The Morrigan: Damaged Deities (34 page)

Out of breath, Morrie collapsed against Kade’s chest.  He wrapped his arms around her and stood up, carrying her over to the bed where he set her back down.  In nearly paralyzed awe, she watched him gather up his shirt and clean her off.

Tossing it on the floor, he slid onto the bed, hovering over her. 

Panicked, Morrie tensed.  Had he changed his mind and wanted sex now?  She didn’t think she could go through with it.  “Kade…”

“Shush, shush, love,” he sunk into the pillows on his side. “I know.  Ye no’ want sex.  That’s no’ what I’m aiming for.”

Still confused, Morrie let him roll her onto her side before he snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her against him, tucking her body into his.  Curled up behind her, he slid his bent arm beneath her head as a pillow.

“So…no sex, right?” she asked, her curiosity turning to shock.

His chuckle shook her. “Aye, as ye said.  Right no’ I just want tae sleep. Having ye beside me is all I need.”

“Oh.” 

She had no other response.  It was a new experience for her, which was surprising because so little was new to her anymore.  And yet somehow this gorgeous Scotsman had her confused and curious.

“But know that once we do, I’ll ruin ye for any other
.
  Now hush, love, I’m trying tae sleep.”

Morrie made a face, but inside she thrilled.  Snuggling back into Kade’s body, she sighed and relaxed.

At her ear he growled a final warning. “Ye best still be here when I wake…”

C
HAPTER
T
WENTY-
N
INE

“Then the Morrigan came thither in the shape of a slippery, black eel down the stream…and she coiled around the two feet of Cuchulain. While Cuchulain was busied freeing himself, Loch wounded him crosswise through the breast.

Then at this incitation Cuchulain arose, and with his left heel he smote the eel on the head, so that its ribs broke within it and he destroyed one half of its brains after smashing half of its head.”

 Táin Bó Cúailnge

It had taken months, an excruciating and offensively long amount of time to finally lure Chulainn into her bed.  The Morrigan had never wanted something so badly as the Celt who at first didn’t seem to want her. 

No, he had been wooed by the glamour of war, distracted by battle and blood.  The call of the fight blinding him to her appeal. 

She’d used every trick in her book, transformed herself into a cow, a wolf, and an eel, pulled out old spells and enchantments she’d not used before. 

And best of all, she had the hero thinking he’d done it all on his own.

Silly male.

The wind howled across the grassy hills so that they sounded like waves crashing over the bodies still scattered from the day’s victory.  The tent’s canvas walls cracked at its will.  It sang to them a haunting ballad, warning of a bone-chilling cold. 

But inside the tent was warm and toasty, the ground covered in thick pelts of fur. 

In the middle of the pile, Morrigan lay naked, her pale skin stark against the dark fur. 

Nested between her thighs, her hero covered her body like he was a god as well, his tanned and scarred form beautiful to her. 

“My greatest victory,” he declared over her.

Holding himself up on his elbow, he ran a rough hand up her stomach and across her breast.

“Aye, Celt. You won me, now what will you do with me?”

Rich wine hung on his breath; blood still stained the braids in his hair.  He smiled over her like he smiled over any other of his conquests, before a dark look shadowed his features.

“I’ll ruin ye for any other,” he warned her, his eyes hard.

  After the battle had been won, he’d taken her to his tent and laid her down, waiting not long to ravage her.

The first time he entered her, it had left her shocked and trembling.  Trembling because of how perfect they fit together, as though made for each other. 

As though some greater being had crafted them from the same piece of soul, broke them apart and sent them to earth to find each other. 

Now his cock buried deep inside her sex, filling her completely, he held her gaze as he thrust, slow and languorous, ripping a gasp from her lungs each time.

She’d had plenty of lovers before him, but she didn’t think she could have another after him.  She would know the feel of his cock forever, would never forget the way he fit.  He was right when he said he’d ruin her for any other.

 With every movement her slick folds clenched around his engorged shaft, something astonishing happened.  His eyes flashed an eerie red light. 

It was dark and erotic.  And unlike anything she’d seen in a human.  Godlike and slightly demonic.

His hips moved against her, picking up speed, pressing her deeper into the pallet.  His eyes glowed now, she knew his climax was close.  It matched her own, demanded her body answer its call.

He claimed her mouth, his kiss rough and insistent.  Between hungry devouring of her tongue, he breathed out, “Ye ur mine, goddess.”

“Yes…yes, human.”

“Say sae,” he ordered. “Say mah nam, say ye ur mine.

“I am yours, Chulainn,” she gasped, arching her back, meeting his thrusts with her own. Her orgasm threatened to madden her. “Only yours.”

“Mine,” he grunted.  “Mine, gu síorraid.”

“Forever…” she repeated.

Morrie awoke, her eyes snapping open to discover her dream did not follow her to reality and the fact that she hadn’t wanted it to, was just more evidence of the change Kade was making in her. 

For a moment though, disorientation had her wondering if the arm draped over her hip wasn’t Chulainn’s. 

Slowly, she looked over her shoulder.  Kade still slept, his breathing slow and deep.  The rising sun set the amber in his hair aflame, lighted his golden skin like an angel’s halo.

Gods, he was so beautiful. 

Not even Chulainn could compare to the man lying beside her. 

The Celt had been appealing in a rugged way, but his nose was bent from too many brawls and his skin scarred from too many torments.  She had found it attractive back then.

But Kade’s warmth and perfection gutted her in a way Chulainn never had.  And beyond the physical attraction, Kade had endeavored something more.

The Scot had worked his way under her skin, taken residence within her heart.  She didn’t know when he had started calling her love instead of lass, but she knew it turned her insides to liquid. 

If anyone could make her break her promise to Chulainn, it would be him.  But she couldn’t let that happen.  Not just yet.

Once again, though it ripped her heart to do so, Morrie slipped away from Kade’s arms and out of his bed.

Tip-toeing to her own room, she stole inside and quickly dressed.  But as she pulled a sweater down over her chest, she stopped. 

Flashing red eyes…eerily familiar words…
I’ll ruin ye for any other.
 

It wasn’t possible…

With the Clydesdales fed and set loose in the corral, Morrie paced the space between their stalls, staring at the cell phone in her hand. 

She had taken on all the horses’ needs since Danny couldn’t be found. 

Lorna had seemed pretty miffed when Morrie asked about the stable boy, ranting about all there was to do outside, so Morrie quickly took on the job and left her alone.

It wasn’t the day for him to call in sick.  Morrie was troubled by doubts and thoughts that spread like a plague and the last thing she needed was to be anchored down by chores because the hired help needed some
me
time. 

She didn’t know what to do! 

Her mind was in such a jumble.  Her head, a mess. 

Was Chulainn so caught in her mind that she projected him onto Kade?  Imagined similarities between the men that weren’t actually there. 

It seemed every time she and Kade grew closer, Chulainn barged back in her mind. 

She wanted to be with Kade, she knew that now.  Admitted it to herself, finally. 

But still a ghost haunted her, held her back.  And as long as he did, she couldn’t let anything more happen with Kade.  Couldn’t let him think any more was possible.

Somehow she had to rid herself of Chulainn before she could have a life with Kade.  And was that what she even wanted?  A life with Kade? 

A soft voice whispered inside her,
Yes
.

She couldn’t wait anymore.  Sliding her thumb across the screen of her phone, she called her sister.

After several rings, the phone picked up to what sounded like full-blown mayhem on the other end. 

Sirens screamed, music blared and several people argued with each other while beneath it all swam an undercurrent of pained moaning.

“Hu-hiiii,” Bev answered like she’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “How goes it?”

“Well—”

Before Morrie could say anything more, Bev cut her off, yelling away from the phone. “Hey, you vamp bitch! You drop any of that blood on these suede Manolo boots and I’m going to be wearing your fangs for earrings.” Back to the phone, “So, yeah. Hi, sis.  What’s up?”

“Crazy night on the town?” Morrie asked.

“You could say that—Artie, keep it together!  The truck is supposed to go between the yellow line and the white line.  Mustard and Mayonnaise, be the meat!—Actually, shit’s going down.  Like down to O-town.”

“Who’s Artie?”

“…Artemis.” 

Morrie almost choked.  The Greek moon goddess of the hunt?!  How? “What? And did you just call someone a vamp bitch?”

“Yep.”

“But you meant it metaphorically.”

“Nope.”  Obviously Bev had bigger problems than Morrie’s fucked up little love triangle.

“What’s going on?”

“So, you know how we were all,” Bev adopted a deep, ominous announcer-style tone, “
We are not alone…?”

“Yeah…” Morrie doubted she wanted to hear what was about to follow.  It never ended well when Bev was made nervous.

“We’re totally not alone.  Like, we’re in some Close Encounters of the Twilight Kind here, Morrie.”

“With actual vampires?”

“Vampires and werewolves and were-bears, oh my!”

“Were-bears?” Morrie cried.

“Well, no, not were-bears.  I just said that because it sounded cool.”

“
Jesus
,” Morrie exhaled.

“Dude, if he shows up, I’m bouncing.”

“So much for discretion,” Morrie sighed.  She heard more loud noises, metal objects shifting and banging, a lot of cursing. “Bev, if you’re busy…”

“Yeah, I kinda need to go.  This werewolf is bleeding out all over the place and Artemis keeps swerving into the wrong lane.  You’d think a Greek goddess could handle one human ambulance,” she started to laugh. “And she’s actually developed a fear of blood!” A female voice cursed in Ancient Greek in the background. “You’re a gyno, for fuck’s sake! How do you faint at the sight of blood?” More cursing. “Do you kiss your hot brother with that mouth?” Back to Morrie, Bev purred, “You should see Apollo now.” She let out a low whistle.