Ceric Read online

  “I think so,” she says tentatively as she moves to stand with Nova’s help.

  “Slowly. I will hold you until you can stand by yourself” Nova says quietly. At her concern with this woman she doesn’t even know, I see a new side of her. She also tried to save those Keres’s lives when she persuaded them not to shoot at us earlier. My woman seems to have a soft heart to her, after all. I think that this whole big mouth thing she has going is all a protection mechanism. Maybe we are more alike than we think.

  “I’m fine,” Brielle says after taking a few steps.

  “Okay, let’s go.” Before we make our way out of the room, I hear Wulf say that they are descending the stairs and will be with us shortly.

  Burkhart is already in the corridor and listening at the next door when I make my way out. He motions to me, letting me know that someone’s inside. I see Wulf at the base of the stairs as I join Burkhart. “Stay behind me,” I say to the women.

  Burkhart enters and then stops, blocking my view of what’s inside. Hearing a groan, I look around him to see a man tied with chains attached to a hook hanging from the ceiling. The poor bastard is basically standing on his tiptoes, and all he’s wearing is his boxers.

  I don’t know who he is, but the Keres have beaten him up pretty badly. I’m sure he fought back, as he’s not a small guy. Burkhart cautiously approaches him; I start to follow, when I hear Nova gasp behind me. Looking around, I just have time to see her horrified face before she’s rushing forward towards the guy.

  “Sam,” she whispers when she’s before him, her hand stretching out to touch him.

  “Don’t touch him,” I growl. What the fuck is the meaning of this? I see the tenderness in her eyes as she looks at him. Fuck this. He better be her brother, because if I came all this way to save a lover of hers, I’m going to flip my shit.

  I see her tense at my words, a startled look on her face, her hand halfway towards him. “Why not?” she asks, a concerned look on her face.

  Burkhart must have realised what is happening. “They might have triggered the chains. We need to check before touching him. Move back towards Brielle until we have him down.” She gasps at his words, looking at him with a horrified look on her face.

  Just then, a shot rings out in the corridor. “Fuck, we’ve been made. Nova, move behind me,” I roar. Burkhart has already placed Brielle behind him. “Wulf, what’s going on?”

  “There are three motherfuckers shooting from the room next to yours. We can’t do anything from here or the roof will cave in.” Fuck, I need to keep Nova safe. Looking around, I see that the walls are made of brick. I can work with that. As an earth bender, I can bend anything that comes from the earth, be it bricks, iron, or steel.

  “I’m going to flush them out of the room. Get ready to take them out.” Looking over at Burkhart, I nod towards Sam. Understanding, he rushes towards me as I take hold of the chains locked around his hands. The metal starts to mould away from his arms as I manipulate the steel. As it comes completely away, Sam falls forward into Burkhart’s arms.

  Carefully, Burkhart lowers him onto the floor. “I’m going to disintegrate a part of the brick in the corner. You heat up this chain, and we will send it in behind them. It will have to be fast so they don’t see us,” I state, already on my haunches with a hand on the brick as I turn it to dust. With all the shooting going on, the guys in the other room don’t hear. Looking back, I see that Burkhart has the chains red hot, with heat radiating from them. Instantly, the room starts to warm.

  “Bring it here; I will guide it towards them.” Burkhart places the chain by where the hole is to the other room. Moving towards the end of the chain, I pull off my T-shirt and wrap it around the chain so I can hold it while guiding it behind the Keres. My T-shirt instantly starts to disintegrate from the heat. I bend the metal to start moving as if it’s a snake through the hole and towards where I think the Keres are.

  After a few minutes, I hear shouting. “Okay, can you make it hotter?” I ask Burkhart. He raises an eyebrow at me and then smiles.

  “Move over, dude. I wouldn’t want to hurt you,” he teases. Taking hold of the chain with his bare hand, he lifts it slightly off the floor and then bashes it roughly. Instantly, the metal ignites into a furnace. “And that’s how it’s done.”

  With all the confusion going on, Wulf, Bjarni, and Caelius take the opportunity to advance and take out the fuckers. “We need to move out. It’s getting fucking hot in here.” Turning, I see Nova and Brielle have moved towards Sam. Nova has his head on her lap. Her fingers are running through his fucking hair, and the motherfucker has awoken and is smiling at her.

  “Motherfucker,” I grumble, making my way towards them. “We need to go. Nova, get behind me.” I turn to him. “Can you walk?” He frowns but then nods reluctantly.

  “Good. Burkhart, help me here.” I hold him under one arm, and Burkhart holds him under the other, lifting him to his feet. He groans, making Nova gasp in worry.

  “Sam, are you okay? Can you walk?” she asks him tenderly. He won’t be for long if she carries on talking to him like that.

  “I’m fine, Nunu . . . just a little banged up,” he says breathlessly.

  “What the fuck?” Where the hell does he come off calling my woman Nunu, and what kind of name is that? Nova glares at me for my outburst, but continues looking at the fucker as he starts to stumble forward. I let go of his arm, letting Burkhart continue to help him, and move forward to guide the way.

  “Let’s move,” Wulf orders when he sees us. We make our way back up the stairs, as the rest of the brothers are waiting at the top for us.

  “Follow me. Bion has the SUV out front,” Draco commands as he makes his way out of the building. Arriving outside, we find Bion shooting at two guys up on the roof. Until we take them out, we won’t be able to leave the building, or one of us may be taken out.

  “Move over,” Caelius calls from behind me. Lifting his sniper rifle to his shoulder, he aims. I hear the two women gasp at the shot.

  “One down,” Bjarni calls, and then Caelius aims and shoots again.

  “Clear,” Bion calls. Draco and Bjarni hurry towards the SUV, securing the area before they motion to us. Burkhart and Wulf help Sam towards the SUV, one on each side, supporting his weight.

  “Come on, beautiful, are you ready?” Caelius asks Brielle. At her nod, he picks her up against his chest, making her gasp in surprise as he rushes towards the car. As soon as they have Brielle in the car, Brandr drives off.

  “Where are they taking Sam?” Nova asks in her raspy voice as she stands next to me. The worry in her voice angers me. What the fuck is this guy to her? He better not be her boyfriend, because otherwise, the asshole is dead. Just the thought of him touching her blinds me with rage.

  “Where do you think?” I grumble. “Now let’s move out. We don’t have all day.” She stiffens at my words but doesn’t say anything, just marches right past me towards where the others are waiting.

  NOVA 6

  I can feel his eyes on my ass as I walk ahead of him. Damn but its making me hot. When I think of what he did inside with the brick and the chains, my insides flutter. He’s such an asshole, but he makes up for it with pure sexiness.

  We are near the area where we parked the bikes when I hear a shot ring out. Before I can move, I feel a weight on me and I’m falling. As I hit the ground, the air is punched out of me, leaving me gasping. “Are you okay?” I hear Ceric’s concerned voice in my ear, but until I get my breath back, I won’t be able to answer, and his weight on top of me isn’t helping.

  “God . . . Nova, answer me” he insists urgently against my hair just as I hear another shot ring out, and then I remember what happened back in the building, and I start to panic. These guys disintegrate if they get shot. I start to struggle, urgently wanting him to move. “Stop, Hellcat, you are going to get hurt. I will lift a little, but don’t move.” As soon as I feel his weight ease off me, I use all my energy and pull upwards and to
the side, unbalancing him, as he wasn’t expecting my sudden movement.

  “Fuck,” he groans. But before he can move, I’m lying flat on top of him. “What the fuck, Hellcat? What are you doing? You are going to get yourself killed,” he says angrily, trying to dislodge me, but I have my feet on each side of his legs, anchoring myself against him. My hands and arms are protecting his head from any bullet that might be aimed at us.

  “Please stop. Stay still,” I whisper roughly as I hold on to him. “Ceric, please.” He must hear my panic, because he stills suddenly.

  “Why?” he asks. I can hear the concern in his voice at the desperation of my hold on him.

  “You will get shot,” I grumble. I feel his hands come up towards my head. His fingers entwine in my hair, and he pulls my head up so I’m looking directly into his eyes. Only then do I realise that the shots have stopped.

  “You could also get shot,” he says as his dark chocolate-brown eyes bore into my soul. His look is so piercing that I’m starting to feel my head spin.

  “But I don’t disintegrate.” I hear him catch his breath, and then his eyes fill with a tenderness I never thought I would ever see from him. Why am I feeling so light-headed? Did I get shot and didn’t even feel it?

  “Hellcat, I don’t disintegrate if I get shot, only if I die,” he says gently. “But, Hellcat, if you ever put yourself in danger like that again after I specifically tell you not to do something, I will spank your ass until you can’t sit for a week.”

  “Humph.” Ungrateful bastard. I start to wiggle my body to try to get up, but I hear him groan in pain. His hands grip my hips, holding me still as his breath whooshes out. Only then do I feel his mighty hardness against my leg.

  “Are you two going to be long?” Caelius quips. “I’m sure you will be more comfortable at the compound, unless you are waiting for someone else to start shooting at us again.” At his interruption, Ceric gently lifts me off him, and then he’s getting up. Still holding my hand, he helps me up too.

  “Are you okay, sweetheart?” Bion asks from beside us, a concerned look on his face.

  “Just a little dizzy, but I’m sure that’s understandable after what we just went through.” To be honest, I’m more than a little dizzy, and I can feel a tremor course through my body. Maybe I’m in shock, and who could blame me after what I saw today?

  “Ceric, I think the bonding has begun. We need to get her to the compound pronto,” Bion says gruffly.

  “What do you . . . mean?” I say, but my body is starting to shut down. My vision starts to darken, and then I feel arms around me. I know whose arms they are without having to see the person. Only one person has ever given me this overwhelming feeling. His heat surrounds me just as I feel my body start to convulse.

  “Hellcat!” I hear his concerned cry just before I black out. Maybe I was shot and I’m dying.

  A tingling feeling is spreading all the way from my head down to my toes. Did I die? I have never felt so at peace, such harmony within myself. When I feel lips against my neck, my eyes pop open and I tense in reaction. There’s a muscular arm around my waist, and my ass is cradled against someone’s very engorged groin.

  And by the moistness pulling between my legs, I know just who it is. How did I get here, and why am I in bed with Ceric? My mind is still foggy, and my body isn’t responding to my brain as his lips continue their perusal of my sensitive neck.

  Damn, this man is good; he can make me forget my own name. His hand on my lower stomach is drawing patterns, making me want to move so his hand can slip lower. I move my ass slightly, just enough to feel his length cradled against my ass cheeks. At the friction, he groans, the sound against my neck vibrating straight to my breasts, hardening my nipples.

  “What are you doing?” I was meaning to snap at him, but my voice is breathless, my body so sensitive that every breath he takes heightens my awareness of his closeness.

  “Good, you’re awake. I was starting to worry,” he says gruffly, turning me until I’m lying on my back, looking up at his lust-filled eyes.

  “How long have I been out?” I couldn’t have been out that long, could I? Looking down at myself, I see that I’m still wearing my torn jeans and dark-grey T-shirt. The only thing missing are my boots. Ceric, on the other hand, only has his low-waisted jeans and no T-shirt. My eyes rove the expanse of his chest, stopping at a beautiful stone he has hanging around his neck. The colour is a deep red with streaks of black against his tanned chest.

  I saw his bare chest before when fighting with the Keres MC. At the time, I nearly forgot where I was when seeing all the male hotness before me, but now, with his ruggedness so close to me, I find myself unable to think about anything else except to touch his tanned skin. Lifting my hand, I lay it over his stone and against his heart. I hear his breath hitch at my touch, and his answer is a rumble of sexiness that instantly has me squirming with want.

  “It must be three hours now.” Drawing closer, he kisses my forehead; my heart skips a beat in excitement.

  “What happened?” I don’t usually get overwhelmed, but with everything I have been through in these last few days, it’s understandable.

  “You touched me,” he says in his rumbly voice. “Now you’re mine.”

  “Woah, what do you mean?” I shriek. I see him wince at my high pitch. “And stop touching me. I can’t think when you touch me.” I hurriedly sit up, but he holds my arm, sitting up as well.

  “Calm down. Just let me explain, okay?” he snaps.

  “What do you want to explain? I wake up and you’re in bed with me. Without my permission, I might add, and then you have the audacity to say that I’m yours.” His fingers on my arm are strong and unmoving. “Well, buddy, for your information, I’m not yours or anyone else’s. The only person I belong to is myself,” I huff angrily, once again trying to free myself, to no avail.

  “Damn stubborn woman, just listen,” he growls. “The reason you started to convulse is because you touched me. As soon as we touched, our bonding began. There is no going back. You are mine and I am yours now.” His eyes are weary as he scowls at me.

  “In your dreams. Do you really think I’m going to be with a man who has probably had more women than a sieve has holes? I don’t share, so therefore, you have the wrong woman.” Ceric finally lets go of my arm. Jumping up from the bed, he lifts his hands and strokes his fingers through his hair, pulling it by the roots.

  “You are so damn frustrating. There is nothing you can do. We are bonded. You won’t be able to be away from me for long, or me from you. It will be emotionally and physically painful. I know you have this idea about me, but you are the only woman I want now.”

  “What a whole lot of crock, and for how long will that last until you see the next woman you can’t live without?” I want to believe him so bad, but everything I have seen about him tells me he’s a player, and I have seen women destroyed because of men like him too many times to ever want to place myself in a position like that.

  “It’s not like that. Once we Elementals bond, that’s it. You’re it for me; there will be no other women ever again,” he roars. His hands are now low on his hips, accentuating his V line. My mind wanders for a second, but I reluctantly take my eyes away from his hot body and look at his eyes to try to concentrate on our argument. He’s way too handsome for any woman to keep her thoughts in place when he’s around.

  “And how many women have you said that to?” I ask distractedly, as I notice that his beautiful chocolate-brown eyes have lightened to a brownish gold colour, shining with an intensity that captivates me.

  “Fuck this,” he says angrily. Stalking towards me, he grabs both my arms. I squeak in alarm as he lifts me off the bed until I’m standing before him. Before I can utter a word, his lips are crashing down on mine. In surprise, I open my mouth to complain, and he takes the opportunity to plunge into my depths. My mind goes blank as I feel his possession; his mouth devours mine. His body moulds mine to his. I feel his hard muscula
r frame against my softer curves.

  He lets go of my arms, and his hands slip to my waist, lifting me up off the floor and pulling me closer against him. I encircle his waist with my legs as I feel his hardness cradle against my heat. He continues to kiss me until we’re both breathless, panting in lust. My hands are holding his head, my fingers twisted in his hair as we devour each other.

  I feel the bed under me as he lowers us; breaking the kiss, he continues kissing down my neck as his hands stroke my ribs just under my breasts. My nipples pebble in excitement, begging for his touch. I open my eyes slightly as he nuzzles my neck, breathing in his intoxicating essence. My eyes move up from his hair, and then I tense.

  Above us is the deflated male doll hanging limply. I see the knives have been removed, but the doll is still there, as if reminding me of what this man is. What the hell am I doing? I have to get away from him. I completely forget myself when around him.

  Placing my hands on his shoulders, I push, but he doesn’t budge. I push harder. “Let go,” I huff. At my words, he tenses. Lifting his head, he looks deep into my eyes. “Let me up,” I repeat.

  After a second, he lifts himself off me. Sitting on the bed next to me, he drops his head into his hands, his elbows resting on his knees, as he breathes in deeply a few times. As I lay next to him, I also try to calm my breathing and my traitorous body that even though I pushed him away still craves his touch.

  After a minute, he lifts his head and then gets up. “I know that you don’t believe me, that you think I’m just passing the time with you, but I’ll show you that you’re special.” He lifts his T-shirt off a chair and pulls it on. “You can fight it as much as you want, Hellcat, but know that you’re mine and I will never let you go.” With that, he turns and leaves the room.

  I lay there for a few minutes, stunned at his words. I really wish that what he says is true, but I can’t let myself believe him. I have learned in life that words are easy to utter. If he means what he says, he is going to have to show me. I will give him the opportunity to convince me. I must just make sure that I keep my heart safe while he tries, because I have a feeling it will be way too easy for me to love Ceric.