Running in Fear: Ghost Warrior (6 page)

“No, but I gather we’ll find out more tonight, since Empusa will be here. Which reminds me, do we fix a formal dinner for them?” Jaycee asked Suzanne and Temmra.

Cecil stared at Suzanne who busted out laughing. “Jaycee you couldn’t cook if your life depended on it. But, no they won’t be able to stay long, they don’t want to draw the attention of others, and their powers will do that. Cecil is right; things are changing here on Earth. Temmra even noticed it with the animals around her. They’re more guarded, hiding, as if preparing, and it has nothing to do with the fact winter is right around the corner. Hell, we have Christmas in ninety days, plus your due date is here in the next two months. I think all of us need to watch for any signs. As for your reaction to your men Lissa, let them in. I know it’s going to be hard, but they’ll do anything for you, as any of our men would do for us.” Suzanne grabbed a roll and nibbled on it.

“It’s weird, most of our men are very dominant. Hell, Dominic is used to having slaves around him, yet with all this going around, all four of my men have surrounded me giving me anything. I hate to say it…” She leaned in close to the center of the table, all of them moved closer.

“I even went so far as to disobey each one the other day, I even put hot sauce in the eggs Cecil gave me to give Dominic the other morning, but nothing. Hell, it’s been three weeks, and not a one of them has spanked me!” Suzanne pouted.

“I mean, how am I supposed to concentrate on things, when I’m thinking of ways to get them to, well, return to normal a little? Rather, what’s normal for them?” Suzanne mumbled the last part, slumping back in her chair.

“You’re not the only one. Tug and Rory both have been acting different, as if I’m going to break. Jeez, I’d like to take a frying pan to their heads.” Cecil laughed. “I did the hot pepper sauce in Tug’s beer the other night. He just laughed and said. “Nice joke.’” Cecil slumped down in her chair.

Jaycee tapped her fingers on the table. “Shelly and I have the same problem. Well me. more so with the babies. Even Marsha has gone out of her way to tell all of my men I’m fine, and it’s okay to have normal sex for us. But no, nada, nothing.”

Lissa listened, then frowned. “Do you think maybe with all the stress that they, you know, can’t do anything right now? Damn, and I wanted to…” Suzanne shook her head.

“No they can perform, they just choose not to be on the rougher side with us. They save that for their other mates.” Suzanne snarled. “They’re putting us on a shelf, like we are some fragile things. I’m surprised they haven’t come barging in here looking for us. But don’t worry. Temmra has blocked them from hearing what we’re talking about.”

“Maybe they need to hear what you’re saying.” Lissa grabbed a roll, took a bite, and moaned. “Damn, Cecil these are amazing. If anything we could have a giant orgasm on her food alone. “

Jaycee grabbed another roll. “Shit, I think I already did when she made the chocolate mousse last night, but Suzanne is right. I’m tired of the shelf life, I want more, damn it.”

The door to the kitchen slammed open, Remi and Dane came in. “You want more what? What are you complaining about now?” Dane frowned and glanced around the room. “What has all of you in an uproar? The hostility in this room is thick.”

“We shouldn’t have to ask or beg, but damn it, what the hell is it with you guys? I swear ever since we got to Michigan, all of you have been acting like we’re made out of porcelain or something.” Jaycee snarled, and bit down on a roll.

Dominic, Tug, Rory, Granger, Clayton, Bo and Castor joined the other men in the kitchen and surrounded their chairs. Lissa smirked and relaxed back in her chair, waiting for the shit to fly.

“Don’t you smirk, Lissa, just you wait. I bet all of your men will treat you the same way. Maybe we need to find some men that are willing to give us…” Suzanne jumped out of her chair and ran around the table as Dominic snarled and tried to catch her.

“You even think of getting another man, and I’ll tie you to the bed, do you hear me?” Dominic nodded and Blair captured Suzanne, throwing her over his shoulder, swatting her ass.

“Well then damn it, stop treating me like a doll! When was the last time you spanked me, or even flogged me?” Suzanne whispered the last words.

“Don’t you want me anymore? I thought I was supposed to be your slave?” Blair yelled and dropped Suzanne, as she ran for the door. Blair ran as he patted his ass, smoke filled the room. “Never make a female dragon pissed.” Suzanne laughed, and then tore out of the room. Her mates ran after her.

“Oh I’ll give you a spanking, just wait till I catch you.” Blair yelled in the distance, and Lissa grinned, as did Cecil sitting across from her.

“Did you know that Shelly and I got a good look at Kimberly’s chamber last night?” Cecil leaned over the table and pretended to whisper in her ear.

“My son was asleep, my men asleep, so I met Shelly in the kitchen and we saw Kimberly leave her room. We snuck in there. My god, that woman had a mean streak in her. She had video after video of sexual mutilation on so many different men.”

Lissa reached up and grabbed Castor’s hand, squeezing it, before she glanced over to see Tug and Rory. They moved towards her with Clayton behind Cecil.

Bo cornered Shelly against the counter. “What the hell were you thinking? What if she had brought someone back to her room?”

Shelly didn’t get to say a word. Bo swung her up into his arms and stormed out of the room. Tug, Rory, and Clayton were right behind him with Cecil.

“Well that leaves you and me Lissa. Since Remi is being so nice, I’ve decided he will be the first one your friend can interview tomorrow. I mean it’s only right, after all, he’s supposed to be some big hotshot, ya know.” Jaycee winked at her, using the table to stand going to the fridge.

“I’m always eating, I swear these little ones are going to be huge by the time they come out of me. Did you know there are fourteen different positions you can have sex in while pregnant…What the hell?” Jaycee glared at Remi who had picked her up and carried her toward the door.

“I don’t know why you’re acting like something is going to happen, because as soon as we hit the bedroom, you’re going to put me in bed, pleasure me, and leave. Well no more. Put me down now, Remi.” Jaycee’s snarled and Remi stopped, glancing down at her.

“What is your problem?” Remi lowered her legs down to the floor, but held onto her.

“If you’re not going to make love to me, spank me, or do something other than pleasuring me, get lost. I can pleasure myself, I don’t need you. You know what I want? No change that, what I crave, but all three of you are a bunch of chickens. I’d never thought I would see the day my men would actually turn me down.” Jaycee chocked on the last part, and Lissa pushed her chair back to go to her, but Castor put his hand on her shoulder, and shook his head.

“No Lissa, they have to deal with it themselves. Come, let me show you to our room. You said you wanted a nice hot bath.” Castor took her hand and pulled her towards the other door, but Lissa glanced at Jaycee, who hadn’t moved. She was in a stare down with Remi. Could she trust her men, as Jaycee did hers? That was the question.

Nikola appeared in their rooms and found Castor pacing back and forth, while soft jazz music played. In the bathroom, water ran into the tub. Castor stopped his pacing and turned to glare at him. “I don’t appreciate the job of babysitting our mate. Why wasn’t I informed of this assignment, and why wasn’t I involved?”

Pierre and Adonis stopped as soon as they entered the room, sensing the hostility coming from Castor. Nikola was tired and hungry, but it looked like they were going to have this out here and now. “Tell me, is the problem really that you stayed here to watch and take care of Lissa, or is the problem a matter of dominance in our family unit?”

Castor circled around him, but he didn’t move. Castor waited and searched for any sign of weakness in him. Adonis and Pierre stripped out of their clothes and headed for the smaller bathroom which contained showers, not wanting to disturb Lissa just yet, and knowing Castor and Nikola needed time alone.

“Right from the start, you have assumed much in the short time you have been here. This is my home Nikola, now yours and our mates, but I will not be left out of important matters concerning our family.” Castor’s warm breath teased the back of his neck. He cupped Nikola’s balls and squeezed gently. “Your scent, even sweaty and dirty, makes me want to sink my cock into that fine ass of yours.”

Nikola allowed Caster to take the lead, but once he started to push him forward trying to bend him to his will, Nikola moved so quickly Castor didn’t stand a chance.

He had Castor bent backwards over the arm chair in the room. “You are right Castor, I should have talked to you. We all should have talked, but there was no time. As it is, we barely made it in time for the meeting.” Nikola slid his hand inside Castor’s pants and stroked his cock.

“But Castor, when it comes to this family unit, I have the final word. Is that understood?” Nikola used his powers and Castor’s clothes disappeared. “I’m hot, sweaty and now you have driven my body to the point I can’t wait, when I wanted our first time together to be in front of Lissa. She already missed the bonding with Pierre and Adonis, but I can’t wait.”

A warm small hand slid up his back, her lips kissing where her hand had been. “I’m here and would be no other place, Nikola.” Lissa whispered, as her hand slid down his stomach.

“No, Lissa.” He jerked back away from her, and in the instant he saw the pain of his rejection flash on her face. He instantly regretted his harsh manner. Nikola lifted her chin with his fingers and Castor brushed her hair back, exposing her naked form for their view.

“Little Butterfly I didn’t reject you. I’m dirty, sweaty. When you touch me, I want to be clean. I don’t want death on my skin or near you. Do you understand?” Nikola watched as her eyes lit up, and a small smile formed.

“Well, then it is good that I have a hot bath for you, isn’t it?” Lissa turned and walked towards the bathroom, the sway of her hips drew his attention as it did Castor’s.

“Are you two coming?” Lissa glanced over her shoulder and winked at him. “Don’t worry the tub is big enough for all of us. I’ll just be a good girl and watch.”

Nikola snorted, following her into the bathroom. Candles lit the room, the human Frank Sinatra sang,
Fly Me To The Moon,
and the smell of vanilla filled the air. On the side of the tub was a small table with a bottle of red 1985 Camus, open and breathing, and three long stemmed glasses.

“How did you do this without me seeing?” Castor teased, helping Lissa into the tub, and pouring them each a glass of wine.

Lissa laughed. “You were too busy pouting and pacing, you didn’t even see me walk out the side door to the kitchen. When I came back in, you were in the closet.”

She laid her head back against the edge of the tub. “So how was the mission? Were you successful?”

He stepped into the warm water, sitting next to her, and kissed her neck softly. “We’ll talk later about our mission. You have something you wanted to talk to us about?”

She lifted her head and smiled at him. “My talk can wait Nikola. You two need each other. Castor has been waiting for the past hour, don’t make him wait any longer. Plus, I want Pierre and Adonis here when we talk.” Lissa took the glass of wine from Castor.

Nikola sat down next to Castor, the tub a huge garden whirlpool, the jets pulsing behind his back. He took a sip of his wine and handed it to Castor as he dipped under the water. When he came up, Lissa was on her knees next to him with the shampoo.

“Turn around and I’ll wash your hair.” He grinned and turned his back to her, while Castor grabbed the bar of soap, and started to wash his chest, arms and legs, leaving his cock till the very last. By the time both of them were done washing him, he was once more ready to explode.

He grabbed Castor’s hips and moved him in position in front of Lissa. “Do I get to help?” Lissa slid her hand down Castor’s chest to his cock as Nikola lubed his cock and squirted the lube into Castor’s ass. “Don’t come, Castor, till I tell you.” Nikola nipped the back of his neck, and grabbed his hair pulling his head back, as he slowly worked his cock into his ass.

“God, you guys are hot.” Lissa whisper scooting forward and kissing Castor’s chest, while she slid her hand up and down his now enlarged cock.

Nikola slowly eased his lubed cock into Castor’s ass, when all he wanted to do was ram it into him. Castor was still holding back, and he didn’t like it one bit. He pulled Castor’s hair which was wrapped around his wrist bringing Castor’s head back until he glanced up at him. “You’re going to tell me what’s wrong? Your mind is not on this, and your body is tense. Lissa, back away from him please.”

Lissa lifted her head glanced up at him, then at Castor nodding. She too could now feel the tension that poured out of Castor, and it wasn’t about the dominance issue either. She moved out of his arms and towards the other end of the tub, away from them.

Castor kept his gaze on him. “I didn’t want to say anything, but I can’t hold it back, because it could hurt Lissa. Something is off with one of the brothers. Ever since you three mated…” Castor shook his head as Nikola released his hair and pushed away from Castor.

He didn’t like where this was going. If something was wrong, he should know it, after all he was mated to Pierre and Adonis. Castor hadn’t yet bound himself to them. Nikola dipped under the water, coming up, and grabbing his wine glass scooting next to Lissa. “Explain.”

Lissa took her glass of wine, and swirled it around in the glass. “I hate to say it, I’ve felt the same way, but I thought it was just me.” She looked up into Castor’s face, and he took a sip of his wine, nodding.

“No, Lissa, it wasn’t you. There is anger in one of the brothers, Pierre or Adonis, I don’t know which, but it’s there. Also there is a hint of something else, I haven’t come across in a long time. I thought it was long dead, as a matter of fact, but with this war coming to a head, someone could have brought the old ways back into play.”

The door to the bathroom burst open hit the wall and splintered in half. Plaster flew everywhere. Pierre fell to his knees, blood coming out of many small wounds. Nikola grabbed Lissa and handed her to Castor. “Don’t let her move.”

Nikola stepped out of the tub and glanced behind Pierre, but no one was there. He knelt down in front of Pierre, just as he looked up, his eyes a blood red.

“I don’t know what happened.” Red drops of blood dripped down his face from the cut on his head. “One minute we were laughing and talking about the old days, the next he hits me over the head with the towel rack he pulled out of the wall.” Pierre moved to get up and Nikola grabbed onto his arm helping him stand.

“Castor, Lissa get some clothes on, we need Remi now. He’ll be able to help us.” Nikola helped Pierre into the bedroom suite and sat him down on the bed. He grabbed the blanket behind him and wrapped it around his shoulders. “You need to shift, to heal your wounds, Pierre.”

Pierre started to shift when Remi came into the room followed by Dane, and Mark. “What happened?” Remi demanded, and moved to stand next to him, hovering over Pierre. “One minute I was talking to Jaycee and the next minute Adonis’s family connection was ripped away from me.”

Pierre’s attention went directly on to Lissa as she moved into the room dressed in a black sleeveless mini dress he had left for her on the bathroom counter. Castor stood next to her, his arm wrapped around her waist.

A low, deep, vicious snarl penetrated the room, and everyone stood perfectly still. “Pierre get a hold of yourself now, or I’ll do it for you.” Nikola moved in front of Pierre blocking his view of Lissa. “This is not a time to act on those mating urges, when you are hurt, and we have a missing person here.”

Nikola placed both of his hands on Pierre’s shoulders, and pushed some of his magic through Pierre, calming him, which also helped speed up the healing process as he finished his shift. His hands were now fur instead of skin, Nikola cupped the back of his head and knelt in front of him. “You are magnificent in your beast form, and one day soon we’ll take care of you, but for now we need you back to tell us what happened.” Nikola squeezed the back of his neck and placed a kiss on his black wet nose.

“Lissa, why don’t you go join Jaycee. I’m sure she is wondering what’s going on.” He stood turning so Pierre would be blocked from seeing Lissa. Right now they needed answers, and they couldn’t do that with Lissa present.

Lissa pushed Castor away from her and slid up to Nikola. “You know I’m getting tired of this crap. I’m part of this damn unit. I might have been hurt in the past, but I don’t need to be treated as a child, needing a baby sitter. All of you can stuff your cocks up your own asses, because they aren’t going to be in mine anytime soon! Don’t you think I’m worried about Adonis and Pierre? They are my mates too, damn it!” Lissa poked his chest, as Castor wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her away.

“Enough Lissa, we have bigger problems then you throwing a fit. Now go.” Castor ordered pushing her out of the bedroom, slamming the door shut.

“Paybacks are a bitch, remember that the both of you!” Lissa yelled through the door.

* * * *

Lissa stood, glaring at the wooden door waiting for it to combust, but nothing happened. Jaycee’s small hand squeezed her shoulder. “Would you like to go to the kitchen with me? It seems when I’m upset, or angry, I eat now.” She tried to smile, but Lissa could see the tears in her eyes, and she knew that her face had to match hers.

“I’m scared Jaycee, real scared this time. I don’t know how to handle this.” Jaycee wrapped her arm around her waist, and they made their way to the kitchen. Marsha was in there waiting for both of them.

“Sit, the both of you, it’s going to be a while before we hear anything. I don’t know what is going on, but getting half a picture is getting to be a pain in the ass!” Marsha slammed down to bottles of water onto the table.

Jaycee winked at her, going into Marsha’s arms. “We all do what we can, Momma. I too can’t see half of what I should. Even my connection to my mates is still half-ass, not like it was.” Jaycee pulled back and sat down at the table, as all three of them drank their water in silence.

Lissa wiped her hands on a napkin. “Jaycee what if Adonis goes to the other side? What if I lose him, before I even have him? I’m hanging on by a tread here. I want to be held and made love to on one hand, and then, if any little thing comes up, I don’t know whether to trust myself, let alone my mates.”

She threw her water at the kitchen door, and it exploded all over the place. “Damn it, I hate this! Excuse me, I need some air. Marsha, leave the mess, I’ll clean it up later.” Her chair flew back as she jumped back and ran to the outside door in the hallway, but Nikola was there waiting for her.

He wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off the ground, and moved outside quickly. Without a word he moved her towards the woods. Somehow he had known what she needed, her connection to the plants.

Nikola lowered her feet to the ground, and at once vines twined around her, to cover her legs, stomach, and arms, hugging her, holding her, giving her the comfort she needed. The tears fell and the dam broke. Everything came at her at once, the betrayal, the pain, and the loss of everything she cared for. Her legs crumbled, but her plants slowly lowered her to the ground.

Nikola sat down next to her, placing her head into his lap, brushing her hair out of her face. “Let it out, Little Butterfly, I’m here; we’re all here for you.” He kissed the top of her head, and sat up, showing her that Pierre, and Castor were there also. All of them surrounded her, they touched her, as tears fell from their eyes as if they too felt her pain.

“We do Lissa, we feel everything you do. Even though we are not yet bonded, there is a special connection to you, that all of us feel. Your emotions are so strong, how can we not hurt for you?” Pierre whispered kissing her lips softly. “I’m sorry Lissa, if I could take your pain away I would.”

Even through her tearful eyes Lissa saw the torment in Pierre’s gaze. Vines moved up over his legs and stomach as she slid into his arms holding onto him tight. Her plants joined all of them in a way that shocked all of them.

“Pierre, Nikola, Castor, what is going on?” She tried to sit up, but the vines hugged her tighter as they moved over Castor and Nikola, now binding all of them together. Red flowers opened up on the vines, thorn like stems poked, and broke her skin, and theirs drawing small amounts of their blood, and exchanging it with a clear liquid from the plant.

Nikola didn’t move as he studied the vine-like plant, and then he smiled, his gaze lifted to hers. “It will be okay. It’s their way of binding us together, so if anything should happen to you, we would be able to find you through the plants. Well damn!” Nikola grunted, and his head fell back, as so did Castor’s. Pierre’s hold on her grew tighter as he too grunted, and that is when she felt it under her. All three men had just come.

In spite of everything, Lissa tried to hide the small smile that formed on her lips, facing into Pierre’s chest.

“I’m glad you find this so amusing. Are you okay?” Pierre grinned down at her, kissing her nose.