Mr. and Mrs. Monster (10 page)

She shrugged, a twisted little smile playing along her lips. “I objected with the point of a silver knife in her stomach, but she fought hard. I grabbed the bow and crawled to Actaeon. He woke up and healed me. I told him you killed his mother. We planned our revenge and just had to wait for the right time. Then you killed him. Again.” She scrambled for the bow and flung it wildly at Artemis.

The soft skin of Artie’s cheek bubbled and smoked. This time the Goddess couldn’t keep her screams quiet.

Sia rocked and giggled, scraped at flaking skin on her arm. She coughed into the palm of her hand then held her hand out, flecks of red clearly dotting it.

Kyla frowned. Sia was sick. She hadn’t looked like this a few days ago. People would have noticed, commented. Chunks of her long blonde hair littered the floor like a molting bird. Very sick. Somehow she and Actaeon must have been connected. Now he was dead and she was dying too.

“But he loved me. Always me. Never you. You’ll never have hiiiim,” she sang the last word and raised the bow, the tip pointed straight at Artemis’ heart. “You even helped me. Sent me to the warehouse to find your precious bow. I found it. It was so easy. Now you’re mine.”

Kyla had run out of time.

She motioned frantically to Damien. He grabbed the salt from the shelf then crouched again, hiding behind a kitchen bench. Kyla needed to distract the others so he could sneak around the back of them and be ready to release Artemis as soon as Kyla gave him the go-ahead. Kyla stood and stepped into the room. “You’re right. He did love you. He wanted you to live and Artemis got in the way, didn’t she?”

Sia stopped pointing the bow and spun around, issuing a warning hiss. “Captain. Another captain. You didn’t kill my wolf.”

“Not me. I was too young to be captain. But I understand love. I understand Actaeon and how you felt.” Kyla inched closer, trying to seem as non-threatening as possible. She managed to get within reach of the bow before the woman spoke again.

“See. Some people know love.” She shot a venomous glare at Artemis.

Kyla winced.
Shit.
The damn psycho would slash all of them before she actually topped Artie. Time to force the situation. She caught a movement from the corner of her eye—Damien creeping around the side of the room. He was getting into place, ready to leap at the webs binding the Goddess.

“I do. I’m in love too.” Kyla shot a sideways glance at Damien. “But it was so sad about Actaeon healing you and losing his change because of it.”

“What? No. That was Artemis’ fault.” She wavered on her feet for a moment.

Kyla shook her head. “He healed you. You’re mortal. He had to share some of his essence to bring you back and you shared yours. Mortal essence, it took his change. But it gave you a longer life to spend with him, I guess. So, even trade?”

“No. My fault. My. Fault.” She screamed the final word and dropped one end of the bow, letting it trail on the ground. With her other hand, she scraped at her face, clawing weeping lines into the skin.

Kyla nodded to Damien to unite Artemis. Kyla swung forward and gripped the bow. She hissed through clenched teeth as the bow burned against her palm. Damien leaped for the tethered goddess. Kyla pushed the bow up to Sia’s throat, shoving it down as hard as she could.

She jerked back, both of the women tussling for the bow. “It wasn’t me. I didn’t do it. I’d never hurt him.”

“It was you. Not having the change drove him mad. I’m sorry.” The chick had a screw loose but knowing you were the cause of madness for someone you loved had to break your spirit. Kyla wrenched the bow out of Sia’s hands and pointed it at her. “He’s gone now. There’s nothing you can do that will bring him back.”

Kyla backed away from Sia, the bow held in front of her. The woman immediately seemed to calm, as if a shutter had dropped over her emotions, hiding all that angst from view.

She gave Kyla a sad smile and nodded. “You’re right. It’s true. I can’t bring him back now. So maybe I should join him.” She leaped at Kyla and the bow.

The bow sliced into Sia’s chest with the ease of a knife through butter. Kyla froze, eyes wide as the woman hung in front of her for a moment before sliding off and hitting the ground.

Crap, she killed herself.

The bow had healed her once but now it had taken her very essence away. Kyla let the bow drop to the ground, wincing at the mincemeat of her hand. The silver in the bow had carved grooves of seeping pain into her skin.

“Well, once again, Lykos to the rescue.” Artemis flashed a lopsided smile at Kyla as she levered herself up from the chair she’d been held captive in, wincing when one of the burns on her face twisted and bled. “I never doubted my best team would find me.”

She patted Damien on the arm. “Told you, puppy, just use your nose to find your woman. It will never let you down.” She bent and picked up her bow.

Damien pulled Kyla into a one-armed hug and growled when he saw her hands. “Don’t suppose your weird and freaky world has healers in it? These hands won’t be touching anything until they’re healed. And we both know when you’re quiet, it’s a world of trouble.”

“Quite right, wolf.” Artemis held up the bow and gently touched Kyla’s hands.

“No offence, boss. But I just saw a chick kill herself with that bow. I don’t know if I really want it on my skin.”

“Stop being a baby. This weapon was made for me by Zeus himself. It wasn’t meant for others to wield it but me. No harm will come to you in my hands.” She hovered the bow above Kyla’s palms and carefully touched the tip of it to Kyla’s middle finger.

The skin rippled, pulled itself in, healing the tears like a zipper pulled up. The blood dissolved into Kyla’s flesh until her hands looked like they’d never been painted in blood at all. Kyla flexed her hands, opening and closing them into fists. Not a twinge, not even an ache.

“You do good work, Artie. Now how about yourself.”

Artemis smiled and gestured to her arm and face. “Do you see any marks now, my captain? As soon as the bow touched my skin, it healed all.”

She stared down at Sia and shook her head. “I just wished they could have been healed as such. Sadly, mentally and emotionally, they were too much of a match.”

Kyla buried herself in Damien’s arms. “I’m just glad our timing wasn’t off. Next time you let me choose your staff, okay? I have a strict policy of no more pyschos.”

With a laugh, Artemis agreed. She touched a hand to Sia’s forehead and the body disappeared. “I’ve sent her to one of my temples to be prepared. Now I have one more request as I spirit you on your way.”

Artie circled a hand in the air above her and the world started to spin. Kyla grew dizzy as her surroundings dimmed. She gripped Damien’s arms tightly, not willing to let him go for an instant. She might never find herself otherwise.

“What’s your damn request, Artie?” She thought the words lost as the house spun away and the feel of nature and the outside world pressed in on her.

Artemis’ smug tones whispered in their ears. “Why, hurry up and get started on my furry grandbabies, of course.”

Kyla squeaked as the sensation of falling hit her in her stomach. The ground rushed up to meet them. At the last moment, Damien spun them around in the air until she lay atop him when they landed with a thump.

She lifted her head and stared around her. Greenery surrounded them on all sides, the thick undergrowth forming a bed beneath Damien’s back.

“Well, at least the landing was a little softer than it could have been. Your father’s park again, I presume?”

Damien winced and adjusted Kyla against him, checking out the surroundings at the same time. “Yep, my dad’s land. So remind me again what our benefits are working with a trouble-magnet Greek goddess?”

“Free dental?” She snapped her teeth at him and shook with silent laughter at the look of horror on his face.

“Jesus. We have to go to the dentist? That wasn’t in the brochure. I’m sure I would’ve read about it.”

“Yeah, tricky Greek loopholes. Sorry about that.” She smoothed a hand down his chest and sobered. “I bailed on you after taking Actaeon down. I was scared, I guess. I’m not used to having help—or being rescued. It’s normally the other way around.”

“You get one free pass. After that, we deal with things head-on. And you have to agree to give me a head start in everything. Otherwise, my ego may remain bruised for eternity.”

Kyla snickered. Something about this no-nonsense man drove her crazy. He’d got under her skin with his razor sharp claws and she had a feeling they were never coming out. She slipped her arm about his neck, her gaze never leaving his full, sensual lips—lips that demanded she sink her fangs in. She clenched her hand on his thick-muscled shoulder, nails digging in and no doubt leaving marks on his skin. Her libido soared at the idea of depositing her brand on his flesh—and not just his shoulder either. Hell, she had to mark her territory. She had a desperate urge to nibble and leave teeth marks on every untouched part of his body.

Hunger rode her. The muscles in her stomach clenched, tension ratcheting higher. The breath caught in her throat and tremors shook her frame. The queen bitch of the wolf guard and she was shaking like an untried cub. What a turn-up for the books.

She lowered her head. She hovered for a moment, her gaze trapped by his. His hot breath fanned her cheek and goosebumps rose on her exposed skin. A spasm of excitement surged down her spine and she shivered. Then she couldn’t deny herself any longer. She had to taste him.

Her mouth fit perfectly over his, and he immediately opened to her. She lapped at his bottom lip then nipped, a tiny love bite that made him growl deep in his throat. She delved deep, swirling her tongue around his mouth and tasting all he had to offer. He joined her in the dance, his tongue twirling with hers and sweeping forward in a promise of things to come.

Kyla pushed herself up on her knees, breasts brushing against his chest. She hissed. Excitement charged through her body at the brush of her nipples against the hard barrier of his body. Her heart followed in its wake, and Kyla was sure her blood boiled in reaction. The hunger in her rose higher. Her heart thumped so loudly she could hear the beat resounding in her head. Primal hunger, full of tension and the need to let everyone know he was hers, flooded her and she drove sharpened fingertips into his hair and flexed, scraping her claws on his scalp. Damien arched his back and growled. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hauled her in tighter, plastering her every curve against him.

She kissed him, needing him, wanting him to know how she felt. She didn’t want to say the words first. She wanted her actions to scream her intent, but at this rate, she’d combust before they even got to the good bit.

Breaking off the kiss, Kyla pushed Damien away, rolled off him and wiggled out of her jeans. Her hands trembled as she yanked off her top and threw it aside. The look of shock on Damien’s face had her snickering. Boy was a wolf now. Time to get used to naked romps outdoors. Otherwise, the next clan get together would mean quality time with a shrink.

Manfully getting over his shock, Damien stood and followed suit, stripping bare. He dropped to his knees beside her and dragged his fingers up Kyla’s muscled thigh, pausing at each groove and scar his fingers found.

Kyla reared up, slapping her hands down on his shoulders, gripping tight for balance. Who knew a Greek-Irish boy would be so good with his hands.

Damien leaned over her, pressing her back onto the tangled undergrowth, claiming her mouth. Branding it his. Burning it forever his. She reached between them, cupping his cock. He groaned and moved his hands down to her thighs, gripping tight enough to leave marks.

“Mine,” he said through a growl.

Kyla reveled in the sense of possession his movement signified. Then he dragged the breath from her lungs when he moved down her body, his hot breath brushing against the curls covering her pubic area. Still on his knees, he nudged her thighs open and made a place for himself. Damien slid his hands under her and lifted her hips off their makeshift bed.

At the first stroke of his tongue, Kyla cried out his name. He lifted his head and gave her a smile before he disappeared between her thighs again. He nuzzled the soft curls. Traced the length of her as he moved his knees, pressing against her thighs. Kyla needed no verbal instruction. She spread her legs, affording him better access.

Damien swooped and fastened his mouth on her. He dipped his tongue into her entrance. Just a taste then flicked at the bundle of nerves at the top. Damien settled in to feast, plunging his tongue deep, touching off tremors inside Kyla’s core.

She arched her hips, pushing closer to the pleasure that rampaged through her. The muscles in her stomach quivered. Hands clutched at the undergrowth beneath her, her head twisting on the greenery. The breath gusted from her mouth in a wheezy moan as the spasms attached. Muscles clenched and she held her breath as her body went into a paroxysm of pure unadulterated sexual pleasure.

Before she’d even come down from the cataclysmic orgasm, Damien lifted her shoulders and pulled her up. Now she sat astride his thighs, her legs spread around his hips. His rock-hard erection brushed at her core. Instead of taking advantage, he leaned in and branded her with a kiss. Damien grazed her lips with his fangs then slid down the side of her neck. Nipping white-hot marks of possession before soothing with his tongue.

She hissed and tried to wiggle closer. “Damn you, horny wolf. Hurry up before we set this forest alight.”

Chuckling, Damien sat back on his heels and, with a flex of his weightlifter-thick arms, raised her and brought her down on his cock. He repeated the action, a grin tilting his lips when Kyla cried out his name in reaction. Then he set up a pace designed to drive them both crazy.

Teeth, tongue, he consumed her as if she was his last choice of a meal. He angled his hips to the side then rammed, a long hard thrust. Kyla vibrated, growls building low until they ripped out of her throat. She clenched muscles inside, clamping him tight. Grinning in smug victory as Damien stiffened and howls echoing hers rolled out.