Running in Fear: Ghost Warrior (5 page)

Nikola held out his hand to her as he sat down on the sofa. Lissa slowly made her way to him feeling safe and secure. She couldn’t believe how beautiful she felt, in the presence of these, no, her men. They looked at her with wonder and longing.

Lissa stepped in between his legs and stared down at Nikola as he opened the robe and stared at her. “So beautiful and all ours. Now, Lissa, as far as me being pissed at you, no. There is no reason for me to be mad. I should have made myself clearer, and next time I will. Now come, we have business to discuss before we go back.” Nikola pulled her down onto his lap and she cuddled close to his heat as she rested her head upon his strong chest.

Nikola captured her breast in his hand and ran his thumb over her nipple. “When a one of our kind meets their mate, their mate will inherit what powers that are bestowed upon him, when the bonding process is completed. Already Adonis and Pierre have my abilities, as will you Castor when the time is right. With these powers the four of us have been chosen to be the ears of this war, as the others mentioned. “Nikola nodded to Castor, Pierre and Adonis.
We will be called the Ghost Warriors, by those that fight us. We will slip into our enemy’s camps, finding out whatever we can, and destroying anything that gets in our way. Will there be others that can see us? Yes, but not many. We’ll just have to outsmart those of my kind that chose to work for evil.” Niokla’s voice never faltered or rose as he spoke as if it was a done deal.

Lissa sat up and stared at Nikola. “Let me get this straight.” She turned her full attention on him.

“The four of you will be going into the enemy’s camp, destroying what you can, while learning all, because all of you can become invisible?” Lissa once more clenched her hands into fists as he nodded and took her hands unfolding them.

“Don’t you think that is a little risky? If you can do this, what makes you think they can’t? What if they find out you’re there?” She yanked her hands away, getting up and started to pace back and forth. “I mean, Nikola, you said that someone from your world was helping the other side. What’s to stop them from ambushing you? And when did you mate with Pierre and Adonis?”

The thought of something happening to either of her men settled heavy on her stomach. If she hadn’t eaten yet, Lissa would have sworn that she ate a ton of rocks, which were now weighing her down.

Adonis stepped in front of her and captured her in his arms. His black hair fell around his face as he gazed down at her. His eyes shifted back and forth to those of the wolf. “We will be fine; after all, we have such a tasty treat to come home to.” He leaned her back and licked all around her nipple.

“Adonis, this is serious.” She tried to get out of his arms, but he held her tight.

“I know you are…” He lifted her back up, kissing her nose. “But Lissa, we’re not going to let our enemy get the best of us again. I, for one, do not want to feel the blade going across any part of my body.” He rubbed his neck where she knew his head had once been severed from his body.

Coldness settled over her all of a sudden, and she glanced around the room. “We’re not alone.”

Nikola slowly stood and scanned the room. Lissa hugged herself, and in an instant Nikola clothed her in her garb she favored, and moved next to her. Castor took her other side, while Pierre and Adonis took the front and back. “I know you’re there Vender. You are lucky I don’t rip you apart for not announcing yourself.”

Nikola wrapped his arm around Lissa. “Lissa, I would like to introduce my younger brother, Vender. He has this nasty habit of showing up at the wrong time.”

Vender laughed and materialized next to them. “Hey, you were the one who taught me, if I remember right. Anyway, mother sent me. She knows you have met your mates, and is expecting you to come by soon, so everyone can meet them.” Vender rolled his eyes, but something was off.

Lissa once more hugged herself and felt for the knife she knew was in its hiding spot. She didn’t know why Nikola’s brother sent a bad vibe through her, but she would not ignore it as she done with Stephen.

Nikola nodded. “We’ll be there, but not for a few days. We have business to attend to, which we must leave for now.” Nikola, Lissa and Castor flashed into the main cabin on the island, Pierre and Adonis following a few seconds later.

“What has happened?” He glanced around the room.

“Lower Manhattan was attacked last night.” Dane glanced at Remi who nodded. “It’s more like a slaughter. It happened in the middle of the night. Children, women, anyone who was in their path was ripped apart. We don’t have the numbers, but it’s high.” Dane grabbed a beer and nodded towards the large flat screen TV. “You’ve been gone half a day again. It’s three am now.”

Lissa moved up to his side. “I need a phone.” She asked Nikola and waited.

“Why? Did you have friends there?” Nikola turned all his attention on her. She shook her head.

“No, but my best friend will be able to tell me everything. She has contacts that no one else does. We need her here, Nikola. I was telling the women earlier, she could do a series of interviews, which we could released slowly. We do it in phases, but we should do it now, before this gets any worse.”

Jaycee, Suzanne, Cecil, Shelly and Marsha moved into the room, tears streaming down their faces. “It’s all over cable. Lissa is right. We need to inform the humans now, Remi. They can’t continue to be unprepared like this.” Jaycee rubbed her belly.

“Those babies, they were strung up…” Her voice cracked and Remi was there in an instant by her side. He picked her up and cradled her as if she weighed nothing.

“Nikola, bring Lissa’s friend here, make sure everything she’ll need is brought as well. We can set up one of the outer buildings. As a reporting station.” Dominic pulled Suzanne into his arms.

“I think the first interview should be with Remi. There are many humans that already know him, and trust him for all the work he did during the flooding last year. It will help for them to see a familiar face.” Dominic glanced at Lissa.

“Who is this person you want to bring here and how is she going to react to all of us?”

He smiled, when Lissa glanced up at him searching for reassurance. Nikola pulled her into his arms and nibbled her neck. “Tell them, Lissa. We’ll protect her, if she is a friend of yours.”

“I met Leda Brandywine before the Bloods took me, over fifty years ago. We used to go everywhere, and yes, she knew all about me. I could trust her, she used to tease me all the time. Her father was a Senator, and her mother is a Congresswoman.” She changed the subject real quick, glancing up at him, her cheeks turned a nice shade of pink.

“What did she tease you about Lissa?” He needled her, and she tried to elbow him.

She shrugged. “She always accused me of getting the men, because I used my vampire mumbo jumbo on them.” Lissa giggled for the first time. Her face lit up, her body relaxed in his arms as she remembered. “I’ve lost so much time. She has part of my blood in her, Leda was attacked one night, she would have died if I hadn’t saved her.”

Nikola handed her a cell phone. “Press one, and it will dial her number.” Lissa took the phone, and called her friend. She moved out of his arms towards the back of the room.

Adonis and Pierre crowded around Jaycee, as he spoke with Dominic. Lissa laughed, but her eyes were on Pierre and Adonis. Nikola knew about Pierre’s ties to Jaycee, as it seemed Lissa did too. She turned around and walked toward the outside door talking to her friend. “Lissa, stay inside please.”

Castor glanced over at him. “I’ll take her outside if she needs to go.” Castor moved towards the door, but Nikola placed his hand on his shoulder. “No Castor, she needs to face it.”

He nodded to Pierre and Adonis with Jaycee, and Castor realized what Nikola wanted Lissa to do.

Lissa shut the phone and stood facing the door, before she slowly turned and glared at him, but she didn’t move to leave.

Pierre stood, with Adonis laughing at something Jaycee had said, when both men glanced over at Lissa. Her gaze flew to theirs and back to his. “I can’t.” She whispered and flung open the door behind her, making her escape to the outside.

As Nikola made his way to the door with Castor, Pierre and Adonis were a head of them, and they all watched Lissa move toward the woods. Every step she took, Lissa would touch the plants surrounding her. Her body now relaxed, Lissa moved deeper into the woods and he could tell she forgot everything around her. He knew in her own way, she was working through Pierre’s involvement with Jaycee.

“Lissa talk to me.” Pierre slid in behind her, and took her hand into his. “Jaycee is my sister-in-law, and she will always be important to me but Lissa, you are my future.” He kissed her hand.

Lissa stopped and turned to Pierre. “I know Pierre, I just needed to work through this.” She glanced back at all of them. “I still can’t believe all four of you are mine, but all of you have been with others, loved others.”

She glanced down at the ground and a single rose grew and sprouted up to her. Lissa bent down smelling the flower. “Until these past two days, I haven’t been with a man sexually, that I wanted, well since before…”

Pierre scooped down and picked her up carrying her towards the main home. “Don’t you think we know this Lissa? We all are trying to give you the time you need, but this does not give you the excuse to place yourself in harm’s way.” He lowered her down onto the large back porch, setting her in front of him. Pierre cupped both of her cheeks.

“We must leave for a few hours. Castor is staying here with you, but Lissa, no more taking off. If you need something ask us, because the next time you put yourself in danger...” Adonis moved in behind her swatting her ass.

Lissa jumped, but Pierre held her still. “That is only a warning, next time you will receive a full spanking on that cute ass. Is that understood?” Pierre asked staring at her.

She nodded, but Nikola knew something was going to explode, as soon as Pierre let go of her. “Pierre watch…” Nikola cringed.

Pierre went flying backwards, and Adonis ended up having Lissa’s fist planted in his eye.

Nikola appeared behind Lissa, and wrapped his arms around her, holding a screaming Lissa. “Don’t you ever come up behind me, and scare the shit out of me! What if I didn’t know it was you? I could have hurt you, you fool!” She shouted, glaring at Adonis.

Taking a deep breath she slumped in his arms. “You can release me, Nikola. I won’t attack him, but all of you have to understand, until I can get past what has happened to me, don’t scare me. The only reason Adonis isn’t wearing one of my knives, is because I knew Pierre would never let anyone who was a danger to me near me, but that does not mean I won’t react.”

Nikola loosened his hold of her, and glanced behind him. Ten of his warriors stood off to the side waiting for them, all of them hiding the smirks on their faces. “Lissa, we have to leave now, but please promise us you’ll stay near Castor, until we get back.” Nikola wrapped her long hair around his wrist and tugged on her head, drawing her attention to him.

“Be careful, all of you please.” Lissa whispered, and slid her arms around him, hugging him tight. “Don’t leave me too.” Her voice hitched and he knew she was ready to cry. He released her hair and rubbed her back.

“I’m not going anywhere, Little Butterfly.” He leaned down and whispered in her ear. “I still have too much to do here. I mean you are not the perfect little sub, now are you?” Nikola knew he would get a reaction out of her, but he didn’t expect what he got.

“This Little Butterfly can’t wait for you to come back and try…” She laughed and sent him flying on his ass off the porch, totally unprepared for her move. His men laughed behind him. Pierre offered him a hand, as he came up next to him.

“It seems our lovely mate needs a lot more work than we thought, but I’m so looking forward to it,” Nikola said accepting Pierre’s hand. Never once taking his gaze off Lissa who smiled and leaned back against Castor.

“Come back to us, all of you, and I look forward to your lessons, Nikola.” Lissa turned to Adonis and grabbed onto his arm, as he started down the stairs of the porch.

He turned just as she flew into his arms, hugging him. “Please be careful.”

Lissa pulled back a little, with a smile on her face, she reached up and pulled his face down to hers. “If you want to spank me, it’s best to do it when I have no clothes on.” She kissed his lips quickly and started to back away, but Adonis pulled her back into his arms.

“That was not a kiss, this is.” He bent her back taking control, his hand slid up her shirt squeezing her breast, while his tongue did the flamingo with hers.

“I hate to break you two up, but we need to get going if we plan to be back by tonight.” Pierre grabbed onto Lissa, after Adonis let her go, and kissed her hard. “Be good. We’ll be back tonight and then we can go get your friend.”

* * * *

Lissa turned, strolling into the large castle-like structure, her stomach doing flips, but she knew all of them had a purpose in this war and she would not hinder her men. Lissa shook her head and stopped in the middle of the hallway, realizing that not only had her body recognized her men, but so did her heart. All four men were truly hers: Pierre with his joking manner; silent but deadly, Adonis who had eyes that could melt any woman, or send a shiver down an enemy’s spine; Castor, ruler, a man once broken, now showed his heart to her and only to her, waiting to see if she would rip it apart, as it had been in the past.

Nikola, a man who was born to be a warrior, lover, and ruler of his world, but yet, he had given her all that he had, waiting, holding her when she needed comfort, protecting her at all cost and driving her crazy. Lissa laughed, glancing up at Castor who looked down at her, waiting for her next move.

“Everything okay?” Concern filled his gaze, and she melted knowing tonight would be special.

She stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around him. “I think for the first time I’m going to be okay, thank you.” Lissa kissed the middle of his chest.

“I want to talk to Suzanne, but after that could you show me to the nearest tub? I’d like to take a nice hot bath.” Lissa took his hand and turned to find Dexter standing in their way.

Lissa’s sixth sense screamed in the back of her head to be cautious. “Dexter, I’m really sorry about your mom…” Lissa reached behind her back and wrapped her hand around one of her many hidden weapons. “You weren’t her son, were you?”

Castor slid in front of her, as Dominic and Granger moved in behind Dexter. “I thought you decided not to come with us to the island? Your sister knew what would happen if she betrayed me, are you here to join her?”

Dexter was a few inches shorter then Castor’s six foot frame, and grinned. “Not at all, I just wanted to inform your true mate that there were no hard feelings. Kimberly choose poorly, and for that she got what she deserved, but you should know Caster father has decided to take sides with the Bloods. The old man might be from the old time, but he can still be vicious. From what I’ve been taught, he’s also a great strategy planner when it comes to war.”

Dominic’s taller frame slid next to Castor’s, but she caught Dominic’s wink at her, before he turned all his attention to Dexter. She shook her head and released the weapon, knowing there would be no way the men would allow anything to happen to her.

“Don’t they just take all the fun out of everything?” Suzanne nudged her and made her jump.

“Damn Suzanne, don’t do that. You scared the crap out of me.” She laughed. “God, am I out of practice, no one used to be able to sneak up on me.” Lissa grabbed her braid and slowly untwined it.

“Please, you were just thinking, and after finding out you have four mates, who wouldn’t be zoned out.” Suzanne grabbed her hand, and led her around the men through another door off to the side.

“Now spill it, how are you doing? I know it’s going to be rough, especially since it has been such a short time since you’ve been free.” Suzanne reached into the fridge and handed her a bottle of juice.

Both of them sat down at the large kitchen table when Jaycee, Cecil and Shelly joined them. Lissa had always been a quiet person, but lately these women had become close to her. Shelly with her flash temper and dry humor, Cecil cooking up a storm, making things that melted in your mouth, and who could weasel any confession out of a person with her food. Jaycee and Suzanne, though were the two she felt as if she could talk to about anything.

Lissa sat back in her chair and glanced around the table. “I’m not going to lie. I’m scared half to death. I hadn’t been with anyone since I was freed from that place over a year ago. But I realized something yesterday, if I want a life I have to fight for it and well. Let’s just say I won yesterday’s challenge and tonight I’ll win another.” She took a drink of juice.

Jaycee patted her hand and Suzanne nodded. “It’s as if all four men are already part of me, but yet I haven’t been with all four. There has been no bonding or anything like that. Well Castor and I now have a blood bond, but…” She ran her hand through her hair pulling it to the side. “It’s like they have been there all my life, that I’m part of them.”

Suzanne snorted, and took a drink of her juice, while Cecil put a plate of rolls and butter in front of all of them. “I think its nature’s way of changing things, balancing them. Jaycee, have you talked to Giai? I mean she is after all Mother Nature herself, maybe she knows why all of us have this reaction to our men.” Cecil sat down tearing apart a roll, and dipping it into the warm butter.