A Dark Seduction Read online

  “For whatever reason, Fate has picked you. You’re a strong woman. You can do this. And Gabriel and I will protect you. I am but one floor above you.” She looked from one warrior to the other. Aye, they were warriors from their leather clothes to the unique array of weapons they carried.

  Men of strength. Men of cunning. Men of stealth.

  “I never believed men like you actually existed,” she said after several attempts to swallow and wet her dry mouth. “I know I’m going to regret this, but all right.” The smile Cole bestowed on her was almost enough to make it worthwhile, and the gratitude shining in Gabriel’s eyes gave her confidence the boost it needed.

  “Come, we will sneak back in through my chamber,” Cole said.

  Shannon handed her sack of food to Gabriel. “Here, keep this. You’ll need it more than I will now.”

  He smiled and accepted the gift. “We will always be near, Shannon.” She gave him a small wave before he disappeared into the forest. She then turned to Cole. “Let’s go before I change my mind.” He led her back toward the village, and she made sure to stay right behind him.

  She eyed the small axes he carried in each hand, not because she was appalled by them, but because of the beautiful craftsmanship that went into them.

  Even in the moonlight she could see the intricate design on the handles, and she would guess that the rings around the two foot handles weren’t brass but real gold.

  And the blades themselves, they were magnificent. From tip to tip they were about ten inches in length, with a large curve to the blade. The edge of the blade had the same intricate knot work on it as well, lending an almost ethereal feel to the weapons.

  She was so busy admiring the weapons that she never saw Cole stop and ran into the back of him. He spun around and caught her before she could stumble backwards.

  “Sorry,” she said breathlessly as she gazed into his velvety brown eyes.

  “Are you all right?”

  She nodded. “I just wasn’t paying attention. I was admiring your axes.”

  “Really?” he said as he set her on her feet. “Care to see one?” She eagerly accepted the weapon. “It’s much lighter than I expected,” she said as she held it with one hand. After she swung it around a couple of times, she ran a hand down the handle. “It’s very beautiful. Where did you get it?”

  “A special craftsmen made it for me.”

  “It must have been well worth the coin it cost you,” she said as she handed him back the axe.

  He hooked the axe through his belt and smiled at her. “Anything this beautiful and valuable is worth the cost.”

  They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity before Cole held out his hand.

  “Ready?”

  “No,” Shannon said as she placed her hand inside his large, warm one. She knew what awaited her, but she was trusting Gabriel and Cole to keep their word and keep her alive. She just prayed they did.

  “All will be fine. I will watch you to make sure no harm comes to you. I give you my word.”

  “And I will hold you to it,” she whispered as they ran from the safety of the forest toward the tavern.

  They reached the building just as they heard someone coming towards them.

  Cole flattened her against the building and moved so that he stood facing her.

  “Trust me,” he said just before his mouth captured her lips.

  Shannon nearly melted on the spot. His kisses were as satisfying as only Heaven could be and as intoxicating as the sweetest wine. It had taken everything she had in the forest to push him away, and she wasn’t about to do it again.

  As his tongue glided skillfully into her mouth, she sighed and softened against him, drinking in his scent, his sexuality. There was something about Cole that made her crave to feel him inside her, ache to feel his hands on her body.

  Her breasts tightened and tingled as he molded her against his hard chest. She couldn’t stop her hands from slowly roaming up his bulging chest to his massive shoulders and his thick neck.

  Everything around her faded to nothing.

  She forgot where she was, what she was doing, and why she was there. All her mind and body wanted was Cole.

  To her disappointment, he ended the kiss. Shannon’s chest rose and fell as if she had run a marathon. Her hands shook and her knees trembled as she tried to examine what Cole did to her.

  “Oh, God,” she murmured and closed her eyes as Cole leaned his forehead against hers.

  He stayed silent, and after a moment she realized why. Castle guards walked all around them inspecting the area.

  “We’ll never get back in,” she whispered.

  His answer was a smile and a wink.

  It was just a moment later that the guards walked away. Cole leaned away from her and gripped her waist.

  “Are you ready?”

  “No,” she answered as he picked her up and over his head. Her fingers gripped the edge of his window sill and with the help of his hands holding her feet, she was able to get a better hold then move her feet against the stones to give her some leverage. She never realized how much the rock climbing lessons she took would come in handy.

  She pulled herself up and through the window to land in a heap on the floor.

  Before she could roll over and get to her feet, Cole stood over her and helped her up.

  “Now what?” she asked.

  “We get you to your chamber.”

  To her great shame, she nearly asked him if she could stay in his. Not because she was afraid, but because there was a bed and she wanted him in it, making love to her.

  Hard, fast, soft, slow, she didn’t care as long as his hands and mouth were touching her.

  She shook her head and tried to tell her body to calm down, but it refused to listen as her sex clenched, and when Cole walked past her, rubbing against her arm, she nearly reached out for him.

  “Are you all right?”

  She raised her gaze to his and managed a nod. He stared at her a moment before taking her hand and leading her to the door. Shannon took one last look at his bed as they slipped into the hallway.

  “Stay here,” Cole mouthed as he slowly walked down the stairs.

  Shannon watched him, intrigued at his stealth. He held an axe in each hand now, prepared for anything that might come his way. When he reached the bottom and found no one, he motioned her down.

  She walked the stairs as quickly and quietly as she could. Fear raced up her spine as if at any moment they would be caught and though she knew Cole to be a fine warrior, he couldn’t help them alone, not against the castle guards and the Baron.

  When her feet finally touched the floor, she fairly raced to her room. Just as she was about to open, Cole jerked her to a stop. She let him pull her against his chest, loving the feel of him against her.

  “Remember, Shannon, we will protect you,” he whispered in her ear before he gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

  And then he was gone.

  For several minutes Shannon stood outside her room. She waited for Cole to return to his room, and after she heard his door close, she turned to hers and entered her room.

  She didn’t even attempt to change her clothes, but fell across the bed fully clothed. The night had not ended with her escaping Benton as she had wanted, but she had to wonder if she wasn’t where she really wanted to be.

  With

  Cole.

  Chapter Ten

  Cole sat with his head in his hands as the sun crested the horizon. He had gotten little sleep, and when his dreams hadn’t been filled with Shannon dying in his arms, he dreamed of making love to her. He woke in such a state of arousal that he was in physical pain, with a dark mood to match.

  He knew convincing Shannon to return had been the right thing to do but after another night of the nightmares, he was now questioning himself.

  Had he done the right thing?

  Could he and Gabriel rea
lly keep her safe, just the two of them?

  If all the Shields were together, he wouldn’t doubt it for a moment. He was too close to this situation, and he found he didn’t like it one bit.

  Several times last night he had found himself about to leave his room and check on Shannon and had to make himself return to his bed and lie down. No woman had ever managed to get under his skin the way she had, and he blamed it on the vivid dreams of her death.

  It was the only explanation.

  When he heard movement downstairs, he rose from the bed and walked to his bowl of water on the small table. He quickly washed and shaved a day’s growth of beard and changed clothes before he went for his breakfast.

  He had to force himself not to look for Shannon. As he took his usual seat in the back corner, he let his gaze rove over the small room, noting every detail.

  Only the customers renting a room were in the tavern this early in the morning, but Cole knew it would only be a matter of moments before the townsfolk began to fill the tables.

  The smell that was all Shannon’s reached him, and he found himself both eager to look at her and fearful of what he would see in her eyes. Would she hate him for convincing her to return? Would he repulse her for using her like he had? Or would there be a welcoming smile?

  He slowly moved his gaze to her face and saw her downcast eyes. He clenched his jaw, wishing he hadn’t done what he had, wishing he had allowed her to leave when she had had the chance instead of risking her life as she was now doing.

  Then he saw the fresh wound near her hairline above her right eye and rage engulfed him. He knew who had dared to touch her. Again. And this time Benton would pay.

  “No,” she whispered as she set his plate of food before him. “Leave it, Cole.

  Don’t give him reason to search you out again.” Cole was about to argue with her when her gaze met his. In her eyes, he saw the fear she wasn’t able to hide, and he vowed then and there, that before he left the village, something would be done about Benton.

  “Remember your promise to me. You can’t keep it if you’re dead.” Her words jerked him out of his rage. She was right. He had to keep a level head.

  Slowly, Cole lowered his gaze to stare mindlessly at his food.

  When did Shannon become so important? Sure, he enjoyed his share of women, and he protected them when necessary. Yet, the feelings assaulting him now weren’t the normal protectiveness he felt towards other women. It was something more, much more.

  And it scared the hell out of him.

  The urge, the need to wrap his hands around Benton’s neck and squeeze until all breath left his lungs was nearly too much to bear, but bear it he would.

  Too much was at stake—namely the salvation of the realm of Earth and the Fae realm.

  So, with an iron clad will, he lifted a bite of the food into his mouth. He never tasted it. His mind was on discovering just what kind of creature they were up against.

  There was no need to search for the wielder of the blue stone, the stone that summoned and controlled the creature. The wielder was the baron.

  Finding the stone, however, was another matter.

  Cole wasn’t afraid to face the baron, the creature, or any number of men because he was immortal. But Gabriel was another matter. No one, not even Gabriel, knew if he was mortal or not, or from where he hailed.

  The Shields had already lost one. Cole didn’t wish to report back to Hugh and inform him that Gabriel had also been lost.

  Somehow, someway, he and Gabriel must do this alone. Two against an army and a creature so evil he had been trapped in another realm. Not bad odds considering what type of warriors he and Gabriel were.

  Cole leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. He was a warrior, a man who had a gift for fighting.

  Maybe it was time for more of it.

  * * *

  Aimery ran a hand down his weary face. For centuries the Fae had thought they had guarded their realm and Earth from the evil that penetrated other realms, yet it seemed they had been wrong.

  Woefully

  wrong.

  The Shields had been his idea, the gathering of the finest warriors throughout time and history, warriors so great that they lived on in legends.

  Now, there were only five Shields left. Five men out of nearly a hundred he knew would give their lives to save his realm and Earth. Five of the finest warriors that had ever breathed.

  And he had separated them.

  Together they were invincible. Apart…apart they were dangerous, but would it be enough.

  Aimery hung his head as he wondered over and over again if he had made the correct decision.

  Aimery.

  The call from his king brought him to his feet. He immediately walked from his office at the palace to the throne room.

  Floors of gilded blue stone that was only found on the Fae realm sparkled beneath his feet. Murals of their history from the beginning through great wars until present day lined the walls of the long hall toward the throne room, yet Aimery didn’t see them.

  His mind was still on his Shields.

  Bright light shown all around him as he stepped in front of the king and queen’s thrones. The great dome roof above him allowed the light to shine through, day or night.

  Aimery went down on his knee, wondering why he had been summoned.

  “Is everything all right, Aimery?”

  His queen’s soft, melodic voice brought his head up. Her Fae blue eyes shown with concern as she watched him, and Aimery knew lying wasn’t an option.

  “I’m not sure, my queen,” he answered.

  King Theron bade Aimery to rise. “What do you mean?” Aimery looked from Theron to Rufina. “I did the unthinkable.”

  “You are the Fae commander, Aimery. What could you have possibly done that you think is that awful?” Rufina asked with a bright smile.

  Aimery swallowed and clasped his hands behind him. “I separated the Shields.” Silence echoed around him until Theron gained his feet and walked to stand in front of him.

  “I have no doubt in my mind that you split the Shields up for a very important reason, my friend.”

  The weight of Aimery’s guilt increased with his king’s words. “I knew separating them would limit their chances of survival.”

  “Then tell us the reason you chose to do it,” Rufina said softly.

  Aimery sighed and paced in front of them. “Reports of more creatures come daily, and with the search for the other four girls ….”

  “Girls?” Rufina repeated.

  Aimery stopped and looked at her, but before he could speak, Theron did.

  “Don’t you remember, my love? Aimery and I found the ancient text of the other realm. They were about to be destroyed and that sent out twelve of their young to Earth?”

  Rufina nodded. “Ah, yes. Six boys and six girls. That’s, right,” she said. “You found one. Hugh’s mate.”

  “Aye,” Aimery said. “All six boys are dead. They never survived their times.

  War took most of them, but a duel took the last. One of the girls was taken in a plague.”

  “Which leaves only five,” Theron finished. “The question is will the five be able to break the evil?”

  “Do they even know how?” Rufina asked.

  Aimery shrugged. “Mina, Hugh’s mate, recalls nothing. I’m confident that once all five are gathered together that they will be able to decipher what they need to do.” Theron regarded him closely. “What is it you are keeping from us?” Aimery sighed. “Not only are the women scattered throughout time and the entire breadth of Earth, but they know of them now.”

  “They?” Theron asked breathlessly. “Tell me you aren’t referring to the evil that threatens us.

  Slowly, Aimery nodded his head. “Between the creatures and searching for the girls, the Shields had to be split. Our time is growing short.” Theron slammed his fist into his hand. “If
only the devils would dare to attack here, then we could fight them.”

  “That’s the point, my darling,” Rufina said, her eyes raised to the beautiful dome ceiling. “They know they cannot defeat us in our realm. They must reach us through Earth.”

  Aimery nodded. “As it is, we are nearly overstepping the boundaries by arming the Shields and shifting them through time.”

  “Yet we will continue,” Theron said stiffly. “We have no other choice.” Aimery watched as Rufina rose and walked into her husband’s arms. Once already the Fae and Earth had battled evil to continue on, but this time, the evil was greater, more powerful—and everywhere.