Ultimate Warriors (20 page)

     
Angel
stroked her fingertips over Julien’s chest. It hardly seemed possible that he
was really here. She kissed his shoulder, smiling as he draped a hand over her
waist.

     
Julien
buried his face in her hair, and his hand traced her hip. "I’m
dreaming," he grumbled.

     
"I
hope not," she teased.

     
"Tell
me this isn’t a dream," he begged. "Tell me I’m in bed with you — on
Earth. Tell me I’m not crazy."

     
Angel
circled his cock and stroked him. "Does that feel like a dream?"

     
His hand
tightened on her hip. "Too early to tell," he groaned. "I have a
lot of vivid dreams about you."

     
"Do
you?"

     
"Mmm."
Julien trailed his lips down her cheek.
"So real."

     
Angel
nuzzled his lips. "Would you like it to be real?" she whispered.

     
"Yes."
Julien nipped at her lips.

     
"You
are on Earth. You are free. You are in bed with me." She drew his hand to
her breast. "Naked."

     
"Please
tell me this isn’t something you’ve done before."

     
Angel
furrowed her brow. "Slept with a man?"

     
He shook
his head, looking sheepish.

     
"Oh.
No. Sleeping with me isn’t part of the service." Angel bit back a laugh at
that.

     
Julien
pulled her to his body. "What about me?"

     
She
guided him to her core, tugging Julien over her. "This is not a
dream."

     
"I
hope not." Julien hesitated. "I’ve wanted you for so long."

     
"I
know."

     
Julien’s
mouth covered hers, his hands exploring her body. Angel pushed her pelvis to
his in invitation, and his fingers eased inside her. His mouth became more
urgent and his fingers more insistent, driving her toward the edge.

     
"Now,
Julien," she pleaded.

     
His hand
retreated, and he seated his cock in her, meeting her eyes and filling Angel in
a single thrust. Julien shivered as Angel cried out. She grasped his buttocks,
guiding him deeper as she wrapped her legs around his hips.

     
"Oh
gods," he breathed. "I should—"

     
Angel
shook her head. "No. You shouldn’t. It’s taken care of. Do you trust
me?"

     
He took
her hard and fast in lieu of a verbal answer. Julien clasped her hips to his
own as his movements all but lifted her from the bed, capturing her nipple in
his mouth.

     
She
wound her hands in his hair, her body exploding in pleasure. Ripples of
awareness radiated from her breasts downward, echoing and intensifying as they
reached the length of him thrusting into her.

     
Julien
pulled lightly at the first nipple and moved to the other, his suckling as slow
and thorough as his pistoning hips were fevered. The ripples spread until her
entire body pulsed in time with his ministrations, matching his thrusts then
slowing to keep time with his mouth. The sensations swung back and forth wildly
in a maddening cycle. Her muscles tensed as Angel fought back the inevitable.
He sucked hard as she lost the battle.

     
The
ripples ignited into a flame-thrower jet of searing heat as Angel molded every
inch of her body to him. She threw her head back and screamed out his name,
every muscle relaxing at once. It was like the jump, the intense sensation
coupled with a disconcerting disassociation at the height of her pleasure.

     
Julien
released her breast, capturing her mouth as he tensed. Wave after wave of his
heat filled her, and Julien’s mouth left hers, his eyes closed and his
breathing ragged as his climax wore on. "Angel," he pleaded.

     
"Yes,"
she urged him.

     
He
shouted her name, his cock pulsing inside her. Julien pressed his forehead to
hers, shivering, while his fingers stroking a nipple. "Tell me this is
real," he whispered.

     
"How
much more real can I make it?"

     
"Marry
me. Let me tell you about my life. Let me give you my innermost self."

     
Angel
stroked his cheek, wanting to laugh in the joy bubbling up. "We have
discussions we have to have first," she soothed him.

     
He met
her eyes, his face serious, earnest, pleading with her. "I want as many
children as you’ll give me," he assured her. "I don’t like these
escapades to Suraden, but I won’t try to stop you or talk you out of them. What
you are doing is important," he rushed on.

     
She put
a hand over his mouth, stilling his flow of words. Angel cocked her head,
scowling at the sound of the Earth-style jet helos. "No. We have to attend
to the formalities. Get dressed. We have company."

* * * *

     
Julien
watched the people streaming into the conference room in unease. There were so
many — a council of men and women. He shifted
nervously,
suddenly worried that he was on trial. Were these his jailers for war crimes on
Suraden?

     
Angel
took his hand. "It isn’t an inquiry," she assured him. "You were
raised by the wrong side on Suraden. You are not a criminal for doing your
duty."

     
He
nodded slowly, blushing. Julien reminded himself that he trusted Angel and
squeezed her hand.

     
A
dark-haired human with a sprinkling of gray at the temples reached a hand out
to Julien over the table.

     
Julien
hesitated, looking at the offered hand curiously. "You realize what I
am?" he asked.

     
Angel
laughed heartily. "Tyler has met powers before, even psychics. He is our
liaison."

     
Julien
shook the man’s hand, letting a myriad of information wash over him. He smiled
at the man’s honest, open nature. "What kind of liaison, Mr.
Meadows?"

     
The man
chuckled as he took his seat. "Tyler will be fine. Would you like me to
call you Mr. Cross?"

     
Julien
shuddered. "To tell the truth, I’m still trying to get used to someone
using my true name. I haven’t been called—" He took a calming breath,
trying to still the panic rising in him. "You—
You
all know my true name, don’t you?"

     
Tyler
poured a glass of the sweet water they drank on Earth, clear-colored and
without the heavy mineral taste of Suraden water. He passed it to Julien.

     
"Yes.
We know all about you. I realize this is hard on you. Most superheroes that
come through know the truth before they agree. They come to terms with the idea
of themselves as a part of society before they make the jump. Do you prefer to
be called Soulchaser until you adjust?" he offered.

     
Julien
swallowed a sour lump, shaking his head. He took a drink of the water. Julien
could drink nothing but Earth water for the rest of his life — unless Cola was
available. "No. Not that. Julien — will be fine. Thank you." He
furrowed his brow.
"Superheroes?"

     
Angel
touched his cheek. "The fantasy powers were known as superheroes. It is a
hard idea for the Earth-born humans to shed."

     
Tyler
darkened. "I apologize."

     
Julien
laughed weakly. "Don’t. I have to learn these things if Earth will be my
home. Now, what sort of liaison are you, Tyler?"

     
He
nodded. "I am the liaison between the Suraden-born powers and the United
Federation of Peoples. We arrange your move into society."

     
"Arrange?
Am I— Am I in service to your political hierarchy?" he asked nervously.

     
"Only if you wish to be.
We may ask your help, but you
are never required to take an assignment." Tyler rustled a stack of papers
in front of him, pulling out a yellow one and scanning his eyes down it.
"I see that you worked murder tracking."

     
Julien
nodded once, curtly, forcing his muscles to ease. Not that, he begged silently.
How many years would they want him to serve in that capacity?

     
"Three
years in hell," Tyler spat in disgust, throwing the paper back on the
pile. "That was one of the reasons the Federation granted immediate
shelter to the refugees from Suraden.
Forcing sensitives to
live that."

     
"Tyler,"
Angel soothed him.

     
He
nodded then met Julien’s eyes. "It is my pleasure to tell you that you are
free to refuse any case we ask your help on. We won’t ask unless we have a
serial killer that may strike again or there is a strong possibility of
recovering the victim alive, but we understand what we are asking. If you
cannot face it again, you cannot."

     
Julien
fought for a decent breath. "If I don’t track, what am I expected to
do?"

     
Tyler
smiled. "What would you like to do? What would you choose to do?" He
waved a hand as if to still a flood of words that were not forthcoming.
"Don’t limit yourself to your powers. There are programs providing job
education and degree programs. You can pursue any job you wish, and we can help
you decide on a job."

     
Julien
looked to Angel, dizzy and lost in the concept. He’d dreamed for years about
the things he would do if he were free to do them, but they all seemed
frivolous when the choice was a reality.

     
Angel
nodded. "You don’t have to choose today," she assured him. "You
have all the time you need."

     
Julien
nodded, wishing Jennifer had this choice — now, before she forgot what she
really hoped for. He sucked in his breath as an idea assaulted him, the only
thing beside Angel that had made him happy in years.

     
"What
is it?" Angel asked.

     
"Children,"
he whispered. "I want to help troubled children, children who have
problems."

     
She
nodded, smiling. "You’re thinking of Sealife," she guessed.

     
"Jennifer.
How—"

     
Angel
handed him a small pouch. "This is yours."

     
Julien
opened it, dumping his father’s medals and the micro discs of family photos
into his hand.

     
"You
had to leave everything behind," she explained.

     
"You
have someone inside the Academy."
But, who?

     
Angel
nodded. "We agreed to bring him through once we had you. He ransacked your
quarters for your most prized possessions after you left the Academy. He had
hours to store them in the tower quarters before we came for you."

     
"Who
is it? Who do I have to thank for this?"

     
She
laughed. "Your old buddy Jason," she teased.

     
"Firebrand?
I knew he was going to get himself in
trouble." Julien grinned. "For once, I’m glad I was right about him.
When are we getting him out?"

     
"Anthony
and I are getting him out in a few months," she assured him.

     
"Months?"

     
"He
wants to be sure no one suspects him before he runs."

     
Julien
sighed. "I want to go back."

     
"What?"
She paled.

     
"Not
permanently," he soothed her. "There’s someone— I trust Jennifer. She
trusts me, and I can get her out, if we do it now."

     
"Soon.
Give us time. For now, we have decisions to
make."

     
Julien nodded
sadly. He would get Jennifer out as soon as he could arrange it.

     
Tyler
motioned for Julien’s attention. He handed over an identi-card. "This is
yours. You may travel where you wish with it."

     
"Any
city?" he asked, stunned that no one was listing his allowed zone.