WB (21 page)

I heard several screams as the men attacking the SUV were shot and driven back from the doors. But there were so many of them and some were, I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it, ripping the top off the vehicle with their bare hands and then, with howls of rage, jumping inside.

The SUV shook violently and my mouth opened in shock when I saw a body, half of a body to be precise, fly out of the hole in the roof to land with a horrible thud on the asphalt.

Gage moved closer to me, his head turned from side to side watching the action outside with a murderous focus. I could feel a strange pulsating feeling from him where our bodies touched. I realized with a start of fear he was gathering magic to himself getting ready to fight.

His eyes were slits and his face was resolute as he took in the situation.

He turned to me and said in a guttural voice, “If anything happens to me, run. Find a way to get to your brother-”

With a grinding sound of metal on metal the door was ripped off and before I got a good look at whoever was at the door, Gage aimed the gun. My ears were ringing from being so close to the gunshot and I heard hurried footsteps as the attackers were driven back for a moment.

I felt the car dip as something heavy landed on the trunk and then with quick steps leapt to the top of the car. I felt the same breathless heat rising up inside me and with a feeling of terror I tried to hold it back.

“No, nooo, not now.”

I was panting with fear trying to hold the magic in. I pressed my hands to my belly feeling the itchy, rising feeling start there and then it moved to my chest. My mouth was dry and I found swallowing difficult as my tongue swelled. A strange metallic scent filled my nostrils and I gagged when I realized it must be the smell of fresh blood.

I could feel power racing through my veins and it hurt, a burning pain that made my scalp shrink in agony. I might be able to blast the roof off of the car and whatever was on top of it, but there was an equal chance that I would blow up the entire car. My heart was pounding and I felt a band of tightness around my chest as I fought to control it, but it was too late.

I felt the river of gold beckoning and with a gasp of elation I felt an electric surge as power rushed through me, filling in empty spaces that I hadn't known were there.

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I felt omnipotent and I had a sudden urge to jump up and run outside to face our attackers. A tigress wouldn't hide while her pride was under attack! But Gage had a firm grip on my arm and a small part of me, the sane part, urged caution and restraint.

With a popping of metal and an obscene tearing sound an edge of the roof was pulled up and folded back. Moonlight sliced in through the unnatural skylight. Gage turned over on his back and holding a wicked looking sawed off shotgun he took aim at the roof and blasted holes through it at carefully spaced intervals. Finally, the fifth shot hit the intended target and I heard a cry of pain and a thump as whoever he hit landed on the hood of the car and was still.

But more feet landed on the roof and while Gage was busy shooting up at them I saw three men veer away from the downed SUV and make a run for the side door of our limo. With a panicked feeling in my gut, I knew that Gage wouldn't be able to hold them off for long.

Just as I thought that I felt my last reserve of control shatter and I held my hand, palm outwards towards the side window and felt a wave of energy blast from me. In a strange way it was a relief, like an itch that had bothered me too long and I gave a tired grin in reaction.

I felt a dim satisfaction as the window shattered outward and the three men were tossed up into the air like so much driftwood. I couldn't see where they landed unless I left the car, but I heard several screams and a dull thudding sound not more than twenty feet away and knew they wouldn't bother us anymore tonight.

But as suddenly as the power had flared, my strength left me in a rush. I heard a distant, tinny ringing and my body suddenly felt numb and I watched as the seat rose up to greet my crashing form.

I had enough strength to turn my head to the side and I watched as the roof of the car was peeled off by creatures from a nightmare. They had the bodies of men, but as I watched their faces elongated, the eyes pushed closer and gray hair and large pointed ears popped up from their heads. Within the blink of an eye they had the large shaggy bodies of oversize wolves and with a howl they rushed at us.

With a roar of rage Gage rose up from his seat and he seemed to almost float upwards to meet the wicked curved claws of the werewolves. With a lightening quick slash of his arm, I saw he held a sword and he stood with legs spread and sword pointed forward as they rushed him with strange, animal like growls.

The men were fast and vicious, but I saw with satisfaction that Gage was faster and for every move they made he stayed just out of reach of their increasingly violent jabs. With a quick backward jab he stabbed through the chest of one wolf and I saw as the others became more desperate making wider lunges and trying to crowd Gage to the side so that he would be forced to leave the roof of the car. But he refused to give ground and was able to slash the face of one while making a quick jab to the hind leg of another, I saw him fall to the side with a howl of pain.

But as the seconds ticked by I could see that Gage was getting tired and then I heard it, another car approaching and I felt hope. Maybe the police were on their way, or the other three bodyguards from the house.

But I screamed in fear and rage as I saw a long dark car pull up alongside us and five more black clad men exited and rushed forward with guns and swords at the ready.

The trees alongside the road rustled and I felt the ground shake in a disturbing back and forth motion. A sweet fragrance that was all the flowers of summer mixed with the scent of rain in the desert filled the air. I looked to Gage and watched as he ran his left hand along the length WARLOCK’S BRIDE JENNIFER RINEHART 85

of his blade and as he did so the blade began to glow with an unearthly phosphorescence. He smiled in a cold way and held his other hand skyward and shouted 'Aathoos Pirizo!'

I felt the heat as he threw a ball of flame towards the oncoming men. They were engulfed immediately and I heard their screams and a terrible smell of burning flesh filled the air. The two remaining men, with identical expressions of fear ran off into the trees.

But through the smoke rising from the burning bodies strode a tall, gaunt man with long silver hair. His face was lined and sun leathered and he carried a gleaming silver sword loosely as he moved towards Gage with a sneer on his face.

“Give us the girl Hawthorne and we'll let you live.”

Gage jumped down from the roof of the ruined car and with a careless kick, sent a piece of bumper spinning across the road.

“She's mine Hugo. Take your dogs and go home,” his voice was harsh and angry as he walked forward.

Hugo laughed but it wasn't a mirthful sound and I barely caught his whispered words and was about to shout to Gage to be careful, but with a flash he brought his sword up and held it like a shield in front of him. A bright white light flashed off of the blade and blew a small crater in the asphalt in front of Hugo. I saw Hugo fall back a step as a blast of air from Gage hit him, he chuckled appreciatively and winked at me.

Gage continued to move forward and then, from the corner of my eye I saw a movement from Hugo's car and watched in disbelief as my Aunt Celia stepped out and hissed to Hugo,

“They'll be here in a minute, we have to go now.”

She didn't glance in my direction and was back in the car before I had a chance to call out to her.

With a look of bitter envy, Hugo backed into the front seat of his car and with a roar of the engine he pulled out and was careening down the road back towards town.

As if the nighttime sounds had been put on mute during the fighting I suddenly heard crickets chirping, the distant crash of waves and the hooting of an owl in a far off tree.

Gage walked back to the car, and pushing me away a moment he pulled another gun from the secret compartment in the seat and stood with his back to me while he waited for the car coming from the south to arrive.

The headlights grew brighter and I heard the whine of brakes as two cars came to an abrupt stop and then a voice called out, “You alright Hawthorn?”

My breath left me in a rush as I saw Gage's shoulders relax a little as he walked forward and in a surprisingly normal tone of voice began to give orders to his men.

Within a moment I was bundled into a car and being driven home with a two man escort.

Gage was rigid on the seat next to me and I didn't know what to say so I kept silent.

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I didn't start shaking until we were back at the house and with a rising feeling of anxiety I realized I couldn't make my legs work and I sat dumbly on the seat as Gage held the door open waiting for me to get out. With a desperate look up at him, I tried to make myself move, but it was like my brain wasn't connected to my body and no matter how much I tried I couldn't do it.

With a grim look on his face, he realized my predicament and with gentle hands he picked me up and carried me into the house.

The entryway was bright and warm and I didn't notice until he set me down on the bed that I had tears running down my face. He wiped them from my face with calloused hands and I sniffled a little because my nose was running too.

I watched as he walked into the bathroom and I heard him start a bath. Then he was sitting me up and gently undressing me before carrying me into the bathroom. He lowered me into the sudsy water. I watched with wide eyes as he took his clothes off, dropping them on the floor with casual disregard before stepping into the large bathtub and sitting down across from me.

The water was hot and it stung a bit but I welcomed the pain as it kept me from thinking about what I had seen and done tonight. I bit my lip, worrying the skin in my nervousness about facing him.

Gage's face was angry and his eyes were like chips of ice. It was painful to look at him, but I had to get it over with and so with a deep breath and a firming of my slumped shoulders, I said, “I'm sorry.”

His eyes narrowed and for a moment he looked savagely angry and I saw his fist clench until the knuckles were white.

I repeated myself as his look darkened, “I'm sorry Gage. I wish-” I broke off, not knowing what to say next that wouldn't sound trite. 'Sorry your friends are dead. Sorry I didn't help more.' There's no card at the Hallmark Store that says, 'Sorry I got your guards killed and maimed. Hope you feel better soon!'

“Why are you apologizing?” He asked with a questioning frown.

I gave a mirthless laugh, “Because I almost got you killed tonight and several of your bodyguards are dead because of me.”

A wave of warm water rushed at me as he lunged forward and slid a hand around my waist and another around my neck and kissed me fiercely, his lips grinding into mine. His arms were hard with muscles and I tried to squirm away but he was too strong and with a growl of warning I stopped trying to move away from him and he held me closer. His mouth moved to my ear and he nipped it in a playful way until I yelped in pain before he moved to the sensitive hollows of my neck, licking, kissing and biting.

I gave his shoulders a big heave and was surprised to see him fall back enough to let me stand up from the bathtub and walk from the room. My feet were wet and they left slippery footprints on the cold, hardwood floor as I walked across the bedroom to pull the drapes closed with an angry hiss. Did everyone in the world need to see me naked?

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I was intent on looking for something to wear in the closet and didn't hear him walking up behind me until his arm snaked around my waist and he pulled me back until our bodies were mashed together.

His hands rubbed across the sensitive tips of my breasts and I moaned in enjoyment. I could feel his cock hardening against my lower back and I rubbed my buttocks against him liking the feeling of his hard, muscled thighs against me. I felt his cock throb in reaction and I smiled at my ability to turn him on.

His hand slid down my front and his fingers parted my nether lips and a breath of excitement escaped me as he used one long finger to rub my clit and his mouth kissed its way down the back of my neck, nibbling and nuzzling me to a frenzy.

I barely noticed when he maneuvered me to the end of the bed and with a rough

movement, bent me over the end, placing his hands on top of mine where they rested on the slippery coverlet.

I felt a chill against my back and was horribly exposed bent over like this. He stood up and I felt him caressing my buttocks with a gentle hand and I began to feel alarmed at the thought of him taking me this way. His feet were between mine and he swept my legs apart making a place for himself behind me and I shivered when I felt his fingers gently parting my flesh and rubbing me until I was wet and squirming in delight as he whispered in my ear, “this is mine too.”

His hands danced around the opening of my tightening sheath, rubbing and stretching me with just the tips of his fingers and sliding around and around my throbbing clit.

“Beg me.”

I shook my head 'no,' and he slid one finger up to the knuckle inside of me and I tightened on it making him groan.

“Beg me, Anna,” he rasped.

I was beyond speech now and all I could do was thrust my hips back at him in mute appeal. After what seemed like hours, I felt the blunt tipped, velvet head of his cock at my entrance and with a harsh groan he slammed into me. My mouth opened on a raw scream as I felt him slide farther into me than he had before.