Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2010 12:52:17 +0000
From: chaotic_child@hotmail.com
Subject: A Voice From The Night World5

I don't own The Night World or seek to profit from the ideas or characters
that belong to another. The Night World belongs to the wonderful L. J
Smith. I thank her for creating such a wonderful series that I can borrow
for the use of my characters.

The characters in this story are fictional and any similarities to living
people are accidental. As this story contains sex between males, you need
to be of legal age to be reading this story and if you don't want to be
reading about sex between young men you might want to stop now. Feedback is
very welcome, as is anyone who is keen to pre-read or edit for me. All can
be sent to chaotic_child@hotmail.com I hope you all enjoy!

Author's Note: Thanks for all the generous feedback. Apologies for the long
delay of this chapter and thank for your patience, internet problems and
life meant this took a back seat. But here it is the chapter you've all
waited patiently before. Also thanks to the reader who gave me the idea for
the attic and to take the fight to the country, this was originally in
Glasgow. Enjoy the ride!


CHAPTER 5


I was jostled awake not long after dawn by a hard prod in the back. I felt
my own fidgety shifting had woken my soulmate up for the second night in a
row as I tossed fitfully from another of my uneasy dreams.

I felt him lean over me and saw both my hands were gripping the sheets in
tight fists. I could see my claws were out and I had ripped the sheets and
my own hands up with the same claws as they stabbed into the mattress,
clawing my own nightmares.

I felt him sigh and get out of bed to fetch a damp facecloth from the
ensuite bathroom attached to this room. He crouched naked in front of me
and began to firmly coax my fingers to release my stranglehold of the
sheets.

 He used the cloth to clean up my own blood and self inflicted cuts, cuts
that were already healing as he cleaned them.  I felt him shift as he knelt
on the floor his fingers moving to stroke my face comfortingly.

He kissed the side of my neck and shoulder nuzzling against my ear. I
inhaled the familiar smell of him a unique mix of falcon, cold alpine air,
and grass with a distinctive peppery undertone. I felt him drop the cloth
on the floor and stroke his fingers through my hair.

As always if I was anywhere near the smell of him and his warm, hard body
my own body responded, as I felt his own react. Because I was touching him
the soulmate bond was enveloping us in a cloud of hazy blue mist and I
could feel his emotions, see his thoughts and I knew he could see the
nightmare as the images still flickered through me.

It was the same reoccurring dream I'd been having off and on for the past
two days. It was a natural response to the disastrous events we had faced
with Michael and the larger looming war with the Night World.

I was running through a house that bore a perfect resemblance to the house
of Michael's friends and was trying yet again to get to him before the gun
shot went off.

I felt Chay's awareness of me in his head and his need to comfort me, stop
the problem.

I felt my own purr as I slid my hand down to wrap my fingers around the
wrist of his free hand, my fingers stroking his pulse. I felt his own
matching desire for me in his mind, in the tensing of his muscles, his
rocketing pulse and I could smell sex on him from earlier on that night.

Without reaching down to stroke his cock I could smell and feel his own
arousal and knew he was hard too.

I felt him nuzzle my neck humming a tune that was nearly a soothing purr; I
recognised it as an old Finnish lullaby I'd heard before, as he chased the
dream out of my head.


In so many ways Chay is the falcon that lives in him and in his own way is
ruled by his instincts, in his savage drive to protect or defend his
territory, his devotion to and passionate need of his mate.

But there is willingness in him to be coldly ruthless to get what he want,
to get his prey. He is far more patient, precise and merciless then I am.

I could hear him think me reckless, hot heated and impulsive. The falcon he
is hunts by using sheer relentless power, fear and merciless patience to
exhaust his victims, he's far more intelligent than I am, the thinker and
planner.

He thought I was taking what happened to Michael and this war we are in too
much to heart and far too personally, this war was not going to end
well. He thought the pragmatic thing to do was to move on to the next
thing.

But my own preoccupied thoughts had strayed from his, I'd released him from
our mingling thoughts but not for long, he never let me deny him for long.

He shifted pushing me over as he moved back up onto the bed and slid in
next to me. He wrapped himself around me and pressed his lips into the
hollow of my throat still humming the same old wordless tune. I felt his
leg wind through mine, his foot stroking my calf.

I felt his fierce focus on me and was surprised to realise my own arms had
wrapped around him with my fingers tangled in his hair as. I didn't
remember doing that, it was so instinctive to touch him and respond.

I felt him pull me deeper into his mind, into his own memories. He
distracted me with his own memories of flying as a falcon letting me feel
and experience it through him.

I felt my own purr and his hum as I offered up my own treasured memories of
running and stalking as a lynx, such was the way we distracted and
comforted each other.

I must have dozed lost in our memories and the song he was humming because
when I next opened my eyes time had passed and Chad had drifted back to
sleep, I could see the approaching dawn through the blinds.

I felt the edgy restless urge to run to shake loose the thoughts and
feelings still haunting me. Locked in the shape of a lynx I'd be beyond it,
a lynx doesn't dwell on anything except prey, shelter, sex, danger and the
odd bit of play.

Carefully I wriggled away from him untangling my limbs from his and
couldn't help watching him for a moment. His fair hair was loose and
mussed, his pale skin still flushed a bit pink, face and body relaxed in
sleep.

Pulling on my furry dark shifter pants and shirt I didn't bother with
shoes, I wouldn't need them as a lynx, I padded to the bathroom down the
hall to piss and then padded out of the house. I jogged to the big park a
mile up the road, most safehouses were close to a big park with a small
forest of trees and ours was no exception.

Once I was hidden by the trees I dropped to the ground and shifted feeling
that familiar rush of pain and elation as I became the lynx. On all fours I
trotted even further into the trees and began to run.

When I'd run my skittish nerves to exhaustion I sprawled out on the leafy
ground under a willow tree to catch my breath.

I lazed, drifting as I listened to and smelled the sounds and scents of
scurrying animals as they attended to the never ending business of finding
food, defending territories and raising young. I even heard a couple of
early runners doing their bit to stay fit even at this early hour.

One sound and scent caught my attention more than the others as I opened my
eyes and glanced up to see the gyrfalcon landing on a branch of my willow
tree. He folded his wings and watched me with those fierce dark eyes. I
felt his hunter's pride, the satisfaction that he'd found me and the
annoyance that I'd left without him.

I yawned feeling my ears flick at him knowing he could feel my amusement
with him. I felt the sudden push-pull release of shifter energy as he
shifted, to me it looked like his form wavered and flickered like a desert
mirage or the heat haze above a road on a hot summer day, leaving the human
sitting on the branch.

He jumped easily to the ground clothed in his white feathered shifter
clothing and simply waited as I still watched him, amusement, affection and
a slight annoyance of my own colouring my own body language and emotions.

"Why didn't you wake me up? You know I can't sleep without you." He
grumbled.

I yawned again as I considered him, I got up and leisurely stretched out my
strong supple cat body.  I sauntered up to him, and I nudged him, rubbing
against him affectionately. Being deliberately annoying as I knew he hated
it, I licked the back of his hand with my rough tongue.

Sneezing violently I laughed as only a feline can as the exasperation,
disgust and affection fought it out in his expression as he wiped the back
of his hand against his pants.

I rubbed against him again purring as I deliberately leaned all my weight
on him, he didn't move except to lock his legs and drop his hand in the
short ruff on my neck, stroking the fur there with those lean killing
fingers of his.

Without warning I darted away from him feeling him fall against the willow
tree in surprise at the abrupt loss of my weight against him. I growled at
him playfully and unable to resist a challenge Chay smirked back lunging
towards me; the game was on as I took off.

Alternating between human and falcon Chay chased me through the
trees. There was a point where I lost him, he simply disappeared and that
concerned the human and lynx equally, he was too good a hunter to lose me
with the simple distraction tactic I'd used.

I crouched in the shelter of some bushes, still a lynx, my senses were
better as a cat, and I strained my eyes, ears and nose to pick up any trace
of him. I even checked the trees above me and soulmate cord, still nothing,
not good.

Without warning a shadow dropped not out of the tree above me, but out of
the tree behind me, and pounced on me easily bowling me over.

 For a few minutes the pair of us wrestled on the forest floor, still human
against cat, until I managed to wriggle free and dashed off again,
realizing he let me, he was too skilled a killer and hunter. Scrambling to
his feet I felt the grin, the hunger for the hunt that was singing through
him, as he chased after me through the trees.

Getting far enough ahead of him, I was faster as a cat then he was as a
human, I hid behind a thick oak tree and shifted, calling back my human
form. I allowed him to approach my tree and saw him stop; he cocked his
head clearly listening, sharp eyes scanning the area.

Before he could get a lock on me I jumped out from my hiding place, using
my momentum to pounce on him. This time I bowled him over, I felt the
instinctive, experienced tensing of his muscles as he automatically readied
to defend or kill and abrupt release of that terrible energy as he
recognized the feel and scent of me.

I smirked at my falcon as I pinned his sprawled body to the grass, he
smirked back at me, his colour high, hair wild and dark eyes smoky with
lust, flashing with the wildness of a hunt.

I quirked a challenging eyebrow knowing my green eyes would be reflecting
the same heat and wildness. His own body was also stirring with the feel of
me pressing against him and I couldn't help rubbing against him, marking
him with my scent as my own cock hardened.

Chay's smirk stretched quickly shifting into that rare grin of his, as he
titled his head back offering his throat and his body. He was so proud, so
pleased that I'd managed to beat him it gave him hope that I'd survive this
war.

He might have lost but any time he managed to push me, especially if sex
was a bonus he felt he'd won and behind the properly lowered gaze I caught
the gleam of triumph in those hot dark eyes.  He might have been in the
submissive position but he knew he owned me.

I couldn't resist his vulnerable pale throat and neck as my mating
instincts drove me to mark and claim him. I leaned down to bite and suck at
his neck drawing soft whimpers from him. They had my thick cock pulsing
with a need to be in him.

Arching up against me he pushed his body against me and let out a
particularly loud moan.  Then his strong killer's hands were gripping my
shoulders as he began raining kisses on my upper chest and
shoulders. Pushing back against him I ground my erection against his,
running my hot mouth up his neck and jaw towards his lips.

I teased him kissing his cheeks and jaw, just brushing my lips across his
soft lips, then moving away to continue the same brushing kisses.

He grunted in frustration, grinding his own thick cock back against me as
he grabbed my hair. He used his grip to drag my lips to his own and kissed
me hard, trying to force my mouth open as our hips ground against each
other.

For a moment I continued to tease him and refused to open my mouth but I
let him in. I moaned as I was assaulted by the heat and almost violent
aggression of Chay's mouth, teeth and tongue as the man tried his best to
eat me.

We both moaned as I quickly took over the aggressive kiss, it didn't take
long before I couldn't take it anymore and with a curse I snapped.

I pinned his trembling body to the ground roughly grinding my cock into him
again, my wandering hands stripping off his clothes, as they stroked and
grabbed at sleek, straining muscle covered in smooth, velvety skin.

Chay was muttering in a mix of Finnish, English and Ojibwa as he scattered
little sucking kisses over my face, neck and collarbone as his own hands
all but ripped my clothes off. I heard his pleased sigh as I felt his hands
run over my skin.

"Fuck me!" He ground out as we broke free of another hungry kiss.

"Trying to tell me what to do?" I growled rubbing my body against him, my
hand wrapping around his cock to stroke him teasingly.

 "It isn't what you want?" He asked and the arrogant smirk was back as he
pushed his hips forward, thrusting his cock into my stroking hand.

I groaned as his cock pulsed in my hand and I felt his own free hand wrap
around my own cock.

I grinned down at him watching as those smoky dark eyes flashed with lust
and demand as he squeezed my hard, thick cock.

"Harder, faster!" I demanded as I tightened my own grip on Chay's cock,
stroking in time with him as we both obeyed our bodies pleas for a fuck.

I squeezed his cock as I lowered my head and sucked hard on his nipples as
we jacked each other. He hissed at the pleasure pain shooting from the
sucking, nipping pressure of my mouth as I shifted back and forth between
his nipples.

I felt him nearly faint with the waves of pulsing pleasure that fed from
his nipples to his cock and from my hand stroking his cock. I felt him get
close to shooting his load in the trembling of his body and the more
frantic pace of the hand stroking my dick.

I shifted lower trailing kisses, sharp nips and my tongue slowly down his
body and felt him tense then begin to squirm as he realized where I was
heading. I grinned against his lower abs as I felt the helpless insistent
push of his free hand against my shoulder as he sought to get me where he
wanted me.

 I smelled the sharpening, heady scent of sex and desire pouring off him
and heard the sharp intake breath as I finally pushed my way between his
legs. I blew on his cock and dragged my tongue up its length teasing him as
he attempted to thrust it at my mouth.

I laughed and gave in taking his cock in my mouth; I sucked and licked at
his cock, slowly swallowing the entire length. I heard his moan as I began
to play with his balls, running my little finger across his hole as I used
my mouth to play with his cock.

 "I want you!" He managed to grit out squirming underneath me as I sucked
his cock feeling him start to fuck my face.

I heard my own growl as I shifted, moving further down him as I pushed his
legs further apart and pushing them over my shoulders.  Anticipating what I
was going to do he whimpered rolling his hips up so that I get at the
small, pink treasure between them.

I released his cock and he couldn't help the unhappy groan, but it quickly
changed to a moan as I bent my head trailing my tongue across his hole.

Slowly I sucked and licked at the small, tight hole until I could push my
tongue in and out with enough speed and depth to have him withering
underneath me cursing at me as I used my hands to play with his balls and
stroke his thighs.

 When I thought him excited and wet enough I moved back up his body,
watching his burning eyes lock on my mouth as I liked my lips, I liked the
taste and smell of him.

I made sure to rub thoroughly against him, grinding my cock against him. He
arched against me as I nudged against him, pushing my cock against him with
steady pressure until I felt the head pop through his tight sphincter.

He was moaning mindlessly into my neck I began to push the rest of my cock
into him. I sucked hard at the vulnerable tendon running up his neck
marking him and holding him down in place for my cock.

I felt my balls rest against his smooth ass and I groaned at the feel of
the tight, hot clasp his body had on my cock, there was nothing like it in
the world.

Holding still for a moment to let him adjust to the invasion of my cock, I
slid a hand down to stroke his cock. When I felt him begin to strain
against me, his thighs gripping my shoulders as he pushed up against me
with a little moan to urge me to fuck him , I did.

His strangled moans were encouraging me to thrust harder and faster,
fucking that tight ass I love as I slid my hands underneath him, unable to
resist the desire to grab at and squeeze his ass.

The encouraging and increasingly desperate noises Chay was making only
pushed me as he was pushing back against the hard thrusts of my cock as I
jacked him in time to my thrusts.

With a heated curse I locked my teeth in his shoulder, tasting blood and I
dug my fingers into his ass massaging the muscles.  I felt Chay's own
feverish clutching of my shoulder as he abruptly screamed his body tensing
as his cock jerked once, twice, then I felt his warm seed coat our
stomachs.

His ass clamped around my cock squeezing me as tight as his limbs were
doing and I felt my own balls draw up, my own hot seed roaring up my cock
as I growled, clutching him against me as my cock released into him.

Collapsing on top of him I released his shoulder, pulled my teeth and cock
out of him as I licked at the bite I'd left in him.

It was a while before either of us had the energy or the will to move. But
as dawn began to announce itself we roused ourselves pulling our clothes
back on and we began a slow, ambling trek back to the safehouse.

Once there we quickly showered necking and touching each other with tender
care as we cleaned up. Feeling pleasantly worn out and sleepy, we crawled
back into bed naked.

We wrapped ourselves around each other as the soft blue haze closed around
us I felt him pull me deeper into his mind than usual, into his own
memories. He distracted me from falling back into my nightmares; even after
all we'd done tonight, he still wanted to keep me away from dark thoughts
and I felt the hum of the same wordless Finnish tune.

We both drifted, and to our surprise our devious soulmate connection took
us back to the beginning, memories neither of us looked at much.

.  = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

4 MONTHS AGO


CHAY


From where I stood in the crowd of yelling, jeering Night Worlders, I could
see a cat in human form hiding in plain sight. Aside from him, the one I
watched, I could see a tiger, a lioness, a cheetah and a snow leopard
scattered about the old concrete warehouse but he had caught my interest.

The mingled scents of Night Worlders with damp concrete, blood and rotting
wood was an odd one, almost unpleasant, even for a predator like me.

I could see his tattoos which tried to trick me he's a werewolf, but I
wasn't fooled, I could see the cat in him, but I wasn't sure what cat it
was yet. It's in the lazy, predatory prowl, the broad muscular shoulders
and arms, the sleek build and swift reflexes.

His cat is there in the short tawny blond hair that holds a gloss closer to
a pelt then mere hair. His cat is there in the large almond shaped green
eyes that tilt up at the edges meeting his high, sharp cheekbones as they
peek out from under his fringe.

But it is his expressions and the energy he carries with him that made him
unique even for a cat shifter and drew me, along with his looks, to him
like a moth to a light bulb.

One expression is a faint smirk that teases and quietly mocks, conveying
he's playing with me and knows everything about me but he hasn't even
looked directly at me. The other is a slow lazy grin that laughs and
promises he knows a secret I don't. Then there is the savage dominant
energy to him, the reckless, impulsive edge. I can see the potential for a
volatile, explosive temper as he reacts with a snarl to the violence around
us.

I know I'm gay and have known since I put vague feelings and desires into a
coherent word and explanation. But the sudden lust and curiosity I had for
him defied my own experience slight that it was, I'd never felt anything
like it.

The bloody event we were watching was a Night World boxing match at The
Black Dahlia a Night World owned nightclub in a dockside warehouse in
Glasgow. I had arrived at the half time of a fight between two vampires,
one lamia and the other made. I had tracked my mark a made vampire there
and was keeping an eye on his movements, looking for my moment to strike.

It was between the first and second fight that I saw him, the cat, a lynx I
decided; the next fight was between Damien a powerful Scottish lamia who
held the Night World amateur middleweight boxing title and Conor an Irish
werewolf.

The rules for the boxing match meant it had to be a fight using vermin
rules, so no tricks, no dirty fighting or race advantages were allowed in
the fight. So it meant whoever won did so from boxing skill and experience
alone.

The lynx had come out of the door that led from the changing rooms, talking
to Damien as they walked to the ring. I recognised the lamia from a couple
of previous fights I had witnessed and the posters around the warehouse.

The lynx sat in the front row closest to the corner of the ring the vampire
was heading for, next to a short auburn haired witch. As Damien sat on his
stool, sipping water, the pair got up and went over to talk to their
friend.

I growled drawing the attention of a group of lamia next to me as they
turned and eyed me in amusement. I hissed at them, letting them see the
full force of the cold menace I give out at will. They flinched, shifting
away from me uneasily. Inwardly I smirked, it was petty, but hey it amused
me, but I still wanted to growl.

A female, a coyote shifter, had appeared from the crowd, she was tall
enough and lithe with it she was only an inch shorter than the lynx and had
long dark hair with the dark eyes and dark complexion of someone from
Mexico.

She kissed the lynx on the cheek and squeezed the shoulder of the witch,
she gestured to Damien as he readied himself in the ring.

I wondered if she was the lynx's girlfriend, as she talked to him and the
witch, she draped an arm around him and he let her, allowing her the
liberty to touch him with one of his slow flashing grins.

I felt disappointed and possessive, even thought I was inexperienced at the
game, I recognised my own jealousy, I wanted him with a hunger, interest
and possessiveness that surprised me.

Then I remembered the old warning my Ojibwa uncle gave, he had a small gift
for foresight and told me the spotted cat was my hope and threat.

I eyed the lynx curiously and with some wariness was he the spotted cat
Sakima had warned me of? I wasn't sure, perhaps its better I keep my
distance. I can't have men getting too closer, they will realise what I
am. It was a violent, lonely existence I lived, but the Night World wasn't
a safe place for a half-breed.

But I couldn't help myself, despite my best efforts not to my attention
kept drifting between the red-haired Vincent who was my mark and the lynx I
wanted.

I cursed as near the end of the fight my target left with a piece of blonde
female ass, clearly a witch by the black dahlia earrings and
necklace. Stuck on contract to take him out, I had no choice but to follow
and leave the lynx behind still feeling that odd mix of curiosity, lust and
caution.


 + + +

LIEV


"I know you think I'm talking shit but I swear to you he wants you." Tien
whispered in my ear.

I scoffed and arched an eyebrow whispering back. "You and your instincts."

Tien's violet eyes flashed at me. "Hey, I may not be an animal like you,
but don't knock my instincts, I'm never wrong! My ancestors had a touch of
foretelling and I have it in this generation. They were right about Damien
and they're ringing in my ears."

We were sitting on a wooden park bench playing a pair of runners taking a
breather as we did guard duty and watched the house across the road from
us, scanning the surrounding area for trouble.

It was just after 9pm on a Friday and the air was cool but still smelled of
summer. We waited for Mikasi and Damien, who were inside the safehouse with
our target who was attending a meeting. Our target was a prominent Night
World lamia who had become a double agent for us.

It was our job to escort our vampire to and from meetings with some of the
Night World's most important leaders, our own orders came direct from Lord
Sebastian.

I smirked at him. "If your instincts are talking to you then they are in
agreement with mine, I'm sure it's a hint telling us to watch my back."

"Trust me every instinct I possess tells me so, as do my own eyes. He
watches you with hunger and I don't think he wants to kill you. I bet he's
your soulmate." Tien insisted.

I glanced at the Night Worlder he was referring to and inwardly sneered.

There he was an ice prince temporarily unfrozen to hunt prey and I knew he
was hunting, as I watched his cold eyes scan the lit street.

We were in an inner city suburb of Glasgow and he leaned against the wall
of a block of shops up the opposite end of the street, apparently waiting
for fish n chips.

I took in the patient, deceptively relaxed pose as he leaned back against
the wall of the shop. With a predator's eyes even way down the street I
could see the subtle alert tenseness all but humming underneath his fuck
off aura.

I could admit to myself in the privacy of my own mind that he was a pretty
ice prince despite his fuck off aura with that silky looking fair hair and
pale skin; someone with his cold colouring shouldn't have such dark eyes or
such a mouth.

They were the eyes and mouth of someone proud, passionate and hot headed,
pride he had in spades but he was cold blooded and arrogant it was stamped
all over his body language. I had seen him at a nightclub the previous
night react to being hit on with a callous rejection.

I hadn't heard the words but I had seen the almost cruel expression on his
face as the vampire had leaned against him and the immediate ashen look on
the vampire's face said it all as he was shoved him away. The vampire had
been a male and he was cute, he'd had the changing Redfern eyes to go with
that blonde hair, I'm a sucker for that combo, I'd have risked the fangs
and done him.

This Night Worlder didn't look like the kind of guy who would ever come
within a mile of passion or the impulsive and a sudden demon that was the
predatory cat that lived in me stirred. I suddenly wanted to ruffle his icy
calm and hunt him, play with him much like a cat plays with a mouse to see
what he'd do before I ate him.

But he was a killer and wasn't gay by the look of it, I couldn't be
thinking that way, I was a predator myself, so I knew what I saw and felt.

I had a bet going with Damien that he was Demon, a deadly assassin we heard
about through the Night World grapevine, and I was pretty sure he kept
popping up near us with almost eerie precision to kill one of us or our
target. It had become nearly familiar to look up and find him somewhere
nearby.

"He's not gay, you saw him last night, there's no way what your saying
could be true. Any guy going near him risks having his dick cut off" I
protested wondering why I was doing so when it was impossible.

"Just because he wasn't interested in one guy doesn't mean he's not gay. I
saw him reject a girl too so don't give me that. Look if he was going to
kill you he'd have done it already. I admit he does have Night World all
but tattooed on his forehead and has a nasty attitude but I know what I see
and feel." Tien was saying.

"I'm never wrong!" He insisted again.

I opened my mouth to respond but saw the door open and Damien appeared
doing a quick, expert scan of the area and my hunter instincts expanded to
full throttle, all thoughts of the falcon stopped as the job took over.


+ + + + +

LIEV


As soon as I stepped out of the Damien's SUV I put my back against the
car. I felt uneasy every hunter instinct I possessed warned me that trouble
was waiting for us.

"I don't like it tell Julian to stay in the car." I told my leader feeling
him do just that as he used telepathy to warn the other vampire.

We both eyed the surrounding terrain with the tense keen awareness that
told me eyes and ears were there.

"Unfriendly eyes are on us." Mikasi confirmed her soft Mexican accent
stronger than usual as she got out of her own car, an old battered green
Mini with a tuned up new motor.

It was a strategic move on our part to take two cars that way we had two
getaway cars and two possible diversions as well.

She stood next to me, her lithe body tense and all but humming with the
need to shift and hunt.

Tien got out of the car after her his hands balled into fists, body as
tense as the rest of us. He might not have had the instincts and fine tuned
senses as the rest of us, but he was good at taking the hint from the rest
of us and he did have a brown belt in karate as well as his own strong
battle magic so he could defend himself or attack if need be.

"I feel it too." Damien admitted as the four of us did a slow, thorough
scan of the area and came up with nothing.

"I vote we get him inside and then do a physical search of the area, I
don't want enemies creeping up behind me." I suggested as another scan with
eyes, ears and nose brought nothing but that uncomfortable feeling of
unfriendly attention.

We were at an old Elizabethan era gentlemans country estate situated an
hour outside Glasgow. It felt like we were out in the middle of nowhere and
the large lawn, garden and small forest park that went with the place
stretched out as far as our eyes could see.

It was early evening but the air was still warm with that curious blend of
summer and autumn smells but the wind had that early bite of autumn to
it. I could smell rain and eyed the growing dark clouds.

We actually weren't far from my own family's ancestral castle it was only
another hour and a half to the north.  So this area felt like home to me, I
knew and felt it like the back of my hand, but still despite the
familiarity I felt watched by unfriendly eyes.

Impatient with us and not one to take orders well Julian got out of
Damien's SUV. We were here because a Night World country weekend was being
held and Julian was hosting it under his guise as a double agent to do some
snooping.

As he had a seat on the Night World Council his position was a good one and
a Night World Councillor was never expected to appear without a small
entourage and if that entourage were also body guards then that was
acceptable, naturally we were that entourage.

Julian was the owner of this property and a French lamia, an old one at
over a century but he'd stopped his aging in his early 20's so he looked
young until you saw the cold, hardness in his topaz eyes that came from the
cold ruthlessness that had allowed him to claw his way to a seat on the
Night World Council.

"What's the hold up?" He demanded rubbing a hand across the dark stubble on
his shaved head. "I'm not paying you to let me sit in the back of a car
while you posture about in a driveway."

I ignored his snarled protest as I pushed him to the ground and kept a
tight hold on his shoulder, keeping him between me and the SUV.

"You were told to stay there for your own good." Damien replied coolly. "We
feel your enemies and felt you might want to stay in the car and keep your
skin on, since you're paying us to protect it."

"You could have simply told me that." Julian snarled at us swarthy skin
flushing with annoyance and anger.

"I would think stay put is telling you." Damien replied in the same cool
tone, his dark blue eyes flicking to the silvery blue of an angry or
hunting vampire.

I knew him well enough to know that cool casual tone barely masked his slow
burning temper and intense dislike of the vampire, a pissed off Damien
wasn't pretty for anyone.

Julian sensed Damien's seething anger and merely muttered a string of
insults in French but he stayed where I put him.

"Let's get him inside." Damien instructed us and we obeyed.

"I'm on scout duty. I'll head out now the three of you can handle it on
your own." I said as I let the vampire squatting near the ground up.

Damien nodded and we formed a protective circle, putting the shorter
vampire in the middle we headed for the grand three story white monstrosity
of a house in front of us.

I watched their backs doing further scans of the area but again came up
with nothing holding the rear as I followed them to the door.  Once there I
checked the area making sure there was nobody around I returned to the SUV
and clothed in my shifter clothes, I shifted.

I spent the next couple of hours doing a thorough search of the entire
property and I wasn't helped by the start of the rain and wind.

Half way in I smelled Mikasi join me and between the pair of us we mapped
and turned the place upside down as we looked for any threat to Julian. We
found nothing unusual and continued on our way only wanting to get inside,
the cat in me didn't appreciate being a sodden, cold mess.

Both Mikasi and I met up a final time shifting back to human to compare
notes. Despite what we'd seen, we still felt watched but we'd found
nothing, frustrated and confused we decided to return to the house for
something to eat and a rest, before trying again.

Just as we turned back towards the house the ambush came. Cloaked by a
complete invisibility spell we didn't smell, hear or see them until they
surrounded us, threw off the spell and attacked us.

I growled hearing Mikasi echo me as we moved to cover each other's backs as
we found ourselves confronting a group of Night World enemies, two
vampires, werewolves and a witch in the pouring rain, wind and darkness.

I recognised Vincent the red haired vampire was Lily Redfern's second and
the two Irish werewolves Conor and Felan his lackeys, I didn't recognise
the others. I threw out a call to Damien through the telepathic pathway he
always left open on a job as I shifted and threw myself at Vincent.

But before I hit him the two brown Irish `wolves shifted shape and
intercepted me, attacking me before I could get to him. I growled at them,
getting dual snarls back for my effort as I fought them off, but not
without losing a chunk of flesh from my right flank and a gash across my
left foreleg.

I heard another growl as Mikasi joined in protecting my back to stop the
two wolves from tearing us apart. There was nothing we could do as the rest
of our enemies began to melt back into the trees.

With snapping teeth, raking claws and short lunges I ignored my own pain,
we managed to keep them at bay and tried to get to our escaping enemies,
but it was a bit of a wasted effort as despite our large size for the
animals we both were, the wolves were larger and outweighed the pair of us
combined.

They were merely playing with us, we realised it, they realised it, but we
were only holding on till Damien and Tien could get to us. But the Night
World always throws a curve ball at you when you least expect them.

Something fast and white dropped from above with a scream that stopped my
heart and froze my blood striking at the fleeing red haired vampire. It
took me a stunned moment or two to get my eyes to realise the darting white
blur was a gyrfalcon, it had dropped out of the sky and slashed open the
vampire's eyes with a vicious swipe of its talons.

As the vampire screamed throwing his arms protectively over his head, blood
streaming down his face from his slashed eyes the gyrfalcon flew at him
again, slashing open his throat. There was another scream from the vampire
as the falcon shifted and a blur of white clothed man was pouncing on him.

Damien arrived at a dead run with Julian at his heels barely breathing
hard.  A dead run at vampire speed is fast, considering he'd covered half a
mile in under two minutes. In fact the entire fight so far had happened
that fast. They threw themselves into the fight after only a moment spent
sizing up the problem facing us.

But I paid for my distraction as the wolf I was facing, Felan I recognised
from the missing ear and scar down his muzzle, sprang at me latching onto
my ear and ripping. I screamed infuriated and in pain as he took my ear
with him. I slashed at him, ripping open his shoulder as I threw myself at
him.

I shifted shape, shifting to my halfway form, a weird mix of lynx and
human, wanting human hands, claws and teeth, as I managed to get a
strangling hold around the werewolf's throat, wrapping my legs around his
furry wolf body as I clutched hard.

I tucked my head against his neck, felt him struggling to throw me off and
rip at me with his teeth. He did manage to slash and scratch me with the
claws on his forelegs. But my grip was too strong for him to throw me off.

I knew what I was doing and had the strength of a shifter at my
fingertips. I used my clawed fingers to rip open his throat and ignored his
howl as hot slippery blood tried to loosen my death grip around his throat.

After what seemed like an endless struggle he stilled, dropping to the
ground as he went limp against me. I hung on grimly, wanting to make sure
he wasn't faking. But he didn't move beyond a dying whimper and I let go
looking around for Mikasi. I glanced at her and saw her off to my rear
left, she was a still, unmoving mound of grey coyote.  Blood ran from her
open muzzle and a dozen bleeding slashes coated her fur.

Pushing the dead wolf's weight off me I rose to a crouch, checking her and
was relieved when I felt a pulse, a faint one, but a pulse. I looked around
for the other `wolf that had taken her out and my heart nearly stopped as a
tall white shadow stalked towards me.

His fair hair was a tied back neatly but his dark eyes were burning with a
cold, deadly fire and it was at that moment I felt a sick recognition, the
falcon assassin.

Vincent was a still dead shape on the ground, his throat and eyes slashed
open, blood a deep pool around him as a branch lay buried in his chest.

The assassin kept comning towards me and I tensed eyes locked on my enemy,
I stayed in my half way form, claws and teeth being good in a fight,
gathering strength into my muscles in readiness to launch myself at him.

He lunged over me and landed on the werewolf behind me with another of
those terrible triumphant falcon screams.

It took me a frozen second or two for my heart to recover and my instincts
to realise I wasn't attacked, I was hurt, but still alive and my apparent
ally was now bent on killing my enemy.

But blood loss and pain had finally caught up with me and I felt shifting
shape was a good idea. But I hadn't the energy to do so, a frightening and
disheartening thing, the effort left me slumped on the ground a panting,
bleeding mess.

Despite my weakness, I struggled up again as assassin or not, I felt I had
to help my temporary ally and tried to rise. But the pain and weakness
wouldn't let me and I found myself sprawled on the wet grass. But not
before I saw the assassin rise up from the ground like a bloody wraith,
there was something terribly wrong seeing something so white covered in
blood, dirt and gore.

He stalked towards me and I tensed waiting for the killing blow I knew was
coming and finally managed to find some extra energy, some last reserves of
strength that allowed me to shift back to lynx. Most of my injuries
instantly healed but I was still weak from the effort needed to shift and
heal.

I edged away from him, but he kept coming and by the time I realised he was
herding me, I felt myself back up against the rough wet bark of a tree.

I growled flinching as he grabbed for my furred shoulder and felt instead
of a killing blow warm energy. Faintly gold in colour it flowed from his
grip into me and I realised it was healing me as the warm energy poured in,
healing the rest of my injuries and bolstering my flagging energy.

It was enough that I managed to shift back to human, his grip on my clothed
shoulder tightened, warm energy still flowing between us as I saw his free
hand come up to touch my face and felt the world explode.

I wasn't sure which of us was more shocked as white hot blue lightening
zapped us, ripping open a channel between us as our individual worlds
exploded.

A blue haze drifted over our vision and I felt him, another mind, soul and
body on the other side of the channel being ripped open between us. Images
and feelings flashed between us as it forced us together and into each
other's minds.

I dimly felt that our physical selves had wrapped themselves around each
other and we were kissing, the flow of energy from him to me had stopped.

I couldn't help the daft thoughts that went through my head. Tien would
never let me hear the end of this; his skin was so warm, so velvety smooth,
his muscles sleek and supple underneath it he was a total stranger, yet he
smelled and tasted like home, like he was mine and I felt myself purr.

I felt even more stupid when I realised he could see and hear my thoughts
and feelings, just as I could see his and I flinched. I felt him flinch as
well, neither of us was used to being this naked but neither of us could
stop the constant flow of thought, feeling and images.

Neither of us stopped the almost feverish kissing or the touching, his own
thoughts weren't helping as almost helplessly we pulled each other to the
ground.

We still clutching at each other as I ripped out the tie holding back his
hair, feeling soft, silky hair fall between us, still kissing him with
reckless abandon. The rain and wind continued to buffet us but neither of
us felt it or the damp grass as we rolled across it.

The heat and hunger kept escalating as his thoughts flashed between us,
he'd watched me, and he wanted me, they dared to try to kill me, his need,
his hunger and inexperience, a confusing, yet inflaming mix.

Images and sensations flashed between us as the lightening kept throwing
them at us, pushing him to the ground and pushing between his legs, him
pushing my pants down, a hand wrapping around my hard cock.

Downy soft pants as I pushed them down trying to get to the heat and
darkness of him. He sucked my fingers, the heat and softness of his mouth,
the swirl of his tongue, his hot fingers rubbing my hard cock, stroking,
precum, his or mine, both, on my cock. Then my wet fingers were touching
him where my dark desire really wanted me to go.

So hot, so tight, somehow I managed to be gentle and ignore his begging as
he pulled at my shoulder, tugged on my cock, trying to make me fuck him.

He was more caught up in this wild ride then I was, but I had to protect
him, he wasn't as used to fucking as I was, in fact I could feel his
inexperience.

But he wouldn't let me wait or protect him, before I realised what he was
doing he was already rolling us over, straddling my lower body and impaling
himself on the head of my cock. I tried to slow him down as I grabbed for
his hips, but he wouldn't let me, forcing more of me into him as he slid
down my cock.

Both of us moaning as I felt his hot, tight insides clutch me as tightly as
his limbs, felt the soft lips running over my face and throat.

Then I was rolling back over feeling him under me and the fucking started
as instinct took over.  It was a far rougher, harder ride then I wanted for
him but there was no stopping the rough wild strokes as I fucked him.

Fear and worry over his strangled little moans and the trembling body under
me, they seemed bad signs but the blue haze let me know he was enjoying the
wild ride I was giving him and had joined in. He encouraged and begged for
more, for me to go faster, as his fingers dug into my shoulders, those long
legs wrapped around me to pull me against him, holding me to him.

The mutual scream as we suddenly came together with almost no warning, our
cocks pulsing so hard it's a pleasure pain as the hot cum explodes out of
us.

Time stalls and we realise we've collapsed zoned out as we drift in and out
of each other, caught on a mix of sexual high and the heady rush of energy
from his healing, the connection between us and the aftermath of a good
fight.

I can hear my team searching for me and somehow they can't find me, despite
Mikasi and Damien's noses, must be some magic of the connection between us.

We look at each other, we need time to sort ourselves out, we are not ready
for this yet or others to know. We separate, the separation almost painful
as it breaks the bond between us.

We fix our clothes and attempt to neaten our hair, hoping our appearance
can be explained by the fight alone, but sex is an obvious scent even Tien
could pick up. I can only hope the rain and wind will wash most of it away
and hide it.

He quickly shifts to gyrfalcon and hides in the trees above us, I can still
feel him through the silver cord now binding us together. Confused and as
bewildered as I am, I haven't a clue what freight train just hit me but a
bad feeling tries to tell me but I push it away, not now, not now, not now.


+ + + + + + +


CHAY


I think I was in deep shock something that was unfamiliar to me. I sat in a
tree shivering inside my falcon staring in confusion at the pouring rain as
I tried to work out what had just happened.

Even inside the body of a falcon my body felt sore and ached in places I
didn't know I had. My brain and heart felt the same and yet I felt my own
smile. I wondered what had possessed me to jump into that fight, I was
still gathering information on Vincent and hadn't been ready to kill him, I
needed to get to his associates and now I couldn't.

Yet witnessing that ambush and seeing the lynx get hurt had triggered some
buried savagery that lived in a dark corner I didn't know I had. Sure I
hunted and killed, but those were skills Sakima and Hawk, my mentors and
guardians, had taught me, experience had honed those skills.

But I rarely killed in a fit of wild rage and wasn't sure what I thought of
such a feral side of me. I had heard of the soulmate principle before and I
knew when they were alive that my parents shared the same bond but I hadn't
been around anyone else who was had a soulmate.

I wasn't sure what I thought about it and yet I did, he was mine, something
in me began to thaw and an empty part deep inside didn't feel so empty or
ache anymore. I felt fear and caution wondering if he was the spotted cat
Sakima had warned me of.

The fact he was my soulmate soothed my frantic thoughts, there was a reason
and a method for my earlier wild madness. I found I could cope with that
and began to gather my tattered will and customary composure.

I had healed him the stray thought nearly drained all my blood into my
talons; I swayed feeling myself pale as a dizzy wave swept through me. I
gripped the branch I was perched on with my talons making sure I didn't
fall out of the tree.

For a moment fear and anger swamped me as my usually calm mind freaked out
on me, I had healed him. I'd just betrayed what I and my guardians had
tried so hard to hide from the Night World.

The Night World Council had a policy of exterminating half-breeds and the
parents of what they saw as abominations. They had managed to get my
parents, but not me, thanks to my uncles who managed to keep us moving, we
never stopped long in one place moving between Canada, Finland, Russia and
England.

Working for the Night World was their idea as they believed hiding me in
full view of the Night World was the pragmatic thing to do as it kept the
enemy close.

While I knew from Liev's memories that he was a Daybreaker and probably
wouldn't betray me, I was still troubled I'd betrayed years of guarding
myself in a rash impulse to help him.

I shivered not sure I liked what I was becoming, now I thought I understood
Sakima's warning better and I still wasn't sure what I thought about having
a soulmate.


+ + + + + + +


"What in the hell happened to you?" Tien demanding voice woke me from a
deep, dark dreamless sleep.

I opened my eyes to find him standing over me a steaming mug coffee in his
hands.

I had only a vague memory of meeting back up with my team, cleaning up and
disposing of the bodies, it appeared the witch got away.

I remember walking back to the house in a state of dazed, disbelieving
shock. The rest of the evening had passed by in a hazy blur that told me
the shock was still my shadow as I performed my role as a guard and member
of Julian's entourage on auto pilot. At some point I must have showered and
fallen into bed, but I didn't remember that, my mind as blank on the
subject of how I'd gotten to bed.

"What no merry met, blessed be?" I taunted him as I indulged in a leisurely
stretch pleased with the slight ache of well used muscles and healed
injuries.

He glared down at me folding his arms across his chest and I felt like a
bastard, I knew he never went in for all that cooing witch preaching I
heard so many witches use.

"Again, what the hell is wrong with you? You're not usually this much of a
cranky bastard." He said accusingly.

"It isn't obvious by looking at me that I got clawed and chewed on?" I
replied with a glare being deliberately sarcastic and dumb as I rolled over
on the bed and sat up not able to stop the nasty attitude.

"I'm not talking about the physical you're already healed from that. Your
aura is different, you were off all night, your body was there but nobody
was home." He persisted.

I ignored him my expression a clear fuck you and fuck off.

"Fuck! Just drink that I can't be fucked putting up with this from you." He
swore at me eyes still burning with his irritation as he slammed the mug of
coffee he'd brought on the bedside table.

He stalked off like an irate storm cloud and pulling the door shut behind
him with a resounding slam. That seemed to be a hidden trigger that set me
off because I was laughing so hard tears were pouring down my face.

I wasn't sure why I found Tien's attitude and bad temper so funny, but I
needed the relief of laughing, releasing the humming tension I was wearing
like a suit. When I'd recovered I drank his tea, feeling I owed him that
much and I again felt like a heel for the way I'd acted towards him.

But I wasn't ready to talk about that fight my mind shied away from what
had happened, I wasn't really surprised that he knew something was
different in me, but I wasn't ready to look too closely let alone talk
about the silver cord binding me to the other, the falcon assassin.

I ignored the quiet, still voice deep inside me that whispered of
soulmates, I wasn't ready to face that or the fact that I'd fucked someone
I classed as an enemy. I didn't even want to acknowledge my own growing
need for him but it insisted on breaking free of my control.

Even Damien and Mikasi picked up something was wrong with me but they'd
both been to loyal and polite to say anything to me about it, not so Tien,
Tien and tact went together as well chalk and cheese.

With effort I managed to push aside my thoughts and got myself shaved,
dressed and food into my hungry stomach. It was time to focus on the game,
Julian's guests were beginning to arrive and I couldn't afford to be
distracted.


+ + + + + + + +


LIEV


[Where's Tien?] Damien silently asked.

I looked around the dining room and couldn't see him as the three of us
were stationed behind Julian at the back of the room. The long room was
large enough that a table sitting 12 stretched along it with room for a
wooden sideboard, us and the other assorted footmen and bodyguards
belonging to Julian's guests.

[I saw him slip out half an hour ago I assumed he went for a piss.] I
replied doing another scan of the room as I kept an eye on each of the 11
guests.

All but three of the 11 guests were male and most were vampires, either
lamia or made vampires. The remaining guests were witches and one was a
black leopard shifter.

I found my eyes lingering on the leopard, judging from the little looks he
kept slanting me and his wandering hands whenever we ended up stuck in the
same room alone, I was pretty sure sooner or later the shifter would try to
get into my bed.

He was black, his skin the colour of bitter dark chocolate and normally I'd
be drawn to his enigmatic dark eyes and smooth dark skin. His head was
shaved to a number two and his full lips, the big muscular body, not to
mention the big cock I'd felt when he'd brushed against me would have me
licking my lips, eager to fuck him.

But something stopped me the fact I wasn't interested should have bothered
me, considering I loved variety in my fucking partners, but I wasn't
bothered.

Soft, silky hair, a sleek muscular body and warm flushed pale skin wrapped
around me seemed branded on my nerves and heart. My body itched to rub
against him, my fingers and cock wanted to feel him and it was an urge that
hounded me around the clock.

I was going crazy from it I knew my bad temper was steadily increasing in
the snappy way of a frustrated horny guy. I knew I was distracted and I
worried that my preoccupation with him could cost me and cause me to make a
big mistake.

My worry seemed to become reality as I let Damien know I was going to look
for Tien and I slipped from the room.  A quick, thorough search of the
ground floor we were in turned up nothing, so I tried the next floor and
still found nothing.

Concerned for Tien I felt my instincts kick in, they weren't happy, letting
me know something terrible had happened to my friend and team member. As I
climbed to the next floor and began searching I felt a presence behind me,
eyes on my back. I was being followed as something dangerous stalked after
me.

I glanced over my shoulder sharp eyes and ears probing every nook and
cranny of the dimly lit hallway I was walking down, I used my nose as
well. I saw nothing, just felt that every hair on me quiver with a warning
that I being stalked.

I wasn't sure what to do keep pressing forward in my search for Tien or
head back the way I'd come looking for my stalker. A scratching, scrabbling
noise from up ahead made the decision for me and I stalked forward,
shoulders stiff with the feel of eyes on me.

I pushed open the door to my right and got a loud startled squeak for my
trouble as two rats froze at the sudden opening of the door, then they were
gone, fleet shadows darting for the dark corners in the room.

I quickly scanned what turned out to be a good sized linen closet and
turned starting to shut the door when a shadow shot out of the hallway. The
force of his lunge threw me up against the shelves as he grabbed for me
with one hand and yanked the door shut with the other

I could see perfectly well in the dark and I had a brief moment where I
could saw his face the ice prince had disappeared out of his expression,
replaced with smoky dark eyes flashing with a mix of anger and lust, wild
hair and ragged breathing. I felt he was angry over the jaguar of all
things and found room to be amused by his jealousy.

Then his lips slammed down on mine as he forced me against the shelves, at
the touch of his lips the lightening zapped us again, burning open the path
between us and throwing us violently into the blue haze of our merging
minds.

I don't remember when I started kissing him back or started clutching at
him with the same reckless hunger he was letting loose on me. I felt my
hands slide under that soft white shirt of his as my fingers sought out his
warm skin and sleek muscle.

I didn't have enough hands as my hands moved around him to slide down the
back of his pants and grab his ass. I moaned feeling the soft muscle under
my fingers, using my grip to pull him tighter against me as I ground my
cock against him.

I heard him echo my moan as his own hands stroked and scratched at me as
his hands pulled open my jacket and ripped my shirt to get at me. His warm
sucking mouth trailed along my jaw and throat, latching onto and finding
the sensitive spots that made me pull him harder against him and grind my
cock against him.

Then he was sliding down my body pulling the slacks of the suit I was
wearing with him and his warm tongue was running up my thigh as he pushed
my legs apart. He licked up my cock swirling his tongue around the head,
teasing me for a moment as he licked back down it and then he was
swallowing my cock.

I moaned as he slowly took more and more of my cock into his mouth and
throat on every tight suck. He used his hands to play with my balls,
stroking my ass and thighs with his free hand.

Already mindless with hunger and the empty need I'd been haunted by, I was
helpless as he sucked on my cock, picking out what I liked from my mind and
not showing his inexperience at all.

I pulled at his shoulders and he finally allowed my cock to slide out of
his mouth as I pulled him up off the floor. I all but ripped his white
pants off and threw him against the door as I pounced on him.

Those same strong, sleekly muscular limbs I remembered so well wrapped
around me, as he pulled me against his warm body I pressed him against the
wall and pushed my cock into him. I felt him grunt and tense as the head
popped through his tight ring of muscles and I buried my mouth against his
throat.

I nipped and sucked on the tender skin there pushing more of my cock into
him as he stayed tense, I felt the pleasure pain I was causing him but I
couldn't stop now, not when I felt the warm tight grip of his ass around
me.

We both moaned at the feel of me buried inside him, I shifted my grip to
his shoulders, using my body weight, the strength in my hands and his own
tight grip on me to keep him pressed against the wall.

Every nerve I possessed sang and hummed as I rubbed myself against him,
pinning him against the door with my hips and cock as I fucked him. Somehow
our shirts rode up so our hard abs were rubbing against each other, I
shifted him higher so my abs would rub against and stroke his cock as I
thrust in and out of him harder, faster.

A whimper rewarded my efforts as the legs wrapped around my hips tightened,
clutching at me as he let me fuck him. But we were both hungry and
desperate, the thoughts and sensations we were experiencing flowing around
us through the blue mist weren't helping and I only managed on more hard
thrust before I was cumming. I muffled my scream in a hard, brutal kiss
that he returned and then he was cumming against me.

Long minutes passed when there was nothing but our harsh, laboured
breathing and the long kisses we couldn't stop exchanging. I shifted back,
withdrawing out of him as he released his death grip on me and I moaned as
he slid down my body.

We pulled away from each other with real reluctance as we used my underwear
to clean ourselves up and fixed our clothing. As soon as our bare skin
wasn't touching the bond between us broke, making us both wince at the
severing pain as the bond between us returned to the silver cord marking
the bond between us.

We avoided eye contract, not sure what to say to each other or how to
handle this thing between us and I opened the door, took three steps out
and felt a crushing, stabbing pain in my chest as I began to fall into
darkness.


+ + + + + + +

LIEV


I came to sprawled flat on my stomach with a splitting headache, a case of
the serious dries and the throbbing ache of bruises.

I managed to force my eyes open and realised I was in an unfamiliar bed, in
an unfamiliar room. I had the uncomfortable feeling that time had passed, I
wasn't sure how much, but I felt it in my lethargic, heavy muscles and the
weakness that throbbed through me.

I felt the heavy sleeping weight and warmth of a naked body sprawled next
to me, an arm and leg lying across me. The smell, flow of blue haze between
us and feel of his skin against mine felt so familiar I relaxed, not even
bothering to summon the energy to roll over and look to know it was him, my
soulmate.

My search of the room brought me to Tien and Damien's concerned gazes as
they both rose from a chairs next to the bed; Damien sat back down as Tien
leaned down to touch my neck and forehead, checking my pulse and
temperature.

I wondered why the hell they were so worried and weary looking, shadows and
fear lined their faces. Tien looked as bruised up and dazed as I felt,
clearly he'd been to war at some point in the evening.

At least you've found Tien and he's okay a mocking inner voice informed
me. Tien offered me a drink of water and I accepted sitting up with his
help to greedily swallow the sweet cool water. My movements woke the body
lying in the bed with me, I felt him scramble up as he ran gentle fingers
over me, checking with touch that I was okay.

Dark dreams and images haunted me, mine and his, giving me the answer to
what the hell had happened. I saw a wraith and a black leopard tearing each
other apart in a feral, vicious fight that left the leopard in a bleeding,
dead heap.

Strong, warm arms scooped me up from the ground cradling me against a hard
chest he carried me in a frantic search for help. Tien appearing from
nowhere looking dazed and bruised a second frantic sprint for this room.

The same fingers currently touching me had pressed against me as energy
flowed between us. I heard a desperate voice pleading with me not to die on
him and finally naked skin pressing against me as he slid into bed with me,
energy flowing more steadily between us, a tuneless hum from the soft lips
pressing into the hollow of my throat conveying a curious mix of freedom,
comfort, and protection.

"Do you know remember?" Tien wanted to know putting the empty glass I
handed him on the bedside table.

"You've been out cold for two days." He advised as he and Damien watched me
with dark worried eyes.

"I remember bits." I admitted shocked at the gritty, raw sound of my own
voice.

 My soulmate ignored us simply wrapping his arms around me in a tight
relieved embrace. I felt his low shiver running through him, as if he was
cold as he buried his face against my neck.

I managed a nod rubbing a soothing hand up and down his back, enjoying
touching him and purring to comfort him as I let him clutch me. Somehow
during the long hours where I lay unconscious and he'd sought to save my
life, the soulmate bond had settled, gentling between us, as we'd settled
into each other and accepted.

There was a long comfortable pause between us all. Tien and I exchanged a
long stare his conveying his relief I was safe and alive, mine an apology
for the harsh words that passed between us when we last met, a demand and
promise for the story of his bruises and disappearance.

There was an even longer measuring look between Damien and I, this adopted
brother of mine and I felt his own wordless relief I was okay.

A cheeky grin spread across his face as he glanced from me to my soulmate.

"Damien owes me 20 quid and you owe me an apology. What'd I tell you? I'm
always right." He commented with smug satisfaction violent eyes as Damien
started to laugh.