Rise of the Gryphon

  FIVE

  Hiking a mile up one side of a mountain then back down the other side at three in the morning in the face of a chilly breeze should have taken the edge off of Storm's frustration.

  But, no, he still wanted to rip something to pieces.

  Evalle's emotions had been flying around from anger to worry to irritation to anxiety to fury to something that felt very much like desire.

  That last one might bring on the "Hallelujah Chorus" if not for his concern over her unusual roller-coaster emotions.

  Evalle looked over at him, gaze dropping to the belt he now wore again. "You never told me what that stone from your belt buckle was worth."

  Not going to either. "It's replaceable." But she wasn't, and that bone put her at risk. He groused, "That armband is coming off tonight."

  "No, it's not," Evalle argued. "You heard Imogenia. I can only give it to someone who wants it."

  "I'll take it."

  "You don't want this thing. You couldn't shift into your jaguar form with this locked on your arm."

  "You can't shift either," he pointed out.

  "I'm not supposed to unless I want to face a Tribunal hearing or get torched by Macha, so there's no harm in it being on my arm." She stalked along beside him. "It's fine, Storm. I'm fine."

  "No, you're not. You lost contact with me and your surroundings back there. I could feel the aggression rolling off of you." He had his own aggression he'd like to release and nowhere to point it. "You're wearing an armband with an artifact that can control spirits. We have no idea if that bone can do anything to the host owner."

  Evalle grumbled back, her voice as weary as her movements. "I'm tired and irritated, that's all. I just found out that Tristan's in a worse jam than I thought, and I'm not sure how to help him now."

  "That worthless Alterant is going to get you killed." If that happened, Tristan would need the entire Medb Coven at his side when Storm went after him. "I know what you're thinking."

  "Oh, really? You're telepathic now?"

  She hadn't been this antagonistic since they first met, but he ignored the bite in her voice that a few hours of sleep might help. "You're planning on going into that beast championship, which is the last place you should be. The Medb are actively looking for Alterants, and you already know they're after you and don't need to see your neon green eyes to recognize you on sight." He shook his head.

  "My choice."

  He would not snap at her. She didn't mean to sound so cold and distant. It was the Volonte bone and exhaustion. "What if Tristan signed on voluntarily with the dark side?"

  "I have to give him the benefit of the doubt, a chance to walk away."

  "And what if he hands you over to them?"

  She walked along silently for another minute, then said, "He won't do that."

  Her sense of loyalty was both admirable and damned irritating, because she gave it to someone who didn't deserve the sacrifice she would make. "If you're determined to go into the games, I'll be your fighter."

  "No. You're not risking your life again for this. It's not your problem."

  Storm stopped.

  When she did, too, and turned to him, he cupped her chin and cheek with his hand. "That's my choice. You need a way to get inside the ABC and unload that armband. If you're going in, then I'm going with you."

  "I have an idea of what to do."

  "Take that armband to VIPER?"

  Wind whistled through the trees and swirled loose hairs around Evalle's face. She swiped them out of her eyes. "Not exactly. I can't just walk into VIPER and say I happened upon a Beast Club fighting ring and forgot to call it in, then entered my own fighter in the battles. Oh, and I ended up with a stolen Volonte bone to boot."

  "So what is your plan?"

  "First I have to tell Macha what I've learned."

  Storm groaned. "Those conversations always end up with you bloody, owing her more, or both."

  Her voice was calm as she explained, "Not this time. I've found where Alterants will be congregating. Macha wants the Alterants found and Tristan to tell us what he knows about Alterant origins. I'll point out to her that I had to go into the Beast Club tonight to see Imogenia because of my obligation to her. She's got pull with VIPER. If she informs them about the Beast Club, they won't question how she knows."

  Good point, if he trusted that goddess. Not a bit. "What about the armband?"

  "She can tell VIPER she's sending it into headquarters on my arm, which would be true, and that someone needs to take the armband to keep the Volonte safe. That should get this thing off my arm immediately, since Sen wouldn't trust me with a magical paper clip."

  Storm had to admit that Evalle had thought this through and hoped that meant she was gaining control of the bone.

  She finished, "Once VIPER knows what's going on, they can use the armband to send in a covert team."

  Call him cynical, but that still sounded too easy.

  Storm started walking toward his truck again. It should be in sight any time now. "Sen may bar you from being on the covert team that goes into the ABC." One could only hope.

  Evalle fell into step with him again. "Not if Macha demands that I'm on the team, and you know she will, so that I can get to Tristan and maybe some of the other Alterants."

  "I'm still going with you."

  "You're no longer with VIPER, and Sen may not take you back."

  True and true, but Evalle needed someone else to watch her back besides Tzader and Quinn. Those two Beladors cared for her as if she were a little sister, but they couldn't watch only her on an op. Storm could and would.

  He offered, "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

  She made a gritty noise that might be an agreement. "How's your back?"

  He let her change the subject. "Fine."

  "I'll want to see it."

  "You know I'll heal by the time--"

  "I said I want to see it," she said with determination, which probably came from worry.

  Okay, Miss Cranky. "Fine. When we get to the truck."

  She picked up the pace down the rolling elevation to the foot of the mountain, where pine trees swayed in the breeze.

  Evalle reached the sport-utility vehicle and turned to him with a stubborn look burning in her eyes. She knew he could draw on his jaguar powers to heal and had already started the process, but she had that single-minded look, and he wanted her calm for the drive back so she might sleep. She'd had no real rest in over three days.

  Reaching his SUV, Storm opened the door to the back seat on the driver's side, shrugged out of his jacket, then tossed it in. No interior lights came on.

  He'd disconnected those for situations just like this one.

  It would have been simpler to wait until he got home to remove his shirt and use a healing chant to aid his powers in sealing the cuts, but the smell of his blood might be bothering her, reminding her of the fight, so he yanked off his shirt, ripping open the scab that had already formed.

  She walked around to the passenger side and pulled out a bottle of water from the console. When she returned to his side, she snagged the shirt from his hand and ordered, "Turn around."

  Any other time, he'd find her bossiness sexy, but there'd been nothing playful in her tone. Worry poured off of her in angry waves.

  The things a man did for a woman.

  He complied, closing the door, then putting his crossed arms against the top of the car and leaning on them.

  She grumbled under her breath about how letting him fight was stupid. Just as he'd thought, she was stressing over his fight with the Alterant.

  Water sloshed behind him, then the wet rag brushed gently across his back. He still flinched from the cold contact. Good thing he kept an extra change of clothes in his truck. While he let her clean off the blood, he tried to be at ease with her attention, but just having her hands so close to him raised an interest he'd be hard-pressed to hide soon. He hadn't been injured enough to warrant this much concern. The cuts we
re more nuisance than serious for him and she knew that.

  Evalle didn't nurture, but like everything else she did when she cared about someone, it was all or none. That meant she'd dive into battle with any creature if it meant protecting the ones who mattered to her.

  But she was no Florence Nightingale.

  Not that he was complaining.

  Especially when her fingers grazed his skin.

  Heat blazed a trail from his back to his groin from just that slight touch.

  No longer grouching at him, she moved the rag over his skin slowly in what she probably thought was a soothing way, but having her touch him was killing him. He stayed in perpetual arousal around her as it was.

  Shutting his eyes, he tried to focus on the cold mountain air, the soft breeze, anything but how much he wanted her hands everywhere on his skin. This was neither the time nor the place. Tell your body that.

  The rag disappeared.

  Her hands slid up his back, slowly, inching her way to his shoulders.

  Really?

  He froze, straining not to flex muscles that urged him to push against her hands. Her warm touch crawled up his neck, fingers gliding through his hair, then moving back over his shoulders and along his arms. She paused, then placed her hands on each side of his waist.

  His lungs tightened, holding his next breath while he waited to see what she'd do.

  In the past few weeks, she'd become more trusting of his advances, more open to the first stages of passion, but her instigating this much touching was unexpected.

  Her fingers slid around front to where she ran her hands over his stomach.

  That brought her chest to his back.

  Her breasts nudged him.

  Blood surged in his groin.

  His heart beat out of control. He'd known this moment when she'd be ready for intimacy was coming, but damn, he hadn't wanted it out here in the woods.

  What had brought out her amorous side tonight? Seeing Storm so close to being killed? He'd envisioned her naked in front of a roaring fire or spread across his bed or under a rush of water in his shower.

  She hugged him.

  Her fingers inched up to hook his shoulders.

  Sweat beaded on his forehead. He had to be careful with his next move. Someone had hurt her physically in the past, to the point that she avoided intimacy. She was afraid of losing control of her beast and killing him. He'd intended to spend hours when the time was right, taking it slow, halting the minute she showed any sign of panic.

  But not here.

  With natural and unnatural creatures roaming this mountain, this was the last place he would lower his guard to put all his attention on her.

  On the other hand, if he stopped her now, she'd feel rejected.

  She kissed his back and moved her fingers down to toy with his nipples. Erotic chills skittered across his skin. He shook with the effort of holding back, caught in indecision. His heart thudded each beat, a fist pounding his chest. If he got any harder he'd burst out of his jeans.

  Easing away from the truck, he lifted his arms and turned slowly until he had her wrapped up against him.

  She laughed and the sound floated around him, warming his heart when she hugged him back.

  This was the woman he wanted with all his being.

  When she lifted her head, her eyes were hidden behind the dark sunglasses. She could take those off with so little moonlight filtering down through the trees above them. But he didn't need to see her eyes to know she was happy. Pleasure flowed from her, wafting across his empathic senses.

  Then her desire rushed around him, flooding his senses as if released from a gate.

  Hell, yes, he wanted this. Wanted her.

  She licked his chest and he shuddered.

  Protecting the hellion came first, but that didn't mean they couldn't indulge in a few minutes of play. He'd scent anyone long before they got close.

  Slowly, carefully as always, he lowered his head and kissed her. His lips melded with hers. His kisses had been the one pleasure she'd taken to enthusiastically from the start, even when they'd first met as adversaries. Holding her head, he turned her gently for better access, deepening the kiss little by little.

  Energy surged through his veins. His jaguar growled for more. To mark her as his.

  To mate.

  But Evalle's skin was hot, so hot it felt combustible, and that had him thinking about combusting.

  Evalle's passion ignited suddenly.

  She grabbed his hair, yanking him closer and kissing him as though fire roared through her blood. She ground her hips against him, rubbing the rigid erection already aching inside his pants.

  He clenched his jaw and groaned at the throbbing.

  That was his Evalle, never halfway in on anything. She finally trusted him enough to let go and explore what had sizzled between them for weeks. Felt like eons.

  He loved her mouth, gorged himself on her.

  Don't rush her.

  Just one more step forward for now. Holding her head with one hand, he moved his other to tug the bottom of her T-shirt free and slide his hand up silky skin. She shivered as he caressed his way up to . . . her sweet breast. No bra. Mercy.

  His thumb brushed across the beaded tip and she sucked in a harsh breath. "Oh, yesss."

  Damn right. He kissed her with raw passion, no holding back. A kiss that told her everything he wanted to do to her, and more. Her tongue danced with his in a sensual tangle. His fingers played with one breast then the other until she was shaking with need.

  Hell, he was shaking with need.

  An earthy moan escaped her. Another sound like that and he'd drop to his knees and give her everything she wanted. She hissed and arched her hips forward, and every muscle in his body clenched when she brushed his erection with bold intention. She bit his lip gently, then licked it, soothing any pain. Heat built low and pooled in his balls.

  She was so potent that touching her was killing brain cells by the second.

  He had to slow down or he'd rip her clothes off right here and now. Just as he lifted his head to catch a breath and suggest they make plans to go horizontal in a comfortable spot at home, she unsnapped his jeans and shoved her hand inside to grasp him.

  "Holy shit!" He couldn't breathe.

  Wicked intentions bubbled in her laugh.

  She stroked up and down.

  He shuddered, fighting against the climax threatening to explode through him, and grabbed her wrist. Hold it, Houston. We've got a problem.

  Pulling her hand up, he understood the meaning of agony when her fingers released him.

  Lust clouded his mind.

  He had to think. Hard to do when not a drop of blood stayed in his brain with a party going on in his crotch.

  "What's wrong?" she demanded.

  At least she hadn't sounded hurt, like he expected. He grabbed her by the shoulders and gently, but firmly, pushed her arm's length away. "Hold on a minute."

  "I had a good grip. You're the one who made me let go." She reached toward his still unzipped pants again, a smug smile curling her lips.

  He tightened his grip and shook her. "Whoa."

  Damn, he couldn't believe he was stopping her, but Evalle wouldn't be this aggressive.

  Not the first time.

  She shoved away from him. "Make up your mind if you want it or not. I don't have all night."

  Who was this woman, and how did she get inside Evalle's body? That damned bone had to be influencing her. He'd know whether or not he was talking to his Evalle if he could see her eyes. "Take your glasses off."

  "What kind of bullshit is that? You wanting to screw a beast? I'll have to shift for the full effect."

  Warning signals blared in his head. There were so many things wrong with that statement that he didn't know where to start counting.

  First, Evalle had cursed. She never cursed. Brina, the Belador warrior queen, forbade it. More than that, she'd described exactly how this felt, as if this was just scr
ewing. More than that, to even suggest she'd shift into her beast form was insane.

  He repeated slowly, "Please take your glasses off."

  She snatched off her glasses. Green eyes glowed in her face, standard for an Alterant, but a fog dimmed her glowing eyes, as if she had glazed vision.

  Just as he'd thought. That bone. He had to figure out . . .

  She slapped the glasses against her leg. "Now, you want to get back to it, or do I have to go find someone more willing?"

  The streak of jealousy that shot through him drove a feral growl from the depths of his chest.

  Evalle blinked, face rigid with anger, then she stepped back and stomped her boots, releasing hidden blades.

  Oh, boy. Here came the warrior.

  He had to get himself under control first, which was no small effort with his body begging for release and her standing there offering him what he'd dreamed about every night he had slept recently. He held up a hand, asking her silently to give him a minute, then scrubbed his hands over his face. Think.

  That wasn't Evalle talking.

  In his fantasy she wanted sex any time of day.

  She kept slapping her sunglasses impatiently against her thigh, drawing his eyes down her arm.

  How was he going to get that damned bone off her arm? He didn't know, but in the meantime he had to help her gain control. Taking another breath to bring a calm he didn't feel to his words, he told her, "The armband is influencing you, Evalle."

  She glared at him and huffed out a chesty breath of aggravation. "If you don't want me, just say so. Don't give me lame excuses."

  As if. "Oh, I want you, sweetheart, but not like this."

  Seeing a glimmer of the woman he knew, whose eyes softened when he called her sweetheart, gave him a boost of encouragement, but this wasn't settled yet. "I want you so much I ache, but I want you when you're the only one making the decisions."

  Her eyes turned stony with threat. "I am making the decisions. If we're done here, I'm heading out to find someone who'll satisfy me. Stay out of my way or I'll hurt you."

  Definitely not Evalle talking.

  Storm kept a lid on his rage this time, but she would act on her words--over his dead body--if he didn't get her out of this situation for now.

  He could end up bloody trying to get her to listen, but he had to help her get a rein on her emotions. "You don't have to look for someone else." He used his most accommodating voice, then added in a husky tone, "I'll take care of you."

  She grinned at him as if he'd just agreed to be her full-time man toy.