Destined for Time (3 page)

Knowing Rook wouldn’t ask for my help if it wasn’t
absolutely necessary to save Serafina’s life there was only one choice I could
live with, no matter what the consequences might be later. I lifted my head and
met his eyes, resolved to do whatever he needed me to do. “What do you need me
to do?”

He was speechless for a moment as he stared down at me. Then
his mouth slanted across mine and I yelped in surprise. I don’t know what I’d
expected but this wasn’t it. How could this possibly help him travel through
time? The question was nearly forgotten as his tongue twined with mine
erotically, circling and rubbing, sending a rush of moisture between my legs.
Did it really matter how this could help him when he kissed me like that?

A second later he reached down and ripped the front of my
pants open. I tensed; this was moving way too fast. One of his hands cupped the
back of my head and he deepened the kiss before capturing my tongue and sucking
on it. Oh God, that felt incredible. So sensual and unbelievably arousing.

My head was spinning with desire when his hand slid down
between my thighs and his fingers pushed inside me. The rough pads of his
fingers slid over the sensitive tissue sending lightning flashing through my
nerve endings. When he added the gentle pressure of his hand rubbing over my
throbbing clitoris I saw stars.

And the kiss, the man knew how to kiss. His tongue and lips
moved with mine, teasing and tempting, then devouring, expertly evoking a
wanton reaction from me.

I’d never been so turned on in all my life and I pulled him
closer as the intensity of the sensations continued to build. Rook started
walking me backwards and a moment later my legs hit one of the oversized lounge
chairs. He lowered me onto it with one hand behind my back and the other braced
on the chair. The loss of his questing fingers left me aching for more and a
harsh noise of complaint tore out of my throat.

Then my feet were in the air and he was pulling my shoes off
while I watched him with wide eyes trying to catch my breath. He grabbed my
pants by the waistband and yanked them down my legs. I expected him to rip my
panties off next but instead he stopped for just a moment, utterly transfixed
by the lacy pink thong I was wearing. After a moment his eyes lifted to mine
and I shivered when I saw the hunger darkening his face. I’d never had a man
look at me that way, like he was starving and I was going to be his first good
meal in decades.

A heartbeat later he jerked upright and my mind started
racing like an out of control emotional roller coaster. Was I really going to
do this? It wasn’t that I didn’t want to because I did, more than I wanted my
next breath. But like this? And what would this mean tomorrow? Would I be able
to live without him once I really knew what I was missing? Would I be able to
live at all if he didn’t get inside me right now?

Rook glanced at his boots and shook his head then he tore
the front of his pants wide open and put a knee on the chair between my legs.
The roller coaster came to a screeching halt and there were no more questions
plaguing my mind.

The instant I saw his arousal, long and hard with a bead of
moisture glistening on its tip, raw, hungry need had me spreading my legs in
invitation. I reached out to grip his shoulders bringing him with me as I lay
back on the thick cushion of the lounge chair. Our lips locked together as he
pushed that tiny bit of soft pink material aside and guided himself into the
tight entrance of my body.

With short, quick thrusts he worked his way into my wet
depths, setting me on fire as his hard flesh bore into mine. When he was
finally seated fully inside my body we both groaned with satisfaction.
Finally
.
How many times had I fantasized about this?

Rook broke the kiss and looked into my eyes. It was just
like before when I’d fallen into his eyes. Only this time, with his hard flesh
filling me, the connection was more absolute. The warm energy didn’t just seep
into me, it poured and it felt amazing.

Rook didn’t give me a chance to question the feeling. He
rose up high on his arms and began moving his hips rhythmically, driving his
thick arousal into me again and again. Blissful sensations rapidly spread
through my body until all I could think about was the orgasm hovering just out
of reach.

I brought my legs up along his sides and he hooked his arms
behind my knees then planted his palms firmly on the cushion beside my
shoulders. His strokes came faster, deeper, and I cried out from the pleasure
twisting inside of me. The sound seemed to spur him on and he ramped up his
efforts until I was out of my mind with the sensations ravaging my body.

My heart was nearly beating out of my chest while wordless
sounds of ecstasy fell from my lips and our lower bodies slapped together. He
was losing his steady rhythm and I saw the desperation, the need for release in
his eyes. We were both so close, riding the edge of rapture together.

The next moment I tensed, spasms of pleasure tightening my
slick inner muscles around his hard flesh as the orgasm crashed over me. He
thrust once, twice, then we both cried out as we finally fell over that edge
together.

Rook’s black eyes held my gaze while he shuddered above me
and his erection throbbed inside me filling me with his seed. That was when the
thought hit me that I wasn’t on birth control and we hadn’t used a condom.

Before panic could set in a powerful wave of energy
overwhelmed us and I was suddenly standing outside The Gateway while Dragon
spoke to Rook in that strange language again.

“Wait!” I crossed my hands over my lower body then looked
down twisting from side to side. I was fully dressed just as I had been the
first time we stood here having this conversation.

Rook stifled a laugh earning a glare from me, then he became
very serious. “Dragon, Serafina needs us. I’m not sure where she is but I think
she’s on the beach just past the pier. There should be a fire, go now and I’ll
meet you there.”

He didn’t ask any questions he just launched himself into
the air transforming into a dragon mid-leap then disappeared from sight.

“Where the hell did he just go?” I asked as Rook and I
started running for the beach. He was pulling me along just as fast as he had
last time and I was glad I’d picked sensible shoes today rather than my usual
high heels.

“Vampires can wrap themselves in shadows and disappear from
sight,” Rook responded.

“I thought he was a shapeshifter, how else would he be able
to change into a dragon?” I was running out of breath as we came around the
back of the resort and ran down the path leading to the pier.

“He’s both, a hybrid; he and his people are known as
nightshifters.”

“And you’re going to explain how that’s possible as soon as
this is over right?”

Rook smiled down at me as we sprinted towards a torchlight I
could see in the distance. “As soon as this is over, I promise.”

A few more steps and we heard Serafina shriek in agony as a
bonfire lit up near the pier. I stopped asking questions and threw all my
energy into running as fast as I could across the sand.

By the time we reached Dragon he was human again but instead
of skin he was covered in scales and he was fighting someone with long black
hair that was dressed just like Rook. Serafina was tied to a stake in the
center of the bonfire with flames licking up her legs. She was still screaming
but she was getting weaker by the second.

Rook took a moment to evaluate the situation then grabbed a
long wooden pole that had most likely held the torch and started scattering the
wood piled around Serafina’s feet. He told me to start throwing sand on the
burning wood and we seemed to be making progress when Serafina stopped
screaming.

“She doesn’t have enough time; I have to take care of
Travali so Dragon can help her. With those scales covering his body the flames
can’t touch him,” Rook said as he took off for where Dragon and the other man
were still at each other’s throats.

Travali? Both the troublemakers had shorter blonde hair, not
long and black like Rook’s. I moved closer to the fight and caught a flash of a
face.

What the hell?

Dragon was fighting someone who looked exactly like Rook. I
remembered Doyle saying Rook came off the elevator but he didn’t smell right.
Could this be what he meant? Could this be Travali impersonating Rook?

The two men were growling furiously as they moved with
inhuman speed, their bodies blurring as my eyes tried to keep up. Rook was
looking for an opening but before he could jump into the fight the other man,
Travali, landed a hard kick to Dragon’s midsection. Dragon grabbed his foot and
twisted hard making Travali howl in pain as he went down in the sand face
first. Then there was a loud crack as Dragon drove his foot into Travali’s back
and his spine snapped in half. Travali cursed Dragon as he moved towards him
with murder in his eyes.

“Dragon! Serafina needs you now,” Rook called urgently.

Dragon spun in the direction Rook’s voice had come from and
forgot about Travali when he saw the bonfire surrounding his wife. He barreled
through the fire taking the stake and Serafina with him as he rolled into the
surf. Rook waded in after them and helped pull Dragon and Serafina back on
shore.

Rook checked her vital signs. “She’s breathing but she’s
lost a lot of blood Dragon and the burns...” He trailed off but the look on his
face was enough.

Judging by the burns covering most of her body Serafina wasn’t
going to make it.

Dragon pulled her onto his lap and pushed what was left of
her hair off her face. She didn’t make a single sound, not even a whimper.
Dragon looked so lost my heart broke for him.

“Dragon, you have to help her,” Rook implored and I looked
at him like he was crazy. Serafina was beyond help.

“What can I do? Look at her Rook.”

Their eyes met and I thought I saw pity in Rook’s “You have
to give her your blood. Now before it’s too late.”

What? Could they really bring someone back who’d been
injured this badly?

Dragon looked back down at Serafina. “She’s lost too much
blood. Her body won’t be able to fight off the virus.”

Virus? I was getting more confused with every word they said
but a second later it all became a lot clearer.

“Do you honestly believe she would rather die tonight than
live as a vampire?” Rook put his hand on Dragon’s shoulder. “She needs you to
put aside your hatred of vampires and let your love for her guide you. Do what
needs to be done to save your mate.”

Dragon seemed to struggle with whatever thoughts were
filling his mind then the scales melted away and he was nude when he said, “I’m
so sorry Serafina. I can’t lose you like this.” Sharp claws sliced out of his
hand and he slit his wrist. He brought it to her lips but his blood just pooled
in her mouth. Dragon smoothed her hair with his free hand. “I need you to drink
now Serafina, please don’t leave me, drink from me and live,” he begged
desperately, but still she just lay there. He shook her and shouted, “Drink
dammit, drink before it’s too late.” Tears of loss, fear and frustration ran
down his face and I wanted to help but there wasn’t anything I could do.

“Dragon...” Rook started.

“No! I won’t give up on her,” Dragon snarled at him.

I’m not really sure what happened next but suddenly Dragon’s
eyes were mad with hunger and Serafina was drinking from his wrist like a rabid
animal.

“Fuck, he’s thrown them both into bloodlust. Stay back
Angela no matter what happens,” Rook snapped as he produced a knife from
somewhere on his body and sliced his own wrist open.

Dragon’s head snapped up and Rook thrust his bleeding wrist
against his lips. Dragon savagely tore into Rook’s flesh and I wanted so badly
to make him stop. But when I took a step towards them Rook shook his head so I
backed off and watched closely.

The greedy wet sounds of the two mouths gulping in mouthfuls
of blood were enough to turn my stomach. Then Dragon’s hips started moving and
he was rubbing himself against his wife’s burned body. She was so busy
consuming his blood that she didn’t seem to notice, not even when her blacked
skin started peeling off as a result of his movements.

My God, what was going on?

“Dragon, you have to stop now,” Rook told him from where he
was positioned behind him with his arm wrapping around to his mouth.

Dragon didn’t seem to hear a word he said and I was worried
that Rook might not be able to make him stop.

Rook jerked his wrist free and Dragon roared as he attacked,
but Rook managed to pin him to the ground a few feet away from Serafina. Dragon
struggled to free himself and Rook shouted, “Fight it Dragon, fight it!”

Dragon only struggled harder until suddenly an enormous
black and red dragon erupted from his body in a fiery explosion of scales and
claws that sent Rook flying through the air. The dragon took off into the sky
and Rook scrambled to check on Serafina as he ripped his sleeve off and tied it
around his wrist.

He looked her over and gave a relieved sigh. “I think she’s
going to make it.”

I moved towards them hesitantly but before I’d taken three
steps the air wavered and a shimmering light burst out of Serafina leaving
another smaller dragon in her place. Rook’s eyes were wide, astonished, and I
guessed anything that could surprise him that much wasn’t supposed to happen. I
started to back away and the dragon locked onto the movement.

“Don’t take another step Angela.” Rook’s voice was deadly
serious and I froze.

The dragon’s gaze moved to Rook and he murmured soothing
words, crooning to calm the beast. Eventually the dragon lay down in the sand
and Rook started petting her snout. About that time Dragon landed nearby nude
but human once again and crept up to the dragon cautiously, obviously trying
not to startle her.