Forbidden Love (4 page)

“I agree.” Elijah watched Blake go. He wasn’t worried about Blake telling the others about the command that had been placed on him.

Whether they knew or not didn’t change the fact that he was someone’s bitch.

Elijah cursed under his breath, turning to walk through the trees to where he had left Keta. The faster he sorted the mess out, the better. He was sick of having to do Rio’s dirty work.

* * * *

Command? What command? What does Rio want you to do?

Nosy, aren’t you?

Keta growled silently and bared her teeth. She didn’t think Elijah cared but she wanted to know what command Rio put on Elijah and why.

Elijah spoke,
we need to talk more. Is there anywhere we can go that is not near my clan? I don’t want them knowing anything about this. They’d kill you on the spot before either of us could get a single word out to explain.

Keta believed him. She’d killed too many vampires to be let off.
What makes you think I can trust you?

You didn’t run.

Keta didn’t say a thing. He was right, she hadn’t run.
Damn it.
Keta stood, shook the leaves and mud from her fur before she turned and walked away.

Keta cast a sideways glance at Elijah as he followed.
If you don’t like staying in your wolf form, why are you in it now?

How else are we meant to communicate?

The way I did before, by using sign language.

And you would walk naked while knowing that I would have to look at you to know what you are signing?

Ah.
Keta never thought of that. Her clothes had been ripped apart during her change, and she didn’t think to bring spares with her.

Her crossbow and stake would be missed. A sacrifice she cared more about than her clothes.

You also can’t keep a thing from me this way. If you plan on killing me, I’ll know before even you do.

Keta didn’t say anything for that. Instead, she pounded through the woods, making sure to listen out for anyone following them. Once out of the trees, she ran past the local shops and small houses, thankful that vampires didn’t come out during the day and hardly anyone came out during the night. After all the recent disappearances, everyone had been warned to stay inside at night.

The ones who didn’t listen would think Keta was a stray dog. She was running too fast for them to actually catch a glimpse.

They were just lucky the vampires were a little preoccupied right now.

Keta silently laughed to herself as she weaved around passing cars, ignoring the yells and the beeps of the horns that followed her. When she was clear of the cars and passing humans, she slowed to a trot, padding down an alleyway and into a small street with only three small houses on it, all surrounded by a large metal gate, separating the woods apart from it.

She silently trotted past the houses, moving towards the house farthest away, deep in the shadows.
Lucky I put my key in the letter box. Turn around and don’t peak.

Elijah’s chuckle made shivers run down her spine. He turned away.

Keta quickly changed back into a human, shivering slightly against the cold and quickly unlocked the door. After opening the door and turning the lights on, Keta grabbed a coat and put it on.

Elijah walked into her house, not caring that he wasn’t clothed.

Keta couldn’t help but stare, her mouth slightly parted.
Holy crap.
When she was laid underneath him, she had been aware that they were both naked, but she had been more preoccupied with him killing her than anything else.

Seeing him now made her mouth water.

He was taller than her, the hand shaped bruise over his left peck level with the tops of her breasts. He worked out, his tanned skin ripped with muscles, a strip of light hair on his stomach, spreading out above his cock.

Keta turned away, feeling her skin heat up. She had been right, his clothes hadn’t left much to imagine about how much he packed.

Keta swallowed the heavy lump in her throat before lifting her hands to sign to Elijah.
I’m going for a shower. I need to wash the scent of fire from me. I won’t be long.

Elijah nodded before turning his attention to the room.

Her home was small with just three rooms. A living room with a kitchen in one, separated by counters. A bedroom and a bathroom connected.

Keta headed there, needing a cold shower more than a hot one. Once in the bathroom, she shut the door and pulled the coat off. After turning the shower on, she stepped underneath it, letting the hard spray of water ease her aching muscles.

While washing her hair, Keta couldn’t help but think about Elijah. She felt her stomach quiver with longing. Since being taken, she hadn’t been in contact with a male. She had been too scared. During the moons heat, she had been forced to touch herself for pleasure, but having Elijah so close to her today made her want his hands on her, his lips and tongue tasting her.

Her pussy ached and her nipples hardened almost painfully, needing to be touched, to be pleasured.

Keta reached down, brushing her fingers lightly over her nipples. She was surprised by the shock of pleasure that shot down her spine.

Shit.

She let her head fall back on her shoulders as she circled her nipples, imagining Elijah’s hands on her instead of her own. Still touching one breast with one hand, she ran her other hand down her stomach and past the curl of hairs and to her pussy. She was wet, and not with the water.

Keta sat with her back against the wall, her legs spread wide. The water sprayed directly onto her, pounding against her clit as she dipped one finger inside of her, and then two, feeling herself clenching around her fingers tightly. She rubbed her clit with her other hand, abandoning any attempts to keep touching her breasts as she once again imagined Elijah’s fingers inside of hers, his thumb circling her clit softly, his deep voice whispering naughty things in her ear as she came.

Oh shit!

Her body bucked as she grabbed the side of the bath, lifting her body up to the spray of water as her orgasm took over. Her head fell back on her shoulders, her mouth wide open in a silent scream while her clit pulsed.

When the pleasure became too much, Keta got to her shaking feet, breathing heavily while she rested her forehead against the cold tiles on the wall. Once she had her breath back, she began washing her body carefully, avoiding her clit until the last second.

After towel drying her hair, she wrapped a towel around her body and headed out of the room, only to stop dead in her tracks.

Elijah lay on her bed, fully clothed in black jeans, a white shirt and boots. “I hope you don’t mind. I’d rather be dressed than walk around naked.”

Keta shook her head, lifting her hands together.
It’s fine.
She thought he looked like a rogue pirate. A sexy one.

Avoiding his stare, Keta opened her wardrobe and searched through the collection of leather clothes she had—corsets, skirts, trousers, all steampunk. She chose these types of clothing because when she shifted, her clothes normally didn’t rip. Her underwear did but that was a loss she’d learnt to live with. Keta also thought she looked good in the leathers.

After pulling out some lace knickers, a brocade corset with chains and a belt and a brown gathered skirt, Keta walked out of the room and back into the bathroom so she could change.

“Leathers look good on you.”

Keta ignored Elijah as she pulled on a pair of open-toed knee-high, heels. She didn’t plan on hunting today, not with Elijah with her. Even if she could lose him, he’d only use his heightened wolf senses to track her down.

Keta rubbed a hand over her chest. She missed her family. Missed the life she had. She couldn’t go home. Not now, not ever. Not after what they did.

Too much pain.

Keta faced Elijah.
What do you plan on doing?
She knew he wanted to talk as much as she wanted to know about his command.

Elijah got to his feet and stretched. “I need to go out. We can talk on the way.”

Keta didn’t sign as they headed towards Katrina’s home. Her hands clenched into fists by her side while she turned her head to watch for others.

Elijah didn’t mind not talking, but he had a feeling her thoughts were where she didn’t want them to be. “Aren’t you at all curious to know where we’re going?”

Yes, but then it’s none of my business.

“True. I have a feeling you’ll be able to help me, however. Rio came to me today before you blew up the mansion. His daughter, Katrina has gone missing and he has left it up to me to search for her.”

Keta frowned.
Why?

“Because he’s a bastard and doesn’t like to do his own dirty work.”

Is that what this is?
Keta stopped walking.
Finding his missing daughter is dirty work? Don’t you care?

“Of course I care, Keta. That’s the problem. I care more than he does and that’s why I’m looking for her. He couldn’t give a shit about his family. If anything makes him look bad, it has to be dealt with one way or another. I’m that one way or another.” Elijah ran a hand through his hair. “If he cared, he would have searched for her as soon as he knew she was missing instead of waiting for months after to even mention it.”

Some wolves don’t care about their pack. They just care about the power.

“Rio is one of them,” Elijah exhaled softly. “If I find her and she is dead. I will be whipped. If I don’t find her, the command will kill me as surely as Rio would.”

How does he expect you to find her?

“He expects me to just know. I can only do the first thing that comes to mind, and that’s start where she was last seen. At her own home.”

Keta’s mouth parted. She had gone pale, her mouth open.

“What?”

Keta blinked and then shook her head.
It’s nothing. I just don’t know how I’ll be able to help.

Elijah knew she was lying. He chose not to say anything. “You might be more help than you think. Come on, the faster we get this done, the faster we can get away from this place.” Elijah took her hand and pulled her towards the lone house on the street.

The windows were smashed, glass glittering around the outside. There was blood on the pavement in front of the small house, dark with age, yet still shining in the moonlight. An eerie silence filled the night around the house.

Elijah was cautious as he stepped inside, avoiding touching the broken door. The hallway had drops of blood forming a trail from one of the rooms to the front door.

Elijah bent, looking at the blood, inhaling deeply. Though the house had not been cleaned, there were no scents within. Nothing but dust.

Elijah followed the blood trail into a living room. The furniture was torn to pieces, pictures smashed and tables overturned. There had been a struggle.

Elijah turned his attention to the blood trail. He could tell that from the tails on the blood, they led from the living room to the door.

She knew the person responsible and was unable to do anything about it.
Elijah searched the room, positive he was right. He couldn’t begin to imagine what Katrina had gone through, knowing the person who knocked on her door and inviting them in, just to be beaten and taken away.

Elijah could relate. He was both vampire and werewolf, two creatures who hated each other. He couldn’t side with the vampires, or the werewolves. He was in the middle and couldn’t do a thing about it. He didn’t know who he could trust.

“So, what happened?” he murmured the words to himself.

From the corner of his vision, Keta raised her hands.

Someone knocked on the door, Katrina answered it. There was no struggle because Katrina knew the person.
He must have been on his way out, she was walking him to the door when he hit her.
Keta pointed to the trail of blood.
Gravitational drops show she was hit just as she stepped out of this room and she was dragged out.

“What are the chances of her being alive?” Elijah didn’t expect an answer, or for Keta to know.

Keta swallowed hard, her attention on the room.
Slim.

“So what do you plan on doing?”

Keta jumped at the sound of the male voice and hid behind one of the chairs.

Elijah looked around as Blake walked into the room. Elijah eyes shot to where Keta was hidden. “I’ve been ordered to find her. I have no choice.”

“What about the half-breed?”

Elijah breathed a sigh of relief. Blake had no idea that there was someone else in the room with them. He thought Elijah was just talking to himself. “The Silent Killer? She’s a different matter.”

“Think. What would make a half-breed hunt for vampires?”

Elijah knew the answer instantly. “Because they betrayed her. That has to be the answer. She was a vampire and was betrayed by someone she trusted. Vampires don’t care if they kill each other. Betrayal is the worst thing a vampire can do to another.”

“Whereas a werewolf couldn’t attack their own kind, even if they were banished from the pack.”

“Right.”

“So not only do you
have
to search for a wolf who has likely been dead for months now, but you’re hunting for a half-breed hell bent on putting an end to our kind?”

Elijah faced Blake. “I didn’t ask for this.”

“No, but you are doing nothing to get out of the situation. Think about that while you do your master’s bidding.” Blake left before Elijah could open his mouth to reply.

He’s not my master. He’ll never be my master.

Blake was right. He was doing everything he could to be rid of the command set on him, but he was doing nothing to actually be rid of the one responsible for the command.

Elijah inhaled deeply before blowing it out slowly, getting a grip on his anger as Keta stood from her hiding spot. “Let’s get out of here.”

Keta didn’t reply, just nodded.

Elijah headed down the corridor of his home, making his way to Blake’s office. He didn’t know whether Blake would be there, but it was he Elijah wanted to speak to, despite his words about Elijah and his command. He wasn’t sure if anyone else knew about his command, and wanted to keep it that way if he could.