Chapter Twelve

 

Malachi normally didn’t walk around the garden maze behind his home, but he was restless. The previous night had given him information about Pascal that he couldn’t use right away. His promise to Lucian ate at him, as did Lani’s continued illness.

She hadn’t moved an inch last night, nor had she budged during the day. Dinah suggested her body was in a deep healing sleep and she’d wake up when she was ready. He didn’t like that. He wanted Lani awake. He told himself it was so they could go after Pascal, but his heart knew it was because he wanted to be sure she was going to be all right.

Malachi sighed roughly and turned a corner in the maze. He didn’t know why he’d had the stupid thing built, except he liked looking at it from his suite. It was soothing to watch the flowers bloom, to smell their sweet scents.

He smiled as he plucked a rose. Tia had suggested the garden might be a good place to find his calm again. She’d had a lot to say actually. The first of her packages had arrived earlier in the day and she’d demanded he show her how to use an MP3 player, a computer, and camera. Then he’d had to sit down and watch Steel Magnolias with her. If he wasn’t mistaken, she’d cried but since she still wore the veil, it was hard to tell.

His little pet had become a member of his household. She ate everything his cook prepared for her, demanded Kahal and Hatot watch movies with her, and asked for opinions on clothing she wanted to order. His credit card had taken a large hit from her shopping spree, but he didn’t mind in the least.

Just then he spotted something gleaming in the moonlit garden. Frowning, he peered through a trellis lined with wisteria and jasmine. His eyes widened as he saw Lani in all her naked glory posed on the bench at the heart of the maze.

He should stride forward and demand she go back to bed. She needed rest. His rational mind knew this, but his primal urges surged forward.

Her head was tipped back, her hands resting on the bench behind her which thrust her full breasts upward. Her wings were spread wide behind her, fluttering gently. His gaze traveled over the body reclining before him, trailing from her silvery throat to the nest of white curls between her legs.

His mouth went dry then flooded with moisture as he stared. She hadn’t pressed her knees together. Her legs were sprawled open giving him a glimpse of the tender flesh of her womanhood below her curls. Malachi’s mouth watered.

He wanted.

His fangs sprang forth.

He needed.

Lani’s breasts rose as she took a deep breath.

He would have.

*****

Shade breathed a sigh of relief as the pain of her brands faded away. The moon’s glow had done what she’d hoped it would. Now she could continue her assignment without pain. She still didn’t know what she was going to tell the target. He would want to know how she came by the brands, but there was no way she could tell him the truth.

She heaved another sigh. Her mind had been quiet since her forced sleep. She thanked whatever gods had given her peace even while she knew it wouldn’t last. Tomorrow she’d present herself to the target and demand they start searching for those generals more actively. She’d translate the logbook for him, hopefully earning more of his trust.

Something disturbed her peaceful reverie and her eyes snapped open. She immediately saw red eyes gleaming at her through a fall of thick flowers. A strange sensation crawled down her spine making her shiver. Her nipples tightened, and a low growl came from the direction of the trellis.

Shade knew she should cover up, run, fight, do something, but she held stock still as the eyes began to maneuver around the trellis. Those eyes never wavered once. They pinned her in place until the male stepped into the moonlight.

His face seemed carved from ivory, startling against the darkness of his hair, and the crimson of his eyes. She shivered again, alien warmth stealing through her body. Those eyes. They raked her from head to toe, pausing on the tips of her breasts, lingering on the private flesh between her legs. They stroked her with heat causing her breath to catch in her throat.

“What do you want?” she croaked, startled to hear her voice sounding breathless. She cleared her throat, sitting up, her wings wrapping around her naked body protectively.

He growled, stalking forward slowly. His shoulders were tight. His chest expanded and deflated with every harsh breath.

For the first time since she’d become the Shade, she felt vulnerable. Her breath sped up. She felt feminine. Her body tensed the closer he got. She should run. He wasn’t in his right mind. Neither was she. Her body was once again acting on its own, moisture seeping between her legs.

She licked her lips. “What are you doing here?” she tried again.

He never paused in his forward movement, reaching up as he tore off his shirt. Shade’s eyes widened at the beauty of his torso. No scars marred his chest. The light dusting of hair across his pectoral muscles only enhanced her awe. Her gaze followed the trail of hair over stomach muscles that rippled with his every step. His hands went to the waist of his trousers, tearing the belt from the loops viciously.

The leather went flying, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of the target as he closed on her. Her body shook with a strange emotion, her breath rasped loudly in her ears. He stopped for a split second. The trousers fell to the ground and were kicked away as he stalked forward.

Shade felt her mouth fall open in surprise and awe. He was beautiful. Her heart pounded. His legs were leanly muscled, the long ropes of sinew twisting and relaxing as he stalked ever closer. But it was the sight of his erection that made her mouth dry, and her eyes widen. He was long, very long and thick. Perhaps even bigger than Luther had been. Muscles she hadn’t even known she possessed clenched low in her body.

She knew what he wanted and she wanted to give it to him. Her body ached with want. She shoved away the logical part of her brain that warned this was not only a bad idea, but potentially dangerous and painful. The primal fairy wanted, and it would take.

*****

Malachi couldn’t stop himself. He’d tried. Gods knew he’d tried to tell his primitive instincts to take a hike. This female had too many secrets for him to get involved with, but his libido had ignored him the instant he’d caught a whiff of her arousal. Those laser green eyes watched him with heat instead of ice even as her body alternately beckoned him and warned him away.

Her wings were still folded around her torso, shielding her breasts from his view, but her knees had spread, opening her inner flesh to his gaze. Even as he stalked closer, she squirmed as though in discomfort.

Malachi dropped to his knees in front of her. He wanted to take her now, but a single thread of reason warned him to initiate her slowly. Male possessiveness demanded he wipe all others from her mind and soul; brand her with his body rather than a torture device. He needed to show her so much pleasure she’d think of him, and only him.

His fangs wanted to pierce her flesh while his cock penetrated her body. He would do so, but first he had to prepare her. His fingers found her knees, stroking over the scarred flesh. He was touching her, finally, with no barriers between them. She quivered, her breath hitching in her chest.

Their gazes never broke away. He watched her green eyes glow with pleasure as he stroked her silky skin. Her wings fluttered as though ready to unveil her, making his breath catch. He licked his lips, stroking his hands down to her ankles, wrapping his fingers around the petite bones. The beast urged him to open her wide and plunge inside. No, he clenched his teeth. He would give her pleasure first.

Lani’s wings shifted, gifting him with the sight of her pearlescent skin peeking through the notches in the feathers. Slowly, her wings spread wide baring her body to his hungry view. Her breasts rose and fell with her ragged breaths, the tips hard as diamonds, flushed deep with desire.

He bared his teeth in a hungry smile. She gazed down at him with desire mingled with fear. He leaned forward, drawn to her like a moth to flame.

*****

Shade gasped as the male’s taut stomach came to rest fully against the damp heat between her legs. The ache intensified and she would’ve cried out from the strange pain, but his mouth swallowed all sound.

His tongue thrust deep, swirling around hers, dominating her. She whimpered in confused need. His hands remained on her legs, thumbs drawing circles on her skin while his mouth ate at hers. He gently suckled her tongue, teasing it into tangling with his.

Wetness seemed to burst between her legs at his taste. This time she was the one delving into his mouth, licking along his teeth and cheeks. The tip of her tongue traced the fangs that had extended at some point. The sharpness of the tips was exquisite danger she played with for several moments until he tore his mouth away from her.

Gasping at the loss, her eyes flew open as his lips trailed over her jaw, pausing at her pulse to suckle the skin. She squirmed uneasily. He could bite her. The scrape of a fang against her made her body shudder with a mixture of want and fear. The mouth traveled lower.

Shade’s wings were fluttering wildly by the time his mouth latched around one nipple. Her head fell back at the sensation. Heat surrounded her tender flesh, pulling at it in slow, wet draws. She gasped towards the moon. He moved to the other breast, greeting it with the same intimate kiss.

Her hands clenched on the edge of the bench behind her, her hips shifted restlessly, rubbing her aching center over the ridges of his abdomen. The resulting pleasure made her moan. She did it again.

He laughed darkly, releasing her nipple. The moist tips tightened further in the coolness of the night air even as his hot breath washed over her stomach. His tongue flicked at her belly button, causing her to suck in her stomach. She held her breath in awed fear as she looked down.

The hands on her legs gripped her behind her knees and pushed up, tilting her backwards. She gave a little cry of surprise to find herself flat on her back, draped over the seat of the bench. Her arms were above her head, her legs cupped in his big palms. She looked down warily as he grinned up at her with a sly smile.

“Wh-what are you-” she whispered.

He didn’t answer, his hands spreading her legs wide, baring her most private flesh to his gaze. She hiccupped in fear.

His face was stark with male lust. It was an expression she’d seen enough in the past to be familiar with. That look quickly cooled her ardor. Malachi rubbed his cheek against her thigh, the soft abrasion sending flutters through her womb, but doing nothing to quiet her misgivings.

She was tensing to sit up when his tongue tunneled through her nether lips as one of his hands came to rest in the center of her torso to hold her in place. She shrieked in surprised pleasure. The tip of his tongue found her clit, circling it gently but firmly.

She fell flat on her back, her hips thrusting forward helplessly. He chuckled even as his tongue dipped to her entrance, lapping at her arousal. More wetness replaced what he tasted, her body weeping for his attention.

Hoarse cries were wrung from her throat as his wicked tongue speared her body. She writhed on the bench wanting more, wanting to get away. She didn’t know what she wanted, but her body was no longer hers to command.

He paused, pressing her knees further apart. Shade caught her breath, relieved to have the brief respite. Then she cried out as one long finger breeched her entrance.

His tongue swept over her clit, laving the tender bundle of nerves as his finger slipped in and out of her. Then it was joined by another finger. They spread her inner muscles, burrowing inside her slippery warmth. His tongue moved faster while his fingers thrust.

*****

Malachi was wild with lust. Her hoarse cries had given way to a lyrical language she shouted to the night sky. His eyes watched her face even as his tongue flicked over her clit. He was so hard, aching to plunge into her body, yet wanting to give her this gift.

Her voice was thick with her impending orgasm, her inner muscles tensing around his fingers. He wanted to taste her climax, wanted to bathe in her arousal. Wrapping his lips around the bud of her pleasure, he suckled. Crooking his fingers slightly, he found the spot that drove most women over the edge.

She came with great pulls on his fingers, her back arched in surrender. He continued pumping into her, wringing more cries from her, before removing his fingers and dipping his tongue in her honeyed sweetness once more.

*****

Shade floated down to earth, her body limp. She felt as though she’d fought a major battle and she wasn’t sure if she’d won or lost. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her skin coated with perspiration. What had he done to her? A strange feeling of peace invaded her every pore. When the clenching of her body began, she’d been frightened, but hadn’t been able to pull away from the intense pleasure he was giving her.

His tongue still lapped at her, the gentle rasps making her heart leap with each drag against her sensitive flesh. When he stopped, she looked down to meet his heated gaze.

Watching her like a great predator, he turned his head slightly, pressing a kiss to her leg. His fangs gleamed in the light as they raked the tender skin of her inner thigh. Her breath caught in her throat at the implied danger, except he pulled away.

He’d been crouched as he stroked her with his tongue, but now he rose fully to his knees. He swept his hands up her body, pausing to pluck her nipples.

“I’m going to take you,” he rasped as his erection came to rest against her swollen flesh.

Shade shuddered. She squirmed, trying to pull away from him. Her limbs felt so heavy and uncoordinated, she only managed to nestle his cock further between her folds. The threat of his penetration made her panic. She’d thought she could finish it, she’d thought she could forget her past with his beautiful eyes on her, but as he came above her, all she could see was Luther. All she felt was pain and hatred.

“No!” she screamed, raising her hands to gouge his eyes out.

He caught her wrists, pinning them to the bench next to her hips. The tip of his erection danced over her clit making her squirm. “Yes,” he whispered, leaning over her. “I need you. I won’t hurt you, Lani, I swear it on my life.” He pressed a gentle kiss to each of her nipples. “Please.”

Fear and panic nearly strangled her. “N-no, I-I c-can’t!” she cried, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Sh,” he whispered, kissing the tears from her face. “I won’t hurt you.”

He kept insisting he wouldn’t hurt her, but it was her body that would be invaded, her flesh that would have to bear the brunt of his length. “No!”