyes. They pooled with tears which bounced from her lashes and onto her pale cheeks, streaking it with sorrow. She swallowed and lowered her head. For a moment he felt her relent, felt her body cling to him as though she could never be torn away. Suddenly she seized his face in her palms, and her mask was back in place. "I have to do this. I'm sorry," she said. She surged upward, her mouth and tongue moving against his tear stained cheeks. When she reached the corner of his mouth, she turned into him with desperation. Their mouths collided in a heart-wrenching kiss as their tears mingled, mixing salt with salt. She drew away, and his hands clenched her waist. "Don't. I-I'm in love with you." He'd never said the words before. They sank into the silent space. The need to make her understand how much she meant to him cramped his gut. A sob bubbled from her. "I'm sorry. I've got to go." She disentangled herself from him and stumbled toward the door. His face numbed with terror. His hands were still reaching for her, missing the heat of her flesh. At the door she faltered. Her knees buckled, and hope exploded in his chest that she couldn't actually leave him. 59
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But she stooped, picked up the duffle bag filled with her belongings, and her guitar, then walked out of his life. [Back to Table of Contents]
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Runes: Chapter Eight As the doors closed between Evangeline and Sean, the image of the twisted anguish on his face had her quaking like a sapling in a storm. The wind's pitch had changed from a roaring gale to a shriek. She stumbled through the city streets, the rush of traffic assaulting her ears. It was too loud, amplifying her pain. Suddenly, the curb rushed up at her. Her knees struck the concrete, her palms scuffing the rough surface and tearing her skin. "Hey, baby, you okay?" a male voice asked, making her scramble to her feet and run. Her breath sobbed in her lungs, and tears blinded her. She ran six blocks to the house of an acquaintance, beat on his door and begged to borrow his truck. With keys in hand, she slammed herself inside the truck and sat shaking, tormented by Sean's loss. That he'd told her he was in love with her made it all the worse. An hour later, she was forty miles away, rushing away from Sean, boot ground against the accelerator. The battered old pick-up skidded to the shoulder, and Evangeline fell out the door, sobbing and retching. Gravel dug into her knees and a cold rain ripped at her clothing. Tears and snot streamed down her face and she trembled inside like she needed a fix. She folded her arms around her stomach cramps. Will Cochran's words revolved through her foggy mind, filling her with longing and fear. Once you set eyes on me you'll see for yourself, but until you do my voice will hurt you. 61
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She was heading into Will's arms. It seemed surreal. In the past hour, he'd told her that not only was she part of an elite group of people walking the earth—immortals, no less—but she was destined to be his mate. She thought of the visions that had haunted her for months—Will's searing touch, his low voice reverberating in her mind, and the lovemaking he said would bind them permanently. She shivered uncontrollably at the thought, fearing she was going mad. An hour later she climbed from the truck like a zombie. Inside the gas station's dirty restroom, she studied her ravaged complexion in the mirror. But, if she spoke his name she could enter his mind. Her face crumpled anew. What was Sean doing now? She imagined him revisiting the spots of his apartment where they'd spent the most time together. Watching old movies on the long sofa or lying in his bed, talking about his various Tae Kwan Do trophies. He was in love with her, and she'd never needed anyone more than him at that moment. Except for Will. Her hands trembled so badly that water sloshed over her thermal T-shirt, which happened to be Sean's. Longing for Sean ate at her core. She hugged herself tightly and let her sobs erupt. She could call him on the telephone. She refused to carry a cell phone and now cursed herself for her stubborn defiance of technology. Sean had laughed at her, but after a few weeks, his cell never left his dresser. Armed with a scalding coffee, a king-sized Hershey bar, and a pack of cigarettes, 62
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she returned to the truck. Now, she wished above all else that she could hear Sean's rich, sexy voice spilling over her. The truck sped down the interstate, hitting every bump and pothole from Chicago to Barre, Vermont. In the old truck, the shocks were shot so it tossed Evangeline around like she was on a carnival ride. What the hell was she doing? She'd just torn herself from the only man she'd ever loved to travel across the country in hopes of speaking to the real version of the voice in her head. This was a man who'd fucked her sister, and God, the pain stabbed Evangeline's chest. That Jessa had run her fingers through that shaggy auburn hair or kissed a path down his chest to his sexy tattoo made her want to floor the engine and run over something. She shoved the chocolate bar into her mouth in four bites, and chewed the enormous amount as she mulled over this horrible thought. The ache for Sean returned with a vengeance. A dark, pulsing pain in her chest which brought instant tears to her eyes. She clung to it, letting it burn her gut like a swig of her favorite vodka. If all she had left of Sean was pain, she would hold it close. "What if I can't live without Sean?" she asked herself quietly. As she passed a sign for the Vermont state border, her fingers tightened with resolve upon the steering wheel. Well, Evangeline, you're about to find out. Evangeline drove the pickup truck down the long lane leading to an enormous mansion. Dawn was hours away, but the horizon wore a belt of dark grey that promised a clear, bright sky. She stopped the truck, and the emergency brake 63
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screeched as she set it. Heart pounding, she stepped out and hunched her shoulders against the cold air. Faced with the brick building, the enormity of her actions struck her. She was far from Chicago and the life she knew. The life she'd created with Sean. With a pang, Evangeline thought suddenly of her guitar. A gift from Sean for her birthday three weeks ago. He'd scrambled from bed, fresh from lovemaking, and revealed the acoustic behind the closet door. "Sean," she'd gasped, her eyes filling. He lifted it carefully and placed it into her hands. "Happy birthday, Evangeline. What do you think?" She gave a soft sob, overwhelmed. "It's awesome. Amazing. How did you know it was my birthday?" "I know a lot you never told me, baby," he said, his dark eyes aglow. And then her fingers had taken over, and the words of a new song bubbled into the air. She'd never even told him she loved him. Evangeline carefully removed the guitar from the bed of the truck, and following an innate sense of purpose, set off down a cobbled walk around the side of the mansion. A large outbuilding loomed before her, and she made for the door, guided by pure instinct. The door silently opened inward, and Evangeline set down her guitar, felt along the wall and flipped a switch. Her breath caught. Granite sculptures of various size and shapes, from simple obelisks to glorious classical figures surrounded her. She walked around the space, weaving through the lovely sculptures. She paused to trail her fingers over the flowing garments of a female figure. The pleats and folds were cool, 64
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telling her it was indeed rock, but her eyes told her otherwise. The figures looked as if they could step from their stone pedestals, drop their garments, and climb nude into a bath. With a weighty sigh, she knelt beside her guitar. The locks of the case sounded like shots in the quiet space, and she tipped back the lid to reveal the glossy wood instrument. Her tears fell unchecked as she lifted the beloved piece into her hands. She sat cross-legged with her back against the wall and played. The words rose without thought, and the notes bound her tight to the spell she wove. It was a song of loves gained and lost, of pain and need, of joy and sorrow. She sang for Will to hear her 'Call', for Sean to believe her sadness, and for her own heart, torn between the two. And as the last strains drifted into the air to mingle with the dancing stone dust, she looked up directly into Will's glowing eyes. [Back to Table of Contents]
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Runes: Chapter Nine Like someone bewitched, Will quietly followed the path leading to the art studio. He quivered uncontrollably at the taste of Evangeline on the very air. His vision was coming true. He would open the studio door, and she would be there, huddled in a corner playing her guitar. He'd been told the visions were glimpses into the future, but he'd been reluctant to believe them. Her throaty voice fell on his ears. His brain reeled at the enchanting sound, and his heart tripped with excitement. Heat enveloped his body, which urged him to go forward, to claim her body and share her blood, binding them forever. But first he had to be sure. The cold of the stone and concrete space greeted him at the door, along with the low rasp of Evangeline's voice mixed with tears. Directly ahead of him, a granite muse barred his way. He circled her only to be met by another. Will touched its hand in passing, but would not be thwarted. Their stark faces would never repel him from Evangeline. Nothing could. Not even her love of Sean. Stepping through the forest of granite sentries, he emerged a few feet from his immortal mate. At the sight of her, his heart soared, and he staggered beneath the joy even as his fists clenched. They'd never spoken face to face, but he burned for her. For weeks he'd made love to her in his visions, and his nighttime dreams, but now that they were inches apart, he knew he must move slowly. While his body 66
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told him to lift her into his arms and search for the nearest bed, she must first get accustomed to him. Her voice stopped, and he realized her song had ended. She stared up at him, and a shiver of electricity passed between them. He was struck by the brilliant hue of her irises and could nearly smell the blue spring hyacinths they resembled. But her eyes swam with tears. His footfalls were swallowed by silence as he inched closer. Abruptly, she set aside her instrument and scrambled to her feet. Her hands splayed against the wall behind her as though seeking an escape. "Please don't be frightened," he heard himself say. Instantly the barrier crumbled and her mind melted into his blissfully. His head fell back, and his eyes hooded with the desire gripping him. "Will," she said aloud, but he also heard her in his soul. And then he was striding toward her, catching both of her hands in a single one of his, pressing his love into her very pores. Her face tilted upward. He struggled. God, if only he could drop a kiss to those pale pink lips and taste her. His eyes devoured her features. Small and delicate—like a China doll. Her bones would feel like spun glass if he cradled her face. And oh, to do just that. A lightning strike of raw emotion wrenched his heart. The shiver rolled into Evangeline. He felt the sizzle of her mind in his mind and reveled in their close link. Her face tipped up. "It's true," she whispered, awed. "My soul knows you." Her words were a punch to the gut. At last, the hole in his life closed, filled by Evangeline, his immortal mate. He 67
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exhaled sharply and squeezed her shaking hands. They were more delicate than he remembered from the 'Making', and silky smooth. His thumb searched upward, stroking her wrist. Her pulse leapt crazily beneath his touch. Gently, he caressed the column of her throat with his eyes. Her immortal tattoo drove him mad with desire. The things they would feel through this intimate touch drove him forward faster than he wanted, but he couldn't stop himself. He gripped her slight waist and swayed her into him. The music of her breath played in his ears. Her palms pressed against his chest and he froze, searching her mind. Did she intend to push him away? "No," she said, answering his thought. Her voice carried through the room and dizzied him. "Just... Will... don't you see how much I need you?" Her words were fire to kindling, and he was instantly aflame. With a growl of desperation, he scooped her off her feet and dipped his mouth to her tattoo. The shock sent their minds reeling, but he brought her so near they were one again. His mouth touched each tiny rune and star, and moved up her throat. At her ear, he paused to whisper, "You beautiful, beautiful woman. My mate. Mine. Feel it? It's us." A cry escaped her, and she threw her arms around his neck and ground her body against his. "I feel it, Will. Oh, God, won't you. . . ?" He briefly tasted the final star at the corner of her eye before she grabbed his jaw and kissed him. At the first contact of their mouths, they went completely still. Though 68
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their shaking wouldn't cease until their blood was shared, it eased. She stopped breathing. I want you, he said into her soul, raising another shiver from her. He cupped her face, angled her head, and thrust his tongue into the sweet recesses of her mouth. For long minutes they searched each other, kissing and nibbling. The feel of her in his arms roused his tenderness, but his body demanded more. Yes, she begged him. Please stop this shaking. Dragging his mouth from hers, he stared into her gaze, fighting for control. He forced his fingers to relax and gently released her. She stumbled backward, confusion stamped on her features. At once her burning blush and angry tears stole all sense from Will, and he yanked her back to him. Against her throat, he rasped, "We can't continue. You need time, Evangeline." Time to recover from her love for Sean. But he couldn't keep an image of her mortal lover shuttered from her mind, and he saw the instant she read it. She straightened as if she'd been stabbed, lifted her hands to his chest, and shoved him away. Her heat left him and his arms fell limply to his sides, aching at the sudden emptiness. He watched her submerge herself into the sea of granite sculpture. She tripped through them, her obvious anger hastening her steps, which were as graceful and complex as a minuet. Returning to face him, she drew up before him with eyes blazing. 69
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He reached for her, but she sidestepped him. He jammed a hand through his hair. How to proceed with her? A light rain pattered on the roof. "You understand about 'The Calling'?" he asked. Her blue eyes flashed. "Yes." "And. . . that I made you immortal?" Again her eyes flashed, brighter with tears. "That, too." "So you understand that we cannot disregard this link," he said, striding across the room, his body screaming for her. If he didn't distance himself from her, he'd grab her and take her, and damn the consequences. Near the small wood-burning stove, he stopped and looked at her again. Her short hair lay in flat waves against her head rather than her usual spikes, giving her a soft, ethereal appearance. Her mouth fell open with a sigh, inflaming him further. She nodded that she understood. "To finish the imprint, we must share our bodies and blood," he said, seeing her wince. "But I refuse to lay a hand on you unless you tell me the truth, Evangeline." His voice sounded harsh to him. "I don't lie, Will. And never to you." He suddenly realized every preconceived notion about her had been struck down by a glimpse of her true self. Sweet and caring and his. Give me strength. I cannot resist this perfect woman. "Why did you come?" he asked.
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Her brow wrinkled. "I came for you. Because you've been driving me mad for months, and I can't bear to be parted from you anymore." She almost sobbed. "And what about Sean? You're in love with him," he said, choking. He felt her heart plummet. Spinning on the heel of her boot, she paced away. He watched the ramrod set of her back and felt her muscles quiver within his own. At the foot of the female figure nearest the door, she collapsed in sobs. In five steps he'd reached her. Don't turn me away. Let me show you how much I can love you. A moan broke from her chest. Her slender arms lifted to him, and in a heartbeat he'd shouldered her duffle and scooped her against his chest, navigating the gallery with her and her guitar. He turned for the door and escaped with her into the night, down the cobbled walk to his friends' home, and up the back stairwell to his bedroom there. Will paused in the doorway of his bedroom suite to let his eyes adjust to the dim glow of the moon coming through the long windows. He made out the shape of the bed. He felt Evangeline stiffen and set her gently on her feet. He switched on the small table lamp that cast long, spidery shadows over the cozy room. He saw it through her eyes. Thick shag carpeting of rust orange, modular furniture, a low platform waterbed and graphic art prints. Their eyes met and she twisted away, suddenly shy. Avoiding his gaze, she put her duffle bag on the wooden chest at the foot of the bed and unzipped it. She rifled through it, extracted a black hoodie, and yanked it over 71
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her head. Will now noticed that she wore a man's T-shirt. Probably Sean's. He ground his teeth but worked to control his expression, to keep it neutral, so as not drive her away. He stared at that black hoodie, wishing with all his heart she'd let him warm her rather than cloak herself in thick cotton. At once, he was filled with the heaviness and despair he'd felt the past two days when she'd refused to let his voice inside her. He rubbed a hand over his jaw, the stubble chaffing his hand, and her eyes shot to his. Will searched her gaze, beginning their lovemaking. He saw into her soul and recognized her goodness. She was a part of him as completely as if she'd been crafted from his rib. He caught her sleeve between two fingers. She went still, her head turned aside, tormenting him with the proximity of her tattoo. What can I do to ease you? he asked into her mind, raising her shudder. "I don't know," she whispered. "Will you sit and talk with me?" He cast a look about the room and recklessly chose the bed. He drew her down beside him. Long minutes ticked by while she stared at her hands. The waterbed undulated as he shifted his weight, and the hum of the central heating reached his ears. His mind worked furiously. He'd torn her from Sean with obvious repercussions. Did she resent Will because he had changed her life? Maybe she couldn't love him now and was simply resigned to their connection. The shaking of her head was so minute, he barely detected it. 72
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"What does that mean?" he whispered into the deadly calm. "The things you're thinking aren't true. At least not totally," she amended, turning her gaze to his. He could barely stand being so near to her, and yet, unable to touch her, to smooth her dark hair, or probe her full pale lips. "Explain." "I don't resent you, Will. I chose to come. I choose this path. But you're right in thinking it's going to be difficult for me because of Sean." The despondent sag of her shoulders crushed him. "Evangeline," he said slowly. "Let me hold you." The instant the words left his mouth, she shot into his arms. He gathered her close, and she curled into a ball on his outstretched legs with her head tucked beneath his chin. He felt the burn of her tears dropping onto his chest. Automatically, he stroked her tattoo to grant her calm. She gave a stuttering sigh and grew weighty in his arms like a child dropping off to sleep. He caressed the rune and star pattern climbing her throat and splayed his fingers into her hair. No matter what, I want you, Evangeline. I can be patient. I can wait. He said these things, and despite how powerfully her body and blood 'Called' to him, he knew to his surprise that he could truly wait. The sun rose over the lip of the land, casting its harsh orange glow through the tall windows. Will had spent hours watching the sky change from black to midnight, to dark 73
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violet, and finally the lovely pale blue that made him think of Evangeline's eyes. She remained unmoving in his arms, silent and still. He thought she was asleep though her breathing never changed. Once their bond was completed, he would be more attuned to her physically as well as mentally. They would have no need to speak the other's name for their minds to be linked, and she would be able to hide little. In the blackest hours of the night, he'd found himself praying. The idea of Sean tormented him. A simple phone call from Evangeline, which he could not and should not prevent, could bring Sean running. And she was wearing his shirt, his soft masculine musk still clinging to its fibers, touching her skin and swelling within her pores. It drove Will mad that Sean had touched her flesh with his, kissed every inch of her pale limbs and coupled with her. "The sunrise is lovely," she said, startling him. Her voice— always whispery—was raspy with disuse. He grew drunk on the sound. Nothing compares to sharing it with you, Will said, applying the barest pressure beneath her chin and drawing her face to his. Her lips succumbed to him at once, soft and pliant and utterly his. He kissed her gently for long minutes, allowing her to feel his patience. But when her hand curled about his neck and brought him closer, all thought of patience fled. With a growl, he sank his tongue between her lips, thrilling at the returning caress of hers. Long, gulping kisses unraveled between them, firing his lust all over again. And the heated 74
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waterbed cradled them, begging to receive her soft, naked limbs, if only she'd let him peel away her clothes and discard Sean's shirt forever. He flipped her onto her back and half-sprawled atop her, supported on his elbows. He trapped her head in his hands and made love to her with his mouth, speaking of promises to come. Her hands drove him wild as they worked the buttons of his shirt, her thumb stroking his nipple into a hard nub. White heat shot through him. His cock hardened and throbbed painfully. He ground it against the heat between her thighs. She opened to him, rocking her hips into his rhythmically. The honeyed scent of her reached his nose, and he nearly came undone. In a flurry, he stripped away the layers of her shirts and her skirt, leaving only pale pink lace and paler flesh. He bowed his head at the sight, pulsing for release. Surging upward, she captured his mouth in another searing kiss, her tongue darting into his mouth and circling it. He imagined that hot little tongue against the head of his erection and groaned, growing harder still. Using only the tip of his thumb, he trailed it between her high round breasts, circling the right and then the left, barely skimming the straining rosebud nipples. She arched upward, seeking more, and her soft, begging sounds reached him. He wanted to feel her scream through the walls of her chest. His thumb traveled down her torso, raising gooseflesh in its wake. He briefly caught the golden loop of her navel ring, and she shuddered. 75
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The barest lace panties concealed what he wanted most. Black curls shone through, and he stroked them through the fabric, running his thumb down the slit of her pussy, clear to her ass. She bucked against him, and he gave a soft laugh. "Not so fast, my beauty. We have all day." Her hands twisted into the longer hair at the back of his head. "Will, I'm burning." Again he laughed and bent to her mouth. His breath passed over her lips as he said, "I know." He replaced his thumb with his forefinger, probing the hard peaks of her breasts, then pinched each of them hard, making her cry out for more. Still chuckling, he followed his original path, tracing a circle about her navel and watching her hips grind in the air. The lacy panties were rough against his fingertip, but moisture seeped through. Her scent tinted the very air he breathed, begging him to taste her. Still he held back, caressing the slick slit through her panties, pausing briefly to rub her hard clit before traveling on to the moistened hole and then the hidden netherhole. She wriggled and writhed beneath his finger, begging with her eyes, her lips and her moans. He captured her mouth then, dipping into it as her hips did a mad little dance against him. When he thought he'd burst, he rolled away, ripping off her bra. Her breasts sprang free, the nipples darkened to fuchsia, and when he stared at them adoringly, she lifted her fingers and twisted them herself. "That's it, baby. Touch yourself for me. Touch yourself all over. Let me see how you like it before I give it a try," he murmured against her lips. 76
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Her eyes were wide and glassy as she rolled her nipples between her fingers. And then suddenly, she dipped her head and licked the tip of one, raising a groan of need in him. Her lips pulled away from her breast with a soft smile as her hand plunged into her panties. Will's cock tightened at the sight. Knees falling apart to show him the glistening flesh, she stabbed a finger into the deep recesses of her cunt. A moan came from her lips, and she raised her finger, spreading the slick juices over her nipples. Will's mouth watered to taste her even as the mind-link that exposed him to her every sensation drove him insane. Again, she touched her pussy, rubbing her clit gently, her head thrown back in the ecstasy of self-pleasure. Her breathing increased and her ass wiggled against the bed. Wetness pooled on her inner thighs. Before he could prompt her, she knew what he wanted, and she bathed her tits in her hot fluids once more and then licked them each in turn. Maddened, he watched her tongue stroke the pink flesh, licking the vital honey he so craved. How does it taste? he asked into her mind. Sweet and salty, she answered. Using the fingers of her left hand, she spread her pussy lips, exposing the pulsing nub to the attentions of her index finger even as her middle finger plunged inside. She was trembling all over, near release. Just before she peaked, Will grabbed her wrists and dragged them away. Her lips fell open with shock, but he held her gaze as he lifted her fingers to his mouth and sucked them clean. Her eyes were hazy with desire as she watched his tongue work each finger that had touched her own 77
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moisture. And when he dropped his head to her breasts, lapping them with his tongue, she clutched his head and begged him to finish it. "Not yet, my love. I'll show you the edge of the world before I do my duty or let you touch that sweet pussy and make it come," he growled, sucking a nipple into his mouth and grazing it with his teeth. Her hands fell from his head, seeking her own heat, but true to his word, he stopped her with a soft bite to her breast. "Now tell me how it feels when you come, Evangeline. Tell me how your pussy will grip my cock as I flood you with my seed." She turned her mouth into his ear and whispered a hot litany of words, each more searing than the last. His burn was painful, unbearable and consuming. He could go on for hours with her, teasing and tormenting her until she forgot her name. "All right," he groaned at last, leaning away and guiding her hands back to her pussy. Automatically she gathered the wetness on one fingertip and brought it to his lips. With a crooked smile, he drew it into his mouth and suckled. Her eyes fluttered shut, and he gently removed her finger and guided it back to where she wanted it most. Up the steep incline of pleasure she drove herself, rubbing and fucking with her fingers. Her belly grew taut, her nipples turned dark purple, and her eyes squeezed as she hit the summit and rolled down the other side. Waves of sensation creamed over her, and he watched sweat break out on her skin as she shuddered. 78
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Before she could gasp for more breath, he buried his tongue in her mouth. Their kiss was frantic with need, and as her orgasm ebbed away, her tongue slowed against his and drew to an exquisite stop. She opened her eyes into his. "Now it's your turn," she said, and threw him onto his back. [Back to Table of Contents]
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Runes: Chapter Ten "You deserve the same torment," Evangeline said, studying Will's glowing eyes. Dawn sent its long fingers into the bedroom to spill across Will's perfect body and render it surreal. He could have been one of the granite statues, lying across the bed in only jeans slung low on his hips so that the inky lines of his immortal tattoo peeked from beneath the waistband. She'd had too many fantasies of him in this state to be immune to the sight and wanted above all to touch him. Kneeling over him, she spent long minutes studying his eyes close up. They were golden brown with rays of darkness at the center. For months she'd craved this moment. He'd driven her mad with visions of making love to her, and the ideas of togetherness he'd forced into her mind. Once she'd wished him away. Never again. As she realized this, a wave of guilt swept her. Sean's loss was a hot coal in her stomach. Her mind felt sick thinking of him, of that haunted look that had followed her from the apartment. It followed her now, into Will's bedroom. But before her lay a man whose very soul caressed the edges of hers. His eyes were mirrors, reflecting the depth of his emotion for her. Yes, he loved her already. How could she not respond? His chest was sprinkled with crisp auburn hair, and it rose and fell beneath her, curling about his perfect nipples, which were set like jewels in the mounds of his pectoral muscles. 80
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She caressed each hair with her eyes, right down into the V that funneled into his pants. A hard, unshaven jaw made her burn, wondering how the rough hair would feel moving against her. But his mouth made her juices trickle between her legs anew. It was wide and full and delivered the sexiest lazy smile. She wanted to kiss it and never stop. She shifted against his chest, a dull throb beginning deep in her belly. She was soaking the dusting of hair above his navel with her fluids, and ground her pussy against him instinctively. He grinned up at her, his teeth white and even. "What do you intend to do with me, baby?" What did she think she was doing? Sean's scent still permeated her clothes. Was she ready to jump into Will's arms so easily? But a bone-deep instinct to give him pleasure loosened her defenses. His soul was beckoning her, and the spark she saw in his mind drove her on. "I'm going to play with you like you played with me. Only better, if I can manage it. I'm going to arouse you so much, I'll convince you to never leave me wanting," she told him in a low voice. Between her thighs, his chest rumbled with laughter. "Do your worst." Slowly she leaned over him, her nipples inches above his chest, and her mouth suspended over his, exchanging breath. She inhaled him now, getting used to the smoky, musky scent of his body, so different from Sean's, yet just as compelling. 81
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She let these thoughts swirl through her mind like an addictive cocktail. Her heartbeat slowed to keep time with Will's. She felt his soul blossom, and swell, glowing at her nearness. She sought the deepest part of herself to give him more. Her breath was a whisper kiss as she spoke the dirty things she hoped would drive him to distraction. He surged upward, but she dodged him and kept talking. Along his jaw and down his throat, she worked him, teasing him with nothing more than her moist breath. She felt his chest muscles tighten beneath her and delighted in a new flood of wetness on her thighs. Her panties were soaked, and she told him this. She told him that she wanted him to lick them when she was finished with him and show her how much he wanted to lick her cunt. With each bold word, Will's mind, body and soul responded, driving her to please him. She lost her mind to him, gave herself up to the new feelings, the feelings that suddenly felt all right. Hovering over him, she released a hot stream of air on his right nipple and it hardened for her. On to the left, she did so again, closely watching his eyes crease at the corners as they squeezed shut. Briefly she allowed her own nipples to sink against his. The first scalding touch sent her reeling into the past, into Sean's bed. She tensed, then grew utterly still. Will rubbed her upper arms. She knew he could see into her mind, see the war waging in her soul between him and Sean. Just as clearly, she saw his patience. 82
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They spent a long minute searching each other's eyes. You don't need to go on, he told her. His mental voice sent an ache through her. She wanted to pleasure him, to forever stop the quaking the link had begun, to mesh her soul and heart with his. They were already knotted together by the 'Calling'. The need to finish their bond flooded her mind. She rubbed her breasts against his chest. A moan escaped him, driving away Sean's ghost. He tried to crush her against him, but she resisted. "Oh, no," she cooed. "You're not even warmed up yet." She continued her breath play, trailing down his chest and to the pulse at each wrist. When she reached his lower abdomen, she tasted the golden flesh with her tongue. He jerked at her attentions and nearly dislodged her, but she clung tight with her strong thighs and blew some cooling air across the moist spot she'd created. His hands fisted the bedcovers, and his head jerked aside. Through clenched teeth, he said, "Stop this torment, Evangeline. Just take my cock into your mouth." She laughed playfully. "Never. You're going to beg me first." Downward she moved, teasing him with the slightest brush of her nipples. And then deftly, she unbuttoned his pants and slid them down and away, revealing tight black briefs and the sexiest tattoo. She nearly gave in, but swallowed her need and teased him with more hot ticklish breaths. "What do you like?" she murmured so close to the flesh straining against his briefs. She nearly sent him over the edge. The thick bulge quivered with impending release, and 83
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abruptly, she withdrew. "Not yet, my precious lover. Back to the top," she said, skimming the length of his body with the barest touch of her breasts. A half-sigh, half-moan burst from him, and she swallowed it with her mouth. He kissed her hungrily, seeking control, which she refused by pinning his arms to his sides. He could have easily thrown her off, but he let her continue this erotic torment. She perched atop him, kissing and biting his lips and tongue. The coarse hair of his beard burned her sensitive flesh. "I feel you shaking," he said between kisses. "You want me." "Not yet." Withdrawing, she took her breast in hand and held it above his lips. His eyes scalded her, but she wouldn't let him touch her nipple with his tongue. Taking the other breast as well, she slid them over his chest in slow arcs meant to madden him. His body was rigid, but she would not end his torment yet. When she touched her breasts to his immortal tattoo, she froze in shock, and he stiffened, seemingly on the verge of release. She held her breath, and only when he gave a ragged sigh did she continue, touching her breasts to his cock. He groaned and sank his fingers into her hair, his thumb tracing the stars at the corner of her eye. She cupped her breasts together, making a tight sheath about his erection. Undulating up and down, she rubbed his cock with her breasts from tip to root. Her eyes were riveted to the drop of delicious moisture collecting at the tip, and without thought she dipped her tongue into it. 84
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"Oh God," he moaned, grabbing her arms and hauling her slick body up his sweaty chest. She stared into his crazed eyes. "I'm about to come," he said grittily. "And I don't want to." "We'll see about that." She tossed her head and followed the familiar path with her tongue. First, she gave a long, devouring kiss which only kindled the flames of their need, and then she licked and sucked his nipples. Her tongue teased every inch of his sculpted abs and finally the lines of his immortal tattoo, which she was shocked to see up close was comprised of long rows of numbers, so crowded and blurred she'd initially thought it an intricate graphic design. A flash of Sean's artwork, hanging on his apartment wall, tipped into her mind. Layers of metal, color upon color. Her fingertips slid over Will's own personal graffiti, sending shocks through them. When the length of his cock filled her hot mouth, he shuddered all over. Down his length she sucked, stroking his balls with the rhythm of her movement. She felt him nearing completion and drew a deep pull, prepared to suck up every drop of his come. His hips convulsed as the hot, salty fluid poured into her. She swallowed and licked, and when his hips finished jerking with orgasm, she continued to bathe his cock with her tongue in slow, sweeping movements. "Baby, you have no idea what that was like," he murmured, cradling her face. She moved into his arms. "And I didn't get to see you pleasure yourself. That's for next time," she said. 85
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"Now that you know the joy of giving and taking pleasure with your immortal mate, we have eternity." [Back to Table of Contents]
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Runes: Chapter Eleven Sean was abruptly awakened by someone leaning on his door buzzer. The piercing sound startled his heart, and he was instantly on his feet, running for the door. Please let it be Evangeline, he thought, tearing aside the gates and grills. Who could it be but her? "I'm hurrying," he called, his mind awhirl with the thought of seeing her again, of throwing open the final gate and catching her precious body to him. But when he reached the last door, he slumped in disappointment. "Weenie," cried his sister, who threw herself into his arms. He held her weakly, his heart giving a sickening thud. His dreams splintered about him, leaving behind a humming in his ears and the treacherous despondence of the past few days without Evangeline. "Come in," he said, dazed, and followed Olivia inside. When he'd finished closing the gates, he turned to find her staring at him. "My God, Sean, what happened to your hands?" she exclaimed, dropping her bags and reaching for them. Through a blur of tears, he looked at the devastating cuts. They'd bled for hours, but he'd finally managed to stop the flow around dawn, and then sank to the couch, which held countless memories of Evangeline, and fallen asleep. "I was working," he said off-handedly. 87
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"Working?" Her familiar brown eyes, the feminine version of his own, studied his ravaged appearance. "What the hell are you working on?" "Art," he choked, spinning away from her. He walked to the kitchen, trailing a finger along the countertop, thinking of his most recent artwork. In the background, the throaty tones of Evangeline's recorded song drifted from the living room. "Sean," Olivia said, blocking his path. She gripped him by the shoulders and shook him lightly. "You've been ignoring my phone calls for days, and refused to take Mom's, too. Have you been to work? Or Tae Kwan Do? Tell me what's going on." His throat constricted on the words she needed but would never understand. To her, Evangeline was a fling, not the love of his life. Now the future he'd imagined with her was shattered. "What is it?" she asked in a frightened whisper, searching his face. "Evangeline," he said, passing a hand over his numb face. "She's gone." Olivia's shoulder bag dropped to the floor with a thud. She lunged for Sean and captured him in her arms. He let his sister hold him for a moment, enjoying the comforting, sisterly smell of her hair. But his arms ached for Evangeline. Sean led Olivia into his bedroom, tormented by memories of leading his lover here. He crumpled on the bedside, bowed his head and gestured to the long wall. Olivia gasped. "My God, Sean," she said. "It's beautiful." "I know," he responded, openly crying now. 88
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His sister looked at him with horror. "It's her tattoo. On her throat. See? When she was lying down, this is how it looked," he said brokenly. He'd spent days cutting the intricate stars and rune shapes, and then welding the metal parts together, creating a magnificent puzzle. The sight of it tortured him. He knew without a doubt that she'd been torn from him. She hadn't wanted to go. "Sean," Olivia said unevenly, "this is not normal. Come away with me. Come to New York and stay. Don't stay here with these memories and your pain. It's obviously bigger than you. Please let me help." He shook his head. "I can't go. What if she comes back?" She fell to her knees before him and gathered his hands into hers. "Then she stays someplace else until she can contact you. What the hell happened?" From the other room Evangeline's song began again on continuous play. "Is that her?" Olivia asked. His head bobbed. Tears dropped onto his hands. "She'd never have left of her own free will. She was coerced, taken from me. I saw her eyes and I know her. Dammit," he cried, jumping to his feet. He lunged forward and rammed his already bloodied knuckles into the brick wall. His sister screamed, but it felt so satisfying to give in to anger, he did it again. "I should have done something. I should have saved her," he whispered. He swept his arm across the top of his dresser, sending all of his Tae Kwan Do trophies crashing to the floor. He cocked his foot and kicked them, grinding them beneath his boot. He spun to the corner, where the empty cardboard box stood. The box that had once held Evangeline's 89
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clothes. He sent a series of kicks into it, crushing it. The noise of his assault mingled with Olivia's screams. Then Olivia was restraining him, fighting him to stop. Her tears cut through the haze, and he gained precious control. He dropped back, breathing like he'd raced for miles uphill. Beads of sweat from his hairline trickled down his jaw. "All right," he said at last, drawing her into his arms. He could smell her citrusy perfume but longed for Evangeline's sandalwood scent. His gaze fixed upon the empty corner where she'd kept the cardboard box filled with her clothes, because she'd refused his dresser or closet space. Not able to bear the thought that she'd never return to him, he clutched his sister. Her loving hold did little to comfort him. Only one thing could ease his despair. Evangeline. "I'll go," he said and broke into sobs anew. Standing on the Chicago streets, Sean shook the house keys in his grasp. He fumbled with the multiple locks in his hurry to get inside and listen to his answering machine. Evangeline hadn't called his cell, but that didn't mean she hadn't left a message on his home phone. He hurled his travel bag into the corner, slammed the door, and dashed across the living room, his heart racing at the sight of the blinking red light on the machine. Falling to his knees, he jabbed the play button. As the male voice filled the room, his heart sank with defeat. But listening closer, a cold terror stole over him, numbing his face and hands. "This message is for Sean Livingston," the voice said. "I have information regarding the whereabouts of Evangeline Mayer if you would meet me to discuss it." 90
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He jotted down an address, jabbing the paper with his pen. Without shutting off the machine, he ran across the room, back to the door, his feet struggling for purchase on the slippery concrete. He burst into the sunlit street without bothering to lock the gates. And began running. She was in trouble. He'd known it, God, he'd known. His feet churned against the sidewalk, and he dodged a group of students just released from school. The voice had given him precise instructions to meet him at four o'clock at a restaurant sixteen blocks away. Without checking his watch, he knew the hour was near, and he was terrified he wouldn't make it. Around the street corners he tore, apologizing when he ran into a man in a business suit, but continuing in a hell-bent fever. Four more blocks, and he would learn what had happened to Evangeline, his precious woman. Or would he learn that she was dead? He faltered at the thought, nearly stopping. His brain told him to stop running, but his heart pushed on. Two blocks. Rounding the corner, he fixed the restaurant in his sight and sprinted into moving traffic, weaving between vehicles as tires screeched and horns blared. His fingers wrapped around the door handle, and he burst inside, panting and frantically searching left and right, his eyes straining to adjust to the dim recesses after the sunlight. With a thumping heart, he noticed a man with straight brown hair and small wire-rimmed eyeglasses staring at him. He waved away the hostess and reached his table in four strides. "Sean?" the man asked. 91
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"Yes," he gasped, collapsing into the chair opposite, quaking. The man pushed a glass of ice water toward him. "I'm sorry to drag you into this sorry business," he said. Sean shoved it away and leaned into the man's face. "Tell me what happened to her." The man held up a wallet-sized photograph. "Do you know this woman?" Sean squinted at it. "Yes," he said, snatching it from him. His heart turned over. The background of the photograph was blurry as if it had been shot using a high-powered lens. Evangeline was more gorgeous than even his desperate mind recalled, glowing skin and dark hair flattened to her skull in waves. He met the man's eyes. The photograph trembled in his hand. "It's Evangeline." "Are you willing to help?" the man asked. "She doesn't seem to have family willing to." "Anything," Sean rasped. "I'm with a special division of the government. She was last seen with some people in an airport in South America. We believe she's in danger. Do you have a passport?" "Of course," he answered, his head whirling. Drug trafficking. It had to be. Somehow she'd been dragged into the dark world she'd fought so hard to set aside. "Meet me at the airport. Our flight leaves in three hours. If we're on it," he said, removing the picture from Sean's fingers and studying it closely, "Evangeline has a chance." 92
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Sean's heart raced. She might be alive, and he might be able to save her. He clenched his sore fists to feel the pain because he couldn't know. But he'd be on that goddamned plane, and no one would stand in his way of getting Evangeline back. [Back to Table of Contents]
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Runes: Chapter Twelve Will led Evangeline into the quaint farmhouse kitchen, lured by the scents of coffee and fresh muffins. They hadn't completed their bond, but they'd spent long, crazed hours pushing each other to the edge. He could still smell her on him. As this thought rose in his mind, her face burned in response. Though Sean would be a sore spot in her soul for a long time to come, Will and Evangeline's connection was deeper and purer than a mere mortal love story, and he thought she was ready to complete their bond. He seated her at the table and poured her a steaming mug of coffee. Her hair was tousled and her porcelain skin reddened from the scrape of his beard. Within the hour, he intended to have her beneath him again. He sought her hand. Her slender fingers clung to his, but she would not lift her eyes from her plate. One glance at her spoke of her discomfort. An image of Sean flitted through her head, pouring into Will's and igniting his jealousy once more. Too many times he'd seen Sean's muscled arms entwined with his immortal mate. And though he'd just spent a good portion of the morning diligently satisfying her, he wanted all of her. She withdrew her hand and let it dangle limply in her lap. Then she gracefully rose to her feet and walked out. "Evangeline." Will caught up to her at the door of the art studio. He clasped her forearm and spun her into his arms. She felt 94
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horribly fragile, like a wild bird. He stroked her back slowly, hoping to ease her. "I know it's going to be difficult for a while," he said quietly. "And you can have all the time you need. But you've got to let me in." Her face tilted up to his. The sun reflected in her brilliant eyes, making them take on a paler hue. "The worst," she said, her voice catching, "is knowing I disappeared from his life without another word." Around them, the day unfolded. Birds flitted about the luxurious gardens, and on the distant pond he heard the honk of geese. But between them, he felt the weight of Sean. "Do you want to contact him?" Will asked. They spent five heartbeats reading one another's eyes, and then she wound her arms about his neck, pressing her slender body into him. "I love that you asked, Will, but I can't," she said softly, hugging him tight. He lowered his mouth to hers and gave her the gentlest kiss. When he pulled away, she smiled. "Let's get my guitar," she said. "And go upstairs." Will carried her to his bedroom suite, set her on her feet, and put down her guitar. She leaned into his body and kissed him, her heat sinking into him, melting his bones, firing his blood in anticipation. No waiting, she said into him. He gripped her shoulders and walked her backward toward his bed. Her tongue never released his, making erotic promises with its dance. Before she fell backward onto the 95
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mattress, he removed her shirt and bra. She lay bared to the waist, gazing up through desiring eyes. "Don't make me wait," she said and twisted her nipples hard. He nearly came unhinged at the sight. He wiggled off her tight jeans, hooked his thumbs in her panties, and slid them slowly down her body. Then he stood back with his fist beneath his chin to study her as one studies a painting. "Anything missing?" she asked after a moment's scrutiny. "Yes," he growled, covering her from head to toe with his body. "That sex flush you get. Your skin gets all pink and your pussy and nipples get darker until the very moment you come." "Then by all means, let's work toward that goal," she said, trailing her mouth over his jaw. Abruptly he rolled off to stare up at the ceiling. She sat up and looked at her surroundings. "What's the matter?" "I'm thinking about the best way to approach this," he said wickedly. "For maximum satisfaction, of course." "Well, your dirty talk is welcome," she responded and then began her own. She ran a palm over her short dark pubic curls, saying, "My pussy looks a little hot. Maybe I should spread my legs a bit?" "Yeah, baby, do that while I get rid of these clothes," Will said. He stood at the bedside, watching her roll her clit between her fingers. "You love to touch it for me, don't you?" he asked. "Now thrust that ass up and show me more." She did better than that. She rolled to her hands and knees and let him have a long look at her small pink anus. 96
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Her ass cheeks quivered as if begging him to touch them. He'd caressed them fleetingly before, but now he saw a scene with Sean flit through her head and better understood her desires. Will saw her hips gathered up by Sean's broad, blunt hands, and a pillow thrust beneath them. Then he heard her moan of ecstasy as Sean's tongue probed her most intimate crevice. Chills of sensation washed over her, raising gooseflesh in its wake. Around the rim, Sean's tongue worked, and then with a startling jolt, he stabbed his tongue into it. She quivered beneath his attentions, her pussy weeping with need. Sean kneaded her small firm buttocks while he licked her soft and slow, and with more pressure and an occasional stab which made her cry out. Then he withdrew, and exerted the slightest pressure as he inserted one fingertip. He circled it about the interior, stretching and pushing. Evangeline's entire body cried out for release. Will's cock pulsed with a tumultuous mix of anger and desire. The vision of Sean's strong fingers probing her ass made him shake with the need to strike the man. But a deeper, more honest part of him wanted Evangeline's pleasure. Without warning, Will rammed his index finger into her ass. A cry escaped her and she buried her face in the bedding. He gave her a moment to adjust and then slowly worked it out again. A long stuttering sigh escaped her, and she twisted so Will could see one flushed cheek.
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He spoke into her mind. You're going to come this way, aren't you? You never knew it before he touched you here, but now you can't get enough. She bobbed her head yes, driving him to sink his finger slowly into her hot, tight flesh again. Her ass pressed against him, taking every inch of his finger. He pulsed it rapidly in and out, listening to her sob for release, his cock growing harder by the second. And then he felt her muscles contract and knew her release was imminent. "Come on, baby," he rasped, repeatedly stabbing his finger into her increasingly tight anus. A heavy throbbing jarred his finger and he removed it, quickly flipping her face up. He kissed her deep and wildly, hotter than he'd ever been because she'd let him do this for her. She gripped his erection. "No more foreplay, Will. I want all of you. Everything," she said, shooting a glance at his night table where a small pocket knife rested. He looked into her eyes, weighing her readiness. And though she still loved Sean, she'd given Will nothing but openness and honesty. Her body and soul were linked to him. She pleaded with her gaze. A soft part of his psyche broke open, and he knew beyond a doubt that she was ready now to be bound to him forever. And though he'd pleased her in many ways over the past day, the thought of this ultimate consummation had him trembling. He took her into his arms and held her pliant body and felt her utter need. Gently, he lowered his mouth to her immortal tattoo, feeling the lines of every rune and the point of every 98
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star beneath his lips. The shock of his touch delivered a new jolt of desire, and he skimmed her nude back with his hands. Gooseflesh broke over her, and she shivered. Covering her from head to toe with his body, he stared into her face. The glow that marked her as immortal would soon be enhanced by their bond. She would positively blaze with his mark on her soul, readable to any immortal she encountered. Never again would she leave his side. Overcome with emotion, he buried his face in her throat and inhaled her musky scent. "Evangeline, my life began the moment you 'Called' to me. Know that no person in my life has compared to you," he whispered. A soft cry escaped her and she tightened her arms about his neck. "I'm ready to commit myself to you, Will. Now and forever." He captured her mouth in a searing kiss. It spoke of need. Of beginnings. His tongue found hers, tasting the salty mix of her tears, and he devoured them eagerly. Her body molded precisely to his as though an indentation of clay. Her legs hooked around his hips and they rocked into one another, hot against hard. Dipping his mouth to her quivering breasts, he bathed them with his tongue even as her fingers sidled between their bodies and located the edges of his tattoo. The shock drove their passion, and he poised at the quick of her moist heat, his erection already throbbing for release. He flipped open the blade of the pocket knife. It gleamed in the warm glow of afternoon sun. And with a simultaneous thrust and flick, he joined their bodies and slashed her 99
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forearm. Her eyes swam with tears and her mouth formed the plea, "Finish it, Will. Unite us." With a grunt of need, he cut his own arm. Tossing away the blade, he pressed his blood to hers. Fog consumed them as her heartbeat shifted and came to reside in his chest to keep time with his. A new tattoo blossomed over her heart, blood red and a mixture of their immortal tattoos. Spirals of runes and stars interspersed with the numbers he wore low on his abdomen. He was overcome with the absolute protectiveness that stole over him. What shocked him was the love. He choked around the lump in his throat, but she beat him to it. "I love you, Will." Slamming his mouth into hers, he began to move within her, chanting, Love you. Love you so much. Their bodies, tuned to heightened awareness of the other's, experienced twice the pleasure. As he drove into her, her head fell back and her breath came in short bursts. He felt every cell in her body swell with her release. Juices pooled around his shaft, and the walls of her womb clamped about him with her orgasm, forcing his. With a harsh grunt, he filled her with his seed, driving deeper, harder than ever. Her heels locked around his waist, trapping him against her, though he felt he could never leave. Their mouths met in a nibbling kiss, their tongues lazy and sweet. "I love you, Evangeline," he said into her eyes. And into his head came her reply. 100
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Will, I've got to confess. I wanted you since the first time I saw you walk into that club with my sister. A smile spread over his features, and his heart eased, knowing their bond began before the 'Calling'. He wrapped her in his arms and tucked her head beneath his chin. "Me too," he said, and felt her smile against his flesh. [Back to Table of Contents]
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Runes: Chapter Thirteen Evangeline came awake by degrees. She became aware of the soughing of Will's breath in his lungs, and the rise and fall of her head with the rhythm of his breathing. Warm afternoon sunlight bathed her naked skin, giving her a divine sense of well-being. Her pussy throbbed from the good, solid thrusting she'd craved. For days they'd lain together in this bed, and she knew more about him than any other person on earth. All at once she understood that something was horribly wrong. Jerking into a sitting position, she saw Will's eyes open wide and staring fixedly at the ceiling. But it was what she witnessed in his mind that terrified her. She jackknifed her knees against her bare breasts and covered her mouth with a shaking hand. "You can't," she gasped. In a flash, he'd gained his feet and stood trembling with anger at the bedside. He glared at her like an avenging angel. His golden brown eyes smoldered."Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded through a clenched jaw. Instantly her anger broke through her haze of fear and the distant arousal. She jumped to her feet and faced him across the king-sized bed, still rumpled from their lovemaking. "I would have told you in time. I'd never keep my past from you, Will. How could I? But when was I meant to disclose such information? Between the first kiss and the anal finger-fucking?" The past few days had been spent in a bliss 102
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of sensation, but now she'd opened her mind to him, and he obviously hadn't liked what he'd seen. His left eye twitched. "No, Evangeline. No." "But you can see my thoughts. You know my father hurt me. How do you think I ended up in Sean's arms?" The mention of Sean twisted Will's features. She could feel an icy path burn through her own heart. Abruptly, he spun away and stomped to his closet. He threw open the door and began thrusting clothing into a leather duffle bag. Confused, Evangeline watched until a jolt of understanding coursed through her. She threw herself at him, clamping her arms around his waist and trying to shove him into the bed. He was solid muscle and unmovable. "Dammit, Will Cochran. You don't have to do this," she cried, slamming him hard in the chest. His tone was deadly. "Yes, I do. My job is to protect you, and in this case avenge you. That bastard's been hurting you for years. He has a fist about your heart, shutting me out to portions of your soul. I want access. I need to have all of you." "But Will," she pleaded. "You can't go murdering people without some type of personal ramification. This isn't you." His hands tightened upon her upper arms. "You can't stop me, Evangeline. It's my right to have every bit of you, and that means unlocking that door that's keeping me out. You need it too. I'm doing this for us." Frantically, she shook her head as tears spilled from her eyes. "It's not necessary. I'm away from him, don't you see? I'm safely out from under his rule, with you," she pleaded. 103
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He stared at her impassively. "Don't try and stop me. My course is set. Your father pays for the crimes committed against you. And I unlock that damn door to a secret part of your soul. There's no withholding in this bond, and I'll do whatever it takes to make it perfect." Evangeline took the stairs at breakneck speed, barefoot and clad in nothing but Will's T-shirt which she'd thrown on in her haste. Her thighs were damp and sticky, still bathed in the fluids of their desire. But she shook with fear that he was angry with her. "Will." Her cry echoed in the soaring space, and she wished another immortal who lived here would put a stop to his insanity. Could anyone talk sense to him? At the foot of the stairs, he paused with bag in hand to watch her barrel down the final steps. His hand slashed the air to cut her off, and she flinched. His eyes grew distant, filled with cold fury. Too late she realized that her reaction only strengthened his resolve. His voice was deadly quiet. She felt the whisper of it in her veins. "I'll be back in two days. Three at most." "No. Take me with you," she cried, hoping someone was nearby and would hear her. Will's countenance shifted, and suddenly the soft glow of love shone through. He trailed his fingers over her throat, sending an unwanted shock of calm through her. "I can't have you near. I won't risk you, ever." "Don't I have a right to see it through? I'm the victim of his sick mind, Will." 104
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He paused, and for a shimmering moment, she hoped he'd relent. But, he shook his head. A tumble of auburn hair fell over one eye, making him appear dangerous and sexy as hell. Seeing the notion in her head, he released a groan. He dropped the bag and grabbed her to him. Her breasts swelled instantly into peaks of desire and fresh cream washed her inner thighs. Will dipped her backward and plunged his tongue into her mouth. He tasted of desperation and love and the absolute need to avenge her. But he was wrong. She clung to his neck, grinding her body against his. He moaned and reached back to cup her ass, nude beneath the T-shirt. "Oh God, baby, you're so fucking hot," he growled. He lifted her and drove his thigh between hers. She rocked against his hard muscle. Their tongues mated in a sucking kiss. And when his finger slipped into her wetness, her hips gyrated madly, seeking more. "If I had two minutes, I'd take you right here, for anyone to see," he whispered hotly into her mouth. "You're taking me with you," she begged, fumbling with the button-fly of his jeans. Gently, he removed her hands and pushed her away from him. His hard breathing alerted her to the power she held over him, but her heart quietly broke with his abandonment. "Dammit, woman," he yelled, spinning from her. He jammed a hand roughly into his hair. "I'll be back in two days, and together we'll build our new life. But I cannot walk this earth with that son-of-a-bitch in it." 105
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"Well, why not kill every person who's done me wrong while you're at it? Let's start with Jessa, your ex. Don't you see all the damage she's wrought to my psyche?" Her words broke over him, causing him to wince. "Or how about my drug dealer? Who liked to fuck me in trade for goods? We'll go after him too, shall we? What do you think you'll see in this locked portion of my soul, Will? Not good things." He stumbled back to her, catching her hard against him. His head bent over hers, and his searing breath tickled her tattoo. She strained onto tiptoe, begging for more. "All right," he murmured, lowering his mouth to the star at the corner of her eye. "You win, Evangeline. I cannot deny you. Get dressed and pack. We're leaving in five minutes." Her head lifted incredulously, and then she whirled and tore back up the stairs, her heart thundering with the relief of her victory. The flight to Chicago that afternoon was tense. Will stared straight ahead, and she spent hours studying the workings of his mind. While she found she couldn't tear down the wall of determination he'd built, she found another way through his defenses. Hurrying to dress, she hadn't bothered to slip on a pair of panties but had simply thrown on her skirt. The short, frayed denim barely concealed her ass, and when she sat, the dark shadow of pubic hair was evident. Shoved into the center seat, between Will and a striking young blond man who was flying home from basic training to meet his family for Easter, her juices were flowing. The shift of each muscular thigh, and 106
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the strain of their jeans against their apparently hard cocks made her nipples bunch against the fabric of her T-shirt. By the time her distracted immortal mate detected her restless movements, wetness creamed her thighs. She wriggled, making her skirt ride farther up her hips. The male beside her stared at the dripping curls of her snatch and licked his lips. Will's gaze flicked from the soldier to her cunt, and Evangeline felt his strong swelling of desire. Being bound to him so intimately drove her wild. It was as though she felt every pang of horniness twofold. He likes looking at you, Will said into her mind. He shifted deliberately, chafing her bare thigh with his rough blue jeans. I enjoy both of you looking at me. On her opposite side, the soldier repeated Will's actions. Evangeline's heart slammed inside her chest, afraid Will's possessiveness would rear its head. Instead, he sported a sexy smile. The men exchanged a look of unspoken permission, and Will twisted in his seat, angling his broad shoulders parallel to the aisle and effectively blocking the other passengers' view of them. Their back row seat meant passengers and flight crew bustled by regularly, but Evangeline felt safe from their eyes. She felt a hand curl about her right thigh and was startled to see the soldier's strong, tanned fingers against her pale flesh. His touch seared her inner thigh, sending a bolt of need straight to her cunt. Her leg was draped over his knee, and 107
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Will took the other, so that her pussy was splayed wide. Her clit pulsed, and both of her holes gasped with need. "God, I can smell you," Will whispered, and with that, he felt between her legs. He stroked her briefly, and his finger disappeared. He raised his finger to his lips.The man on her right mirrored his actions. His heavy, unfamiliar touch on her clit drove her nuts. She squeezed her eyes shut and rocked her pussy into his hand. "Taste it," Will demanded, and his finger vanished again. She watched Will study their new playmate's face, the fire building in him as this stranger finger-fucked her. And fuck her he did. His long index finger drove into her cunt, dipping and stretching it. The scent of her juices filled the air. Will's mouth swallowed her gasps, but the juicy noise of the passenger's finger in her pussy sounded in her ears. She longed for one—or both—of their thick cocks. Wriggle down in your seat, Will ordered her, and she did, tilting her hips into the air. At once Will's finger ran along her swollen labia, gathering the wetness while the other man dug two fingers deep into her sheath. Her head rocked side to side, looking between the beautiful auburn man on her left, and the fair, handsome stranger on her right. She was pinioned on their fists. And when Will's finger drove into her ass, she thought she'd faint with pleasure. Chills washed over her and she stared down at her own hard nipples, wishing they would suck them. On and on their torment continued. Her eyes squeezed shut on the pleasure they were offering. Her womb was 108
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tense, aching for release. The burn between her legs grew so intense; she didn't know how she'd keep from crying out when she came. "Kiss her," Will told the man. His eyes flared briefly, and then the foreign mouth met hers in a smoldering kiss. His tongue tasted salty. She wondered if his cock would taste the same. Into her mind came Will's dirty talk. You love his fingers in you, don't you, baby? See what kind of love I hold for you? I love you enough to give you more pleasure than you ever dreamed. Now think what his cock would feel like, sliding into you. Think about his come, filling you, dripping from your pussy for me to lick up. I bet you want that, baby, don't you? Picture it. Oh God, I've got to see. And suddenly, sharp, jerking waves of orgasm washed over her. She sucked the soldier's tongue, driving her cunt into his hand. Will's finger plunged deep into her ass, pushing her to spasms of heavy pleasure. Sweat broke out over her, and when she opened her eyes, she saw her lovers staring into one another's eyes. As if the men had made a solemn pact, they withdrew their fingers, leaving her pulsating for more. And with that Will stood and reached down a hand for her. Come to the restroom with me, he said. When she did, she saw the fair stranger following them down the aisle. Jittery with nerves and excitement, Evangeline entered the tiny bathroom behind Will. With two of them, there was scarcely an inch to move, but when the handsome stranger entered, Will pressed his back against the wall, straddling the 109
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toilet. He twisted her, lifted her skirt, and positioned her to accept his cock in her ass. The stranger closed the door and flashed them both a sexy smile. Then he unzipped his jeans and unleashed one of the longest shafts Evangeline had ever seen. She heard Will's sharp intake of breath at the sight. Her nipples bunched up tight, anticipating this most forbidden scene. Capturing her mouth, the blond man slipped between the slick lips of her pussy while Will's length slid inside her. And in the enveloping safety of Will's immortal love, her horrific sexual memories, her fears, and a lifetime of distrust melted away, leaving her awash in love and sexual fulfillment. Late that night, with her feet securely on the ground and a sweet soreness reminding her of their mind-blowing threeway encounter at thirty-thousand feet above the earth, Evangeline let Will lead her up the dark sidewalk to the door of her father's Chicago home. First, they'd made certain that her sister Jessa was not in. The small pistol tucked into the waistband of Will's jeans weighed heavily on Evangeline's mind. He clutched her hand tight in his, but on reaching the darkened porch, he stopped and faced her. "Evangeline," he murmured, moving his hands up her wrists to her elbows where he held her firmly. She searched his eyes. "What is it? Have you changed your mind?" "No. But you can't be here when this goes down. I won't risk you being hurt." 110
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"But I can't die," she cried softly, trembling at the thought of being parted from him. That old tremor had ceased the instant she stepped into his arms. "You can die by my hand. The hand of another immortal. And I couldn't live with myself if such an accident occurred. Please," he said hoarsely. "Please, just heed me. Take the rental car and go back to the hotel. I'll come when it's finished." She threw her arms around him, clinging like a burr. "Please don't send me away. I have to be with you now." She saw how her plea affected him. All traces of his boyish good nature had fled, and his mouth set grimly. In the shadow, the bones of his face pressed starkly against his skin, making him appear frightening. And the reason they stood on the threshold of her father's home was terrifying. "Baby, I won't allow it. Don't make me force you." "How can you force me?" she asked, holding him tight. "Evangeline, take the car and leave me now." Too late she understood. When he spoke aloud and into her soul, it forced her to listen. They each held this power, a power she didn't want. Stripped of will, powerless against his command, she turned for the car. Her anger was hot and bright, metallic in her mouth. She set her jaw against the words bubbling up her throat. When it came down to it, she trusted Will and knew he was right. Driving alone through the familiar streets tormented Evangeline. Leaving Will to murder her father tortured her doubly, and the memory of walking the city with her hand clasped in Sean's drove her over the edge. Hot sobs made her 111
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pull over or risk killing someone. She steered the compact to the curb, jammed it into park and dropped her face into her hands. For long minutes she let her grief flow unchecked down her cheeks. Torn between the notion of storming back to stop Will, or going forward to seek her former lover, she sat and cried. A knock at her window made her jerk, and she looked up with her heart in her throat. For the man outside her window possessed an unmistakable luminosity. The glow of an immortal. Heart pounding now, she fumbled with the window button. "Is it Will?" she cried the instant she came face to face with him. Adjusting his glasses, he thrust his face into the car. "It is. Hurry." Evangeline gave him her hand, and too late felt a needle stab deep in the crease of her arm. Her mind ebbed and her vision blurred. As she slumped in the seat, she felt the pressure of Will's mind leave hers and then knew no more. [Back to Table of Contents]
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Runes: Chapter Fourteen Sean stared from the tiny airplane window at the clouds and pinched the bridge of his nose against his burning tears. Somewhere in the world Evangeline was alone, frightened and possibly hurt. Needing him. For days he'd walked the streets of Chicago and New York, searching the crowds for the woman he'd fallen in love with, if only to hear her tell him the truth of why she'd left—that she "wasn't feeling it," as Olivia had insisted, or that she'd found another man. But the government agent at his side informed Sean that his help was necessary to keep her alive. They'd rushed through the airport, flashing passports and removing shoes, and all the while the man named Marcus yelled into a cell phone. His orders drained the blood from Sean's heart, and his cry of, "Dammit. Not another of our men lost," sent him into a frenzy. He'd stumbled out of his airplane seat and locked himself inside the restroom. He'd vomited into the miniature sink. Then splashed fetid water over his face with shaking hands. He looked into the mirror at his pale complexion. He had to save her. Even if she wanted nothing to do with him, he had to make her safe. Once they landed, Sean hurled questions at Marcus, but he stoically ignored him. They boarded a private helicopter with Marcus as pilot, and only when they were in the air and soaring over the dense rainforests did Sean's heart seize with fear. How would they ever locate her under that tangled 113
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green canopy of peril? As he stared at the treetops, he wondered if she could have survived the trip into the forest depths. "Are we getting close? Do you know where she is?" he asked Marcus over the drone of the engine. Marcus kept his gaze fixed grimly on the horizon, but sunlight reflected in his dark sunglasses. "I know where she is." "And you believe she's alive?" Sean's throat closed on his words. An image of her beloved body, broken and discarded flashed through his mind. He lifted the cuff of his shirt and stared at the new tattoo snaking about the underside of his forearm up to his elbow. The runes had been replaced by intricate lettering, and the stars were edgier, more masculine. Still, he knew it belonged to her. A love like ours never dies, it read. He turned his gaze into the sun. Despair was a choking lump in his throat. Was it too much to hope she was alive? As he squinted into the sun, he fought his tears. To lose her once was bad enough. To lose her twice? Unbearable. The beat-up white pickup took the bends of the jungle's dirt roads at breakneck speed. Sean, who'd never feared the deadly streets of Chicago, gripped the dash with white knuckles. "Where the fuck are we going? And where the fuck's Evangeline?" Marcus stared straight ahead as he'd done in the helicopter, and before that, on the plane. After an hour of driving into the cold altitudes of the Argentinean mountains, he down-shifted, slowed, and finally rolled into a dusty yard. 114
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Chickens scattered for safety, squawking and fluttering. The truck jerked to a stop in a cloud of dust. Sean blinked through the grimy windshield at a mean little shack clinging to the cliff. Leaning precariously and patched with various bits of salvaged wood, it looked like more like a hovel from the backwoods of Louisiana than the quarters of a government official. "What is this? You said we were going to find Evangeline," he cried and then froze as Marcus jammed the barrel of an AR-15 into his chest. His blue eyes burned behind his glasses, and sweat pooled on his forehead. "Time for your questioning to end, my boy. Meet Mr. Tactical Weapon. My time in the military wasn't all for naught, you'll be happy to know. Now slowly open the door of the truck and put your feet on the ground." Hatred blistered Sean's veins. A trick. It had all been a trick, and now he'd die without ever looking into Evangeline's eyes again. He obeyed hastily, planting his feet in the dirt and glaring at Marcus as he walked around the truck. A grin split Marcus's face, and he lunged the final two steps, slamming the rifle across the bridge of Sean's nose. Bone splintered with a sickening crunch, and blood filled his mouth and throat. He gagged and his knees buckled, but he managed to stay on his feet. With one hand, he clutched his nose, but the other he used to beckon his adversary closer. "Let's go, Bad Boy," he growled thickly. "Bring it. I'm ready."
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Marcus stood nose to nose and laughed. His hot onion breath blasted across Sean's face, and he resisted the urge to stagger backward. Just then a choked cry came from the shack, and metal rattled. Sean's head jerked around, his captor and his broken nose forgotten. He took two halting steps, then burst into a run. Sprinting up the sagging steps and through the screen door, he dashed inside, blinking at the darkness and straining to hear. Behind him, Marcus laughed maniacally. He pressed the gun's cold metal barrel into the small of Sean's back. "Now, march forward, young man, if you want to keep your woman alive." Through one dank space and into another, Marcus pushed him, his heart flipping at every sound. Marcus's lace-up military boots scuffed the filthy floor boards. Beyond the broken window panes, chickens scratched and clucked. But from inside, a whimper propelled Sean forward. He shoved through a rough wooden door and came up against a metal cage. He blinked down through the bars at a crown of dark hair, and its purple streak made his skin prickle with horror. He dropped to his knees with a cry. "Oh God," he choked. "Evangeline. What has he done?" She looked into his eyes, and for a minute he understood that she didn't register his presence. His blood ran cold and his bowels turned to water. How long had she been inside this cage? So cramped for space she had to sit cross-legged and head bowed? 116
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"Evangeline," he pleaded, and she jolted to life. Sobbing, she fell against the bars of her prison, thrusting her wrists against them. Sean reached between the bars as far as his big hands would fit and captured her fragile face in his palms. His eyes swept her from head to foot, assessing her injuries. Her torn blouse hung raggedly from one shoulder, exposing her tattoo. Her left eye was black and swollen shut, and blood ran from a corner of her mouth down her chin. But her raw, bloody hands made him wretch with anger, cringe with sympathy. She'd been trying to break free. He twisted around to glare up at their captor, who stood watching their reunion with derision. "You fucker," he roared, earning a sharp kick to the ribs. He accepted it with a grunt and yelled. "Let her out. Let her out now." Marcus chuckled at his rage but sifted through his pocket and produced a key. Sean fell back in his haste to give him access to the lock. His heart slammed sickeningly in his throat. How the hell was he going to get them out of this situation alive? But first things first. Treat her injuries. The key grated in the padlock, and the door opened with a clang. Evangeline fell into Sean's arms. He gathered her carefully. "Oh God, how pale you are. And thin." He glared heatedly at Marcus. "Bring her food. Now." Marcus lifted his weapon and rapped Sean across the brow. Evangeline screamed, and hot blood rushed down Sean's face. Clutching her protectively with one arm, he 117
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demanded food again. Laughing, Marcus spun on his heel, stomped out and slammed the door behind him. Sean turned to Evangeline. Her trembling fingers lifted to his cut forehead. Her lower lip quivered and she began to cry. A huff of emotion burst from him, as if he'd been punched in the gut. He locked her to his chest and buried his face in her hair. Her overwhelming scent loosed a surge of hot love through him. He crushed his mouth to hers. She yielded to him, soft and sweet. Weakly, her arms slid about his neck and he angled his head, kissing her deeper. His tongue swept the hot interior of her mouth, and all at once, she grew still. His mind whirled, wondering what he'd done to cause this sudden change. With a cry, she struggled, writhing and twisting to get away from him. He released her gently, and she fell sobbing to the floor. "No, no, no," she said, frantically clutching her head. "You can't kiss me like that anymore." Horror crept over him, raising the hair on the back of his neck. "Why not?" "I...I don't belong to you, anymore, Sean. See?" She clawed at her breast, stretching the shirt to reveal a blood red tattoo. "It's his. He marked me with his blood. We're bound. Immortal. Oh God, Sean, why have you come?" she wailed, collapsing in a fresh round of sobs. "Evangeline, stop. Please. Let me hold you. I won't kiss you, I swear. Just let me touch you." She was shaking her head, pressing the bloody tip of a finger to her temple where the stars and runes lived. He 118
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yanked up his shirt sleeve and showed her his matching tattoo. He refused to let her dump him that easily "Well, you've marked me," he said. "I won't accept that we're finished because I think you're in love with me. Please. Tell me that you are," he begged, reaching for her. She toppled backward, scooting to a corner of the dank room which Sean now noticed sported both the cage and a wooden cot with a soiled mattress. Across the dim space their eyes met. She released a sob, and when he moved nearer to her, she lifted her hand up like a stop sign. "No, Sean, you can't touch me. I can't let you." "But baby, you're hurt. Your hands. Let me at least help you." "They're fine." "They're festering." "I can't die, Sean. Really. Now be quiet for a minute while I listen to Will," she cried, clapping her hands over her ears and squeezing shut her uninjured eye. Her lips moved swiftly, as though she was speaking to someone, but he couldn't make out the words. Finally, she released a ragged sigh and nodded. "Yes, okay," she said and then dropped her head to her knees and shivered uncontrollably. Seeing her like this was excruciating. He inched closer. When she didn't raise her head or tell him to leave her alone, he continued forward until he sat next to her. "Evangeline," he said softly, ducking to see her face. If she would only let him see her eyes. His thigh brushed hers, and she shifted away. God, how to endure this? The woman of his heart sat next to him, hurt and terrified, but she wouldn't let 119
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him touch her. Wouldn't let her skin brush his. How could he survive being turned away a second time? He drew a deep breath to ask, but she spoke from the shelter of her knees. "I'm killing you, I know," she said thickly. "And it's tearing me apart." "Tell me what's going on," he said quietly, staring at the sharp knobs of her spine. How many days had she gone without food? She sniffed and shook her head. "I don't know if I can. He doesn't want me to tell you. He wants me away from you. But Sean," she wailed, lifting her ravaged face to him, "I don't think I can do it." Sean got the sinking feeling she didn't mean her kidnapper. To hell with him. He grabbed her upper arms and dragged her onto his lap, tucking her head securely beneath his chin. "Don't listen to him, baby. It's you and me, it always has been. Since the moment I followed you to the bookstore months ago, our fate was sealed. I promise you I'll get us out of here and we'll start fresh. A new life. I'll stop deejaying and we'll find a new city, far from every bad memory—" "No. We can't, Sean. Please, don't say more. It's torturing me." Her low, raspy cries broke him. His sanity deserted him, and if Marcus or any other male had entered at that instant, he would have torn him limb from limb. "Who is he, Evangeline? I have to know." Her eyes lifted, and he caught the tears streaking unchecked down her face. He bent to kiss them away. The salt pooled between his lips, and he licked it hungrily. He 120
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gave an uncontrollable shudder of longing. His arms flexed, bringing her closer. "Stop, Sean, please. I can't think when you're kissing me. He's going berserk." "What the hell are you talking about? Tell me, Evangeline." The words burst from her, hot and swift. "It began before I came to live with you, Sean, when I tried to commit suicide, and Will found me. Will Cochran, my sister's boyfriend. H-he shared his blood with me and made me immortal. I can't die. And then something happened. It's known as 'The Calling', a way to link me to my mate. All that time after my suicide attempt I thought I was going crazy, thought I was hallucinating, but, it was his voice in my head. I was in love with you, but he was talking to me, persuading me to come to him. And that's why I left. Oh God, I can see the pain in your face. Please forgive me. I tried to resist, but it's so much bigger than me, Sean. Can't you understand?" "You. . . left me. . . to go to this guy. This. . . Will?" "Y-yes." "And you're in love with him?" "Yes," she said miserably, lowering her head into her ragged hands. "This immortal thing. It's crap." As he looked on, he saw the faint shimmer of her skin increase to a shocking glow. His jaw dropped. "Not crap, Sean. Absolutely true." He stared at her, stunned by this revelation and more drawn to her than ever. His eyes licked over her body. "And 121
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you actually tried to kill yourself? Thank God, you didn't succeed." Her head lifted and she searched his eyes. "Will saved me. I'm here because of him," she said, but Sean stopped her with his kiss. She melted into him, tilting her head into the cradle of his hands and letting him plunder her. He trailed his fingers over her tattoo, reveling in the fiery touch of each rune and star. She tore away, panting violently, but he refused to let her go. "No, Evangeline. You might love him, but you love me too." She broke. Torrents of tears washed her face like rain lashing a window. "I do, Sean, oh, I do. I love you so much. How can I ever stop?" [Back to Table of Contents]
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Runes: Chapter Fifteen From inside the Mayer family home, Will followed Evangeline's stilted, angry actions as she climbed into the rental car, adjusted the mirror, turned the key in the lock, jammed it into gear and screeched away from the curb. I'm sorry, he said into her mind, but she ignored him. Sighing, he climbed the porch stairs to the grey door of her father's house. The street's absolute quiet went beyond deep. No sounds of children, traffic or even a puff of breeze. Just Will and the weapon shoved into the waistband of his jeans, lying cold against his spine. Inside this house lived the man who, following his wife's death by cancer, had selected one of his two daughters to use for his twisted longings. Inside Evangeline's memories, Will saw her father's ugly, beet-red face atop her child's body. Will touched the cold metal doorknob, and his fingers felt like ice. It twisted for him, and he opened the door. The dead silence made his fists twitch. Noiselessly, he closed the door and crept into the living space where he knew from his access to Evangeline's memories that Ed Mayer would have collapsed on the couch after his usual fifth of whiskey, with a chaser of beer. In a defensive tone, Jessa, Evangeline's sister and Will's ex, had told him her father drank because he was unemployed, widowed and depressed. Evangeline had told Will a different story. He flashed to where she was, eyes locked on the road, driving. Angry. Spitting nails. 123
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In her father's house, the living room was empty. Will crept toward the kitchen, thinking Ed Mayer might be passed out at the table. He clenched a fist of disgust and frustration. He couldn't kill a man who was dead drunk. It had to be a fight. Maybe the bastard was only halfway through his nightly fifth. He reached into his waistband and wrapped his fingers around the pistol grip. He slid the pistol free and held it to his chest, the metal hot from being next to his skin. He inched around the doorframe, and saw Ed reaching for the last can of beer in a twelve-pack. At the sound of Will's step, Ed turned from the refrigerator. His robe fell open, exposing his nakedness. "Who the hell are you?" he yelled, taking two menacing steps toward Will. Whose gun brought him up short. "Evangeline's mate. I'm here to avenge her." Ice filled his veins, and he couldn't wait to off the man, but to his astonishment, his face grew numb with cold and fear. His heart grew so quiet in his chest, he blinked, wondering if he was still standing. But not because of this sick fucker. Something was wrong. Evangeline was sobbing, hurt. There was a knock at the window, then fear rising. A needle jabbing her. "No," Will screamed, reeling and bolting for the door. Frantic, he 'CALLED' to her and met her darkened mind. Blackness flooded him. "Evangeline," he roared aloud, into her mind. He darted onto the front porch and leapt down the stairs, landing 124
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heavily on the uneven sidewalk. Still running, he stowed the gun in his jacket pocket and sprinted toward the corner to hail a cab. What the hell had happened? Who'd knocked at her window? Why had she rolled it down, allowing him access to her? Terror struck him anew, fed by her dark, unresponsive mind. Evangeline, Evangeline, he chanted. Where are you? The street lights fizzed overhead, and the headlights of an oncoming yellow taxi flashed over him. His knees were weak and his chest burned. He'd never forgive himself this selfish stupidity, sending her away so he could seek revenge when he should have been protecting her. Deep in his heart, he knew she was gone. Vomit rushed up his throat and he folded in half, trying to retch away his hot remorse. Without his immortal mate, without her love, he was a piece of trash, crumpled on the roadside, ragged, wet and filthy. Straightening, he swiped his lips. The deep inner quiver from her loss began, but he would use it, transform the dark energy into resolve. He was going to get her back. Will yelled at the cab driver, who was driving at top speed, barreling around corners and scattering pedestrians, following Will's instructions to get him to the hotel rendezvous with all haste. Evangeline, my love. I'm so sorry. Please answer. He heard nothing but the whine of the cab driver's radio, tuned to obnoxious rap music. Will's chest filled with hot dread. He reached deep inside himself and detected the 125
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shaking sensation that came with being separated from his immortal mate. It began as a flutter and grew to a roar, jarring as a jackhammer. Oh lovely girl, where are you? I'm an idiot. An ass. Please return to me. His stomach vibrated and turned over. Hot bile rushed up his throat, and he opened the cab door just in time. He stuck his head out and puked into the traffic. "Hey," the cabby yelled, braking to a sudden stop. "Get the hell out of my cab if you're sick!" Insane with the uncontrollable quiver, he backhanded his mouth and tossed two bills over the seat. He stepped into the street, stumbled for footing and then fell into the path Evangeline had traveled. Her heat seared him. Though he could not see through her mind, he felt the very particles of air she'd touched. Blindly seeking, he reached out his hands and ran along the crowded Chicago streets and toward the outskirts of town where he hailed another cab to continue on her trail. His insides maintained a constant tremor, and for a fleeting moment, he was thankful that she was unconscious, unable to experience the pain he felt for her. He called out directions to the driver, and with a sickening dread came to realize they were headed directly for the international airport. A stupor came over Will, and he leaned his forehead against the chilly airplane window. For hours he'd 'CALLED' to Evangeline. He'd hoped to break through the haze he detected in her drugged mind. Forced onto a flight bound for 126
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Argentina, he refused to call his immortal friends and drag them into this chase, a chase that could end badly if the man who'd kidnapped her was immortal. In giving his blood and binding their souls, Will had promised to protect Evangeline. And he had failed. This battle was his to right the wrongs he'd done to her. Baby, I'll get you back. I promise. Just hold on until I find you. Hear my voice, break through the fog. I love you. He thought of their flight to Chicago. Hours before, he'd bent her over the airplane's bathroom sink and watched their other partner, the young soldier who'd finger-fucked her to absolute completion, slide his cock into her. Their reflection in the mirror had heated him. Evangeline's face had been turned hard to the right, and the sex flush had climbed her jiggling breasts and throat to enflame her face. And the ecstasy on the soldier's rugged face drove Will wild. Never once had he suspected he might feel this way. No woman had ever inspired this need in him to see her fulfilled, no matter what it took. And never, in all the decades he'd roamed the earth as an immortal, had he given into his craving for voyeurism. His cock stirred at his thoughts. Suddenly a bright star of light burst in his mind, and with a sharp intake of breath, he tasted her. Evangeline. Confusion was uppermost in her brain, and then the acknowledgement of a bone-shaking cold. Where the hell was she? 127
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I'm here, baby. I'm following you. I'll reach you soon. Where are you? She struggled to sit up, but something held her thigh, clenching tighter when she moved. Her head ached with a dull thud and her senses were sluggish. Will detected a burning feeling around her eye and realized with a jolt that she'd been struck. The force of his anger was a hurricane gale. Oh my God, Evangeline, tell me what happened. Twisting onto her back, she tried again to press into a sitting position, but found her arms constricted. When she saw her bonds, he saw through her eyes that she'd been chained. The wind blew her hair straight back, and she shook with fear and cold. W-will. Here. Right here. Behind you. Where are you? he asked again, shifting to the edge of his seat as if he could jump up and find her. The shuddering he experienced grew unbearable, and now she knew nothing but the shaking, too. Her teeth rattled in her head as she looked at her surroundings. A flash of green, the blur of sky. And a whiff of rain. Dunno, she answered groggily. She felt around herself, her fingers grazing cold metal. Everything came into sharp focus for Will, and a rivulet of horror slithered down his spine. She was chained to the bed of a pickup truck. She went absolutely still. Her heart throbbed, and her limbs trembled with her need for him. Then suddenly, she snapped. 128
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"Let me out of here, you bastard, son of a bitch. You think you can hurt me, but you're wrong," she bellowed. Her heels thudded against the bed of the truck, and she clawed at the chains on her arms, shredding her nails to bloody stumps. Evangeline, stop. No, never. He can't do this to me. Do you know him? Will asked, his head spinning with her pain, their combined shaking, and her bravery. No, she said, but I'm about to meet him. Will watched, helpless, as she drove her fist through the rear window glass, shattering it. Through her bleary eyes, he saw the clear outline of a man's well-shaped head. Closecropped brown hair, and the stems of a pair of glasses curled behind his ears. Glass sprayed over the shoulders of his thin cotton shirt, and he twisted his head to fix her in his glare. "Watch yourself," her abductor said. "I'm not averse to killing you, you know." "I'd like to see you try," she growled, reaching through the window and clamping her hands around his throat. Through their link, Will felt the sinews of the man's neck pop and shift beneath her fingers. The pickup truck veered to the side of the road in a cloud of choking dust. The man tore from her grasp and climbed out with quiet menace. Evangeline dropped back, quivering, the chain rattling against the metal bed. The man came into full view, blue eyes blazing over the side of the truck. Will's fists clenched. "Shaking, I see," he said. "Welcome to my world." 129
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"Wh-who are you?" she asked, bravely raising her chin against the quaver in her voice. "Marcus Wood. How convenient I happened across you earlier with a needle in my possession." He lifted a gleaming syringe. Rays of light sparked off it, sending them dancing in Evangeline's frightened eyes. "I don't want it." At this he laughed. "I don't care what you want, girl. You're immortal. It won't kill you. But I'm immortal, and I can kill you, if I choose. So don't provoke me." He bit off his words. Don't talk back to him, Evangeline. Just back off. To Will's dismay, she ignored him. "What do you want from me?" she asked. The man circled the truck, drawing nearer to where she sat with her spine digging into the metal side. She watched him come, fists balled to attack. Sweat ran down her temples and into the corner of her eye. She blinked it away. "Well, that's a long story," he said, a hint of a southern drawl in his tone. "You see, my mate died. I killed her." Evangeline's eyes flared, and he continued. "Oh, I didn't mean to, you see. Sometimes it happens amongst those with the 'Calling'. Our blood isn't compatible. I'd seen it once before, but never dreamed I'd experience it." He shook his head, and the needle wavered in his hand. Suddenly he abandoned his story and came toward her. The metal chain clanked as she tried to scoot away. "Horrible," he gritted. "Positively macabre. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. Up and down the row of flowers goes 130
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Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary. My mate loved flowers. What the fuck kind of flowers do you think she grew?" he suddenly yelled, reaching for Evangeline. His fingers grabbed her upper arm, sinking deep into the tender flesh and bruising it. Five half moons would appear within minutes. She fought him, twisting her arm to get away, but he held it tightly. His shaking rolled through Evangeline and into Will. He's going to drug me, but don't let me go, she said into his mind a split second before the needle pierced her flesh, pouring a strong dose of a tranquilizing drug into her immortal veins. Her arms grew weighted and then her head, and she drifted on a pale, dizzying sea. Her head slumped to the side, resting upon the metal even as she sped away from Will down a dark silent tunnel until unconsciousness took her from him. [Back to Table of Contents]
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Runes: Chapter Sixteen Evangeline loved how Sean's big hands cradled her face like the most precious chalice. With painstaking slowness, he lowered his mouth to drink from hers. His lips were the perfect mix of hard and soft, and his dark beard hair singed her cheeks deliciously. She sank her fingers into his thick hair and held him, delighting in his taste, his masculine scent, and the reunion of their bodies. He enveloped her in his embrace, dragging her closer. Her breasts pressed into his chest, and her nipples tightened. Briefly, she remembered her sick, immortal, kidnapper sitting in the other room. He'd probably brought Sean to her, knowing it would torture Will to see them together. But being with Sean again felt so damn good, she let her body take over. The great bulge of his cock pushed against her, and she shuddered with longing. Her fingers splayed over his broad shoulders and down his roped abdomen to his waistband. Her head rang with Will's fury, but she shoved it aside, and simply let herself feel anything but the pain and terror of her past days. "Oh baby, no one will ever tear you from me again. I don't care if it's an immortal man or a fucking werewolf. You're mine. See how you fit here against me?" Sean asked into her ear, sending a shiver of heat between her thighs. Days had passed since she'd known the touch of his amazingly hard shaft, and her juices flowed for him. 132
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He whispered, his hot breath washing over her skin delivering erotic promises. "I love you, Sean. I'd die rather than leave you again," she whispered, toppling them both backward. She straddled him intimately, her torn skirt shimmying up her hips. One time he'd told her how much he loved that skirt. How many times had he stripped it from her? "And you won't," he said in a deadly tone. "When you gave your body to me, it was as good as marriage in my mind. What do you think my tattoo means?" He twisted his arm to display the male mortal version of her tattoo. With shining eyes he studied it next to her throat. "Till death do us part, Evangeline. Say it." "Yes, yes. A thousand times yes," she said, kissing him all over his face. Her heart sang with love for this man, but in her mind Will stood in a dark corner, weeping at her declaration. She withdrew, blinking down at Sean, torn between two men. "What is it?" he whispered, and she rolled off. He grabbed at her, but she shook her head for him to stop and he did. "It's...Will," she said, her voice choking as she avoided the dark eyes she loved so much. "I can hear him in my mind." Sean bolted upright. "What?" She'd told him about Will in her initial ramblings, but he'd obviously been too stunned to understand. "It's part of the 'Calling'. Our bond. We can hear one another's thoughts," she said, miserable by the expression of shock and utter torment on his face. Defeat weighted his 133
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shoulders and his head bowed low. He rasped his knuckles over his jaw, and she could see his throat working against emotion. "Hear his thoughts," he echoed softly. "How?" "They appear inside my mind." Sean's features twisted bitterly. "And what does he have to say?" She ran her thumb along the rough seam between two floor boards. Will's words were a hot litany in her mind, worsening her tremors. "He doesn't want me with you." Why? Why now, Will? I'm alone here, and my life is possibly about to be taken by this violent immortal. Don't say it, baby. It's not true. I'm on my way to you right now. I'm boarding a flight as we speak. But on the trip to Chicago, you let that soldier take me in the restroom. You urged him to do it. You didn't love him. I gave that soldier to you for your pleasure. A sex slave. But you're attached to Sean the way you're attached to me. Her eyes filled with tears. In the other room, she heard Marcus pacing like a caged animal. Outside the chickens clucked, and the mountain breeze rattled the loose glass in the window. She concentrated on Will, allowing him to feel her love for him. She felt it fall over him like a warm mantle, and he took his seat on the airliner with a gushing sigh. Then she turned to Sean. His arms were slung around his knees, the biceps rigid and the veins in his forearms standing out. He glanced at her, his eyes dark and shiny with unshed tears. 134
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"How can I compete with that, Evangeline? He has this link to you. The ability to exchange thoughts with you and his blood marks your breast. I have nothing to offer you," he rasped. Electricity pulsed between their gazes, and she forgot the terrible separation they'd endured, as well as the days of torture at Marcus' hands. Every breath Sean drew and every shift of his body registered in her soul. How could that be nothing? "Sean, do you have your lighter?" she whispered. Confusion rippled over his face, and he felt in jeans' pockets. "Yes, why?" "Your ring," she said, sliding into his lap. "Heat the metal and press it to my flesh. Let me bear your mark as well as Will's. I'll belong to both of you always." He shook his head the instant the words left her lips. "Absolutely not. I can't hurt you. I won't. My God, look at the condition you're in already." "I don't care about that. But the things you offer are no less vital to me than what Will provides. Please, Sean?" Her eyes were inches from his, their breaths mingled. She felt his body stir beneath her weight. His arms flexed about her, and he dropped his mouth to her tattoo. His tongue teased the sensitive spot below her ear, and then he was releasing her and twisting off the signet ring on his right hand. The silver letters SLR, stood for Sean Robert Livingston. They glinted in the late afternoon sun streaming through the grungy window. 135
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"You can do it," she whispered against his mouth. "I want it. I need you to mark me." A hard nod followed, and he delved into his pocket, producing a lighter. In a flurry, Evangeline stripped off her shirt, so that the hard peaks of her bare breasts shivered against the fabric of his shirt. "Above the other breast, Sean. Do it." The rasp of the lighter sounded, and the strong odor of lighter fluid followed. The signet ring was dangled over the flame until it grew too hot to hold, and then with a cry, he thrust it against her flesh. The searing pain made her flinch, but she held onto it, savoring it as she'd savored the sharing of Will's blood. She squeezed her eyes shut, but the sound of Sean's frightened, panting breaths opened them again. "Enough," he said and hurled the ring away. His mouth slammed into hers. She tasted his tears. Bent over his arm, he nuzzled the length of her throat to the tips of her breasts. He bathed each pale pink nipple with his rough tongue. His tears sizzled against her skin, and she clutched his head tightly. His gaze roamed over the angry pucker on the swell of her right breast. A huff of emotion left him. "It's gorgeous," he choked, tenderly kissing a circle around it. "It's perfect," she whispered, capturing his mouth. Her tongue found his and tasted his passion. Need was a bright fuel inside her body, and an ache grew low in her belly. She felt her pussy swell and the labia fall open like a blossoming flower, begging for release. Her clit hardened, and she rubbed against his muscular thighs. 136
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In a graceful movement he stood and lifted her. She clung to his neck and her tongue mated with his, tasting the syrup of his mouth and craving more. She wanted the hot, thick come. Their eyes held as he gently laid her upon the dingy cot. The springs creaked softly beneath their weight, and she coiled her legs about his hips, grinding her soaked pussy against the front of his jeans. "So hot for me. Always ready for my cock," he growled, plunging his tongue deep into her mouth again. As they kissed, his fingers located her nipples and twisted them hard, just the way she liked it. She arched her back, forcing them into his hands and trying to get more of that delicious pinching. Then his head dropped to her breasts and he spent long minutes sucking and grazing them with his teeth. Shivers of pleasure washed over her when he flicked her nipple ring. Her cunt was a slick road to ecstasy, if only he would touch it. As if he heard, his coarse hand rode down the curve of her abdomen, pausing to skim her navel ring, and then down, down, into the thick black curls which sheltered her dripping slit. She cried out at the explosion of heat created by his probing fingers. They melted over the wetness, tenderly separating the labia. One thick finger slid inside, and she rocked against the heel of his hand. Her breath came faster and he swallowed her cries with his kiss. And then suddenly he disappeared, and she felt his breath scorch her inner thighs. He licked the wetness there. Their groans mingled. 137
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"Baby, I can't get enough of you," he murmured a split second before his tongue dove into her honey hole. She twisted her fingers into his hair and threw her head back at the intense contrast between his rough beard and soft long hair tickling her thighs. His mouth found her nub and sucked it. Delight exploded behind her eyes. He lifted her hips into his hands, one finger rhythmically fucking her while his mouth worked her clit. A surge of anticipation rolled over her as his other hand parted her quivering ass and explored her nether hole. His mouth tore free with a gasp, and he watched her face as he slipped a finger inside her tight anus. "You love that, don't you? You know how this turns me on," he murmured and suckled her pussy softly. The wet sound of his finger plunging into her pussy filled her ears, even as the rough slap of his other hand drove her to the brink. She quivered uncontrollably as her body splintered with her orgasm. Hot juices bathed his fingers, and her ass tightened and released in gasping explosions. Her clit grew rock hard and pulsed beneath his tongue. With his trademark suddenness, he stripped off his jeans and rammed his cock home. She cried out at the invasion. He was thick and long. She pictured the swollen purple head touching the tip of her womb. Long, forceful thrusts lifted her hips off the bed. His hands splayed across her back, and his mouth, still wet with her come, came down upon hers. She wrapped her legs around his hips and dug her nails into the muscles of his back. His hair tickled her throat and 138
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breasts, maddening her. She whispered into his ear, telling him all the things he loved to hear. "Your cock's so deep. Fill me, more. Touch my soul. I'm soaking for you. Deeper, baby, fill me with your hot come." Without warning, she clutched his rock-hard buttocks and then thrust a finger into his ass. He froze at the sudden invasion. His eyes went dark with need. Tenderly, she stroked his prostate, and he went wild. His neck arched and the chords stood out. His jaw clenched. Again she stroked the sensitive spot deep within him, which in turn drove him deeper into her. Her pussy flexed around his cock, squeezing and tightening. She felt his balls slap her ass. Faster and faster, she stroked his ass and he plunged into her wet cunt. Together they crested the monumental orgasm. Hot come bathed her insides, and her body sucked it from him even as her pulsations ebbed. Collapsing atop her, he mouthed her breasts, her tattoo and finally her lips. Small shivers of delight clasped her to him in a new intimacy. He looked into her eyes. His eyes were glassy, the centers dilated from his extreme pleasure. "Mine," he whispered grittily, then wrapped her tightly to his chest, and she fell asleep in rhythm with his breathing. [Back to Table of Contents]
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Runes: Chapter Seventeen Daylight faded, and the chickens had long since gone to roost in the surrounding tall grass. Sean missed their quiet clucking from beyond the window. He watched the shadows climb Evangeline's flesh. No electric lights warmed their prison, but he was content for the moment with her in his arms. After the initial heat of their reunion died down, he'd made love to her again tenderly and thoroughly. She left his arms and went to that window to stare out into the night. He saw her forefinger rub her temple and knew she was communicating with Will. A shiver of dread filled him, and he tore his gaze away. He stared at the dark lines of his own tattoo. He could barely make it out through the faint light of the moon. In the other room, he heard Marcus, speaking low and urgently into his cell. Sean had to get Evangeline the hell out of here. After he'd last made love with her, he'd talked with her in whispers about Marcus and his plans to keep them here and torture them. Sean had tried the door and found it locked. The single window was too small to fit through, even for Evangeline's delicate frame. He scuffed a hand along the plank walls. The shack was illconstructed, the wood no longer solid if it had ever been, and he had visions of smashing through it as he did a stack of boards in Tae Kwan Do. But the first crash of his fist would bring Marcus running with a gun. 140
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He snorted in disgust, and Evangeline pivoted. "What is it?" she whispered. Sean looked at her nude silhouette. Her round breasts jiggled with uncontrollable tremors, and he pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing his tears to recede. While he'd lain within her still, he'd asked about her shaking, and she'd told him her separation from Will caused it. "Sean?" In a flurry, she knelt between his thighs and clasped his face. "What's wrong?" The feel of her warm torso against his naked flesh made his cock stir once more. But her shaking distracted him. Did Will watch them through her mind? "I gotta get you the hell out of here," he said. "Does Marcus sleep at night?" "I have no idea," she said. "The first night I was unconscious, and ever since, I've been locked in that cage." "While he was away fetching me," he said angrily. She started at his sharp tone, and he clutched her tenderly, then rolled her onto the bed beneath him. His body was taut and ready for release. He ground himself against her wet pussy, urging her to open her legs for him. Her breath was coming fast and he crushed his mouth against hers, probing passionately with his tongue. Her muscles relaxed beneath him, and he trailed an even gentler hand down the column of her throat to the straining nipple, careful not touch where he had branded her. Tearing away from the kiss, he said, "There's no anger between us, ever, Evangeline. But I'm more possessive of you now than ever. When you next speak with Will, tell him that." 141
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Again his tongue dove between her sweet lips, tasting the need that he inspired. Her hips rocked against his, begging, seeking his invasion, but he held off. His arms flexed around her, drawing her closer still. "I swear I'll get us out, baby, even if it means giving you back to Cochran. But for now I've got you, and I will have you." He plunged down between her thighs and inhaled the soft musk of their lovemaking. His mouth opened on her slick clitoris, stroking the hard little nub. She arched and he grasped her hips and encouraged her to fuck his tongue. Her cries drove him wild and the taste of her juices made his cock rock hard. He imagined her tight sheath swallowing it, imagined ramming it inside her and possessing her as completely as Cochran ever had. And when he felt the first shudders of her release, he swelled with triumph at the pleasure he could give her. Her cunt slammed against his mouth again and again, driving her to the highest peak. Her hips fell and her body loosened. But before she could emit the final gasp, he had slid inside her. "I love you, Evangeline. You're as much mine as his," he said, moving within her. A moonbeam dusted her pale skin, giving it the luster of fine marble. Her eyes were fathomless, her mouth whispering his name, telling him everything he needed to hear. Through the night he loved her, bringing her to orgasm after orgasm. And when dawn kissed the sky, they dressed. Sean prepared to meet the new day, ready to see what Marcus had in store. 142
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Within minutes, heavy footsteps thudded toward the door. At Sean's side, Evangeline cowered. He held her protectively and said, "Don't worry. I'll take care of you." Yet when the door exploded open and cracked off the wall, she shrieked in fear, and Marcus sneered. His nostrils flared as he drew a deep breath. "Ahh. Smells like sex. So you've gone against your immortal bond and fucked your ex-lover. How's Will feeling now?" "Shut up," Evangeline screamed. She lunged at him, but Sean snagged her waist and dragged her back before her nails raked Marcus's face. Marcus gave a trickling laugh like blood down a slaughterhouse drain. "You know how I love your feistiness, my pet. Now let's show both of your boys a good time by playing a little game," he said, gripping her upper arms. "No. Let her go," Sean roared. His hand locked about Marcus's wrist, and he stood to glare into his face. Marcus released one of her arms, fumbled in the back pocket of his army fatigues, and pulled out his pistol. He yanked Evangeline to her feet, whirled her behind him, and shoved the gun into Sean's face. Her struggles ceased, but her sobs resounded in the tight space. "Now walk through that door under your own steam if you know what's good for you," Marcus ordered her with a wicked gleam in his eye. Sean stood frozen, staring down the barrel of the gun while the love of his life stumbled across the room out of his 143
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reach. Fear curled inside his gut, a hot tight ball. What if he couldn't protect her? How would he find her once separated? A sudden flash of insane jealousy gripped him. If only he could speak into her mind like Cochran. He would tell her to hit the floor and wrest the weapon from their captor. He heard her soft footfalls, and crushing pain struck his chest as her reluctant strides carried her away from him. At the door she paused, seeking his eyes, but Marcus barked, "Onward, girl. I have a special room prepared where you can sit and shake alone, without the arms of your mortal lover to comfort you." Marcus's eyes shifted from Sean to Evangeline, giving Sean the instant he needed. His fist lashed out, striking the gun from Marcus's hand and sending it skidding across the floorboards. It spun crazily and stopped at Evangeline's feet. Shock rippled across her face and she bent to scoop it up, but Marcus was too quick. He hit her full force, sending her reeling backward through the door, arms flailing to stay upright. She crashed into the wall of the small, smelly hallway, and Sean heard the sickening thump of her head smacking the wall and then the floor. The hot scent of fresh blood filled the air. Outside a rooster crowed. In a black rage, Sean pushed Marcus to the floor, struggling to grab the weapon from him. His fist struck Marcus's thick, sinewy throat, pinning him to the filthy floorboards. But Marcus had been trained as a soldier and twisted from his grasp. Sean used all his strength and training in the martial arts as they grappled for the gun. Evangeline lay limp and injured, 144
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blood coursing down her temple, reminding him how fragile she was, immortal or not. He wondered what Cochran saw in her mind now. He rolled near her and touched the underside of one pale wrist, checking her pulse. It throbbed faintly against his index finger, sending shocks of relief through him. But, he'd let down his guard and given Marcus the upper hand. Marcus's lace-up leather boot caught him in the gut, halflifting him into the air. Sean slammed down again, gasping for breath but angrier than ever. "You're—not—getting her," he ground out, his teeth clenched against the pain. Evangeline stirred. The shallow rise and fall of her breasts grew deeper, then she coughed. She rolled to the side and vomited. The smell of bile hit the air, and Marcus laughed. "Come now, you're stronger than that," he chided in a strangely soothing way. He squatted next to her with the gun still trained on Sean's head. "Little immortal girl made it through the bonding process without dying. You can certainly withstand a head injury, even if it's delivered by the hand of an immortal. Now get those sexy little legs beneath you and wander outside for me." "No," Sean yelled. He gained his knees, but the cold steel pressed directly between his eyes. What good would he be to Evangeline if he was dead? Will might never find her. He dropped to the floor, prepared to play out his hand. He stared into Marcus's eyes for five heartbeats while he registered Evangeline's sobbing in the back of his mind. For 145
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one beatific moment he felt as if their souls were connected just as hers and Will's were. And then she disappeared through the door at the end of the hall. The torn screen door slammed shut. Marcus kept Sean in his gun's sights as he backed down the hall after her and into the breaking day. Sean hadn't prayed in years, but now a hot stream of The Lord's Prayer ran through his head. Hating his weakness, he staggered to his feet and ran after Evangeline and Marcus. Outside in the yard, he looked frantically around. They had vanished. Chickens ran past him, clucking madly, wings flapping as if pursued, and Sean sprinted in the direction they'd come from. Please don't hurt her. Please give me the strength to defeat him, he pled. The air on the mountain was thin and brisk. He ran around the shack and came up against a view of the sun gliding above the rim of the earth, sparking off the surrounding mountains and plunging valleys into purple shadows, mocking him with its beauty. He should be enjoying this with Evangeline in a villa somewhere, and a ring should be on her finger. The backyard was empty, and so Sean ran around the far corner just in time to see Evangeline drop down and disappear. Her curdling scream filled the sky. Panicking, he lurched into action, his heart pounding against his ribs. "Evangeline," he yelled, running to the edge of a cavernous hole some twelve feet deep and black as hell. 146
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Marcus stood there, staring downward. Sean knelt and saw her white limbs glowing from the darkened depths. She lay still as death. "Evangeline, Evangeline," he yelled, flattening himself on the ground and looking over the edge. Marcus laughed maniacally beside him. The chickens looped around the property, crowing and cackling. Sean shifted closer, reaching down hopelessly with his arms. A shower of earth cascaded onto Evangeline at the bottom of the pit. The pale oval of her face tilted upward. "Will?" she asked in a faraway voice. Marcus's gun waved away from Sean as he bent over with insane laughter. Sean calculated how fast he could leap to his feet and turn that gun on its owner. "Get her out of there," he roared. "Not on your life. This is too precious. She believes you're Will. Oh lovely, lovely pain for you. Who knew when I was wandering the streets of Chicago I'd find this delightful gem and her love triangle to torture?" "Why the hell are you doing this to us?" Marcus snapped from mad half-wit to serious foe. He squatted, jaw hard with anger. His bright blue eyes locked on Sean's. "Because I think all immortals should suffer for the loss I bear. Why should Evangeline and Will have their wonderful little lives together when I can't have my Cora?" His shriek dislodged rocks and chunks of dirt from the walls of the pit. Evangeline choked and coughed. "And you, my precious mortal man, only add to my pleasure with your fear for her. Your fear of losing her. In the 147
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end, you must know that your connection means nothing in the face of the immortal bond. There's no 'Calling' for you, my son." If Evangeline hadn't been in that hole, Sean would have shoved the fucker in and buried him alive. "Get. Her. Out. Of. There," he ordered once again. Marcus stood and smiled down into the hole. "I don't think so," he said and wandered off toward the shack. Sean scooted to the edge and extended an arm as far as he could. Too short. Too deep. "Evangeline, baby. Can you hear me?" he asked desperately. Again her face flashed upward, a pale moon glowing from the depths. "Where's Will?" Her voice was small and faint. "He's coming. Soon. Just hang on, baby, and listen to me. I'm gonna try to get you out, but you gotta help me." "Head hurts," she mumbled, as one hand fluttered to her brow. "I know, darlin'. I'll help you soon. Listen. Do you see any ledges where you can step and lift yourself higher?" A swaying of her head, followed by bone-shattering retching. Oh God, she has a head injury, he thought with horror. Could she die from it? Marcus had said she could die only by the hand of an immortal. An immortal had hurled her into that twelve-foot hole and bashed her head, not twice but three times within several minutes. Did that qualify as being by his hand? 148
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When she finished, Sean spoke again in a soft yet insistent voice. "Baby, you gotta find a ledge. There's gotta be a small spot for you to place your foot and pull yourself up." "No. Tired. Shaking. Oh God, shaking so bad. Will, where are you?" she screamed. From inside the shack came Marcus's laughter. Cold fear snaked down Sean's spine. He dangled his torso over the edge, digging the toes of his boots into the soft earth to keep from plunging in head first. "Come on, baby. Please." But she lay beyond his grasp, wracked by heart-wrenching sobs. He watched her for long, torturous minutes until her head lolled on her neck and she seemed to doze. Memories of basic first-aid assaulted him. "Evangeline," he called. "Wake up. You can't fall asleep. Stay with me." "Will?" "Yes. He's coming. Tell me, what is your name?" Minutes ticked by while she considered his question. Her obvious hesitation spoke of severe head trauma. "What's your name?" She looked up at him. The sun was climbing the sky and would soon shine in the hole. "Livingston," she said faintly. His heart flipped painfully to hear her use his last name. "All right," he answered, reaching into the hole futilely. "When is your birthday?" Another long pause. His neck was burning from the sun, and sweat gathered between his shoulder blades."Birthday," he prompted. "February." "February what?" 149
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In a fit of agitation, she screamed, "I don't know. But Will is punching a tree and I want him to stop." He could hold back tears no longer so let them fall freely as the past hours weighed on him. Evangeline's immortal mate was as helpless as he was, and for the moment, Will's pain made Sean feel worse. From the hole Evangeline whispered. To Will, Sean thought. If Will were here, could he stop Marcus from delivering this punishment? Sean wracked his brain. How to stop the man? At last, as the sun rose high in the sky and the chickens disappeared into the tall grass to escape it. It finally came to him. He twisted to sit with his legs dangling over the lip of the pit. "Evangeline, move to a corner. Back up against the wall. I'm coming in," he said, then dropped. The blackness rushed past his vision, and the shock of the landing jarred his knees, but at least he had avoided colliding with her. Mortal he might be, but he was her only chance. [Back to Table of Contents]
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Runes: Chapter Eighteen Will walked through the thick, tangled foliage. He'd landed miles away from where he knew Evangeline to be, and for the past six hours, he'd been forced to hack a path through the jungle. Thank God, he was immortal because poisonous snakes and insects abounded. He'd stepped directly on the back of one deadly snake, and it had reared up and sank its fangs into his calf muscle, making him stiff and sore for hours. Evangeline sat hunched in the tiny cage with nothing but a water bottle, abusing her hands in her attempt to free herself, her sanity a thin thread. Will spoke to her nonstop. Until Sean had entered the picture. With her first rush of recognition, Will had spiraled into despair, and when Marcus had released her from her prison to let them be together, Will had sunk into a deeper depression, torn about whether she wanted him to find her. But, she'd begged his forgiveness even as she'd fallen into the arms of her former lover. Sean's kisses had enraged Will, and her body's response had maddened him. Had he ever made her so slick with need? Or heard cries of pleasure such as Sean had wrung from her? Will arrived at the edge of a great precipice, panting with exertion. Though it was dawn, his body was doused in sweat. He took off his shirt, rubbed it briskly over his face and hair, and then tucked the corner of it into his back pocket. He took off hiking once more along the edge of the cliff, searching for 151
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a place to descend or a natural bridge to cross. After ten minutes and nine hundred bug bites, he'd found nothing, and was in a foul temper. Peering into the ravine, he wondered what harm could come from hurling himself off the edge. This was the most direct path to Evangeline, who at that moment was disentangling her limbs from Sean's. They'd made love all night, and he'd witnessed things between them that would torment him for years to come. Sean's suckling kisses had turned her bones to water, and his touch of her immortal tattoo had sparked instant desire. When Sean's fingers had first touched her runes, a fissure of emotion had opened in her soul, similar to the shock delivered by Will's touch. "Damnit," Will swore now. He collapsed in a heap at the side of the ravine, head bowed in his hands. His chest burned with anger, misery and fear. Images of their lovemaking played through his mind. Their intimate touches. The feel of Sean's long cock pressed against the scalding wetness of her pussy. Will had demanded she turn away from him, but, she was too emotionally attached to Sean to gain Will's permission in this coupling. Her heart belonged to Sean as completely as it did to Will. The touch of Sean's fingers between her thighs drove her to a fever pitch, which in turn had affected Will. His mind was too closely linked to hers to be immune to her pleasure. When she gripped Sean's strong shoulders, Will felt them too. Sean's weight, his scent, and the faint tickle of his hair on her skin combined with Evangeline's crazed need. 152
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And when she'd stuck her finger into Sean's ass and brought him to an explosive orgasm, Will had stood in the depths of the jungle trembling with need. He'd stripped out of his clothing, taken hold of his throbbing cock with both hands and worked it to completion. But they'd continued to make love and he'd been lathered to a fevered pitch again and again. Afterward, he'd lain gazing up at the dense canopy of trees, twisting with desire and remorse. Eventually, Evangeline had ceased talking to him mentally, but he'd experienced Sean's tender touch on her tattoo as she drifted off to sleep and heard his murmured words: "I love you." Will had thrown back his head and let out a deafening roar into the sky. A flock of brightly colored birds took flight. The darkness was giving way to the purple light of dawn. Deep in his core he felt Evangeline stir and then wake. Sean lay propped on one elbow, gazing lovingly down at her. His kiss was sweet, and she curled into his chest, seeking more. Through Will's mind link with Evangeline, he watched them lean companionably against one another as they dressed. He picked his way along the ridge for half a mile before he discovered a place to cross. The descent was precarious. He stepped from one jagged, vine-covered stone to the next. He felt the need to hurry, but knew that a broken ankle would get him nowhere. About a third of the way into the ravine, Will's world shattered. Into his mind he heard Marcus's orders to leave the shack. Then Sean's struggle for the gun. And Evangeline's 153
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precious skull cracking off the wall, the floor and finally the packed earth. Darkness and pain, the smell of sickness and her tears flooded over him. His knees hit the rocky ground, and he clung to the side of the cliff, crying. Evangeline's mind linked with Will's, bringing a bright flash of love and need. Will, where are you? Here, baby. Right here. Keep talking to me. Where am I? You're all right. You're safe. You're with Sean. Will listened carefully to Evangeline and Sean's emotional conversation. Sean had jumped into the pit with her, wrapped her tightly to him, and silenced her tears. Sean shared his heat and eased her with whispered endearments, but only Will's presence could stop her trembling. I want you, Will. You've got to stop this shaking. Sean was speaking, asking her questions to see if she had a head a trauma. But he kept asking her last name, and she unfailing gave the name of Livingston, much to Will's torment. Hold onto Sean, and he'll keep you safe for me, Evangeline. I'm coming. I'm gaining ground. Don't you feel me? A sudden revelation struck Will, and he stopped dead still. At one point Sean had attempted to climb out of the hole with Evangeline, but the toe and hand holds were too narrow and far apart for him to navigate with her. But he could climb out on his own. Evangeline, he said, feeling his first surge of hope. Talk to Sean for me. Tell him to make sure you're all right, and then 154
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climb out and meet me in the forest. I'm almost there, but we can't let Marcus know my location. What? Her childlike confusion filled him with sorrow. He tried again. Sean needs to climb out and meet me. Together we'll plan an escape. Tell him now, Evangeline. Through her eyes, Will watched Sean's reaction. Sean's eyes narrowed. His mouth thinned in the black shadow of his beard. Tell him to meet me so we can plan your escape and Marcus's demise. She told Sean, and to Will's relief, he seemed to ponder it. "I can't leave her, Will. Don't you see the condition she's in?" he said directly to him. Will faltered at this strange way of communicating. Never in his immortal life had he thought one day he would speak with Evangeline's lover through her. I see it. But if you're to save her, you must. Again, she spoke the words as if she was merely a vessel. A speaker system. At last Sean nodded. He looked deeply into Evangeline's eyes and asked, "Where?" Will walked due east, heading toward the purple mountain peak, as he and Sean had agreed. His steps slowed as rain began to fall. It fell heavily, washing the day's sweat and grime from his face and neck, and flooding down to darken his T-shirt. He scrubbed his hands over his face and raked the wetness through his hair, his knees sagging from exhaustion. 155
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He turned a circle, searching the thick leafy foliage for any sight of his enemy. The man who was trying to steal his immortal mate. He groaned with frustration. The rain obliterated all sound, and he wanted to have the upper hand when her lover approached him.Tearing off his T-shirt, he used it to mop his face and stood panting angrily into the foggy air. "Will." The voice came from behind him, and Will whirled to face the man he'd watched making love to Evangeline. He drew up short, hot fire leaping in his veins. Slightly shorter than him, but broader through the chest and shoulders, Sean stood with fists clenched at his sides, prepared to battle Will for the woman he, too, loved. He'd removed his shirt as well, and Will's eyes skimmed the sculpted chest and the scored abs which dipped into a deep V and disappeared into his lowslung jeans. Rainwater soaked Sean's shoulder-length black hair and dripped onto his jaw, rough and black with stubble. Will couldn't stop remembering how Evangeline had felt when Sean had kissed her. Will had to clear his tight throat to speak. "Thanks for meeting me." Sean jerked a broad palm in the air as if practicing martial arts. His eyes were burning. They ran over Will, assessing him. Then he relaxed his fists and cautiously closed the distance between them. Will's body instantly responded to the heady scent of Evangeline on Sean. His heart rate increased, his hair lifted in gooseflesh. Her sweet musk mingled with the darker cologne 156
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of Sean's skin. He didn't know whether to bury his nose in Sean's hair. Or break his neck. These thoughts were strange and frightening to Will, but mostly he burned to throw him into the dirt and pound the shit out of him for touching Evangeline. As though he sensed this, Sean's mouth quirked up on one corner. His lips were wide and generous. A mouth that had given Will's woman much pleasure. Now, Will would challenge him and see what kind of sense could be spoken from those lips. He braced his legs wide and folded his arms over his chest. "What are your intentions about Evangeline?" Sean's eyes dropped to Will's hips and then flicked back up. "I intend to protect her until we can get her the hell out of there." "I mean after that. She's bound to me, in case you've never noticed my blood medallion marking her while you were making love," he began with a quiet menace that ended in a growl. Sean's mouth pursed as if he were about to smile. Lucky for him, he possessed enough sense to quash the urge. Will felt his blood pressure skyrocket. His hands clenched into white-knuckled fists. "I've noticed," Sean said with a quiet undertone of rage. "I've just disregarded it. I don't have much respect for the way you immortals steal women from us mortal men." Will's foot fell heavily next to Sean's, bringing their chests within inches of each other. He glared down at Sean, thinking he'd like to break his nose. "You'd better learn to respect it. 157
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In fact, you'd better learn to live with it. Because I have no intentions of making Evangeline choose between us. I'm suggesting we share her." The words gushed out, hanging in the dense humid air. Too late Will realized he couldn't pull them back. His rash words had been born from a deep need to give Evangeline whatever she wanted. As the idea sank into his head, he grasped that he didn't want to take it back. Sean's dark eyes flared with shock. Purple anger stained his face, and his fists clamped. "You son of a bitch," he roared, hurling himself at Will. They struck the ground with a bone-jarring crash, sending small trees and bushes swaying. The rain-drenched foliage rained down upon them. Sean's fist caught Will's jaw, rocking his head even as the other hand clamped around Will's throat. Goodwill fled. A red bomb detonated behind Will's eyes. Sean's weight pinned him to the damp earth. Will fought to get a leg between Sean's legs, and broke his wrestling hold before punching him in the gut. He grinned through his bloody teeth at the sound of Sean's grunt. "Share her," Sean yelled. "She's no one's property. She's the woman I love." "I love her too," Will ground out, catching Sean's fist and holding it at bay. Will shook with exertion. Drops of sweat burned his eyes, and he blinked them away. Unable to best Sean's strength, Will drove a knee ruthlessly into his groin. Sean twisted at the last minute, deflecting the blow. He gave a huff of laughter and glared. "You'd like to incapacitate me, wouldn't you, you bastard? You hate that I loved her first 158
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and that she's turned to me again. That she never wanted to leave me in the first place." Will's knuckles rammed into Sean's damn perfect mouth. The skin of his knuckles split and he reveled in the physical pain. Anything to escape the haze of hurt Sean had inflicted on him. Sean tossed him off, and they scrambled to their feet, shirtless, rain-soaked and dripping, circling one another like stallions. "Come on," Will goaded, more angry than he'd ever been. "Hit me again. I see no other path. You've got to get this hatred of me out of your system before you can agree to my suggestion." Sean lunged at him, catching him in the lower abdomen with a roundhouse kick. Will's breath left him and he stumbled back, catching himself against a tree trunk. "I'll never agree," Sean spat, stalking toward him. "And you'll pay for even thinking it." "But she wants us both, doesn't she? Are you prepared to walk away from her? Because she cannot undo an immortal bond. You can't take her away from me. You know the shaking? That will only become debilitating until she goes mad with the need for me, and the need for it to stop. Is that what you want for her?" Sean slowed, his hands balled at his sides. "No." "Then you're walking away?" "Fuck, no." "Look beyond your pride and your mortal shackles and realize I'm right. There's no other way. She loves you," Will 159
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said, hating that his voice had grown hoarse. "And I'm willing to let her have you because I love her that much." Sean stopped a few feet from him, chest heaving with anger. His jaw set. But Will saw his words had broken through. He could see Will's mind working behind the dark eyes. Then Will twisted the knife of his words. "How much do you love her, Livingston?" A shudder passed through Sean, and he paced, his fingers working through his long hair. His strong thighs strained against the fabric of his wet jeans, sending an unwanted sensation of need through Will. Could he go through with this? Will wondered. Could he sit by and watch this man fuck his immortal mate? And then he remembered his pleasure during the brief tryst between Evangeline and the soldier at thirty-two thousand feet. Evangeline's ecstasy. He began to harden. Yes, he was more than willing to share that experience. Even though she loved Sean, her feelings for Will were bone deep and immutable. Sean made a sharp gesture and he stopped before Will. "Are you out of your fucking mind?" Will gave a harsh laugh. "I hope not. Look," he said, calmer now. "We both love her. She loves both of us. I can't hurt her anymore than you can. So why not try and live with it as it stands once we get out of this mess?" He gestured to the jungle. Sean leveled him with a brooding gaze. His voice was still harsh. "What kind of arrangements are we talking about?" 160
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Will shrugged. "Cohabitating. Sharing our lives with her in a more fulfilling way than most people ever get an opportunity to do." "And the bedroom?" Sean asked with a raised brow. White heat sidled through Will's balls, making them draw up tight. "Evangeline will decide the specifics," he said hoarsely. "I'm willing to be her slave. Are you?" At this, Sean laughed grimly. He yanked on the hair beside his jaw and then turned those marvelous dark eyes on Will once more. "I don't know what kind of situation we're getting ourselves into, brother, but I can't see a choice. Count me in." Then his countenance shifted and he took a menacing step toward Will, bringing him within striking distance. "For now," Sean growled. Will waited in the forest near the shack for the signal from Sean, letting the soaking rain cool him. What had made him suggest such an arrangement? The thought hadn't entered his mind until Sean stepped into view. The feel of the man working over Evangeline had muddled his brain, and if he was honest with himself, he longed for the same attention. And the bedroom? The question took flight in Will's mind and splintered into myriad images of a threesome. Each man sucking a taut pink nipple while she raked her fingers through their hair, her eyes heavy with pleasure. And then forcing them away from her breasts and guiding them to one another's lips. Will's cock bulged against his jeans and he shifted uncomfortably. He liked the searing pain of his imaginings. Though Sean seemed skeptical about forming a trio, 161
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Evangeline would know Will's desires and feed them. She'd persuade Sean to press Will into the mattress and bathe his sensitive nipples with his hot tongue, his long black hair soft against Will's abdomen. And then gently, Evangeline would press Sean down toward Will's rock hard erection. His tongue would sink into the hole, gathering the pre-come there, and he'd groan at the taste. Will would feel the thick coil of Sean's cock pressing against his own lips as they moved into the sixty-nine position. He'd tease Sean at first, lightly licking but never taking the length into his mouth the way he needed, and mouthing his balls until they swelled and drew up tight with the need to blow. And as they went at each other, Evangeline would sit next to them, stroking their chests and pinching their nipples and then pinching her own. She'd dip her head to one and suck it while she watched her men sucking each other off. Her fingers would sink into her sweet pubic curls and stroke her hard nub. The scent coming from her spread legs would ignite a fire in both men, and they'd rock against one another. Will would finally succumb to Sean's wants and take his length into his throat, flicking the underside of his purple head with his tongue until Sean's muscles strained for release. Two flashes of light. Sean had done it. He'd gotten hold of the weapon as promised. Abandoning his sexual daydreams, Will strode into the yard and yelled for Marcus. [Back to Table of Contents]
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Runes: Chapter Nineteen The fog in Evangeline's brain set her free to dream. She dreamt of the hard bodies of her two men entwined with her standing near, and she a voyeur. She saw the dim glow of candlelight across their sculpted chests and their cocks dancing in the air. A palpable feeling of desire hung between them as they shared a deep tongue kiss. Wetness trickled between her thighs, and she shoved a finger between them now and stroked her clit. She began to quietly sing. Surrounded by dirt walls, she felt strangely sheltered and she allowed her fingers to explore her pussy. The pressure on her nub made her forget the ache in her head and the sting of her abused hands, as the smell of Sean filled her senses. He wasn't with her now, but he had been. In her mind Will walked. He hadn't spoken to her in so long, but she knew his closeness by the way her tremors had eased. To set eyes on him again, to throw her arms around him and kiss his smiling mouth made her breathe faster. Hold tight, baby. I'll be with your shortly. Follow Sean's lead and let him do the work, he said now into her mind, jarring her from her self-pleasure. From above, she heard Will's voice. His shout struck her heart, and she clawed at the earth surrounding her. "Let me out," she shrieked, and instantly was stricken by a searing pain in her head. It didn't stop her. "Let me go." Quiet down, love. Sean and I are drawing out Marcus and we're both armed. 163
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The gravity of their situation broke through the cloud around her brain. Be careful. I love you. I love you. . . both. I know With her head spinning, she collapsed to the dirt floor and strained to hear what was happening above her. She had no memory of how she'd gotten here. She only recalled Sean asking her to tell him her birth date several times in the past hours. Where was he? As soon as the thought formed, she saw through Will's eyes. Sean sneaked around the side of the shack just as Marcus tore out of the house, gun in hand. The chickens scattered in a squawking flight of wings and falling feathers. Will faced Marcus across the yard like a gunslinger. At his side he held a machete, which he'd used to hack through the jungle to reach her. In his other hand, he gripped a small pistol, and she recognized it instantly. He'd carried it to Chicago to kill her father. Thank God, he'd abandoned that pursuit. Evangeline hadn't wished for her father's death no matter how he'd mistreated her during her childhood. She wanted to forget and move on with her immortal life. But Will's twisted sense of heroism and personal needs had driven him to seek revenge. Little did he know the door of her soul he thought closed to him stood wide open. If he took a hard look, he'd see every part of her exposed. Through his eyes, she watched Sean now. He was shirtless and sweating in the midday sun. The slick wetness gleamed on his rippling muscles, and she could feel Will's physical reaction to the man he was supposed to despise. He liked 164
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looking at him. He watched the way Sean strode behind Marcus and watched the pull of his low-slung jeans against his hips. Sean's hair hung loose about his shoulders, and Evangeline shivered with the memory of it trailing over her thighs. Confusion hit her again. Why am I here? Why won't you get me out? she asked Will. Soon, baby. You're safer where you're at while Sean and I take care of business. She liked the way he said that. Sean and I. As if they were a team. Partners. Across the yard, Marcus glared at Will. His icy blue eyes penetrated Will's, reading his soul, as only an immortal could. He saw the story of Will's life, his love story with Evangeline, and he recognized Will's 'Making'. A ripple of shock rolled through Will at the sight of Marcus's eyes. His 'Maker'. Evangeline flew back in time to 1970s Harvard and a brilliant young mortal Will, studying for his doctorate, crossing a busy street with his nose in a book. His head swam with equations and theorems. He was a mathematical genius, who had, at the age of three, scribbled his first formula on a wall in crayon. He'd skipped grades in math in both elementary and high school. A promising future lay ahead of him. He'd been destined for travel and lectures and an entire world of uncovering new and useful theories. Until the instant he'd stepped off the curb into the path of a bus. 165
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He awoke to find himself in an alley behind a campus building. He had no clue what had happened except that his clothes were ragged and his book mangled. Only much later, he'd discovered the rows of digits marking his lower abdomen. It took half of another decade before he understood that he wasn't aging and couldn't die. Evangeline watched her mate's mind reel with the memory of his 'Making'. Marcus stepped forward with an oily laugh. The gun waved carelessly."Ah, so it's my dear friend Will Cochran who has taken Evangeline as a mate. Isn't that precious? An immortal of my own 'Making'. You know," he said, cocking his head, "you were at the right place at the right time, Will. I saw that bus bearing down on you and knew my destiny. It happened so fast, with everyone in a flurry, it was nothing to whisk you away and share my blood. I was a good guy then." He bobbed his head as if convincing himself. "Yes, a good guy. It wasn't until Cora was stolen from me that I grew into the delightful monster that you see before you. Now name your poison. Head or heart?" he asked, raising the gun. Will's foot drifted forward. From the corner of his eye, he saw Sean dart into the house where he hoped to find weapons galore. "It doesn't need to be this way," Will told Marcus, bargaining for time. "Let us go free. You have nothing to lose in doing so. But if you insist on detaining us, I'm sure you understand I must take your life."
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A high, keening laugh came from Marcus and his mouth stretched into a mask. His eyeglasses flashed in the now bright overhead sun. The hole where Evangeline lay was illuminated as the sun climbed the sky, and she blinked at its piercing glare. Nausea struck her and she rested her head on her knees gasping to control the urge to vomit. She was shaking with fear. Take deep breaths, baby. We've only begun, Will said into her mind. His soothing warm voice calmed her, and she released a stuttering sigh. Marcus and Will glared at one another, at an impasse. "And what if I surrender?" he asked. "You three walk off on your merry way, arm in arm in arm? Where does that leave me? Shaking and alone." He made a violent gesture with the gun, and Evangeline shrieked in fear for Will. Her scream made Marcus laugh. "Ah, that's rich. She can see everything. How lax of me to have forgotten. How's this for a show, Evangeline?" he asked, and suddenly lunged forward and captured Will in a choke hold, digging the gun into his temple. She could feel Marcus' trembling through the weapon and into Will's skull. "Oh my God. Oh my God," she rasped, doubling in half, clutching her stomach. If only she could speak into Sean's mind. Where was he? Will. A streak of dark hair rounded the corner of the house as Sean sprinted into view, a bandolier looped across his chest and an AK-47 in his grip. His face was ferocious, the skin 167
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drawn over the beautiful high cheekbones and firm jaw. His brow was low with menace and determination. At the sound of his step, Marcus spun with Will still in his grasp. The gun shook against Will's head, and Evangeline convulsed with horror. If Will was killed, she'd be destined to a half-life, the life of terror and shaking that had driven Marcus mad. A sudden and inexplicable calm came over her as she realized what she must do. Speak for me, Will. He silently agreed, working to remain calm and let Sean and Evangeline control the situation until he could get the upper hand. "Who was Cora?" Evangeline's words were delivered by Will's mouth. Marcus jerked at the sound of his immortal mate's name. His forearm locked against Will's throat, choking the breath from him. He shook him, irate. "Don't you speak that name to me. Only I can say that name." A long silence ensued. Sean stood frozen near the pair wrestling for their lives. Sean's gun was aimed at Marcus's chest, but Evangeline knew it was futile. No bullet would kill Marcus unless it was fired by Will or her. Her hands grew clammy with the urge to kill him, and she twisted them into the fabric of her shirt. "Cora. . . ," Marcus said in a drifting voice. "Cora was a country girl. Long blond hair, cowboy boots, freckles, the works. First time I heard her, I thought it was the voice of an angel. I was in Iraq, blowing away Arabs for the love of my country. But when I heard her, I knew I had to abandon ship and get to Oklahoma. When I drove up, she was waiting for 168
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me on the porch. She stood up from the wicker chair and leaned against a porch post, watching me. A summer breeze blew her hair straight back, and I thought I'd gone to heaven. "I couldn't climb out of the truck fast enough, and then I was running. We met in the yard, and she jumped into my arms, wrapping her soft thighs around my waist, and her arms around my neck. Lovely, feminine creature, Cora was. All country cut-off denim shorts, riding high on her ass and skimpy tank top with her nipples poking through. "When I kissed her, it blew my mind. We were perfectly matched, as the 'Calling' intended. We kissed and touched, and all the while she was speaking into my mind, telling me how long she'd waited, how many centuries she'd sat on that porch and waited for me to come. I was out of my head with love and lust and the need to complete our bond. So I carried her into the corn field and laid her down between the rows. Her eyes—they were blue, the color of the sky above us. I stripped her slowly, and she helped me out of my clothes. Then I sank between her legs and cut us both. . . . " His voice wavered with emotion because obviously the cut had killed her. He had killed her. Will's voice cut through his reverie, using Evangeline's words. "Does this act you intend to commit honor her death?" A long hesitation followed. Marcus's chest heaved, his arm still crushing Will's windpipe. For a moment the gun wavered and then slipped down to Will's eye socket. His arm slackened its chokehold. And then, "Nice try, gorgeous," he said directly to Evangeline. 169
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The world exploded. Sean sent several rounds toward Marcus's feet, and Will reached across himself, clutched Marcus by the shoulder and flipped him to the earth. Marcus landed with a grunt, but squeezed off a shot. The bullet raked Will's cheek, leaving a deep furrow that spurted blood. Evangeline screamed. She jumped to her feet and clawed at the ground, turning in circles to try and find an escape. Will stomped Marcus's chest, and Sean loomed over him with AK-47 pointed at his guts. "You can't kill me, young mortal," Marcus spat out. His gun lay inches from his fingertips. Sean kicked it farther from his reach. It skidded across the dirt and landed at the feet of a passing rooster who ran at it, pecking as if it was the enemy. In a blindingly quick move, Marcus twisted and rolled, then leapt to his feet like a martial artist, pistol in hand. He threw Will facedown beneath him. "Sean," Evangeline shrieked. "Do something." But the man who held the power to incapacitate Marcus long enough to grab the pistol and perhaps hurl it over the cliff froze. From Will's point of view, Evangeline saw Sean's dark eyes flare. "That's right, mortal," Marcus said. She could hear his voice but no longer see him. "You're no dummy. Here, at the point of my gun, lies the obstacle between you and your love. Cut him out of the picture, and she's all yours. If you're lucky, maybe she'll make you immortal before you get too old to satisfy her."
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His words were bullets to Evangeline's heart. She stopped scrabbling at the dirt walls of her prison and blinked away her tears. "Take him out yourself, Livingston. A touch of the trigger will end your misery." "No," Evangeline screamed, frantic. "Sean, no!" Sean's gaze flicked down and met Will's. Understanding passed between them. Their love for Evangeline. And they were united once more. Sean signaled Will with his index finger, twitching it twice to the right, and Evangeline's heart seized. Her lovers were taking on her kidnapper who was mad and dangerous. Fear rushed through her, dizzying her, and everything went dark. The roar of a truck's engine roused her. Her cheek was damp with earth, and it clung to her eyelashes as she blinked. "Evangeline. Thank God. Hold on, baby. Will's coming with the truck," Sean yelled into the hole. She sat up, swaying and dizzy. What the hell had happened? And then it all came back in a rush. Will pinned by Marcus's gun and Sean standing over him, battling the urge to kill Will himself. Swiftly, she searched Will's memories, seeing how he and Sean had united to overpower Marcus. Sean had pressed the AK-47 against Marcus' head as Will's finger closed over his, pulling the trigger and blowing away the man who'd tortured Evangeline for days. The pair watched the life blood drain from Marcus, and the immortal glow go out. "Sean," she croaked. Her was voice hoarse from yelling. "Get me out of here." 171
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"Coming, baby," he said, white teeth flashing in a smile. "Move over and let me in." He landed gracefully on his feet, as if he jumped into twelve-foot deep holes every day rather than spun the discs in the deejay booth. She fell into his arms, crying and kissing him. The growl of the truck grew near, then stopped. A metal door slammed with a clunk, and Will appeared at the lip of the hole with rope coiled in one hand. He blinked into the darkness. All right, Evangeline? Yes. Hurry. I need you. She felt emotion surge through his chest and saw him hook one end of the rope to the bumper of the rusty truck. The other fell into Sean's hands. Sean gave her a slow, sexy grin. "Hold on tight, baby. I'll have you out of here in a minute." "You'll have her out of there?" Will said. "Whatever, Cochran. It's a slip of the tongue. Now get her out of here." Will disappeared and the truck roared to life. She clung to Sean's neck as his strong arms wrapped around her waist, anchoring her securely to him. They were dragged over the ledge and onto solid ground. In tears, she collapsed against the sparse grass, overjoyed to be free and in sunlight again. Sean gathered her close and kissed her tattoo at the corner of her eye. His touch was sweet and gentle. And then she was ripped from his hold and into Will's arms. Breathing his scent was like the first breath of newborn 172
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baby. She came alive. Tears of concern and relief rimmed his golden brown eyes. He crushed her to him. "Oh Will, thank God." "Baby, I'll never let you out of my sight again. Not even for an instant. I'm sorry, so sorry." As he rocked her, his hands traveled all over her, ensuring she was indeed all right. "You're okay? Not hurt? You fainted." "I was frightened to death," she choked against his neck before turning to look for Marcus's body. He lay sprawled upon the lawn only feet away from them, blood running into the ground. Sean moved to block her view. She met his eyes and saw they were dark with pain. "Please. Sean, come here. Will, I need to speak with him alone." "Not alone. No longer will there be secrets between the three of us, Evangeline," he said with a glance at Sean. Sean went to them. His rough fingers threaded with hers. The men exchanged another look, and then Will nodded. Flabbergasted, she glanced between them. What the hell was going on? "Will and I have come to an agreement. Hasn't he told you?" Sean asked quietly. His mouth softened as he spoke and quirked up into a slight smile. And then just as swiftly it dissolved. She shook her head, glancing between dark eyes and darker ones. "What is it?" "I held back until I knew we'd all make it out alive, Evangeline," said Will. "Sean and I agree we must stay together, the three of us." 173
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She blinked. "What?" "Live together. Share you. If you're willing and it's what you wish," Sean amended. Stunned, she tried to process it. "Live with both of the men I love in peace without jealousy or anger? How?" "The particulars are up to you, baby," said Will. "We're your slaves. We'll do as you ask." "Why would you allow this, Will?" she asked. "Because I can't hurt you by making you choose between us. Immortal or mortal love." His eyes flicked from hers to Sean's and he relaxed his grip a bit to allow Sean to pull her partly to him. She felt her body stir between them, the sexy boyish immortal and the amazing, alluring mortal. "Not yet, darling," Sean said with a glance at her tight nipples. "First, Will and I have business to attend to." With Marcus dumped ignominiously into the deep hole where he'd kept her prisoner, the three of them jumped into the truck and sped out of the yard. Will took the wheel, and Evangeline sat snugly between her men, breathing their combined scents and wondering how she would go about their complicated relationship. She understood the boundaries of their pride and never wanted to play them against each other or make them brawl for territorial rights. She looked from one to the other and then kissed them in turn. Sean's heavy arm came around her shoulders, and Will's hand squeezed her thigh. She felt deliciously warm and happy, though still a little nauseated from the ache in her head. 174
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"Do you have any idea where you're going?" Sean asked Will. He glanced at him. "No. How about you, Romeo? You familiar with the Ya Puna region? I understand that you can't take the subway there," Will answered. "Stop, boys," Evangeline said sleepily. She drew each of them closer until she was squashed between their big male bodies. Will looked down at her tenderly. "Sorry." "Where are we going?" she asked. "I'm going to find the first resort, hotel or village that boasts a bed for rent, and then we're going to fall passionately into it," he said. Sean tensed. "Who's 'we?'" Will hesitated. "Whichever Evangeline chooses." "Please don't start bickering," she said. "Let me sleep and I'll decide what to do with you when I wake up." She drifted off with Sean's lips on her throat and Will's warm hand on her thigh. The hum of the engine lulled her, and she dreamed of hot springs and slippery, naked bodies leaping into crystal-clear depths. And then she emerged from the deep, and smoothed the water from her face in time to see Sean perched on the edge of the pool, bare-assed and sexy as hell. The V of his muscles plunged into his groin, showcasing his thick cock and balls, freshly shaved and standing erect. Their eyes locked. He flexed for her and then dove. She watched him cross the pool in strong strokes, dark hair melding to his head, shoulders bulging. When she was within 175
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reach, he gripped her beneath her thighs and wrapped her legs about him. They bobbed weightlessly, and he drew her to the side where he pushed her against the wall of the pool and slid his cock inside her. Her nails dug into his rippling back muscles as he drove deep, exciting the sensitive G-spot as he slid his long, thick cock in and out. Their lips met, and she tasted the salt of the water. Then he broke away and gestured to the side where Will stood, nude and gleaming, having just emerged from the water. His cock stood against the auburn nest of hair and the inky lines of his tattoo. Her mouth watered to taste it. With a crooked smile he approached the place where she and Sean stood fucking. He sat on the ledge, took his cock in hand and stroked it. "That's it, baby," Sean whispered into her ear. "You like watching him. Watch him come while I make you come." The truck jarred her awake, bouncing up a long lane leading to a chateau nestled between two stark, rocky mountain peaks. "Sleeping Beauty has awakened. I don't need to kiss her, but I will," Sean joked, clasping her cheek and turning her mouth into his. She succumbed to his hot mouth with visions of her dream still fresh. He tasted as salty and as good as the dream. When she broke away, he smiled at her adorably. Shyly, she glanced at Will. He gave her a dark look. The truck stopped in the parking lot of the expansive chateau, built of bluish stone. Broad windows graced its front, providing a breathtaking view of the mountain range. 176
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"Home sweet chateau." Sean climbed out of the truck and helped her down. They glanced at the other vehicles—a selection of the highest quality foreign luxury cars—and then at their beat-up transportation and laughed.He slung an arm about her shoulders and started for the entrance. "What gives?" Will called, catching up. "You can't just take her and leave. This isn't only your honeymoon." She reached for his hand and together, three abreast, they entered the resort. The rush of a waterfall greeted them and warm, moist air freshened the space. The rear of the chateau opened onto natural falls rushing from the mountain. "I'll get us a room," Will said at once, but Sean slapped the wallet in his back pocket. "No, bro, I've got it." Will's brow lowered thunderously. "I'll take care of it." With that, he spun on a heel and strode to the front desk and told the clerk that he needed two adjoining rooms. "Uh-uh," Sean said, leaving Evangeline's side and storming to the desk. "One room." "Two beds," Will demanded in a low voice, leveling Sean in his stare. "All right," Sean agreed with a smile for the confused receptionist. Evangeline stepped in the middle of the two steaming men. They were both taut as bowstrings, ready to thump their chests and declare victory.
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Once Will had paid, a bellhop was waved away, as nobody had luggage. Will led the way to the elevators, jabbing the 'up' button with an angry finger. Her eyes implored him, and she saw at once his loosening. With a growl he clutched her around the waist, bent her over his arm and kissed her. The elevator doors opened and Sean pushed past. Will released her and led her into the elevator where Sean glared at the ceiling. Evangeline shook off the passion Will had saddled her with and waited for the elevator to reach their floor. Will led the way with a hand on the small of her back. Before they opened the door, Will stopped to give Sean a long appraisal. She opened her mouth to intervene, but at the same moment, they each grabbed a body part and smuggled her inside. The trio fell to the bed laughing. The door clicked shut behind them. A moment of silence ensued while they stretched upon the king-sized bed, taking in the rush of the waterfall beyond their window. The room was stark and bright with daylight. Evangeline's stomach rumbled, and her men laughed. Will sat up, found the phone, and placing a huge room service order. Then he flopped next to her and took her in his arms. Love you. Thank God, you're safe, and we're together again, he said as his lips lowered to hers. Their kiss was a sweet reunion. His fingers trailed over her tattoo, sending a delightful shock through her that calmed and stimulated. She sank her fingers into his hair and pulled him closer, their tongues moving against each other sluggishly. 178
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Suddenly Sean grabbed her hips and yanked her away from Will. Her back slid against his hard front, and she felt his bulging cock against her ass as he kissed her throat. Will looked on solemnly. Sean's lips roamed over her ear and he whispered, "You're so beautiful, Evangeline. I love you." His index finger gently reached into her shirt and circled the brand he'd given her with his insignia ring. Her eyes flicked up to Will's, judging his reaction. Of course, he already knew she'd begged Sean to brand her. It's beautiful on you, he told her, and a surge of love blossomed inside her at his magnanimity. Yet, when Sean's hand probed lower, closing about her straining nipple, Will pushed into a sitting position at the side of the bed, head in hands. She flipped into Sean's arms and kissed him passionately on the mouth and then climbed off the bed to stand between Will's legs. He splayed his fingers across her ass cheeks, pulling her near. We'll take it slow. We won't do anything we aren't all comfortable with, she said into his mind. Just then a knock sounded at the door, and he crossed to admit the room service cart. The heavenly scent of grilled beef filled the room, and they fell on it like starvelings, removing the silver domes with cries of delight and groans of longing. Then they sat at the table together. Three sizzling steaks dripping with onions and mushrooms sat before them, with sides of rice and vegetables and chocolate tortes for dessert. Will dug a bottle of red wine from a bucket of ice and filled their glasses. 179
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Before eating, she relaxed and studied each of her men. They were tired and dirty. Sean had several gashes, and Will sported a split lip as well as the bullet graze, crusted now with blood. She could feel that the swelling in her eye had gone down, but she had no desire to look into a mirror. Sean dug into his steak with fervor, but he paused midbite to look at her. "Are you okay?" "Yes," she said quietly. "Just admiring you both. And thinking we need to set a few rules before this goes any further." Will's fork clattered to his plate. "Shoot." "Well, I want you both to know how much I love you. And it's obvious your love for me defies convention. However, I feel how tense you both are, and I want to ease you. This isn't a competition. We all win or no one wins." They both nodded seriously. "The last thing I want is for one of you to be hurt. But the fact is, if I'm with you, I want to make love to you. I want to be touched. Kissed. And I want to look into your eyes and share a glass of wine," she said, lifting her glass in gesture. "While I'm with one of you, I want the other nearby, if you feel comfortable. Is that all right?" Again they nodded. She set aside her glass and touched each of their hands. "Thank you for saving me. I can't begin to think what would have happened—" "It didn't—" "Don't think of it—" They spoke over one another, breaking the tension. Then they ate and talked companionably about the beauty of the 180
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chateau, the waterfall and the surrounding mountain range. Will suggested they remain here until they got 'accustomed to the situation,' and Sean agreed. When her belly was bursting, she announced she was taking a hot shower. They stood to follow her. She paused at the bathroom door and wagged a finger. "No, no," she said. "I'm doing this solo." [Back to Table of Contents]
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Runes: Chapter Twenty "What did she mean? Solo?" asked Sean as the door closed. He couldn't stop thinking of the sight of her round little ass disappearing into the bathroom. Will arched a long auburn eyebrow. "What do you suppose?" "Like, touching herself?" he said softly. "Probably. She loves to masturbate, or didn't you know?" His tone held a challenge. Sean answered, facing off against Will, chests almost touching. "Let's get something straight, brother. You suggested this arrangement. If you can't handle it, back out now. I'll be happy to step into your shoes." Will's eyes narrowed. "You'd like that. You're just waiting for the opportunity to shove me out of the picture." "Yeah, well, why not? I had her first." Anger flared between them. Their eyes locked in mutual combat. Then Sean thought of Evangeline's words and backed off. "Look," he said. "I want this to work out. It's going to take some getting used to. Now let's let her take a shower and a much needed rest before we go after her like mad dogs." Will grudgingly laughed. "I'll go downstairs to the shops and see if I can round up some clothes. You coming?" Sean's head swayed between the locked bathroom door and Will. "Honestly, I'd rather go share that shower. But I'll settle for your company." 182
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As they navigated the hallway, Sean couldn't help wondering if Evangeline was indeed under the stream of water with her fingers buried in her pussy. And he couldn't stop thinking Will knew because he had twenty-four hour access to her mind. Will walked slightly ahead of him, his back ramrod straight and his shoulders set. His auburn hair curled against the dirty neck of his T-shirt. His strides were long and as confident as a big cat's. When they reached the elevator, he boarded without a backward glance. "What do you do for a living?" Sean asked. Will glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "A little of everything. But I'm very independent. I don't need to work." Sean felt like growling. So he had old money. His tongue burned to ask about his house and car, but he squelched it. Evangeline wouldn't want a fight. But thinking of her in that shower was driving him nuts. She'd never masturbated for him, and it hurt that she'd done it for Will. How would it feel to watch her finger her pussy for her other lover? Sean seethed. Every shift of Will's body spoke of breeding, strength and confidence. In the glossy elevator walls he studied their reflections, comparing himself. Will was slightly taller, but Sean was broader. Both had stacked abs and bulging pects. But Sean's shoulders and biceps were coiled muscle where Will's were lean and hard. Will's hips were tight and trim, and Sean's were wider from the years of kicking he'd practiced. Will met his gaze in the dim reflection, and one corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk. Sean wanted to smash that damn self-satisfied look off his face. 183
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They stepped out of the elevator, instantly bathed in the waterfall's humid air. God, Sean hoped his hair didn't start curling. As a child, his sister had teased him mercilessly about how girlish it looked, and he'd not gotten over it. "You know what size to buy Evangeline? Because she's tiny. She struggles to find things that fit," Sean told him. He didn't know why he felt the need to bait him, but he did. Will shot him a searing look. "Of course I do. She's my immortal mate." "You don't need to rub it in. She's practically my wife," Sean countered, glaring. A short laugh burst from Will. He pushed through the glass door of an expensive shop. The clothing was geared toward a more conservative woman than Evangeline. Will searched the racks, and Sean went to the accessories. He selected a violet silk scarf and a pair of killer heels. The sales lady brought her size, and he returned to Will, who was empty-handed. "You're right. There's not much in her size. But she needs clothes whether we stay or travel. What do you suggest?" "I say we get a man's extra-small white dress shirt, and she wears it as a dress. And the rest of the time, we keep her nude." When they returned, Evangeline lay stretched across the bed naked. Her head was pillowed on her arm, her hair still wet and her eyes closed. Will quietly closed the door, and she didn't rouse from her sleep. Sean crossed to her at once. The blistered mark of his insignia on her breast pulled him forward. He sank to the mattress, careful not to jar her, and sat watching her sleep. 184
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Will kicked off his shoes and approached on soft feet. He stopped next to the bed, his leg brushing against Sean's. "Don't wake her." Sean bristled. "I had no intention of waking her," he said, and climbed off the bed. He shut himself in the bathroom, deeply inhaling the scents of shower gel, shampoo and Evangeline's underlying musk. Emotions warred within him, anger, need, love and passion. Foremost was his desire to eliminate Will Cochran. Yet the memory of his long thigh brushing Sean's leg provided unwanted stimulation. He stripped off his filthy clothes. Crumbles of dirt from the hole were lodged in his waistband and fell to the white marble tile. He cranked on the shower full blast and stood bare before the full-length mirror, assessing his manhood, thinking of Will's. Fuck that. He didn't give a rip about Will's package. Disgusted, he jumped into the shower. The steam cleared his head. By the time he'd lathered and rinsed off, he felt calmer. Less agitated. And besides, Will would need to shower, leaving Sean alone with Evangeline. No way in hell would he make love to her while Will looked on, getting his rocks off. He came out, towel draped around his hips, hair shaggy and soaked. He glanced about the room for the bag of purchases. "Right here," Will said quietly, unfolding himself from the chair opposite the bed where he kept guard over their mutual love. He passed Sean the bag. Their fingers brushed in the exchange, and their eyes met with a clash. Beneath the soggy towel, Sean's rod stirred. 185
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"You better shower too," he said, confused by the sensation running through his loins. Will leaned closer as if inhaling. "Right. I'll do that." At the bathroom door, he turned back and said, "Don't wake her." "Yeah, yeah." Sean didn't need to wake her. Her startling blue eyes blinked at him from the bed. She stretched deliciously, arching her back slightly. Her knees parted, inviting him to take a peek. He was shocked to see she'd shaved her pussy bare. He dove between her thighs, breathing the sweet smell of perfumed cunt. Fresh skin, begging his kiss. "You're ready for me, I see. God, baby, what possessed you to shave it?" he asked, nuzzling her inner thighs. Her eyes glowed from her position below him. "New events have taken place. I wanted to represent the change." His palm caressed the smooth crest where her curls used to grow. Her legs parted to allow him a good view. Her lips were tight and splayed by the hard nub of her clit. "Touch it, please," she whispered, leaning on one elbow to watch him. She didn't need to ask him twice. He skimmed the sensitive flesh with his beard-rough jaw. Juices gleamed between her lips. Her heady scent filled his nostrils, dizzying him with pleasure. The sight of his big thumb against the pad of her white flesh excited him. Beneath the towel he was rock hard. His cock danced against his belly, threatening rupture. And when he dipped his head and tasted her slit, he moaned. 186
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Her head fell back and her breath was a sharp rasp. He'd never seen her so wet, and he lapped it up hungrily. The tip of his erection rubbed against the rough towel, dripping precome. He searched upward and found her nipples. At the first pinch she screamed for more. Suddenly he grew very aware of Will still in the other room and was driven to prove how much he could please her. He drove his tongue deep into her honey hole, twisting and fucking her. Then he laved her sensitive pleasure nub once more, sucking it like a little cock. The sound of the shower ceased, and Sean continued to plunder her pussy. Her legs hooked over his shoulders, driving her hips into his mouth. She gasped and cried out for more, her fingers curling into his hair. The need to enter her was so great he thought he'd burst any moment. And when the bathroom door opened, and he knew Will stood there, nude, watching him fuck Evangeline, a strange surge of excitement gripped him and he nearly came. He lifted her hips higher and withdrew his mouth to allow Will to glimpse the treasure he had gained. His eyes met the burning gaze of his adversary, and then he plunged his tongue into her dripping pussy again. She shivered, a sign of her impending release. Her nipples swelled and darkened beneath his fingers. She grew rigid as the explosion struck her. Come shot into his mouth and he sucked it all up. Her cunt pulsed against his tongue as he kept fucking her. And then she grabbed his head and drew him up the length of her body. He dropped the towel and her hot thighs 187
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enveloped him. For a moment he knelt over her, poised to enter, allowing Will to take in the hard length of his shaft, thick and pulsing. His eyes dropped to Will's cock, erect and long. A drop of pre-come glistened at the tip. Evangeline beckoned Will closer and he walked forward like a zombie, staring between Sean's throbbing erection and Evangeline's dripping, bare pussy. "Watch us, Will, and show us how much you like it," she said. Her husky voice and Will's level gaze made Sean break out in goosebumps. Will stood at the side of the bed inches from both of them. His rod pulsed up and down with need. The drop of pre-come ran down the purple head. He tore his gaze away and met Evangeline's. She was slowly caressing her nipples. The tip of her little pink tongue shot out and wet the tip of one. Maddened, Sean thrust into her. They both exclaimed at the sharp invasion. Afraid he'd let go prematurely, he stayed stock still. Will gave an all over shudder and grabbed his own cock with both hands. God, how Sean loved seeing that. The bold strokes of a man two-fisting his cock. Will rolled the rim through his tight fist, belly taut, thighs hard. His wet hair dripped into one eye and he tossed his head. Drops of water splattered the plush carpet. Sean began to move. Evangeline's tight sheath enveloped him. Hot and unbearably wet, he sought to drive deeper, farther than ever before. His thrusts lifted her hips from the bed, and he heard her gasps. He opened his eyes to see her gaze was riveted on Will. Their eyes were locked in a mental 188
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lovemaking as Sean filled her and Will felt through her and she through him. Unable to stop himself, he watched Will's long fingers clasped about his pulsing cock. His balls were drawn up tight, sprinkled with auburn hair. Sean licked his lips. "That's it, Will. Show me how much you love watching us. Let me see that come fly. Give it to me. Put it into my mouth," Evangeline was saying. Her hot words sent Sean over the edge. Again and again, he rammed his rod into her, his huge spurts filling her. Still thrusting, he watched as her eyes rolled back in her head. Her body splintered around him as a shattering orgasm swept her. A cry tore from Will, and the steaming load streamed out of his penis, spurting over Evangeline's mouth and chin. She held it on her tongue, and Will dipped forward and kissed her long and deep. Sean pulled out of her and drew her into his arms. He wanted to kiss her too, but was leery of tasting Will's load. So he kissed her tattoo and then her breasts, showering them with attention while Will went down between her legs. With a shock of excitement, Sean realized Will was eating his come out of her pussy. He moaned and mouthed it, his eyes hot with hunger. Sean worked over her tits, pinching one while sucking the other, and then she drew Will to her breast, replacing his fingers. Together they sucked and licked her peaks. Will tore his mouth from her to say, "Beautiful woman. Let me fuck you." 189
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"Not now, naughty boy," she purred. A sudden change came over Will. He stiffened with anger, his eyes blazing at Sean. At once, Evangeline sat up and grasped him by the shoulders. "That's not what I mean, Will. You know it's not," she cried. Sean glanced between them, wondering what was going on. "You told me this would be my call," she said softly, falteringly. Anger shot through Sean's veins. He stood up and yanked Will to his feet. They stood nose to nose, eyes shooting bullets. "What are you trying to do?" Sean said. Will shoved him back a step, but Sean shoved back, forcing him against a wall. Will's cock bounced with his heaving breaths. The silky length rested fleetingly against Sean's abdomen and then was gone. "I know what I said, but I don't know if I can do this." Will's jaw worked, and his eyes shifted from Sean's. Sean pushed closer. The heat from Will's body washed over him. "You'll do it for Evangeline," he said through clenched teeth. "Look at her. She's trembling because of you. Now go and make it up to her. Suck her titties like a good sex slave. Remember, this was your idea. I can't help it if I got the better deal." Will blinked at him, and Sean saw the lines around his mouth ease. Will lifted his palms to Sean's chest and pressed him gently away. And then he crossed to where Evangeline 190
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lay and took her into his arms and made slow and sweet love to her again. [Back to Table of Contents]
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Runes: Chapter Twenty-One Dawn crept over the rim of the mountains, casting long tendrils of light across the land. They trickled through the windows and fell across the entangled forms of Evangeline and Sean. Will's gaze caressed each facet of light bathing her skin. He'd never seen her glow this vibrantly. He followed the line of one arm thrust overhead to her smooth underarm and lower to her small round breast. For hours he'd kissed and suckled her, driven wild by the taste of her combined with Sean's musky scent. The warm taste of his come still tingled on Will's tongue. He would have gladly sucked her dry, given time. But she'd demanded homage be paid to her breasts and they'd happily agreed. Even in sleep, one golden hip angled towards Sean's and nestled close to his cock, soft in the bed of dark hair. Will slipped a hand around his own, taking measure. The difficulty could be overcome, he knew, but he and Sean needed to fend off the other rather than cooperate. Even last night when their heads had rested close suckling her breasts, they'd vied for space. Now Will wondered how it would feel to begin anew, without resistance. He circled the bed until he was near Sean. A hand on his shoulder woke him, and he rolled over groggily to look at Will. "I need to talk to you," Will said. Sean stole a peek at the sleeping Evangeline and then scrunched into a sitting position, arms slung around his knees with cock and balls hanging free for Will to see. He was a 192
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truly beautiful man, and loving with Evangeline. Will let his body shift forward until their skin brushed. "What is it?" Sean whispered, his eyes registering the intimate kiss of flesh but doing nothing to move away. "I'm sorry for yesterday and last night. I made this agreement, and I'm in it heart and soul. My body didn't wish to follow, but things have changed," he said in a low tone, eyes raking over Sean. His dark eyes widened, and a gentle puff of air came from his sultry lips. "I don't get your meaning." Will's fingers slipped up the bulging peak of Sean's bicep. His skin was utterly different from Evangeline's—rock hard where she was pliant. Yet he was tough and sexy as hell. Will leaned in slowly. Their mouths connected simply, without tongues or softness. Just a kiss. Will drew away and spent an agonized minute wanting to touch Sean's cock. "Let's give her what she wants," Sean said. Will decided to take the bull by the. . . balls. He slipped his hand between Sean's legs. "And gain some different satisfaction for ourselves." Sean jerked at his touch, and his dick slipped across Will's palm. He let out a ragged breath and met Will's gaze, turned on, appalled. "Imagine how she would feel to see us together," Will said. He caressed Sean's hardening shaft, bringing a harsh groan from him. Loving the sound of that, Will continued. "I can feel you, you know, when you fuck her. It's like I'm fucking you too," he rumbled, closely watching Sean's eyes 193
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even as his fist felt Sean's resistance give way. "She loves you. I can love you too." Sean moved further onto the bed, making room for Will beside him. They lay with bodies touching. Hesitantly, Will traced the tattoo on the underside of Sean's arm. Sean shifted to allow him access, then slid his arm beneath Will's shoulders, bringing him into contact with his entire length. Sean cupped his face and led him to his nipple. "Treat me the way you'd treat her," Sean said, watching as Will's tongue circled a tiny bud. Will moved to the other nipple, giving it the same erotic play. His hard cock pressed into Sean's. Sean reached between his legs, clasped his own cock and rubbed its tip against Will's. Desire exploded behind Will's eyes, and Sean ground against him, as if he wanted more, as if he remembered the taste of his load seeping from Evangeline's slit. She stirred, and the pair separated but with a private smile. When she fully woke, they were there to each accept a queenly tit into their mouths, suckling and stroking them with their tongues. And when she clasped their jaws and brought their heads close, they shared a delicious tongue kiss. She watched with wide eyes, groaning at the sight before guiding them back to her breasts. Each sent a finger into her cunt, toying her clit between their combined fingers. Will lifted his finger to Sean's mouth, and he sucked the juices from it. Evangeline cried out. They plunged into her dripping wetness once more, each inserting a finger into her hot hole and rhythmically fucking her. 194
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She moaned and rocked against their hands until the first spasms of orgasm hit her, flooding their hands with her come. With electric eyes, she pressed their heads toward one another's cocks and told them she'd love to watch them suck each other. The instant Sean's silky length slid between Will's lips, Will knew completion. For decades he'd hungered for something more, and between Sean and Evangeline, he'd found it. The salty-sweet taste of the man filled his mouth even as Sean's hot tongue circled the head of his cock. Evangeline drew her knees up and spread her beautiful thighs. Three fingers buried themselves within the depths of her cunt as she watched her men suck each other off. Sean's hips rose and fell with every gliding motion against his shaft. Will gripped Sean's ass and drew him closer, determined to take his entire length. "You know what he wants, Sean," she said, fingering her pussy. "He wants it in the ass." Sean's mouth vanished from Will's mammoth erection and he watched as Sean stuck a finger into his mouth and wet it. And with a wicked grin, he reached behind Will and slipped it into Will's anus. He screamed with pleasure. The finger moved gently at first, and he took up where he left off, sucking Will's dick. Will felt himself nearing his release. The intense pressure of Sean's finger in his ass coupled with his soft mouth enveloping his cock had him trembling on the verge of a full body orgasm. He crested and fell over the brink, shouting as he shot spurt after spurt of hot come into Sean's throat, 195
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which he eagerly gulped. Sean's finger pumped him roughly, extending his orgasm until he grew lightheaded. Sean's body stiffened and he jerked against Will, fucking his mouth with force. Will drew every last drop of come from his new lover's body. Panting, they rolled apart and found Evangeline staring at them with love. She opened her arms, and they tumbled into them together, kissing and caressing her and each other. "My amazing men," she whispered. "You were brilliant to form this alliance." Sean and Will's eyes met and they shared a smile. Sean's fingers inched up Will's chest, sending another bolt of need through him. "It was Will's idea." Will caught his hand and guided it lower. "If we didn't love you so much, Evangeline, it would never work." She pulled them both close, kissing first one eager mouth and then the other. Will snuggled against his lovers. With his immortal mate safe in his arms and new passions for Sean filling him, life for Will grew into a hopeful and beautiful future. [Back to Table of Contents]
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About The Author: **** Since a young age Em Petrova has been focused on the world of romance and paranormal. She penned her first novel at the age of twelve, and after gaining an arts degree has returned to her literary roots. Currently she is inspired by the twisted happenings in the world in which she lives with her sexy husband and small children in rural Pennsylvania. She loves to dig deep into the souls of her unique characters and uncover their secret desires when she doesn't have her nose in a great new read. She'd love to hear from you at
[email protected] [Back to Table of Contents]
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Red Sage Publishing ****
**** The Leader in Women's Erotic Romance Sensual fiction written for the adventurous woman. Featuring the best in women's ultra sensual and spicy fiction, satisfying your desire for more. Visit our website and discover delicious temptations and spicy fantasies! www.eRedSage.com
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