Ian looked up at her when she touched his arm, which became his undoing. Cassie’s exquisite dark eyes searched his in open hope. He became acutely aware of her mesmerizing beauty. Months had passed since he had enjoyed the love of a woman. Suddenly a familiar ache nagged him. Cassie must have sensed the need. She moved in quickly. Ian dropped the wrench he held as her hands moved beneath his shirt and over the muscles of his chest. She pushed his shirt up.
“I need you, baby,” she whispered, sliding one hand between his legs. She stroked him on top of his jeans.
Ian released a deep sigh. Three months of sexual tension had left him vulnerable. He fell under her spell with ease and Flame’s warning fell to the back of his mind. When her lips touched his, he didn’t resist. She had become extraordinarily engaging. He needed to
feel
again.
Cassie pushed him back on the floor and straddled his waist. As she unzipped the jeans hiding her much-needed life force, her sensuous mouth covered him with kisses. With closed eyes, Ian ran his hands up her silky legs, pushing the flimsy skirt away. He tugged her panties to the side. A powerful bizarre craving overcame him as she threw her head back while grinding her hips against him.
His groin throbbed for relief. Aware only of the burning need inside, he lost sight of the lives at stake. He allowed her to remove his clothes. Skillfully her hands and lips worked him over, driving him to the brink of madness. Unable to hold back another moment, Ian caved to the ache for release. In a sudden move, he rolled her over and thrust into her wanton body. He took her hard and fast.
“Yessss…” she whispered when his seed surged into her.
Mad with uncanny craving for the wicked woman, he refused to stop and repeatedly spilled his release, as if driven by a supernatural force. She greedily welcomed his surrender. Ian rolled onto his back, giving her the freedom to do as she liked. A look of sheer bliss swept over her face as she drained him. When he had nothing left to give, she tried to pull away but he held tight. Consumed by crazed desire, he refused to pull out or release her.
“You saved me,” she murmured.
“Then in return, you will satisfy me all night long, woman. I’ve been horny as hell for months.”
“The night is still young.” She smiled seductively.
Ian felt energy returning to his traitorous body and prepared to take her again.
Chapter Thirteen
An uneasy knot formed in the pit of her stomach as Flame meditated over Ian’s account of what happened on the beach. She’d watched his expressions and body language as he spoke.
I did not sense he was lying, but did he see things clearly?
Even she had trouble believing this one.
I met Cassie. She was wonderful. I just can’t see her doing this.
Her heart sank over this new more serious crisis. Cassie had supposedly given herself to the incubus and was running loose. She had no doubt that imminent trouble lurked in the very near future even if the details Ian had relayed panned out to be a little off. Something had pushed him to a near breakdown.
Flame struggled to wrap her mind around the ramifications if what Ian said was accurate. She’d watched Von die.
Does he truly have this much power?
“What do you think?” she asked Raef. “You know Ian better than anyone. He lived, breathed, and slept the Satellite for years. Is he over the edge?”
“He looked shattered.”
“We better go check on him.” She glanced at the time on her cell phone. “He’s been home less than an hour. He couldn’t have gotten into much trouble yet.”
“Let’s hope.”
They kicked their bikes into gear then sped off down the dark interstate. Flame loved that Raef rode fast. A breath of fresh air compared to Hatch, who’d insisted on poking along at the speed limit on his fancy touring bike. She loved the feel of the wind on her face and in her hair, the mean growl of her Harley and the raw power between her thighs when going full throttle. Raef glanced over and gave her an encouraging wink as they raced side-by-side.
In less than an hour they pulled into the drive of Ian’s luxurious home. “Wow, what a great house,” she muttered after cutting the engine. “You guys have it made out here.”
“We like it. The weather is great for riding just about all year round.” He grabbed her hand. “C’mon, let’s go see how our friend is holding up.”
Flame pointed to the service door of the garage. “He must be in the garage.”
“Stop.” Raef pulled her back. “Ian never uses that door let alone leaves it open.”
Silently, she withdrew her daggers as they crept closer. Very cautiously, Raef peeked through one of the square panes of the main door. When he turned around his face was painted with horror.
“Is she in there?” Flame whispered.
Raef gave a nod. “It’s bad…really bad.”
She stood on tiptoes to peer inside, not making a sound. Though the urge to gasp came upon her, Flame controlled herself. Tears misted her vision as she stared at Cassie straddling Ian, who lay naked on the garage floor. Her skirt was torn and they were locked in an intense mating. A crescent shaped mark on Cassie’s forehead glowed eerily, like a strange birthmark coated in iridescent paint.
Oh no! No, no, no! Not this!
Flame swung around and pressed her back against the door, breathing heavily. “I can’t believe he didn’t listen to me.”
Raef laid a comforting hand alongside her face. “What will happen to him?”
“I think you already know.”
“No…Flame.” His voice was barely audible, yet she heard the desperation and the sorrow. “Not Ian, he’s my best friend.”
“I’m sorry. We have no choice. Cassie was mated
and
marked by the Satellite. I doubt he will kill her ,as she was used for a higher purpose. Every male she mates will become a creeper. Not only did he use Cassie to restore his wretched soul, but he’s also using her to create more fiends.”
“If Ian hadn’t come to us, we’d never know.” Raef looked away. “I can’t do this.”
Flame’s brows shot up. “Can’t, or won’t?”
When he looked at her again, she saw the pain in his eyes and realized she was once again on her own against the Satellite’s spell.
“Will you at least keep watch while I handle this?”
“Of course.” He stared at her with pleading eyes. “Are you sure there’s no other way?”
“I will strike Cassie first and see what happens. I’m sorry but this is what I am trained to do. We do not back down…ever.”
He gripped both her shoulders. “If it was anyone else, anyone but Ian, I’d be in there with you. I cannot kill him. He’s been like a brother to me.”
She stared back with little emotion. She couldn’t afford to feel right now. “I understand.” After pulling a small tin of accelerant and a lighter from the jacket of her pocket, she drew a deep calming breath.
“Where did you find those?”
“Sshh…I picked them up at a rest stop along the way…just in case. A smart warrior is always prepared for the unexpected.”
He didn’t question further.
Flame hated this assignment. Killing a woman was something she never thought she’d be forced to do.
But is Cassie really a woman anymore?
She doubted it, by the way she was riding Ian with the glowing mark on her forehead.
The once stunning Cassie is now a tool of the Satellite. Everything Ian said must really be true.
Flame committed each detail to memory, knowing this was only the beginning of something bigger and more terrifying.
She slunk along the brick wall. Using her years of training, she approached with the stealth of a lioness stalking its prey. Ian’s groans resonated off the concrete walls. Cassie’s purring voice could be heard urging him on. They sounded solidly rapt in the mating, which would be her edge.
Hunkered down alongside a row of motorcycles, she inched her way along in a squatting position until the two lovers came into view. She’d managed to gain a good angle on the pair with Cassie’s back toward her. With Ian flat on the floor, Flame doubted he’d see her coming until it was too late.
Ever so quietly and taking great care, she doused her blades with lighter fluid, flicked the wheel of her lighter and lit the daggers. She didn’t waste a single second in order to prevent the flames from eating the fuel before she could strike. Flame sprung into the open directly behind Cassie.
The woman’s head jerked around at the sudden movement behind her. Ian looked up.
“No!” he shouted.
Flame wasted no time. She raised her blades overhead then immediately brought them down, plunging both daggers into Cassie’s heart.
Ear-piercing screams filled the garage as Cassie burst into flames. Ian struggled to get out from under her but their bodies appeared to be locked. He couldn’t escape the animalistic mating. Flame pulled her blades back and stood poised to strike again if necessary.
Cassie flailed about with wild eyes, shaking her head and clearly trying to fight her imminent demise. Her long black hair whipping back and forth was all Flame could see amidst the foul smelling smoke. She covered her nose to block out the stench but did not look away. This was an enemy that must die and she had to see it through despite the emotional impact. Within minutes Cassie began to fade. Her thrashing ceased and her body slumped over Ian’s. Another several minutes later the black-haired beauty had completely turned to ash.
Flame peered through the smoke, praying against all odds that Ian had survived. At first she felt hopeful. He gazed up at her with wide eyes.
“What happened, Flame?”
“Ian…are you okay?”
“I-I think so.” Slowly he got to his feet and brushed the ash from his body with brisk strokes. “Where are my clothes?” He seemed confused.
“Over there.”
“I feel drained. Thank God you came along in time.” He strolled over to retrieve his clothes.
Flame gasped when her gaze was drawn to the floor.
No!
Tears blurred her eyes. Ian had walked right through a pile of ash yet left no footprints. She needed to be sure. Frantically, she looked around the garage and spied a water cooler just a couple feet away. With one wild swing of her blade, the glass shattered and water flooded the floor.
“What are you doing?” He shot her a bewildered look.
“Just checking.”
“On what?” He walked toward her after pulling on his jeans. His bare feet made contact with a trail of water on the floor. When he stepped onto the dry concrete—no tracks!
“Oh, Ian…why?” She stared with sad eyes.
He glanced at the floor then at her. An eerie glimmer shone in his eyes. Then his focus went to her daggers and he began to back away as if instinct already overrode what his mind believed.
Flame realized that he now possessed superhuman strength. There was no time to light the daggers. She prayed he was only a creeper and had not obtained the level of power that Cassie had. Though she swore she’d not allow herself to feel, sorrow rose in her soul anyway. With Ian backed against the wall, she prepared to strike.
In an unanticipated move, he grabbed her blade with one hand before the point pierced his skin. He was strong, very strong. She held tight to the handle as they fought for possession. But Ian failed to see her left hand coming. With lightning speed and expert precision, Flame drove her second Sai straight through his chest.
His hands dropped to his side, freeing his grip from the dagger. She withdrew the dagger from his body and leapt back as he followed Cassie in the same manner to wherever fiends such as these went. When the smoke cleared, Flame sat back on one of the bikes and breathed. Tears threatened to break through but she forced them back. No way would she cry over a weak man or a wicked woman. Though she’d considered this couple her friends, they’d made fatal choices.
She wondered what on earth could’ve driven Cassie and moreover, why Ian had ignored her warning. She could only surmise, from her own experience, that the powers of the Satellite had been severely underestimated.
“He’s gone, isn’t he?” Raef appeared at her side.
“I’m sorry. He left me no choice.”
They walked from the garage to their bikes. Flame cleaned her blades with a cloth from her saddlebags. Raef seemed entrenched in thought. She didn’t know what to say to ease his pain.
“There is a lot you didn’t know about me. My life is not all sugar trees and crystal waters.”
He stared at her with intense emotion shimmering in those big blue eyes. “I see that now. When Ian came up with the idea to enlist your help, I never imagined this. Do you think he’d still be alive if he’d kept his nose out of it?”
“Hard to say. Cassie was carrying the seed of a very powerful and determined incubus. I don’t know what they’d have done to Ian. My guess is that his fate was sealed when he hooked up with Cassie.”
“I need to tell Coop. How do I tell a man like him something like this?”
“Very carefully.”
“Are you coming with me?”
She shook her head. “I must return to the village and meet with the Supreme Lioness. You heard her.”
“Yeah…she left out a few things though. She could’ve told us a bit more, don’t you think?”
Flame wrinkled her brows in disapproval. “She was interpreting my dream, not looking into a crystal ball. We are a sisterhood, not fortune tellers.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any disrespect.” He pulled her into a loving embrace. “When will you leave again?”
“In the morning.”
“Would you like me to come with you? Now that we know the Satellite is out there somewhere, I am worried about you traveling alone.”
“My ruler asked for a private meeting. I should go alone. With Naami in heat, your presence might be too distracting for everyone right now.”
He let out a heavy sigh. “Will you return to me after your trip to the colony?”
She looked up at his face. “Do you want me to?”
“Yes, definitely yes.”
“I just killed your best friend.”
He placed a lingering affectionate kiss on her forehead. “Ian forced your hand. You didn’t ask for this battle. Ian saw what you are, invited you out here, then pleaded for your help on the first night of your arrival. It’s clear he didn’t plan a social event. I am shattered over his death, but you are not to blame.”