Night's Captive (9 page)

The human looked strung out on something that caused him to shake and act jittery. Even his legs were shaking. Magic sizzled from his elbows down his forearms to the cuffs around his wrists that were on top of the wooden table between them.

Wood was always used because it didn’t conduct magical powers the same way that metal did. Metal reacted to magic much like metal reacted to electricity. Wooden objects could still hold and transfer magic, but not with the kinds of dangerous consequences that metal often did.

The prisoner was cuffed with magically treated wristlets, but they still had to have other safeguards in place. The human had dark blond hair and a day’s worth of stubble and his blue eyes looked a little wild.

“Manny, this is Enforcer Page,” Max said as he stood behind Alec. “Enforcer Page, this is Manny Green.”

“Hello, Manny.” Alec put his forearms on the table and leaned forward. “Why don’t you tell me what are you high on?”

The human’s eyes darted around the room, from Alec to Max, to Loni, and back to Alec. “The head dude calls it Propara.” Manny’s voice came out shaky.

What the hell was Propara? Alec didn’t let any expression show on his face. “Tell me about this Propara.”

Manny licked his lips. “It’s fucking amazing, but it scared the hell out of me. After the first time I wanted it so bad I went back again. But not anymore, man. I feel like I sold my soul to the devil.” He shuddered. “The other guys want more so they’re never gonna talk. The dude told them they’d never get another hit if they ever talked about it. Me, I don’t want any more of the shit.”

Alec studied Manny’s eyes. “ What does the drug do?”

“Gives you these wild powers.” The human shook his head. “Or at least it feels like it does. Maybe it is LSD and you just think you can throw fireballs or turn into an animal. I’ve never shot up with LSD, but maybe it’s the same. ” Sparks sizzled along Manny’s arms and he looked down. “I’m still seeing and feeling things. Like now. It’s like electricity is running up and down my arms.”

Let the man think he’s hallucinating,
Alec thought. “Who’s the ‘dude’?”

Manny’s lips thinned and for a moment, Alec wondered if the man was going to say anything without a little more convincing, but he finally spoke. “They mostly called him ‘boss’ but I did hear someone call him Dawson.”

Alec’s gut clenched.
Dawson. Sonofabitch.
He felt Max tense behind him.

“Did you see this Dawson?” Alec asked.

“Yeah.” Manny gave a jittery nod. “Tall, over six feet. Goatee. Scar across one cheek.”

The man had just given them the perfect description of the sorcerer. So he was the one behind the paranormal drug.

Alec questioned the man a while longer, but didn’t get much more out of him. When he finished, he left the room followed by Loni and Max.

“We should have known Dawson was behind these humans and their short term paranormal powers.” Alec sat on the corner of an empty desk in the busy main room. “We knew he was dealing, but not this Propara drug.”

“It would explain a little more why none of the humans would talk.” Max folded his arms across his chest. “The sorcerer would have cast a spell on the humans that won’t allow them to speak about it. Of course Manny wouldn’t know that.”

“Somehow Manny didn’t get a full dose of Dawson’s powers or he’s immune to them.” Alec made a frustrated sound. “This makes it all the more urgent that we get to the sorcerer and bring him in.”

“I’ll give Devora a holler.” Max adjusted his John Deere cap. “You get in contact with your team. Tomorrow night plans need to be made to get the sonofabitch.”

“Right.” Alec nodded. “We’re going to get him. This makes it all the more urgent on top of already being our number one priority.”

Max turned to Loni and gave her an assessing look. “A right pleasure to meet you, Loni.” He shook her hand. “Heard you had an interesting experience when Alec and Petra were taking down the humans.”

“I guess you could call it that.” Loni pushed strands of hair over her ear. “An interesting experience.”

Max adjusted his cap as he looked at Alec. “I’ll be seeing y’all at the bar.”

“You bet.” Alec gave a nod and he and Loni watched as Max left and shut the door firmly behind him.

“Sounds like you got quite the break tonight.” Loni offered Alec a smile as she walked close to him.

“Sure did.” He looped his arm around her shoulders. “Time to head home. We’ll have time enough to deal with this later.”

Chapter 11

When Alec let them into his house there was an awkwardness between them. Loni bit the inside of her lip as they walked from the front door to the stairs leading up to the next level. Before they’d been interrupted, they’d been about to go places Loni hadn’t expected but now wanted.

But now that they’d had a chance to cool off, it felt different. There was still a strong sexual tension between the two of them, but it seemed like Alec was somehow distancing himself.

When they reached the bottom steps, he paused and she could tell he had something he wanted to tell her.

She studied him. “What is it?”

He dragged his hand down his face. “Earlier—I think we almost made a mistake.”

“Why?” She wasn’t going to let him put her off like that. She knew he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

His throat worked as he swallowed. “You’re human and I’m not.”

She frowned. “So?”

With a sigh he said, “It just wouldn’t work.”

“That’s not the only reason.” By the almost imperceptible flinch in his eyes she knew that was true.

“You’re right.” He looked down at his boots then back at her again. “I don’t want to start something we’re not going to finish.”

She put one hand on her hip as she gestured with her other. “We’re adults here, Alec.”

“I know,” he said quietly. “But we both know nothing can come of this.”

“Because I’m human or because you haven’t gotten over what Maria did to you and you’re afraid I might do the same?”

“Both.”

“At least you’re honest.” Heat flushed through her and she turned away. She paused long enough to look over her shoulder to tell him, “Good night,” before she headed up the stairs.

She felt his gaze on her as she left but she didn’t look back. It was stupid to even start to feel like some kind of relationship could develop between them. She’d been feeling so much attraction to him. Reading about him had given her a deeper sense of who he was as a man and the attraction she felt toward him was stronger than she would have expected.

It was strange how she had now accepted this new reality and how she even accepted the magic going on around her—and the magic she had experienced for herself.

This was all too real now not to believe that it was truly happening. She didn’t feel like she was dreaming anymore.

She pushed open the door to the guestroom and started to pass the vanity dresser but caught her reflection in the mirror. Wearing black leather, she looked like the Enforcers. Not really just the leather, but something about the look in her eyes and her appearance made her feel like she could be one of them.

As she watched herself in the mirror, she pulled the ponytail holder off, letting her hair fall around her bare shoulders and thought about the night. She had told Selena she had wanted adventure and adventure was what she was getting. She had shared with Selena that her ideal man was one who had integrity and heart. A man who could be trusted. Ironic that Alec couldn’t bring himself to trust her.

A rap on the doorframe brought her attention around to see Alec standing in the doorway. He looked so good, still wearing black leather and boots, but his weapons belt was gone.

“Can I come in?” he asked.

She nodded. “Yeah.”

He moved toward her and she met him halfway. Her heart beat a little faster at the way he was looking at her and she almost took a step back from the strength of passion and desire in his gaze. It was almost frightening.

Yet at the same time it drew her, it made her want to throw herself into his arms. She held herself back, needing to let him make the first move. He had rejected her earlier. She wasn’t going to be rejected again.

“You’re human, Loni.” He took a step closer so that they were mere fractions apart. He raised his hand and stroked his knuckles along her cheek. “I’ve never been with a human. It’s taboo.”

She searched his gaze. “Why is it taboo?”

“That’s what we’re taught from the time we’re young,” he said. “But the emotions you stir up in me. It’s like…”

“Magic,” she whispered.

“Something like that.” He looked so serious she was almost afraid to breathe, as if that might break the spell they were under.

The moment he kissed her she felt like stars were exploding in her mind. The sensations she’d felt when he’d kissed her earlier seemed more intense, wilder. She didn’t hold back as she returned his kiss. A soft humming sound rose up inside of her until her whole body seemed to thrum with it.

Again it felt like colored lights floated in and out of her body. She could almost see them behind her closed eyes. Then he drew away and she opened her eyes and gasped. Colored lights floated all around them and magic sparkled along their bare arms.

Her lips parted, she met his gaze and saw the lights reflected in his eyes. “What’s happening?”

He shook his head. “It has to be you. This has never happened to me before.”

“Me?” She blinked at him then smiled. “No. I think it’s
us
.”

He gave her a soft, sexy smile. “All I know is that you are amazing.”

Another kiss had her mind spinning. The sparks along their bare arms tingled and she felt the sensation all the way to her nipples.

They moved closer together as they kissed, his body so tight to hers that it felt as if they might fuse together. She loved the sensation of his leather clothing against hers. It had an erotic feel to it. Her leather top with its thin shoulder straps and skin-tight bodice rubbed against her nipples, making them even more sensitized, as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

The kiss was so long that she felt lightheaded when he drew away. She looked up at him, her lips parted, her heart throbbing in a rapid beat, lights still sparking around them.

“I want you, Loni.” His brown eyes were the color of melted chocolate and they captured her. She saw the passion in them, the desire, the need.

In answer she reached up and kissed him again.

His hands explored her curves, his palms running over the leather, down her waist to her hips. Her skin tingled everywhere he touched. He slid his fingers to her ass and squeezed as he pulled her so tight to him that his erection pressed hard into her belly.

Butterflies rippled through her abdomen as she smiled up at him. He kissed her smile then nipped at her lower lip causing her to moan softly. He ran his hand from her hip back up to her breast. She gasped as he cupped her breast and pinched her nipple through the soft leather.

She arched her back, wanting more than just his touch. He reached behind her and unzipped the leather top, the straps falling off her shoulders and down her arms as he removed it.

A shiver trailed her spine as her breasts were bared and he tossed the leather garment aside. His gaze fixed on her breasts and he cupped them in his hands as if weighing them before bringing his head down and slipping her nipple into his warm mouth and sucking gently, then with more pressure.

It felt so incredible, the magic sizzling between them making her feel even crazier with need. The magic continued to tingle over her skin, making her feel more alive and feel more pleasure than she had ever felt before and she never wanted it to end.

She grasped the hem of his sleeveless leather shirt and he helped her pull it over his head and then they were bare chest to bare chest. She put her hands on his pecs and felt the hardness and his strength as his muscles rippled beneath her palms. They kissed again, hard, almost furious in its intensity. Even the touch of their lips was magic.

He guided her to the edge of the bed and had her sit on it as he removed first one of her boots then the next before slipping off her socks. She loved of the feel of being bared to him from the waist up and loved how he kept looking at her, admiration in his gaze. He toed off each of his own boots and stripped off his socks before bringing her to her feet and taking her in his arms again.

His hands went for the button and zipper on her leather pants and in moments he was pushing them down so that they dropped to her feet, leaving her in just her supple black leather panties that were lined with silk. He tugged them down too, and then she stepped out of her clothing and kicked them aside.

He unbuttoned his own leather pants and then they landed at his feet and he ditched them. He didn’t wear any underwear. His cock jutted out, thick, long, and amazing. She wanted to touch him, taste him, feel him in her mouth. Before he had a chance to do anything else, she was on her knees, his cock brushing her lips.

Alec met Loni’s gaze as she wrapped her hand around his erection and brushed her lips over the head. The fact that it was taboo to be with a human didn’t matter anymore. Nothing mattered but Loni. He had tried to resist but something about her had pulled him to her room. He hadn’t been able to stop himself no matter how hard he had tried.