Chapter 9-Chapter 14

Chapter 9

Serena woke slowly and found she was still immobilized. But at least she was no longer on the ground in the alley, but on a cot in a small room inside a building. The air was cold and sent shivers through her body. She looked around the best she could but found she was alone. Where was Jake?
She remembered being shoved into an alley then excruciating pain throbbing in her neck and then falling to the ground. She vaguely remembered Jake calling her name then everything went black.
What had they done to him, she wondered as she closed her eyes again. Gods she was messing this up badly. Trying to fit in to the human world was taking its tole on her sensitive senses. Some night stalker she turned out to be. They’d gotten their hands on her not once but twice since she’d left her island. She was going to have to start using her cat senses more. This was becoming embarrassing. A high priestess of the Shan-da order did not allow mere humans to control their destinies. She was stronger than that. She had been well trained and so far she’d been overpowered by demons and slags!
Serena heard footsteps coming closer so she closed her eyes hoping they would think she was still asleep.
“Nah, she is still out.” she heard one of her captors say.
“How much of that stuff did you give her?” the other one barked.
“Enough to immobilized her but I’m sure it wasn’t enough to kill her.”
“It best not be, you know how Dimitri is with merchandise. He’ll pay a pretty penny as long as the goods aren’t damaged.”
“Yeah well, he had better get here soon. I don’t like having to babysit this particular piece of merchandise.”
“Maybe we should have a little fun before turning her over.” the slag replied, rubbing his grubby little hands together.
“No. Dimitri said untouched. We leave her alone.”
“Man! You’re no fun.”
“Sounds like the rest of the gang finally showed. Hope they brought some food with them, I’m starving.”
“Yeah, well, you’re always starving.” They closed the door behind them and walked away. Serena opened her eyes and listened. Sounded like they went down some stairs, which meant she was in a room on a top floor. That wasn’t good. Once she was able to move again her only way out may be through the lot of them downstairs.
Having nothing else to do, her mind wandered to Jake. She hoped he was alright. She wondered if he was in one of the rooms up here as well. Didn’t much matter at the moment. If she called out, they would know she was awake and might give her more of that drug. She needed her senses about her if she were going to get out of this mess.
Time was quickly running out. She had to find that temple and the artifact. In just under a week there would be a solar eclipse. Not just an ordinary eclipse but a monumental one for her people. The Alusian War God, Tin-nak-qua, would rise from the nether hells to claim the artifact and the High Priestess. She shivered and closed her eyes. In order to save their people he would have to shed her blood. As High Priestess of the Shan-da faith, she had vowed to give up her life willingly. But that was before she’d met Jake. Now she wondered constantly what his lips would taste like. How his skin would feel next to hers. All the thoughts that a virginal High Priestess should not have.
She could imagine his long hair would feel like silk running through her fingers and she would love to see those lupine eyes swirl with heated passion. She had watched him intently the last time he had rescued her. Muscles bulging beneath his t-shirt, straining to break free of the confinement as he had fought his way to her. How would it feel to have those arms surround her with passion, caressing her body, filling her with his heat?
Serena pushed the thoughts out of her mind. It would do no good to test those waters. She was destined for other things. She sighned and tried to move again and happily found she could move her arms and shoulders. At least now she could sit up and check her surroundings better.
She found no windows and only the one door. This must be some kind of storage closet for there were cleaning supplies, buckets and the like scattered in the corners of the room. The cot must have belonged to a once employed janitor. It was hard and lumpy, a sign of much use.
She waited a few more minutes trying to decide what to do. She still felt her weapons on her body so they hadn’t even searched her. That was a plus on her side. She began to get a tingling sensation running through her legs and feet. Then she heard a commotion downstairs. She jumped up but fell flat on her face.
Chapter 10

Jake followed them to an old abandoned warehouse at the edge of town. The streets were deserted and as far as he could tell there were no slags lurking in the shadows. He moved cautiously against the building, having already reverted back to human form. He started to take a step and suddenly the air bombarded him with the sweetest aroma he’d ever smelled, arousing him intensly, almost like a drug. He shook his head to clear it and took a deep breath. Serena. That was Serena’s scent only more intoxicatingly sensual. Was she thinking of him, he wondered with a smile on his face or had she been enjoying her captors company? That thought blazed through his mind so intensely that it shook him to his core.
Only one way to find out and that was to rush the bastards. Going around the corner he saw a few windows and a closed bay door. He crept up quietly and peeked through the window. It was so dirty he could barely see through it. Using his fingers he rubbed a small place on the window to get rid of the dirt and made a clear view of the interior. There they were. Their assailants sitting around a table eating and playing cards, but there was no sign of Serena.
He saw stairs leading up to a second floor so perhaps that’s where they had stashed her.
He walked away from the building and looked up to see if there was any way he could climb in with out them seeing him but he could find no external entrance. Leaning back against the building he took a deep breath. Damn, but he hated slags! They were smelly and had oozing sores all over their bodies. They couldn’t talk without dribbling all over themselves. Their only unique feature was their ability to meld into the shadows, so his weapons would be of little use. No wonder the underworld liked to use them as assassins.
Jake quickly changed into wolf form and backed away from the building. Taking a running leap he busted through the window. Landing on his feet and running he attacked the first slag he came across, ripping his throat out with his sharp fangs. He heard shouts and scuffling as he left his first victim jerking with deaths grip. There had been four of them sitting around the table. One lay dying, two were in hiding and the third one was standing there ready to fight.
“Come on stalker! I thought I finished you last night. I won’t make that mistake again.”
Jake growled low in his throat as they circled one another. The slag had a knife in each hand then slashed out toward Jake. He dodge and grabbed the slag’s arm in the process, feeling the tissues rip beneath his mighty jaws. The slag cursed as he tore his arm away from Jake, blood dripping down his arm, a gapping hole where Jake’s teeth had been.
Jake circled his prey then felt the hackles rise down his back. He caught movement from the corner of his eye but didn’t dare look away. The slag with the knives was trying to corral him. The others must be waiting for him in the shadows behind the boxes to his left. There wasn’t much he could do about it until he found a way to kill the slag in front of him.
Sudden movement from the corner of his eye made him tense, knowing he was going to be pounched upon in that area. Just as the knife slag moved forward and sliced the air beneath his throat, the shadows moved toward him at a frightening speed to grab him from behind then from out of nowhere the scream of a cat filled the air as he heard two thuds hit the boxes now to his back.
A stunned slag now stood before him and he took advantage of the diversion. Jumping, he grabbed the slags throat and ripped it from his neck. The slag slumped into a puddle of his own blood.
Turning, Jake saw the sweetest looking little jaguar he had ever seen finishing off one of the other slags. Before he could react to the last slag the bastard had driven a knife through Serena’s shoulder. Her screech was ear splitting, but before the slag could do any more damage, Jake had taken his head from the slag’s body with his own knife as he had transformed in mid jump.
Rolling and landing on his feet, he ran back over to Serena, pulling the dead slag’s body off of her.
“Don’t move, Serena and don’t transform. You will heal faster this way.” Jake was saying to her as he examined the wound.
Serena growled low in her throat and panted heavily. She closed her eyes against the pain and allowed him to check her over. Even in cat form she found his touch reassuring and soothing.
“We can’t stay here in case there are others coming. I know it’s dangerous to pick you up but you’ve got to trust me, Serena. I promise I won’t hurt you.” he told her as he ran his hand down her back. He knew she was vulnerable and it could be deadly for him to even pick her up, but he needed to move her and that was the only way. He could have had her change but she may not have had enough strength to change back so that she could heal faster.
“Easy now.” he said as he put his arms underneath her to lift her up into his arms.
Serena growled a low warning, but didn’t try to strike out at him. Once he raised her to chest level and had a secure hold on her, they left the building and headed out away from the warehouse. Jake headed toward the wooded area that surrounded one side of the road. Soon as he felt they were safely secluded from the road he rustled some leaves together with his feet to make a makeshift bed then laid her down on the ground beneath a huge tree.
He noticed she was panting pretty hard. He knew a shoulder wound was very painful as he knelt beside her.
“Serena I’m going to leave you here for awhile. They took all our supplies so I’m going to retrieve them. Promise I won’t be gone long.” he soothed her, rubbing her muzzle gently with his hand. He smiled softly as she purred beneath his touch.
She watched him go until he disappeared into the brush. She was in so much pain it was hard for her to breath. Finally she closed her eyes to rest, feeling safe that he would return for her.
Chapter 11

Jake carried as much supplies with him as he could gather upon his back. They would be packing light. Hopefully where they were suppose to go would not be too far to travel. A few days supplies was all he could find amongst the stuff they had stolen from them. He covered his tracks the best he could as he headed back into the forest. By the time he had returned to Serena it was past mid day. He found her sleeping where he’d lain her, but she was no longer in cat form.
“Baby, why did you change?” he asked as he threw off the backpack and knelt beside her.
She opened her eyes and smiled at him.
“I couldn’t maintain the form any longer. I was in too much pain.” she told him, glad that she was no longer alone.
He leaned her forward and checked her shoulder. It was starting to heal, but he would have felt better if it was healed completely.
“If you can walk, we need to get moving. I want to get as far away from here as soon as possible.”
“I can walk, if you can help me up.”
He grabbed her under her arms and lifted her to her feet. She swayed and he held her against him. There was that heady scent again. Her scent. The arousal was instantaneous as she leaned into him. He held her as close as possible without hurting her. He looked down at her upturned face, their lips bare inches apart.
“I think this is a dangerous position.” he stated softly.
“I think you’re right.”
“What are we going to do about it?”
“What do you want to do about it?
“I’ll settle for this right now.” he stated, bending down and touching his lips to hers.
Her musky scent intensified around them as their lips melded together in a lusty yearning neither one could deny any longer.
Her lips tasted of sweet honey. He could no longer deny the emotions that swirled within him. He cupped her face with his hands and delved his tongue deeper within her mouth, letting it dance a sweet song of surrender. Gods, but she tasted so good he didn’t ever want to let her go. But reluctantly, he did let her go. He knew if he kept this up there would be no trekking through this forest until way later because he would lay her back down on that bed of leaves and make hot passionate love to her until he couldn’t walk and talk at the same time.
Serena hadn’t realized she’d closed her eyes when their lips had met, the feel of him was so intense, she had wanted nothing more than to savor him for as long as possible. The loss of his warmth and his lips left her bereft as she slowly opened her eyes. If her eyes were as passion glazed as his, then it was a good thing he had separated them.
Reluctantly he let her go and pulled on the backpack. When he returned he wrapped his arm around her to give her support. They said not a word but headed deeper and deeper into the woods toward their destination.

~

They had been traveling through the woods all day stopping only momentarily to drink some water and chew on some jerky. By night fall they had put quite a bit of distance between them and the chaos they’d left behind. The woods had turned into rainforest about an hour earlier making it hot and sticky. They’d found a stream and followed it and was very glad they did. Besides it being a source of fresh water, it would be refreshing to bath in once they made camp.
Jake helped Serena settled down upon a boulder and then he unloaded his pack.
“Stay here and rest. I will check out the area.” Jake told her.
She nodded as she watched him leave. She was thankful for the time to rest. Her shoulder wasn’t hurting as badly as earlier but it was stinging as though a thousand fire ants were making a meal of her.
Now that she had time to sit and think, she pondered the emotions that surfaced when Jake had kissed her. She had known he’d gotten under her skin, but until that moment she hadn’t realized how badly. She couldn’t let it control her judgement. She had a job to do and only a few days left in which to do it in. If they didn’t find the artifact in time, her people were doomed.
When Jake returned he found her deep in thought. What could she be thinking about to make her frown so, he wondered curiously.
“All clear.” he told her. “We can make camp here for the night and go on in the morning. From what I recall from your brother’s maps we should be heading in the right direction.”
“I hope so. The sooner we find the artifact the sooner my quest will end.” she sighed with a heavy heart.
“I’m not sure finding the artifact will include finding your brothers killers. In fact, I hope they are no where to be found.” Jake stated, taking the tent out of the pack and rolling it out to set up.
“Well, I know who killed him. I just want the satisfaction of knowing they will pay for his murder. Until I have my hands on that artifact, there is nothing I can do about it.”
Jake said nothing else as he put the tent together. Serena helped him and they unrolled the sleeping bag and set it inside. Serena looked around for the other bag, but couldn’t find it.
“Only one sleeping bag?” she asked suspiciously.
“I could only carry one. You were in no position to help, remember? Besides, we can share it. There’s room on it for the two of us.
His cock-eyed grin was contatious and she couldn’t help but shake her head and smile back at him.
“I don’t want to risk a fire tonight just in case we are being follwed so we’ll have to make due with some jerky, nuts and whatever fruit I can scrounge up.” he told her as he rummaged through the pack.
“That’s fine. I’m really too tired to eat anyway. I would like a bath and cool down though.” she told him, earnestly looking at the stream with yearning.
“I saw a small pond just the other side of that outcropping. Why don’t you make use of it while go foraging.”
“Maybe I will.” she said settling down on the bedding and removing her boots.. “But first I want to rest.”
“Good. You get some sleep and mend. I will be back shortly.”
He grabbed a packet of trail mix and stuck it in his pocket. He’d much on it later if he got very hungry.
Serena watched him leave then laid her head down on her arms. She was suddenly so tired she couldn’t keep her eyes open so she let them shut and fell instantly asleep.
Chapter 12

The sun was just setting by the time Jake returned to camp. He’d found a banana tree and a date tree so at lest they would have some fresh fruit to go with dinner tonight and breakfast in the morning. If he could catch some fish out of that stream they could feast like kings. He looked around the encampment but didn’t see Serena any where. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary so he figured she must be down at the pond taking a bath. Setting down his treasures he went in search of his partner.
When he saw her, his breath hitched up a few notches and the blood flow from his brain to his groin stopped in mid action he swelled so rapidly. She looked like a goddess as she stood in the middle of the pond, water slucing down her body and the last rays of sunlight reflecting off the rocks behind her, giving her a golden glow.
He didn’t know if she had heard him approaching or if she had felt his presence. All he knew was she turned around at that moment and looked at him with the most amazing blaze in her eyes he had ever seen on a woman. The depth of fire in those crystal green eyes burned him alive. He locked gazes with her and did not hesitate to strip off his own garments.
She watched him there upon the shore, a heat going through her body so intense that it consumed her. He was a magnificent speciman of a man. Tall, muscular and very well built in all the right places. Though she had none to compare him with, she would think her assumtion was correct where he was concerned.
Slowly he entered the water and walked toward her. She shivered with anticipation. She should not be doing this, but it may be her last chance to know the full extent of being a woman. It wasn’t mandatory that she be a virgin for Tin-nak-qua. The prophesy just said he needed the blood of the High Preistess. Her virginal blood was to be the God of Wars but he would not have mated with her in the sense that normal people would mate. He would have mated with her spiritually and then took her life after that.
She wanted this man who now stood before her. She wanted to feel his heat surrounding her, entering her and blessing her with life. She needed to taste him. All of him. She hungered for what he had given her earlier that day. Soon as he got close enough and put his hands on her arms, she reached up and pulled his lips down to hers. A fire so intense coarsed through her body like a raging river. She could almost see the steam from the water surrounding them.
By the heavens he was in exstacy, Jake thought as soon as their lips touched. He was on fire, burning with such a need to have her that he felt like he was being burned alive. What was it about this woman that screamed at every nerve ending in his body. He wasn’t some young buck new at the game. Hell, if truth be known, he was older than dirt. But yet he felt so enamored of her. She felt precious to him and he wanted all of her.
His lips left hers and trailed down the side of her neck, licking, suckling, leaving little kisses and nips down to the tops of her breasts. Oh and what beautiful breasts they were. He held one in his hand and as soon as his tongue darted out to flick the little bud she cried out and leaned toward him. He circled the little nub and scraped his teeth across its sensitive tip and she melted in his arms, her knees growing weak.
“You are so beautiful.” Jake whispered as he left her breasts and kissed his way down to that tantalizing stud that graced her belly button.
“Jake.” she inhaled as he flicked his tongue around her stud and swirled the inside of her navel. He was sending shivers throughout her whole body. She wasn’t sure which sensations to savor first.
“Jake, I want you. Now.” she cried out pulling him back up into her arms where his lips again claimed hers. When coherent thought passed through her mind once more she felt something solid against her back and realized they’d drifted to the out croppings.
“Baby, you are so beautiful.” Jake breathed again, nipping her neck, her ear lobe. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.” she answered wrapping her arms around his neck. He looked her straight in the eye and with both hands cupped her face and kissed her hard with all the pent up passion he’d been carrying around with him.
He lifted her legs and they wrapped around his waist. She could feel him pushing, testing before finally, with one swift motion he penetrated and broke through her barrier. She cried out and clung to him and he went still as stone.
“Oh, baby, why didn’t you tell me? I’d have been more gentle.” he told her, holding her close, cradling her in his arms.
“It’s alright, Jake. Please, don’t stop. Please.” she whispered into his chest where her face was buried.
He kissed her cheek and started moving once again. Faster and faster, their rhythm beating a heated race toward release. Jake took her scream of release into himself as he kissed her at the moment of her heightened pleasure. Mere seconds later he joined her on that plane of exquisite rapture.
Serena wasn’t sure how long they stayed there against the out cropping just getting their breath, relaxing into one anothers arms. She felt so wonderful that mere words could not describe the high that she was on. She had never realized how good this could be and her body began its greedy dictation all over again.
“How is it possible that I want you all over again, Jake?” she told him, his breathing returning to normal. She planted little kisses over his broad chest, her hands splayed across each of his nipples turning them hard as pebbles.
Jake felt himself come to life again. Just the mere thought of having her beneath him surged him forward.
“I want you too, but not here. I want you lying beneath me while I love you until you can not move.” he told her.
She shivered again with anticipation as he led her back to camp. If she had her way, they’d make love all night long. Perhaps tomorrow or the next day she would have to be the High Priestess of the Shan-da faith, but for right now, she was just Serena, a woman enjoying the arms of a man.
Chapter 13

It had been three glorious days since Jake had taken her into his arms and not let her go. How she hated for it to end, but end it had to.
Yesterday they had found the temple her brother had talked about and the passageway beneath the main hall way. They hadn’t found the artifact as hoped but perhaps their efforts would be rewarded today. Tonight was the face of the full moon in all its splendor and Tin-nak-qua would rise and expect his artifact and High Priestess to be waiting for him in the main alter room of the temple.
She dashed away a stray tear as she dug diligently through the rubble of the tomb she was looking through. They had decided to split up and figured each of them may have better luck in finding the gem. Her heart was breaking and there was nothing she could do about it. Jake would soon be lost to her forever.
She had realized this morning that what she was feeling for him was love. Pure and sweet and the full meaning of it left her heart bereft and aching to know she would never again be ensconced in his arms and feel his lips upon her body. She had watched him while he slept this morning and it had filled her with such a feeling of rightness she nearly wept from the intensity of it. Life was cruel and unfair to have finally found her mate, her match. They were suited to each other in all ways.
She wiped away another tear and found her face was wet. She’d been crying full board and hadn’t even realized it. She stopped and dabbed at her eyes with the end of her shirt. She could not do this. She could not leave him now that she had found him. But what was she to do? Every day of her life had been bred for this moment in time. There was no going back.
She heaved a heavy sign and swalled the lump in her throat. She would have to be brave. She would have to-
“Serena! Serena I found it!” she heard Jake’s muffled call from the other tomb.
“By the gods!” she breathed with excitement, then, “Jake! Don’t touch it! Don’t touch it!” she yelled as she dropped her shovel and ran to where he was at.
A brillant light echoed through the hallway as she ran into the tomb. There it was, enclosed within a glass case that was embedded within the stone wall.
“Jake, please, don’t touch it.” she said again as she walked slowly up to him. He had his hand in mid air, reaching for it, almost as if he was mesmerized by it, then lowered his hand when he heard her voice.
“I’ve never seen anything like it.” he said stepping away from it.
“It is of the Alusian people and it has not been sought after for several thousand years. It is the future of my people.” she told him as she walked slowly toward it.
Jake grabbed her arm to stay her forward motion.
“What are you doing? I thought only a High Preistess of the Shan-da faith could touch it and not be harmed.” he reminded her.
“Yes, that is true.” she looked at him and then reached out toward the case. She turned her hand, palm up and whispered a word that Jake did not understand. Then in the next instance it was no longer in the case but in the palm of her hand.
“You. You are the High Priestess?” he asked with disbelief.
“I should have told you.”
“Damn right you should have told me!” his voice quivered with anger and something else. Hurt? Betrayal?
She reached out to touch him and he backed away. She slowly lowered her hand. So this was how it would end.
“You lied to me Serena.” his voice was cold and distant.
“I’m sorry Jake, but there was no other way.”
“You used me to get you here. Hell I actually found the artifact for you. What? Do I have moron written on my forehead? I made love you! By the gods, I took your maidenhead! Was that all a like too?”
“No, Jake. That was real. That was-”
“Save it, baby.” Jake turned and walked out of the tomb. Serena went after him, the artifact safely tucked in her pocket.
The suns brillance temporarily blinded her when she emerged from beneath the ground and then she stopped dead in her tracks. Jake was standing only a few feet away from her but he must have worn the same look as she. One of stunned disbelief.
“Friends of yours?” he asked as he turned to stare at her.
They were surrounded by more than a hundred Alusian warriors. Ancient Alusian warriors.
“Jake, no, I swear. I’ve never seen them before.” she told him as she descended the stairs to stand next to him.
“My queen, you have finally arrived.” a warrior of some substantial ranking said to her as he came to stand in front of them.
“Queen?” Jake sneered at her.
She gave him a dubious look then answered the warrior. “I don’t know what you are talking about. I am not your queen.”
“Oh but you will be, my lady.” a soft voice came from behind her. Serena turned and stood stunned to find the elder of her faith smiling warmly at her.
“What is the meaning of this Shenika?” Serena asked turning to face her.
“I am sorry my lady, but you are too valuable to let go out into the world alone. Once we realized where you were heading, it didn’t take us long to find you.” Shenika bowed slightly toward Serena.
“Well, now that you’ve found me, you can leave. I’ve no need of your services.” she turned her back to the old woman and looked at Jake.
“I’m afraid we can’t do that at least not until after the eclipse and the ceremony is complete.”
“What eclipse?” Jake asked with interest.
“Didn’t Serena tell you? No, I don’t suppose she would have since you were just her guide here.”
He started to speak and Serena slightly shook her head at him to silence him. He didn’t know why he obeyed her but he did. She had ripped his heart out of his chest and squeezed it until there was no life left within it. She had lied to him and used him. How could he have been so blind to her.
“You see, Mr. Mosely, when the solar eclipse tonight takes place, that is when Tin-nak-qua, the Alusian God of War rises from his realm and is able to enter ours. With the help of Serena’s blood and the Shan-da artifact, he will be able to supply our people with the blessed gift of life. But only after the High Priestess gives hers.”
“What?!” Jake looked at Serena and knew that it was true. She would be the one to die this night. Now it all made perfect sense. The blood of the virgin priestess, but wait, she was no longer virginal.
“Serena,”
“No, Jake. You were right. I lied to you. I used you just as I had always planned to do. Now its time for you to go.” her voice cracked but once as she stared at him, hoping he would say nothing else. Hoping he would leave it be and never look back.
He stood there and stared at her for the longest time, then he looked at Shenika and then raised his eyes to the warriors that surrounded them. Best to cut his losses now. This was no time for pride to get in his way. He would be fighting a loosing battle and for what? Just to have another Alusian female rip him apart?
He said not a word but turned his back and walked down the steps away from her.
Serena watched him go. Her heart was breaking and she could barely breath, but she’d had to do it. He didn’t stand a chance against these warriors if he chose to stay and fight for her.
“Come my lady. There is much to do before tonight.” Shenika said taking Serena’s arm and guiding her back toward the temple chamber.
Chapter 14

The time was nearing midnight and the eclipse would soon be starting. Shenika had prepared her a royal bath and rubbed her body with purifying oils and crushed rosemary. She wanted to scream that she wasn’t dead yet, but she’d kept her mouth shut and endured the rituals. So much was at stake. Her people needed the gift of life that Tin-nak-qua could provide.
She studied herself in the brass mirror that hung against the wall of the room. She was dressed in a long flowing white toga like garment that hung down to her ankles. Sheer golden sandals adorned her feet and her hair was lifted from her neck in a twisted braid that made the tips look like a silver halo surrounding her head. Pure gold bands adorned both arms. She looked to the side and studied the Shan-da amethyst. It was actually pulsing with different spirals of energy rotating in and around itself. It seemed almost alive with anticipation of the coming evening.
Serena paced the length of the room. Nervous energy keeping her from sitting patiently and waiting for the end. The end. She swallowed a lump that formed in her throat as it constricted with the certainty of death. Dieing had never bothered her before, she knew that was her destiny. But then she had met Jake. As soon as he had touched her, everything had changed.
Her heart convulsed with the knowledge that she would never see him again. Would never lay in his arms again nor taste his sweet lips. She hated that he left the way he’d left but it had been for the best. It was better he hate her than grieve for the loss of her. She just wished she could have told him how much she had loved him and how happy he had made her these past few days.
She took a deep shuddering breath and wipe a tear from the corner of her eye. Off in the distance she heard the clang of a gong. It has begun.
Serena walked out of the room and down a flight of steps to reach the outside courtyard where the steps were located that took her up to the alter platform. A fire had been lit on either side of the steps that reached all the way up. She saw Shenika standing next to the alter, waiting for her to ascend the steps.
Behind Shenika, Serena could plainly see the full moon and the eclipse that had already started. She figured by the time she reached the alter at the top, Tin-nak-qua would have risen and waited for her. Slowly she ascended the stairs, the artifact held in front of her in her hands. Off in the distance she could hear the steady beat of drums or was that her heart pounding in her ears. She wasn’t sure about anything anymore. She didn’t really care. This was her time. Soon she would be no more.
Shenika was chanting softly. A gong could be heard again, marking the time. In the dim glow of the firelight she watched closely as a white mist began to form next to the alter as she reached the final steps. Then she too was standing next to the alter cradling the artifact in front of her.
Shenika dusted the alter with burning incense chanting while she did it, then beckoned Serena to lie down upon it. She complied and held the artifact just below her navel where the gift of life would seed.
Then she saw him. Tin-nak-qua. In a full headdress, a large metal collar draped around his neck, looked to be gold, arm bands of gold around his mighty biceps, a loin cloth draped around his hips with gold chains encircling his waist. He held his spear in one hand, both wrists encased with jewel encrusted bands. He had a hawk like nose with piercing crystal green eyes with hard lines tracing his face. He looked at her and smiled. She watched him raise his spear, then she closed her eyes and swallowed hard. This was it. There was no turning back.
She heard the rush of air as he jabbed the spear in a downward motion. She felt a quick shove, then a scream and found herself on the ground.
“Shenika!” she yelled as she picked herself up off the ground. “What happened?”
“I couldn’t let you sacrifice yourself like that.”
Serena whipped around, tears glistening in her eyes.
“Jake.”
Serena ran into his arms and he held her close to him.
“I couldn’t let you go Serena. No matter that you used me. You had my heart the moment you walked into my office.” He whispered in her ear nuzzleing her neck as he spoke.
“I love you Jake.”
He looked into her eyes then and saw the truth of the matter. He didn’t care what had happened before. All he knew was that he loved her as well and could not live his life without her. But before he could speak the spirit of Tin-nak-qua came toward them.
“I don’t think the ceremony is done yet, baby.” Jake told her, trying to put her behind him.
“It’s alright, Jake.” she said walking toward the spirit.
She cast a glance at the alter and saw the blood of Shenika having been spilt there in her place. The blood of a virgin had been sacrificed to the god. Now he was ready to give her people the seed of life. She opened her hands and the stone levitated from her palms. Its brilliant hues pulsing all the colors of the rainbow. Tin-nak-qua raised his hand and covered the spinning stone, filling it with immense energy. Then it lowered back down into the palm of her hand.
When it touched her skin again it shot jolts of energy coursing through her body.
“Serena!” Jake yelled and reached out for her.
“Do not touch her Immortal before the energy has spent or she will die.” Tin-nak-qua said in broken English.
“Why? What have you done to her?”
“She carries the seed of life within the stone. In return, it has granted her immortality.”
Jake remembered that now. Who ever held the stone when it was filled would be granted the gift of life.
Moments later Serena collapsed on the stone floor still clutching the artifact. Jake rushed to her and gathered her in his arms. He looked up in time to see Shenika’s spirit hovering next to the ancient god then they were both gone in the next breath.
“Jake.”
He looked down at Serena and smiled. She was his for all eternity. Tears glistened in his eyes as he bent down and kissed her.
“I love you Serena. I don‘t ever want to loose you. Can you forgive me?”
She reached up and caressed the side of his cheek and smiled at him.
“There is nothing to forgive. I love you too.”
At last his heart had found a home. No longer would he wander the street of Immortality alone. She held the future of her people in her hands as well as his heart.

The End

Chapter 8

Chapter 8


The flight to Mexico City only took about five hours which meant they had plenty of daylight left to burn. Once they landed, Jake picked up a rental and they headed for their hotel. Getting the key from the desk clerk had been easy, almost too easy if Jake trusted his instincts and he did.
“Stay away from the balcony. There could be vamps or slugs out there waiting for us.” Jake told Serena as he set down their bags on the bed.
“How would they even know we were here?” Serena asked being on guard.
“Just a hunch. The guy at the front desk was just a little too eager for us to come up here.” he told her as he peaked out the side of the curtain.
“He probably thought we were in a hurry to get up here. After all, you did only get one room with one bed.” she reminded him, although she too stood to the other side of the balcony doors and looked out.
Jake gave her an annoyed look.
“Seems all clear, but we best be on guard. There’s no telling who is out there looking for you.”
“So where do we go from here?” she asked walking back over to the bed and rummaging through her bag.
“I think we should rest for awhile then go eat and pick up what we will need for our journey through the jungle.” Jake told her as he sat down on the bed and commenced to taking off his boots.
“And where am I going to rest?”
“The bed is large enough for the two of us and don’t get your whiskers in a bind. You’re not my type.”
“Yeah, well, as if I would jump your bones.” she said incredulously. “I’m going to take a shower. You can read up on what my brother was doing before they killed him.” she said throwing a ton of paper work on the bed between them.
Jake gave her a dubious look but said nothing as he grabbed some paperwork and tried to ignore the fact that she was definitely his type and that she would soon be totally naked! Once the bathroom door was closed he groaned and fell back on the bed, his arm over his eyes in disgust with himself. Somehow she had gotten under his skin and he was having a hard time keeping her out of his thoughts.
Looking down at the papers she had thrown on the bed and the ones in his hand, he started rummaging through them and tried to put them into some kind of order. Soon Serena was forgotten as he started reading the notes that Nicholas had put together:
May 14th, the fifth day of excavation found a hidden chamber deep within the bowels of the Moon Temple. When I had first found reference to the Moon Temple I thought it was the one of Mayan decent that had been excavated down in Mexico, but no, this was a different Moon Temple. This one was also in Mexico, but further inland near the ruins at Cancun.
Vegetation had been thick, the heat deadly, but we had cut a path through the rain forest to find this magnificent hidden treasure.
I am glad that my colleagues and I decided to split up into three groups to explore the site. When I found reference to Tin-nak-qua and the Shan-da artifact, I knew I was on the right track. When we opened the chamber door and the first stirrings of dust that had been hidden for thousands of years came whipping out of the doorway, it was like I had been transported back in time.
The lineage of my people stirred in my blood as I gazed upon the hidden walls of the temple. In that precious moment time seemed to stand still and the pictures painted on the walls danced to a rhythm all their own. To know that there had been more of us than originally we had thought, brought a bright light to the surface of a more dismal future for our race.
And then I saw it. Saw him. Tin-nak-qua. He was holding the Shan-da artifact within the palm of his hand and it was radiating life from the spheres that surrounded it. By the gods it was the most beautiful thing I had ever laid my weary eyes upon.
As I read the writing there upon the withered walls my eyes stung from the moisture that pooled within their midst. The Shan-da artifact was real and only the High Priestess of the Shan-da faith could behold its brilliance and direct its fate toward her people along with the Alusian God of War, Tin-nak-qua. Between the two of them, a new life for their people could begin.
Farther down the wall I read and a lump formed within my chest at the sacrifice we would have to make in order to save our people. Though I hated it, I knew it was Serena’s time to shine. She had been born and bred for this coming. May she stay strong through the passing and her spirit soar to the heavens where she was created.
“What is he talking about?” Jake pondered out loud, scanning a few more pages.
“What is who talking about?” Serena asked as she walked back into the bedroom. She was wearing snug fitting jeans, a crop top that showed that gorgeous sapphire stud and a pair of hiking boots. She was towel drying her hair and Jake had to make sure there was no drool dripping from his chin.
Damn, if she wasn’t the prettiest thing that ever walked through his front door.
“I was just reading some of your brothers notes.”
“Great, did you find anything worthwhile?” she asked, sitting on the opposite edge of the bed and rummaging through some files herself.
“There was a mention of the High Preistess, Tin-nak-qua and you. Would you care to enlighten me?”
“Perhaps later, right now, I am starving! It’s already late afternoon and we’ve much to do. Can’t we go over everything when we get back?” she asked as she sifted through some more of the files.
“Sure. I could eat something myself.”
“Great! The sooner we get going the sooner we get back and can start putting some of these pieces together.”
He nodded and rose from the bed and opened the door for her. As he followed her out the door, he wondered briefly where she had hidden her knifves. There was definitely no room in those jeans and that skimpy top did little to cover her body, let alone the hardware she was packing. Shaking his head, he closed and locked the door behind them.

~
“I’m glad we decided to shop before we ate. It made the meal that much nicer. That‘s the first time in a very long time that I actually relaxed enough to enjoy the meal.” Serena was saying as they walked down the darkened street toward their hotel. Their packages full of the supplies they had decided on for their journey into the rainforest.
Jake nodded in agreement but never took his eyes from their path. Something was not right. He could feel the hackles at the base of his neck beginning to rise. A sure sign they were not alone.
He caught a glimpse of shadow to the left and grabbed Serena’s arm as he picked up his step. She sensed his urgency and now she too scanned the area around them. She also caught a glimpse of a shadow to the right.
“Who do you think they are?” she whispered low, bending her head toward him as tho she were a lover bent on intimacy.
“I don’t know, but there is one thing for sure, I will bet they’ve come calling for you.” he answered as their heads touched in an intimate posture.
“Demons then?”
“No. Smells more like Slags?” he sniffed.
Before he could say another word they were shoved into a dark alley from behind. Serena didn’t have time to react as she felt the needle connect with her neck and everything faded around her.
“Serena!” Jake yelled but he had his hands full with four Slags boring down on top of him. He had left his guns in the hotel room and cursed himself for being such a fool. He knew better but that realization didn’t help him now. He pulled out his knives and lunged toward the bigger slag. Slicing his way through them but that didn’t seem to do any good. He suddenly felt a jab to his neck and a numbing sensation ran quickly through his body. He fell to the ground helplessly immobilized.
“Finally! You two know what to do with him. We’ll take the girl with us.” one of the slags said from behind Jake. He tried to fight the sensation but the paralyzing liquid that had been injected into him was too powerful.
“If you slags know what’s good for you, you will leave her be.” Jake growled from deep within his chest. They only laughed at him, then two of the slags started kicking him and hitting him with their fists and anything else they could find and pick up to use as a weapon.
He watched them pick up Serena and leave the alley behind.
“You are dead.” he growled, his mouth swollen, his teeth rattling. He could feel the blood running down his face as they beat him.
“Save it for your maker, Night Stalker!”
That was the last thing Jake heard as blessed darkness engulfed him.

~

Jake felt something wet brush across his face bringing him out of the darkness that had drawn him down. He could barely open his eyes they were so swollen, but he managed and then felt the wetness once again. Moving his eyes toward his head he saw his ally. A stray dog had brought him back from the brink of darkness.
Jake moved slowly and moaned. Every part of him was in pain and on fire. His head ached massively and dried blood still covered his face. He reached up to feel his head and felt the needle still stuck in his neck where they had stabbed him. Angrily he grabbed it and pulled it out throwing it as far as he could, scaring his rescuer away.
He moaned as he forced himself to a sitting position. By the gods, when he found those slags he was going to rip them to pieces! He thought angrily as he tried to catch his breath. Looking around he could find no trace of Serena nor their supplies. The bastards took everything.
He took a deep breath then gained his footing. He had been laying next to a dumpster and grabbed it for support. His legs felt weak and wobbly. He would have to change in order to fully regenerate, but he needed to get to the room first. Leaning heavily on the dumpster and then the wall of the alley, he managed to walk back to the street. He was glad there wasn’t anyone on the road this time of night. He would be hard pressed to explain his condition although in this neck of the woods, he was sure a mugging wasn’t all that uncommon.
He made it past the night clerk and into the elevator before anyone saw him then headed straight for their room. He didn’t want to loose too much time before going after Serena, but he needed to take a shower and get his guns. He’d make damn sure those slags died.
The hot shower seeped into his bones and massaged his aching muscles. He wanted to stay there longer but time was of the essence. Getting out he dried off, got dressed and tucked his guns right where he could get to them. In less than fifteen minutes he was back in the alley. He roared with frustration as he picked up Serena’s sent, a puddle of her blood still lay on the ground where she had fallen. His anger was a foul taste in his mouth as first his eyes changed and glowed, his nose elongated, his body following in a disrupted dance between skin and fur.
The wolf emmerged from the alley, running along the darkened street hunting for its prey.

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

They had left before dawn. Traffic to the airport had been minimal which he was grateful for. They had stopped at her motel room so she could pack a few things. He stood guard just to make sure no demons or vamps had been lurking in the hallway. He was glad to have other things on his mind while she showered and changed. It had surprised him that she loaded her body with so many weapons. Mostly knives she kept hidden beneath her clothing. She was definitely no light weight that was for sure.
He thought he’d lost his sense of balance when she reached above her to pull down a bag and her sweet sapphire studded belly button came into view. He moaned and cursed himself seven ways to hell and back. He knew then they needed to get this job done and over with as soon as possible before his reserve vanished completely.
Damn good thing he owned his own private plane cause they were loaded for a fight and would never have made it through all the bells and whistles of the airport security systems.
“Ever flown in a Cessna before?” he asked as they lifted off the runway.
“No.” she stated as she held onto her seat, her knuckles turning white from the tight grip. He noticed her breathing was getting heavier by the minute.
“Just relax. Take a deep breath. In. Out. That’s it. I’m an excellent pilot. Don’t worry. I can thread this baby through the eye of a needle if I have to.”
She nodded her head and tried to calm her breathing. In. Out. In. Out. This was not working. In. Out.
“How many times have you flown?” he asked curiously, banking left and heading southwest.
“This is only my second time in a plane. I do not like flying.”
He noticed she was a little green around the gills or should he say whiskers? He smiled ruefully to himself then looked back at her.
“How can you not like flying? it’s the fastest way to get where you’re going for any given mark.”
“There are other modes of transportation besides flying. You can walk, run, ride a motorized vehicle.”
“Sure if you live in the backwoods, jungle or cave.”
She gave him a look that said he wasn’t far from his mark. Where exactly did she come from? He had never asked her. Guess the time was right.
“So, where do you hail from?”
“Around.”
Jake dipped the plane and she lost all color from her face and she had a death grip on the seat handles.
“Sorry. Air pocket. So where did you say you lived?”
“The string of islands humans equate with what they call The Aleutians.” she said shakily, looking out the side of her window as they climbed higher into the air.
“That’s a little vague don’t you think? Care to elaborate? From what I remember of them they are very inhospitable.”
“Actually that is what we want people to believe. There is an outer barrier that most everyone sees when they come to the island or pass over it, but in actuality, it is very lush and tropical. We don’t like intruders so we keep to ourselves as much as possible. The lest amount of humans that know about us, the lest distortion to our bloodlines will occur.”
Jake noticed she was starting to relax. He just needed to keep her talking.
Old memories came flooding through his mind about bloodlines. His temper started to flare. Calm down, this has nothing to do with you, he reprimanded himself.
“Let me see if I can get my demographics in order here. Your ‘barren’ island is located just southwest of Alaska, right?“
“Yes.“
“Isn’t it part of what is called the Ring of Fire? Loaded with volcanic activity?“
“Yes it is. Because of its location, scientist believe it is part of a major broken bridge landmass that served to join Asia and the Americas together.”
“So which island are you from?”
“Now that would be telling, wouldn’t it?” She gave him a kind of smirk and relaxed enough to fold her arms over her chest.
He had to smile at her candor. It was very refreshing from what he was use to. But he wasn’t through with the questions just yet.
“So what’s wrong with your bloodlines?” he asked, trying to sound nonchalant, but inside his gut was wrenching uncontrollably.
She looked askance at him and pondered her options. How much should she tell him? Since he was a night stalker she was sure he knew their kind was dying out. Hell, he probably had helped destroy quite a few of them himself. He‘d most likely hunted Alusian‘s many times over the years. No harm in telling him she supposed.
“As you probably already know, our kind has been dying for the past few centuries. Fewer and fewer females are able to breed so there are fewer and fewer births to insure the lineage is passed on.”
“Too much inner breeding?” he asked, his temper just to the temperate point.
“Possibly. We are not sure. Our scientists have not found any clues as to what is damaging our DNA.”
“What about outside influences? Couldn’t you bring someone in and use them for breeding purposes?” He was seething inside and waiting for her answer. What he would do he had no clue, but for some reason, he needed to know her stand on that question.
“Yes, it has been mentioned about our females breeding with others and even though that would greatly increase our numbers it would all but eliminate our lineage. Unless we found a new group of Alusian’s and that is highly unlikely. We are pretty much gathered within the same group of islands although a few bands have broken away.
“That was another reason my brother went looking for the Shan-da artifact. When Tin-nak-qua takes the high priestess, the artifact will ensure that his seed is contained within it and be passed from female to female for generations to come. Insuring a bountiful regeneration of Alusian’s.”
“And do you condone breeding outside your caste?” he asked, all but ignoring her last statement, his breathing becoming too labored for him to speak more than a few words at a time.
“I do not have the luxury of allowing myself to think along those lines.” she stated quietly, looking out the front windshield of the plane.
Interesting answer. He wasn’t sure how to take it. He glanced over in her direction still spitting out questions.
“But if you did allow yourself to think along those lines, how would you vote?”
Serena unfolded her arms and dropped her hands into her lap. She didn’t say anything for a few moments but Jake could tell she was thinking hard about his question. Why did it matter what she thought? There could never be anything between them.
Her voice brought him out of his musings and he glanced in her direction again.
“I suppose, if I cared deeply for the man, no matter who or what he was, then yes, I would procreate with him.” Serena looked directly at Jake and immediately a lump formed in his throat. It became hard for him to swallow as his heart melted a little more toward her.
Ok, so that was a really good answer, he thought, turning away from her and checking the instrument panel just so he could look busy. Those bright green eyes of hers had bored right down to his soul and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it.
“So tell me about yourself Jake.” she said still looking at him.
“What do you want to know?”
“Well, for instance, have you always been an Immortal?”
“Contrary to popular belief, no, I was not born an Immortal. In fact I was about as human as a human could be.”
“What happened?” she asked with interest.
“A little over two thousand years ago, I was a soldier in the Roman Army.” he started.
“I’m thinking you were more than just a soldier.” She eyed him perceptively.
“Yes, actually, I was the Captain of the Royal guard. It was my duty to guard the royal nephew of the emperor. Flavius was sent to see the Oracle at Delphi about an impending battle.”
“Interesting.” she said softly, getting comfortable in the seat. Talking to him like this had relaxed her enough that she no longer feared the mode of transportation that he had decided on.
“Anyway, to make a long story short, I was not a staunch believer in the Oracle. A mistake I have to live with forever. Standing in her holy temple, the very navel of the world, she told me to beware of the moon’s rising and the shadow that would fall upon me. I scoffed at her words and as we were leaving her temple she told me that I would regret my decision. And she was right. I have regretted it for over two thousand years.”
“What happened?”
Jake took a deep breath. He did not really want to relive the horror that came at him that night but felt he should make things clear for her.
“As I slept in my tent and the moon rose above me I awoke with a shadow that covered me. It was a woman that turned to wolf form right before my eyes. She bit me and drew blood. Before I could recover enough to grab my sword to slay the beast she ran from my tent and disappeared in the night.
“The next morning the wound had festered and made me very ill. My men took me to see the Oracle and beg for my life. She turned a serene eye upon me and her words still ring in my ears sometimes.”
“What did she tell you?” Serena was now poised on the edge of her seat looking at him with wide eyes.
“She told me my life was not my own any longer and that I now would be one with the night. For a thousand lifetimes I would roam and the night would bring me naught but loneliness.
“A week later, when I had recovered from my wounds the first stirrings grabbed me and the realization of what I had become dawned on me.”
“You had become an immortal werewolf.” Serena whispered softly.
“Yes. Immortality was something that afflicted the gods not me. It took me a very long time to be able to deal with that and to control my turnings. Now both are just second nature to me.”
“Amazing.” she said reaching out and touching the side of his face. He didn’t pull away from her but he wondered why she had done it.
“I was born who I am. How hard it must have been for you to give up everything that you ever knew and start over as something different altogether.”
“I had no family. They deserted me when I was young and had to fend for myself at an early age. When the transformation started, it wasn’t like I couldn’t be around other people, it’s just that I chose not to. Stories that I’d heard about shape shifters were horrifying at best. Until one night I happened to stumble onto a rogue encampment and they accepted me without hesitation. That was the first time I’d learned what a family unit was made of. I did have to leave my post however. My men feared me and tried many times to kill me, but I always came back. It wasn’t until a thousand years later that I understood what silver was meant for.”
“Is that why you became a Night Stalker? In hopes that by some miracle you could find a cure or-”
“Or kill myself? I can not kill myself and neither can others unless they sever my head from my body and if I let them get that close to me then I deserve to die. I have long since stopped having a death wish and started enjoying what the gods had given me. I no longer blaspheme them or give them any cause to turn their eyes upon me. And yes, I became a Night Stalker because it was good money and I could destroy the evil that goes bump in the night. It was something I was good at and hoped that I could make a small dent in the rising horde of murderers roaming the earth.”
Serena sat back in her chair but said nothing else. This man had aroused something in side of her that she thought had been buried for a very long time and she wasn’t sure if she liked it or not. For what she had been bred for, one did not give rise to human feelings. No, she wasn’t sure she like this new wrinkle in her plan at all.

Chapter 6

Fire and mist rose up around her as Serena ran through the dimly lit cavern. She felt as though she were being chased by shadows. On and on she ran, no end in sight. Where was she? Nothing looked familiar. Where was Jake? Wasn’t he just with her?
She could feel the shadows getting closer. Time to change forms and protect herself. Wait! What the? What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she change? On ward she ran, looking back every few minutes trying to make out shapes and sounds. Jake! She yelled, but he didn’t answer. She called his name again, still no answer. Something was closing in on her, something clawed at her. Suddenly she screamed, bony fingers grabbing her shoulder..

~

“Serena! Serena.” Jake said more calmly, shaking her awake from her dream.
He’d been sound asleep in the bedroom when he thought he heard her moaning. Raising his head he listened and heard her call his name. By the time he reached her she had let out a blood curdling scream. Grabbing her, he shook her, finally bringing her around.
“Jake!” she whispered when she realized he was there. Grabbing him, she threw her arms around his neck. He reciprocated by holding her close to his chest. Her whole body was shaking he discovered as he ran his hand over her back trying to ease her tension.
“Easy, Serena. I’ve got you.” he tried to soothe her. “Want to tell me what happened?”
“I don’t know exactly. Please, just hold me for a minute.” she whispered as she squeezed him more tightly.
He had definitely wanted her in his arms, but not like this. He wanted her willing body lying between his legs in splendid surrender. Her lush full lips red and swollen from the attention he wanted to give them. Her tongue dancing a duet with his.
Whoa! What was he thinking! No! No he had to keep his distance. He was already falling under her spell. He couldn’t let that happen. He eased her back away from him, trying to put a little distance between them so he could catch his breath.
Smoothing back her beautiful thick hair from her face, damn but it felt like silk gliding through his fingers, he noticed the regeneration process was all but complete. A few bruises were all that were left of her ordeal with the demons.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” she told him as she leaned back down on her pillow. She had felt him tense then pull away from her. There for a moment though, she had felt safe within the folds of his arms. She hadn’t felt that way ever.
Jake swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat when she had lain back down. Her hair gave the impression of a halo surrounding her head. He shook that thought from his mind and cleared his throat.
“No harm done.” he told her. “Want to talk about it?”
“There’s not much to tell. I’ve been having the same nightmare since they killed my brother. It’s always the same. I’m running down a long dimly lit cavern. The walls were wet with moisture, the cobbled floor slick. Shadows are following me and then a bony hand grabs me.” She left out the part about sensing him with her. This was the first time she’d had that feeling.
“Could be you’re just reacting to your brother’s death.”
“Possibly.”
“Well, we might as well get a few more hours of sleep. We have a long day ahead of us.” he told her.
She said nothing, just nodded her head. Reluctantly he walked away and left her. He knew he should stay and console her some more, but he didn’t dare. His libido was working way too fast for his peace of mind. Better for both of them if they kept their relationship on a professional level.
Serena watched Jake go back into his room. How had the need for him to stay gotten so overwhelming? She knew there was no future for them so why get involved in the first place?
Sighing heavily she pulled the sheet up over her body and tried to settle back down. At least her heart wasn’t beating out of her chest now. Although if she let her mind wander to Jake, it would start back up.
By the holy alter of Shan-da, why did he have to come into her life now when her path had already been chosen? She could feel the connection flowing between them even from the first time he touched her hand. Never had she been drawn to a man this strongly and never before did she wish her path had taken a different turn. But she had been born and raised for a specific purpose and there was no way she could shirk her responsiblity.
If the fates were kind, she would wish to know the power of a man just once in her life. Not just any man, but Jake. Heat pooled between her legs just at the thought of being able to lie within his arms just for one night. To taste his lips, to learn his body.
She sighed again and tried to close down her thought process. It was no good to think about something that would never happen. That could never happen. Time was of the essence and they needed to find the artifact quickly if everything was to fall into place.
She closed her eyes but instead of sleep coming easy, it took its sweet time.
~

Jake lay awake on his bed, his arms behind his head, the sheet covering his lower torso. He glanced back over at the clock sitting on his nightstand. Three a.m. It was only fifteen minutes since the last time he’d looked at the clock. Damn but time was dragging its feet unbearably. Sleep was eluding him and all he could think about was the Alusian female in the next room.
Hadn’t he learned his lesson from the last Alusian female he got close to? He still bore the scars from her attack. He’d thought they were meant to be together. He’d thought he loved her and she him. Boy had he been wrong on both counts. Not only was their relationship doomed from the beginning, she was only using him as a sperm donor!
He threw off the sheet and got out of bed. He walked over to the balcony door and threw them open. Hot sultry air wafted in off the water bringing a salty texture to the breeze. He had to get his agitation under control. Every time he thought of Alora his wolfishness came closer to the surface. He mustn’t let it show. He must keep it under control.
He grabbed the top of the railing and leaned his muscular torso onto it trying to relieve the tension in his limbs. It wasn’t as though he was adverse to having offspring. He’d toyed with the idea for a long time. He had thought the idea of their offspring being of mixed blood, exciting. Wondering which one they would look like or a mixture between the two. But when he had awaken, chained to the bed and stripped naked, warning bells started pounding in his ears.
Alora, beautiful Alora, her long blonde hair hanging loose, falling around her like a shroud, had been fondling him, arousing him until he was as hard as a rock. He’d awakened with a moan on his lips, his eyes trying to focus on what was happening around him, finally landing on her. He’d thought she was playing some kind of game with him and had slipped him a sleeping potion to carry out her fantasy. Well, he’d been partly right. She had given him a sleeping potion, but she had not intended for him to awaken until after she had stolen his seed and disappeared.
Jake closed his eyes as the onslaught of memories came pouring through. He remembered the feeling of betrayal when she’d told him what he had meant to her. Nothing more than a perfect donor to help sate the needs of her dying people. They needed new blood and his would do very well for he was a remarkable specimen of a shape shifting immortal and his seed would do wonders at repopulating their losses.
He had been in shock then in horror as she began to milk him. He remembered they argued, he fought, she changed, he changed, they fought. There could have only been one winner and he was the one standing here alive. He remembered his heart breaking as he buried her. The feeling of what? Sadness? Pain? Remorse? It had been so long ago now, there was no feeling left to ponder. It was over. It was done. There had been no turning back.
Now there was a new complication and she was lying on his couch just to the other side of his door. A burning heat engulfed him as he thought of her in his arms. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Her words of earlier haunted him. Are all werewolves bad? She had asked. No. he had answered. Neither are all Alusian’s, she had said. If only he could believe that.

Chapter 5

“I guess I should start from the beginning.” she said, easing into a sitting position.
“I think that would be a good change of pace.”
She gave him the haughtiest look she could achieve at the moment but doubted it did any good.
“My brother, Nicky,” her voice caught and her eyes misted when she spoke his name, she missed him so much she ached. Closing her eyes and swallowing the lump in her throat she continued, trying not to let her voice crack with emotion.
“Nicholas was an Archeologist. It was something he had dreamed about as a small child growing up and finally he had made his dream come true and had become damn good at it. He told me he was hot on the trail of a pure crystal artifact that once belonged to the ancients of Mu.”
“Supposedly the first civilization to be recorded by man.” Jake asked with interest.
“Yes, something like that. But once he got to the site, it wasn’t the crystal any longer that drew his interest. He had found another more ancient hieroglyph that mentioned the Key of Shan-da.”
“What is that? I don‘t recall hearing anything about any key of Shan-da and believe me, I‘ve been around for awhile now.”
“You probably would not have heard about it unless you were part of the Alusian clan. The Key of Shan-da is an artifact of the highest quality that is wrapped deeply within the spiritual realm of the Alusian culture. It is said that the wearer will absorb all the knowledge of the ancestors.“ Among other things, she thought silently to herself.
Jake whistled softly. “That is quite a piece of jewelry. What’s it made of?“
“Legend says its made of the purest Amethyst. Its speculated that it is the divine light vehicle used by ascended masters of the Shan-da faith which helped them
connect with those from a higher realm.” She took her hands in front of her and tried to describe what it should look like. “The spirit/body is surrounded by counter rotating fields of light, something like wheels within wheels. The spirals of energy somewhat like DNA, is suppose to transport the spirit/body from one dimension to another. It has been missing from memory for over a thousand years.”
“Hmmm and if it falls into the wrong hands, that would definitely not be a good thing.” Jake said more to himself than to her.
“No it would not. Anyway, Nicky told me he had been approached by two demons. Each at different times. One was Dimitri, the catalyst soul keeper, the other was Tin-nak-qua.”
Well, hell, this was just getting better by the minute! Now there were two factions after the artifact, Jake thought with disgust, but he kept his thoughts to himself and said, “Tin-nak-qua does not sound like someone I want to get to know, but can you clarify that deity for me? I don’t recall him in my history lessons either.”
“That is because he is the Alusian God of War.”
“I should have known. Not only do you have a demon from the underworld on your tail but an Alusian mystical god of war as well?”
“It would seem so.” she sighed heavily and leaned back against the cushion and tried to get comfortable.
Jake said nothing but his mind was fiercely piecing this puzzle together. What did the Alusian God of War want with the Shan-da artifact? Chances were he was already a very powerful god that should already know most of what the universe had to offer, even the prospect of Immortality would already be his, but Dimitri, that was a different aspect all together.
Granted Dimitri was a demon and demon’s were not necessarily immortal but if he became immortal and possessed the powers of the universe, he would be the most powerful demon in the underworld. Hell, in the whole world.
“Not a pretty picture is it Jake.” Serena stated as she turned and laid back down on the couch. Her strength still had not returned and she found it hard to just sit there. Laying felt much better.
“No it’s not. There is no way we can allow either one of them to get their hands on that artifact.”
“Does that mean you will help me?” she was almost afraid to hope.
“I don’t have any choice. Dimitri is the Soul Keeper to the underworld. He has quite a few followers. Being a night stalker, I’ve had a few run in’s with him myself, though not quite on this magnitude. Now Tin-nak-qua, I’m not real sure about that one. What can you tell me about him?”
“Tin-nak-qua needs the artifact to enter the state of enlightenment along with the High Priestess of the Shan-da faith. Once he couples with her in a ritual ceremony, he will capture her strength and spirit, infuse it into the artifact then shed his mortality cloak and advance into the ethers.”
“So he is mortal? If he is mortal then he can die.”
“True, but he is not a normal mortal. He carries the sword of protection that enables him to live without fear of death by mortal means.”
“Hmmm, any ideas where to start looking? What about this High Priestess you mentioned? I take it she is a virgin and in order to reach the ascension that you spoke of, Tin-nak-qua would have to spill her virgin blood to obtain it.”
“Yes he would. In order to fulfill his destiny, once he couples the High Priestess, he must shed her blood in order to reach his ascension.“
“In other words she has to die for this to take place.“
“Yes.“ she stated softly, her breathing becoming shallow. “Find Tin-nak-qua and you will find the High Priestess. As for the rest, Nicky found the hieroglyphs on the wall of an ancient temple down in the jungles of Mexico. I’m sorry but he did not tell me which one before they killed him.”
“That brings me back to a complete circle. I was just down there hunting an Alusian male. No offense.” he looked at her.
“None taken. But let me ask you a question.” she sighed heavily.
“What?”
“Are all werewolves bad?”
“No, but what does that,”
“Well, neither are all Alusian’s.” she said not letting him finish the sentence.
She was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open. She could feel her body trying to regenerate, but she needed sleep in order for it to fully take over the regeneration process.
Jake said nothing as he watched her with half closed lids. He supposed she had a point but still, he would stay on his guard at all times. Can‘t be letting her get under his skin.
“First thing in the morning we will have to plan our next move.” he said, changing the subject and walking over to the balcony doors. “We will need to gather everything we can find of your brothers work. Anything that mentions the artifact or this Tin-nak-qua or Shan-da priestess. Then we will have to figure out exactly where we need to go from there. Is that agreed?”
When Serena didn’t answer him, Jake turned around and put down his empty glass he’d been holding for the past few minutes. He’d been twirling it around in his hand while he’d been thinking of what they should do. Softly he walked over to the couch where she lay. Just as he thought. She was sound asleep. Already he could see the regeneration taking over. The bruises on her cheeks and the cuts on her lips were not as prominent as before. He walked to the hall closet and pulled out a sheet then returned to her and covered her with it. The night was too hot and sultry for anything heavier even with the air conditioner on.
He sat down on the coffee table and smoothed back a lock of hair that had fallen over her face. Black with tips of silver shined in the soft glow of the lamp. He loved the way it looked. She moaned in her sleep when he touched her but other than that she did not awaken.
Just being this close to her was driving him crazy and making him hard in all the right places. There were only two things stopping him from bending down and kissing those luscious pink lips. One, she was an Alusian. He’d sworn to never get involved with another one. His track record with them was not a good one. Two, Never! Ever! get involved with a client! Though technically he supposed she wasn’t a client. But he would be safer remembering the ‘not get involved aspect’ of his rules.
Taking a deep breath, he reached over and turned off the light. Morning would soon be upon them.

Chapter 4

Chapter 4


“Damn!” Jake hissed under his breath. “She’s a god damn Alusian!” He leaned back against the crates and rubbed his hand over his face. What to do. He knew he couldn’t leave her to the likes of that trash which was being so attentive to her. Damn it! He had not wanted to get involved but he had no choice. He couldn’t just leave her.
He withdrew his 952 long slide, 9mm Smith and Wesson from the back of his pants. He slid back the chamber of the gun, checking both clips to make sure they were fully loaded with silver tipped bullets. Then letting the chamber slide back into place, he stowed the second clip to his belt. He didn’t think he would need it but he also made sure the .357 Magnum double action snub nose he had strapped to his ankle was ready as well. He was fully loaded and ready to kick some demon butt.
He looked back to where they were still gathered. The one smaller demon had returned with the water and had thrown it in Serena’s face. She woke sputtering and coughing from the ice cold jolt the water had given her. If she hadn’t been so weak, Jake knew she could have helped him kick butt, but she looked like they had worked her over fairly well. Looking her way a deep feral growl escaped his throat as he watched the demon copping a feel as she struggled to kick him away. He would analyze that emotion later, once they were far away from here.
Getting a grip on his emotions and taking a deep breath, Jake jumped up and rounded the corner, shooting at everything that moved. Vamps were falling like fleas off a dog, the demons, cowards that they were, vanished into thin air. Damn! But he couldn’t worry about that now. Two of the vamps got off a couple rounds before he took them out, bullets grazing his shoulder. He fell, rolled and shot three more before gaining his feet and running toward Serena. A shot whizzed by his ear, he turned and fired, blowing a king size hole through the vamp.
Jake knelt beside Serena and assessed his options. Thankfully the vamps that were left, dragged away the bodies of their friends, probably to feed on them before they dried up completely. What he worried most about was getting the hell out of there before the demons returned with reinforcements.
“Can you walk?” he asked, helping her to her feet. She swayed with the motion and he held her tightly against him.
“I will do my best.” she told him between swollen lips. He couldn’t help himself as he brushed back her long black hair from her face then brushed his thumb gently across her split and swollen lips. He would dearly love to get his hands on the demons that did this to her. But right now that too would have to be put on the back burner.
“My place isn’t far from here. You’ll be safe there.” he told her. He changed clips in his gun then slowly walked away from the pile of bodies that covered the wharf. He had his gun raised as they walked around the corner and away from the scent of blood that lingered in the air. He noticed she could barely move, but he couldn’t carry her and protect their backs at the same time so she had to do her best at walking next to him, his free arm cradling her against his body.
Soon the warehouse district was a distant memory and one that he would like to forget altogether but new that wasn’t going to be likely. Once they were back on the main dock he holstered his gun and put both arms around her to steady her, satisfied that they were not being followed, which really surprised him.
By the time they reached his building she went limp in his arms and he knew she had finally passed out. Picking her up and cradling her against his chest, he hit the coded entry and disappeared from sight.

~

Serena moaned softly, her eyelids fluttering against the cold that lay upon her face. Once she was coherent enough she started struggling against the body she felt next to her.
“Easy sweetness, its only me.” Jake said calmly, grabbing her hands and easing them to her sides.
Recognizing his voice she ceased her struggles and lay quietly against him. Slowly she opened her eyes to try and focus on her surroundings. Jake removed the ice pack and set it on the table next to the couch.
“Where am I?” she asked hoarsely trying to sit up. He helped her by adding another pillow behind her head. He moved to sit on the coffee table to give her more room on the couch.
“Easy now. You’re safe for the moment. I brought you to my place.”
“Thank you.”
“Mind telling me why you were dancing with all those back alley vamps? Not to mention the bad ass demons that showed up.” He asked, putting the ice pack back onto her cheek.
“Damn, I can barely move.” she stated, ignoring his question.
“Looks like your regenerative powers are working so you should be back to new by morning.” he told her sitting back on the edge of the coffee table waiting for her to answer his question.
“My what? You must be mistaken-”
“Don’t play me for a fool, Serena. I know you’re an Alusian. I saw you.” he told her, grabbing the table on either side of him with his hands. He was afraid he might do something stupid so he needed to hold on to something other than her throat. Female Alusian’s were definitely not on his favorites list.
She let out a deep long sigh. What should she tell him? Or should she keep it all to herself? He’d already said he wasn’t interested yet he did rescue her.
“Well?” he insisted.
Perhaps half truths would satisfy his curiosity, she thought.
“I’d gotten a tip that Dimitri frequented one of the clubs down here on the docks so I was checking it out. There’s the new club called Chaos that just opened down in the warehouse district. Figured I would start there.”
“I’ve heard of it. But I didn’t know it catered to demons. Thought it was just a Vampire and Slag hang out.”
“No tip is left unattended but yeah, you’re right. I thought it sounded bogus but I went down there anyway. Bad mistake on my part.”
“How did they get the upper hand? I mean, you are a female Alusian. By all rights you should have kicked their butt and then some.” he snorted with disbelief.
“I had just rounded a darkened corner when they jumped me. Just as I was changing forms they shot something in to my neck. I was instantly paralyzed. I’ve never felt so helpless.” she breathed softly, remembering.
Jake could understand that feeling perfectly. Something similar happened to him over a thousand years ago that changed his life and his perspective. He mentally shook his head. This wasn’t about him, this was about her.
“Go on.”
“There’s not much more to tell. The vamps did a number on me and then those demons showed up. You know the rest.” She closed her eyes and lay her arm across her head. She felt so tired. “How did you find me?”
“The smell of blood floated through the air. I happen to get the scent. Figured there had been a gang war which meant I could rid the town of a few more vamps before the night was over. Had no idea it was you until I got there and you changed back.” He wasn’t going to tell her he almost left her there. What was the point. Now that he’d gotten her scent, he would always know where she was at.
“Well, you have my thanks just the same. I don’t know what they would have done if you hadn’t shone up.”
I do and it would not have been pleasant, he thought, clearing his throat. He couldn’t help but feel that she was too innocent to be a Night Stalker. Her words and mannerisms just didn’t fit the mold. There was definitely something more to Serena Keller than she was willing to say.
“What about the demons? I heard one of them asking you about a map.” He sat there with his arms on his knees and his hands folded together. Even as battered and bruised as she was, he still had to fight the feelings of desire that sweep through him just then. No. She is an Alusian. No way was he getting involved with one of them ever again.
“I guess Dimitri sent them after me.”
“Why? Because you’ve tagged him for elimination? Who’s paying you Serena and what map were they talking about?” Jake got up, his agitation showing clearly. He walked over to his bar and poured himself a Bourbon on the rocks. Right now he needed a stiff drink just to erase her from his senses. He offered one to her but she declined. Taking a large swallow he waited for her to continue.
Serena let out a long sigh. It was now or never so she might as well come clean. Or as clean as she could at the moment. There was no reason to tell him the whole truth. But he did need to know specifics because he was her only hope for survival.

Chapter 3

Jake poured himself another drink then went out and stood on the balcony of his fourth floor flat. The hot summer night was muggy but the breeze coming from the delta cooled his soul like no other place in the world. Leaning against the railing, he took a sip of his bourbon on the rocks watching the city come alive across the river with lights sparkling like stars across the midnight sky. No wonder he loved this city so much. No matter what time of day or night, he could actually feel it breathing life as if it were a real living entity.
Thoughts of Serena Keller pushed forward into his mind. Groaning with a heavy sigh, Jake sat down in a chair and stretched out his long legs. Gods, but she was a looker, he breathed softly, trying to deny the attraction for her but failing miserably. He was growing hard as a rock just remembering what she looked like. Damn good thing he had refused her or he would be breaking one of his foremost rules of engagement: Never! Ever! Sleep with a client. But could he actually say she was a client? She was, after all, a Night Stalker like himself.
Now that was another thing that bothered him. Usually he could tell what bred or clan a night stalker was from, but she hadn’t emitted any kind of pheromones. That’s why he did not pick up her scent when she’d entered his office. Not only did it baffle him, but it intrigued him as well. If she could have stuck around he would have loved to find out more about her and her brother. There was definitely there than she was letting on. But he loved the skin he was in and knowing the reputation Dimitri had, he wanted to keep it in one piece.
Messing with the gods of the underworld was not a fun thing he would choose to do on a Saturday night that’s for sure. Taking a drink of his bourbon, he started to set his class down on the table next to him when he caught a whiff of something in the air.
Slowly he rose from his chair and leaned over the balcony to look down at the street. There didn’t seem to be much going on down there. People walking on the wharf, stopping at the shrimp boats along the way to grab a bite to eat. He sniffed the air again. There it was. A slight metallic taste that registered on his tongue. Blood. There was no mistaking the smell now. Only thing that usually drew blood were Vamps.
Quickly he went to his bedroom and armed himself with a myriad assortment of daggers and a few guns. Never knew what kind of problem you would find when you went hunting Vamps along the wharf. He checked his supply of bullets and put each gun in its holster. One behind his back and the other on his left ankle beneath his trousers. He made sure they were always full of silver bullets. They couldn’t kill Vamps but they sure as hell could make them wish they were even deader than they normally were. One never knew when he would come face to face with a rogue wolf or an Alusian either. Yeah, silver was bad for Alusian’s also. He found that out quite by accident not that long ago.
Strapping his knives to his chest, he threw on a black shirt and headed for the door. The smell of death was heavy in the air tonight.

~

Jake kept to the shadows, walking briskly down the wharf, following the scent to the warehouse district. What few people were out this time of night just ignored him and went on their way. Most of these people knew when to keep their mouths shut and feigned ignorance. You lived longer that way.
Rounding a dark corner, Jake suddenly stopped and pressed himself against the building. There must have been ten bodies surrounding something or someone that was in the middle of them but he couldn’t get a good look. Peering slowly, carefully, around the corner, he was thankful they were congregated beneath one of the lamps that lit the docks on this side of the district giving him a better view of what was going on.
It looked like it was a person the vamps held between them while the others poked and prodded with their daggers and claws. They were crowded so closely together it was hard to make out the interior of the circle they hard formed. The struggle from the center caught his attention when one of the vamps went flying backward. That’s when he saw it. An Alusian. Looked like a female from his hiding spot but he couldn’t be sure from this distance. Looked like she was cut and bleeding pretty badly but she kept up a good struggle.
Wonder why they are toying with her instead of feeding from her, Jake speculated to himself. Well, he wasn’t going to waste his time rescuing an Alusian that was for sure. They usually got what they deserved. He started to turn and leave when a blinding flash of light caught his attention once again. Four large demons materialized there on the docks and the vamps made a semi-circle opening for them to enter through. Now that caught his attention. What were demons wasting their time with minor vamps and an Alusian female for?
He was too far away to hear what they were saying so he eased from one side of the shadows to the other until he was within earshot behind some wooden crates that were stacked on the dock waiting for transport. He now had a better view of what was going on as well as being able to hear them. One of the demons walked up to the Alusian female and slapped her hard across the face, busting her lip and leaving a bruised hand print along her cheek. Jake didn’t like Alusian’s any more than the next guy but he at least gave them a fighting chance to defend themselves when he was on the hunt.
“Dimitri isn’t happy with you night stalker!” The demon with the heavy fist boomed in the silence of the night. Jake’s ears twitched as he listened intently.
“Who gives a damn what Dimitri wants.” the Alusian hissed between swollen lips.
“He wants the map.”
“No.”
The demon back handed her from the other side, spraying blood and spit across hungry vamps.
“Why don’t you make it easier on yourself Alusian and tell me what I want to know.”
“You can go bite yourself, demon.” she stated with ferocity as she struggled to free herself from the vampires that were holding her in place.
This time the demon fisted his hand and hit her in the midsection knocking the breath from her lungs then came around with an upper cut to the jaw and knocked her smooth out. She went limp between her captors.
“Damn it, you hit her too hard!” one of the other demons stated, growing angry.
“Shut up and get me some water to wake her with. You can have a go at her next.”
The second demon took off toward the water but Jake was more interested in the site before him. The Alusian, when she had been knocked out, had changed back into her human form. Jake cursed beneath his breath.
It was Serena.

Chapter 2

It had been three weeks now since he had lost the Alusian deep in the heart of that Venezuelan jungle and Jake Mosley still wasn’t over the fact as he sifted through the paper work on his desk. Something just didn’t sit well with him about the whole circumstances.
He had just returned from a short two week rest period at one of Mexico’s exclusive hot spots. He knew he had needed that bit of rest and relaxation and was now ready to get back to work. It seemed to have piled up on him in his absence as it always did.
Thinking back, he supposed he could have used some muscle to follow his prey, but that would have only alerted his quarry to his presence making them find another hiding place somewhere else. At least he now knew that was a hot spot for Alusian runaways and he had already decided he would be returning soon to destroy the den.
The hot summer heat was getting warmer by the minute as Jake ran his sleeve across his forehead wiping away the beaded perspiration that gathered there. He looked out the window as he sat back in his leather chair, gazing at the tree lined street of one of New Orleans most rambunctious neighborhoods. Although the air conditioning was humming softly in the background and kept the muggy heat at bay, he itched to open his windows and let the tangy scent of the salty sea air fill his nostrils.
His office was located on the riverfront just south of Jackson Square right off of Decatur. If he walked outside and turned left through the alley he would be on the docks of the Half Moon Walk in less than two minutes. He sighed heavily. He hated to be cooped up inside all day. He was like a caged animal yearning for wide open spaces and fresh air, but that didn’t help pay his bills. Although he truly didn’t have to be here he supposed. He was wealthy enough to do what ever he pleased, but he’d learned early on that wealth didn’t give him the satisfaction that his cases did. No, he kept that part of his life from the situation. He found he had more worthwhile clientele that way which made life for an Immortal more bearable.
Suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end bringing him to full alert. He was no longer alone in the room. Tensing for battle he slowly turned his chair back toward his desk and the intruder. What met his eyes sent a shiver through his whole entire body making him want to groan out loud.
The first thing he saw were long shapely legs standing at the edge of his desk. Slowly he raised his eyes, following the contour of those legs up to small well-rounded pleasing thighs and hips. He could tell because the jeans she wore fit her like a second skin. Easing his eyes ever upward he saw a slender waist with a flat stomach peeking out from under a shirt that didn’t quite cover her lovely belly button, which by the way, had an exquisite little sapphire stud embedded just to the south of it.
Trying to keep his drool to a minimum and act professional at the same time, he kept his gaze steady as he slowly wandered up to melon sized breasts that seemed too perky to be real, although if the gods were on his side, he would find out real fast how real they were. Adjusting in his seat as he had become very uncomfortable just then, he heard a faint clearing of a throat and eased his eyes away from her luscious breasts to look into the sexiest crystal green eyes he had ever seen.
“Excuse me, but are you Jake Mosley?” Her voice was like a siren song thrumming his blood to the boiling point. Soft, sweet and seductive all at the same time. He was mesmerized as she flung back her long black hair, the tips he noticed were silver, giving her an even more ethereal aura.
“Yes, I am. Please, have a seat.” How did he manage to sound so calm and in control when all he wanted to do was eat her alive.
“Mr. Mosley,”
“Jake, please.”
“Jake. My name is Serena Keller.”
Serena, what a lovely name, he thought, imagining her sitting across from him in a dimly lit room, a glass of red wine in her hand grazing her lush lips with its sweetness, lust lingering just beneath her lashes making those crystal green eyes dance with excitement. Mentally shaking himself back to the present he said, “What can I do for you, Miss Keller?”
Leaning forward on his desk trying to act as professionally as possible considering he had a hard on as large as Texas rising between his thighs trying to escape his pants. Damn good thing he didn’t have one of those new acrylic desks that were all the rage or things might be going a little differently at the moment.
“I want to hire you. Money is no object.” she said quite sincerely, digging into her purse for something.
“Exactly what did you want to hire me for?” his mind and body could think of several ways he would love payment.
“You are a Night Stalker by trade, are you not Mr. Mosley?” She asked quirking her eyebrow at him.
“Not many people know about that part of my business.” he said, suddenly sitting up. He looked her square in the eye. It was time to stop daydreaming and pay more attention to the woman that sat across from him.
“Actually, I’m sure only other Night Stalkers would know who you are.” she stated more than asked. She reached out her hand to him and said, “Serena Keller, Night Stalker by trade.”
Perhaps that was the reason he had not sensed her when she first came into his office. Slowly he reached out his hand. He couldn’t resist the temptation to touch her. Soft as velvet, long nails that were well manicured but not overly long. He didn’t care for the nails woman sported today. They seemed too pretentious to him.
“So what do you need me for, Serena, if you are a night stalker as well?” he asked, reluctantly letting go of her hand when she pulled it away. He didn’t know if she felt the tingle when they had touched but he certainly did. He filed it into the back of his mind to think about later along with the not sensing her presence thing. Now he was more interested in knowing what a night stalker wanted with him. Usually they were all loners.
“I need help, Mr. Mosley,”
“Jake, please. Call me Jake.”
“Jake,” she said taking a deep breath. “I need help in finding my brothers killers.”
“I see.” he said sitting back in his chair deep in thought.
“No, I don’t really think you do see.” she told him, pulling out an envelope and slapping it hard on his desk.
“What’s this?”
“My brother.”
Jake gave her a solemn look then took the envelope and opened it. Taking out the contents sent shivers of revulsion running down his spine. In his long life he had seen death in many forms but this had to be the worst yet. Each photo he looked at depicted a different act of violence toward a man that had been bound to what looked like a stake except his feet and hands were spread apart and tied at odd angles from the post. That in itself had to be filled with excruciating pain. Then his tormentors had started carving his skin from his body. From the contortion of the mans face you could tell he was still very much alive while this was going on. Each new photo displayed even more graphic torture than the previous ones. Jake realized that even he wasn’t this cruel with the marks he pursued.
“Where did you get these?” he asked as he gathered them up and put them back into the envelope.
“They were sent to me, hoping to affect my decision to alter my course of action against a specific mark that I had been after.” she told him, gathering the envelope and replacing it in her bag.
“And did it?”
“If anything it has made me even more determined than ever to get these killers and serve justice on them.” she told him, her voice like blades of ice.
Good girl, he thought as he steepled his fingers together in thought.
“Who was the mark you were after?” Jake asked with interest.
“Dimitri.”
“The demi-god of the Underworld?”
“Yes.”
“Why were you after him? Someone pay you to get rid of him?” he asked wondering why it mattered.
“You know I can’t tell you that.”
He waited for her to elaborate but she said nothing else. Warning lights flashed between his eyes. Dimitri was the keeper of lost souls; a demi-god you did not cross not if you didn’t want to spend eternity in the Netherworld. He’d already seen what happened to Serena’s brother and that had only been a warning to her to back off. He could just imagine what a full scale retaliation would be like.
No. No amount of money was worth this. As much as he wanted to taste the beauty sitting across from him, he would have to decline her offer. He wanted to live the rest of eternity in one piece, not several.
Serena sat back in her seat and sighed heavily. “You’re not going to help me are you?”
His heart clinched in denial, her dejection written plain as the pert nose on her face, but he shook his head no just the same.
“You were my last hope, Jake.” she told him, green eyes swimming with moisture, her spine stiffening as she rose from her chair. “I’d heard you were the best. Guess now I will never know.”
He might be the best, but he wasn’t no fool.
“I’m sorry Serena. I truly hope you catch the slag’s that killed your brother.”
Without another word she left his office, leaving behind a man that knew, deep down to his soul, the best thing that had ever walked into his life had also just walked out of it.