Turbulence (17 page)

Avalon looked better, but Greyson knew in his heart that
whatever ailed her was the real deal and was liable to kill her soon. Yet he
wouldn’t damper her beliefs by telling her so.

Since she asked him, he would hold out on complying with
Department X for as long as he could. If her condition declined before he found
a way out of here, then the world just had better brace itself.

----

Avalon sighed. “Greyson, I told you a million times that I’m
fine.”

He continued to try to shove a piece of bread into her
mouth. “That’s what you say, but you know how I feel about you eating.”

To satisfy his need for her to eat and because he was so
worried about her, she ate the bread. Avalon felt fine. Honestly. Just a little
tired, sort of like she stayed up all night reading.

She should have been afraid of what was going on, but she
wasn’t. The moment she woke up in this place, something told her that she was
not leaving alive. While she was still breathing, she was going to try her best
to help Greyson get out without him selling his soul to the evil man behind the
voice she heard over the speakers.

Earlier, Greyson gave her the entire story as to what was
happening. She knew about Department X, Lily’s sister and about the raid at the
old Jhetan colony. Avalon didn’t know the other stuff: the murders, the
takeover. What sick, evil people they were.

They weren’t evil enough to starve them. Meals had arrived
for them on a consistent basis: bread and water. At least the bread was always
fresh.

“You need to eat something, Greyson,” Avalon insisted.

The last thing either of them needed was him losing his
strength. His life depended on it. Plus, he kept getting headaches and feeling
overly anxious, both of which Avalon remembered reading were symptoms of
withdrawal. She wasn’t sure when the last time he had a drink was. Whenever she
brought it up, he shrugged it off and maintained he was fine.

“I’m not hungry.” That was a big lie. Greyson always had a
ravenous appetite. He kept making her eat his bread and hers. So far, he had
yet to touch his latest portion.

“You wasting away isn’t going to help any. We’ll both die.”

A frown formed on his face, causing deep grooves in his
forehead. “Neither of us is dying. Don’t let me hear you say anything about you
dying ever again.”

“Why? Will it make you sad?” she asked, teasing him. “Would
you cry for me?”

He didn’t find anything funny. He leaned down and pressed his
forehead against hers. When he spoke, his breath tickled her face. “I would be
very sad, sunshine. And yes, I’d probably cry.”

“Really?” She pulled back to study him.

Greyson nodded. “So let’s not talk about something that’s
not going to happen.” After a long moment of contemplating the bread on the
tray, he shrugged and ate it.

Avalon smiled. She knew he was hungry. She reached out and
ran her hands through his tangled blonde locks. Many women—and men—out there
would kill for its thickness and shine.

“Tell me, Lonnie Girl, what are your plans?” he asked,
closing his eyes while she finger combed his hair. “What do you want to do when
we leave here?”

“What do you mean?”

“Being a housekeeper can’t be the only thing you wanted to
be. All of us had plans and dreams before we left Jheta for all we would
accomplish on Earth. I knew I wanted to lead our people, organize us, and
create a regime.”

Avalon stopped running her hands through his hair to think
about the question. Her only plan had been to take care of her grandmother.
That’s what she was good at: taking care of other people. “I have no goals.”

“That can’t be true.”

“My parents were servants. I’m a servant. It’s what I know.
It’s all I know how to do.”

“No, it’s not.” He took her hand and pressed the heart of
her palm to his lips. “You are an excellent cook, maybe you want to be a chef
or to write a cookbook. The dresses you wear are pretty. A seamstress or a
designer perhaps. You are a born nurturer. You want to be a mate and mother, right?”

“I do. Well, I used to.” Before she accepted that she would
never have either. She nibbled on her bottom lip in thought. “A seamstress
sounds nice. But who would take care of the house if I didn’t?” Avalon liked
doing housework and she liked being around all the occupants of the farmhouse
all day.

“Women work and take care of their homes and families all
the time. It is the way things tend to work on Earth. We’d all just have to do
our share of housekeeping.” He made a face.

Avalon couldn’t help but laugh. Picturing Greyson with a
dustpan and broom was much too funny to resist. “I’ll think about it. Greyson?”

“Hmm?”

“I love you. You don’t have to say it back. I just want you
to know. You know, just in case.” Just in case she died before he ever knew how
strongly she felt about him. She wasn’t worried about the situation they were
in because she trusted things would work out the way they were supposed to. Greyson
would make everything okay.

He grunted and turned away from her. “You shouldn’t love
someone like me.”

He was right. She shouldn’t, but she couldn’t help the way
her heart felt. She could die easy knowing he gave her something no other man
on Earth would be able to: affection and devotion. She became a woman with him.

“Do you think anybody is looking for us?” Avalon asked when
there was only silence between them. She probably scared Greyson with her
confession, but she couldn’t hold it in any longer. She’d felt it for some time
now. What better time to tell him than when their lives were dangling on a
thread?

Greyson rubbed his jaw. “I hope so. I’ve been doing a lot of
thinking. I don’t know how long Major Jackass will keep us here before
demanding an answer. We can’t wait on anybody discovering us missing. It may be
too late then. Did you happen to catch a glimpse of the layout of this place?”

She shook her head. “Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.
I swear.” She was done ignoring his directives. If she would have ran and
gotten help when he initially told her to go, they probably would not be in
this mess.

“I’m holding you to that. We’ll just have to get intel
another way since I don’t know where we are either.”

“Remember when you told me Dex turned into a blaze of fire
to save Lily’s sister?” Avalon asked.

“Yeah. So what?”

“Can you turn into wind?” That would really help them out.
Air went everywhere.

A sympathetic smile tugged at his lips. “Sorry to disappoint
you, sunshine, but I can’t. Keep strategizing. I’ll do the same. We’ll get out
of here. I promise.”

Chapter 17

Avalon stole the shock factor when she told Greyson that she
loved him. It was more than a man like him could ask for. He wouldn’t trade it
for anything in this world. He would hold those dear words close to him
forever.

Greyson had been trying to figure out a way to bring
something up to her without making a fool of himself. But he didn’t quite know
how to say it. Flowery words weren’t his thing.

Right now, she was asleep on the floor. He’d taken off his
shirt to make a pillow for her. She continued to assure him that she felt okay.
The flush in her face and abnormal amount of heat her body was throwing off
told him that it wasn’t true. She was sick and probably didn’t have much time
left. He needed to get her that antidote. Avalon would not die on him. Not the
first and only woman to break down his walls.

Greyson stretched out beside her, leaned down over her on
his elbow. She was so lovely. It almost hurt to look at her. So precious and
innocent. Avalon was the opposite of him in every way and he admired her for
being everything he was not.

He could not resist pressing his lips to hers once, twice,
three times. The third time her mouth responded by kissing him back.

Her eyelids lifted. “Mmm. I like waking up like that.”

 “I very much like to wake you up that way.” He smoothed her
jet-black hair away from her face so that he could look into her clear blue
eyes. “Did you get enough rest?”

“Plenty. You didn’t.” She touched the skin beneath his eyes.
No doubt it was as dark as the shadows in the corners of their dungeon cell.

“I rested here and there.” Greyson’s mind was too busy
plotting and planning to take a break to sleep. “Did you dream about me?”

“Maybe. Maybe not.” Her lips spread into a grin. “What will
you give me to tell you?”

Greyson tapped his chin in a dramatic gesture of thinking.
“I can only think of one thing that might make you happy.”

“Lots of things make me happy. Butterflies, books with good
endings, cookies—”

“Bond with me.”

It was as if time had frozen. Avalon’s mouth was still open
mid-sentence. Her eyes refused to blink. Greyson didn’t mean for it to come out
like it did, but he couldn’t hold it in any longer. His father was probably
burning with fury in his afterlife at how far Greyson had fallen for Avalon. At
this point, Greyson didn’t care what he’d been taught to believe. This was
his
woman.

Being held captive by Department X was a terrible—and
temporary—situation, yet it showed Greyson how much Avalon meant to him. He
could not imagine living life without her. He wanted to fill her belly with his
children. He wanted to wake up to her everyday knowing she was his. No other
man could take her away because he was too stubborn to bond to her.

He wanted to cherish her the correct way. Avalon wanted to
blood bond. She wanted children. He would give her anything her heart desired.
And he was going to get her that antidote. What they had together would endure
for years to come.

She finally blinked. An understanding and sad smile graced
her face. “Greyson, it means a lot that you’re willing to do this, but just
because I’m dying doesn’t mean you have to give up all you believe in. I love
you regardless.”

He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. “That’s
why I want you to be my blood bonded mate. You never pressure me to be anything
other than who I am. Even when I repeatedly told you that I would not bond to
you and that you would be childless, you accepted it. You accepted me. Let me
give you this, what you deserve. Let me make you an honest woman.”

“Don’t feel sorry for me. I don’t feel sorry for myself.”

“Sunshine, feeling sorry for you is the last thing I feel.
I’m pissed off about what happened. And I plan to correct it. However, none of
that is the reason I want you as my mate. You completely turned my life upside
down. In a good way,” he added when her eyebrows furrowed. “I have never felt
so strongly about anyone else. My heart feels like it’s going to explode.”

Her breath hitched. “Does that mean you love me?” she asked
in that quiet manner of hers.

“I don’t know what it means. All I know is that I want you.
I need you. Say you’ll take me as your mate. I know I don’t deserve it, but—”

“Yes.”

“—I’ll do everything within my… Yes?”

Her head bobbed in acceptance, her smile wide. “Yes. We’ll
get bonded.”

Greyson felt so overjoyed that he could do nothing but throw
his head back and laugh. It was strange but right that this was his life now.
He sat up and felt around for a sharp object. His hand wrapped around a small
nail. It was rusted, but they couldn’t get sick from it thanks to their Jhetan
DNA.

“Let’s do it.”

Avalon sat up quickly, a wild look in her violet eyes. “Now?
I thought you meant after we get out of here.”

“Why wait?” Time wasn’t exactly on their side. Greyson
slashed the nail across his right palm without so much as a wince and made an
‘X’. “Hold out your hand, sunshine.”

As gently yet as hastily as he could, he cut her hand the
same as he did his own, bringing their blood to the surface. Maybe it was
because he was a jerk or perhaps because he didn’t want her to change her mind,
but Greyson did not ask her whether she was sure about this. He simply tossed
the nail to the side and grasped her palm, mixing their blood.

Her eyes lit up in an intoxicating mix of blue and violet.
She felt it. The bond. Flowing up Greyson’s arms, down to his feet, even
through his mind was Avalon. He sensed her within every breath he now took.
They were one. Forever.

“You are my bonded mate,” Greyson vowed, staring into Avalon’s
glorious face and saying the words that he was not only supposed to say but
felt intensely. “Forever I belong to you.”

Tears rolled down Avalon’s cheeks. She sniffed. “You are
my
bonded mate. Forever I belong to you.”

It was done. Nothing but death would separate them now.

“Come here, Lonnie Girl.”

He kissed her, tasting the salt of her tears and the sweet
essence that was all her own. It was heaven on earth. An extraterrestrial
shouldn’t know what heaven was like, but Greyson had found it in Avalon. He had
never felt more alive, more aware. 

She surprised him by thrusting her tongue into his mouth. He
groaned. He was drowning. Hell, who was he kidding? She’d taken him under a
long time ago.

Greyson lowered her to the ground, careful to make sure her
head landed on the pillow of his balled up shirt. Avalon gripped his arms. Her
blunt nails dug into his skin.

“This is it, Avalon,” he warned. “I’m not going to stop.”

“I wasn’t going to ask you to.”

----

Greyson was going to take her virginity. It was going to
happen and Avalon wasn’t the least bit nervous. He was her mate. The thought
made her giddy with anticipation.

His kisses trailed down to her neck. He suckled at her skin.
She panted, the intensity of what all this meant overtaking her. One would
think she’d be used to being intimate and close to him by now, but she wasn’t.
Avalon suspected she would never get used to it. Just the smell of him— sweet perspiration
and spicy masculinity—made her heady.

He nipped at the base of her throat. “This dress needs to
go.”

The tip of his erection pressed into her stomach. It was
hard to focus on anything with him on top of her like this, much less speaking.
So Avalon simply nodded in agreement.

He was fast. Before she could even blink, he had her dress
over her head and tossed it across the small room. Those nimble hands of his
tugged her underwear down her legs and threw them on top of the discarded
dress.

On his knees, he rose up over her. The way his brown gaze
roved over her naked body was just as tender and as shiver inducing as if it
were his hands. He growled, licking his lips.

“You are so damn beautiful. Amazing.”

No. He was amazing. Avalon reached up and ran her pale hands
over the warm skin of his strong, perfect chest. It was like marble dusted in
gold. Her admiring hands slid to the wide breadth of his shoulders. His muscles
quivered beneath her touch. Greyson was power in the flesh.

“I want to remember this for the rest of my life,” she
murmured.

“You don’t have to, sunshine. Each night is going to be a
highlight on its own. I swear that to you.”

“Then take those pants off.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He winked and saluted her.

He stood up, unzipped his pants, and threw them near the
pile of her belongings. She felt in her blood how much he craved her thanks to
their newly formed bond. Even if that had been absent, the swell of him jutting
from his body gave her a pretty good indication. If possible, he looked even
larger than the last time she saw this part of him. Would he fit inside her?

He dropped back down on the floor and straddled her. “Wrap
your legs around my waist.”

She did as he commanded and oh, goodness… His manhood
pressed against her core, branding her with his gentle probing. Avalon bucked
off the floor. His large hand landed on her stomach and pushed her back down.

“Easy now. Let me warm you up first.” His voice was deeper
than usual and full of raw lust.

Avalon was already warm. Warm and wet. The heat pooling
between her thighs should have told him that much. Greyson dipped his head and
his mouth descended on her breast. As his tongue and lips teased her nipple,
she undulated against him, desiring more of him than he was giving.

She could not have him like this before. Now that she could,
Avalon wanted it all. No. She required it all. Greyson switched breasts,
rolling the other nipple between his teeth.

He looked up at her. The heat in his eyes made her whimper.
“I’m going to try to do this slowly. I’ve never been with anyone as pure as
you. I’ll probably mess this up.”

“As long as I’m with you, it will be perfect.” Avalon pushed
her fingers through his hair, forcing him to see that her words were true.

 “You are remarkable, Avalon. You really are. Ready?”

“Yes.”

His mouth came back to hers, tongue swirling, dancing with
hers. He began pushing his sex into her slowly. Oh, goodness. It hurt. Avalon
sucked in a breath.

Greyson froze, wrenching his mouth away. “I’m sorry. I’m so
sorry.”

“Just keep going.” It had to get better. It wouldn’t be what
people constantly talked about and hungered for if it didn’t.

He continued to push in gradually and patiently, stretching
her feminine walls to accommodate him. When he finally fit all of himself in,
Greyson dropped his head to the crook of her neck. His damp forehead wet her
overly hot skin.

“Just let me stay here for a second.” His voice sounded
hoarse.

Eventually, the pain subsided. The presence of him in her
body was still overwhelming, but now in a good way. The way Greyson expanded
her to fit inside made her fevered with passion. Avalon thrust against him to
let him know she was ready. They both moaned.

“Greyson…”

“Hold on, sunshine. I haven’t even started yet.”

Slowly he pulled out and rocked back again. Flesh against
flesh. Complete possession. He pushed in and out of her, the feel of each
plunge and departure making her crazy. His eyes locked on hers. She stroked his
muscular back, his shoulders. His brows pinched together while he concentrated
on giving her the pleasure she never expected to experience with him.
Sensations this exquisite, this strong shouldn’t exist. But they did because of
Greyson.

“Faster?” he grunted.

“Please.”

He gave her fast all right. Avalon cried out as he drove
into her hard and swift. Desire and tension built within her. She tugged on his
hair with each cry of complete euphoria.

“Pull it harder, Avalon. As hard as you want.”

She yanked in tandem to every swift, deep thrust. He growled
in approval and continued to drive into her like a man on a mission. Avalon
moved against him with equal fervor. Through the haze of lust, she managed to
look down where they connected. They truly were one at that moment.

The sight of them moving together gave her the last boost
she needed to come apart. He continued to dive into her throughout the earth
shattering spasms of her core. Avalon screamed out his name over and over again
as she reached absolute ecstasy. He’d taken her out of this prison, out of this
world.

“Yes. Squeeze me tighter, sunshine. Shit,” he exhaled.

He shuddered on top of her, inside of her. She felt the
power of his climax through their bond. He collapsed on her chest for only a
second before keeping them connected and rolling them over so that he was on
the bottom.

Avalon’s heart was racing. She placed her ear against his
chest and heard his heart beating just as hard. In fact, it was the same
rhythm, as if they shared a heart. She pressed a kiss to his sweat soaked skin.

“That was… I have no words,” she said, out of breath.

“Yeah. Same here. I hope I didn’t hurt you too badly.” He
rubbed gentle circles across her back.

“Only at first. Then it was the best experience of my life.”

He chuckled, rocking her on his chest. “Thanks to you, my
ego is probably the size of this room. I’m sorry we didn’t have an extravagant
blood bonding ceremony like you deserve. When we get out of here, I’ll throw
you the biggest bash imaginable.”

“I’m just happy to be bonded to you. I don’t need ceremonies
or celebrations. This was perfect to me.” She would not change a thing, except
for their freedom.

“I wish I had something here to feed you like strawberries
and whipped cream or champagne.”

Mmm. That sounded marvelous. But Avalon was too tired to
eat. She felt drained from that bout of lovemaking. Though she knew that wasn’t
all that had her exhausted. Whatever she’d been injected with was affecting her
more than she wanted it to.