INTO THE FIRE (Forbidden Love) (8 page)

He winced when the wound on his side stretched with his movements. He chuckled. He never did mind being impaled by Leigh’s tail. The gunshot wound in his thigh was another story altogether. That damned vampire was gonna pay for that. He could have used his magic to heal it instantly, but then Leigh would be able to sense it. She would know exactly where he was. He couldn’t have that. She would use the information to get even further away from him.

He was going to have to fight the vampires for her, he knew it. They had seen his abilities, and they would be prepared. He was going to have to figure out another way to approach this. Straight out war was out of the question. He might have been a powerful warrior, but he was outnumbered. And he knew one of those vamps. Not personally. But he had seen his mug on TV and in magazines. Angel Knight.

But then again…. Humans had seen them fighting as well as the vampires. There would be media coverage about it. When the humans heard the story, their hearts would run over with sympathy for Merrick. Humans were notoriously bad about trying to preserve endangered species. When they heard how Leigh and himself were the last of their kind, humans would race to help find her and would be screaming for them to procreate.

That wasn’t all he wanted Leigh for. Well, it had been at first. He wanted her for sex. But the more she evaded him, the more she fought, the more he wanted her. And he would have her. It was only a matter of time before she used her power again. The vampires had tricked her into it once, they would certainly do it again.

As he watched the morning news, a plan began to form in his mind.

TEN

Leigh was dreaming. She knew it, but she had no intention of waking up. She was stretched out on a padded table, wearing only a towel, while a man with wonderful hands massaged her back. The room was painted gold, with hieroglyphics etched into them. It looked like the old Egyptian preparation rooms that the Pharaohs used before public ceremonies. He was wearing a simple linen cloth around his waist. Leigh giggled. She was dreaming about having an Egyptian slave.

She felt the oil dribble down her spine and then his hands working over her skin. He kneaded the muscles in her lower back and then pushed the towel down to dig his fingers into her buttocks. It was heavenly.

The man had no face, but wow was his body was stacked. Rock hard abs that bunched and flexed as he moved, strong arms and long, muscular legs. Not an ounce of fat on her slave. His magic fingers worked their way down the back of her thighs, releasing tension that she didn’t realize she had. He worked his way down her calves, then to her feet. He rubbed the arch of one foot with his thumb, holding it in place with his other hand. Before returning her foot, he placed a gentle kiss to the arch.

Leigh sighed. He repeated the process on her other foot, ending that caress with a kiss as well. Then, he worked back up her leg. At the top of her thigh, his hand slipped to caress the inside of her leg. His fingers brushed perilously close to her sex, but not quite where she wanted it. She knew her temperature was rising, knew that her body was getting wet for him. If he would only move two inches higher…. But her slave stayed clear of where she really wanted him.

Leigh wiggled in frustration. Leave it to her to have erotic dreams about a love slave that wouldn’t obey. “Touch me,” she told him.

“I am,” he rumbled.

“Touch me there,” she insisted. That stupid love slave chuckled. He did not touch her there. No, instead he flipped her over and poured the oil onto her chest. His large hands rubbed the oil into her skin of her chest, making circles around her breasts and down her stomach. Her nipples hardened and pointed skyward, begging for attention, but he never touched them.

“If you don’t do it right I might die,” she groaned.

Damned sexy laughter was the response she got. Leigh grew more frustrated and squirmed again. “You aren’t a very good love slave,” she told him.

Then, he began to fade away. “No!” Leigh shouted. “Wait.” But it was too late. The dream was gone and Leigh was awake.

She laid in the very comfortable bed with her eyes still closed. She took a minute to remember where she was. Oh, right. The Mirage. With Stalker-boy. Great, after that dream she was going to walk around all day not only irritated but frustrated as well. Bloody fucking marvelous. She balled her hands into fists and brought them both down onto the mattress. Hard.

The sound of muted male laughter beside her caused her to open her eyes. Yep. He was there. Looking all sexy like with his sleep hair and bright eyes. Ugh.

“Something funny, Cowboy?” she snarled as she rolled herself to a sitting position.

“Sex slave, huh?”

Leigh snapped her head around. “Get out of my head.”

“I wasn’t in your head,” he told her with a wolfish smile. “You talk in your sleep.”

“Do not.”

“’Fraid so.”

“Well, don’t listen to me.” Leigh didn’t know if she talked in her sleep. Hell, she had never slept with anyone else. All of her encounters with the opposite sex had always been about sex. No cuddling, no sleeping. Just get off and get out.

“We have much to discuss tonight, Leigh,” he said in a more serious tone.

“We don’t have to discuss anything. I appreciate the bed to sleep in, and the food. I got to get going now, though,” she said as she rummaged through her bag for something to wear.

“Talk to Angel first,” he suggested.

“Sure,” she absently replied. She would talk to Angel. She thought she might even like that man. He was nice. But there was no way she was putting anyone else in danger. And there was no way she was spending anymore time with Stalker-boy. He was dangerous for a whole other reason.

“The sun will be setting soon,” Rebel told her. “We should be ready to head back to the estate when it does.”

“I’m not going with you,” she said as she took a pair of jeans and a t-shirt to the bathroom.

“You should.”

“What time is it, anyway?”

“Five fifty-two.”

“Really? Wow, I slept a long time.” Leigh wasn’t used to sleeping so long, or so well. Her entire body felt refreshed and alive.

Rebel waited for her to get dressed. He heard the water running in the sink, heard the sound of her toothbrush on her teeth. He tried to keep his imagination in check, but it did its own thing anyway. He envisioned her slinking into her jeans, pulling her shirt over her head. He had never thought the idea of getting dressed could be erotic, but the bulge in his pants decided it was.

“Guys,” Angel’s voice called from the sitting room, “Could you join us out here please? Quickly.”

Rebel snapped out of his daydream and tapped on the bathroom door. “Yeah, I heard him,” she snapped as she wretched the door open and shoved past Rebel, making sure her elbow connected with his side. She sauntered into the sitting room with him close on her heels.

“What’s up?” Rebel asked his leader.

“The six o’clock news,” Angel said, inclining his head toward the TV.

“—breaking news from Los Angeles tonight,” the dark haired reporter said. “Vampires and werewolves have been living in the public eye for years now, and most people have come to accept and even respect them. But now, in light of this new development, who knows? What other kinds of creatures are out there?”

“What is she talking about?” Leigh asked.

“Keep watching,” Angel told her.

“I’m here with a man who claims to be a dragon,” the reporter said. She turned to a red haired man. Merrick. “What is your name, Sir?”

“Merrick Keller,” he replied, looking straight into the camera. “And to your next question, yes, I am a dragon.”

“Fire-breathing, scales, gem-hording dragon?” the reporter asked with a quirky smile.

“Well, I don’t horde gems,” Merrick replied.

“You look human to me,” she said.

“Of course I do. I can change my shape. Would you like to see?”

“I think all of our viewers would.”

Merrick stepped back away from the camera and pulled on his magic. His red dragon form filled the screen. He tossed his head back and shrieked. Then, he shifted again back to human.

“Wow, that was really something,” the reporter said.

“Yeah, it is.”

“So why have you decided to come out now? And are there others of your kind?”

“That is exactly why I have come to you, Katie,” Merrick replied with a grin. “I am one of two dragons remaining. Our species has been long pushing the boundaries of extinction. We have kept our presence a secret for fear of being hunted. We are sorely misunderstood. For centuries dragons have been labeled as dangerous, angry creatures. That is simply not true. We are peaceful.

“Until recently. My mate was stolen from me by a vampire. I can’t imagine what he wants with her, but I must get her back. We are the last hope for our species. I love her dearly and only wish to see her returned to me safely.”

“Do you have any idea who this vampire is?” reporter Katie asked.

“I do.” Merrick stared into the camera. “She is being held prisoner by Angel Knight.”

“The Clan Leader?” she asked, surprised. “Why would he do that?”

“I don’t know,” Merrick told her. “That’s why I came to the press. While trying to get my mate back, his men shot at me. They attacked me and attempted to kill me. Luckily, I heal fast. But I was forced to leave her with him. I can only imagine the horrible things they must be doing to her.”

Merrick put on his best worried face. He genuinely looked like he was heartbroken over the loss of his mate. Leigh’s stomach lurched. Fucking asshole.

“Are you not afraid that scientists will want you to submit to testing and experimentation now that they know you exist?” Katie asked.

“That is possible,” Merrick agreed with a slight nod of his head. “However, I am willing to exchange testing for help.”

“What do you mean?”

“I will allow testing on me in exchange for help in retrieving my mate. Anyone who is willing to help me will be allowed to research with my assistance, as well as gaining my protection.”

Angel snapped the TV off. He shook his head in disbelief.

“Fuck me,” Leigh whispered.

“Not just now,” Rebel replied to her, still staring at the blank TV.

“Fuck you, Cowboy.”

“Yeah, we covered that already.”

“What are we going to do?” Sebastian asked.

“Kick that slime sucking, fire-breathing, lying, fucking bastard’s face into the dirt,” the one with the spikes answered. It was the most Leigh had heard him say thus far. The harsh words sounded odd coming out of his mouth in his lovely French accent.

“I like the way you think,” Leigh told him. “By the way, you got a name? Or would you rather I called you Spike?”

The vampire chuckled. “Jacque is my name,
Mademoiselle
. And I think I like the way you think, too.”

Rebel growled.

“Oh, get over it, Cowboy,” Leigh snapped. “He can talk to me if he wants.”

“Jacque is known for his dabbling with the female race. I wouldn’t trust him to stop at talking.”

“Like it would be any of your business,” Leigh snarled. “You got to get over this Me-Tarzan, You-Jane attitude. I don’t belong to you.”

“I would never attempt to seduce a brother’s mate,” Jacque growled. “He knows it.”

“Do I? Just because you let your mate get away doesn’t give you permission to flirt with mine.”

“How about I smash that fucking snarl off your face,
Brother
?” Jacque sneered, giving Rebel a death glare.

“Enough,” Angel boomed. “Rebel, because she is your mate, I will give you one last warning. Knock it off. You know better. I will have no more cheap shots or growling when your brothers are only trying to help. Jacque, curb your attitude. Now, if the pissing contest is over, we have a serious problem.”

“Yeah, starting with I am not his fucking mate,” Leigh interjected.

“Leigh, we will talk about that later. Right now, we have to decide what to do about Merrick.”

“He will follow me. I’ll just teleport away from you guys and he’ll come for me. Merrick will know the second I use my power. Something as powerful as teleportation will be like a big red fire truck to him.”

“We should issue a press statement,” Gage offered as if Leigh hadn’t said anything at all. “We need to counter his accusations as quickly as possible.”

“I agree,” Antonio offered. “We need to let the public know that he is lying. Angel has quite a following. If he counters Merrick’s accusations, they will side with us.”

“Make the call,” Angel told Sebastian. Then he turned to Rebel. “We need to get home. Quickly. Get your mate ready and we will leave in fifteen.”

Leigh felt the tops of her ears getting hot. Her face and neck soon followed. What was she? Minced dragon? She had a voice and an opinion. These idiot vampires would do well to remember that. They were discussing her as if she weren’t standing right there. As if her opinion didn’t matter. Stupid, presumptuous, bloodsucking, morons. The more she thought about it, the madder she got. The smell of sulfur hung heavily in the air and her body was heating up, trembling with the need to vent her anger.

“Uh, hey, sweetness,” Gage said, looking at her warily. “You, um, well, you got smoke coming out of your nose. Something wrong?”

Leigh realized that she was losing it. She tried to calm herself, forced a deep breath into her lungs, but then she heard someone say, “Dude, you should control your mate.”

“I AM NOT HIS FUCKING MATE!!” Leigh bellowed. Fire rolled out of her mouth as she shouted it and five vampires dove for cover. The blast was so hot, so intense that the drapes burst into flames.

“Fuck!” someone shouted.

“And don’t talk about me like I’m not here! And stop treating me like a helpless child!” She threw her hands into the air, waving them frantically. Fire continued to spring from her mouth as she ranted. The couch caught and the vamps behind it scrambled out and ran for other protection.

“Leigh!” This time she knew it was Angel. “Please, stop. You’re going to hurt someone.”

“You should have left me alone!”

“Leigh, please!”

Leigh was nowhere near done with her rampage. She’d had enough. She was tired of these men telling her what to do. They should have let her be. They should have stayed away. They should have listened to her. She opened her mouth to tell them as much when she was suddenly doused with very fucking cold foam.