Jonas (Darkness #7)(23)

He couldn’t deny her. Not when she asked like that, with her voice desperate. Wild. Needing to feel this thing between them with reckless abandon. She rose and then sat down on him again, harder. As he plunged into her, feeling sensations he could barely handle, he bit the delicate skin on her neck. She rose up slowly, breathing heavily. He sucked in her essence, taking a long draw.

“Oh my—Oh gods. Oh—“ Emmy clutched onto him. Her nails dug deeply into his back and then scored down his skin. Hot, stinging pain flared. Then pooled. Then turned into white-hot pleasure.

He thrust upward into her as she was coming down. His skin smacked off of hers as pleasure assaulted him. Her blood fell over his tongue in a burst of flavors and colors he’d never tasted before. Like a deep, underground river, the currents arrested him and sucked him under. Her floral scent wrapped around him as he tasted spices and danger. The desire to run headfirst into battle rose up. Of courage and steadfastness. Of hot nights and victory. His blood sang as it mingled with hers. His adrenaline keyed up.

He couldn’t think any more. There were only sensations. There was only her.

“You taste—“ He took another long draw. Her moaning filled his ears. Her body moved faster over him. His manhood plunged in and out of her. Her body stroked him. Made his balls tingle. Made his head swim.

His eyes rolled into the back of his head as an orgasm tore through him. She shuddered over him a moment later, crying out and then muffling it within his neck. Their panting filled the quiet room. Her presence, her body, her feel, filled his everything.

They would live through this, and he would make her his mate. There was no other way to play it.

As that thought settled into him with a comfortable surety, they heard distant shouting.

“He’s coming,” Emmy said in a strangled voice.

Chapter Seven

I hopped out of the car a moment after it rolled to a stop. We’d arrived in a dusty field ten miles outside of town. It was the only place in this area that didn’t have some sort of farming setup. With the yellowed grasses and uncultivated ground, it looked like a farmer had long since given up and moved away, never having sold his land so someone else could make a go out of it.

Once upon a time, I wouldn’t have noticed. I would’ve just passed this field with a brief glance at the deserted nature of it. Now, however, I rolled my eyes and scoffed. Obviously there was something hidden here. No way would land this fertile go unworked. No way would one building-size plot of land, perfectly square with the perimeter defined, not be housing a bunch of Stefan’s race trying to hide from the humans.

A line of cars had stopped in the middle of the street. Many had pulled to the side, ruining some cabbage, but a great many had just stopped. If someone wanted to get through, they were out of luck. I had no idea what Cato had done to keep the humans away, but whatever it was, it worked like Raid to ants. Not one person drove down this road that wasn’t here for a huge battle over American soil.

Warriors of one size—gigantic—gathered along the edge of the road. Each body stood straight and tall, dressed in leathers with swords at their sides or on their backs, sporting grim and terrifying expressions. These were the best of the best, that was clear. With their perfectly-sculpted muscles decked out in vicious, jagged scars, these gals and guys had all seen plenty of action. Their shoulders were set and eyes hard, staring at the empty space as if looking into the eyes of their enemy. They were just waiting for someone to kill.

The line of warriors was four deep and as long as the plot of land. There must’ve been a thousand people for the front line. Behind them, sporadic, were more warriors with less scars but harder expressions. Most looked older, and often they surveyed the toes of the men nearest the dirt. They were probably the commanders who would orchestrate the charge.

Cato stood in the cabbage field. Spread out around him were people with some mark denoting their ability at advanced magic. Some held hands, and some stood with heads bowed, but all stared unfocused. They were working.

“Love.” I turned at Stefan’s voice. He walked up beside me as he scanned the front line. He glanced back at all his warriors getting out of the cars, then turned his attention down to me. “You don’t need me for this. I’ll be working with the warriors.” He bent so his face was closer and his eyes bored into mine. “Stay safe, do you hear me? Don’t be a hero.”

“I’m totally going to be a hero.” I winked at him. I was pretty sure I still had raging anxiety in my gaze. Before a battle, I was scared shitless. This wasn’t new. The fireworks had to actually get started before my courage got fired up and my brain shut off.

“I love you.” He bent and kissed me. “I’m leaving Charles with you. Hopefully we’ll have Jonas by our side soon enough.”

“I just have to crack this bitch open and let him out,” I said with bravado I didn’t feel. The magazine paper of directions Emmy had given me crinkled in my fist.

Stefan nodded as warm comfort infused our link. “Call me if you need anything.”

I watched him stride away with a sense of loss. That feeling never went away when he put distance between us, and the rush of bliss always rushed me when I saw him again. That’s just how it was.

Which was not helping at the moment.

“All right. Time’s a wastin’.” I glanced back the way we’d come and saw Paulie stalking down the street with his straight and determined walk. My clan nodded to him as he passed, but those that didn’t know him gave him a double-take. He looked both human and like Stefan’s race, and he wore his halvsie status with pride. Gold flared up his arms, highlighting his tattoos.