Blaze of Fury (5 page)

“You bring out feelings in me I buried years
ago,” he said in a less intimidating tone. “I want to take you and
take you hard. But…” He sucked in a deep breath. “If we do this, I
might not let you go.”

“This is terrifying for me…I swore never to
trust another man.” She stared up at him with watery eyes,
completely overwhelmed by his visceral appeal. “I’m willing to take
that risk with you.”

He almost smiled before kissing her again,
but as before, he held back. His tongue explored her mouth with
astounding aggression as if claiming her to himself. She felt his
massive erection pressing at her thigh and longed to feel him
inside. Gradually his lips left hers to move downward. She cried
out when his warm moist mouth closed over one nipple, sucking
hungrily, then kissed a wet trail to her other breast where he
greedily took her in. She couldn’t withhold the moans of pleasure
as his fervent sucking drew a pool of warmth from her sex.

With one arm under her back and a hand buried
in the thick of her hair, he used his free hand to stroke between
her legs. He came on hot and heavy, stealing her breath with each
move. She felt powerless beneath him and could only hold tight to
his gorgeous hair as he had his way. When her body was about to
explode, he lifted his head and shifted his weight so that they
were perfectly positioned for his entry.

His gaze moved over her face then stopped at
her eyes. He was so utterly intense she could barely stand it.
Every nerve in her body screamed for his domination. Lowering his
head, he didn’t speak but brushed his lips over hers then let his
tongue flick into her mouth ever-so-lightly. They held each other’s
gaze in the most powerful exchange of emotion she’d ever known.

Then without warning he thrust his full
length into her. She wanted to throw her head back as the scream of
pleasure erupted from her throat, but he held her steady with a
hand still locked in her hair. His sex filled her, stretched her,
and stimulated her beyond belief. Her hips rose to meet each
powerful drive of his long hard male sex into hers. A groan of
obvious pleasure rumbled in his chest as he took her with blazing
passion.

She locked her ankles behind his lower back
to pull him deeper. “You feel incredible…” Her words rode a
quivering sigh.

“You’re an angel,” he murmured. “Giving
yourself to me this way.” He thrust hard and unbelievably deep then
withdrew slowly on the outstroke. In slow teasing motions, he
rubbed the velvety head of his cock against her pulsing clit.

Her body shuddered on the brink of climax. He
slid back inside, thick and hard, swollen to the max. Every inch of
him caressed every inch of her. Each blissful stroke sent her
higher until a series of wicked spasms racked her body. Everything
around her blurred into a euphoric haze as the orgasm spiraled out
of control. She cried out his name and raked her nails down his
back.

He pushed harder. Then he joined her in wild
release. A stream of liquid heat jetted deep into her core,
creating another wave of forceful contractions inside. Her sex
clamped around his so tightly she could feel the pulsing of his
cock as he came hard. They panted against one another, holding each
other in a powerful embrace while cresting that idyllic wave
together.

Heavy breathing filled her ears, be it his or
hers or theirs combined, she was too high to sort whose. His scent
floated over her—leather, musk, a tang of spice and sex wafted
together in a heady mix.

“Sasha,” he whispered her name on a soft
sigh, sending shivers over her skin. “Not sure I can let you go
when this job is done.”

“Not sure I want you to,” she breathed out
the words.

* * * *

Ice woke in the middle of the night with
Sasha sleeping peacefully, her head resting on his chest. The way
she snuggled against him warmed his heart. This unique woman had
melted yet another layer of ice from his chiseled heart. He didn’t
want to let her go.
Perhaps the time has come to tell her of my
gift
, he thought.
Still, I better wait until the mission is
complete
, he concluded. The last thing he needed was to
complicate matters further before finishing the job. At least then
she’d be free to return to her world if she couldn’t accept him as
is. He’d rather she chose to stay than be forced to out of fear.
No, not yet
, he told himself.
I’ll finish the job then
tell her what I am.

When streaks of sunlight began filtering
through the trees, he carefully untangled himself from their tender
embrace then pulled on his pants. After cooking a batch of eggs
over the hot coals, he laid them on a plate and placed it beside
her along with the revolver. Carefully, so as not to wake her, he
draped a blanket over her gorgeous naked body then laid one of his
shirts and a pair of jogging pants at her side.
She’ll need
clothes to wear.
He grinned while thinking back to their savage
hot lovemaking.
Is that what it was? Did we make love or merely
surrender to undeniable lust for one another?

He knew she’d be safe while he hunted down
the second prick on her list. He wanted to avoid more questions and
possible second-guessing on her part. She had come this far. He was
determined to see her through.

Jona Maxwell wouldn’t be found in the woods,
so Ice knew he’d have to shift into human form ahead of time and
make a stealthy approach. The man owned a restaurant and from the
information Sasha had given him, the next target would be going
into work to open for the day and most likely would be alone—Ice
hoped. He avoided witnesses not for his sake but theirs. Though
they could never catch him, he still detested the thought of an
innocent bystander caught in an ugly scene.

This morning’s journey took him a bit farther
east to a small depressed area of a major city. The glorious
sensation of flying never grew old. He loved soaring above the
trees and among the clouds, free from the filth of this world, free
of hate and prejudice. His life in the forest suited him. People
did not excite him. Well, just one now, the lovely and passionate
Sasha. Even so, he wasn’t about to leave his life of serenity and
return to a world of war.

And this is why he regretted letting her into
his heart. No doubt, a woman like her would not accept an isolated
life away from the mainstream. She had a child and a grandchild. He
couldn’t expect or even hope that she’d give up the family she
fought so hard to save just to spend her days with him.

He flew overhead peering through smog to
locate the establishment. Spotting it below and tucked between two
adjacent buildings, he swooped down and landed on the roof. Once
his assignment was complete, the woman would be gone and his lonely
heart would return. He cursed himself for allowing his feelings to
come back to life, and also cursed the men who’d driven such a
beautiful woman over the edge. Had they only behaved in a civil
manner, she’d not have sought him out and his heart would still be
safe.

Reluctantly, Ice focused to shift into human
form. Talons receded along with the beak, feathers and his other
bird parts. A metal ladder attached to the rear of the building led
to the ground. Quickly and silently he slid down the building.
Nobody appeared to have arrived yet so he waited. About a half an
hour later a short, stocky man with cropped black hair rounded the
corner. There was no mistaking his identity. He looked exactly like
his photo.

The man looked him over with open disdain.
“Go on home, buddy. We don’t need vagrants loitering around the
dumpsters. I’ll send leftovers to the soup kitchen down the street.
You can get something to eat there.”

Ice forced back a laugh. “You think I’m
homeless?”

“Well, look at you! You’re not even wearing a
fucking shirt!” he sneered with a mocking laugh. “Get a job,
asshole.” He moved to push past.

“I have one. Sasha hired me.” His voice was
stone cold.

At the mention of her name, Jona’s head shot
up. “Who?”

“Sasha Turner, you know, the mother of your
wife?”

His expression fell. “Tell that bitch to stay
away from us if she knows what’s good for her.”

“Is that a threat?” Ice cocked one brow.

“Take it however you want. Now step
aside.”

Ice didn’t budge. He looked him straight in
the eye. “How’s your wife’s grandfather, anyway?”

A look of sheer horror traversed Jona’s face
seconds before Ice released talons from his hand and tore his
throat open. He never even screamed.

Ice nudged his lifeless body with a booted
foot then continued the shift into full hawk form again. Before
anyone saw what happened he’d taken flight. Target number two had
been eliminated and would not likely be discovered before the
restaurant opened.

He had a long trip back to his woods. Again
he called upon the wind to speed his journey home.

Painted skies of gold, pink, and blue hung
over the glorious redwoods when he arrived at the forest. A setting
sun cast a stunning backdrop against the trees. He detected
movement far below, not of animals but of hunters.
Damn
poachers.
He knew they were hunting on protected land for the
rare animals living there. With a sudden shift of his wings, he
dived toward them at a rapid speed. All three hunters fired off
shots from their rifles. The first two rounds zinged past but the
third pierced his upper wing and sent him spiraling downward.

He plummeted to the ground away from them and
flopped his way into the thicket. Searing pain shot through him,
making it difficult to focus. He lay in the brush gasping for air.
Suddenly a rush of dawning washed over him as he understood what
hunted animals must feel like. Loss of blood in his hawk form was
more draining compared to if he’d suffered a gunshot to the
shoulder as a man. His vision blurred. He needed to shift to save
his life.

Summoning all his strength, he concentrated
on his animal spirit and silently called upon the Shasta Realm—the
place between worlds from where his power came. Slowly, feathers
began to recede and wing bones transformed into arms. The rest of
his body followed course until at last the sharp talons shifted
into human feet. He stretched his neck against the pain, which was
not as intense now. His heart felt heavy over the vulnerable
creatures that perished for the sake of human sport and greed.

Pushing to his feet, he ignored the pain and
bolted into a run in pursuit of the hunters. The cowards would pay
for their lawlessness. His superior strength and stamina enabled
him to close in on his prey quickly. They did not hear his approach
until he was right on top of them. Panic flooded their eyes when
they turned and saw him barreling down. Dropping their weapons,
they turned to flee.

“Who’s the hunter now?” he growled upon
catching them and blocking their path. “Trespassing on these lands
is against the law and killing protected animals is cause for
punishment.”

They glanced at his bleeding wound then at
each other with bewildered expressions. Ice didn’t give them time
to ponder the encounter. He gripped two by the throat with each
hand and leg swept the third then kicked him hard to keep him down.
Fury rose in his soul over what these pricks tried to do.

The first man never made a sound but the
other two screamed like the cowards they were when Ice tore out
their comrade’s throat. He turned viciously on the two pleading
men. In less than five minutes the trio of hunters had been hunted
and killed by the prey.

Sudden rustling in the brush caught his
attention. He turned his head sharply to see what lurked. Standing
with wide eyes and on trembling legs was Sasha. Her unexpected
appearance rendered him momentarily speechless.

“Is-is that what you do to poachers?” Her
voice wavered. “Is that the noise I heard when you took off into
the woods the other night?”

He gave a short nod, staring back at her with
little emotion. His heart felt suddenly cold again as the invisible
walls sprung up within.

“What…are…you?” she asked.

Chapter Five

Sasha followed him back to the campsite in
silence. Fear threatened to overtake her. She’d accidentally seen
him transform from a hawk to a man, then watched him brutally kill
three men. What was their crime? She wondered while traipsing along
behind him. He still had not uttered a word in his defense.

He worked quickly to build a fire in the pit
once they reached his primitive domain. He pulled two large fish
from a cooler and tossed them on a metal grate over the flames. She
glanced around and realized he didn’t have any fishing gear.

“How do you catch all those fish?”

“You ask too many questions,” he growled,
keeping his back toward her. “Your second target has been
eliminated. One more and we can go separate ways.”

Her heart tumbled yet she didn’t understand
why. “What about exploring our options?” Why she wanted this man
baffled her.

“There
are
no options.” He turned to
face her. That hard stare on his face returned again and pierced
her soul. “You won’t like what I am.”

She took a hesitant step toward him. “Try
me.”

“Give me one good reason why I should?”

“You make intense wild love. I want to know
the animal you keep locked behind all that passion.”

“You saw me shift?” He sighed. “What were you
doing nosing around?”

“I heard gunshots.”

“Are you always drawn to danger? You could’ve
been killed.”

Squaring her shoulders, she gave him a
defiant look. “I spent all of my life fighting people who did their
best to beat me down. I survived, but not unscathed. I may not have
physical scars to show for the battles but the scars in my soul run
deep like a fire that never dies. You won’t tell me what drives
your madness. Don’t mistake my timid exterior for lack of backbone
because I have plenty.”