The Fallen Part 9

aReally.a He dropped his arms and stood away from the wall. With calm deliberation, he pulled the clothes off and dropped them to the floor and then crossed the room, crawling back onto the bed.

Stunned, Danielle blinked at him in surprise when he started crawling purposefully toward her. After a moment, she c.o.c.ked her head inquisitively. aYou donat have wings. What did you do?a she asked, too aghast to appreciate his delicious nakedness.

Catching hold of her upper arms, he sat back and dragged her closer, peeling her s.h.i.+rt off over her head and tossing it to the floor. Goose b.u.mps s.h.i.+mmied down her arms and back.

aI morphed. I do not need them if I am to walk among humans--and it is difficult to wear human clothing, which are not designed for winged beings.a aYou can morph, too?a Danielle asked, pleased at the discovery and feeling warmed by his touch, his nearness.

He shook his head slowly. aYou are not very observant, my love. I would be offended if it were not for the way that you look at me when you do notice that I am here. You are no longer afraid of me?a Danielle blinked. Truthfully, she couldnat even remember when she had been afraid. She licked her lips, realizing that they were bone dry. aNo, Iam not.a aGood,a he murmured. Pus.h.i.+ng her to the bed, he dragged her knit pants off and tossed them aside and then sprawled across her. aBecause I have reached the limits of my endurance.a

Chapter Seven.

His bare chest against hers felt so deliciously wicked it took Danielleas breath away. She did not have the chance to catch it. He covered her mouth in a kiss of such searing heat and need that she felt as if shead caught fire.

Her body rocketed into overdrive. Nerves sparked to life like a lit fuse. Her lower belly clenched and moisture suffused her cleft.

Memory had not served her well. His mouth felt far better than she remembered.

His lips were soft but firm. His taste was exquisitely male, provocative and intoxicating. He held her still, pressing her into the bed with his powerful body, imprinting the exotic, alien hardness of his muscles against her flesh.

aMmm,a she murmured when he broke the kiss at last and burrowed against her neck, nibbling at the tender flesh there and sending delightful s.h.i.+vers through her. aItas about time.a He pulled away to look down at her quizzically.

aI completed the project two hours ago,a she murmured teasingly. aI think. And I have been waiting patiently for my reward ever since.a aHave you?a he asked, dipping his head to pluck at her engorged nipples with his lips.

Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s p.r.i.c.kled pleasurably under the rasping sc.r.a.pe of his teeth. She bit her bottom lip, stifling a moan.

aNot a very patiently,a Danielle gasped, breathless.

Releasing her, he chuckled. aFinished, I meant?a aMmmhmm.a aI should check it.a aNow?a He sucked the other nipple into his mouth, rolling it on his tongue. aLater?a he murmured when he released it.

Danielle speared her fingers through his hair and dragged him down for another kiss. aTomorrow, maybe.a His mouth moved over hers with ravening need, infusing her with a craving that rapidly outstripped the desire she sensed in him. She kissed him back, stroking her tongue along his, dueling, following when he withdrew to explore his mouth as he had learned hers. He shuddered, sucking her tongue greedily. His callused, warrioras hands moved over her, rasping her flesh, touching off more heated currents, building a restlessness within her.

She gasped, breaking the kiss as his hand slipped between her thighs, delving the tender lips of her s.e.x, arching her head back as his finger found her c.l.i.t and teased it to a swollen, achy point. He sucked a hard kiss on her exposed throat and nibbled downward to suckle one pouting nipple again.

Her head swam with the sensation that flooded her. Her heart pounded in her chest, its pace quickening as her excitement accelerated beyond her control. He swirled a circle around her c.l.i.t, pinching it gently, toying with the nub even as he nipped and sucked her nipples.

She moaned and clenched her thighs tightly on his wrist, rubbing her cleft against his stroking hand.

She wanted more. She didnat want to wait. She needed him inside of her. She felt as if she would die if he didnat possess her.

Blindly, she caressed his back and shoulders, his b.u.t.tocks and then his belly, her fingers seeking his silken length. When her fingers closed around the breadth of his c.o.c.k, he lifted his head on a hiss of a breath that sounded pained.

aI will explode,a he said through gritted teeth.

aI will die if I canat feel you inside me. Now!a Danielle gasped, tugging his c.o.c.k closer and forcing him to respond.

He groaned and ground against her hand, his muscles rigid with sensual tension.

Danielle gripped him, pumping him. He seemed to grow larger in her hand, harder--tense with near release.

She arched, writhing and moaning mindlessly, spreading her thighs wide apart.

Shaking with his own need, he opened his mouth over hers again, settling between her thighs and delving her cleft, seeking the moist heat of her opening. The swollen c.o.c.k head parted her tender tissue, hot as a brand and incredibly thick.

She moaned into his mouth as he found her, as she felt him pus.h.i.+ng inside, stretching her, filling her with the wonder of his possession. Her muscles seized, clutching him, hampering his progress until he drove powerfully inside, sank to the hilt and the mouth of her womb. He settled deep inside her core, so right a so good.

Propped on rigidly straight arms, he looked down at her, his gaze dark and smoldering, searing her with his desire. He watched her a long moment, searing her with the thickness of his c.o.c.k like a brand.

aYou are my woman,a he ground out hoa.r.s.ely, his face tight with desire.

She felt the deepness of his intent in her soul. Her heart tightened with emotion, answering the primitive call with pure, unbridled instinct. She was his. She reveled in the moment, craved more.

aI belong to you,a she murmured, drunk with l.u.s.t.

He inched slowly out, making her channel tighten reflexively on his length to keep him inside. She whimpered, writhing, unable to control herself from clutching him hungrily.

He groaned, arching his head back as if in pain. Danielle caught the back of his neck, bringing him down and capturing his mouth in a desperate kiss.

His tongue speared hers, warring, tangling, retreating to suck hers into his mouth.

She whimpered, clutching his shoulders with ravenous need.

Pressing his shoulder into the bed beside her, he caught her hips in his hands, thrusting, working his heated length deeply inside of her until she tore her mouth from his, gasping for breath, groaning as if she was dying. She dug her nails into his shoulders, arching to meet him as he began to stroke her rhythmically, delirious with the surges of keen sensation and pleasure that wracked her as he stroked his engorged flesh along her channel.

She wanted it to go on forever, wanted to hold onto the wondrous feel of their bodies merging, but it felt too good to contain it. The tension coiled as she rose toward release, tighter and tighter until it abruptly reached the limit of containment and shattered convulsively. Fire rippled through her veins, making her melt beneath him. Her body quaked, clenching around his flesh, ma.s.saging him, milking him until he too uttered a groan as he reached his peak and fell over the edge into rapture.

He relaxed heavily against her when his body had finally ceased to convulse, gasping hoa.r.s.ely, nuzzling his face against her neck.

Even as she lay there, her body continued to quake with o.r.g.a.s.mic tremors, making her weak with satisfaction. She bit her lip, s.h.i.+vering with pleasure.

Danielleas arms tightened around him possessively. Drifting dreamily in the aftermath, she stroked her hands lovingly over his shoulders and back. Finally, dragging in a deep, shuddering breath, he rolled onto his side, carrying her with him and fitting her body snugly against his.

Tucking her head against his shoulder, he smoothed her hair and stroked her back caressingly. aI have found a place for us,a he murmured after a time, when they had lain in blissful repletion until Danielle had begun to drift lazily.

aA place?a Danielle asked, surprised.

aSafe from the reach of the Elumi. It was once a fortress. The island is much like Pearthen--beautiful and temperate in climate. You will not need to worry that others will discover than I am not as you are. No one lives there now.a Danielleas brain was still sluggish from repletion and she could make no sense of what he was saying. aBut--you found it? It belongs to someone.a aUs.a She pulled a little away from him. aYou need money to buy something like that--a lot of money.a He seemed to shrug. aThey seemed pleased to take the gold I offered them.a Danielle gaped at him. aGold?a aThe yellow metal in the Earth.a aYou found gold?a aIt is what we use in Pearthen for goods and services.a aAnd you found some.a He studied her a long moment. aNot exactly. It was mine. I thought it was worth the risk of returning for it.a aYou went back!a Danielle gasped, horrified. aFor that?a He frowned. aI needed something to barter with to get the things that we would need. We can not stay here, my love. It is not safe and I gave you my word that I would keep you safe from harm. In time, they may cease to seek me, but for now it will be best if I find a place that I can more easily defend--perhaps will not need to defend at all.a aBut--they wouldave come by now if they were going to,a she said.

Kirin dragged her head back and placed a kiss on her lips. aThey have been. Twice I have had to draw them away. Next time they will send more to take me and I am not certain that even I can triumph over four.a Danielle bolted upright. aYouave been fighting? Those times you left, you were fighting for your life? Why didnat you tell me? My G.o.d! You couldave been killed.a He studied her for several moments. aWould it matter to you?a he asked, intrigued.

aThatas a horrible question to ask!a Danielle said angrily. aOf course it would matter to me.a aYou will come with me then?a It took a moment for Danielle to change gears. She was still in turmoil over the realization that Kirin couldave been killed and she might never even have known it had happened. If head died, she might only have thought that he had decided to go elsewhere.

She shuddered in horror.

She didnat know what to think about the idea of moving to an island, but she supposed as long as she could get what she needed for her projects it didnat really matter where she lived. It wasnat like she was a social b.u.t.terfly and would miss asociety.a She certainly could not object when it could be a matter of life or death for Kirin.

aYou still want me to?a He studied her face. aThat is not a question you should ask me. I told you that I wanted you for my woman. I think I knew the moment I first saw you that I wanted you for my woman and none other. You did not feel the same.a Danielle smiled tremulously. aYou grew on me.a A smile lit his eyes. aIn time perhaps you will come to love me as I love you,a he murmured, stroking a finger caressingly along her cheek.

aDo you love me?a she prodded.

He chuckled. aI have said so.a aI like to hear it.a He cupped a hand over her cheek and kissed her deeply. aI love you,a he murmured when he drew away again. aMy poor little wingless alien woman.a Danielle smiled up at him. aI love you, too.a The End.

BLOOD SIN.

By Kimberly Zant.

Chapter One.

I was on the most bizarre mission I had ever undertaken in my life. Adrenaline pumped through my blood as I cruised through the tiny southern town, searching for the sign that would point the way to me.

Part of what was pumping my drug of choice through my rapidly beating heart was fear. There was just no getting around that, because I wasnat stupid and I knew the risk I was taking. Part of the rush was pure excitement because I was just plain crazy that way and I couldnat help it, but part of it was also s.e.xual.

I had a plan and if everything worked out just as I wanted it to, I was going to get the ride of my life tonight.

I braked when I at last spotted the sign: Holy Temple of the Warriors of G.o.d--15 miles.

My gut tightened. This was the place alright.

Flipping on my blinker, I made the turn and headed out of town, taking care to keep my lead foot from pressing the gas pedal to the floor. A lot of these little towns were notorious speed traps. It wasnat part of my plan to get caught by Goober and risk a night in jail because I had a serious problem with my mouth and authority.

The only thing that actually worried me about my plan was that I didnat have a clear mental picture of the layout of the Temple--hadnat even been able to find a decent exterior view for that matter, although the newspaper clipping had shown a good view of the garish red doors that fronted the aTemplea.

It bothered me just a tiny bit that I hadnat actually used my training in years. Iad served in the military fresh out of high school. Not that I was a zealous patriot, or a glutton for punishment, or out for adventure, or even to escape my fruit cake of a mother. Iad gone in thinking I could earn my college money and party at the same time.

Iad come out four years later with the certainty that I was not cut out for submission. I was a natural dominatrix, but the military hadnat seemed to care for that particular talent since I was an enlisted stiff and supposed to follow orders, not give them.

Taking my college money, Iad headed off for my serving of education--no particular goal in mind. I just wanted the degree in whatever. It turned out there was a career just for me--management--and Iad enjoyed being the office b.i.t.c.h so well that I was d.a.m.ned near thirty before it finally dawned on me that Iad skipped something I didnat want to skip.

In all honesty, I didnat want to miss a d.a.m.ned thing. I knew it was unreasonable. Having your cake and eating it too just wasnat done, but I suppose I inherited some of my motheras unreasonableness. Iad decided early on that I was going to experience everything life had to offer, and taking half a slice wasnat acceptable.

Iad almost missed the kid and family thing--actually, I didnat particularly care whether I could rope a ring for my finger or not. I did want the kid, though.

Anybody that knew me well would have flatly vetoed the idea of me being a mom, but I figured dads didnat have to be pansies to be dads. Who was to say I couldnat be a hard a.s.s and still be a good mom?

The trouble was, G.o.d--Fate--or Providence--was against me. I was outraged when I discovered I couldnat conceive and the worst of it was that the moment I found out I couldnat, I became obsessed with doing it.

Then I discovered that there were just some mountains that couldnat be moved and Iad hit one like a bug at ninety miles an hour.

Depression wasnat something Iad had much familiarity with before. I didnat deal with it all that well.

It got me to thinking about my mother--the fruit cake. As my uncle was fond of saying, she was a few cards shy of a full deck--a total religious freak. I still couldnat believe she hadnat been nominated as a saint after she died. Of course, she hadnat been Catholic, so I supposed that might have had something to do with it.

One of her weird religious experiences in particular popped into my head one day and since by that time I was really depressed and seriously obsessing over the aproblema I began to wonder if there was anything to it. Shead always claimed shead been visited by an angel and blessed with a child when she had been told she could never conceive.

Knowing my mother like I did, visited became raped and blessed--well, that was me and even I knew I wasnat a blessing. I didnat know who my father was, but I knew he wasnat any where around. Uncle Bill hadnat been too helpful. Head just shrugged and said shead gone off with some religious cult and came back knocked up.

I took an extended leave--maybe Iall be back, maybe I wonat--from work. Iad been a workaholic for years and I didnat have expensive tastes. I figured I had plenty of money stockpiled if I needed it and I could always go back to making other peopleas lives miserable by making them work for their money if this didnat pan out. Iad been tracking asightingsa of angels for months and I was just about ready to give up when I ran across an article about the cult I was even now bearing down on.

The claimed theyad captured a demon from h.e.l.l and they were going to offer him up to G.o.d on the next full moon. They wouldnat let anyone see the demon--said it would get them and carry them to h.e.l.l--but they were so excited about it I figured it was worth the drive down to Hicksville to check it out.

I didnat believe in angels, mind you. I believed in what I could see and hear, but something really freaky had happened to my mother. Iad tracked her medical records down and, sure enough, she had been diagnosed as aunable to conceivea which was why her husband had dumped her and shead joined the cult to start with.

Iam not sure exactly what I did think had happened, but I think somewhere in the back of my mind I was thinking aliens--which I had no problem believing in. I didnat particularly care if it was either as long as it could do the deed.

h.e.l.l, at this point, Iad have taken a demon. I was part whatever myself, according to my mother, which might explain why I was such a cream puff of a gal that I could wither a strong manas c.o.c.k at twenty paces just by giving him the alooka if he annoyed me.

I drove by the Temple, slowing so that I could get a look at it. Unfortunately, it was already starting to get dark and it wasnat easy to see since the building sat a good distance from the road. I drove a half a mile without seeing a road or driveway I could use to turn around and finally, after glancing at the road ahead and behind me, whipped the SUV I was driving around in a U turn and headed back.

It probably wasnat the best part of my plan to leave the vehicle so close to the Temple, but I wasnat a spring chicken anymore and I had no desire to try to outrun a pack of religious maniacs on foot when I could use a vehicle and make tracks faster. Iad had the foresight to rent a good all terrain vehicle, though, and I pulled off the road and into the brush. The brush was so thick I had a h.e.l.l of a time getting out the driveras door. Making a mental note of awill take time to reenter vehiclea, I went to the back and opened it, dragging out a utility belt that Iad outfitted with every conceivable tool I might need to crash the party. Almost as an afterthought, I grabbed the nylon rope Iad brought and hooked it on the belt, hoping I wasnat going to need it.

When Iad fastened the belt around my waist, I debated whether Iad make more noise thras.h.i.+ng through the underbrush or skirting it. I opted for skirting it, mostly because I didnat relish the idea of stumbling along through the woods.

It was almost dark anyway, and Iad had the brilliant idea of buying myself a really cool black jumpsuit. I figured I needed to look hot to turn the guy/alien on and the best part was the thing had zippers from h.e.l.l. I could slip out of it in no time at all. Getting back in wasnat as easy, but I figured if I didnat have time, Iad just leave it.

I studied the Temple as I skirted the edge of the woods, stopping now and then for reconnaissance. I knew there were bound to be cult members guarding place. The full moon wasnat due till the following night and, from what Iad been able to discover about the freaks, they were purifying themselves for the ritual, but I figured theyad still have guards. It didnat hurt to hope they were stupid and wouldnat, but I wasnat taking any chances.

I could hear the cult chanting from somewhere close by. It made the hair on the back of my neck p.r.i.c.kle.

As I neared the Temple, however, I discovered there was another building behind it. The chanting was coming from the other building. Pausing in the shadows, I considered the situation. The building in the back must be like a dormitory, I finally decided. It seemed a little odd that theyad hold purification in the dorm instead of the Temple, but then they were pretty d.a.m.ned weird anyway.

The demon, I felt sure, was in the Temple.

There were two guards posted at the front and two more at the back. Iad have cussed a blue streak except that I was afraid theyad hear me. Sighing, I settled to think again. I was pretty sure I could handle one. I was also pretty convinced I couldnat handle two and certainly not if it meant taking them both down soundlessly to keep from alerting the two at the back of the building. There were windows all the way around the building, but from what I could see they were the kind that didnat open, just gla.s.s set into a window frame.

I looked up at the strange steeple that topped the building--strange because it wasnat actually a spire. Instead, it was more like a square tower. At the top was a real honest-to-G.o.d bell, which meant they would have a way of ringing it.

After a few moments, I realized why it was square.

There was a guard posted at the top. I hadnat noticed him at first because he had stopped, watching something at the rear of the building. I watched him for nearly fifteen minutes, realizing that he was bored stiff. Head pace for a while, and then head stop and gaze off into dreamland for several minutes before he remembered he was supposed to be watching.

Did I want it that bad, I asked myself?

Irritated because I knew the answer--Iad come this far, I was d.a.m.n well going to give it a good try--I began to work my way around the building, looking for some way to climb up.

Either the guy in the tower had had to climb up from the outside, or some dear soul had been working on the roof. I found a ladder just waiting for me. If was full dark by then. I checked to make certain I was out of the line of vision of the guards at the front and the rear, peered at the guy in the tower to make sure he was turned the other way, and then darted across the open lawn.