Fatal Desire (11 page)

She gazed through slits. “Somehow, I missed the invitation. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll free me.”

Lowan laughed. “Your husband does not frighten me. Perhaps if you play nice, I will consider letting you leave. In the meantime, my minions will do my bidding for me.” He produced a silver dagger, grabbed her wrist and sliced. Blood dripped to the floor, hitting it with a splat and sending white acrid smoke swirling into the air. A small hole now marred the perfect marble. Odage’s eyes widened, he had no idea her blood was capable of such destruction.

“See what your blood does here?” He motioned to the Wendigos. “Fill several vials and take them to the fractures.” He smiled and brushed a finger down her cheek. “You, my lovely goddess, are going to open the fractures and let the evil spill out.”

She fought her captors to no avail. A demon made another slice and began filling several vials with her blood. Odage grimaced. No turning back. Had it not been for his daughter, he would have never subjected Qadira to this. Even with his mind now deeply seated in the darkness, he didn’t wish for the hell that was about to erupt on the human race.

“What happens to her now?” Odage asked.

“She will be kept in a secured cell until I have finished with her.”

“Then what will you do with me?” Qadira pinned Lowan with her emerald eyes.

“That depends on you, my dear goddess.” He waved his hand. “Remove her from my sight and get that blood out into the field. I grow impatient.”

“Yes, My Liege,” one of the Wendigos replied as they dragged the goddess from the room.

Odage dropped to his knees. “How else may I serve you?”

“You’re dismissed, for the time being.”

Chapter Ten

Lileta stood outside the room where the women were resting. Her knees weak, she leaned against the wall to steady herself. Her body wanted Caleb. Had he pushed her further, she would have succumb. Somehow, she had to stay away from him before they both broke down. She couldn’t risk infecting him. A couple of weeks ago, she considered doing exactly that and letting him die, but not now. Time had taught her he really was a good man, and he had already done so much for her. Did he really believe he could find a way for them to be together? The bigger question was if they could, did she want to?

Perhaps they were both fools.

She pushed away from the wall and entered the room. It was time to help the women who were nearing the end of their pregnancies. Cassie had come up with the only idea that sounded feasible, and she would be returning shortly to help relocate the humans.

Caleb strode into the room, his presence commanding attention. Thank god, at least this time, he had pants on. She felt her face flush at the thought of his naked body kneeling in front of her.

“How are they?” he asked.

“Good, actually. The weaning process has worked well. Cassie is coming soon, and we’re going to take them back so she and Marcus can deliver the children. There’s only one problem.” She picked up a crying Ebros.

He arched a brow. “That is?”

She shoved the child into his arms. “You’re going to have to feed the babe. We’re also going to need someone to feed the others when they’re born since these women are still human.”

He scrubbed his face. “Christ, woman, that’s four problems, not one.” He bit his wrist and placed it to the screaming child’s mouth who suckled. “I’ll talk with Aidyn and see if we can come up with a plan.”

Cassie shimmered into the room. “Caleb, how are you feeling this morning?”

“Fit as ever. Thank you again for coming.”

“Anytime. Are we ready to move the ladies?”

“Let’s get this done. I need to go hunt for Odage. I suspect he is behind the disappearance of Qadira,” Caleb replied.

Cassie nodded. “I’ll open a portal directly to the location where we will be taking the women. Oh, and you two will be attending the births along with Diego.”

“Anything we can do to help, we will.” Lileta gave Caleb the I- dare- you- to- argue- with- me stare.

“Why are you looking at me like I have two heads? I said I would help.” He growled as he took one woman by the hand and led her through the gateway.

When they exited on the other side, Lileta found herself in a large room, outfitted with three beds. It was light and airy with white walls and large windows where the sun drifted in.

“Where are we?”

“Temple of the Gods. Zarek and the others have outfitted a room for the women. Caleb, you and Diego will have to feed the babes unless you have any others you can trust,” Cassie said.

Caleb moved toward a crib beneath the window and placed a now sleeping Ebros in it. “Yes, I will get in touch with them.”

“Good idea,” Marcus voiced behind them. He approached Lileta. “Do you know who is farthest along? We’ll take her first.”

“Yes.” She grabbed the hand of a beautiful blond, wishing she knew her name. Unfortunately, these women had never been referred to by any given name and they had always been too drugged out to tell her. Even now, the ladies were being kept under the influence of the guardians. Enthralled so, they could be controlled and their fear kept to a minimum.

Diego stepped through a portal and tipped his head at Caleb. “Glad to see you in one piece, brother.”

“Good, we’re all here. Let’s go,” Marcus ordered.

Everyone followed the guardian down a marble corridor. Lileta couldn’t help but notice how stark the place was and wondered if the rest of their surroundings were the same. She had somehow imagined the gods in a more opulent setting.

Marcus turned into a room on the right. It was much like the one they had just left, except smaller and had only one bed. A small table stood to one side and was covered with surgical equipment. Cassie helped situate the young female in bed.

“Here’s what’s going to happen. Marcus and I will sedate her and keep the babe safe. Then we will cut her open.” Cassie fixed her gaze on Caleb. “Caleb, you will remove the child. It’s better if his own kind touches him first.”

Caleb nodded and positioned himself next to the woman. Lileta handed him a pair of gloves. Marcus placed his hands on her stomach, and Cassie touched her head. They both inhaled and closed their eyes; the female became encased in a soft white light.

Marcus opened his eyes. “Lileta, the scalpel please.”

She grabbed the instrument from the tray next to them and deposited it in his palm. He placed the tip above the pelvic bone and made a six inch incision, horizontal across her abdomen. Next, he incised connective tissue until he was able to reach the uterus. He handed the scalpel back to Lileta. Then spread the incision apart.

He looked at Caleb. “Reach for him.”

Caleb inserted his hands into the womb and pulled the baby free. Lileta came around and began to wipe him off with a towel. Her heart fluttered. Caleb brushed his hand over the boy’s black hair and smiled when the baby let out a cry. He bit his wrist and offered it to the hungry child.

“Everything will be all right, little one,” Caleb cooed.

In that instant, Lileta ached for her own children. Anger toward the gods boiled like a cauldron in her stomach. She wiped away a stray tear before anyone noticed.
It’s just not fair.
She looked from the baby up to the dragon that held him.
I could love you, Caleb, if given a chance. However, I would never see you look upon our own children like that.
They couldn’t mate, and even if they could, he was Draki and she Kothar; the child would shred itself from her womb.

She stepped away and went back to help Marcus and Cassie, unable to look at Caleb for another second. Marcus was already healing the incision, and soon they could take the patient back to her room and repeat the procedure twice more.

* * * *

Diego and Caleb sat in a makeshift nursery feeding the three newborns. Two boys and one girl.

“So what happens now?” Lileta asked, still fighting to contain the emotions that warred inside her.

Caleb looked up from the pink bundle in his arms. “We have families who will be taking the children into their homes. As far as the women, I haven’t heard anything yet.”

“I have an answer to that.”

The three looked up to see Argathos had entered. He stopped in front of Diego and touched the baby’s cheek. “It has been decided the women will have their memories altered and be returned to their families.”

Lileta stiffened. “Is that fair? I mean to have birthed a child and then have it erased from your memory? Seems cruel.”

“Lileta, isn’t it crueler to have them remember the awful things Odage did to them? Not to mention they’re not equipped to care for a dragon child,” Diego replied.

She exhaled. “You’re right, of course.” It still didn’t sit well with her.

“Look.” Caleb touched her arm. “This entire thing is fucked up, but these women have families who are looking for them. I’m sure you understand that.”

There were times this man had more compassion than anyone else she knew, and damn if he wasn’t right. “I do, thank you. I guess I’ve been out of touch with reality far too long.” She turned and fled the room before her emotions overcame her. Looking for any escape, she ran down the sterile corridor until she found a large atrium. She hardly noticed the lush foliage; her only focus was the door across the room that led to the outside. She flung it open and stepped out. The sound of running water greeted her.

Lileta gravitated toward the water and found herself walking along a lazy flowing river. Wild flowers of every vibrant color under the rainbow grew along its banks. Their perfume wafted through the air. She’d never seen anything more beautiful or peaceful. She kicked off her shoes, rolled up her jeans then stepped into the shallows. The water running across her toes was like a calming massage.

“There you are.”

She flinched. Caleb had found her. She really didn’t want to talk to him right then. Her emotions were on the surface ready to boil over.

“Why are you following me?” She let her irritation filter through.

“Because you’re upset.”

She refused to look at him; instead, she stared into the swirling water and wished he would simply go away. “I prefer you left me alone.”

He stepped beside her, grabbed her arm, and swung her around to face his piercing green eyes. “You don’t have that choice. There’s more to this than you’re sharing.”

Her fists balled, and her power flared, turning her skin into an inferno. “You have no right,” she spoke through clenched teeth.

His lip curled. “Don’t think your magic is going to work on me, darlin’. I’m a dragon, and playing with fire is in my blood. Your scorching skin does nothing more than make me hard.” He looked down at his crotch to indicate his growing erection.

She threw off his grip and stormed from the water, reached down and picked up her shoes then turned to face him. She swallowed. His hair was mussed from where he’d been running his fingers through it. She’d noticed he did that when he was irritated. She fought the urge to run back and play with the blond spikes.

“You just don’t get it, you stupid dragon. I’m stuck with a man who can never give me the family I want.” She didn’t stick around to watch the expression on his face. She was going home.

* * * *

Caleb realized as soon as the words passed his lips he’d fucked up and big. He never should have tried to dominate her, but his dragon had reared its ugly head and scared her off.

He scrubbed a palm over his face. “Damn it!”

He knew she was in a fragile state, but the emotions she emitted when she saw those babies and again when finding out the women would be going home without their children had cut through him. There was definitely more that ate at her, and he intended to find out what it was. In the meantime, he would help acclimate the babies and their new families. When that was done, he would be having a very heated conversation with some gods.

He flashed back to the nursery where Diego and Argathos watched the babes sleep. “When will the couples be arriving?” he asked.

Diego turned to face him. “In the next hour or so.”

He nodded. “What about the women, when will they be going home?”

“We will watch over them for a few more days before sending them back,” Argathos answered.

“I see, so you erase their memories and drop them in the front lawn?”

“In a sense, yes.”

Caleb arched a brow. “How the hell do they explain their absence?”

The god shrugged. “Alien abduction?”

Caleb and Diego looked at each other, their heads shaking. His brother seemed to sense the need for him to be alone with the god.

Diego cleared his throat. “I think I’ll go for a walk.” He flashed from the room.

Caleb pinned Argathos with his gaze. “Don’t even think of disappearing. We have some very important business to discuss.”

“I know.” The god crossed his arms over his T-shirt clad chest.

He snorted. “Of course you do, no doubt being the god of vision, you saw this one coming.”

Argathos didn’t respond, simply stared back, making him uncomfortable. He had to remind himself where he was and whom he was with. While most of the gods and goddesses were gentle and easygoing, it still wasn’t wise to press one’s luck.

“Well, since you know what I want, why don’t you save us both some time and simply give me the information I seek?” Caleb stood tall on spread legs and cupped his hands at his lower back.

The god flashed his white teeth, a hint of fang peeked out. “You will go to Hell and search for Qadira, take Lileta with you.”

“The goddess is in Hell?”

He shrugged. “Perhaps.”

Caleb pursed his lips then let out a deep breath. “Can we be together without my dying?”

Argathos rolled his eyes. “Of course, you only need to give her what she desires.”

His jaw flexed.
Breathe. You can’t smite a god.
“And if I don’t?”

Argathos laughed. “Then you die, should you try and mate with her.”

He scrubbed both palms over his face. “Fuck. What does she desire?” Children? He wasn’t so blind not to notice how she’d looked at the babies.