You can hear them crashing through the woods like a wrecking ball blasts through the side of a building. It’s seriously worthy of the biggest eye roll ever. “Hurry your ass up! The shots came from this direction,” one of the guys shouts to his partner. This time it’s safe to shoot first, so we hold our positions and let the guys run right into us. When they get close enough, Marcus and I both lean out from behind the trees to take them by surprise.
With a gentle squeeze to the trigger in quick consecutive shots, I’m able to take down my own target this time. I give Marcus the evil eye for a moment, and he just smirks, knowing exactly why he’s earned the look. So much for hoping the four of them would be together. We now have two to go.
The woods are completely quiet now, a stark difference from just a few moments ago. Marcus gives me the signal to go ahead and use my heightened tracking abilities to find them faster than we would if he took the lead. We know our individual strengths and aren’t above admitting when someone else is better suited to a job.
I take a quick moment to clear my thoughts and gather my inner calm. After a few hurried breaths, I focus my mind toward finding the last two men. I recite my inner chant, the one I use when I’m serious about tracking something quickly, it’s nothing eloquent but helps keep me focused. “You can run, but you can’t hide…” A ball of electrifying warmth begins to accumulate in my chest, indicating I've locked on to the direction of the target.
Turning in forty-five-degree increments, I make sure I know which direction the warmth wants me to go. Panic flairs within me when I realize the last two guys are in the same direction Marcus told Klaus to take Precious. Not willing to waste a moment, I take off running, following the warmth guiding us to our targets. At times like this, I’m reminded how grateful I am to have enhanced gifts from my lineage.
We’re just past where the cave is located when I finally slow down, aware we’re approaching the final members of the recovery team. Marcus’ hand lands on my shoulder and he briefly squeezes to tell me he's taking the lead again. We stay out of sight, dodging behind trees, as we come upon our targets.
Moments later, they’re in view, and we see one of the guys tucking his phone into his pocket. I hear him say, “She should be directly ahead about two miles, maintaining a steady pace in a straight line.” They jog forward but only make it a few feet before Marcus has shot and killed them both. I glance over at him as he lowers his rifle and swings it onto his shoulder.Shit!
“Why are you looking at me that way? I don’t want to fuck around with this today. There are no games where her safety is concerned, and any moment one of her enemies is alive is a moment too long,” he tells me with a shrug of his shoulders.
My gun is still in hand when the lightest gust of wind blows in my face where there was none before.Weird. On the breeze is the slightest smell of eggs. I raise the gun straight out to my side and with precision, pop off three rounds, holding steady through the recoil. I didn’t even need to take my eyes off Marcus’ face and just cocked an eyebrow at him. “Alex miscounted.”
Marcus shakes his head and waves me to follow him. “Let’s get to the chopper.”
“Ok… but why?” I question him. I can usually figure out his plans, but this time he has me perplexed.
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to fly it in the opposite direction of our girl to throw off the people they work for. I may even crash it to add confusion, keep them busy searching through the wreckage.” He rubs his cheek as if he’s in deep thought.
“Do you even know how to fly a helicopter?” Marcus sounds a bit reckless, which is more my style than his. Let’s hope his active emotions aren’t impairing his judgment.
“It’s been a while since Desert Storm, but I’m sure it’s like riding a bike. We’ll be fine.”
I pull out my phone to text Alex and Klaus.
Me: Marcus is planning on taking us for a joy ride on the chopper that ends with a boom.
Me: I think he wants to kill me. Please, for the love of Fates, wish me luck.
Me: If I survive his murderous ways, I’ll text you when we’re on our way to your location.
Chapter 15
Cecily
Five Hundred Years Ago
I’m not accustomed to having someone sleeping next to me, but the warmth coming from Marcellus’ body is something I can get used to. Especially with how cold this castle constantly is. My mate rolls toward me and drapes his arm over my side, pulling me back toward him so our bodies are flush as we lay on our sides.
Ah yes, his warmth is precisely what I need on a cold night. My body relaxes from the heat he offers as I snuggle back into his hold. He nuzzles my neck, but by the sound of his breathing, he isn’t awake. Wiggling my behind backward, I try to get a little closer to him; I swear I can never get close enough. It doesn’t take long before something is poking my backside.
Confidence I didn’t know I possessed comes over me, and I find myself rubbing against Marcellus' growing hardness. What am I doing? This isn’t something I would normally do. My actions don’t cease until a warm hand lands on my hip and a growl sounds in my ear. “Darling, I need you to stop that right now. Unless you don’t plan on just teasing me.” A whisper in my head says this doesn’t sound like Marcellus. He’s the one constantly trying to tease me. Although, if he’s willing to stop holding back...
My actions are frozen from his hand landing on me. That is until I begin to fully process his words. Are my movements just intended as a tease? Biting my lower lip, I contemplate it. We agreed him sleeping here was just an innocent way to spend more time together, nothing more than that. But now... do I want to take that back? There’s a throbbing between my legs, like I need something between them. It’s like a second heartbeat pulsating, calling out to be soothed. Wasn’t I just thinking I can’t get close enough to Marcellus?
No, my actions aren’t a tease. Rolling my hips, I rub further into my mate and arch my back. Taking his hand, I run it up my body until it’s placed over my breast. His hand instantly squeezes, and I gasp. A tortured groan escapes his lips, and his body shakes as he tries to hold himself back. With another roll of my hips, his restraint snaps, and his lips are on my neck kissing, sucking, and nipping.
“I can’t hold back any longer, Darling,” he says against my ear and then bites my lobe as his other hand comes up to grab my hair in a firm grip. His hand leaves my chest and travels down my body until he reaches the hem of my chemise. Once he reaches the hem, the tips of his fingers trail back up along my leg, dragging the fabric and causing tingles. His leg moves between mine and lifts up, so I’m slightly spread open. The hand traveling lightly over my skin never pauses in its ascent and heads toward my inner thigh.
My heart pounds in my chest. Is his hand going to stop? It doesn’t. There’s confidence behind his movements, and my nipples harden as his fingers reach my core. He lets out a deep moan as his fingers glide through my slickness. “Is this for me, Cecily?” The question makes my breath hitch. Sliding his finger into me, I experience a slight stretching and he pauses before moving his finger out and in again. I'm overwhelmed by all the new sensations racing through my body. And he adds a second finger.
A moan escapes my lips and my head turns to seek a kiss from him. Our lips meet for the first time, and an electric shock spreads from our touch. A desperation grips my heart and more than anything, I know he needs to be between my thighs. My body turns toward him so I’m lying flat on my back and my arms reach for Marcellus.
Not wasting a moment, my mate shifts his weight and is on his knees between my legs. His fingers sliding from my core is exquisite, although the loss is instantly felt, viscerally. Both of his hands are on me, trailing up my body and when he reaches my chemise bunched up around my waist, he continues pushing it up until it’s over my head. Not wanting to be the only one without clothes, my hands go right for the laces of the pants he never took off.
