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Spectra: A Paranormal Romance Novel by Ebony Olson (10)

CHAPTER TEN

Bay

 

Gina's terrified voice got our attention very quickly, but none of us reacted as quickly as Calin. By the time I made it to the top of the stairs, Calin was already launching himself over the banister. I looked over in time to see Spectra launch herself at the panther, become incorporeal, and disappear. The panther shivered in midair and transformed back to human in a blink. And when I say human, I mean fully human. Even from this distance, I could tell she'd somehow taken his ability to transform ever again from him.

I would have been fascinated, but more of the enemy was invading our house, Calin's wives battling the intruders. I launched myself over the banister, falling to the first floor alongside Calin while Luke ran down the stairs to Gina's side. A panther growled and launched at me. I grabbed its open jaws and pulled my hands back, dropping my shields as I did. The momentum of the beast's body assisted my strength. I heard a crack and the beast fell dead to the floor, returning to her human form.

Calin, Luke, and I moved around the house, fighting the invaders alongside Calin's wives in their beast form. There were fifteen at least, and I only put a dent in the onslaught, but by the time the sounds of fighting were fading, I stood over my last two kills in the kitchen. I heard someone breathe directly behind me, and, still riding the adrenaline, turned around ready to kill again.

Spectra's eyes bulged as I grabbed her by the throat. “Spectra.” I breathed in relief, seeing her safe. I'd hoped she was still upstairs safe, but as I looked at the dirt smudges on her face, I knew something happened to her after she saved Gina. Relaxing my hand, I caressed her neck and opened my mouth to ask what happened.

“There's a sorcerer in your cellar looking for something,” she whispered, her voice cracking as if on the verge of tears. I wanted to stay and make sure she was all right, but I understood where the attack was coming from now.

“Stay here,” I instructed as I ran out of the room for the cellar.

I walked into the pool room and to the stone arch. The cellar was alight with the flame Falon Lore held aloft. I smiled and leaned on the wall, watching as he tried stone after stone, hoping for a secret passage or room. I waited patiently, well aware his army to distract me was destroyed, but there were other issues I needed to deal with. L'Ordre would need to be called to deal with the carnage, and I was sure Spectra's presence and appearance was not going to endear me to Williams.

While I let Falon satisfy his curiosity, my mind conjured the image of her hands covered in dirt, like she'd had to dig her way out of something. Before I could consider that further, Falon finally turned and saw me watching him.

“We knew the rumor of an antidote would bring you all out of hiding. One by one, you will all die seeking it.” I smiled viciously.

Falon Lore hesitated, and that was his downfall. I used my power to launch one of the loose rocks at his head. It struck with a resounding thud, and darkness encompassed the cellar as Falon fell unconscious to the floor.

I walked to Falon and grabbed the collar of his jacket. I lifted and dragged him out to the pool area where I dropped him into the water. I watched him float for a moment before he sank beneath the water. I stood watching, my powers still partially shielded as I felt for the life leaving him. The bubbles stopped coming out of his mouth and nose, and his heart stumbled and stopped. Sorcerer he may be, but human mortality was still theirs.

While I waited those few more minutes to ensure death, my eyes were pulled to the garden that Luke insisted on me planting. I walked over to it and saw the disturbed earth where Spectra had buried her hands. I squatted and placed my hand over those holes. Nothing. Dropping my shields a little more, I waited to see what would happen. Slowly, a small green stem emerged from the soil, leaves bloomed, and in a matter of seconds, a plush catnip bush grew. I shook my head and stood up, wondering what the hell happened here. Taking a deep breath and content that Falon Lore was happily burning in hell, I made my way upstairs to deal with the law.

Calin was the first person I found, squatting above Margaret, her eyes staring blankly into the afterlife. I squatted down next to him, putting an arm around his head. I hugged him to me as he mourned his first wife. He wouldn't mourn her fully tonight, there was still work to be done, but we'd both take this moment until we could farewell her properly.

“How great is your loss?” I enquired carefully. Calin loved his wives, but they were also our employees, and I didn't want him thinking my concern was the loss of guards.

“Margaret dead, and Anna is fighting for her life as we speak. Selena is a wreck. Margaret put herself in harm's way to save her.” Calin swiped at his eyes and took a moment to center himself. “L'Ordre and L'Paix are already here. Luke called them immediately.” I nodded, understanding this wasn't just a matter of order. Anything that could be considered the beginnings of an interspecies war brought in the peace officer. We both stood, and Calin turned his back on the gruesome loss behind him.

I lowered my voice. “Can you take Spectra out of sight till this is done? She's going to be traumatized, and her presence here will cause us issues.”

Calin nodded. “Any idea where she is? She did her vanishing trick again, though I must thank her for saving Gina.”

“I left her in the kitchen.” I started up the servants’ walk to gain access to the kitchen without passing through the main part of the house. I opened the door and moved around the bench where I'd left the bodies. Spectra wasn't there.

Calin tapped my shoulder and pointed to the kitchen door, still ajar. I concentrated and could see her drift leaving through that door, fear and shock strong in that aura. I sighed. “You'll need to track her. She's spooked though, so be careful.”

“I'll take Gina. She can use her animal eyes in case your girl has gone ghost again.” Calin walked back out the way we came in.

I took a breath, shut my shields, and went out to the main foyer and the chaos that was there.

“What took you so long?” Henry Williams enquired as I joined him, Alexander, and Luke by the main staircase. Seeing them side by side, there was no mistaking they were father and son. Alexander was just a younger version of his father.

“Found a loose end in the cellar,” I answered glumly. “Has Luke explained what happened?”

Henry nodded, “Where's Calin?”

Alexander always deferred to his father if present because he was respectful, and as much as he annoyed me for his prejudice, Alexander performed well in his role since taking it on.

“He and Gina are going out to check the perimeter for any we may have missed.”

Henry nodded, crossing his arms. “Good idea. I believe we've only got the one left alive?”

I looked to Luke, who nodded. “The one who attacked Gina while she was still transforming and you intervened.”

“He lived?” I asked, surprised and angry, but glad Luke knew well enough to cover for what we'd all seen Spectra do. “That's a surprise.” I gave Luke a stern look. Luke looked at his feet.

“I would question him, but it appears his sudden transformation to being human again left him with amnesia.” Henry cocked a brow. “I didn't know it was possible to cleanse a beast without killing it.”

I shook my head. “Admittedly, that wasn't what I was aiming to do. I actually don't know how that happened. Maybe he was a new convert?”

Alexander assessed me. “I'll look into it. I'd love to know how you did that.” He looked around and nodded to one of the men standing at the front door in coveralls. They started filing in with body bags.

“Luke, can you escort two of the men to the pool and retrieve the sorcerer down there?” I asked politely. Luke nodded and indicated the men should follow him.

“Who was it?” Henry asked.

“Falon Lore.”

“The weakest of them,” Alexander considered, “but it looks like the rumor has worked. I will leak a memo at work that tonight's attack resulted in one of the attackers being exposed and successfully cured of the beast.”

Henry nodded. “I will follow that up with a notice that the antidote has been moved to a more secure location. That should prevent this happening at your home again.”

“Let's leak several memos. One to each sector indicating different times and places. That should narrow the field for identifying the breach.” Alexander suggested. “Too long the Essence has gained access to information that should never have breached the NSIO walls.”

Henry nodded. “I think I'm done here. Hopefully, you'll have your home back within the hour.”

“There is one dead which will stay,” I informed quietly. “Calin will bury his wife here.”

Henry closed his eyes, the first bit of emotion I'd seen in him all night. “Which wife?”

“Margaret.”

“She was a good woman. Give him my condolences.” Henry met my eyes. “Truly good women are hard to come by these days. They shouldn't be harmed.” I nodded, agreeing with every word he said. Henry looked intently at me before looking away, and I knew he was aware of my interest in Spectra.

Alexander's eyes were angry. “Identify Margaret, so the cleaners know who to leave.” I nodded. Alexander Williams dropped his shield and stepped into the ether.

Henry waited a moment after his son left. “He was willing to put aside his hate for your kind to make this work, Bay, but if you try to take her from him, he will turn on you and years of planning will be destroyed.”

“I seek only a taste, Henry. You know better than any that my eternity is not something I would offer the girl. Besides, we both know Alexander cannot offer her anything permanent either. She is much better off with the boyfriend she already has. That they have an open relationship works in my favor as much as Alexander's.”

Henry looked at me curiously, and I resisted clarifying about Mercury, remembering that Alexander might not know about him.

Henry blew out a breath. “I adore that girl. She has a will of iron when it comes to living. She wasn't hurt tonight, was she?” My eyes widened in shock as Henry reached out and removed a long black hair from the shoulder of my jacket, holding it up with a knowing look before dropping it to the ground. I shook my head. “It was her choice this time, wasn't it?” I nodded. Henry shook his head. “He will kill you when he finds out, so keep whatever happens behind closed doors, Bay.” Henry took two steps towards the door, where he preferred to vanish out of sight.

“Do you know what she is, Henry?”

Henry looked back over his shoulder at me, his eyes as dark and dangerous as if I'd just threatened his wife's life. “Leave it alone, Bay. Have your fun then let her go.”

 

Spectra

 

I ran into the darkness, not having any idea where I was running or how long I'd been running. Despite the freezing cold ground and the light covering of snow, I kept running. Through the open land and then into the even darker forest, winding through the trees, catching myself and pushing on whenever my body felt like it would fail. Then an angel appeared in front of me.

I dropped to my knees in surprise before I recognized it was a statue. I knelt there panting, eyes traveling down the statue till I could just make out an inscription at the base. A grave. I was kneeling on a grave. As I scanned the area around me, I realized it wasn't the only grave in this clearing. I couldn't help thinking of the irony. I'd run from kneeling before the newly dead, just to kneel before the long dead.

I cuddled up to the base of the stone angel, shivering as my body temp cooled rapidly, but it was worth it for the peace that started seeping into me. Consecrated ground. I dropped my head to my knees and closed my eyes, wishing I could just step back into my bedroom at the convent, or maybe even into Mercury's arms. He'd be at the hospital, working hard to save those he could, praying for those he couldn't, or wouldn't. The weighing of souls. Would mine weigh a little heavier after what I'd done tonight?

Movement through the undergrowth caught my attention, and I raised my head to see a lion watching me from several meters away. I smiled. “I'm glad you're okay.” My eyes lifted over Gina's head as the blond man, Calin, jogged behind her, slowing to a stride as he approached.

He ran a hand along Gina's back and whispered something in her ear then stepped cautiously towards me. He stopped a meter away and squatted to look at me. His eyes flicked to the statue and back. “Are you cold?” I nodded. He stood, slipping out of his jacket, stepping forward lightly as if I was a child that might spook and run.

I unfolded my legs, and he stopped walking. Both he and Gina watched me stand, as if they were surprised that I could. I met his eyes, and he inhaled a sharp breath. He didn’t say anything, just held his jacket for me. I pulled it on, wrapping it tight around me as I started walking in the direction they came from. Gina spun around and took off in a run. I raised a brow at Calin.

“She's gone ahead to organize a bath and some clean clothes for you.”

“A shower will do.”

Calin shook his head. “You've run for kilometers. Your muscles will soon tell you about it. You need a nice hot bath and maybe some simple stretches before you rest.”

“Is it all over?”

Calin pursed his lips. “For tonight. If L'Ordre has done his job well, and he usually does, the place should be clean as a whistle by the time we get back.”

I nodded and kept walking. Calin touched my back a few minutes later and pointed to my left, using his hand to turn me and move in that direction.

“What will you do when your secret comes out?” Calin asked casually as we walked.

“Which secret?”

“About what you are?”

“What I am now, or what I was before?” I saw Calin's head swivel to consider me in my peripheral vision. I shrugged. “It would be best if it wasn't revealed. No one wants L'Ordre as an enemy, especially one who has a contract with your signature on it.”

Calin stopped walking. “Were you sent as a test, Spectra? Is that why you agreed to meet with him tonight?”

I turned to consider Calin. “Bay wants something from me, Calin, and until last night, I couldn't understand why me. After last night, I can't refuse him.” I smiled quietly to myself. “Alexander always says compassion is my weakness.”

Calin studied my eyes. “He's wrong. Compassion and self-sacrifice are very admirable traits.”

I smirked. “Well, it's not all self-sacrifice. I am hoping to get something out of it.”

Calin laughed, stepping forward, and I turned to keep walking with him. “It's been awhile, Spectra. You may need to give him a few chances to release centuries of pressure first.”

We stepped out of the forest into the clear field. I pouted. “But he promised me he could bring a woman to orgasm with his face between her thighs.”

Calin growled, grabbing my shoulders to face him, face serious. “Do you want to be food?” I shook my head, suddenly scared. “You are not only breaking centuries of abstinence, Spectra. For centuries before that, he hasn't been with a woman without gaining sustenance from her. He'll need to resist that instinct, so don't put him in a position that tempts it.”

I swallowed. “And by that, you mean the literal physical position.”

Calin's mouth pulled up slightly. “Exactly.” Headlights came across the field towards us and Calin shielded his eyes. “Why do people who can see in the dark use headlights? Honestly! There goes my night vision for several minutes.”

We stood still for the next few minutes while the lights came closer. Eventually, a Jeep Wrangler pulled up beside us, the top down, Luke behind the wheel. “Gina told me Spectra was tired after her run.”

I looked at Calin. “How did you know I'd run the entire way?”

He took my arm leading me to the passenger side and placed me in the passenger seat before shutting the door and jumping into the backseat. “Your tracks.”

Luke shifted back into drive and started speeding back through the paddock. “The clean up’s finished. The boss is making arrangements for your wife's burial.”

“Have we heard about Anna?” Calin asked, his face shutting down, but emotion flitting across his eyes when I turned to look at him.

“Critical.” Luke glanced at me then back to the dark path in front of us. “I'll drive you in once we've seen Miss Michaels safely back.”

“We can't both go, Luke.”

“Your wives are exhausted, and as much as they'd all like to go, you know only you will be let in to see her. So, let your wives rest and mourn Margaret. Nothing more will happen tonight so I will take you, that way you can be by your wife's bedside if she wakes.” The way Luke phrased the word 'if' made me think it was highly unlikely.

The house came into view and silence descended over the car. It started snowing again as we approached the house. Luke looked up. “If this keeps up at this rate, we'll be snowed in come Monday.” He pulled into the garage and shut off the engine as Calin jumped out of the back and opened the door for me.

Calin looked at my feet and shook his head. “Definitely a bath.”

Luke came around the car. “I'll take her. You go see your women. I'll meet you back here in fifteen.” Luke put his arm on the small of my back, and I remembered I was wearing Calin's jacket.

I slid it off and handed it to him. “Thank you. For the jacket and for coming to find me. I'm sorry about your wife.”

Calin nodded and walked off into the house through a different door than the one Luke was leading me towards, his hand resting on the bare skin of my back. He walked me up the stairs, and as I lifted my legs to climb, I could feel the muscle soreness setting in. By the second landing, I was cringing with each step. Luke looked at me with concern, shook his head, and swept my legs out from under me, carrying me the rest of the way to the third floor and the room I escaped from not even a week ago.

In the bedroom, he put me back on my feet. “There's a hot bath waiting for you. Gina left you a nightdress on the bed. The boss still has a few things to fix up, so take your time and soak those torn muscle fibers.” Luke walked back out of the room through the one door I hadn't tried last time. I caught a glimpse of a study through the door before he shut it.

Sighing, I moved to the bathroom, slipping out of my dress and into the hot water. I'd put my body through too much today. Spending the day praying in the frigid garden. Then this run through the snow. I was beyond exhausted. I felt myself starting to drift to sleep and startled awake, slopping water everywhere.

I looked at my hands and cringed. I grabbed the washcloth and started scrubbing at the dirt before attacking my feet with the same vigor. By the time I felt clean, my fingers were turning pruney. I pulled myself wearily out of the tub, dried off, and wrapped the towel around me, walking out to the bedroom to find the nightdress.

As I stepped into the room, Bay sat in one of the chairs at the other side of the room. Head in his hands, as if he too were exhausted. He looked up as I closed the bathroom door, and any sign of weariness faded as his eyes trailed over me. He stood up and walked towards me.

“You're safe?” he asked. I nodded. “You're not hurt?”

“Only self-inflicted muscle soreness.”

He touched my cheek, just the slightest brush of the back of his fingers. “I'm sorry the night was ruined, Spectra. You're exhausted. I'll let you sleep, and tomorrow I'll have Luke take you home.”

I frowned. “You changed your mind?”

Bay just looked at me. “If I'd changed my mind about wanting you, Spectra, I would have Luke take you home immediately. You are exhausted, and you must be scared after tonight. I will...”

Bay's eyes turned liquid as I untucked my towel and dropped it to the floor. He swallowed once, shook his head, and stepped into me, catching me up in a passionate kiss that stole my breath for a second. I unbuttoned his shirt quickly and pushed it from his shoulders, not bothering to untuck it before I started unbuckling his belt. I would lose my nerve if this didn't happen tonight, and after what I'd already been through, I was getting what I came for.

Bay's pants dropped to the floor, and he pulled me tight against him, his hardness pressing painfully against my pelvis and lower abdomen. Walking us backward to the bed, I crept onto the mattress as he climbed over the top of me, his fingers seeking out my heat and sliding into me. He stroked me enough to initiate my body's natural response before he dropped his body to mine, letting his erection find its own way, and it did, like a heat-seeking missile.

He found my opening and shoved into me, patience be damned. I'd offered it, he was taking it, before anything else tried to interfere. The moan that rumbled up his throat as he slid home and started thrusting into me was beautiful. I smiled at the sounds he was making, so animalistic, so full of need. He started throbbing inside me, and I put a hand on his shoulder, pushing him back.

Bay met my eyes, nothing but lust looking back at me. I gave him a gentle look and pushed again. He rolled onto his back but kept hold of me to stop my escape. “Give me a second,” I murmured and kissed him gently. I climbed off the bed and grabbed my purse that I'd seen sitting on the chair when I first walked in. I grabbed what we needed from inside then jogged back to the bed.

Bay raised a brow at me as I straddled him, ripping open one of the condoms and throwing the rest on the bedside table. “Rule one, remember? Plus it will help with your sensitivity.” He opened his mouth, but I started rolling the condom on, and the feel of my pushing the rubber down his shaft made his back bow. I followed that up by sliding him back inside me. I bent over and kissed him slowly, drawing it out, just holding him inside of me.

His hands caressed over my body, taking my breasts in his hands and caressing them, doubling his efforts when I moaned for him. Pushing back up to sitting, I started riding him, tilting my pelvis as I lifted off him again. Bay's eyes rolled back, but his hands gripped my hips. I could see how much he was trying to restrain himself, and I felt like I was torturing him.

I touched his face, ceasing my body movement so he would meet my eyes. “What do you need, Bay? Let me in, take what it is you need right now.”

Bay pulled my mouth to his, dropping his shields enough for that tropical heat wave to sweep through me. My body reacted immediately to his desire. He threw me onto my back and started a hard and fast fuck, his moans growing with each thrust, his control on his shielding slipping. I reached into myself as the heat became unbearable, finding my shield and imagining pulling it gently across my chest. This time, it moved, stretching like a balloon slowly being filled with air. It made the heat bearable.

It wasn't a large shield, but I managed to stretch it across my chest entirely before it became rigid. I focused on holding it there for as long as I could. Bay's mouth captured mine, his thrusts increasing speed, his moans filling the room. I wrapped my legs around his arse, and an entirely new sound emerged as he slid even deeper into me.

He kissed me hard and fast then threw his head back and roared as his body spasmed, the feeling of which brought me to the edge of my own climax. The sensation of nearly coming jarred my focus and the shield shrank away again, leaving me bathing in the heat of Bay's power as he stilled himself above me. I could feel his cock still pulsating inside me as his mouth captured mine again and he kissed me long and hard.

He went to pull away from me, but I stopped him and showed him the correct way to pull away and remove the condom so he didn't cause spillage. He took himself off to the bathroom, and I grabbed the nightdress Gina left on the end of the bed, pulling it on before climbing into Bay's bed. I heard the shower start, but that was about all.

Several hours later, I stirred as I felt Bay slip into the bed, rolling me onto my back and climbing between my thighs. He kissed me, waiting for me to react fully to his kisses before he let his mouth wander to my exposed breast. He took my hand and placed it around his rock-hard erection, letting me feel the fresh condom already in place.

“Can I?” he murmured before his mouth closed over my nipple and drew my own moans into the room.

“Yes!”

He pushed into me, the same need riding him as earlier, but I could feel he held a little more control this time. He kept his shield in place, which I was grateful for. I didn't want him to fall back to that each time. His lips pinched my throat as his moans rose to the crescendo. I turned my head, forcing his face away from my neck in time before he lost control, and he bit into the pillow above my shoulder.

He swept a hand through my hair as his body settled and kissed me gently before pulling away, not needing any help this time. I rolled over and went back to sleep, only to repeat it all again as the light in the room lightened, lasting longer each time. All I could think of as I fell asleep in his arms after the third time was how we needed to have a serious talk about foreplay. It wasn't my legs I was worried about being sore in the morning.

 

Bay

 

I wanted her again, but she needed to rest more. As the clock ticked over to midday, I slipped from the bed, pulled on my tracksuit pants and t-shirt, and went out for a run. Luke was in the kitchen along with Selena when I came back in and went to fix myself some breakfast.

“Oh my God, I love that smell,” Selena purred getting up from the breakfast bar and pouring a fresh glass of milk.

“Sweaty male?” Luke smiled, a spark in his eye because we both knew what smell she was talking about.

“Sex. Lots and lots of just-had-sex smell. Did you let the girl have any rest, boss?” Selena smirked as she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

“Did you want me to take her home now or are you keeping her?” Luke teased.

“How is Anna?”

Both of them sobered. “Still critical. Calin called while you were out to give us an update.” Luke stood straight.

I nodded. “You should both shower before anyone else wakes. Calin won't handle infidelity right now.” Both of them went rigid, and I gave them my usual version of a smile. “I'm not the only one smelling of sex this morning.”

Selena swallowed, handing both the milk and water to me. “She'll need one or both of these.”

I winked at her and took them with me as I climbed the stairs. It didn't bother me that Luke and Selena took the stress and grief of last night out on each other, but I didn't want it creating in-house problems with Calin. He was grieving right now, which made him much more likely to overreact to something, like his newest wife finding comfort in another man's arms.

I expected Spectra to still be in bed asleep, but instead she stood at the window looking out at the snow-covered grounds. The little nightdress Gina had lent Spectra was too big for her, so one of the straps hung down her left arm, just making the entire sight of her even sexier. My body reacted instantly to the sight of her. Collecting myself, I shut the bedroom door, not bothering to be quiet, which startled her into turning around.

The fallen strap was exposing all but the nipple of her left breast. I remembered finding that nipple exposed last night and the feel of its tiny hard nib between my lips as I sucked it, and the way she moaned. Spectra's eyes watched me with caution, but when I kept staring at her, she looked over herself and pulled the strap back up to cover as much as the nightdress allowed.

I cleared my throat and stepped towards her. “I brought you a drink. I wasn't sure which one you'd prefer.”

She smiled shyly, taking the milk and turning back to the window. “That's a lot of snow cover. It must have snowed through the night.”

“The roads are still passable.” I placed the bottle of water on the small table between the windows.

Spectra's shoulders tensed. She finished her milk and turned to face me, placing the glass on the table. “I'll gather my stuff and get out of your way.”

She stepped forward and I took her hand, stopping her. “Or...” I pulled her across in front of me and caressed her slender neck. “You could stay another night with me.”

Her eyes fluttered closed as I gripped her hip through the flimsy nightdress. “What about Calin's wife? Shouldn't you be mourning her?”

“While his other wife is fighting for her life, they will focus on her chance to live, so the grieving will wait.” I slid the straps of the nightdress from her shoulders, watching it pool around her hips.

“And work?” she murmured as I cupped her firm breast in my hand and kissed over her neck.

“I'm declaring a snow day, which I intend to spend in bed, with you.”

I kissed her hard, pushing her back against the window frame so I could pin her with my body. Her hands ran up my torso, and I could feel the electricity in their wake as she lifted my shirt over my head. She kissed across my chest, her fingers scooping the drawstring for my pants out and undoing it. I loved the feel of her pressed against me, how smooth her pale back was under my hands.

Her luscious mouth closed over my nipple, and I threaded my hand into her hair, holding her close, trying to resist just taking her. Because that's what I wanted, to press her against the window jamb and thrust into her until the aching throb in my pants was sated. Her fingers slid down to my hips, pushing my pants down as she lowered herself to her knees in front of me. Just the sight of her on her knees before me, eyes glassy with desire, mouth slightly open as she took my erection in her hand, massaging my balls with her other, made me nearly lose my control.

My eyes went wide as she pulled my cock parallel and put the tip of it to her lips. She licked over the head, and I felt my balls tighten in response. As she slid me into her mouth, my knees went weak and I caught myself heavily on the wall, my other hand tangling in her beautiful black locks. I started to thrust into her mouth, but Spectra caught my hips and held them, moving herself slowly, every damned flick of her tongue controlled and done with the intention to drive me to my breaking point.

The first time I pulsed in her mouth, she gave me another teasing lick and kissed her way back to standing. When she was standing before me, we stood looking at each other for a moment and then she walked away. I blinked, confused, and then turned to see what happened. Spectra walked to the bed, shimmied her hips so the nightdress fell to the floor, and climbed back beneath the covers. I stood there, unsure what to do. After a moment, I heard Spectra sigh in frustration. She threw the blanket back far enough on one side in invitation while keeping herself covered.

I think I would have blushed at my stupidity if it were possible. I was in the bed within a heartbeat, pulling her naked flesh against mine, electricity buzzing beneath my skin wherever she touched me. I ran my hands over her body, feeling every inch of her as our bodies melded to each other. Neither of us were rushing it this time, we had what was left of the day and night to come, and so for the next hour, I kissed my way over her entire body.

I loved the way she reacted when I sucked her breasts, and then when I slid two fingers inside her, intending to do it long enough just to get her ready for me. I found a spot that made her stretch her body out beneath me and thrust her breast up into my sucking mouth. Her response made me curious. I started stroking that one spot over and over. Spectra squirmed beneath me, her hands alternatively clutching at the bed head and threading through my hair.

Spectra was struggling to breathe, her moans music to my ears. I was becoming so much more aroused seeing her come undone at my hands. After several minutes, Spectra slid her hand down to join mine, took my thumb, and placed it in a particular spot, circling it around. I took the hint and continued to stroke her while massaging this spot. Spectra's moans grew louder; her body grew tight around my fingers. I lowered my mouth again and assailed her nipple. She cried out, throwing her head back, her body shuddering as her orgasm rode her.

While her body relaxed, I withdrew my fingers and pulled her mouth to mine. I climbed between her thighs. As I sheathed myself inside her and started building to my own climax, I cursed myself. I knew what Alexander warned was true. I wasn't going to be able to walk away from her. I felt Spectra's body react again as I neared climax. She grew tighter around me, her nails scraping across my back. I pulsed inside her and she threw her head back, biting her lip as she came again. I gritted my teeth to resist tasting her pleasure and went with her, through the doors of heaven, knowing I was dragging her into hell.

I held her to me longer this time, not wanting to break the contact between us. It was Spectra who reached between us, holding the condom in place and pulling me from her before she rolled out of bed and moved to the window. I went into the bathroom to dispose of the cautionary measure and then joined her at the window, wrapping her in my arms.

“What is it?” I asked, feeling the tension in her body.

“The other wife.” Spectra's voice was filled with sadness.

“Anna?”

Spectra turned, burying her head against my chest. “Not anymore.”

I didn't ask how she knew. The first thing I learned about Spectra, she wasn't what she seemed. The knock at the study connecting door a moment later only confirmed it. Spectra moved her body slightly, ensuring mine covered hers. “What is it, Luke?”

Luke opened the door, stepping in but keeping his distance. “Anna has lost the battle to live. Calin is on his way home. I know you are finding yourself again this weekend, but I believe this is a time for family only.”

I started shaking my head, my arms wrapping tighter around Spectra. She placed her hand on my chest and looked up at me, eyes so much older than her face led you to believe.

“He's right, Bay. Be with your family now. You know where to find me when this has passed.” She touched my cheek and lifted her face to mine. One delicate kiss was all she allowed me. “Take me home, please?”

I didn't want to. I never wanted to let her go. I sighed heavily and looked over my shoulder to Luke. He stood serenely, but there was a look of respect on his face for Spectra. “I'll be back in a few minutes.” I dropped my shields and felt Spectra's nails grasp my arms in pain as I stepped into the ether and emerged into her attic room in the convent. She whimpered, and I realized what I'd done. Her knees gave out from under her, and she clung to me as I snapped my shields back into place.

I looked down at her, worried, her eyes filled with pain, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Spectra, I'm so sorry. I'd seen Alexander do it with you and thought you must have been able to handle it.”

She swallowed, and I could see her struggling for her voice. “I can,” she rasped, then her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell to the floor, unconscious.

“Spectra!” I knelt next to her, checking her pulse. It was rapid, but as I held my hand to her skin, it stuttered and started to slow. Her breathing eased and evened out again. That's when I realized she'd hyperventilated.

I picked her up and placed her on her bed, covering her so she wouldn't be cold. I kissed her goodbye and stepped back to my bedroom. Luke was waiting, shock on his face when I looked at him.

“Is she still alive?” His voice cracked, as if he was trying not to yell at me.

“She is. Unconscious, but alive.”

“When I suggested taking her home, I meant I'd drive her. Not to try and get rid of her permanently. You could have killed her exposing her to that much power.”

“I had to, Luke.”

“Why?” Luke asked, exasperated.

“Because there is no way I could watch her hop in a car and drive away from me.”