He stood and lifted her against the vehicle.
Every cell in her being was hot and ready, so ready she trembled in anticipation of his big cock inside her. Kela wrapped her legs around his hips and her arms around his neck.
His eyes were fiery, a slight red ring around his silver irises, or was she just imagining the color? She expected him to thrust inside her, but his gaze was locked on her face.
“Sweet heaven, I love fucking you.”
Then he thrust, going so deep Kela’s insides trembled.
“Bless the stars, you’re tight.”
Kela sucked in a breath. “Maybe you’re just big.”
He rocked his hips, filling her again and again. A few delicious strokes and Kela hung on the precipice of climax. The next stroke had her teetering on the knife’s edge.
His arms were steely, the muscles tensed. His fingers dug into her thighs, then he thrust deep, taking her to the stars and beyond.
She convulsed, coming with such intensity she bit her lip.
His hips stilled and for several potent moments they clung to one another.
Kela raised her head and opened her eyes. He was staring at her.
“Maybe you’re just perfect,” she said, licking the blood off her lower lip. “Or your cock is as magical as your sword.”
“No magic,” he said, slanting his head. “Just you.”
Kela’s pulse jumped for joy, then his lips swooped down on hers and she was lost in his sweet kiss. By the time the kiss ended Kela’s heart thundered with love.
As they pulled up their jeans, Kela grappled with the emotion of love. She believed she’d experienced love, but what she’d had with Roland was nothing like this spiritual and emotional bond with Ansara.
Falling for a demon hunter who came from the far reaches of the universe didn’t make a lick of sense. But Kela’s logical, well-organized world of work, her dream of a happy suburban life had imploded and now the only real thing was this amazing warrior with extraordinary eyes giving her a taste of heaven.
Ansara touched her on a plane of emotion she’d never sensed before and would unlikely feel again.
Once the hunt for Vakkar was over, he’d leave and her life was going to be uninspiring. And the sex? How do you accept the ordinary once you’ve experienced the extraordinary?
Ansara touched his forefinger to her chin. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
His gaze narrowed. “Maybe I should drive?”
Kela nodded and climbed into the passenger seat.
Ansara opened the back door and changed from his jeans and shirt into the vest and pants he’d worn last night. Was it possible they’d met less than twenty-four hours ago?
He dissolved the mist and climbed into the driver’s seat. “Let’s find Vakkar.” He started the car and backed out. “When you told me about Roland, you mentioned a club?”
“The Devil’s Warehouse.”
He drove down the ramp and headed for the street. “We’ll start there.”
Kela gave him directions. As he pulled into traffic Kela glanced up and down the street. Cars moved in routine patterns and a few pedestrians strolled along the sidewalk. Everything looked normal, but Kela felt a strange urgency building inside her.
“If Vakkar isn’t using Karr’s body, how will you find him?”
“I can sense Vakkar’s presence and he can sense mine. He failed to corrupt you and obtain the cross. He knows I’m here and a fight to the death is coming. If he wins, he’ll come after the cross. He’ll kill you to get it. He can’t use its power, but he wants it for a victory trophy. He’ll come after you and he’ll be occupying another human body.”
The club was only a mile away. The closer they got, the more Kela worried.
“He won’t succeed,” she said. “He can’t.”
“I fight demons. I’m good at it, but I can’t guarantee the outcome of a confrontation with a skilled demon like Vakkar. He’s old and he’s crafty. If I fail, another guardian will come to protect you.”
A shiver ran down Kela’s back. Ansara possessed so much magical power she never considered Vakkar might kill him. She didn’t want to lose him. She didn’t want another guardian.
“Tell me how to help you. I’ll do anything. Let me approach Vakkar. The cross will draw him out.”
“No, Kela. No matter what happens, no matter what you see, don’t get in the way. It will take all my concentration and energy to fight Vakkar.”
“There must be something I can do.”
“Protect yourself and the cross.”
Ansara parked in the lot behind the club and cut the engine.
Kela’s gaze swept the lot. The sun had dropped behind the downtown buildings and soon the vampires would come out. Kela released her seatbelt and picked up her weapon belt. A dozen sharpened stakes hung from the leather loops.
Ansara grasped her shaking hand. Kela turned toward him.
“Wait here,” he said. “Stay in the vehicle and be ready to drive. Protect the cross at all costs. I have your word?”
Kela nodded.
“I’ll go inside the club,” Ansara said. “If Vakkar is inside, I’ll know him by his stench.”
She secured the belt around her waist. “Don’t worry. I got your back.”
Ansara cupped the nape of her neck and pulled her face close to his. “You’re gorgeous.”
She closed her eyes, waiting for a kiss that didn’t come.
He climbed out of the car. “If I’m not back when darkness falls, leave and don’t look back. Drive out of the city. Keep going and don’t stop until sunrise. A guardian will find you.”
Then he slammed the door closed. Sword in hand and adorned with his crosses, Ansara looked ready to rumble.
Kela jumped out of the car, walked up to him and put her hands on her hips, giving him her best tough-bitch stance. “Kiss me, then kick Vakkar’s ass for me.”
He grinned, grasped her by the shoulders and yanked her against him. He kissed her, thoroughly, lushly until she was breathless.
When he released her, she looked him in the eye. “Stick him in the heart.”
“I’ll be right back.”
Kela watched him walk away, his stride purposeful. When he disappeared inside the backdoor of the club, she climbed back into her SUV. If he didn’t come out in ten minutes she was going in after him.
The minutes ticked by and the light faded with no sign of Ansara.
Time to rock and roll.
Giving her weapon belt a quick check, she climbed out of the SUV and pulled on leather gloves. The scent of Hot Blood and a nasty fart slammed into her nostrils.
Roland stood just out of her striking range. His eyes were red-rimmed and his face was pale and sickly. Something was different about him, but Kela couldn’t put her finger on it.
“You’ve been fucking
him
.” Anger and hatred dripped from Roland’s voice. “Fucking Ansara. I can smell his cum.”
Kela smiled at Roland. He might have a demon, but she had Ansara. “Vakkar must have told you about my new friend.”
“You’re my woman, Kela. Mine.”
“That ship has sailed. I don’t fuck dead things with bad taste in cologne.”
His eyes glowed red. “You turn against me and take up with my enemy?”
My enemy?
Realization sent spikes of fear down her spine. Kela gripped the sharpened stakes. She had to be ready to strike. “I’ll take up with anyone who kills vampires and demons.”
“How many women do you think Ansara has fucked over the centuries? You’re just another convenient pussy.”
“Ansara doesn’t kill innocent women. He kills vampires and demons.”
“What do you know of demons?”
Kela pulled a stake from her holster. “You’re not getting the cross, Vakkar.”
Roland’s features distorted, re-forming in the visage of Vakkar. He was an ugly thing with a heavy brow, sunken eye sockets, large, pointed ears, a long nose, jagged teeth and a sharp chin. And he stank. An outhouse in August smelled better.
In a flash, he slammed into her, taking her down. Her back hit the asphalt, forcing the air out of her lungs. She managed to hold on to the stake and stabbed the demon in his side.
Vakkar shrieked, blasting her face with fart breath.
He grabbed for her cross and she stabbed him again. He caught the chain and yanked it. The silver links cut into her skin, the pain so intense Kela dropped the stake. She kicked her feet and grabbed the cross, her hands closing around it just as the chain snapped. Cold, boney hands grabbed her arms. Vampires!
Kela reacted with the only weapon she had. She bit Vakkar’s hand.
He tasted like a turd, but she didn’t let go.
He spoke in a language she didn’t understand. Baring his pointed teeth, he bit her in the neck. The vampires bit her, sinking their sharp fangs into her arms and shoulders. Her blood turned to liquid fire, burning her insides. Her jaw slackened, releasing his hand.
Vakkar climbed off her and clawed at her hands. His nails tore through the leather gloves and cut her skin, but Kela focused on the cross and refused to let go.
Then thunder cracked and the feeding vampires released her. Streaks of lightning clashed with flashes of fire. The vampires retreated.
Kela rolled onto her side and watched Ansara battle Vakkar. Black fire swirled around the demon, deflecting the barrage of white fireballs Ansara threw at him. When Ansara dropped to one knee, Kela feared the worst.
Ansara extended his hands and streaks of lightning flew from his fingertips. Eight bolts slammed into the demon. Vakkar’s protective black fire disappeared. Ansara drew his sword and ran at Vakkar, stabbing the demon in the heart.
Vakkar imploded and a cloud of black ash hung in the air, then fell to the pavement.
Relieved, Kela tried to stand, but her legs wouldn’t hold her. She felt lightheaded and as weak as a newborn kitten. High-pitched shrieks signaled the return of the vampires. Sword slashing, Ansara cut a swath through the bloodsuckers. Heads flew in all directions.
Ansara rushed to her side. “Thank the heavens you’re still alive.”
Kela saw the fear in his eyes and knew she was in bad shape. Kela opened her hands. “I still have the cross.”
“You’re a warrior at heart.”
Shaking uncontrollably, Kela asked him to call an ambulance.
“Earth medicine can’t help you.” He removed her shredded gloves and closed her hands around the cross. “Hold it tight and draw its power into your heart. Your father understood its protective power. That’s why he gave it to you.”
He ran to her car and opened the back hatch. When he returned, he scooped her into his arms and laid her out in the roomy back compartment.
“Focus on the cross,” he said before slamming the hatch closed.
Within seconds the vehicle was moving fast. Kela closed her eyes. Her mind drifted and she saw her father’s face. She knew death hovered, waiting to take her. She clutched the cross to her chest. She had to trust in Ansara and the power of the heavenly forces to save her.
Her father smiled and his image faded to black.
Ansara prayed all the way to Kela’s apartment and he was still praying when he laid her upon the bed. She’d been bitten in several places and had lost a lot of blood. The wound Vakkar had inflicted to her neck was turning black with demon infection. The cross’s power had kept her alive, but if the infection spread to her heart she’d turn into a vampire.
Decapitating Kela with his sword would keep her from turning and save her soul, but she’d be lost to him forever. His duty was clear, but his heart wouldn’t let him draw his sword. He had one shot to save her life.
Ansara pulled a rectangular field kit out of the side pocket of his pants and removed a coiled length of narrow tubing. Attached to each end was a long needle. The divine blood of warrior angels made a guardian strong, invincible against mortal weapons and vampire bites, and protected them against demon infections. Blood transfusions between guardians had been used as cures for demon infections, but would it work for an Earthling?
If the cure failed, Kela might transform into a very powerful vampire or die in horrible agony.
The sure cure was decapitation by the sword, but Ansara loved this beautiful, brave woman who had fought Vakkar and his vampires with only her wits, her courage and a wooden stake. He’d never experienced a love so deep. Why Kela? He hadn’t a clue, but he’d had centuries of living to know when love was real.
He stripped off Kela’s tattered red top, then he removed his vest and placed a fingertip to his chest, right over his heart. A bright circle of light appeared. He touched the sharp point of the needle to the light and released it. The needle pierced his flesh and penetrated his heart. The tubing filled with bright-red blood.
He touched his fingertip to Kela’s chest and repeated the process with the second needle.
“Warrior to warrior. Sacred blood to heal evil’s wounds,” he said, repeating the guardian prayer.
Kela’s back arched, her muscles tensed and her eyes opened wide. “Burns. Burns!”
Ansara grasped her wrists to keep her from pulling out the needle penetrating her heart.
“You’ve lost a lot of blood. I’m giving you mine. The pain will end.”
She writhed, her body racked with tremors. Her cries of pain shredded Ansara’s heart. Tears slid down his cheeks. He hadn’t cried since he’d laid his mother to rest many centuries ago.
He kissed Kela’s forehead and prayed he’d made the right choice and she wouldn’t die in agony because he couldn’t bear to lose her.
Time slowed to an agonizing pace. Finally she calmed and her skin began to lose its pallor.
Ansara removed the needles and stripped off her shoes and clothing. He placed his hands on each of her wounds, bathing them with the light of goodness. He paid special attention to her torn hands. He removed his clothes and gathered her into his arms. Only time would tell if his cure worked.
* * * * *
Kela awoke, sat up and looked around. The silence and emptiness of the place was striking. He was gone. Not only gone from her apartment, but really gone, gone from the planet. She sensed it deeply, knew it in her heart.
Ansara had come for Vakkar. Mission accomplished.
Why hadn’t he said goodbye? Even if the warrior angels had given him a new mission, why didn’t he tell her he was leaving? She spotted the cross resting on Ansara’s empty pillow.
Why did love have to be so damn painful? She curled into a fetal position and let the tears flow. She’d done this before when Roland changed and turned her life upside down. But that pain was nothing compared to this soul deep emptiness.
Crying didn’t change the situation, but the terrible pressure had eased from her chest.
Dejected, she climbed out of bed and walked into the bathroom. Her neck and hands were bruised. Why wasn’t she dead? Was she like Roland?
Her skin wasn’t deathly white and the bites inflicted on her shoulders and arms were healed. She touched the tiny star-like mark on her left breast. An image of a needle flashed in her brain and the memory of burning pain. The details were murky, but Ansara has saved her life. Had he saved her from turning into a vampire?
She rushed to the window and pulled back the heavy drapes. Sunlight streamed in, touching her bare skin. Relief washed over her so profound she didn’t give her nakedness a moment’s thought.
She was alive. She’d fought evil and survived.
But her joy was short-lived. Ansara was gone. Vakkar and Roland were destroyed. Now what was she supposed to do? Resume her old life, find a job and not worry about evil lurking in the night?
She closed the drapes. A shower and a strong cup of coffee would help her cope. After starting the coffeemaker, Kela showered, washed the sticky gunk out of her hair that she suspected was demon slobber and brushed her teeth. She combed her hair, wrapped a towel around her middle and headed back to the kitchen.
She took a sip of hot coffee. The door swung open. She choked, the hot liquid burning her throat. Her heart sung with joy. He was back.
Wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, black cargo pants with a bag slung over his right shoulder, Ansara stepped into her apartment.
He dropped the bag. “Sweet heaven, you look good.”
“You look better.”
Within seconds she was in his arms, his lips were pressed to hers and his big hands were clutching her ass.
“How do you feel? Any pain?”
“I feel fine.”
Without a word of explanation of where he’d gone, Ansara removed her towel and carried her to bed.
“You left.”
“I’m back.” He buried his face in her neck and inhaled deeply. “You smell divine.”
Kela ran her fingers through his silky hair. Curious, she wanted to know where he’d gone, but right now details weren’t important. He was here and that’s all that mattered. “I’m glad you’re back.”
He sucked on her earlobe and kissed her shoulder, then looked her in the eye. “So am I.”
The heat in his eyes sent a delicious shiver through her middle.
He hugged her tight to his chest. “You feel so good.”
Between kisses and caresses, Kela helped him out of his shirt. He was all muscle and heat.
He kissed her breasts and nuzzled the star-like mark. “Sorry about the scar.”
“You stuck a needle in my heart?”
“I gave you a transfusion. It was the only way I could save your life.”
Kela smiled. The mark would be a reminder of the battle. Together, she and Ansara had defeated Vakkar. “I’ll wear it proudly.”
He kissed the scar and turned his attention to her nipples, giving each a long, lush tug before working his way down to her belly.
“Killing demons is good, but this,” he said, kissing her right below the bellybutton. “This is heavenly.”
Kela’s heart twisted. Her feelings for Ansara were so intense her chest hurt. “Thank you for saving my life.”
Their gazes met, held.
“I couldn’t face losing you. I need you in my life.”
Before she fully comprehended his words, Ansara planted his face between her legs. Kela gasped, as much from the amazing magic of his tongue as the twinkling white lights swirling above them.
He fastened his lips on her clit and suckled. Kela forgot about the tiny lights and fisted his hair, holding him to the pleasing task. She heard the thump, thump of his boots hitting the carpet.
A cry of pleasure rose in her throat and her toes curled as she climaxed.
Ansara didn’t miss a beat. While she made unearthly sounds, he unfastened his pants, shoved them down his legs and kicked them off.
Guardians knew how to multitask.
“You taste so good,” he said, grasping her by the thighs and dragging her beneath him.
Hard and hot, he drove into her eager flesh. His hips moved, fast and sure, as if he couldn’t get deep enough.
He groaned. “This is heaven.”
She clenched, squeezing him so tight she came. Tiny bright lights swirled above their heads.
“Sweet heaven, I’m coming.”
His muscles tensed, then he stilled. He took a couple of deep breaths and opened his eyes. His silvery eyes sparkled. “I love being inside you.”
Kela hugged him, tight. She never wanted to lose this magic. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
He kissed her, a slow, satisfying melding of lips before rolling onto his side.
“Is that fresh coffee I smell?”
“It is.”
“One cup? Then you can climb on top of me and make me the happiest guardian in the universe.”
“Sounds good to me.”
He started to rise, but Kela pushed him back and climbed out of bed. “How many guardians are there in the universe?”
“A thousand, perhaps more.”
Kela poured the coffee. “So many.”
He sat up, plumped up the pillows and leaded back. “We are dispersed throughout the universe. We fight on many fronts.”
Steaming cups in hand, Kela nudged his bag with her foot. The bag was heavy. What had he been up to while she’d been sleeping? Odds were he wasn’t going to stick around. “Been somewhere? Going somewhere? More weapons?”
“I made a celestial jump to Thasia. I picked up a few things, including weapons. I’m not going anywhere.”
Kela’s heart skipped a beat. “You’re staying?”
He took the offered mug. “My mission was to destroy Vakkar, locate the Thasian cross and protect it.”
She picked up the cross and placed it on his bare belly. “It’s safe,” she said, climbing onto the bed.
He gave it back. “My job was to keep it out of Vakkar’s hands.”
Kela loved the cross. Looking at it brought forth cherished memories of her father. “The fire that killed my father? Was it demons?”
“It’s likely. The cross would draw the demons.”
Her father had dug up the cross, taking it from the temple. The cross wasn’t just a piece of jewelry. “My father found it, but the cross wasn’t his to take. It belongs to someone.”
“Its owner is long gone. Canra was lost on an Earth mission long before I became a guardian.”
“He’s dead?”
“She’s dead. If we’re facing defeat and certain death, we hide or destroy our weapons and relics to keep them out of demon hands. Canra must have faced overwhelming odds and chose to hide the cross rather than destroy it. The warrior angels realized the lost cross had reappeared and sent me to find it.”
“It took them a long time. I’ve been wearing the cross for fifteen years.”
“You hadn’t battled against evil until recently. It served you like it had served Canra, protecting you. When the cross glows the angels know. The first night we met, the ruby was glowing. You must have noticed?”
“I noticed a flash, thought it was a trick of light. How do
they
know it glows?”
“The warrior angels know a lot of things I can’t explain, but I have faith in their abilities.”
“Shouldn’t Canra’s cross be given to another guardian?”
A smile curved Ansara’s lips. “The cross is safe in your hands. You were willing to give your life to guard it. The warrior angels want you to keep Canra’s cross and use it to fight evil. It’s yours with their blessing.”
“Maybe you can teach me how to fight before you leave?”
“I requested an extension of my Earth assignment.”
“For how long?”
“For as long as you love me.”
Kela looked him in the eye. “What makes you think I love you?”
He pointed his forefinger toward the ceiling, rotating it. “Those twinkling stars that were dancing over our heads.”
“I thought
that
was you,” she said, pointing her fingers and stabbing the air the way he had when he’d fought Vakkar.
She yelped as tiny lightning bolts shot out of the tip of her fingers. “What the fuck!”
“That was
us
. True love is powerful.” He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. “I love you, Kela.”
Blissful warmth filled her chest. Love so powerful her heart swelled and the star-like scar on her chest tingled. “I love you, Ansara.” She pressed her lips to his and kissed him until she tingled all the way to her toes. “Bless the warrior angels, I love you.”
“You’re the divine partner I’ve been searching for. Together we are a powerful force for good. And the sex is great.”
The grin on his face was so infectious, Kela smiled.
She liked the partner part and the sex. “I’m not divine. I’m not an immortal guardian. How can light be shooting out of my fingertips?”
“As part of the ritual to become a guardian, I was given warrior angel blood. Sacred blood to survive demon attacks. Wounded guardians are given life saving transfusions. Giving you a transfusion was the only way I could save you.”
“I have your guardian blood in my veins?”
“I took a chance. I didn’t know if you would survive, but losing you wasn’t an option.”
Questions tumbled in Kela’s brain. “So now I’m like you? Am I immortal?”