The Unforgiven (9 page)

Fear glinted in his icy green eyes. “You won’t kill me. You need the horse.” His focus went to her neck. “You’re wearing the key.”

“Don’t even think about attempting to remove it. I am more powerful than you realize.”

“You can see the horse. Once you’re convinced the mare is in perfect condition, you and I will have a little talk about future plans,” he growled with hateful eyes. “But not with him.” He nodded toward Von. “If your new
Romeo
doesn’t stay put, the horse won’t live another day. And I have the perfect escort to take you to your mystical mare.” Shifting shadows in the background caught her attention. Two people approached from behind Hatch. “You want to see your horse?” He let out an evil laugh. “Here’s your tour guide of Nekkar.”

Flame wasn’t alarmed to see Sandra walk into the dim light under twilight skies. However, the person who accompanied her came as a total shock. Flame stepped back, smacked straight into Von’s chest and clapped a hand over her mouth.

No! Dear God, no!
Her mind raced into panic mode. Von grabbed her from behind.

Sheer malevolence glimmered in Hatch’s cold eyes. “While you and Sandra tour my lovely island paradise, my
new
companion will escort Von to his quarters. One wrong move by either of you, Flame, and the horse will die. And yes, we do know how to kill immortal beings. I may have lost power over you, but I still rule this realm and have the ability to kill anything not bound to you by blood.” He motioned to the woman at his side who had not yet uttered a word. “As you can see, my influence is still very much intact.”

“You fucking bastard! If it’s the last thing I do, I will see you dead!”

Hatch laughed mockingly. “Not if you want the horse. And, I know
why
you need her so wise up, prodigy child. Now allow Sandra to show you the horse so that you may see that she is in good care. My lady here will…
entertain
Von Calder for you.”

“Von?” Tears misted her eyes.

“Go check on your horse, babe,” he told her in a calm voice. “We’ll be fine.”

Her heart tumbled, sending her emotions into a spin. She couldn’t bear the thought of Von walking away with
her
!

No, no, no! Anyone but her!
Tears stung her cheeks as she watched them vanish into a thick mist.

Von looked her over and wondered how any man could be so blind as to risk his relationship with a woman like Flame to fuck the woman leading him now.

“I must give Flame credit,” Naami said as they walked. “She sure has good taste in men.”

“Too bad I can’t say the same about her ex and his taste in women.”

She flipped her hair and scowled. “You’ll be singing a different tune once we’re alone in my bed.”

“Woman, I don’t fuck whores so get that straight right now.”

“I am no more a whore than your dear Flame.”

He’d never struck a woman, but this one really pushed his limits. The deliberate sway of her hips was so obvious it turned his stomach. He followed her up a hill and hoped that Flame would rescue the horse quickly, as he doubted his ability to play out this ruse very long. They reached what looked like a decent abode, considering their location. She opened the door and an unfamiliar scent wafted over him. He halted at the doorway.

She turned and placed one hand on her hip. “Well, aren’t you coming inside? One word to Hatch, and Paloma is dead. Sandra has orders to give her a lethal injection on command, my own personal creation in the lab. You do want Flame to receive her gift, don’t you?”

Reluctantly, he entered her dwelling. A full size bed covered with fancy blankets and pillows had been placed in the corner of the main room, which he thought odd since there was no other furniture. She plopped down on the edge and motioned for him to join her.

“No thanks.” He scanned the interior. No windows, which didn’t surprise him, as there was not a view worth looking at. The only other room in the place was a bath.

“Aren’t you the all powerful and seductive Satellite?” she cooed. “I’ve heard all about you.”

“And I’ve heard more than I wanted to about you,
Naami
.”

“You
do
know who I am.” She attempted a demure smile, but he saw straight through her pretense. “I see you’re going to be a bigger challenge than Raef, and I mean that in more than one way, if you get my drift.” Her focus shifted to his groin.

“Don’t get your hopes up.”

“Oh, I’ll get more than my hopes up.” Her kittenish demeanor did a sudden shift. “No man refuses me. Since you’re playing hard to get, I’ll just have to step it up.” In a matter of seconds, she stood before him, rubbing her body against his. “Show me how big and bad Twilight’s Satellite really is. I want to feel a real man, a man who won’t give in to the Supreme Lioness and take my child.”

“Twilight doesn’t own me anymore. You know who does. Back off.”

Her aggression, though intense, was not unexpected. Countless women had thrown themselves at him over the years. He grabbed her hand as it reached for his fly. Their eyes met and he saw something disturbing in hers. This woman was on a mission. He felt her hatred toward Flame and her lust for sex. Then another feeling came over him as her peculiar perfume flooded his heightened sense of smell—jasmine, lavender, rose oil and another scent he couldn’t quite make out. The blend was powerful, heady, and arousing.

She lifted her dress overhead, then tossed it on the bed. He refused to look at her body, which increased her already obvious agitation. She had fast hands and lips, much quicker than women he’d known. He chased her hands as they moved over him, stroking his crotch, and tearing at his jacket as her lips trailed over his bared chest. All the while, he fought the allure of that damned erotic fragrance and cursed the erection in his pants.

“You are tempted by me,” she purred, then dropped to her knees.

He clutched the thick of her hair with one hand, tugging her head back. “No, I am not. I’ve never killed a woman but you’re giving me strong reason to consider it.”

“Your cock doesn’t lie.” She stroked him over the bulging leather. “No man can resist good head and I promise you I am the best.”

“I doubt that,” he growled. “It’s the perfume that gave me a hard-on, not you, you make me sick. The fragrance reminds me of Flame.”

Rage flashed in her eyes. “Liar!”

He jerked her to her feet by her hair. “You’re nothing without your little sisterhood potions.”

She grabbed his hand and shoved it between her thighs. “Tell me you don’t want to drive that huge cock of yours inside this. I am young, hot, and tight. Raef loved every minute and I can give you the hardest ride of your life.”

“You?” He jerked his hand away in disgust. “Hell, you wouldn’t last five minutes with me.” He laughed outright. “Besides, how tight can you really be after whoring around?”

She openly seethed at his cutting remarks. “I will have you, Von Calder. I proved to Flame that I can take any man from her, even sweet Raef. You’re a badass, you can’t hold out very long.”

“The only urge I’m struggling with is the urge to cut your fucking head off.”

She jerked back, clearly stunned, yet recovered quickly. “If you don’t mate with me, Flame will never get Paloma. It’s my job to keep you entertained while Hatch handles your precious warrior.”

“You really are a persistent little bitch.” Not wanting to risk more tricks, he picked her up and hoisted her body over one shoulder.

“I knew you’d come around.”

“Yeah, right.” He marched straight into the bath, turned on the cold water, and held her under the shower. “Let’s see how confident you are without that fucking perfume.”

She screamed and fought with impressive might, yet he subdued her with ease, using only one hand to keep her under the cold water. He held her there until her auburn hair hung lank around her face and she shivered from the cold shower. When she ceased flailing about like a maniac, he eyed her suspiciously.

“You ready to settle down?”

She nodded with chattering teeth.

“Good.” He dragged her from the bath, then shoved her onto the bed. “Call Hatch, tell him you succeeded.”

Naami shot him a foiled look, then grabbed her cell phone off a bedside table. “Hatch…it’s me.” She listened for a few minutes then to Von’s surprise, she screamed into the phone. “Von broke the blood-bond! He took the bait and drank my blood!”

Von snatched the unit from her hand and flung it against the wall. It shattered into pieces. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“Saving Flame’s life.” She sat soaking wet, glowering at him. “There is no way I would admit to anyone that my seduction failed. I was supposed to seduce you and compel you to break the blood-bond. Since you are such a stubborn prick, I’m activating plan B.” Naami hung her head. “I’ve already taken enough from Flame. The least I can do is let her live.” Then her head jerked up and fire returned to her eyes. “But she will live without
you
! And you will live with the knowledge that Flame will spend eternity with her first love. Raef is waiting at the Flaming Wall for her. The only way she can survive the transition is if she enters a blood-bond with Raef…not you.”

Her wild mood swings had him reeling.

“What the fuck have you done?” He grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

“Saved both your lives. Now that Hatch thinks the bond is broken, he’ll come after you, thinking he can kill you. But he can’t, right?”

Von barely gave her a nod.

“While he is distracted trying to kill you, Flame can get away with Paloma. I can’t bear to see that horse harmed in any way. I may have issues with Flame, but I don’t want to hurt her. I’m just so tired of walking in her shadow.”

“You do realize she’ll be back for revenge when she thinks I’ve been killed, don’t you?”

Naami nodded. “If she chooses to kill me, then so be it. I’ve been stripped of everything that ever mattered to me.”

“Why did you come here?”

“I wanted revenge on Flame. She gets everything I ever wanted. Hatch found me wandering around and offered me a deal. I’d reign at his side if I could break the blood-bond between you and Flame. He really wants you dead.”

“And you can live with breaking Flame’s heart again? Do you have any idea what she went through when Raef died?”

She stared at him with empty eyes. “Do you think I care? I just saved her life and yours, be grateful.”

“You’re a psycho. You saved nothing. You only made matters worse.” He backed away and slid to the floor with his back against the wall. “Flame will think I betrayed her. She’ll be forced to go through the same hell all over again.”

“So? At least she’ll be alive and immortal and so will you. Maybe you’ll even see her again one day…with Raef. You know she’ll choose Raef in the end once she believes you severed the bond. And that’s your punishment for rejecting me.”

He stared at her in utter disbelief. “I’ll find a way…”

“And do what? Play hero and get Paloma killed before Flame gets away with her? Nobody can find the Flaming Wall without the key. Once she leaves this godforsaken place, she’s lost to you forever. Even if you find her again back in the mortal world, it will be too late. She’ll hate you by then and Raef will have the love of his life back.”

Von’s head jerked up. A pinpoint vibe had escaped Naami’s deception.

“You and your high ruler staged this!” Every muscle in his body tensed. “This is your redemption ticket, isn’t it?”

The look of shock on her face said it all. “You
are
powerful. Even Hatch hasn’t caught on.” She gasped. “It doesn’t matter now. You’re here…Flame will soon be on her way. The Supreme Lioness is an intelligent leader and our women are the supreme race. We do not bow to men…ever.”

“Your ruler is nothing but a liar.”

“She’s a very clever woman. In war, there are no rules.” Naami stood up and dressed. “Give me your knife.”

“What?”

“Are you deaf or just stupid? I said—”

“I know what you said. No way!”

“If I can’t convince Flame that you are dead, then she will not leave the island and Hatch will track you
and
her down. Is that what you want? Or would you rather she make a safe escape? Flame’s destiny is not with Twilight’s scum. Now give me the damn knife.” She held out her hand. “It’s you or the horse, Flame cannot have both. Can
you
do that to Flame? Can you honestly live with yourself if you stop her from receiving her gift? Do you really think that your worthless soul is more valuable than hers? Our nation offers her immortality. You truly believe that your love can save her?” Naami laughed sadistically. “Love is for the weak. We waged the entire success of this plan on your obsession with our esteemed warrior.”

“Fuck you.”

“Whatever. Just hand it over. Hatch was easy to seduce, putty in my hands, and by the time he realizes he’s been duped, Flame will be gone. Seriously, we don’t care what happens between you and Hatch once Flame has fulfilled her calling, because we will have the one weapon that will keep Twilight under control forever.” Malevolence glimmered in her eyes. “I came in here for one reason and one reason only…to make sure Flame believes you are dead and give Raef time to win her back.”

“You’re insane.”

“Why? Because we outsmarted you?” She let out a contemptuous laugh. “Just give me the knife…now!”

“Take it, bitch.” He threw it on the floor at her feet. “You’ve underestimated the love between me and Flame. Your entire nation has just made their biggest mistake.”

She clutched the knife and dropped to her knees in front of him. Their eyes met and he saw nothing but ice. In his next breath, she drove the knife straight into his heart and twisted the blade. He gasped at the pain but knew he’d heal once she withdrew the blade.

“And just for the record, Von,” she purred next to his ear while holding the knife in his chest. “I’d fuck you even if you are Twilight scum because you are just that hot.”

* * * *

“Here she is.” Sandra pulled open a large door. “Don’t try anything stupid before Hatch gets here.”

Flame peeked inside and saw her stunning golden palomino munching hay. She appeared unharmed, clean, and well fed. “Hey, girl,” she whispered while stroking her mane. “Soon, I’ll get you out of here.” Paloma nuzzled her hand and tossed her head.

Within minutes after she’d entered the stall, Hatch breezed into the stable. “Newsflash, Flame, your new lover has succumbed to the lovely and seductive Naami. Your blood-bond is broken.” He turned to Sandra. “Don’t let the horse out of your sight before I get back.”

“You’re lying!” Flame raced after him.

“No time for chit-chat, darling, I’ve got a Satellite to kill. You stay here, though, I’ll be back to settle unfinished business.”

Her throat went dry.
Von and Naami? No, not again, not Von. He said he couldn’t be seduced or tricked. Hatch is lying.
She raced toward the exit.

“I wouldn’t do that,” Sandra called after her.

Flame whipped around. “Shut up.”

“If you leave the barn, I have orders to kill the horse. Are you willing to risk it?” Sandra smirked with evil eyes.

She strained to see where Hatch had gone but he simply disappeared. The odd environment offered very poor visibility. Her thoughts scrambled for a way out. She realized that in his realm, he had the upper hand. He could appear and vanish without warning—she’d seen him do it. He was, after all, the master of this dark and horrifying world.

Overpowering Sandra seemed easy enough. Still, Flame did not know how much power Hatch had instilled in her. With so much uncertainty, she didn’t want to make the wrong move. Before she came up with a plan, Naami came running into the barn from the other side. She pulled Flame by the arm.

“Von is dead! Hatch just killed him—you have to get out of here before Hatch comes back for you!”

“That’s impossible. We have a blood-bond.” Flame wrenched free of her grip. Hatch’s words echoed in the madness of her mind.
Your new lover has succumbed to the lovely and seductive Naami. Your blood-bond is broken.
She refused to believe it.
This has to be a trick.

“Hatch cut my hand and forced Von to drink my blood.” She held up her left palm for Flame to see the knife wound, still bleeding. Her words came out in a frantic rush. “He was too strong, I tried to fight him. You know I’m squeamish and would never do any kind of blood ritual. Hatch tricked me, told me I was only supposed to seduce Von.” She presented the knife with blood dripping from it. “Hatch was determined to kill him and he found a way. I took this and ran before Hatch used it to kill me, too. I figured you’d know better than me what to do with this.” She shoved Von’s knife into her hands. “I’m so sorry, Flame, for all of this. Please hurry. Take Paloma and get to the wall. Don’t let Twilight win after you came this far.”

“I’m not leaving without Von.” She glanced around nervously, then down at the knife. Hesitantly, she raised the blade to her lips. She had to know if this was true. She tasted the blood. Tears flooded her eyes.
No!

Naami appeared terrified and appalled. “Go! Hatch is getting rid of his body so it can’t be brought back, then he’s coming for you.”

“Why are you doing this?”

Sandra came running down the corridor. “What’s going on?”

“Mind your own business, bitch,” Naami growled, then grabbed a pitchfork and killed Sandra by sticking her to the wooden wall with the long metal tines.

Flame covered her mouth to hold back a scream of shock. Her eyes darted between Naami and Sandra’s lifeless body stuck to the wall. The former queen didn’t seem so squeamish now.

“You have about five minutes to get the hell out of here,” Naami warned.

Staring at Von’s knife in her hands, she felt tears streaming down her hot cheeks. Everything happened so fast and their plan had taken an unforeseen turn.

“Hatch is much more powerful than you ever thought,” Naami told her. “He let you and Von believe that the blood-bond made him powerless when in fact all it did was channel Von’s gifts to you. Now you truly
are
of both worlds…and he wants you in the worst way.”

“I-I can’t leave without Von. I don’t know how to travel immortally by myself.”

“Paloma does, remember?” Naami grabbed her shoulders. “Get a grip, Flame! Don’t you think if Von were alive, he’d be here instead of me? Now go!”

“Naami!” Hatch called from outside. “You have some explaining to do.”

“Go,” Naami whispered.

She’s right,
Flame thought.
Von would be here if he were okay.
Fight-flight mode kicked in amidst her panic. Her mind blurred. Flame slid the knife into the back waistband of her pants, then sprinted down the dirt floor to the stall holding Paloma. In two fast moves, she was on the horse’s back. She lowered her head and gave a soft whistle while signaling her with her legs. Paloma’s ears perked. Instantly she came to full attention. Flame guided her from the barn using her legs. Once free of the musty building, she leaned forward, drew her legs up tight, took a firm grip of the mane and gave the command,
go
!