Caressed by Shadows (Rulers of Darkness Book 4) (9 page)

She wore the black thong he had purchased for her and he was
in no way ashamed that he couldn’t remember which bra she had worn.

His fangs sharpened, slicing into his bottom lip as he gripped her thighs. God, he knew she would taste divine and the thought of biting her there almost made him come. Would she let him? Yes. Instinctively he knew Sonya would never hold anything from him.

He traced his index finger over her cleft. Her hips rolled to meet his touch. The fabric was damp.

He smiled. The queen was more than ready for him. He
 brushed his fingers over her clitoris, using a teasing circling motion.

Sonya moaned. Her eyes closed, her claws digging into the settee.

Falcon continued, increasing the speed and firmness of his touch until her body writhed. Her breaths came in short gasps. He circled her clitoris again, she cried out, load and long. Tossing her head back, she arched toward his touch, her hips frantically rocking against his touch. She came hard as she called his name. Her body shook as the force of her orgasm made her see stars.

Still riding the waves of her pleasure, she reached down. The tips of her fingers grazed over
his abdomen, teasing his navel. She tugged at the button of his jeans, she wanted to touch him, to stroke him and, God, he wanted her to. The sound of his zipper sliding down snapped him back to reality.

Falcon pushed away violently and was across the room before he could draw a controlled breath. His fingers trembled as he drew his zipper up.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she purred, seductive and commanding.

Her voice sent waves of soul rendering lust through him, hardening his cock to a painful degree. He knew the only way to assuage the pain
ful need was to return to her. But claiming her, thrusting into her over and over again until she cried out with ecstasy as he released deep within her was
not
an option.

Falcon’s hands fisted, his extended claws slicing his palms. Calm. Control. Calm. Control. He repeated again and again until he was finally able to turn and
face the woman who plagued his dreams and haunted his every thought.

She threw her arms wide. “Come back to me,” she beckoned.

Heaven help him or hell claim him. Either would be welcome at this moment, Falcon thought.

God, she was lovely. Sonya rested back against the satee, regal and elegantly poised. Her dress bunched about her slender waist, her breasts exposed, their pink tips taunting him. Her golden eyes sparkled with hunger for him. Only him.

Sheer will power is what kept him from charging at her.

Falcon closed his eyes. Damn it, he needed to reign in his lust. Sonya made him forget who and what he was. A Black Knight, who valued honor above all else
, that is who and what he was, and yet he had almost lost himself with her.

Opening his eyes, he began to whispered, “Sonya, I―”

“Don’t,” she growled. “Don’t you dare ruin this.”

“You know we shouldn’t―”

“To hell with what we should do. Falcon let me pleasure you as you have me.”

He couldn’t form the words to deny her, but he did find the strength to shake his head.

Her brow creased with confusion as an inferno of anger began to build within her gaze. “I don’t understand. Why won’t you let me touch you?”

“It’s not that.”

“Then what the hell is it?”

“I don’t think I could…I know I wouldn’t be able to stop…” His words ended on a curse.

Her shoulders shook with a dry laugh. “The noble knight is afraid of losing control?”

“It is possible and it would be something neither of us could come back from,” he snapped.

“Damn you Falcon! All I said was I wanted to give you pleasure, I didn’t say we were going to have sex.”

Falcon was instantly at her side. He leaned over her, one large hand cupping her jaw. He captured her gaze. “You know as we
ll as I if we continued it would end with our ruination.”

“Maybe I want to be ruined,” she hissed.

He kissed her hard and furious. Their fangs hit as their tongues glided together. Her hands came to his shoulders, her claws cutting into his flesh. Falcon growled against her lips. Falling to his knees, he gripped her waist and drew her to the edge of the settee, fitting himself between her spread thighs, his stiff length pressing against her center.

His hands massaged up her back to her shoulders. Falcon pushed her away, his fingers gripping the tops of her arms.

His breathing was sporadic, his eyes black, his fangs ached to pierce the luscious flesh of her breasts as he claimed her body, but it would not happen.

“No, Sonya, I will not ruin you and you don’t want me to.”

Fury washed over her and her hand flew, delivering a hard slap across his jaw, snapping his head to the side.

Falcon abruptly released her and retreated across the room.

“You will not tell me what I do and/or do not want, knight.” She stood and straightened her dress. “To hell with your honor.”

Sonya scooped up her shoes. She was terribly tempted to chuck them at his head. Instead, she snatched her bra and threw it in the waste bucket beside the door.

“We were having a great moment and you had to destroy it by worrying about losing control. Did you ever consider the fact that I’m not some simpering miss who will cry if you step on my toes?” She bent to slip her shoes on. “If you did go off the deep end, I could handle you. Falcon, you would do nothing to me I didn’t want you to do.” Sonya laughed and shook her head. “You must have forgotten. I’m the warrior queen and tonight would’ve only ended in ‘ruination’ if I allowed it.” She threw open the door and glanced over her shoulder at him. “And yes, tonight I would have ruined both of our good names and you would have thought you’d died and gone to heaven.”

With that, she stepped into the hall and slammed the door shut behind her.

“Sonya, wait!”

Wait?
 

There was nothing to wait for and she needed to get out. She needed to get away. Away from Falcon. Away from the confusing emotions he made her feel. Away from ever
ything. She ran so fast, she burst through the door in a blur and didn’t stop until she could no longer hear the music on the still night air.

Thick clouds crowed the sky, threatening rain. The heavens could open and unleash their fury and she would welcome it. Perhaps some cold rain would do her good. Her body still hummed from the pleasure Falcon had given her. She couldn't recall ever experiencing an orgasm so powerful, absolutely life changing. Before tonight, she had imagined what making love with the knight would be like. She never dreamed it would be anything like that and now, she knew exactly what she had been missing for centuries.

And he had denied her. 

Sonya growled and blindly struck out, her fits colliding
with a cement wall causing the facade to crack.

His kisses had been drugging. His hands and fingers masterful as they caressed he
r body. Yet, when she had moved him to his back, he pushed her away demanding they stop.

Damn the knight!

Was there nothing that could sway him? 

She paused to whip
something warm from her cheek. Looking down at her fingers, she exhaled an exasperated sigh and whispered, “Seriously?”

Falcon and his absurd sense of decorum literally frustrated her to tears.

Or was she crying because after all this time, she finally knew what she would never have?

“Look what we’ve got here.”

The male voice pricked her ears as the stench of witch invaded her nose.

Perfect, she could use a good slaying.

“Some vamp trash,” a second added.

Sonya slow
ly turned, flexed her hands. She flashed a smile, revealing her fangs, as her eyes grew dark and her claws extended.

She almost felt bad for unsuspecting hunters. She was no outcast vampire. She was not weak like countless blood bastards whose strength barely surpassed that of a mortal's.
 

“I think she wants a fight,” the third announced.

The group fanned out, blocking her routes of escape. 

Sonya had no intentions of fleeing. Retreat was not in her vocabulary.
 

The second hunter spat on the ground then sneered. “I think she wants to lose her pretty demon head.”

Oh, these poor ignorant witches
.

“Just know, I’ll take little pleasure from ripping you limb from limb.” Her smile widened as a rough, satanic laugh shook her shoulders. “But a little is better than none.”

They rushed her all at once. 

Sonya slashed with her claws, cutting open one's chest. Blood sprayed, covering the others and sprinkled her shoes.
 

They struck out with fists and kicks that she easily dodged. She really wished these hunters could put up more of a fight.

She laughed as one pulled a while free from his waist. It cracked and snapped as he tried to lasso her, but she was too skilled for them.

Reaching behind her, she unleashed her knife. With a sweep of her arm, she sliced one witch’s.
 

The hunter’s cursed and Sonya laughed. She had been called every profane name in existence a minimum of a thousand times.

She took a hit to the jaw and another to the sternum. Neither fazed her. The whip, circled behind her. The leather wrapped about her throat. With an unholy growl, Sonya whirled around and drove the blade into his gut. Blood bubbled from his lips as fell. She snatched his whip, the handle still warm from his hold. She cast it out, catching the witch who had spat in her direction earlier. The whip wound about his waist and with a flick of her wrist, she sliced him in half. 

The remaining hunter was now running as fast as he could down the alley. She debated giving chase.

Until she heard the deep boom of gunshots echoing through the alley. The fifth and final hunter collapsed face first to the cement. 

Falcon stepped over the body, tucking the gun in his holster beneath his jacket.

Sonya’s claws grew even longer as she fantasized slowing drawing them down his bare chest. The demon in her roared with triumph as she scanned the area for any more threats. She had some pent up anger, disappointment, and sexual tension that needed to be worked off. And the vampire who stalked toward her was not going to be of any help.

Falcon paused and surveyed the scene.
 “They didn’t stand a chance.”

“They didn’t seem to know who I was,” she said, her voice unnaturally deep. The vampire remained close to the surface.
 

A brow creased with a frown. “Perhaps the last had figured it out.”

“That or he wasn't yet ready to meet Death.”

He shrugged, the movement revealed more of his naked chest. Sonya didn't even try to stop the sexually aggressive growl that rumbled her throat.

Falcon’s gaze snapped to hers. His silver gaze still burned with sexual hunger. He was starved for her body and in dire need of release. 

He shot you down, remember?

“We should get you some more weapons.”

“Yeah,
this whip is cheap and I wouldn’t want to dull my blade by slicing through bone.”

He gave a light chuckle as he removed a cell phone
from the back pocket of his jeans. His thumb brushed over the screen.

“I’ll call this in.”

“To who? The coppers?” she asked with a roll of her eyes.

“No. We are still in
Gabriel’s territory. He has a ‘clean up’ service.”

Sonya patiently waited while Falcon made his call. When he was finished, he placed the cell phone the back
in his pocket and removed his jacket. He draped the heavy leather over her shoulders.

“Nick Salas is London’s resident vampire arms dealer and his shop is a few blocks away.”

She slipped her arms into the sleeves before drawing the jacket closed. He didn't have to explain. She had ruined her new dress with witch's blood.

Chapter Seven

“God, I’m exhausted,” Sonya sighed, kicking off her heels.

She shrugged out of Falcon’s jacket and tossed it over the back of the sofa. She need to get out of her blood stained dress and shower,
but she only had enough energy to stumble to the bed. Her limbs were heavy and her vision was blurry. Hunger still nagged at her. She would need to feed again soon. She had been too focused on Falcon to take what she needed from Star.

Shaking her head at her foolish actions, she clumsily climbed onto the bed.
  She sensed the sun rising higher and higher and with each second, her movements grew slower. She crawled towards the pillows military style, her legs having given out on her. Her body had given out on her and sleep threatened to drag her into its depths.

Sonya rolled to her back and let out a tired, exasperated sigh. She deplored weakness. It reminded her of the night her human life ended. She had been helpless against the shifters. They had slaughtered her family and left her on the cold winter ground to bleed to death. She would be forever grateful to Dorian for findi
ng her and taking her Gudmund, King of the Voidukas Clan. Gudmun gave her the strength she needed to hunt and kill every last wolf shifter inexistence. She was single handedly responsible for their extinction.

“The world will never know the wolf shifters. It will be as if they never existed.”
The words echoed through her mind as anger boiled her blood. Her chest tightened until her lungs could no longer expand.

Panic swept through her.
No. Not now.

 
           Sonya’s gaze shot to Falcon. He was laying out their weapons on the kitchen island intending to dismantle and clean them all.

 
           Her throat constricted as debilitating longing took root in her heart. She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to look at the knight. God, she wanted him, needed him, and the curse mocked her. It fed off her love for him, twisting it and using it against her.  The sense of loss overwhelmed her as regret clawed at her soul.

 
           Biting her lower lip, she held back her agonized cry. She silently prayed the curse’s attack would be quick.

 
           Please, don’t let him see this, she begged. No one can know, especially not Falcon.

 
           Her body tensed as crippling pain wracked her. She wouldn’t curl into a ball, she refused to do anything that could draw his attention her way.

 
           After an eternity, air filled her lungs and the overpowering emotions faded. The curse released her, leaving her heart and soul beaten. Tears of sadness welled in her eyes and slipped down her cheeks. She turned her face towards the pillows.

 
          
Come on, Sonya. Get it together
, she coached herself.

“Your Majesty,” Falcon called.

            Anger flamed to life within her.  Using the last of her strength, she pushed herself up. Her claws extended, anchoring herself to the bed.

 
           “You will never address me as ‘Your Majesty’ again. Are we clear?” she bit out.

Falcon frowned. He studied her face, his gaze searching hers. After a breathless moment he said, “As you wish.”

She nodded and relaxed back against the pillows. “What is it?”

He crossed the room with quick long strides and came to stand beside the bed. He hesitated a moment before he sat on the edge of the mattress at the foot of the bed.

“What happened at the club—”

“I swear, knight, if you apologize I will rip your throat out,” she grated.

“Never will I apologize for what we shared,” he vowed.

Sonya wished she had the energy to sit up and face him. Her momentary rage had given her strength, but the spark had quickly died.

“I’ve planned our escape. We should have you home within the week.”

His words should make her feel happy and excited, but she felt the opposite.

Fighting back her disappointment, she said, “Good to know. Are we abandoning London tonight?”

“We’ll leave as soon as I can make arrangements.”

Sonya yawned in response.

Falcon stood. “You need your rest.”

She gave a light laugh. “I need a shower.”

His wracked his gaze over body. “We should get that dress off you.”

“So now you want to take off my dress,” she teased.

Falcon rolled his eyes and went to the bathroom. He returned with a damp cloth and a grabbed a fresh shirt from his duffle bag.

“Come on, up,” he said, gently helping Sonya to a sitting position.

He unzipped her dress and she managed to wiggle it down and over her hips. The cool air tightened her bare nipples. Sonya cursed. She had left her bra at the club.

Falcon examined her wound. “The muscle is no longer torn and your skin is healing nicely.” He brushed his fingers over her shoulder blade. Desire shot through her despite her weakness.

He was careful to not look at her breasts as he helped her with the shirt.

Once she was covered, he began wiping the droplets of blood from her hands, arms, and neck.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t keep her eyes open. The warmth and softness of the cloth was relaxing, his touch soothing.

“Sleep, Sonya. Heal. You will need your strength,” he whispered.

She surrendered and fell into the realm of dreams.

Falcon continued to wash away the signs of battle. The warrior queen had ripped the hunters apart and he was proud. If that meant he was twisted, then so be it.

When he was finished, Falcon drew the crumpled comforter up from the foot of the bed. He tucked Sonya in and her contented sigh warmed his heart.
Falcon wished time would stand still. If only they could remain in this peaceful moment a little longer...

He headed back to the kitchen and threw the bloody cloth in the sink then began cleaning the guns.

Sonya had spectacular taste in weapons. She had danced about Nick’s hidden warehouse. The hard arm's dealer even cracked a smile as they watched her run about like a child at Disneyland. She had selected two standard issue Glocks after Falcon had convinced her the twin AK47s she desired weren't conducive to a secret life on the run. Neither was the rocket launcher she insisted on buying.

Falcon shook his head as he recalled how Sonya’s eyes widened with excitement when she learned Nick could get her a tank. What in the world did she need with a tank? Unlike his clan, the Voidukas hadn’t been at war for over a thousand years.

Guilt sliced through him. He had left his clan and his king when they needed him most. He had sped from the castle without a second thought when he had learned Sonya had been captured. Hadrian needed his support amongst the Validus council. The nobles and the clan were happy to have their king back, but they were wary. Hadrian had lived with only madness as company for three centuries. He had only begun to recover in the last six months.

Falcon glanced over to the bed. Sonya slept peaceful and serene. Just gazing upon the beautiful, proud warrior queen set his heart racing and his lust raging. He would never forget the “great moment” they had shared. Just as the memories of their secret encounter at Dimitri and Kerstyn’s wedding would always haunt him.

The question of “what if” would forever circle in his mind. What if he gave up his vows? What if Sonya stepped down from her thrown? What if they cursed caution and surrendered to their mutual desire? This was torture. Why ponder, hope, wish, and pray for something that could never be?

He was a knight, she a queen. Neither could or would turn their backs on their clans.

“No one will know.”
Her words spoken as a seductive whisper echoed in his thoughts as a constant temptation.

“I would know,” he grumbled as he cleaned the guns.

And the knowledge would kill him.

Clearing his mind, he focused on his task. Once finished with the firearms he moved onto the knives and throwing stars.

Falcon neatly packed Sonya’s “new toys” and began collecting his things. It was time they left the city.

He would arrange for a car and they would head out to the countryside. He
had planned this exit strategy the moment his lead had brought him to England. Once he finished placing everything he took a shower and was a little bereft when Sonya’s scent rinsed from his body. However, the hot water and steam helped relieve some of his stress and eased the tension knotting his muscles.

Dried and
dressed in a pair of sweats, he padded from the bathroom to the couch. Falcon picked up his cell phone and began to dial. His thumb hovered over the “send’ button. Since he started out on this mission, he hadn’t spoken to a soul back home. He had focused all his energy on hunting down the witches and finding Sonya. Now, the queen was in his care and he needed to bring her home.

He knew Gwendolyn, Sonya’s heir and second in command, was worried beyond belief while Sonya’s clan waited, wondering if their beloved lea
der would ever return. So, why was he hesitating? He should call and lay their fears to rest.

Falcon cursed and tossed the phone to the coffee table. He scrubbed his face with his hands. It was no great mystery why he hesitated. He wanted more time with her.

When had he become so selfish?

Simple, when he fell in love with Sonya Reban, queen of the Voidukas Clan.

Disgusted with himself, he snatched the phone back and quickly dialed. The phone only rang once.

Falcon cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders. “My King,” he greeted, “I’ve Queen Sonya in custody.”