Damned and Defiant (6 page)

The desert night was clear, stars shimmered brilliantly against the ebony sky. The dim light from a moon, half full, cast shadows across his yard and corral. The two horses, with ears pinned back, snorted as he approached. Skittish as usual, especially when he came too close.

When he reached the gate, they circled the corral, tossing their heads. “What has you two so spooked?” They were usually quiet at night. Unless an animal or snake was near the corral. Dante scanned the area, sniffed the air with his heightened senses. Beyond his ranch, was nothing more than miles and miles of red-earth desert. He smelled creosote bushes, pinesap from the cypress trees and the musky scent of his two horses, but no predators. No sign of the owl. A knot twisted inside his gut. Maybe the horses were afraid of him, goddammit.

After he was satisfied that no predators were around, Dante strode back to his cabin, kicking a post on his way onto his porch. It was him. The horses had sensed his collection of chi. That was why they were riled up.

Pulling up a wooden deck chair, he plopped down and rested his feet up on the railing, then slipped the gun under the chair. In a couple hours it would be dawn. Sleep would do Haley good and help replenish her energy. By morning she might remember a sexy dream, or a fantasy. He wasn’t sure if she’d remember their lovemaking.

A creak on a deck board made him freeze. The log cabin was old. He knew every creak and moan. The sound came from the weight of heavy footsteps around the side of the wraparound porch.

Slowly, Dante reached under his chair and picked up the .45 and cocked the gun.

Another creak. Darkness engulfed the porch, but he could see with his demon vision. What about the intruder’s sight? The gun was on Dante’s lap, but the business end pointed in the direction of the sound.

A shadow moved around the corner and stopped. “If you’re going to shoot, go ahead on. It could be interesting.”

Valdon. Dante released the trigger and clicked the safety back on. “You almost got a first-hand demo, Valdon. What the hell are you doing here?” He stood to greet the senior Drone.

“I’m here to give you a message from the demoness.” Valdon’s form was menacing in the dark. He was a few inches over six feet, broad and solid with long blond hair. “The demoness is growing impatient. She wants you and your horses on Anartia as soon as possible.”

“But I have two weeks to prepare them for the journey.”

Valdon dragged over a chair and sat. His hair hung down his back in a ponytail. “Can I see them?” A woman appeared from around the corner of the cabin.

“Natesa? I can’t believe you’re here.” He couldn’t believe Gwyllain would part with her private slaves and singer. Natesa’s singing was one of the few things the demoness indulged in between offerings. She was sleek and tall with exotic features, brunette hair and dark, seductive eyes.

Natesa smiled. “Gwyllain is getting desperate when she allows her favorite slaves to become Drones.”

“Tarik will enjoy taking your offering,” Valdon fumed. “How does the demoness like that?” Jealousy seemed so unlike Valdon. Sitting on the porch railing, Dante watched them both closely. He didn’t trust either of them.

She shot Valdon a hard, cold look. “I have to expel my offering in the laboratory.”

Dante laughed. “Then the demoness does know about you two.”

Natesa ignored him. “It’s worth it. I like being a Drone. Tarik will allow me to keep my powers when we return to Prygos.”

“What powers?”

She straightened and jutted out her breasts, showing them off beneath a tight black tank. “Watch.” She took in a deep breath, let it out slowly, then closed her eyes. Her body blurred and reformed. Moments later she was a gray wolf.

She leapt over the railing and trotted across the yard toward the corral.

“No, not the horses.” Dante jumped over the railing and by the time he hit the ground, he was in his coyote form. He could run faster and was stronger. Leaping the fence, he was paces behind Natesa in her wolf form as she crouched in front on D.A. who reared up, stomping and screeching.

Dante, as the coyote, nipped her hind leg and the wolf snapped at him. The coyote clawed her snout and then she pounced. Lips curled back as teeth bared. The two rolled in the dirt of the corral outside the door. Teeth and claws dug into flesh and tore at fur. The horses ran to the far side of the corral while the two shapeshifters fought.

She outweighed him, but the coyote was quick. With a twist of his body he had her pinned down on her back. Dante shifted back to his human form while he held her down. “Shift back, goddammit, or I’ll rip your throat out. Immortal or not, you’ll feel the pain. And I’ll make sure you’ll suffer the agony of a mortal death at a later date.”

She shifted back to human. Her hair disheveled, cuts and scrapes covering her body, she winced and shoved at his chest. “Get off.”

“Go near my horses again and you’re dead.”

“I wouldn’t hurt your precious horses. I was joking around, Dante. Now let me up.”

Dante stood but watched her closely.

Natesa brushed herself off. “I had no desire to come here. I’d rather be on Anartia. But if this will help get us to Prygos, then fine.”

“Why did they change you now when we’re leaving so soon? We have plenty of Drones.”

“The demoness is allowing you a reprieve on your offerings to her while you prepare your horses. I’m to take your place.”

He gripped her arm, led her out of the corral and locked the gate. “Thanks. You didn’t have much time to train.”

She jerked her arm out of his grasp. “Valdon’s training me. And Zorian said I’m a natural.”

“Right.” A natural seductress. She’d sleep with man or woman, she had no preference. She was quite bold to fuck Tarik. A slave didn’t collect chi and had no reason to have sex with the demoness or her consort. Having sex with Tarik was a betrayal. “I’ll bring the horses soon.” He knew Natesa avoided Gwyllain as much as possible.

She inclined her head, then lowered her tone as if she feared someone would hear. “The Drones aren’t happy about the horses.”

“Why not? They’ll be kept in the lower chambers during the journey.”

She shook her head. “They believe fewer Drones will be able to return to Prygos because of those horses. Only so many living things can be transported at one time.”

Dante took a slow breath. Was she right? “If that’s true, aren’t there some Drone’s who’d like to stay behind on Earth?”

Natesa laughed bitterly. “The demoness would never allow that. Any Drone who cannot return will be reassimilated for energy.”

“The Drones have the ability to become mortal and stay on Earth if they wish,” Dante added.

“And give up the chance at immortality? Each Drone expects to be the chosen ones.” Natesa crossed her arms and pressed her full lips together. “Would you, Dante? Aren’t you tempted to be human again, love a woman in your old ways and give up your super-human immortal ways?”

“If I wasn’t sure I was going to be chosen, then maybe.” After all these years as a Drone, he wouldn’t know how to love a woman like a man. He only knew how to manipulate and draw off sexual energy. That didn’t make him superhuman, that made him a monster.

“Mortality or assimilation, either fate is a death sentence.” Natesa turned toward the desert and started walking away. “Tell Valdon I went out to hunt.”

Before Dante had a chance to question or argue, she shifted to the wolf again and darted across the open desert.

Dante turned back to the cabin. Valdon wasn’t on the porch and the front door was wide open.
Fuck!

Inside, Dante marched straight to Haley’s room. Valdon had pulled back the blanket and was leaning over her naked body. Not touching her, but about to draw more chi from her.

“Valdon, out,” Dante said in a low but harsh tone.

“This Kithra has plenty of lifeforce to spare. I remember this one, a Sha Warrior. I didn’t think she survived.”

Dante raised his hand to stop him. To get in a fight with Valdon, would be like fighting a cinder block. “No. She’s done for the night.” If it came down to a fight, Dante would lose. “She’s my Kithra, my responsibility.”

“You worry what happens to a Kithra?” Valdon said, mockingly.

“The demoness gets upset when we kill one. And a mortal’s death causes all kinds of problems on Earth. We don’t want to reveal ourselves. Besides, killing humans isn’t necessary.”

Gently but with enough force to make his point, Dante placed an arm across Valdon’s chest and pushed him back. Fortunately, Valdon didn’t resist. “This Kithra is off-limits,” Dante cautioned. “She’s helping me with my horses. To harm her will delay my return and anger the demoness and you don’t want to anger her now.”

Valdon took another step back as he looked down at Haley while she slept peacefully. “No, the demoness has too many concerns.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be Natesa’s guardian since she’s a new Drone?” Dante asked as he led Valdon out of Haley’s room.

“She’s been trained, but yes, I’m her guardian.”

“Well she’s rogue now. In wolf form. She just tried attacking my horses and then took off into the desert.”

“Did she?” Valdon smiled as if he wasn’t surprised.

Dante narrowed his eyes. “You knew Haley was here.”

Valdon didn’t agree or disagree.

“Stay away from her. You have crystals to collect. I suggest you do that. Tarik doesn’t need Sha Warriors.” Dante walked Valdon through his house and opened the front door. “Find your new Drone and stay off my ranch.”

Chapter Six

The next morning, Dante woke to find the sun streaming in his window. He never slept past sunrise. Dragging himself out of bed, he dressed, stepped into his cowboy boots then stopped to listen. Silence. The house was way too quiet.

Son of a bitch. Had Valdon or Natesa returned and somehow put him in a trance? How else would he explain his exhaustion? He rushed out into the hall and saw Haley’s bedroom door open. Inside, her bed was made and her duffle lay on the floor.

He took a breath. It didn’t make sense. If Valdon had taken her, he doubted he would’ve waited for her to make up the bed. The aroma of coffee, bacon and eggs hit him. Out in the kitchen, Haley wasn’t there either, but a note was propped against the coffee pot.

Breakfast warm in the oven. Outside getting to know D.A. and Siren.

As an immortal, Dante didn’t need food to survive but he could eat for the pleasure of it. He dug into the scrambled eggs and crisp bacon, then poured a cup of black coffee and went outside on the porch.

In the corral, Haley had managed to saddle up D.A. and was riding him around the rail while Siren stood stiffly in the center, watching.
Hot dang. She did it.
He smiled so wide, he couldn’t even drink his coffee.

He put down the mug on the railing and whistled to get her attention. When she looked over and smiled, his heart about stopped. The woman was beautiful, dressed casually, her windblown blonde hair tangled around her face. He waved and picked up the mug, holding it in both hands as he took a swig of the black brew. He had to admit, she wasn’t like any other woman he’d ever known. She’d been on his mind ever since they met. He didn’t want her as a Kithra but the sexual drive for her was so potent. Immortality had its own compromises.

After a hundred and fifty years, his dream was finally realized. He had his ranch, his home, his horses. Now, he was going to leave it. In the back of his mind he’d hoped Tarik would continue to fail in his attempts to return them to Prygos so he could stay but he’d never give up immortality to remain.

Everything he’d ever loved as a mortal had been taken from him. The horror of near death was an experience he didn’t want to repeat. He couldn’t stay, and he couldn’t take Haley with him. A deep ache formed in his chest, leaving a canyon-sized emptiness. His ranch would be replaced with land on a new world. With Haley’s help, at least he’d have his horses.

Hands in his pockets, he strolled across the yard toward the corral. He didn’t need to spook the horses now. She waved to him. “D.A. is the sweet boy. Siren is going to take some work. But she’ll be fine.”

Relieved, he sat on the split-rail fence, hooking the heels of his boots in the lower rail. The sun was warm even this early. He took his T-shirt off and hung it on the fence.

Mesmerized by her expertise, he watched her ride. She was good. He barely noticed a slight signal from her, a sound or movement of her legs or arms, and she had D.A. in a canter, then a full out gallop, a turn, a stop. Panting from the brief workout but needing it after all these months, D.A. strode around looking proud and thrilled to please his rider. He didn’t resist her at all. Haley walked him over to Dante and hopped off. D.A.walked beside her without any hesitation.

Dante’s gut twisted in knots. He was thrilled, but furious that he couldn’t ride. As she brought the horse closer, D.A. started tugging on his reins. “Easy, you know Dante. He’s a good guy.”

Then D.A. spun and kicked as if he’d seen a rattlesnake. “Don’t come any closer,” Dante warned.

“Whoa, boy. What’s up? You’ve been sweet as pie all morning.” She patted him down and talked softly, giving him reassuring strokes, then running her hands over him. An aura of light and fine electrical sparks traveled from the palms of her hands into the horse. D.A. seemed to calm down. “What are you doing to him?” Only Drones had the power to transfer energy like that.

“It’s okay. Something Ambros taught me. A healing thing.”

“He seems to be settling down.”

Cautiously, she walked him over to Dante. “Want to give it another try?” she said more to D.A. then to Dante. “He’s a good guy.” Her voice was smooth, soft almost hypnotic. But it was no good. D.A. reared up again.

“Forget it. Take him to the barn to cool off.” What if he couldn’t get the horses under control around him? He’d have to leave them behind. Better he do that, than have the demoness drain their lifeforce for fuel. The thought made him nauseous.

“It’s okay,” Haley exclaimed. “We’ll keep trying. We’ll try later.”

He forced a smile and nodded. D.A. leaned against her as if he was using her for protection. Did the horse think he’d hurt him?

She walked the horse toward the barn. “Come on. Let’s get that saddle off you.”

Haley put the saddle away, wiped down and brushed D.A. When she finished, she washed up and splashed some water on her face. The water splattered down the front of her T-shirt, the coolness puckering her nipples. She hadn’t worn a bra, anticipating a hot day. She had to admit her decision to go braless had to do less about the weather and more with getting a rise out of Dante.

When she walked outside, he had Siren on a long line and the horse was running in circles. She didn’t interfere, just observed.

“Easy, Siren,” he said in a soothing tone as he let the horse run around, tethered by the rope. At first, Haley thought he had her under control. But Siren let out a shriek. Ears pinned back, the horse tossed her head and kicked, and Dante managed to stay out of the way. He was firm but gentle and reassuring.

God, he loved these horses. She could tell. Why did they hate him so? Any man who loved his horses that much had to be a good guy. She could also tell he’d been around horses before, he wasn’t afraid of them. So that wasn’t the problem. There was something, but she hadn’t figured it out yet.

The horse began to tire and Dante was getting frustrated. Siren kicked and shrieked and charged the fence a few times. He shook his head, looking at Haley with a devastating look of defeat. It crushed her inside. She was going to help him, somehow. He dropped the long line and walked over to her, and roughly pulled her into an embrace. “This isn’t going to work.”

She leaned back and stroked his cheek. The muscle in his jaw jumped. “It takes time. We did make some progress today.”

“I don’t have time. I only have two weeks.” He couldn’t look at her when he spoke.

“What’s going on in two weeks?”

He didn’t answer for a while. “I’m taking them on a trip.”

She groaned. Always the mysterious one. The man could be so frustrating at times. “That might not be a good idea.”

“I have no choice.”

She stared at him, trying to get him to say more. “Where are you going?”

He sighed and looked out across the desert. “Long story.” He started walking toward the fence, his arm around her shoulders. “Thanks for being here.”

“I don’t know why these two are so ornery with you, but we’ll work it out.”

He nodded.

“What does D.A. stand for by the way?”

Leaning on the fence, he turned and looked at her, giving her a quick smile before going back to the serious, brooding look. “Dark Alley.”

She laughed, standing close, gazing up into his eyes. “How appropriate for Mr. Mysterious.”

“I’m not so mysterious.” His hands moved to her waist and tugged at her green tank top so his thumbs brushed against bare skin. A shiver of electricity raced across her body and settled deep in her pussy.

The man looked amazingly hot in tight jeans and no shirt. Her hands glided over tanned, muscular arms and chest. Except for the sulk, the guy was quite a hunk. Their eyes locked. Her heart leapt to her throat. Fearing he would see the emotion in her eyes or sense the feelings she had for him—feelings she didn’t even want to admit to herself—she stared at his stone pendant instead.

Her hands splayed on his firm chest and abs. Last time she practically threw herself at him, this time, she wanted him to ravish her. As she touched his stone pendant, she placed her hand over the coil-shaped object. A jolt of electricity ran up her arm. She froze and gazed up at him.

Jerking her hand away, she took a step back. “Your stone. What did you do to it?”

Dante held it up, studying it for flaws. “What do you mean?”

“It’s hot and vibrating. Ambros said I could sense energy from crystals. I just never felt anything like that before.” She touched the purple crystal that hung around her neck, centering herself. The energy rush was unsettling, frightening.

“What type of stone is that?”

“An amethyst. It’s a meditative and calming stone.”

He reached out and took the stone from her fingers, examining it. “I can feel a surge of energy, like a small spark.”

She made a face. “You’re making fun of me.”

“No, I’m not. Where can I get more of these? A lot more?”

“At the New Moon Bookstore.” She held her hand cautiously above his pendant again. “Good, God. What is that? I saw sparks or something coming from my hand.”

He took her hand and kissed her palm. “It’s nothing.”

“Maybe the stone is your problem. Maybe the horses sense that weird energy. Why don’t you take it off?”

“I can’t.”

“Sure you can.” She laughed.

He shook his head.

She wasn’t sure if he was sentimental or superstitious. “Then what if I take you to the store to get another pendant? Maybe it’ll balance out the negative energies from that thing.”

He considered that for a moment. “Are there a lot of those purple stones?”

She nodded.

“We should go to this store.” Dante let go of her hand and walked toward the gate. “We can go to the store after I get back.”

She blocked him from opening the latch. Grabbing his arm, she pulled him toward her and slid her other hand around his neck. She pulled him down for a kiss. There goes her idea for playing hard to get. He didn’t need much encouragement.

“This isn’t a good idea,” he said between kisses, but his mouth moved to her neck, his tongue drawing circles beneath her ear. Then he lifted her tank and grasped her breasts, squeezing the nipples between his fingers.

“I think it’s a great idea.” Her hand drifted lower and rubbed the hard ridge of his cock. He closed his eyes and sucked in a long breath.

By the intense look he gave her, he was as turned on as she was. Her pussy was wet and achy. As if sensing her need, he grabbed her ass and pulled her against his hips. The bulge through his jeans rubbed her clit. She let out a moan. Fine, dark hair fell over his eyes as he leaned forward to take her mouth again in a deep, hard kiss.

“Get back from where?”

“Need to do a few errands.”

“Too bad.”

He planted his cowboy boots on the inside of hers and slid her legs apart. Then quicker than she thought imaginable, he had her jean unbuttoned and unzipped, his big hand inside and rubbing her bare mound. Strong fingers spread her folds and stroked her clit. The need for him spiraled out of control. A deep hunger took hold of her and she wanted more, wanted his finger to thrust inside her. But that wouldn’t be enough. She craved for his hard cock to slam into her. Reaching down, she felt his thick bulge pressing against his stiff jeans. The dark lust in his gaze confirmed her suspicions. There was something between them, more than just a mild attraction. He couldn’t deny it. She gasped and dug her nails into his shoulders, bracing herself. She ached and wanted him now like never before. He kissed her again and felt her head spin.
What is this man doing to me?
He broke the kiss sooner than she wanted, and she protested with a moan.

“I don’t have to go this second,” he said. “Maybe we should go inside.”

“Why? We don’t need to.” Reaching around to her back pocket, she pulled out a condom. “Single girl here. I came prepared.” She held up the packet. He looked at it, hesitating. Was he going to turn her down? What was with him?

“Yes, you did,” he murmured.

In one quick motion, he yanked her tank over her head and hung it on the fence. Relieved, she kicked off her boots and slid out of her jeans and panties and laid them on top of the shirt.

Her pussy was soaked as she stood naked out in the open. Dante gazed over her body. A warm, desert breeze brushed her skin and made her shiver despite the warm sun. Fumbling for his jeans button and zipper, she looked up at him and smiled wickedly. “It’s all your fault.” She tugged on his pants, trying to ease them down his hips. God, he looks so hot. “You’ve got me all worked up.”

A frown crossed his face. What was he worrying about? His eyes burned into her with lust. He was so hard, it took a little effort to work himself out of his tight jeans. With them down to his knees, he apparently hadn’t noticed he still had his boots on.

She gave him a cocky grin, then laughed. “Better get those boots off first, cowboy.”

He smiled, then hopped around while he finished getting naked.

“Hurry up, I’m getting a sunburn out here.” She stretched her arms along the fence rail as he tossed his clothes and boots aside. She handed him the condom, and he placed the packet on the fence post. “I need you inside me,” she murmured.