Awakening

  What was this?

  But the sensation didn’t stop there as it continued to work down her abdomen and lower until she was clenching hard, dizzy, and ready to attack the next man she saw.

  “Rachel?”

  She knew that deep gorgeous voice and it came from right in front of her. She opened her eyes and because her elbows were still on her knees, she saw Duncan’s fierce battle sandals first, then the sexy leather of his black kilt that had always given her a rush.

  And as she leaned back, her gaze became fixed on what she couldn’t mistake as anything other than a profound erection.

  Oh, sweet Creator.

  At the same time, the scent that now rolled off Duncan kept coming at her, deepening the pleasure between her legs.

  He lifted her up and pulled her into his arms so that all his wonderful hardness was pressed up against her.

  She put both hands on his face, loving the sight of his fangs on his lips. Gone were all the fights that had broken them up over the years. All she felt right now was her constant affection for him as well as a raging desire to jump his bones.

  “Duncan.”

  He angled his head as he slanted a kiss over her lips. And as soon as she parted for him, he drove his tongue deep, setting up a rhythm that matched the solid grind of his hips against hers.

  His scent, his nearness, his muscular warrior body made her forget her surroundings completely.

  He picked her up, moving her away from the bench and pushing her against the wall.

  Good idea, she sent.

  He grunted in response.

  And as she engaged with him, an awareness of his power returned, vibrating over every inch of her skin and flowing through her bones.

  Somewhere in the distance she heard Luken say, “What the hell? Where did they just go?”

  Then Endelle, “They’re right there, dumbfuck. Duncan has her pinned against the wall and he’s lifting her skirts. Oh, yeah, this is going to be good. Higher, Duncan. Now, just lose the kilt. Fold it the hell away.”

  All those words spoken in sequence, forced Rachel to draw back; she and Duncan were being watched.

  She pushed at him but he didn’t budge and he kept reaching for her lips. He grunted heavily and that’s when she knew he was completely out of control, lost in some kind of caveman state. He was on the verge, so how was she supposed to stop him now?

  She hit his mind hard with, Duncan, we’ve got an audience. Endelle can see us. You have to stop.

  He didn’t seem to hear her as he slid his lips to her throat and began to suck at her skin over the vein. I need to drink from you. Now.

  Oh, God. Duncan.

  She knew he was close to sinking his fangs and if he did, there was no way she would be able to stop either him or herself. So, she did the one thing she didn’t want to do, and added resonance to her telepathy, then shouted into his mind, “Let me go!”

  “Aw, fuuuuck.” He pulled back, holding his head in his hands. “That hurt.” Resonance combined with telepathy caused a mountain of pain.

  Rachel’s cheeks flamed as she turned toward the others.

  Luken said, “Oh, there they are. Hey, wait. Why couldn’t we see them before and … why is Duncan showing fang … oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

  Endelle shook her head. “They’ve got the disease.”

  Luken waved a hand in their direction. “But he’s only a Militia Warrior.”

  Endelle shook her head. “Not anymore. He’s become a Warrior of the Blood. And just to be clear, you’ll need to train him.”

  “Fine,” Luken said. “Whatever, but I think I’ll meet you folks at Antony’s villa. I’m heading back to the landing platform now.”

  Endelle laughed. “That would probably be best because who knows what’s going to happen next.” Endelle even waved a dismissive hand as he marched away, turned the corner and disappeared from sight.

  To Rachel, Endelle said, “Is that it? You going to keep your man in pain? I was enjoying the show.”

  Rachel rolled her eyes.

  “Come on, Madame Endelle,” Merl said, taking her by the elbow and coaxing her in the opposite direction. “I think these two need to talk and even you can’t fold straight out of here without setting off all the alarms.”

  Endelle grimaced, but she turned in Merl’s direction and moved into step beside him. When their voices faded as they headed around the corner, Rachel could breathe again.

  Duncan hadn’t moved very far away. He held her gaze, shaking his head repeatedly. “Shit,” he said softly. “I’m sorry I lost it, Rachel, but the way you smell … ”

  “I know. And you have a bizarre but extremely erotic scent as well.”

  At that, his thick brows rose and he held her gaze. The man had the most gorgeous green eyes. She never tired of looking at them. “I do?”

  “Uh-huh. Like spicy ale and it gets me everywhere.”

  He relaxed a little and moved close again, connecting his hips with hers. “Whatever this is, it’s still on me.”

  “Endelle seems to think this is the breh-hedden.”

  He stared at her for a long, long moment, his nostrils flaring, the tips of his fangs still showing. “Jesus H. Christ,” he whispered. “I thought that was a Warrior of the Blood thing.”

  “Yes, but everything is changing and didn’t you hear what Endelle said? You’re a What-Bee now. And I’ve felt your power. You’ve changed.”

  He stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. “I was ready to take you, right here against this wall. And I would have if you hadn’t shouted into my head like that.”

  She leaned up and kissed him on the lips. “I almost let you. But why couldn’t the men see us? Endelle could, but not the men.”

  Duncan frowned slightly. “I must have missed that part.”

  She touched the sides of his fangs because he hadn’t yet fully retracted and she was still achy between her legs, wanting release.

  For a moment, she got lost in Duncan, in being this close, in his new scent that kept her wanting more. What would it be like with him now, when this thing was on them both?

  She shivered.

  “What was that?” His voice sounded almost gravelly as he leaned close and kissed her temple, her cheek, her ear.

  “Just thinking about possibilities.”

  His erection stroked her, pushing at the juncture of her thighs through her cotton dress. She moaned and again that same sensation rode her body like a wave of power that kept crawling over her skin. But it felt good and she kept it flowing between them.

  She heard footsteps.

  “Someone’s coming.”

  Duncan stopped and eased back once more, but Rachel held onto him, the odd power still creeping over her and over Duncan as though she was surrounding him.

  Luken appeared at the end of the hall. “Hey, are you two still there? We’re waiting for you at the landing platform.” His gaze skated up and down the hall and side-to-side, searching.

  In that moment, Rachel knew for a fact that Luken, with so much essential power as a Warrior of the Blood, really couldn’t see them. “Duncan, we’re invisible to him.”

  “That’s not possible.”

  “Oh, I think it’s exactly what’s happening. Now watch Luken’s expression.” She began to let the power recede and as soon as it uncovered Duncan, Luken’s brows rose and he made eye-contact with Duncan.

  More receding and Rachel watched him shift to meet her gaze.

  Of course with the pair of them attached as they were, Luken’s next gander went to the joining of their hips. He quickly looked away. “Can you two break this up? We need you at the villa.”

  He then headed back down the hall and once more disappeared from view.

  “See what I mean?”

  Duncan nodded. “Okay, that was really weird and you were doing it, weren’t you?”

  “Apparently, I was.”

  At that, he smiled. “Looks like I’m not the only one with s
omething ascended going on.”

  Rachel knew he’d said it exactly right. This was an ascended thing and Duncan wasn’t alone in his emerging powers. But she couldn’t think about that right now. If she did, she’d get really upset because for a long time now she’d rejected the general use of preternatural power, believing it wasn’t the right way to live.

  And now this.

  Duncan released her completely. “I’ll need a minute.”

  She nodded, fully aware that he couldn’t be walking around HQ with his kilt bulging across the groin.

  When he finally guided her back to the landing platforms, with his hand pressed protectively to the small of her back, a mounting sense of anxiety began to grow within her.

  “You’ll need a security detail,” he said, as they entered the large, hangar-like room that held the platforms. Several Militia Warriors arrived looking battle weary. All of them eyed Duncan and nodded to him in greeting.

  “What are you not saying?” she asked.

  “The Third Earth woman who held me in a trance wants you dead. She wasn’t after me when she sent the wreckers to Mortal Earth. She was after you.”

  Duncan had just confirmed what she’d suspected all along.

  ~ ~ ~

  Once at the villa, Duncan let Rachel go. He could feel her distress like an ache at the back of his neck. Maybe he’d been brutal to tell her straight out about Yolanthe’s intentions, but she needed to know.

  He wasn’t just worried about Rachel, however. He had things he needed to say to make sure Endelle and her elite fighting force, the Warriors of the Blood, knew exactly what kind of situation they faced.

  Standing in front of the French windows that overlooked the back lawn, Duncan glanced around at the gathered Warriors of the Blood, at Antony Medichi with his dark Italian look and at Marcus, who stood near Luken and looked unusually serious.

  Kerrick, the warrior with the pure white wings, leaned close to Jean-Pierre, talking quietly to the brother. Jean-Pierre still carried a slightly French accent and wore a lavender brocade cadroen, remnants of his heritage.

  Zacharius stood on Duncan’s left, checking his text messages because he was a known ladies-man. Santiago, on Duncan’s right, held a ruby-studded dagger in his hand and flipped it in the air in a unique array of movements, never once missing his catch.

  The room hummed with testosterone.

  Merl, as usual, stuck close to Endelle. Duncan would have written him off as ridiculous if he, too, hadn’t vibrated with power.

  Duncan vaguely recalled that Endelle had said something about Luken needing to train Duncan. Though he couldn’t remember the entire exchange, having been caught by the breh-hedden’s first impact, he knew without being told that he was now the equal of these men.

  He’d made the jump from Militia Warrior to What-bee in the past three weeks and all because Sharav had tortured him and Yolanthe had attached to his mind, forcing his power to rise. Both Third Ascenders had done this either inadvertently or on purpose, but he stood here now at Warrior of the Blood level.

  Yet even before the abduction, Jean-Pierre had been working with him to bring his powers online.

  Duncan had been having strange visions, primarily about the way the war had shaped itself into multiple theaters, each led by one of the three generals. More than once, he’d used that knowledge to disrupt an ambush. And on a recent occasion, he’d even been able to stop the movement of the opposing army’s flank.

  So, yes, he had power.

  Rachel sat in a chair near Luken, but steadfastly avoided meeting Duncan’s gaze. Now that the initial heat of the breh-hedden had passed, no doubt she was thinking about all the fights they’d had; she’d needed a different life away from the war, and he needed to do battle alongside his brothers-in-arms.

  Despite that there was a strong connection between their paths because of Yolanthe and Third Earth, he couldn’t see how it would ever be possible for the two of them to be bonded. Surely, this time the breh-hedden had made a big mistake.

  He repressed a sigh. He still wasn’t feeling like himself, which made total sense. It was only a couple of hours ago he’d pulled a bunch of tubes out of his body and he hadn’t eaten a real meal in two weeks. But thank God for IVs because his blood needs had been met, the most critical aspect of his ascended vampire life.

  His nerves twitched. He needed to get back to the battlefield, slay some death vampires, do some good, do what he was born to do.

  As his mind cleared a little more, he realized the entire room had fallen silent and everyone was staring at him. Well, he was the issue du jour, no question about that.

  He frowned and glanced around once more. “I could sure use another beer.”

  Luken called out, “On it.”

  The brother didn’t mess around but folded to the kitchen, and as promised, he had an icy bottle of beer in his hand when he returned a few seconds later. “And I’ve fired up the grill. Just folded in a dozen thick rib-eyes from that joint outside of Tucson One.”

  A cheer went up. Beer and steaks. Nothing better for warrior blood.

  Duncan took the beer that Luken handed him and nodded. Tilting his head back, he guzzled, once more letting the cold liquid slide down his throat.

  Despite the fact that everyone waited on him, he took a moment to draw in what rational part of his brain hadn’t been destroyed by the combined efforts of Sharav and that quiet bitch, Yolanthe. He let the beer have a much-needed calming effect.

  Setting the empty bottle on a nearby side table, he started talking, telling the group all that had happened, and how he’d spent hours and days in the company of a woman he described as ambitious and somewhat delusional.

  “But she’s motivated for reasons that are still obscure to me. What I got from my time with her is that her father, Chustaffus, is the real power, the one that threatens Second Earth. But what Yolanthe thinks I can do about it, I have no idea. I get the impression she wants a close relationship, maybe even a bond. I’m really not sure.”

  Here his gaze shifted to Rachel who this time didn’t look away. “The most immediate concern, however, is that for whatever reason, she believes my relationship with Rachel hinders her plans. She’s after Rachel.” He paused, then said more quietly, “She wants her dead.”

  “I know why,” Endelle said. “I saw exactly what the woman’s motivations were when the two of you were trying to copulate outside the med-bay.”

  Endelle had lost her subtlety about the time the Mortal Earth Greeks had started writing their poetry and that was a damn long time ago.

  He also knew she referred to how Rachel could make him disappear from most ascenders, just not her own sweet self. “You’re referring to Rachel’s new power?”

  Endelle nodded. “I am.”

  “So, what do you think it is?”

  “She’s your goddam shield.”

  Every eye turned toward Endelle.

  “That has to be it,” Merl said, “because even I couldn’t see them. Just Endelle.”

  Endelle shifted to look down at Rachel. “Looks like the bitch wants you singing songs with the Creator. Goody for you.”

  Rachel returned her stare, scowling. “Do you ever take anything seriously?”

  “Do I look like I’m not serious?” She glared at Rachel in response, which put Duncan in motion.

  He crossed the room in a flash and positioned himself between the women. “Ease down, Madame Endelle. Now.” He wouldn’t have anyone threatening Rachel, not even the ruler of Second Earth.

  He’d fight her if he had to, though he didn’t relish the idea. He’d heard rumors of what she’d done to Thorne when the latter had battled Endelle to get rid of the mind-link they’d once shared. More than one report had mentioned a lot of smoke and that the central rotunda ceiling had turned black because of it.

  Her eyes went wide. “You’re challenging me?”

  “Leave my woman alone.” Oh, shit, had he actually said those words out loud? He regret
ted them instantly, but he wouldn’t back down for anyone, not even Endelle.

  But it was Rachel who surprised him.

  She left her chair and got in his face right alongside Endelle. “What do you think you’re doing calling me your woman? The hell I am, and I don’t need you to fight my battles, especially with Endelle.”

  “Hey! Why especially me?” Endelle’s long hair flipped around at the tips.

  Rachel straightened her shoulders. She wasn’t more than a few inches away from Endelle, but that didn’t stop her. “Because you don’t respect anyone unless they’re biting your ass, that’s why.”

  A roll of laughter passed all around the room and Endelle grinned. “I think you might be right about that. Well, okay. I’ve always thought you had grit, just not a whole lot of smarts.”

  Duncan’s breh nightmare once more kicked into high gear. He didn’t understand the cause, but Rachel showing so much moxie had lit his veins on fire. His fangs once more vibrated heavily in his mouth, wanting to descend, and sudden desire streaked through his cock.

  He had to turn away and start doing math sums in his head or he’d embarrass the shit out of himself all over again.

  Rachel, however, stayed put. Still glaring at Her Supremeness, she retorted, “It doesn’t take smarts to know that this war is a travesty on every possible front. You thought defeating Greaves would end things. Instead, it heated up the entire world and now you have three fronts instead of Greaves’s annoying antics.”

  “Listen up, missy. I’ve had just about enough of your sanctimonious horse-shit. If it had been up to you, death vampires would rule this planet right now. In fact—”

  What more she would have said got disrupted by Merl who took hold of Endelle’s elbow.

  Duncan watched as Her Supremeness turned to Merl. “What?” she snapped.

  “You need to tell the What-Bees why you really brought them here. They need to know it wasn’t about Duncan or even Rachel or even Rachel’s new shielding power.”

  At that, Endelle nodded slowly, her expression for a moment taking on a distant, almost grief-stricken look.

  “You’re right. I forgot.”

  Rachel moved to stand beside Duncan and to his surprise, she slid her hand in his and gave a squeeze.