Lover Eternal

'I beg your pardon. What kind of question is that?'

Anxiety tightened his hand on her shoulder. 'Have you ever been taken by a male? Answer the question.'

Her lovely voice turned high, frightened. 'Yes. Yes, I've had… a lover.'

Disappointment loosened his grip. But relief was right on its heels.

All things considered, he wasn't sure he needed to meet his destiny this ten minutes.

Besides, even if she wasn't his fate, this human female was extraordinary… something special.

Something he had to have.

Mary took a deep breath as the hold on her throat relaxed.

Be careful what you ask for, she thought, remembering how she'd wanted a man to be enthralled by her.

God, this was so not what she'd expected the experience to be like. She was utterly overwhelmed. By the male body pressing into her. By the promise of sex seeming out of him. By the lethal power he could wield if he decided to squeeze her neck again.

'Tell me where you live,' the man said.

When she didn't answer, he undulated his hips, that massive erection moving, circling, pressing into her stomach.

Mary shut her eyes. And tried not to wonder what it would feel like if he were inside of her while he was doing that.

His head came down and his lips brushed the side of her neck. Nuzzled her. 'Where do you live?'

She felt a soft, moist stroke. God, his tongue. Running up her throat.

'You're going to tell me eventually,' he murmured. 'But take your time. I'm not in a big hurry right now.'

His hips left her briefly, returning as his thigh pushed between her legs and brushed against her core. The hand at the base of her neck swept down to her sternum, coming to rest between her breasts.

'Your heart is beating fast, Mary.'

'Th-that's because I'm frightened.'

'Fear isn't the only thing you're feeling. Why don't you check out what your hands are up to?'

Shoot. They were high on his biceps. And they were gripping him, pulling him closer. Her nails were digging into his skin.

When she let go of him, he frowned. 'I like the way that feels. Don't stop.'

The door opened behind them.

'Mary? Are you oka—Oh… my God.' Bella's words trailed off.

Mary braced herself as the man twisted his torso and looked at Bella. His eyes squinted, flicked up and down, and then came back to Mary.

'Your friend's worried about you,' he said softly. 'You can tell her she shouldn't be.'

Mary tried to get loose and wasn't surprised when he mastered the jerky movements easily.

'I have an idea,' she muttered. 'Why don't you let me go, and then I won't have to reassure her?'

A dry male voice cut through the hall. 'Rhage, that female wasn't brought here for your pleasure, and this isn't One Eye, my brother. No sex in the hall.'

Mary tried to turn her head, but the hand between her breasts slid up her throat and took her chin, stopping her. Teal blue eyes bored into hers.

'I'm going to ignore them both. If you do the same, we can make them disappear.'

'Rhage, let her go.' A sharp torrent of words followed, spoken in a language she didn't understand.

While the tirade went on, the blond's brilliant gaze stayed on her, his thumb running gently back and forth along her jaw. He was lazy, affectionate, but when he replied to the other man, his voice was hard and aggressive, as powerful as his body. Another series of words came back, this time less combative. Like the other guy was trying to reason with him.

Abruptly the blond let her go and stepped back. The absence of his warm, heavy body was a curious shock.

'See you later, Mary.' He brushed her cheek with his forefinger and then turned from her.

Feeling weak in the knees, she sagged against the wall as he staggered away, steadying himself by throwing his arm out to the side.

God, when he'd had her at his mercy, she'd forgotten he was ill.

'Where's the boy?' the other male voice demanded.

Mary looked to her left. The guy was big and dressed in black leather, with a military haircut and a shrewd pair of navy-blue eyes.

A soldier, she thought, somehow put at ease by him.

'The boy?' he prompted.

'John's in there,' Bella replied.

'Then let's get to it.'

The man opened the door and leaned against it so she and Bella had to squeeze past him. He paid no attention to them as they went by, but stared at John instead. John looked right back at him, eyes narrowed as if he were trying to place the soldier.

When they were all sitting at the table, the man nodded to Bella. 'You were the one who called.'

'Yes. And this is Mary Luce. And John. John Matthew.'

'I'm Tohrment.' He refocused on John. 'How you doing, son?'

John signed, and Mary had to clear her throat before translating. 'He says, 'Fine, sir. How are you? »

'I'm all right.' The man smiled a little and then glanced at Bella. 'I want you to wait in the hall. I'll talk to you after I speak with him.'

Bella hesitated.

'That isn't a request,' he said in a level voice.

After Bella left, the guy turned his chair toward John, leaned back in it, and kicked his long legs out. 'So tell me, son, where did you grow up?'

John moved his hands, and Mary said, 'Here in town. First in an orphanage, then with a couple sets of foster parents.'

'You know anything about your mom or dad?'

John shook his head.

'Bella told me you had a bracelet with some designs on it. Would you show it to me?'

John pulled up his sleeve and extended his arm. The man's hand engulfed the boy's wrist.

'That's real nice, son. You make it?'

John nodded.

'And where'd you get the idea for the design?'

John extracted himself from the soldier's grip and started to sign. When he stopped, Mary said, 'He dreams of the pattern.'

'Yeah? Mind if I ask what your dreams are like?' The man returned to his casual pose in the chair, but his eyes were narrow.

Screw martial-arts training, Mary thought. This wasn't about some karate lessons. This was an interrogation.

As John hesitated, she wanted to grab the kid and march out, but she had a feeling the boy would fight her. He was utterly absorbed by the man, intense and intent.

'It's all right, son. Whatever it is, it's okay.'

John lifted his hands, and Mary spoke as he signed.

'Er… he's in a dark place. Kneeling in front of an altar. Behind it, he sees writing on the wall, hundreds of lines of writing in black stone—John, wait, slow down. I can't translate when you go so fast.' Mary concentrated on the boy's hands. 'He says in the dream he keeps going over and touching a strip of writing that looks like this.'

The man frowned.

When John looked down, as if embarrassed, the soldier said, 'Don't you worry, son, we're cool. Is there