Destiny Bewitched (20 page)

She was vaguely aware
of his strangled shout and fingers digging into her hips as warm
fluid surged inside her. She slumped, sated, onto the mattress.

Geo rolled onto his
back and pulled her into his arms. She nuzzled her face into the
crook of his neck, inhaling his masculine scent.

“Mmm,” she hummed. “I
think this is my favorite spot in the Underworld.”

“The bed?”

“No. Your arms.” She
nestled in closer and let her eyes drift shut. “My face buried in
your neck. You smell so good and –”

“I love you.”

Her eyes snapped open
and her body tensed.
What?
She stopped breathing. He loved her? A warm
feeling started in her chest and spread to the rest of her body. A
smile lifted her lips. She squirmed a bit. He loved her. Why did
she feel all…floaty?

I’ve never been loved
by a man.

“Samantha.” He tried to
shift so he could see her but she buried her face further.

She couldn’t look at
him without falling apart.

He gave up with a sigh.
“I know I shouldn’t. I know we have no future together. But I’m not
sorry for saying it. And I’ll never regret feeling it.” He paused.
The sounds of the crowd permeated around them, dragging her from
the numb daze.

“The selfish part of me
wants to beg you to stay here with me,” he said, running his
fingers up and down her arm. “But not only does your sister need
you, I don’t want you to miss out on a real life. You deserve your
dream. Your white picket fence, your orange-haired kids, and a
devoted husband to grow old with.” He buried his nose in her hair
and kissed the top of her head. After a few moments, he said
quietly, “But I’m afraid.” She heard him swallow hard, betraying
the emotion he tried to keep in check. “I’m afraid of living
without you. I’m afraid it won’t be a life at all.”

Tears welled in her
eyes. Her throat hurt from choking back her sobs.

“Say something,” he
whispered. “Please.”

Wetness leaked from her
eyes and ran down onto his neck, where she wiped it away with her
fingertip. She took a deep breath. “Geo, I…” What on earth could
she say to that? He wasn’t what she’d pictured for a husband. For
one, she didn’t imagine a horned alpha male in leather. But life
was full of surprises. She hadn’t known she’d take comfort in his
companionable silence either. Or that gentle teasing would make her
smile no matter how bad things seemed. She hadn’t expected her
knees would shake at a naughty demand and a stern look. Or that her
heart would melt at a gesture as small as sharing a piece of
fruit.

The truth hit her like
a knife to the gut. She loved him too.

More tears fell but she
found her voice. “I’ll find a way to bring you Topside. I’ll work
day and night. There must be a way.”

He hugged her tighter
and kissed her head. “I know you will, love. You do that. But if
you should meet a man –”

She shook her head and
opened her mouth to speak.

With a little squeeze,
he cut her off. “Listen. Don’t you dare hold yourself back for me.
Please, Samantha. The only way I’ll know peace is if I know you’ll
move on when it’s time.”

She turned her head and
looked up at him. “You’re the one who said hope is what carries us
through dark times. Are you changing your story?”

“No, love. But there
are times when hope is a lie. It keeps us blind when we should be
seeking other options.”

She grunted. “Funny how
that works to your purpose.”

He chuckled and kissed
the tip of her nose.

Nestling against his
chest again, she stared at the wall. “I love you too, Geo. And I’ll
find a way to get you out of here.” With steely resolve, she
squeezed her arms around him. “I will.”

But they both knew it
was an empty promise.

Geo woke to find the
other side of the bed empty. Heart racing, he jumped up and scanned
the room. Samantha was gone. But so were her clothes, satchel, and
sword. She wasn’t taken – she’d left on her own. A note written on
the back of the door in chalk confirmed it.

Outside. Love Sam.

With a deep sigh, he
rubbed his bleary face. They needed to have a talk about her
communication skills.

He dressed and armed
himself then went to hunt down the woman he’d professed his love
to. Her note was less than helpful. Good thing he had an enhanced
sense of smell and her scent was so ingrained in him – like a brand
of possession.

He found her outside
the arena, sparring with Aedan.

“Pivot on your right
foot,” Aedan told her, pointing with a long stick. “No, lass. Your
stance is too narrow.”

“I tried to tell her
that.” Geo moved in behind her.

She spun around with a
wide smile that captured his heart. He returned the smile. To his
surprise, she dropped her sword then flung her arms around his neck
and kissed him. He inhaled her sweet scent, feeling the tension
leave his shoulders.

“Mmm,” he murmured
against her lips. “I like this greeting.” What was she so happy
about? Did she forget they still had to save her sister? And when
that was done, she’d leave him to return Topside. And they’d likely
never see each other again.

She squeezed his neck
harder. Maybe she was relishing their last moments as he was.

“What’s all this
about?” he asked, rubbing his hand up and down her back, memorizing
every curve.

“I love you,” she
choked out.

He nipped her lip. “Say
it again.”

“I love you.”

Cupping her ass, he
pulled her hard against him. “More.”

She leaned away with a
twinkle in her eye. “No more or you’ll use up your quota for the
day.”

“Quota? No such thing
when it comes to love. Now say it again or I’ll punish you in front
of Aedan.” To accentuate his threat, he patted her behind
gently.

She giggled then
reached up on her toes to whisper in his ear, “I love you.”

An incredible feeling
of comfort swept through him. He was already addicted to it. And
he’d meant what he’d said last night – a life without Samantha
wouldn’t be a life at all. How would he manage? If he was smart
he’d back off – spare her heart and his. But sometimes he was a
selfish bastard. And he was going to soak this up as much as he
could before he lost her. Forever. A painful pit of despair lodged
in his chest, but he ignored it in favor of tasting her mouth
again.

Samantha removed her
arms from around his neck and pulled away from his mouth. “Now let
me go so I can kick Aedan’s ass.”

A peck on her forehead
and nose then one on each cheek had her laughing before he let her
go.

He watched her hips
sway as she walked back to the grinning Aedan.

“Wipe that look off
your face,
fae
, and fight me like a man.” Turning back to Geo,
she added, “Why don’t you get us some breakfast while we practice
for our next fight? Aedan thinks we’re up against a
half-dragon.”

“Practice all you want,
love, but you’ll be in a protection circle again.” He gave her a
stern look, which she ignored. “This time
stay
in it.”

She gaped. “Are you
kidding me? After last time you’re still going to suggest a stupid
chalk circle? It’s weak, you know. It won’t hold up against a
powerful creature.”

“Oh no, love, I’m not
suggesting.” He lowered his voice. “I’m demanding.”

The witch actually had
the nerve to roll her eyes. Then she beseeched Aedan for help. “Say
something. He’s lost all sense of reason.”

Aedan put his hands up
in surrender. “I know better than to get between a man and his
mate.”

She furrowed her brow.
“Mate? What are you –”

Grabbing her by the
nape, he tugged her into his body. He took her mouth in a punishing
kiss. She tried to pull away but he wouldn’t let her. She fought
for a moment then melted into him. He would’ve taken her right then
and there if they didn’t have an audience. In fact, she’d cheated
him this morning by leaving before he woke. When he felt her
muscles relax in surrender, he stopped the kiss.

She pulled back,
looking a little shaken. Her eyes were wide and her lips bright
red. Her chest heaved with each breath. He smiled inside. He liked
that he could throw her off guard with just a kiss.

“I’ll talk to Aedan.”
He took her hand and placed a few coins in it. “Go get
breakfast.”

Seeming to gather her
wits a bit, she nodded and turned toward the mountain.

“And Samantha,” he
called. When she turned around he told her, “You better get
something for yourself or you’ll not be fighting at all.”

A small fire burned in
her eyes and her jaw clenched, but she nodded stiffly.

Unable to resist a
little tease, he smiled and said, “That’s a good girl.”

Her eyes narrowed.
“Right. Two egg platters and a bucket of hay for the ass.”

Without another word
she spun around and stomped into the tunnel, leaving him grinning
at her back.

Silly man. Giving ridiculous commands,
thinking I’ll obey
.

She chuckled and shook
her head as she made her way through the empty tunnel. The sounds
of the crowd gradually increased the closer she got. The sereneness
of being outside that morning made the gruesome noise of the
fighting that much worse. And Aedan thought they’d have to fight
The Blood Plague – a vampire, a fae, and her biggest concern, a
half-dragon.

But how could she stay
focused on that with the taste of Geo still on her lips? She’d been
a little dizzy from his mind-numbing kiss – the one he’d given as a
message. She hadn’t decided if it chaffed her pride or made her so
horny she would’ve stripped for him in the middle of the games ring
if he’d asked her to.

Mine
, was his message. And damn if
she didn’t feel like it.

A shiver rocked her as
she entered the arena. She liked the feeling of being his. The
warm, fuzzy sensation of being loved, safe, and protected overrode
her feminine pride.

But did it matter? How
long did they have together anyway?

Her sister was still
top priority but even in this dangerous, sick and twisted world,
she was thankful for every moment she had with Geo. Her shoulders
slumped. It wasn’t fair that she couldn’t keep him. Unlucky was her
middle name.

The smell of food
permeated the air as she came upon the peddlers and food stands.
She peered through the steam and busy attendants, looking for
something that resembled breakfast. A tall, slender woman with
pointed ears walked by, carrying a bowl of fresh fruit.

Fruit! Her mouth
watered just thinking about it.

She made her way
through the maze in search of a fruit stand. A familiar cry rose up
over the crowd and made her freeze.

“Sam!”

Nikki?

Her blood chilled and
she spun around, desperately searching for a sign of her sister.
Steam and carts of food and people stood in her way. A distant
shriek echoed across the arena.

She panicked. “Move!”
she yelled, pushing through the crowds, following the sound of her
sister.

Finally freed from the
peddlers, she spotted an auburn-haired girl hanging limply in a
man’s arms at the far end of the arena. Her heart sped as she
sprinted toward them.

Oh God, oh God, oh
God. Please let her be okay.

The passage narrowed to
a dead-end, and just when she thought she might have some hope of
getting to her sister, a crack in the wall appeared and the man
slipped inside with Nikki.

No!

She pumped her arms,
running faster. Just before the crack disappeared, she slid into
the blackness. The wall closed behind her. She gave her eyes a
moment to adjust, but even after that she couldn’t see much. A
narrow tunnel, it looked like. And way ahead in the distance, a
torch lit up a wider opening.

Pressed against the
wall, she slowly made her way down the tunnel. The sounds of the
fighting and the crowd disappeared. Other than the soft trickling
of dripping water, it was silent. She shuddered. The creepy silence
was almost worse than the sounds of dying men.

Sticking to the
shadows, she came upon the opening – lit up by torches on the wall.
She peered around the corner. The tunnel continued onward but she’d
found what she’d been looking for. Four steel doors on either side
of the opening. Prison cells.

The feather around her
neck was almost blistering her skin, it was so hot. Her sister was
in one of those cells. She scurried toward the first then
froze.

Footsteps. From the
other tunnel.

Quietly, she backed
into the shadows and watched a frightening guard approach the
cells. Armed with a pistol, a sword, and a bow and arrow on his
back, he stood in front of the cells like a mountain of muscle. Of
course a rescue wouldn’t be easy. She rolled her eyes.
I’m Samantha Blackthorn after
all.

But now she knew where
Nikki was. She’d be back, with Geo, and maybe Aedan, and a better
plan.

I’m coming for you
Nikki. Just hang on.

She turned around to go
back the way she came and bumped into a hard body. Her breath
caught in her throat. As she reached back to get her sword, a hand
like steel gripped her neck, cutting off her air.

Fire raced down her
throat. She clawed at the hand, gurgling and gasping for breath.
The man pushed her backward into the light. She looked up.

A pale face, black
eyes, and a set of impressive fangs stared down at her. Vampire.
Without a word he leaned in and sunk his fangs into her neck. Pain
shot to where he’d pierced her, but at least he loosened his grip
and she could breathe again.

After dragging in a
lung full of air, she tried to focus her mind.

Come on. Think!

Her head felt fuzzy.
Dizziness swept through her. The vampire took more and more blood
from her body. Too much. She went to reach for her sword but found
she couldn’t lift her arms. Black spots dotted her vision. The
world faded around her.