Come Fill Me (The Prophecy) (29 page)

“There’s nothing you can do,” Munez said.

He spoke with such finality Zeke had to stop himself from striking the man. He didn’t want to hear the truth that he’d tried to protect Liz and failed. He’d put his clan and brother at risk to see to her safety, and it still had come to this. Losing someone else he loved, just as he had Gabrielle. Being left alone again with nothing to live for.

“Please,” her father begged.

Too weary to fight any longer, Zeke lowered Liz to the floor, then took her hand, holding it between his.

Munez cradled her face in his palms. “My dear sweet daughter, I’m so sorry. I never wanted to have to do this. It’s not fair leaving you with this burden.”

Zeke stopped squeezing her fingers. What burden?

Munez continued, “I warned you about our gift. I told you there were things about it that you didn’t understand. Now, I have to show you.”

He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs.

Zeke frowned. Had some of the awful redness drained from her face? No. It wasn’t possible. The lights in here must have gotten brighter.

“Come back,” Munez whispered.

What in the fuck was he talking about? “What are you doing?” Zeke asked, then stared at her hand. Had her fingers moved?

“What’s happening?” he shouted at her father. “She’s gone. There was no pulse. She can’t be healed. Why are you doing this?”

“Because I love her too,” Munez said. “I have to bring her back.”

On the other side, Liz hugged her mother. The woman was no more substantial than smoke and yet Liz felt her warmth. She caught the sweet scent of bath powder her mother had always used. It reminded her of warm spring days spent at the park, sitting at the kitchen table, coloring Easter eggs with her parents. Laughing. Feeling safe enough to act with the recklessness of youth.

“Papa wants me to return,” she said, his power coaxing her, sending a flash of pain through her body, followed by ribbons of exquisite heat and comfort.

Her mother smoothed down Liz’s hair. “I know.”

“I died, Mama.” Carreon had killed her. It was over, and yet Liz felt Zeke holding her hand, her fingers curling over his. A sensation more powerful than her father’s gift rushed through her.

“Papa’s bringing you back,” her mother said.

Liz didn’t understand, and then she did, everything falling into place. Not only could her father heal, he could reanimate, which meant she could too. A secret he’d kept all these years, simply warning her to be careful with her gift, that she didn’t understand everything about it.

“Why didn’t he tell me?” Liz cried.

“Because he loves you.” Her mother eased back and cupped Liz’s chin in her hand. “If Carreon or his father had known the true extent of the power, their attacks would have been even more vicious. They wouldn’t have feared anything, not with Papa and you available to reanimate them. They would have lost all control.” She sighed. “Many times your father lied to keep from healing the fallen, telling Carreon they were too far gone to help or that he could only bring them so far, which left them in a vegetative state. He also lied to protect you. You need to remember that when you’re back.”

Liz clung to her mother, not wanting to leave just yet. “Papa could have at least saved you. Why didn’t he?”

“Oh, baby, they were watching him all the time. If he’d brought me back, Carreon would have understood just how great his power and yours is. He would have imprisoned both of you in order to control it. Your father couldn’t chance that happening. I wouldn’t have wanted him to.”

She buried her face in her mother’s shoulder. “I miss you so much.”

“I’ll always be here. Now go. Your father needs you.”

“Mama, no, not yet!”
Just a few more minutes, please.

“Liz?”

She started at her father’s voice, gaping at his mussed hair, the abrasions on his cheeks, his torn clothing. “What happened?” she cried, touching him. “Did Carreon do that to you?”

“I’m all right,” he said. “Zeke saved me.”

What? Liz turned, seeing the wonder on his rugged face, the tears glistening in his eyes.

She hadn’t been hallucinating about him holding her hand. “You’re really here.”

“Where else would I be?”

He didn’t give her a chance to answer, pulling her into his arms and hugging her so hard Liz could barely breathe. She pressed her palms against his naked back, loving the smoothness and heat of his skin. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

“Fuck that,” he whispered. “You and your father are coming with me.”

“Back to your stronghold?”

“Yeah.” He continued to whisper, “Tell your father I’m a good guy and everything’s going to be all right.”

“Is it?”

“Do you have any doubt?”

Liz had to smile at his arrogant tone. “And if I do?”

“I’ll deal with that later, in our bedroom.” He released her. “Go on, hug your father.”

Liz did, telling him that Zeke was one freaking amazing man.

“Well, he did rescue me,” her father said.

“He is so cool,” Liz boasted.

Zeke tried to ignore her, but she saw his blush. He spoke into his two-way radio. “How’s everything?”

There was a bit of static, then Jacob’s voice. “The situation’s under control.”

Didn’t sound like it to Liz. Pain laced his words. “Was he hit?” she asked.

Zeke put up his hand, wanting her to be quiet, and spoke to his brother “What’s been happening?”

“Aaron said we captured two of Carreon’s men. The others are dead. Three escaped.”

Worry flickered across Zeke’s face. He didn’t have to tell Liz that those men were headed here.

“How long ago?” he asked.

“Just a few minutes.”

“I’m at Carreon’s stronghold,” Zeke said. “The prick got away. I have Liz and her father. We’re leaving now. Tell Aaron, Ike and Paul to be at the tunnel’s entrance, guarding it for our arrival.”

“Is Liz okay?” Jacob asked.

Zeke didn’t answer immediately. Whatever he thought about Jacob still craving her, he kept well hidden. “We’re all good. See you in a bit.”

He secured the radio to one of his waistband’s loops and helped Liz’s father to his feet. Dr. Munez sagged against him.

“What’s wrong with your leg?” Liz asked the man.

“I twisted my ankle, that’s all.”

She sank to her knees and laid her hands on him, healing the injury.

“We need to leave,” Zeke said.

They hurried to the Jeep. Once Dr. Munez was inside, Liz stopped Zeke from opening her door, her palm on his chest.

“We don’t have time for this now,” he said, his gaze darting everywhere, watching for Carreon’s men while his hand went to her ass. Out of her father’s view, of course.

“I wasn’t going to kiss you,” she said, moving into his arms.

“No? That’s too bad.” He slung his arm around her waist, pulled her as close as he could, and captured her mouth, plunging his tongue inside.

Liz’s knees bumped into his. She wrapped her arms around his middle and snuggled even closer. If she could have, Liz would have crawled inside of him.

He finished their kiss and swatted her butt. “Go on, get inside.”

She didn’t. “Carreon has more men than the ones who fought tonight. More than you can imagine.”

“So? My people will continue to fight them. We’ll win. Tell me you believe that.”

She touched the side of his mouth. “I worry about you.”

“Carreon won’t defeat me. Not with you at my side to bring me back.”

“Don’t say that,” she cried. “I don’t want to have to reanimate you.”

“You think I do?”

Liz sighed. “What about Jacob?”

“He was hit, not killed. Once we’re back, you’ll heal him, and he’ll be as good as new.”

“I’m talking about him wanting you to share me.”

Zeke’s expression changed. His shoulders sagged. “He’ll have to understand you’re mine, only mine. Now get in.”

This time, he pushed her inside and slammed the door. Seconds later, he drove them toward his stronghold, using a different route than she had.

Once Liz made certain her father was all right, she didn’t speak. Nor did Zeke. The path he took was indistinct in the moonlight, her future and his unknown and dangerous.

She wouldn’t have had it any other way. Resting her palm on his thigh, she knew only one thing—they’d face tomorrow together.

About the Author

Tina Donahue is an award-winning, bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance for Samhain Publishing, Ellora’s Cave, and Kensington
. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly,
Romantic Times
and numerous online sites have praised her work. Three of her erotic romances were named finalists in the 2011 EPIC competition. The French review site, Blue Moon reviews, chose one of her erotic romances as their Book of the Year 2010 (erotic category). The Golden Nib Award at Miz Love Loves Books was created specifically for one of her erotic romances. Her erotic paranormal
The Yearning
and another of her titles received an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competition (2011 and 2012). Two of her titles won second place in the NEC RWA competition (different years). Tina is featured in the 2012 Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. She was the editor of an award–winning Midwestern newspaper and worked in Story Direction for a Hollywood production company.

Email:
[email protected]

Website/blog:
www.tinadonahue.com

Twitter:
www.twitter.com/tinadonahue

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Look for these titles by Tina Donahue

Now Available:

The Yearning

Outlawed Realm

Unending Desire

Illicit Desire

His hunger for one woman will make him a traitor to his world.

Unending Desire

© 2011 Tina Donahue

Outlawed Realm, Book 1

From a portal in his lab on E2, one of the five dimension of Earth, quantum physicist Nikoli Zorr gazes on everything forbidden to him. Passion. Desire. The exquisite pleasure of running his hands over the lush curves of a young woman he should have stopped watching weeks ago.

His duty is to close the portals that keep the monsters out of E2—and never interfere with the inevitable fate of those on the other side. Yet he can’t bring himself to abandon the woman who has captured his soul.

Psychologist Regina Page is trying to keep her mind on her client, and off the mysterious, unbearable sexual cravings that consume her when she’s alone in her bedroom. The next moment she’s attacked by vampires, then swept into another realm by a stranger whose touch awakens that same raw desire. Whose eyes are already filled with farewell.

Yet beneath their undeniable carnal lust, something else stirs. The beginnings of illicit love. The unexpected need to protect
him
. Even if it means risking body, blood and soul to defeat the merciless horde…for a future that was never meant to be.

Warning: Contains a repressed scientist who likes to look, and the woman who delights in unleashing his inner caveman. And sex hot enough burn a hole in all three dimensions…and maybe create a whole new one.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Unending Desire:

Nikoli glanced at Regina’s hand, chiding himself for having followed her here, for wanting to be near her before Sazaar arrived. A foolhardy act that wouldn’t change anything. It wasn’t as though he could tell Regina what to expect. A horror she wouldn’t believe until it unfolded before her.

Fearful of behaving inappropriately, of running her off and losing his only chance to be this close, Nikoli lifted his hand. After weeks of fantasizing about touching her, he cautioned himself to temper his reaction.

The warning did little good.

Longing he’d never experienced stole his breath as he clasped her exquisitely soft fingers, his thumb stroking hers.

Lids sliding down, Regina parted her lips on a quiet sigh. Color rose to her cheeks, the same as it had this morning in her bath when he’d watched her, hungering to touch and taste every inch of her flesh. To smell it. A pleasure unknown in his dimension.

On E2, sterile air replaced all fragrances, a matter deemed necessary to keep the populace disease-free. Here, the scent of food, drink and muggy rain bombarded Nikoli. Even so, it wasn’t enough to keep him from catching Regina’s fragrance. Light and faintly sweet, it reminded him of what her people called vanilla and peaches.

Blood rushed to his groin, pooling in his cock. Another word from her realm. A language Nikoli had learned over the years as he’d monitored the spontaneously occurring portals, never realizing he’d someday cross through one he had created into a dimension more electrifying than he could have ever imagined.