Parallel Fire (8 page)

The sound came again, more plaintive, desperate. Needy. She leaned over the railing, listening intently; silence was her only answer.

Tears stung her eyes, blurring her vision, and she blinked at them hopelessly. Of course Nevin wouldn't lay claim to their bond now that they were back in the compound. Of course he would return to the man she'd always known before, so controlled and unemotional. The only surprise at all was that Anna hadn't anticipated his behavior.

Lifting a hand to wipe away her tears, she spotted an eerie light down below the deck. The woods glowed unnaturally, as if some powerful energized being were moving through the area. Anna tensed, clutching at the railing, and tried to get a better view.
Perhaps it's our commander, moving through the woods in his natural form
, she thought.
Yes, that has to be it.

She shuddered.
Or maybe it's one of our enemies, probing us.

Reaching carefully, she found her pulse pistol holstered at her hip. Her fingers twitched, but she didn't make a move for fear that she'd alert this being—whoever it was—to her presence.

The glowing intensified, moving up the mountain rapidly—and aiming right for her. “Anna,” she heard whispered through the dense trees. “Anna…”

Before she could blink, the orb of brilliant energy made a beeline for her, seeking her out with intense purpose. “Anna,” came Nevin's whisper again, from deep within the energy sphere. His power was so blinding, she could barely keep her eyes open.

She sensed his invitation, his pure desire to have her touch this part of himself. Glancing all about them, she searched for him. “Where are you?” she muttered aloud, her gaze sweeping the side of the main lodge.

“Right here,” came his throaty, emotional reply from just behind her. She jolted, and he caught her from behind, clasping her shoulders with firm, staying hands.

“Your energy?” She squinted, trying to gaze at it in the pure darkness. Up close like this, it was absolutely blinding.

“It was the only way I could think to find you.”

“You sent it after me? Like a homing beacon?”

He pressed his lips against the top of her head, blowing out a heavy breath. “You're my lifemate. My energy reacts to that, feels it. But that wasn't the only thing.” He wrapped his muscular arms about her waist, pinning her against him. “I wanted to reveal my energy to you…intimately. Sensually, not like the other times when we were stranded. This is the most vulnerable part of me.”

Tears brimmed in her eyes anew. From the very beginning between them, their respective energies had been a staging area, a line neither would cross willingly.

She forced her eyes open, leaning back against his chest. “How could All have ever made something so incredibly beautiful?” she whispered.

“Touch it.”

“I-I can't.”

“I would never hurt you, Anna,” he promised, pressing his lips against her ear. “Not intentionally. That I hurt you earlier, well, it's torn me up inside. But with my touch? With my energy? No, I will never hurt you.
Never
.”

Extending both hands, she placed her palms around the undulating sphere; at that precise moment, her lifemate's very energy shot deep within her, setting her entire body afire. She began to quaver, feeling her legs grow wobbly, but he anchored her against his chest. After a moment, she began to giggle, feeling light-headed and drunk.

“You just got me high!” She turned in his arms until her cheek rested against his massive chest.

“I'm a little drunk,” he admitted shyly, “so that just evens the odds.”

She pulled back, gazing up into his dark eyes. For a minute, she swore that his hair seemed a little darker too. “Why did you get drunk?”

With a shake of his head, he stroked her hair, quiet for long moments. “I was terrified, Anna. Of you, of this change in me, of our lifemating…but mostly of you.”

“I don't understand. We're fantastic together, so beautiful, so amazing—”

“Because I have no control when it comes to you.”

Anna snorted. “It's about damn time you lost control,
N'Vsai
. I'm just honored that it happened with me.”

His mouth tilted upward in a sideways smile. “Does this mean that you forgive me? For being a stupid
stratkai
?”

Anna leaned up onto her tiptoes, planting a full, wet kiss squarely on his cheek. “If you're planning to tell Jared our news.”

Nevin's gorgeous smile widened. “I've already done that. And then some, I'm afraid.”

“I don't think I want to know what that means.”

He slid his arm about her shoulder, walking her toward the door that led to the lodge interior. “Well, sweet Anna, there's a little something I need to tell you about visiting the doctor earlier today.”

And then he tossed his head back and laughed more deeply than she'd ever heard him do. A strange feeling began deep within her belly at the sound of it, almost like a quiet answer. A knowing answer.

She stopped in her tracks. “I was right—wasn't I? About the way it felt the last time we made love?”

He slid a large palm over her belly. “The doctor described my condition as ‘dynamically fertile'. He also let me know that it was in reaction to you, Anna. You.”

She covered his hand against her stomach. “So does this mean I'm pregnant? Already?”

Her lifemate had the gall to look proud of himself, cocky even, as he thrust his chest out. “I believe you said of men my age that we—what was it now? ‘Rut like fucking stallions'?”

“
What
did the doctor
say
?”

Nevin's dark eyes gleamed. “That you are likely carrying our child.”

She thrust her arms about his neck, squealing. “I told you. I absolutely told you, didn't I?”

“And he also said that we can't make love without some kind of protection for a while, or there will be more and more babies.”

She pulled out of his arms, studying him. “You're afraid that I'm already pregnant with multiples.” He bowed his head, but said nothing. “Nevin, it only burned inside of me that one time. You don't need to worry.”

“Can you live with this? A man like me?” He cast a shy look up at her. “One with these kinds of raging needs and desires…who might give you many babies, whether intentional or not?”

She gaped at him, then slugged him lightly in the chest. “You, sir, are unbelievable. First you worried that you couldn't give me children, now you worry that you'll give me too many? I love you, Nevin. Do you hear that? Children or no children, age gap or not, I love you. Nothing can alter that.”

His arms closed about her, and he drew her into an almost-suffocating embrace. “I love you too. Gods, it's insanity the way this has happened, but it's right. Deeply right, and I know it.”

She closed her eyes and stood, just feeling the warmth of him, until a thought occurred to her. “So,” she asked with a giggle, “did you tell Commander Bennett about the rutting like a stallion part? Or did you leave that much out of our story?”

He swatted her bottom playfully. “Let's go to bed, Lieutenant. I'll share all my secrets there.”

About the Author

To learn more about Deidre Knight, please visit
www.deidreknight.com
. Send an email to Deidre Knight at
[email protected]
or join her Yahoo! group to join in the fun with other readers as well as Deidre!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DeidreKnight

Look for these titles by Deidre Knight

Coming Soon:

 

Butterfly Tattoo

Is Emma ready for a bite?

 

The Wallflower

© 2008 Dana Marie Bell

 

A
Hunting Love
story

Halle Puma
Series Book 1

Emma Carter has been in love with Max Cannon since high school, but he barely knew she existed. Now she runs her own unique curio shop, and she's finally come out her shell and into her own.

When Max returns to his small home town to take up his duties as the Halle Pride's Alpha, he finds that shy little Emma has grown up. That small spark of something he'd always felt around the teenager has blossomed into something more—his mate!

Taking her “out for a bite” ensures that the luscious Emma will be permanently his.

But Max's ex has plans of her own. Plans that don't include Emma being around to interfere. To keep her Alpha, Emma must prove to the Pride that she has what it takes to be Max's mate.

Warning: This title contains explicit sex, graphic language, loads of giggles and a hot, blond Alpha male.

 

Enjoy the following excerpt for
The Wallflower:

Emma realized Max had stopped moving. Looking up at him, she found him staring down at her with a quizzical look. “Well?”

Emma blushed. She'd been rubbernecking in Max's house, trying to take in everything at once. “It's incredible.”

He smiled with satisfaction. “If there's anything you want to change, you'll have to let me know.” Gently he placed her on the quilt. “This is now as much your house as mine.”

Emma's mouth fell open as he toed off his shoes and socks. “You're kidding me, right?”

Max began unbuttoning his shirt, diverting her attention from his whole “
Mi casa es su casa
” attitude. “I was in Simon's shop when you called about the Madonna, you know.”

“Oh. Really?” she replied absently. She could barely speak as Max unveiled the finest chest it had ever been her privilege to see. It was lightly sprinkled with light brown hairs, trailing down his stomach to point directly into his pants. Dark brown nipples peeped out from the hair, tempting her into some very sinful thoughts.

“Yes, I was. And you know what?”

Emma didn't know her own name; Max was unbuttoning his jeans. “Um, nope.”

“You live up to your voice,” Max purred as he slipped his jeans down his legs.

“Urgh,” Emma choked, “naked.” She could feel her eyes bugging out of her head. Max went commando. A sinful buffet of man-flesh was laid out before her in one single sweep of his hands. She didn't know whether to sigh or to sob.

“Yes, I am.” Max laughed huskily. “Now it's your turn.”

Emma bit her lip, a sudden attack of shyness nearly paralyzing her. Max didn't know it yet, but he'd be her first, and from the look on his face she'd better tell him soon.

“Max?” Emma sat there, her hands clenched in her lap, her gaze riveted to his cock. The thing looked huge, all veined and red, and pointed straight at her. A small drop of liquid seeped from the slit. It twitched a salute to her rapt attention.

“Yes, Emma?”

Her gaze lifted to his; unknown to her, they'd turned pure, molten gold. “You remember the talk of other men?”

He growled low in his throat and crawled onto the bed.

“Eep,” she whispered, lying down as he prowled up her body.

“You were saying?” he whispered huskily as he settled his naked body between her thighs. He brushed against her cheek with his lips, a caress so soft she barely felt it. It sent a shiver down her spine. Those same lips continued their incredible journey, trailing down the side of her neck to settle on the bite he'd given her outside the restaurant. Goose bumps raced up and down her arms as he moved his hips in a sinuous motion, brushing his naked cock against her mound.

“Um, there weren't,” she squeaked, unconsciously arching up into his body as he scrapped his teeth along his mark.

“Weren't what?” he muttered, one hand moving up to start sliding her camisole up her stomach. He paused long enough to caress her there, trailing fire in his wake.

“Any other men.”

His hand stopped.

His mouth stopped.

His hips stopped. She was really sad when his hips stopped.

“You're a virgin?” His voice sounded oddly strangled.

“It's not a crime to be one, you know. I'm not the Oldest Living Virgin, or anything. It's not like I'm in the Guinness Book of World Records,” she babbled. “Besides, I've done other things…oh!” His hands had started moving again, with a swiftness that startled her. Her camisole was toast as he ripped it literally from her body, his claws barely scrapping her skin, sending shivers of need once again down her spine.

Claws?

Emma had barely registered the fact that Max had used his
claws
to ruin her favorite shirt when he started working on her jeans. “No! Bad kitty!” She slapped him on the top of his head, determined to save at least some of her wardrobe.

He lifted his head, his eyes golden and burning, a rumbling sound emanating from his throat as he pinned her hands above her head. Emma thought about struggling, but something about the way he looked had her lying passively. “You're a virgin.”

Emma blinked, unsure how to respond. “Duh.”

Max stared down at her, his eyes narrowing as he studied her features as if seeing her for the very first time. “No man has ever touched you.”

She thought about telling him about the make-out sessions her one and only boyfriend had talked her into, the oral sex they'd indulged in a few times, but decided that discretion was the better part of valor. Jimmy was a nice guy, and deserved to live. “Again. Duh.”

“No man will ever touch you again.”

Emma studied granite-like features above her. “Even you?” The growl deepened. She sighed, inexplicably happy to hear that sound. “Okay.” She rolled her eyes. “Duh.” She grinned. “By the way, Lion-O, that was my favorite shirt.”

He looked down. “Damn, Emma.”

“What?” She looked down, expecting to see something odd, like very dried alfredo sauce decorating one boob or something. Instead she saw the pale pink lace bra she'd put on that morning, the one that was completely see-through. It helped give her confidence to feel the sexy lingerie against her skin, so much so she'd replaced all of her old undies with the lacy stuff.