She smiled, squeezing his arm. The truth is, I don’t care where we go. I just need you something awful. So where are we headed?
He looked down at her. About nine months ago, I bought a cabin not far from the Mogollon Rim, a few miles from Sedona.
Her heart lit up. You have a cabin? In the mountains?
I do. It’s near a stream and I dammed it up enough to make a pool for swimming. How does that sound?
She did a full body shiver as she thought about being in the water with Duncan. Like heaven.
When the officer in charge of the landing platforms signaled for them to leave, Duncan folded them both. She felt a swift glide through nether-space, afterward arriving in front of a large home set in the ponderosa pines of northern Arizona Two.
Not exactly a cabin, but quite beautiful.
At least thirty stone steps led at various angles up to a glass and timber house. “This is yours?”
“I bought it shortly after I had my first battle vision. At that time in my life, with new powers showing up, I thought I could use a retreat.” He turned toward her slightly, pulling her into his arms. “But I think I may have bought this house because of you, Rachel, because I know how connected you are to nature.”
She’d never been more surprised. “You did?”
“You always told me I was wound too tight. And I was. I am. I live with a constant sense of everything I do not being good enough. When I had my first vision and it unfolded in such a way lives were saved, I wanted something for myself, a reminder I’d done some good.”
She smiled up at him. “You don’t know who you are or how much good you’ve done every night of your warrior life. I hate your father for having torn away your self-belief from the time you were little.”
“He was a bastard.”
Rachel cocked her head. “I’m not sure you’ve ever said anything so true about Carlyon. Maybe he was a great warrior in the field, but he was a sadistic brute to his family.”
Rachel recalled the tale Endelle had told of how Carlyon had chained Duncan in a basement when death vampires had surrounded his Militia Warrior force. Carlyon and his men had died that night, including Rachel’s ex-husband, Grieg. And Duncan had only survived because he’d called for back-up. Luken had arrived just in time to beat back the deadly force.
A pained frown rode between his brows. “I never wanted to hurt you, Rachel. Never.”
“But there were two of us in this relationship, Duncan. I’ve just started to recognize how every time you withdrew, I’d pull back as well. I’m trying hard not to react to you the way I used to.”
He ran a hand down her back. “And I hate that your husband hurt you.”
“Me, too. But it was the same tone your father set for his squad. I hope the Creator has the same baptismal pools Beatrice has on Fourth Earth. Carlyon should have to suffer in them because I’m told the perpetrator, once immersed in the pools, feels all the pain he’s caused during his lifetime. Or hers, given the gender.”
“You know, that would be a fitting punishment.” He shifted his gaze away from her and an odd light came into his eye as he said quietly, “You know, I never knew what happened to my mother.”
The shift to a parent he rarely mentioned, surprised Rachel. “What do you mean?”
“After my mother left, I never made an effort to find her, to learn her side of things.”
“Why not? By the time you were an adult, you must have known she wouldn’t have left unless she’d believed it necessary for her own safety, possibly even for yours.”
“It’s funny you would say that, because she said almost the same words to me when she left Carlyon’s house. But you have to understand, my father filled me with his own propaganda, telling me she never wanted me. Despite knowing he’d lied, I still have so much rage when I think about her. She abandoned a child. How can that ever be forgivable?”
Rachel searched his eyes. “What exactly did she say when she left?”
“She said she was leaving so I’d survive.”
Rachel wasn’t sure how to say what she felt needed to be explained, but she tried anyway. “When a man has taken to hitting a woman, threatening her life day in and day out, he also uses any psychological tool at his disposal to strengthen his power over her. You and your safety, even your life, would have been a favorite pawn in his constant game of control and abuse of your mother.”
The pain in his eyes deepened. He’d never talked so openly before and she could tell the wounds still hurt. “I know you’re right,” he said. “But he’d fed me on the poison of how weak she was, how cowardly, that I’d come to believe him. It’s hard now to think otherwise.”
“Duncan, her story is probably a very different one. You should find her if you can and really listen to her side of the tale.”
“I’ve never wanted to.” He glanced around suddenly as though the environs surprised him. “Well, how the hell did we get on this subject?”
Rachel knew not to push, so she said, “Why don’t you show me your ‘cabin’?” She did air quotes.
He smiled as he slid his arm around her waist and led her up the steps.
The downstairs was a huge vaulted space, leading to a typical ‘A’ shape for snowy climates. A massive stone fireplace graced the west wall and opposite at the far end was a large kitchen with an island.
Rachel felt dizzy suddenly and without warning wavy lines moved in front of her eyes, then an image appeared in the kitchen. She blinked several times because sitting on a stool at the island was a dark-haired little girl. Duncan was pulling a box out of the cupboard smiling at the child over his shoulder. “You want snails and bugs for breakfast, right?”
“Pancakes, Dad. I want pancakes.”
His eyes twinkled as he set the mix on the counter in front of a large clear bowl. “Pancakes. Right. My mistake.”
The girl giggled.
The wavy lines dissipated as quickly as they’d come. She knew she’d just looked into the future, that she’d had a vision of Duncan and his child.
The dizziness remained, however, and the next moment, her world turned black.
“Rachel. Rachel.”
She heard Duncan’s voice from far away. Her eyes fluttered open and it took her a moment to realize he was holding her in his arms. She was still very dizzy.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She took deep breaths. “I saw something. At least I think I did.” Or maybe she’d only seen what she wanted to see. Duncan had a little girl and she was her mother. Somehow, they’d become a family.
But the images, whether prophetic or not, struck a chord deep within her. She’d never thought she’d have children. Her marriage had proved fruitless, something she’d thanked God for repeatedly, and so had her on-again, off-again relationship with Duncan. They’d never used protection and she’d simply come to believe she was barren.
But was it possible she would one day have a child with Duncan?
For reasons she couldn’t explain, the idea of it made her incredibly sad, because it seemed impossible on so many levels. She was a warrior now and Duncan had this viper in his gut. She had no confidence at all their current warm relationship would last.
“You can put me down now. I’m not dizzy anymore.”
“Rachel, what the hell happened?” He set her on her feet, and she felt normal again.
“As I said, I think it might have been sort of a vision, yet not.”
“What was it about? Yolanthe? The prisoners?”
She put a hand to her chest. “No, nothing like that.”
“Then what? Tell me. I can feel how upset you are.”
She stared at Duncan, her lips parted. “Would it be okay if I held onto this for a little while? The vision wasn’t bad and it wasn’t about the war on Third. But it’s thrown me and I need some time to process, if that’s okay.”
She rubbed her hand over the top of his battle harness. “And I’m not pulling away from you, I promise.”
He searched her eyes for a long moment. “Whatever you need to do is okay by me, so long as you’re not in danger.”
She shook her head. “No. Not at all.”
Though her heart was, maybe. When she’d first been with Duncan ages ago, she’d wanted a family with him. But that was a long time past, so many fights in-between, so much impossible baggage to overcome.
“Now, how about you show me your bathing pool.”
“You still want to go?”
And just like that, she shed the effects of the vision and the conversation about Carlyon. “I’m right here with you, and the only thing I want is a swim without a stitch of clothes on and everything else that follows.”
His shoulders released their ready-to-attack mode and a half-smile curved his lips. “Then let’s go.”
With his arm around her, she felt herself glide back into nether-space as Duncan folded her to a nearby forest stream.
The pool was quite large and flowed from a shallow waterfall at one end to a manmade dam at the other. Nothing looked more inviting than diving into the dark water with dawn just lighting the sky in the east.
~
Duncan had no idea what Rachel had seen before she fell unconscious, or why she’d fainted after having the vision.
But he was worried about her. Maybe the battling and all their new Third Earth powers had taken a toll more than either of them realized.
She seemed to have recovered her balance both physically and emotionally. But between her nausea, her complete rejection of alcohol, and now a vision, his concern had ramped up. Rachel was an important person in his life. She had been from the time he’d first hooked up with her. And recent events had brought them even closer. The thought something could be physically wrong drove deep into his heart and set the serpent moving swiftly through his gut once more.
Don’t leave me. The words left his mind too fast for him to call them back.
Rachel had just folded off her battle suit when she turned to him, her milky skin glowing in the soft moonlight. “Duncan, I’m not going to leave you. Is that what has your brow fixed in a tight line? I would never leave you.”
She looked almost appalled that he’d think such a thing.
“I didn’t mean to say that. I’m not even sure why I did. But I want you to be safe. And whatever it was you saw—”
She went to him and grabbed his arms with both hands. “The vision had nothing to do with the war, I promise you. It was something personal, something I’ve had on my mind for a long time. In some ways, it was very sweet, the images I mean.”
“Nothing about doing battle? Or about training?”
“Not even a little bit. Now let it go, please, because I’m going to swim.”
She turned away and stepped quickly into the water. As soon as she was waist deep she dove under and came up smiling. “This is exactly what I needed.”
Duncan let his doubts and fears recede and with a wave of his hand, sent his battle suit to his Paradise Valley home hamper.
“Walk slow,” she called out, treading water.
“Why?”
When her gaze fell to his cock, he laughed, then slowed his pace so she could have a good look. Even the water now carried her beautiful garden scent and he began to grow firm.
As he moved into the water, she paddled slowly in his direction. He’d always felt this way with Rachel, driven toward her. The breh-hedden had only intensified his need and desire for her.
When he was knee deep, he stopped. He held his cock in his hand as she closed the distance between them. She’d always loved this masculine part of his body. He took a few more steps until the fingertips of his free hand touched the water.
He held himself ready for her, knowing what he wanted her to do and what she’d always enjoyed doing.
As she drew close to his groin, her lips parted and his cock slid inside her warm, moist mouth. She latched on and began to suck, her hands grabbing his ass and squeezing hard. He closed his eyes, his hips arching, his cock sliding deeper into her mouth.
He moaned, pulled his cock back to the edge of her lips, then pushed in once more.
The motion had her nails digging into his flesh.
Shield us, he sent softly through her mind.
Without hesitation, he felt her vibration flow over him until he knew they were cloaked and safe. If the enemy, in any form, should show up, Rachel would be safe.
He dropped his hand to cup the back of her neck and rocked his hips faster. She groaned and he loved how responsive she’d always been to him. When he reached a point where it would be hard to hold back, he eased from her mouth. Dropping in front of her, he gathered her in his arms, then turned to float her in the water.
He took her out into the deepest part of the pool and spun her several times. She draped her arms and legs straight out, enjoying the ride. She giggled and the sound eased his heart. He’d missed this so much, missed the joy she’d always brought to his warrior life.
After a few spins, she wiggled out of his grasp, turned, then leaped on his chest. She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him, dipping inside his mouth when he parted his lips.
He held her tight against him as her tongue worked his mouth, teasing and pleasuring him.
I want to take you in the air, he sent.
She gasped and drew back to hold his gaze. “High in the air?”
He nodded.
“We’ve never done that before.” He could see the glitter in her eyes and knew she was intrigued.
“I know. But ever since we started mounting our wings at Third Earth levels, I’ve wanted to extend the experience. You game?”
She smiled and pulled away from him, heading toward the rocky edge of the pool. Wings could handle water, but made movement much harder.
Once she was on the bank, he watched her close her eyes, hold out her hands palms up, and take several deep breaths. He could tell she was savoring the moment. Coupled with sex, wing-mount was incredibly erotic. She arched her neck and her nipples grew peaked as her wings suddenly exploded into the air.
Since becoming a Warrior of the Blood, Rachel’s wings had grown in width and height. They were a shimmering pale green with dark brown bands. She wafted them slowly and rose a few feet into the air.
Her lips parted as she opened her eyes and met his gaze. She crooked her finger at him several times and smiled.
He left the water and moved to stand close to her. The height she’d risen allowed him to caress her from her narrow waist, down her curved hips and thighs, all the way to her feet. Wings offered all sorts of possibilities and this was one of them. Without bending his knees, he could kiss her navel. Then, as he began to move lower, she rose just high enough in the air so he could tend to her sex.
I like the way you’re thinking, he sent.
And I love your tongue.
He took the hint, dipped between her folds, and began to lick. She moaned softly, her hips arching into his face.
He slid his arms around her hips and pressed her close. He kissed and licked her then took as much of her in his mouth as he could. She gave a small cry when he began to suck.
Her hands found the top of his head, her fingers driving through his thick hair.
Put your legs over my shoulders. Can you do that?
Absolutely. Rachel had always been willing to try new things.
He held onto her hips as she settled her legs on his shoulders. Fanning her wings slightly, she held herself in position and at the same time created a slight breeze flowing around them both.
When he tilted her backward just enough, the angle gave him access to her well. He rimmed her sex with his tongue then drove deep. He felt her back arch and her thighs grip him hard. He wanted to make her come in this position. He thrust faster and faster so that soon she was releasing a series of passionate cries.
I’m close, Duncan. Give it to me.
He sped up, moving vampire fast. Her body grew rigid and she cried out as her well spa
smed with pleasure. He didn’t stop thrusting with his tongue until she at last relaxed against him and slid her thighs from around his shoulders.
He pulled her down to him and embraced her by slipping his arms around her neck. Her wings wafted as she moved in close and pressed her hips against his.
I love you, Rachel. I love you so much. He kissed her deeply.
He felt her sigh against him. You’ve always known how to work my body. Thank you. She often expressed gratitude when he pleasured her, one more thing he loved about her.
He ground his hips against hers, letting her feel his arousal. Bringing her to a climax always made him hard.
She pulled away just enough to caress his face with her hands. Her wings moved softly through the air, though not enough to lift her off the ground.
“I love doing this with you, Duncan. I always have. I think it’s my most favorite thing.”
“Even more than working in your garden?”
She smiled. “Yes. As much as I love growing things,” she reached low and palmed his thick talk, “I love growing this even more.”
She pleased him, the way she talked, the way she savored his maleness, the way she held him higher than her favorite pastime. The viper within his gut lifted it’s headed and showed its fangs. How can she think so much of you? She doesn’t know you. Not really.
Duncan shut the reptile down and focused his attention on Rachel. “I’m going to mount my wings now.”
~
“Do you want to come while you mount?” There was so much pleasure with wing-release, adding an orgasm would be an amazing experience.
She’d never done this with him before, though. She didn’t exactly wait for an answer as she lowered herself just enough to take him in her mouth and suckle him. After a minute of enjoying his cock and hearing him moan, she slowly stood upright, took his cock in hand, and used the moisture to work him.
His lips parted and he was breathing hard through his mouth. “Do you want me to come like this?”
A slow-smile overspread her lips. “I only suggest it because lately you’ve been able to come more than once when we’ve been together. Why not now at the same moment you release your wings? Have you ever done this before?”