Damned and Defiant (11 page)

A hand grasped his arm. “Dante, please.” Her words cracked and tore through him to his core. How could he walk away from her now? He hadn’t expected to feel so much. In a matter of days he’ll be on his way to Prygos. With little effort, she drew him closer. When he didn’t resist, she began unbuttoning his shirt, then slipped it off his shoulders. “If I feel any drain, and I can sense that, I promise to stop you or pull away from you.”

She smiled at him, that confident yet guarded smirk. One day he’d find out what she was hiding.
One day?
They had so little time to discover secrets. “Brave girl.”

“Maybe. Fuck me now,” she breathed.

Then he kissed her and his insides dissolved. She could protect herself. She had to. He removed the rest of his clothes then sat on the sofa. She straddled him again, her pussy pressing up against his cock.

The eagerness of her voice drove him mad. He had to fuck her, but the idea scared the hell out of him. She tore open the condom packet and slid it on his engorged cock.

She’ll be safe.
Please, let her be right
. The warmth of out-of-control passion surged through his body as she rose up and impaled herself on his thick shaft. “Oh, fuck,” he groaned.

“Don’t you dare stop this time,” she said breathlessly as she rode him hard and fast, rocking and pumping her hips as if she was riding his horse at full gallop. He dug his fingers into her smooth ass and lifted his hips to drive in deeper. “Yes, that’s it. So good.”

Tightening his thighs and ass, he slowed the orgasm that threatened to break free. So close, slow close. He had to get her off, make her stop. He’d come soon. “No, I can’t do this. Too dangerous.”

She gripped her legs on either side of his thighs and pounded on him harder. His cock slid in and out and her warmth gripped his flesh. “I’m going to come, don’t stop me. I can handle it. Trust me,” she pleaded.

“No, if you’re wrong, I could kill you.”

She cried out as the climax sent her into oblivion. For an instant, Dante had the pleasure of feeling her vagina clench around his cock, but that was about to send him into his own climax, the deepest, richest, sweetest orgasm he could ever remember experiencing whether as a mortal or immortal. His body was about to melt into a pool of sexual ecstasy.
No!
He jumped to his feet with Haley in his arms and dropped her gently on the sofa, then rolled onto the floor fighting for control. His pending orgasm faded. He made sure he had no skin contact with her.

On the sofa, Haley’s breathing slowed to normal as her orgasm subsided. She glared at him. “Son of a bitch.” With a groan she snatched up her clothes, wrapped herself in the blanket from the back of the sofa and marched into her bedroom, slamming the door.

* * * * *

The next morning Haley woke to a silent house. In a moment of panic, she jumped out of bed and raced out of her room.
God, no. He didn’t leave already, did he?
When she got outside on the porch, she saw him loading his truck with supplies. Hay, grain, tack, everything his horses would need for a long trip. In her robe, she padded barefoot over to him. “You’re leaving now?”

“Yes. They’re ready for the horses now.” Dante’s voice sounded stiff and tight.

All she could think of was her mother and how Haley had been too late to save her. Maybe she could’ve stopped her dad from his drunken rampage if she’d gotten home sooner. Now, she couldn’t help thinking her flood vision was a warning and that Dante was in danger. “When will you be back?”

“Several hours or so.” He couldn’t look her in the eye. D.A. was already loaded in the horse trailer. “I can’t take both horses together. I’ll be back for Siren.”

Staggering on the rocky driveway in bare feet, she followed him around the truck as he made sure everything was tied down securely. “Take me with you. You might need me in case you have problems with D.A. Then I can see this place for myself and decide about becoming immortal. I know this would be right for us. I know you care about me.”

He touched her cheek. “I do care, very much. But you can’t go. You don’t know what you’re asking.”

“To spend my life with you? Yes, I do know,” she argued.

He shook his head. “Your perspective changes as an immortal. Things that matter to you now as a mortal, don’t mean anything anymore when you become immortal.”

“My feelings for you wouldn’t change.” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “How can you make this decision for me? How dare you make a life-and-death decision for me?”

He cupped her chin tenderly. “Because I do care.” He kissed her cheek, but she didn’t kiss him back. “Work with Siren so she’ll be ready for the trip when I get back.”

“I’ll work with Siren, but no guarantee she’ll be ready.”

Dante’s face took on a strange intensity. “I’ll see you later.”

She returned a scowl. After he drove away, she walked back inside to pour some coffee. Dante had made her breakfast and had left it in the oven in a covered dish. She took the plate of warm eggs, biscuits and bacon out of the oven and slid them into the trash.

Haley spent most of the morning cleaning the barn, working with Siren, even taking her for a short ride. By noon she was ready to jump out of her skin. Could he remain behind as an immortal? Could a mortal and immortal have a relationship? Maybe he had another reason for not taking her along. Why was he being so cryptic?

She grabbed her digital camera, packed a small backpack with snacks and water, then strode out the door. As she passed the corral, she took several photos of Siren. She’d play with the settings later to see if she was able to pick up any aura images or orbs. The horse stood calmly as she took pictures. Then Haley marched straight into the wilds of the desert, hoping to capture some scenic photos in the afternoon lighting. After she reached at least one hundred shots, she’d return.

The sun approached the distant hills but she still had several hours of daylight left. Thunder echoed through the sky but there were no thunderheads in sight. Then the ground rumbled.

An earthquake? She didn’t know there were earthquakes in Arizona. The ground continued to shake for a full minute. Haley grabbed hold of a tree until the tremors stopped. Then fingers of lightning flashed across the sky. Strange. With only a few clouds, she didn’t think it looked like a storm was coming. Maybe a distant storm passing through? When the light show and thunder ended and the world seemed back to normal, she continued her hike.

Later, if the weather held up, the colors of the sunset would offer the best opportunities for her scenic and psychic photos. With her new powers, she wanted to test her ability in detecting vortexes or other magnetic energies like auras or orbs to see if she could capture them in her photography. With a few award-winning photos, she could make a name for herself, maybe start a business on the side.

When she reached the red-rock formations, she was sweaty and out of breath. She climbed to the top of one formation about the height of a three- or four-story building and sat down to drink some water and eat an apple and granola bar. The afternoon lighting took on rusty gray tinge as if something had washed out the radiance. In between bites, she snapped pictures as she watched a large hawk slowly circling overhead perhaps searching for prey.

The city of Sedona and all its magnificent natural red-rock structures glinted in the muted, surreal light as if a giant had created alien sand castles. Sometimes orbs wouldn’t be seen until after she uploaded them on her computer. She snapped away with her camera, using her instincts. She tried several settings on her camera, but her hopes of getting any decent photos faded.

Studying the view through the camera, the late afternoon drew in around her. At first she ignored the crunch of twigs and stones. A squirrel or a coyote, she assumed. She wasn’t concerned. A few more photos and she’d hit her hundred-shot goal, then she’d go back. Then she heard a growl, low and deep in the throat. Damn certain it was an animal, a big one. Haley froze, then cautiously turned around.

A shadow moved and slammed into her, knocking her off her feet. Fur, claws and hot breath weighed her down, crushing her chest. Then the weight lifted. For a moment, she lay on the ground disoriented, trying to breathe. Opening her eyes, she didn’t see anything. Where was it? Where was her camera?

Struggling to a sitting position, she rubbed her chest and felt wetness. Her T-shirt was sliced with four thin tears and stained red. A splotch of blood streaked her hand.
Ah fuck.
Disbelief made her hesitate. She remembered all the blood from when her mother was killed.

Haley instinctively surrounded herself with white light then grabbed two rocks. As she slowly stood, the gray shadow leapt out of nowhere and knocked her down again.

A wolf.

Haley barely breathed as the creature stood on her chest again, its snout nose to nose with her, as its lip curled into a snarl. If she tried fighting it, the animal would probably rip her throat out. Haley surrounded herself in white light, visualized a calm sea and waited.

The creature tilted its head as if in question then stopped snarling and climbed off her. Sitting beside her like a tamed dog, it licked its paw.

A second later the creature blurred, condensed and shifted into human form. Natesa sat crossed legged, grinning wickedly and wearing the same outfit of jeans and hiking boots she’d had on at the New Age store. “Now I have your attention.”

“Natesa? How did you…”

She shifted back to the wolf form right before her eyes and growled. A chill ran up Haley’s spine. From her hypnosis she knew Valdon and Natesa were also demons, but she hadn’t known their powers extended to shapeshifting. If that was true, what could Dante become? Tears blurred her vision. How could she fall for a demon?

What was it with the men in her life? Her father was a murderer and her boyfriend, a demon. Her head and her heart hurt too much to think about all this right now.

Natesa laughed but it wasn’t a sympathetic laugh. “You’re in love with him. Bad timing, girl. He’s leaving.”

“I know. He’s told me.” The pain was getting unbearable and she wondered how much longer she’d stay conscious. Had she hit her head?

“He did?” Natesa sounded surprised. “He didn’t offer to take you with him, though.”

Haley shook her head. “I asked him to make me immortal. I told him I’d go.”

Natesa’s tone changed. Crouching down beside her, she placed a hand on her arm. “I know Dante. He does love you but he won’t let you make that sacrifice for him. He believes you’d be giving up too much leaving this world.”

“I wouldn’t. I’d gladly go.” Haley didn’t want to trust this demon but she couldn’t see what was in it for her by lying to Haley.

“We’ll be leaving this dimension very soon too. Don’t you sense that? Your psychic powers are very strong now.” Lightning snaked across the sky and the ground trembled.

“I’ve noticed something strange happening with the weather.”

Natesa agreed. “There’s still time for you to become immortal.”

Haley struggled to get up. “Dante wouldn’t let that happen.”

“I could help you. Once you’re immortal, he couldn’t change it. It’d be too late.” Natesa’s words were barely a whisper.

“I don’t know. Dante said—”

“He doesn’t want a mortal woman making a sacrifice for him out of fear she would regret it later. If you made that decision, then it would be out of his hands.”

Tears poured from Haley’s eyes and down her cheeks. “Please, are you doing something to me? I’m in pain.”

“Oh, sorry. A little energy drain. It’s what I do. It’s what we all do to stay alive. It’s a habit,” Natesa said and she seemed to mean it. “I didn’t think I hit you so hard. Here let me.” She reached her hand out toward Haley’s chest. Haley jerked back.

Natesa laughed. “I’m not going to hurt you. This will help. Hold still.”

The woman placed her hand between Haley’s breasts and at first the pain increased, then Haley felt heat radiating from Natesa’s touch. The pain began to ease. After a few moments, she pulled her hand away. “There. That looks better. How does it feel?” Natesa asked.

Haley looked through the rips of her shirt and the claw marks were gone. Only four thin faded lines. “Much better.” Except Haley had thought her level of psychic skills should’ve protected her, but it hadn’t. Slowly, she got to her feet.

“Even a mortal with your powers can’t match ours,” Natesa said. “The powers of an immortal are many times greater. A flash of lightning lit up the sky, then thunder rumbled and shook the ground again. Haley wondered if these storms were actually earthquakes. But earthquakes don’t have lightning. The severity of this one might split the ground. She grabbed onto a tree for balance. Leaves and pine needles rained down. Was Dante okay? Had he returned yet? She needed to get back to the ranch, check on Siren and for damage.

“What’s happening? I’ve never know Sedona to have storms like these. This must be an earthquake.” Haley said. As the vibrations calmed, Haley’s pulse continued to pound.

“Anartia is slipping out of its dimension and trying to enter Earth’s. We have to leave or be destroyed.”

“How could this happen?”

“An accident caused our world to become unstable,” Natesa said then narrowed her gaze. “Dante has no choice. He has to leave if he wants to remain immortal.”