Authors: Marisa Chenery
The chicken breast tasted as to die for as it had smelled
while cooking. It tasted of lemon, and if she wasn’t mistaken, also beer along
with a bunch of spices she couldn’t single out. As she ate, Kenna had to admit
Tor was a better cook than she was.
After they ate their fill, Kenna wiped her mouth on a cloth
napkin. “That was really good. If I eat any more you’ll have to roll me out of
here.”
Tor chuckled. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. I told you I knew
how to cook.”
“That you did. I’m hoping you’ll make us another meal
sometime.”
“I’d be more than happy to. Let’s go sit out on the back
patio and let our food settle.”
Kenna nodded and stood when Tor did. He led her through the
french doors at the end of the dining room. It was still light out and not too
hot. They each took a seat at the wrought-iron table. Tor reached for her hand
and laced their fingers together. She looked around the backyard, finding it
just as professionally manicured as the front. There was also an in-ground
pool.
“You mustn’t have lived here for very long, since this is
still a fairly new community,” she said as she turned back to look at Tor.
“No, I haven’t. When I saw the area I knew I had to have a
home here. I like the large lots and privacy they afford.”
“I can see why. I’d want to live here too.” She watched as
Tor lifted his free hand and rubbed it across his forehead. “Have a headache?”
“Yes. It just started. I don’t normally get them.”
Kenna let go of Tor’s hand and motioned him closer. “Here.
See if this helps.” She reached over and used her fingertips to massage his
temples. “Better?”
“A little.”
He closed his eyes and moaned. She had a feeling it wasn’t a
sound of pleasure but of pain, since he furrowed his brows as well. “Not much,
though.”
“It’s not getting any better. Maybe we should move back
inside. The sunshine could be making it worse.”
“You’re probably right. But there is one thing we can do
that is supposed to help get rid of headaches,” she said with a wink.
“Really? What would that be?”
Kenna ran a hand down the side of his face and swept her
thumb across Tor’s bottom lip. “Sex.” She licked her lips. “You want to give it
a try?”
He gave her a sexy grin. “Definitely.”
Tor stood, then pulled her to her feet. Once they were back
inside the house, she walked at his side as he guided her to the foyer and up
one of the curving staircases. She only had a short time to take in the huge
master bedroom and king-sized bed before Tor pulled her into his arms, his lips
claiming hers. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held on as he hungrily
took her mouth.
An ache built deep inside her pussy at the feel of his hard
cock pressing against her. This time she’d have all of Tor. She’d been
daydreaming about this all day. Both of them breathing hard, Kenna pulled back
and stripped Tor’s t-shirt off him. With all that naked, male flesh on display
she couldn’t hold back from caressing it. Her lips made a wet path across his
wide, muscular chest. She even traced the outline of his tattoo.
Tor took off her shirt and bra before he bent her slightly
over his arm and sucked a taut nipple into his mouth. Kenna moaned, holding on
to his broad shoulders to keep herself upright. Arousal surged through her body
as wetness pooled between her legs.
Once he’d showered her other nipple with the same attention
as the first, Tor turned her and slowly backed her toward the bed. The back of
her legs hit the mattress, but he didn’t push her down onto it. He reached for
the fasteners on her jeans and undid them. As he pulled the material down past
her hips, Kenna toed off her shoes, kicking each one away.
Tor lifted her and placed her on the center of the bed once
she was free of her jeans and panties. She lifted up on her elbows to watch him
take his pants off. His erection stood out straight from his body and bobbed
with his movements. She couldn’t wait to have it buried inside her. Wetness
leaked onto her thighs as she ran her gaze over every delectable inch of Tor.
As naked as she, Tor climbed onto the bed next to her and
stretched out alongside her. Kenna lowered herself onto the mattress. He ran a
finger from the top of her chest, between her breasts and down her stomach until
he reached the mound of her pussy. Everywhere he touched he left a trail of
fire and need.
His hand dipped between her legs and Tor moaned. “You’re
already wet for me. I thought to take it slow, but I crave you too much.”
Kenna took hold of his cock and pumped it, eliciting another
moan out of him. “We can do slow another time. Right now I want you inside me.”
Tor settled himself on top of her, his hips spreading her
legs farther apart. The very tip of his cock brushed against her slick opening.
That small touch sent jolts of pleasure through her. Going slow was definitely
not an option for her. Ever since the night before, she’d longed for this.
Ached for him.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he pushed the
head of his shaft into her. Kenna rocked her hips with Tor, taking more of his
length with each thrust until he was sheathed to the hilt. He was big and
thick, stretching her to her limits and filling her to capacity. And she loved
it. Then he pulled back and seated himself again, and she loved that even more.
Kenna lifted her legs and put them around Tor’s hips as he
surged in and out of her. She squeezed her inner walls around his plunging
cock, increasing the pleasure she felt.
As he continued to thrust inside her, he whispered gruffly in
her ear, “I’m not going to last long.”
“I won’t either,” she quickly whispered back.
He pumped his hips faster, taking her harder. She matched
his pace, her breath coming in gasps. Tor pulled almost all the way out before
he thrust back in, butting up against her cervix. Kenna’s body coiled tighter
as an orgasm inched closer.
She teetered on the edge when Tor suddenly stopped pumping.
His body grew stiff on top of her, his arms clenching until the veins stuck
out. She was about to ask him what was wrong, but he let out an animalistic
growl and put his arms around her. In a show of strength, he lifted her as he
shifted to a sitting position so she ended up straddling his hips, his cock
still buried deep inside her.
Tor dropped his hands to her hips, holding on tight enough
that Kenna was sure he’d leave bruises behind. He had her ride him fast and
hard. She placed her hands on top of his shoulders, rocking against him, taking
his cock as deep as he could go.
Just as Kenna came, Tor fisted the hair at the back of her
neck and roughly pulled her head to the side so her ear almost touched her
shoulder. He bent his with a growl that an animal would make and bit her where
neck and shoulder met. At first, she felt a sharp pain as his teeth broke the
skin, but then a sudden rush of intense pleasure tore through her, making her
have back-to-back orgasms. Tor thrust up into her one final time, then
stiffened as his cock pulsed, filling her with his cum. His teeth were still
buried in her skin. She gasped as she felt something snap between them, almost
as if an invisible bond formed, tying them together.
Tor’s hold on her loosened and he slowly pulled his mouth
away from her neck. His gaze zeroed in where he’d bitten her, and his eyes
widened ever so slightly. She would have missed it if she hadn’t watched him so
closely. Kenna went to kiss Tor, floating in the afterglow, but he stiffly
lifted her off him and placed her beside him. Without a word, he slid off the
bed and walked into the en suite bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind him.
Kenna stared after him, really not sure what was up. They’d
just had what she thought was the best sex of her life. Something had to be
bothering Tor for him to just get up and walk away. Maybe it was because he’d
gotten a little carried away and had bitten her. She reached up and touched
where he’d sunk his teeth into her. She felt nothing there, and after getting
off the bed and looking in the mirror attached to the dresser, she saw there
wasn’t even a mark. She guessed it only felt as if he’d broken through the
skin.
With a shrug, Kenna walked back to the bed and climbed onto
it to wait for Tor to come out of the bathroom. If that was his problem, she’d
just have to set him straight. As far as she was concerned, he could lose
control like that any time. She’d loved every minute of it.
Chapter Five
Tor ran cold water in the sink and splashed some on his
face. His hands shook as he reached for a towel to dry off. His head still
ached, but not nearly as bad as it had just before he’d lost all control. And
it wasn’t because of the passion that had flared so hot between him and Kenna.
Right in the middle of making love to her, the headache had
become intense and cutting. Tor swore he heard the sound of the demon laughing
inside his head just as Tor seemed to lose control of his body. It was as if
someone else had taken over. He’d felt like an observer, feeling everything
that happened, but wasn’t in the driver’s seat.
He’d fought it, but it had been futile. Even when he’d felt
his eyeteeth drop and the urge to bite Kenna rose, he’d fought. Whoever, or
whatever, had control of him had made him roughly act on the impulse that rode
him. Once he’d bitten hard enough to break the skin, he’d regained the ability
to control his actions. He’d pulled away from Kenna and watched with shock as
the deep bite mark he’d given her healed within seconds, not leaving anything
behind.
Tor healed like that. He’d also felt something he could only
describe as a bond form between him and Kenna right after he’d bitten her. He
had the suspicion that she was now as immortal as he was. He also now
understood why Anubis wanted Tor to bring his mate into his world before he
acted on the powerful urge to sink his teeth into her. And because of whatever
had used him like a puppet, Tor had broken his promise to the god of the
underworld.
He jumped when he heard a knock at the bathroom door and
Kenna asking if he was okay in there. Of course she’d think something wasn’t
right since he’d practically bolted in here without a word after having great
sex with her. Tor stood straighter and sighed. He’d have to talk to Anubis, but
he couldn’t do that while Kenna was in the house.
Tor opened the door and put on what he hoped was a smile
that didn’t look like a grimace. “I’m fine. Sorry.” He looked at where her neck
and shoulder met. “For everything.”
She returned his smile and reached up to caress his cheek.
“I’m not into the kinky stuff, but I don’t mind you losing control and using
your teeth on me.”
If only she knew how out of control he’d been she wouldn’t
tell him that. “I’m usually not a biter. So I doubt it will happen again.”
“Stop worrying.” Kenna bent her head to the side. “See? Not
even a mark.” She straightened and took his hand in hers and slowly walked
backward, taking him with her. “Come back to bed. I know you have to work
tonight, but there’s still time for round two.”
Tor had actually planned to take the night off, but now he
needed the excuse to take Kenna back to her place early. Having a chat with
Anubis was number one on his list of things to do. He gathered her close and
claimed her lips in a searing kiss. He reluctantly lifted his head, more than
enjoying the feel of Kenna naked and willing in his arms.
“I do have to work. And I just remembered I have to start a
little earlier than normal. So to make it up to you, how about we spend the
entire weekend together as we’d planned, but you sleep over here, or we can
stay at your apartment, starting tomorrow?”
Kenna gazed at his chest, circling Anubis’ mark with a
fingertip. “All right.” She looked at him. “But we stay here. Your place is a
hell of a lot nicer and bigger than mine. And instead of you having to pick me
up, I’ll drive myself over tomorrow, say after lunch? That way you’ll have
enough time to catch up on your sleep since you’ll be working all night.”
“Deal,” he said and swooped in for a quick kiss.
Tor wanted Kenna again, but was a little concerned if he’d
lose the ability to control what he did once more. The headache was now gone.
He just didn’t want to risk it. He’d already done enough damage for one night
by biting her.
They both dressed and soon were outside in his car as he
drove Kenna to her apartment. With this new invisible bond in place between
them, Tor found it hard to let her go. He had to force himself to stop kissing
her, holding her back from getting out of the car. He waited until she was
safely inside the building before he headed back to his house.
Once he arrived, he headed up one of the curved staircases
and to the bedroom Anubis’ temple occupied. He stood before the small altar,
and called, “Anubis, I want a word with you.”
What do you need, Tor?
“First of all, I had an encounter with a demon last night,
but the bastard refused to show himself.”
Did he force the change on you?
“No. I thought all he’d tried to do was give me a really bad
headache. I’m not so certain of that anymore. And I’ve found my mate.”
And?
“When I was intimate with her my eyeteeth dropped and I had
the urge to bite her.”
Which you held back from doing, correct?
“The first time, yes. Today, no. In the middle of being with
Kenna, the headache came rushing back and I lost control of my body.”
What do you mean by that?
“I mean it was as if I were someone’s puppet and he made me
do whatever he wanted. I was aware of everything that happened, felt everything
too, but I couldn’t stop what my body did.” Tor paused before he continued. “I
bit her. I felt a bond form between us.”
Have you told Kenna what you are yet?
“No. I wanted to speak with you first. I think my loss of
control was the demon fucking with me. I heard his laughter in my head just
before it happened. Could this be another spell?”
It would sound like it. Let me check to see if you’re
still under the influence of it.
Anubis went silent, but Tor felt the god’s
presence moving around in his head. Then a minute later, Anubis said,
It was
a spell. Not a long-lasting one, though. It probably only works as long as the
demon makes use of your body. Once he relinquishes control, the spell ends.
Terrific. That’s all Tor needed. To lose control whenever a
demon decided to have some fun with him. “Is there a way I can lure that demon
out into the open? I’m not going to want this hanging over my head for long.”
Demons aren’t known for their patience. I doubt you’ll
have long to wait before he tries a physical attack. He’ll grow bored with his
games soon.
“That may be the case, but he can do a lot of damage before
that happens. You want me to ease Kenna into my world. How can I do that if the
demon takes control of me again and reveals my true nature to her? He could
force me to shift before I get the chance to tell her everything.”
Since you’ve already claimed her as your mate, there’s no
need to take it slow. I suggest you tell her very soon. She’s going to notice
there is something different about her since she’s now immortal.
“I thought she was when the bite mark healed in seconds. Did
you give her immortality as you did me?”
No, you did. With your bite, Kenna is no longer mortal.
Her life force is now tied to yours. You die, so does she. It was the only way
I could make the women meant for my warriors their true mates. I can only grant
immortality to a mortal if he or she is dying on a battlefield and is willing
to vow to serve me for eternity.
Tor shuddered at the thought of Kenna having to go through
that. He wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Millennia later, he still sometimes woke
up struggling to breathe, having dreamt of how he’d fought to stay alive, not
ready to go into the afterlife, before Anubis had come to him on that battlefield
in Egypt Tor had fought on.
“I will. And hopefully when I go out hunting prey tonight
the demon will make an appearance and I can send him to the underworld to you.”
I want you to hold off on hunting evildoers until the
demon is taken care of. Since you’re now bonded to your mate, you not only risk
your life, but hers as well.
“I’m immortal.”
Yes, but remember the last demon had a spelled dagger
that left my warrior weak and vulnerable. If not for a protection spell I put
over his house using the demon’s blood, he would have been too easy to kill.
“I’ll do as you say.”
Tor felt Anubis’ presence leave the temple. He wasn’t
exactly pleased with the god’s edict of no hunting until Tor had taken down the
demon. He was used to taking the initiative rather than sitting around doing
nothing, waiting for the bad guys to come to him. And not being able to hunt
meant he’d have a long night ahead of him before he could see Kenna again. He
couldn’t show up at her place after they’d made plans to meet the next day.
She’d wonder at the sudden change. Plus, she might think he moved a little too
fast if he came across as demanding all of her attention all of the time. He
knew what she meant to him but she didn’t have a clue.
Tor left the small temple and headed downstairs to the
living room where he had a fifty-five-inch LCD television. He’d watch some
movies to help the time pass before he was tired enough to go to bed.
As he looked through his collection of DVDs, his thoughts
kept straying to Kenna. The more he thought of her the more he remembered how
she tasted, how it felt to sink his body into hers. The sounds she made as she
came. He longed to be with her, to have her always at his side. He craved her
touch, and would for the rest of his very long life. His feelings for her had
gone from simple attraction to full-blown love in a matter of days.
Maybe it had a lot to do with the bond that had formed
between them, but Tor knew he didn’t want to go back to his old life of being
alone. Kenna completed him, made him feel things he hadn’t felt in thousands of
years—longing for someone to share his days and nights with being one of them.
Tomorrow he’d take the steps to bring Kenna into his world
and permanently into his life. He wanted her living under his roof where she’d
be better protected from the evil Tor knew all too well lurked outside, just
waiting for a chance to strike at the next victim. She’d already experienced it
firsthand, not that she remembered. He wanted to shelter her from it so it
would never happen again. He would always be one of Anubis’ warriors, but he
now had a duty to protect Kenna, his mate, as well.
* * * * *
Kenna found she didn’t know what to do with herself after
Tor had dropped her off at home. She prowled around her apartment missing him
like crazy. No other guy had she obsessed over as much as she did Tor. Some
great sex and now she wanted to hang on to him and never let him go. Neither of
them had even discussed the future. She didn’t even know if Tor wanted a
serious relationship with her. And it was way too early to think about bringing
up the topic of marriage.
She went to her bedroom and decided she might as well pack a
bag for her weekend at Tor’s. The first thing she did was head to her underwear
drawer. Though she wasn’t one for dressing overtly sexy, she did like to wear
slinky undergarments. Nick called her the closet slut, that deep inside she
wanted to show off her body. She did, but only to the men she slept with. And
right now that man was Tor.
Kenna pulled out some of her skimpiest lingerie. She had one
set in particular she wanted to take. After lifting it out of the drawer, she
held it in front of her. It was a red satin baby doll with black lace trim
along the hem and a sweetheart neckline. The straps were black and thin with tiny
black satin bows partway up. A red satin G-string completed it. It was one of
Kenna’s recent purchases and she hadn’t had a chance to wear it yet. She had a
feeling Tor would like to see her in it. She knew she’d love it when he
stripped the baby doll off her.
Once she finished packing, Kenna took a long, hot shower.
She washed her hair, shaved her legs and lathered herself up with her
vanilla-scented body wash. Letting her hair air-dry, she applied lotion to her
body. Now she was all set to see Tor the next day.
When the hour grew late enough, Kenna went to bed. She
thought she might have a hard time falling asleep, since she was more than
looking forward to the weekend starting, but that didn’t happen to be the case.
Sleep claimed her in a matter of minutes.
Then she dreamed about Tor, but it wasn’t a sexy, fun one.
This dream was a borderline nightmare. One she tried to wake herself up from
but couldn’t. In it, a strange man threatened her, demanding she give him
something. What, she didn’t know. All she knew was he frightened her. Tor
appeared on the scene. Some of Kenna’s fear dissipated, knowing he’d take care
of the man who threatened her. Tor would keep her safe.
That soon changed when Tor’s body blurred and he shifted
into a creature straight out of a horror movie, something half-human and
half-animal. He stood taller than his normal height, was more muscular with his
body completely covered in black fur. His tail swished behind him as he curled
the upper lip on his muzzle and growled much as Tor had done while they’d made
love. Somehow she’d even added his Egyptian heritage, because the creature he’d
become wore a snow-white kilt as they did in ancient times, complete with gold
armbands around his furred biceps.
This new Tor focused on the man and grabbed him by the
throat. With a flash of a gold dagger, Tor cut the stranger with it, and the
man yelled in fear before he literally disappeared. Tor turned toward Kenna,
the dagger still in his hand. Blood marred the gold of the blade, dripping as
he walked closer. There was more blood than there should have been. It didn’t
seem to stop.
Kenna told him to stay back, but he kept coming. His gaze
snagged hers and she couldn’t look away, felt trapped, unable to move. In a
deep, gravelly voice, he said, “You are mine.” He then lunged at her.
She screamed, which woke her up. Kenna lay still on the bed,
her eyes trying to focus in the darkness as her heart beat at a fast rate. She
panted in fear, afraid to move. It was only a dream, she told herself. Tor was
not the creature she’d seem him shift into while she’d slept. That was only the
stuff of horror films, or her dreams, apparently.