ENCHANTED WORLD SERIES BOOK 4: MOON CHILD'S WAR

“Hello, I’m Deidre. You must be Alli.” The tall and elegant looking woman smiled warmly at her. She had the most amazing gold hair Alli had ever seen and flawless skin as if she were made of porcelain. She was one of the members of the House of Five which meant she came from a very strong bloodline. Her position was higher than the Wolfen families.

Alli gave a little nod not knowing whether she should curtsy, extend her hand or keep her eyes trained to the ground. “Hello.”

Deidre placed her hands on her hips as she did and three-sixty degree circle around Alli, her eyes not missing even a hair on her head. “Well, at least you haven’t sprouted a tail and a pair of ears--then it would have been quite unnatural.”

Alli pursed her lips to cover her smile. “No, ma’am.”

Deidre giggled softly. “You are honest, I like you. My wolf hasn’t sniffed anything wrong with you but...I feel a very powerful presence within you.” she frowned lightly and hummed softly before turning towards a gazebo where what looked like afternoon tea was served.

Alli followed behind curiously. “What sort of presence? An evil of some sort? The man that made me this way was wholly evil.” And just by thinking about it, Alli shivered in her shoes.

“I can imagine how you felt when he was close but I don’t understand how you could have sensed him before you even turned. You must have a special gift, the sixth sense that comes even before you become an active wolf.” Deidre settled down and motioned Alli to sit.

As Alli settled, Deidre poured some hot tea in the expensive China and pushed one to her. There was a tray of assorted cakes, chocolates and cookies that had Alli’s stomach growl. Thanks to what she saw with the girl with the black hair, she couldn’t even eat.

“Charissa and Robin were like that.” Deidre explained. “Charissa was a good judge of character right before she transformed. All she had to do was touch someone and she could tell whether the person was good or evil. Robin, though a quiet little one, she is quite dangerous.”

“Robin....is she the black-haired girl?” Alli asked as she sipped her tea and quickly reached for a piece of chocolate cake and placed it in front of her then began nibbling on it slowly.

“Yes. She is able to induce emotions to anyone; fear, anger, pain, euphoria--you name it.” Deidre nodded as she too sipped her tea. “I, too, had a special ability before becoming an active wolf.”

“Really? What could you do?” Alli was suddenly intrigued by the woman in front of her because somehow, her presence had a calming effect on her.

Deidre smiled and raised her hand up. A cookie immediately floated up and landed on her palm. “Telekinesis. When I was younger it wasn’t as strong but I used to push the clock forward in class so that we went home early.” she giggled softly.

“Awesome.” Alli breathed wondering if only she had such cool abilities.

“What about you, Alli? I know you were quite a handful before your transformation because Titus was forever complaining about you. He once told me something that made me believe you were special too. He told me about the night you were attacked by the crazed wolf.”

Alli bit her lower lip wondering if she could trust Deidre with such a secret. She remembered Corleen warning her not to tell anyone about her abilities but wondered if it also meant a superior like Deidre.

“If you are worried that I will tell Lord Faelen about it and have him send you to the Academy, I will not. I don’t believe in the Academy at all. You have my word.”

Alli gave a little nod and pushed the chocolate cake that was now clogging her throat and had a sip of tea.

“So, what is it--can you move in the speed of light?” Deidre asked excitedly. “Perhaps foresight--that is a common one for wolves to have.”

“I--” Alli started but she didn’t know exactly what her curse was. She didn’t know how to explain it to people and it had evolved because now, it looked like she could see the future too. She swallowed hard hoping whatever she saw with Robin was just a terrible mistake. “Before I transformed I used to be able to tap into the last seven minutes of a person’s conscious in a span of about forty-eight hours after their death.”

Deidre’s eyes widened in surprise. “I have never heard of that...so you mean to tell me, you could see exactly how that person died within that given time?”

Alli nodded nibbling on her cake again but she was getting too nervous and her stomach was tying knots inside her. “Usually by visiting the actual place where they died or by touching their bodies.”

“Oh!” Deidre’s face as suddenly turned pale as she tried to process the information. “We had a myth about that. I think they were called Ghost Walkers--were you there the night Corleen brought Xavier’s body home? Did you see what happened to him? I remember arguing with Lord Faelen over it throughout the night, forbidding him to cremate Xavier’s body without a proper ceremony.”

Alli was forced to travel back to that night when her hatred for Faelen became an entity within her. “Yes and I saw everything.”

Deidre narrowed her eyes at Alli for a moment then reached forward and wanted to touch Alli but Alli quickly moved her hands away in alarm.

“Don’t touch me!” She suddenly exclaimed.

Deidre frowned in confusion and waited until Alli was able to compose herself again before she asked. “What happened?”

Alli ran her fingers in her hair. “Right after I made the change, the curse also evolved and now I see things when I touch people.”

Deidre smiled warmly. “It’s not a curse, Alli. It is a gift. Bring your hands.” she held her hands out, palms facing up.

“No.” Alli shook her head tucking her hand between her thighs, far away from contact with anyone.

“Trust me, Alli. Come on.” Deidre said.

Alli eyed the woman for a moment and it looked like she was not going to let it go until she complied so she took a deep shaky breath and looked down at Deidre’s hands. “I don’t want to feel that horrible feeling again.”

“You won’t.”

Alli nodded softly and extended her hand slowly until it hovered above Deidre’s. She felt no shooting sparks through her body so she softly placed her fingers over Deidre’s while closing her eyes waiting from that terrible feeling to pass through her.

When nothing happened, Alli opened one eye to look up at Deidre who was still smiling at her.

“See, nothing happened.” Deidre said.

Alli took another shaky breath and as she was about to let it out color leeched out of her world once more and Deidre’s smile disappeared and shock replaced it as blood began dripping from her forehead down to her tea cup. Her dead eyes kept on staring accusingly as Alli as blood began gushing out from the hole of her forehead spraying in all directions.

Alli wailed and jumped out of her seat. “Not again, not again, not again....” She murmured to herself as she closed her eyes tightly, willing the image to go away.

“Alli? Alli!” Deidre’s voice echoed and when she opened her eyes, Deidre was standing above her looking very disturbed. “Alli, what did you see?”

Color had returned to Alli’s world as she looked up at Deidre. “I saw something terrible.” Alli whispered.

“Goodness, you are so cold--”

“Deidre, get down!” Someone exclaimed from behind.

Alli’s heart burst in her chest. One minute she was cuddled on the ground in fear, the next she was pushing Deidre out of the way as a bullet whizzed their direction missing them by an inch.

Ylva! Alli called for her wolf whilst pinning Deidre on the ground underneath the table.

You are in immediate danger, Keeper. Ylva sprang up into action.

Pain seared through her bones as she felt them expand and relocate! Ylva was emerging. Alli let out a pained growl as fur rippled on her skin. She was terrified because this was her first transformation and she didn’t know what to expect.

It felt as if Ylva was expanding out of her skull. Claws slid out of her fingers and her body enlarged until soon enough a large gold and brown wolf hovered above Deidre, protecting her.

More bullets peppered the table and Deidre suddenly whipped her hand out. The table turned to its side, giving them a better shield while all the China and goodies fell away. She clasped her hands together and brought them apart with a whooshing sound and Alli felt as if her head was being sucked in by a vacuum inside Ylva. She could feel everything, Ylva’s determination to protect, her excitement for her first emergence and her quick and intelligent thoughts. More bullets flew to them but they harmlessly fell away when they came into contact with an invisible wall.

Deidre had created a force-field around them. She was powerful!

Ylva watched as guards moved forward, some wanting to protect Deidre but stunned at the sudden appearance of a large wolf. The other guards searched for the culprit.

Where is the shooter? Alli asked Ylva.

Ylva expanded her mind and Alli was suddenly taken for a joyride by the wolf thoughts.

Images of different areas around the garden began to fill her head. Some infra-red, others normal. Scents filtered to her nose and she could smell gunpowder coming from the large fountain in the middle of the garden.

The fountain! Alli exclaimed to the guards using the common wolf link that Ylva was able to recognize. He’s at the fountain.

More gunshots rang before Alli heard a pained sound and smelled the coppery smell of blood.

“Move in!” One of the guards called out as Corleen and Titus raced out, both holding out their guns. They made their way to where Ylva and Deidre were. Deidre looked so calm and cool like the calm waters of a lake but Alli surprised herself with her own reaction before Ylva took over.

Alli knew the simple basics of self defense but she had never been as quick thinking as she was the moment she heard the cry for Deidre to move out of the way.

“Watch them.” Titus instructed Corleen as he raced towards the fountain.

“What happened?” Corleen asked as Ylva moved away from Deidre in order to allow Corleen access to her. Corleen watched Ylva cautiously as the beast sat down on her hind legs and helped Deidre to her feet.

Deidre slowly brushed away the dirt from her jeans and turned to Ylva in shock. “You saved my life.” Deidre breathed in hard. “How did you know?”

Alli suddenly felt Ylva retreat back inside her now that the danger had passed. The fur rippled back inside her skin. Her bones contracted and relocated. Though she felt pain, it was bearable. The claws retreated back in her fingers and her muzzled molded itself back to a human face.

She slumped on the floor and breathed hard in after the change was over. Both Corleen and Deidre stared at her in awe.

“Alli you just had your first transformation--without the full moon.” Corleen sounded terrified.

Deidre turned to Corleen. “Your sister is a very strong wolf. I have never seen anything like this before.”

The guards returned and took them back inside.

“Uh--” She wanted to say what really happened but Faelen was right there when they were taken back to the house. Suddenly that ants-feeling in her mind started again and like before, Ylva slammed down a mental block. She turned in irritation towards Charissa behind her. “Would you stop that?”

She watched as everyone’s eyebrows snapped up in surprise expect for Corleen.

“You can feel Charissa’s intrusion?” Faelen asked curiously.

“It’s not like she is trying to hide it!” Alli answered tersely eyeing the girl venomously.

“I can feel it too.” Corleen stated as she turned to Charissa. “It’s the reason why you’ve always seen a blank slate from me.”

Charissa narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. Before she could say anything, Titus returned, his face grim.

“The shooter is dead....he is human.” He explained.

“A human hunter?” Corleen quickly asked.

“I’m afraid so.” Titus answered.

“How did he get into the premises?” Faelen asked enraged as Tyson and Larimar suddenly came running to join the convoy.

Alli rolled her eyes. The more the merrier.

“We heard gunshots.” Tyson looked a bit concerned and Larimar was as white as Lord Faelen’s shirt. Serves her right, Alli thought quietly.

When she saw Alli, Larimar tightened her hold on Tyson’s arm and cast her eyes down. She had nothing to be ashamed of because Alli was past all that. At that moment, seeing them together didn’t so much as make Alli’s heart ache. She had a different aching and she was pissed off because she recognized where it came from and who it was for.

Just wait until she met him again and assured him that she didn’t want him in life. Ylva’s hummed in skepticism as if she knew Alli was going to fail miserably.

“Stay inside,” Faelen turned to his son. “There could be more.”

“The guards have scanned the premises, there aren’t anymore.”

“I want to know how the hell that shooter got into my premises and I want to know right now!” Faelen barked.

Both Titus and Corleen tensed and inclined their heads towards Faelen before they stalked away leaving Alli to deal with the man that had her most confused with his change in attitude, a young couple that smelled of nothing but sex and a member of the House of Five that was staring at her as if she had suddenly sprouted a second head.

One guard returned to them and inclined his head to Faelen before reporting. “All clear, Lord Faelen.” The guard turned to Alli with apprehension but clamped his mouth shut.

Faelen nodded and took Deidre’s hand. “Come with me. The rest of you try not to get killed today.” His eyes bore into Alli’s as if he was personally aiming the warning straight at her.

Alli would have scoffed if the adrenaline wasn’t still coursing through her veins causing her to suffer from small tremors.

Charissa turned on her heels to walk off. That was when she noticed Robin who was standing a little further from them. Alli frowned at her. When she touched Deidre and saw the bullet on her forehead, it was only a matter of seconds before an actual shooter tried to end her life which meant whatever she saw about Robin could be something in the future...but when?

She feared for the girl’s life and hoped that somehow she was able to survive it just like Deidre. Robin dropped her eyes from Alli’s and turned to follow Charissa.

Alli didn’t want to stick around with the awkward couple in front of her so she sighed and turned to leave.

“Tyson is claiming me on debut night, this Saturday.” Larimar announced.

Alli stopped and waited for a pang of guilt or hurt or anything for that matter to hit her but when nothing came, she turned to them before giving them a smile. “I wish you all the best.”

“What about you?” Larimar suddenly lifted her chin lightly, being the Geordan Wolfen girl that she was. “Do you have someone who will be claiming you now that you have made the change?”

Alli remembered Ruvin’s warning. He wanted to claim her in public and if anyone objected then he was going to kill them. She swallowed hard. Was he really going to show up at the Debut Party? “No, Larimar. I am not from a Wolfen family like you. I do not have guys flocking to claim me.”

Satisfaction glimmered in Larimar’s eyes but Tyson stared blankly to the side.

“I have....things to do.” Alli made her exit quickly. She felt her heart take flight as she rushed away from the two. It was a terrible feeling trying not to hurt someone--physically--when they were mocking you unabashedly. That was the feeling Alli had in her heart as Larimar mocked her. She actually wanted to punch her senseless. She had never been a violent person but suddenly something had unfurled inside of her, making her bolder and wanting to show everyone just who was boss. Ylva was making her egotistical.

You are stronger than the both of them combined, keeper. There was pride in Ylva’s voice.

But I don’t have to flaunt it! Alli growled.

Ylva went quiet for a moment before she said quietly. It comes with the territory. Then retreated as usual at the back of Alli’s mind.

“Comes with the territory, my foot.” Alli grumbled to herself as she went out.

“Do you want to die, mutt?” Aro moved from her very flashy car and engaged the alarm before turning to the shadows in front of her house and sighing. “I could smell you from the club all the way here.”

“You are the first Nosferatu that has ever allowed a Lycan to follow her home.” Ruvin emerged from the shadows and stared at the female dressed in the body hugging silver sequin dress that had a long slit coming down on one leg and shimmered in the dark like something mystical.

Her brown hair came around her head like a halo and her face was like a teenager who had just hit puberty but she happened to be over a thousand years old which made her experienced, honed and one of the most powerful Nosferatus alive. She could kill with just a stare.

“It is easier to kill you far away from people’s prying eyes.” She made her way slowly towards Ruvin her eyes haughty and her movements suggestive.

Given any other day and that was enough to get Ruvin to jump into bed with danger but at that moment, his body was thrumming for only one female and she was on the other side of town.

Aro’s house was a little out of town, isolated but quite impressive.

“But before you kill me, I need you to help me out with something.” Ruvin said.

Aro smiled. “I know this time around Sheyster didn’t send you to me. You came here on your own accord. Missed me?” She said then suddenly became the stuttering mess he and Briar met at the Morgue. “Or did--did you miss--Kelsey Miller?”

Ruvin sighed. “I must hand it to you, you make a great actress.”

“I try--oh, you should meet the emotionless Brianna Mackenzie.” She giggled almost girly but quickly sobered up and looked up at Ruvin. “Come on in and you can enlighten me with whatever brought you here tonight.”

Ruvin’s eyebrow arched up as Aro turned around on her heels and gave him the sight of her bare back with a gold chain visible around her waist.

“This leech is a cock-tease.” Ruvin muttered to himself as he followed her inside.

“What will you be drinking, Ruvin?” Aro put on the lights, revealing a space that looked like it was rarely used.

“Anything you wouldn’t, thanks.” Ruvin made himself comfortable in the scarlet and beige corner sofa.

Aro chuckled softly kicking off her shoes and making her way to the open-plan kitchen. “I plan on draining you later this evening so don’t taint your blood with alcohol--it becomes bitter.”

“Then that’s exactly what I am drinking tonight.” Ruvin assured her not sure if she was joking or not. With the amount of years she spent alive, Ruvin doubted she had any sense of humor left.

Aro returned with two glasses of wine in her hands, both of them were red but one had the distinct coppery scent of blood while the other smelled of....cranberry? She handed him the cranberry juice and sat beside him, the slit of her dress revealing her creamy thigh for his eyes to feast on.

“So, what did you want to ask me? That I keep pets?” She sipped her drink and her face cringed. “I hate old blood.”

“I wanted to ask you about Asari.” Ruvin went straight to the point. If he died that night then at least he knew what he died for.

Aro’s glass froze on her lower lip as a burst of her scent escaped her control and Ruvin inhaled the smell of cinnamon and lemon. Tantalizing, he thought. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, I think you do. I can smell you to know that you do. When I asked you the last time if you knew any female running around in the woods dressed in leather, that was the first name that entered your thoughts. I want to know who she is and what she is. I know she is a half-blood with a very strong Mage side. What I want to know is what is her other half?”

Aro dropped her eyes to her drink and twirled it around. “What help will it do even if I decide to tell you the truth? You are just going to die at the end.”

Before Ruvin could even blink, Aro was straddled on his lap, his drink and hers tossed to the side. He watched as her nails elongated and her pupils dilate until all the color around her irises was swallowed by blackness. A hiss escaped her lips as she clamped her claws against Ruvin’s neck. “You should not snoop where it doesn’t concern you. It will get you killed.” She whispered against his ear.

Ruvin relaxed because he knew he was not in any immediate danger. Aro was toying with him because he didn’t read any violence from her. “She has been protecting my mate and I want to know why.”

Aro’s eyes suddenly returned to normal as she moved back in surprise for a moment. She moved closer to him and sniffed his neck and chest. “You don’t smell mated to me.”

Ruvin grinned wickedly as he reached forward and pushed the cork-screw curls from Aro’s face. “Does that specific revelation offend you?”

Aro pouted her red lips as she settled back on his lap with her nails returning to normal. “You are kind of cute and I wouldn’t mind adding you to my long list of pets.”

Ruvin chuckled grasping her hips and lifting her off him. “I have never fucked a leech before and I am not planning to tonight or in the near future.”

Aro made an disappointed sound. Ruvin wondered if this was yet another character in her long list of characters she had created. She wasn’t the cold Aro he met at the club the last time although she was still very calculating.

Ruvin knew Nosferatu were very promiscuous creatures, incorporating sex in everything they did whether is was feeding or blood bonding a servant so that the servants kept them safe during the daylight hours while they rejuvenated in the earth.

That aspect had Ruvin wonder if the males also had sex with their human male servants when establishing the blood bond, the highest privileged a long term servant had with his or her master. This bond ensured that the servant’s life span was increased to about two hundred years and also the servant was identified among the Nosferatu so no one else was allowed to feed off him or her but their master.

“Well, if you didn’t come here to play then you should be on your way before I actually decide to keep your head as a trophy.” She pouted again, turning her eyes to the splattered blood on her white carpet.

“Aro, something terrible is happening and my mate is being targeted by an insane male riding around on mutated wolves and you don’t want to help me. I thought you said this town is yours to protect too?” Ruvin became serious.

“Wait, what did you just say?” Aro turned to him and all the joking and pout had vanished from her face. Instead she looked a little nervous and a whole lot concerned.

“There’s a madman running around on wolves and he wants my mate.” Ruvin repeated. “Or should I write it down so that you can get it better?”

Aro raised her palm with an air of irritation to stop Ruvin from talking and sighed. “What does this male look like?”

“Tall, pale skinned, dark haired. He had an enchanted lock that Asari put on him because apparently he doesn’t die the last time I saw him.”

Aro suddenly gasped out loud as her hand flew over her mouth, her fingers trembling like she had suddenly walked into a freezer.

Ruvin narrowed his eyes at her. Something was definitely up and Aro knew of it. He had never thought it was that big of an issue before but if Aro was terrified of this male then he was a force to reckon with.

“Where did you see him? Where is he now?” Aro suddenly got up at she reached for her phone but the handset slipped from her fingers and dropped down into the blood. She dropped on her knees and quickly dialed a number.

“The last time we saw him, a friend of mine had decapitated him.” Ruvin explained carefully.

“If he could die like that then we would have killed him a long time ago.” Aro explained tightly. “You would have stood a better chance incinerating his heart! But it would have regenerated by the next full moon--but it doesn’t make sense. Why was he up this time around? He only rises on the last day of the full-moon.”

“So you know this bastard?” Ruvin accused.

Aro held her hand up to keep him quiet yet again as she began talking on the phone. “Torin has risen.” He heard Aro say on the phone before she made her way to the other side of the house.

Torin....at least he got a name to start with. He waited for Aro to finish off her phone-call. He went there to get answers and he was not leaving until he did just that. Just who were they dealing with? Was it a Nosferatu gone psycho? But Nosferatus also died given the right circumstances. And why was he after Alli?

Ruvin was ready to bring down the Heavens if it meant to protect his mate because he was not going to lose yet something else that gave his existence a meaning.

“You need to go.” Aro returned a few minutes later, her eyes calmer than before but her back stiff and body alert. “My superior is on his way here.”

“Then I should stick around and chat to him instead because you don’t want to help me.” Ruvin shrugged his shoulders.

Aro hissed. “Gabryel will kill you before you even open your mouth. He reports directly to the three Fathers of our species. His hatred for Lycans is a thousand times that of mine. Now, if you value your life, you will leave before he gets here.”

“Answer me one question though, is Asari part Nosferatu? Is it the reason why you know her?”

Aro sighed and closed her eyes for a moment to try and compose herself before she opened her eyes. “Yes, Asari has very strong Nosferatu blood flowing in her system.”

“Which makes Torin a Nosferatu, right?” Ruvin asked.

Aro’s eyes widened. “Torin is a monster.” She whispered as if the walls had ears. “Torin is like no other and he will not let anyone stand in his way until he gets what he wants. If it is your mate he is after then you should be there protecting her, not here interrogating me. Now go!” Aro’s doors flew open and Ruvin felt a force pushing him backwards until he found himself standing outside Aro’s house.

She watched him from her window, her eyes shining with untold fear and her chest moving rapidly with her panting.

Fine, Ruvin was going to leave for now but he was going to be back. Besides, he had other places to be....his body felt heavy with wanting his mate. Ruvin turned to the surrounding woodlands and felt his body enlarging as he turned into the ultibreed and dashed inside heading towards town in supersonic speed.

Alli felt her spine shiver and she didn’t need to do any guess work to know who just entered her room. Was it a dream again? How was it that he was able to enter and leave the Faelen Fortress with such ease?

She quickly sat up and was about to put on the bedside lamp when a warm hand clasped over hers and amber eyes glowed at her.

“Ruvin, what are you doing here?” She hissed pulling her sheets closer to her chest. The fire that had suddenly burst in her lower stomach had her biting back a moan just as his scent wafted to her. Oh, goodness! She felt so lightheaded and Ylva was not even making it easy for her because the wolf was up in alert, pushing for Ruvin’s touch.

“You’re awake.” He rasped, his voice thick and velvety with emotions that she was terrified to dwell on.

“Yes, but how did you get in here? You’ll be in trouble if they find out--” Ruvin placed his finger on her lips. The touch sent a bolt of electricity all the way down to her toes and made them curl. Her body clenched at the closeness of him, at his heat and his smell.

“You talk too much.” Ruvin crawled over her body, forcing Alli to lie back. “I missed you so much.”

I missed you too....Alli was about to blurt but she quickly shook away the thoughts--though it looked like it was a little late because Ruvin was grinning wickedly down at her. “Ruvin, what are you doing?” She squeaked when he grabbed her sheets and tossed them to the side.

“Your tattoo is gone.” He bent down to her bare shoulder and placed butterfly kisses down to her collar bone where the tattoo once was and Alli’s friggin body arched up, pushing itself as close as it could to him.

Her arms quickly shot forward and she held Ruvin away as she tried to collect her scattered mind and make just one decent thought. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“I have every right to be here,” Ruvin growled against her neck sending ripples of delicious shivers quaking down her spine. Ruvin caught the action and clamped one hand on her waist to hold her down. “Now this, I can work with.” He wiggled his eyebrows as her and Alli rolled her eyes.

“I am going for a cleansing trip on Saturday, to get rid of people like you from my system so you should stop this.” Alli gritted her teeth as her eyes rolled back with bliss when she felt Ruvin’s hot lips against her ticklish neck. At each nip and lick he did, her womb heaved and clenched causing her to clamp her thighs together so that she didn’t end up rubbing herself against him.

He was everywhere, in her nose, on her skin and in her mind. His body was tight, like steal wrapped in velvet. He was everything Tyson was not and he was driving her crazy.

“Yes...” He hissed against her, his hand tightening on her waist possessively. “You should get that damn straight. Only I am allowed to drive you crazy, no one else. Not Titus, not Louise and certainly not that sniveling pup, Tyson. Understood?”

Alli opened her eyes as sensations of pure and sinful lust thickened her blood. She looked up at the most handsome and sexiest wolf she had ever come across stare down at her with stormy eyes, a storm that was boiling only for her and was ready to sweep her into oblivion. “Ruvin....” She managed to utter before Ruvin crushed his lips against her in a hot, branding kiss that announced to the world that she was in his possession.

Alli couldn’t tear herself away even if she wanted to. She didn’t want to move away. She didn’t want him to stop. Oh, his kiss brought down the walls she thought she erected rigidly to keep him away. He stomped all over her attempts to keep his advances at bay. She convinced herself that on the night he kissed her, he only wanted to comfort her and that he did. When she found out he told hhis sister to take her away, she felt the kiss meant nothing more than comfort....but now, here he was seducing her behind enemy lines.

She tore away from him and frowned up at him. “Ruvin, if you asked my sister to take me away from the hideout then why did you follow me here? Why are you still after me like this?” She was breathless and as her mind began to coagulate into a solid mass once more, Ruvin’s hot fingers slipped under her camisole and teased her nipple which had her yelp in surprise and pleasure as heat streaked down her body.

“Because I could no longer control myself and I would have taken you as you were, in turn harming you.” He explained as he pinched her nipple softly then bent down and suckled it over the camisole.

“Oh goodness, Ruvin, you have to stop.” Alli panted but the crazy thing was that her fingers had raked themselves in his hair and were keeping his head right where it was.

“No.” Ruvin growled as he suddenly bunched the camisole and ripped it from her body, exposing her upper body.

A chill passed over Alli making her nipples tighten even harder and she quickly covered herself from Ruvin’s eyes. Her face turned as red as a beet as she twisted away from him and shut her eyes tightly.

“Alli, you’re beautiful. Don’t hide yourself from me.” Ruvin placed a series of kisses on her neck again all the way down to the top of her full breasts.

“Ooh, this is so embarrassing. I’ve never done this even with Tyson.” She pulled her pillow from under her head and covered her chest with it.

“Just how far did you ever go with Tyson?” Ruvin rasped looking at her in surprise.

Alli peeked at him with one eye open. “Just making out?” she squeaked.

“Not even this?” He suddenly pushed his hand through her pajama pants and teased the folds of her sex open with his middle finger.

Alli screamed in surprise but Ruvin quickly swallowed her screams with a kiss that allowed him to push his tongue into her mouth, mimicking the movement of his finger inside her pants. Alli convulsed underneath him, the entire experience filling her with so much pleasure that once more her mind melted into a mess of moans and groans against Ruvin.

She had never gone this far with Tyson before. She always stopped him before he went further and it always frustrated him because he promised her that he was going to claim her anyway so they could just go all the way. She wondered what would have happened if she did allow him to go all the way?

A low growl reverberated from Ruvin’s lips as he sat up so abruptly he had Alli’s mind spinning and disoriented.

Ruvin slowly removed his t-shirt, revealing the artwork of sinew muscles on his torso thread-like silvery scars slashed across his chest and had Alli wonder what happened to him to give him such scars. He tossed the piece of clothing away and started unbuckling his belt when Alli panicked.

“Ruvin!” She growled at him, wanting to stop him. “Not here, in this place with my sister next door.”

Ruvin grinned and pulled his lower lip between his teeth. “That’s even better. We should give your sister something to talk about.”

Ruvin slipped his belt off and removed his jeans remaining in black briefs that hugged tightly around him, showing off the large bulge that had Alli gulp for air. When he crawled over her again, he nestled himself cosily between her legs, pushing his erection against her sex as he stole small nips and tugs of her lower lip, teasing her until she was clueless of anything else other than the man in front of her.

Ruvin moved his lips down until he clasped them on one of the nipples and sucked hard. Alli moaned in her pillow with her heart racing and her mind reeling. Corleen could come and check up on her at any time...and if she finds Ruvin there--there would be blood!

Ruvin didn’t stop even when a chuckle escaped his lips at her fear. Now that she was transformed, he was going in and out of her mind like a public toilet!

“That’s not true.” Ruvin looked up at her, his eyes burning with so much yearning and lust they had Alli wet with wanting him. “You too can enter my mind if you want to.”

Alli hummed and concentrated. Suddenly Ruvin’s mind was open to her and what she saw in there made her race to the brink of her orgasm. He wasn’t thinking about anything else other than what he had planned on doing to her that night and the images were detailed and vivid. Alli’s flooded with color as she quickly withdrew from him.

“You are such a pervert.” She muttered as Ruvin gave the same treatment to her other nipple then began moving down south. He trailed his hot moist lips down her navel and teased it with his tongue before going lower.

When Alli was about to clamp her thighs tight, Ruvin beat her to it and ripped her pajamas from her legs, leaving her completely naked under him. Alli began to struggle again because it was getting out of hand but she couldn’t get away. She began kicking her legs trying to dislodge him but it only got him a better fitting between her legs.

“Ruvin, get away!”

“Stop it!” His growled warningly, his eyes twirling with amber. He grabbed her hands and clamped them above her head with one hand while the other caressed her waist, her ass and down her hip and thigh.

He started another trail of kisses from the side of her waist, down her hip and awfully close to her sex. Alli had to bite her tongue before she screamed again. Ruvin’s hand was like steel, she couldn’t even break free. He suddenly picked one of her leg and began licking and nipping her inner thigh and Alli went bat-shit crazy. The tight bud in her stomach tightened even harder as his mouth moved so close to the place that was causing all this havoc.

He let go of her hands and moved lower on her until his mouth was lightly touching the soft brown curls over the folds of her sex. He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes as if savoring at the scent of her. Blood flooded Alli’s face as she watched him. She didn’t know why but that look on his face was enough to make her want to give him whatever he asked for at moment--even if he asked for her soul.

When his eyes snapped open, they were amber and they snagged hers wanting her to watch as he ran his tongue down on her causing her thighs to quiver uncontrollably. Alli threw her head back and gasped for air. Her nerves were on auto-drive and her blood was thick and hot in her veins. She felt him lape again and the knot threatened to explode taking her with it. Heat and pleasure began racing in her inner thighs towards the apex that was thrumming, wanting attention on its own.

When Ruvin parted her thighs even further, Alli didn’t even have the strength to push him away. She felt his hot lips clasp on that one place that was driving her crazy and her hands shot out and grabbed his head, keeping it in place. Ruvin was talented with his mouth, teeth and tongue as he teased her until Alli’s eyes felt like they were going to turn into her skull. No man was supposed to have so much power over a woman like that.

Ruvin was not supposed to allow her to become a pleading mess like that because her whimpers urged him to go on as her hips rolled grinding herself onto him until finally the knot exploded into a thousand pieces, sweeping Alli in a tidal wave of ecstasy that had her crying out Ruvin’s name into the night. It seemed to go on forever and Ruvin didn’t stop until she had ridden the entire wave of pleasure before her body slumped back on the bed, her skin glistening with sweat and her heart cracking her ribs.

Alli tried to catch her breath, feeling Ruvin move up her body again. He turned her head towards him and kissed her ever so softly, tentatively and carefully until Alli’s eyes filled with tears. How could he turn her into such an emotional fool? He rested beside her and tucked her body close to his, just holding her and caressing her back and butt leisurely as he continued feeding off her mouth.

When Alli was able to catch her breath and slow down her humming heart, Ruvin withdrew from her and placed a kiss on her forehead. “Do you know just how ecstatic I am right now to learn you have not been touched by another male?” He rested his forehead on hers and looked deep into her eyes.

Alli bit onto her lower lip and swallowed. She tasted herself on her lips and on Ruvin’s. It kind of thrilled her...did that make her a slut?

“I’m not going to take you tonight because you’re right. This is not the right place for this and not because of Corleen.” A grin that brought out his dimples spread across his mouth. “Because she is not in the premises at the moment.”

“She’s out hunting?” Alli asked in shock. All this time she thought of Corleen entering at any moment only to find out she was not even in the fortress. Alli curled a punch and punched Ruvin on his chest. “You demented psycho!”

"Your demented psycho.” Ruvin moved forward and kissed her again. “And might I mention that you are by far the most delicious southern cuisine I have ever indulged in. Mhhhh...” He licked his lips.

Alli felt like dying as she covered her face wishing he would just leave but Ruvin got up and pulled the sheets back on the bed before climbing beside her and cuddling her close to him.

“Go back to sleep, Alli. I’ll leave after you’ve fallen asleep.”

But Alli didn’t want to fall asleep. She wanted to still feel him holding her, to feel his soft breath in her hair and feel his warmth engulfing her in a cocoon of coziness. She felt too comfortable in his arms and before she could even start pondering on how to go about these new feelings she had for Ruvin, sleep called her on and she drifted away feeling Ruvin caressing her hair and back tenderly...