
Table of Contents
Title Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Author Bio
Fiery Temptation
Angels of Rock: Book Two
Marisa Chenery
Published: 2011
ISBN: 978-1-936950-45-4
Published by Summerhouse Publishing. Copyright, Marisa Chenery. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.
Summerhouse Publishing
http://summerhousepublishing.com
publisher@summerhousepublishing.com
Editor
Craig Kim
Cover Artist
Mina Carter
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.
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Neve pulled into the parking lot of the Calico Early Man site and parked her late model Chevy Aveo. She ran her fingers through her hair to make sure it wasn't sticking up in any odd angles. Satisfied she didn't look completely unkempt, she got out of the car and headed toward the small project building. In between jobs, she'd come today to see if there were any openings for a technician. She'd always had a fascination with fossils and early man finds. And given that it was only a fifteen mile drive from Barstow, California---where she lived---to the site, it was relatively close by.
Stepping into the building, Neve found a group of people waiting for a tour to begin. She'd taken it several times, enjoying the fact that those who took it were given the chance to do some excavating at a dig site. It didn't take her long to spot the volunteer tour guide who stood across the room.
She crossed over to him and returned the smile he gave her. "Hi," she said. "I don't know if you're the right person to ask, but I wondered if there were any positions available at the dig site for a technician."
The older man shook his head. "Sorry to say, there aren't any. But we do have a volunteer dig coming up in the next couple of months."
Neve felt her spirits sink, but to be honest, she really hadn't had high hopes of a position being available. The site was mostly run with volunteers, or Friends of Calico Early Man, as they were called.
"Thanks, anyway," she said.
The man nodded, then added, "If you're interested, I'll be starting a tour in about five minutes. You're welcome to join the group."
Neve nodded. She was already out here and it wasn't as if she had anything else she had to do. "I think I will."
She headed over to the till where visitors could purchase souvenirs to pay the five dollar admission. That done, Neve joined the waiting group. Shortly after, as promised, the tour guide led them out of the building and onto the path that would take them to the main dig site.
As they walked the dirt and gravel path, Neve was thankful she'd worn her running shoes instead of sandals. The only thing she wished she'd brought was a hat to protect her from the hot sun. The site sat in the Mojave Desert with not much shade to speak of. At least, she had on a loose-fitting, short-sleeved blouse and jeans.
While the tour guide discussed the fossils and early man tools that had been found at the site, Neve looked up at the sky. Of course there wasn't a cloud to be seen. Something suddenly caught her eye. She blinked, then it was gone. She scanned the sky, telling herself she hadn't really seen what she thought she saw. There was no way in hell a winged man actually flew high above her. It had to be a trick of the eye, or the sun was getting to her more than she'd thought.
Neve continued walking, but slowed enough for her to be at the very back of the group. It had to be her eyes playing tricks on her, something they seemed to do at times. She'd lost count of the number of times she'd caught something out of the corner of her eye, only to see nothing there when she turned her gaze fully on the spot.
Still thinking about what she'd thought she saw, Neve looked up at the sky once more, using her hand to shade her eyes. Damn, did she just see a winged man again? She squinted, but once again there was nothing there.
Neve shook her head, her steps becoming even slower. Crap, she was going to do it. She had to go see if there really was something truly there. The second time she'd thought she'd seen him, the winged man seemed to be coming in for a landing past the main dig site, farther out in the desert. Even though she knew she was being ridiculous to think he was actually real, Neve had to see if she could find him. If she didn't, it would drive her nuts thinking about it. Sometimes she was stupid that way.
As the tour group went to the main dig site, Neve slipped away unnoticed, heading into the desert. She was sure this little jaunt would end with her being a bit sunburned---with her fair skin it was inevitable---but she didn't mind if it meant preserving her sanity.
Going over a small hill and rounding a corner, she just about jumped out of her skin when a man stepped out from behind a large Joshua tree. With his back toward her, Neve noted he had no wings, not that she expected to see any. As if he'd finally felt her presence, he turned her way, and she forgot about the supposed winged man along with everything else as she gazed at his face.
A pair of light green eyes stared back at her. She ran her gaze over his longish dark brown hair and oh so familiar face. Neve couldn't believe she stood about twenty feet away from Jalen, the guitarist from the band Soar. Any red-blooded woman knew who they were. The five band members were more than drool worthy. Plus, Soar happened to be one of Neve's favorite groups. What were the odds of actually meeting one of the band members out here in the Mojave Desert? Probably a million to one.
He stepped toward her and she swallowed to alleviate her suddenly dry throat. Jalen's gaze didn't seem to leave her face as he slowly walked toward her. What did one say to a famous rock star, anyway?
\*
Jalen had flown from San Bernardino, where he and his band mates lived, to Barstow, then onto the desert, needing the much needed sense of freedom that flight gave him. After a year on the road touring, the band was pretty much doing their own thing these days.
Even though the band members didn't stay in the same house, Jalen lived nearby Gannon, Keiran, Malik and Trae. Being what they thought were the last of their kind---the Alte---they had stayed close for the last thousand years.
And another had recently been added to their small group---Arwen, Gannon's mate. Having been alone with no long-standing relationships with the human females around them, it had been a bit of a surprise when Gannon had shown so much interest in Arwen. It had taken a bit of adjustment to add her to their lives. She was the first human they'd revealed their true nature to, but she wasn't exactly what she once was, anymore.
A short time after Gannon had met Arwen, they'd found out one other Alte had survived the illness that had swept through their people, wiping their race off the face of the earth. Even though he, along with Gannon, Keiran, Malik and Trae, had contracted the same illness, they had somehow survived, but not without being irrevocably changed. No longer mortal as their race had been, they'd been alive for well over a thousand years. The sickness had also changed their eye color to bright silver. Their senses had become heightened and they found they could manipulate the elements. They'd also realized they had the ability to hide what they truly were, to enable them to walk among humans. They could will their black wings away, making them appear as a large tattoo on their backs. They could also change their eye color back to what it had once been.
And to Vance, the other Alte who had survived, it had been a crushing blow to learn he'd been the one to cause the illness that had taken their people. Wanting to be the only of his kind, so humans would continue to worship him like a god, Vance had turned to black magic.
They'd learned firsthand how Vance had spread the illness, when he'd infected Arwen with it by brushing a powdery substance from his wings onto her skin. Only Gannon drawing almost all of Arwen's life energy into himself, then giving her some of his, had saved her. After her escape from near death, her eyes were changed to silver and she was as immortal as they were.
Jalen soared over the desert, looking for a place to land. Able to bend light around him to make him appear invisible, he had no worries about any nearby humans seeing him. Flying over the early man site, he found the spot a little farther out in the desert.
He landed near a large Joshua tree and willed his wings away before he slipped on the t-shirt he'd tucked into the waistband of his jeans. He drew in a deep breath of the hot, dusty air. It smelled like home. The Mojave Desert had been the territory of the Alte. Jalen found himself returning to the area of his birth more often than not.
Stepping away from the tree, he heard a small intake of breath behind him. If his hearing weren't so keen, he never would have picked up on the quiet sound. He turned and found a woman standing about twenty feet away from him. He couldn't take his gaze off her. It wasn't too hard for him to filter her scent out of the air. With each breath he took, it seemed to intoxicate him, causing him to focus completely on her.
Running his gaze over her, he burned to memory her shoulder-length dark auburn hair. In the sun, it was shot through with fiery-red highlights. He found her more than pretty with her small nose and kissable lips. Meeting her brown-eyed stare, his cock went rock-hard. Without really thinking about it, he sent out his senses to learn her energy mark, something all humans gave off and that he could read. With it, he'd now be able to focus on it and find her wherever she happened to be.
As he slowly walked toward her, the wind blew harder in his face, bringing more of her scent his way. He took a deep breath through his nose. His erection twitched inside his pants. The woman's scent now carried the unmistakable odor of her arousal. He longed to pull her into his arms and claim her as his own. To sink his cock deep inside her pussy and ride her until they both cried out with their release.
Jalen came to a standstill when he was close enough to touch her, but he managed to restrain himself. She looked at him with recognition showing on her face as she opened and closed her mouth a few times.
"Hi...hi," she finally stammered.
"Hi," he replied back.
"Oh my god, you're Jalen."
He smiled. "I take it you're a fan of Soar?"
She nodded. "Your band is one of my favorites. What are you doing out here?"
"Enjoying the desert air. What's your name?"
"Neve."
"And what are you doing here, Neve?" he asked as he took a half step closer.
She swallowed as the scent of her arousal increased. "I was over at the early man site. On one of the tours, but I thought I a saw flying ma...I thought I saw something and came out to investigate."
Jalen stiffened. There was no way Neve could have seen him flying. She couldn't have. With the light bent around him, no human eye would be able to detect him.
"Did you find this something you were looking for?" he asked cautiously.
Neve blushed. "No. Not that I thought I would. It had to be my eyes playing tricks on me. The only thing I found was you."
He felt his muscles relax. Obviously, Neve hadn't made the connection, even if she had truly seen him in flight. He gave her a half smile. "Was finding me a good or bad thing?"
"I'd definitely have to say it's good." Neve paused for a second, then said, "I'd ask you for your autograph, but I don't have any paper or a pen on me right now."
"Neither do I. How about I do one better? Let me take you out for supper. We could catch a movie afterward as well."
She blinked. "You're asking me out? As in a real date?"
He chuckled. "I believe I am." Jalen stepped closer so the toes of their shoes met and looked into her eyes. "I'm finding I want to get to know you better and I think we'd have a good time."
"Umm...well..."
"Unless tonight isn't a good night for you."
"No, it isn't that."
"You have a boyfriend."
He'd just assumed she was single. The idea of Neve already having a man in her life didn't sit well with Jalen. He wanted her for himself. For the first time, he was drawn to a human woman, had become instantly intrigued with her. She also made him horny as all hell.
Neve shook her head. "No, I don't have a boyfriend."
Jalen breathed a silent sigh of relief. "Then what's stopping you from saying yes?"
She looked down at her feet, then back up at his face. "You're you."
"So?"
"You're going to make me say this out loud, aren't you? What I mean is you're famous. While I'm a nobody from Barstow, who is unemployed with no prospects in sight. The only time I thought I'd be asked out by a rock star was in one of my daydreams."
Jalen reached out and captured Neve's hand. He placed her palm flat on his chest over his heart. "Do I feel any different from any other man?" She shook her head. "Just because I'm a rock star doesn't make me less of one. I can be attracted to an unemployed woman from Barstow like any other male."
He kept her hand pressed to his chest as he bent his head and brushed his lips against hers. Her quick indrawn breath, followed by a soft sigh, was all the encouragement he needed to fully take her mouth. Jalen pushed his tongue inside and brushed it against hers. The taste of her went to his head, making him ache for more of her. She kissed him back, and just like that, his common sense left him.
His hands dropped to her waist and he pulled her body closer, rubbing his erection against her belly. He kissed her deeper, their tongues twining. He took her mouth as if she were the only thing he needed to survive. Neve's hands came up and threaded into the sides of his hair, pulling slightly on the strands, while she just as hungrily claimed his lips.
The distinctive screech of a Red-tailed Hawk broke the haze of intense desire that had taken Jalen over. With a sigh of regret, he lifted his head but kept his hands on Neve's waist. He looked at her to find her eyes closed, her lips swollen from his kisses. The sight made him want to take them again, but he resisted.
A few seconds later, she opened them and met his gaze. "After that," she said softly, "I guess I would be crazy to turn you down."
"So I take it I proved I'm still just a man," he said in a gruff voice. He rubbed his still hard cock against her.
Neve moaned softly. "Without question."
"So when and where shall I pick you up?"
"I guess around seven and at my apartment."
She told him her address, which he quickly memorized. He took his cell phone out of his front jeans pocket. "You'd better give me your phone number as well." Jalen entered it into his address book as Neve gave him the digits, then put it away. "I'll see you at seven tonight."
Jalen gave Neve one last kiss, making sure it was nothing more than a quick meeting of the lips before he let her go and took a step back. Anything more and he'd have her flat on her back on the ground as he did what he so very much wanted to do to her.
"Oh, okay. I guess I should go back and join up with the tour group. Unless you want me to walk to your car with you? It's probably parked at the early man site, right?"
"Actually, it isn't." He didn't elaborate more. "You go ahead." Jalen slowly backed up. "I'm looking forward to our date."
She gave him a smile. "So am I. See you tonight."
Jalen continued to walk backward as Neve turned and headed in the direction of the dig site. Once she turned the corner, he bent the light around him and stripped off his t-shirt. He securely tucked it into the waistband of his jeans before he manifested his wings. He stretched them out to their full, almost six-foot width. With a powerful jump straight up, he took flight, using his wings to take him higher off the ground.
Reaching a high enough altitude, Jalen leveled out and flew in the direction Neve had gone. He spotted her down below as she arrived where a group of humans stood. Reluctantly, he flapped his wings harder to pick up speed as he flew away from the early man site. He would have liked to spend the rest of the afternoon with Neve, but he had to return home. If he were to pick her up at seven, he had to make sure he had enough time to make the over an hour's trip it would take for him to drive from his home in San Bernardino back to Barstow. Flying was ever so much quicker.
It had taken forty-five minutes for the tour to finally end. Once it did, Neve headed straight to her car in the parking lot. It didn't take her long to get it started and out onto Interstate 15. As she drove, she kept replaying the short time spent with Jalen in her head.
Neve's cheeks heated with the thought of how he'd kissed her. Her nipples pebbled beneath her blouse and an ache throbbed deep inside her pussy just thinking about it. She couldn't hold back the teenage-sounding giggle that bubbled out of her. Holy crap, she'd actually kissed Jalen, the Jalen. And she had a date with him.
That was still hard to believe. Never would she have thought she'd ever meet him, let alone get to spend an evening with him. It was an ultimate fantasy come to life. She hated to admit how many hours she'd spent surfing the internet, staring at pictures of all the members of Soar, especially Jalen. Watching him play his guitar in their music videos, she'd always wondered what it would feel like to have his hands touching her in intimate places. Judging by the kiss he'd given her, she had high hopes of being able to find out.
Neve arrived at the small townhouse she split with her best friend, Kara, and parked in the driveway. She rushed through the front door and called out to her friend who answered, saying she was upstairs in the living room.
Taking the flight of stairs up to the next level, Neve went to join Kara. They'd been friends since meeting on the first day of school in the ninth grade. Back then, Neve had been a gangly thirteen-year-old with braces. It hadn't taken long for the mean girls to single her out, but Kara had rescued her and they'd been tight all through the rest of high school to the present.
As Neve gained the top of the stairs leading to the living room, Kara looked up from the book she'd been reading, one of her many romance novels she loved so much. Her friend sat on the couch with her legs curled under her.
"So?" Kara asked. "How did it go at the early man site?"
Neve shook her head. "No deal. They don't have any positions open, so I ended up going on one of their tours instead."
Kara chuckled. "Again? I thought you'd be bored with it. You've only gone on what, two of them before?"
"Three. You know I like it there."
"Yeah. You love your old rocks and artifacts. I guess if you did the tour, the trip wasn't a total waste of time."
Neve smiled. "No, it sure wasn't."
Kara gave her a quizzical look and closed her book around her finger to keep her place. "All right, what's up? For someone who found out her dream job isn't available, you look awfully excited about something. You're beaming."
Joining her friend on the couch, Neve turned sideways so she faced her. "You'll never guess who I met there." When Kara didn't say anything, Neve asked, "Aren't you going to guess?"
Kara rolled her eyes. "You just said I'd never be able to guess who it was. So what's the point?"
"Come on, Kara, just play along, all right?"
"Fine. You met up with that cute guy we saw at the grocery store the other day."
"Nope. Someone even better than him."
"I don't know. Our grade twelve Science teacher, Mr. Harris?"
Neve scowled. "Why would I be excited about seeing him?"
"Oh, come one. All the girls had a crush on him. He was young and good-looking. I believe you were crushing on him for a time."
"Maybe I did, but it didn't last very long. And no, it wasn't Mr. Harris."
"Then at least give me a clue, or we'll be sitting here for the rest of the day not getting anywhere."
Neve jumped off the couch and crossed over to the entertainment stand that was up against the far wall. Next to the stereo system was a rack full of CDs. She skimmed down it until she found the one she looked for, then sat next to Kara again.
She held it out to her friend. "Here's your clue."
Kara took it and looked down at the Soar CD she held, then back up at Neve. "Okay, I don't get it. What does Soar's latest CD have to do with the person you met?"
It was Neve's turn to roll her eyes. "Just look at it. Who do you see on the cover?"
"The members of Soar."
"Exactly."
Kara's brow furrowed. "Exactly what? You've still lost me, Neve."
"All right, I'll make this easy so you can follow along. The person I met is on the cover."
"You met one of the members of Soar?"
Neve smiled. "I sure did."
"You're shitting me."
"No, I really did."
"Which one?"
She pointed at Jalen. "Him."
Kara whistled. "You lucky bitch. Is he hotter in person?"
"Much hotter." Neve waved a hand in front of her face as she recalled Jalen's kisses. "And it gets even better. He asked me out on a date." She then yelped as Kara punched her in the arm. "What the hell was that for?"
Her friend shook a finger at her. "That's for feeding me a line of bullshit. There is no way you have a date with Jalen."
Neve rubbed her abused arm. "It's true. He's coming here at seven to pick me up. He's taking me out to dinner and maybe a movie afterward. And what do you mean by there's no way I could have a date with him?"
"I guess I'll have to make sure I'm here at seven in that case, to see for myself," Kara said. "I don't mean you're not pretty enough to attract a rock star, because I think you are, it's just you don't hear of girls like us getting the hot, famous men."
"Well, this girl did."
Kara shook her head. "I'm still finding it hard to believe. But I'll take your word for it."
Neve snorted. "No, you won't. I don't think you'll truly believe me until Jalen actually shows up at the door."
Her friend chuckled. "You know me too well. I'll reserve judgment until seven o'clock then."
"He'll be here."
Kara put the CD on the coffee table in front of them. "Okay, a change in subject. Since the early man site didn't pan out, what are you going to do about a job?"
Neve sighed. "I guess I have to see what's out there." She had enough money saved to live off of and pay her share of the rent for a couple of months, max.
"How about you come to work with me tomorrow and I'll introduce you to my boss. I know he's hinted about hiring someone to work the front of the house instead of doing it himself. You'd just be greeting people as they come in and seating them. Answer the phone and take reservations, that sort of thing."
She gnawed on her bottom lip. Kara worked as a waitress at the local upscale Italian restaurant. The place was small, but had made a name for itself as having great food. Neve had never wanted a job in that line of work---and wasn't sure she wanted to now.
"I'm not sure," she said. "I don't know if I'm cut out to be a hostess."
"You'd be great at it. Plus, Matty's place isn't so big that you'll have a huge crush to worry about during the high peak times." Kara shifted closer and put her arm around Neve's shoulders. "Just think---we'll be working together then."
Neve laughed. "Do really think it's a good idea, since we already live together? You'll get sick of seeing me all the time."
"No way. That won't happen. Just come and talk to Matty tomorrow. If you don't want the job after that, then I won't push. Do it for me."
She couldn't miss the puppy-dog eyes Kara turned her way. Neve had to chuckle. "I hate when you do that, stare at me with that look. I have a hard time saying no to it."
"Then you'll do it, you'll talk to Matty?"
"Fine, I will, but I'm not guaranteeing anything. You know I'm not much of a people person."
Kara gave her shoulder a squeeze before she let Neve go. "You might not be, but you're definitely overqualified for the job. It would be a breeze for you. Now that that's settled, how about we go upstairs and look for something for you to wear on your hot date tonight?"
Neve glanced at the clock on the TV's digital receiver. "It's not quite five yet. I have lots of time."
"There is nothing wrong with being prepared well in advance." Kara stuck her bookmark inside her book and put it on the coffee table next to the CD. She stood and held her hand out to Neve. "Let's go. You have a rock star to impress."
She let her friend pull her up onto her feet, then followed her upstairs to her bedroom. With Kara in charge, Neve would have her clothes picked out and her makeup done to perfection.
\*
At quarter to seven, Neve was dressed and all ready to go on her date with Jalen. She wore black skinny jeans with black high-heeled sandals. A tighter, dusty-rose short-sleeved blouse replaced the one she'd had on earlier. Her hair had been brushed until it shone and her makeup had been artfully applied, but not too much that she looked as if she'd layered it on. After a few squirts of her favorite perfume, Kara had declared her acceptable.
She gave Neve's hair one last fluff, then stepped back to admire her handiwork. "I really hope Jalen shows up after all the work we went through."
"How many times do I have to tell you he'll be here? I wasn't making him up."
"Like I said, I'm waiting until seven rolls around."
They headed downstairs to the living room to wait. Kara turned on the TV and flipped through the channels. Neve sat on the couch, feeling a case of the nerves. What if Jalen didn't show up? Kara would think she lied to her. And it wasn't as if she could call him to see what was going on if he were late. Jalen had her cell phone number, but she'd stupidly forgotten to ask for his.
The closer the time came to seven o'clock the more butterflies she had in her stomach. Neve found herself counting the minutes. And when the appointed time arrived and the doorbell didn't ring, her confidence of Jalen showing up slipped a little. A minute went by and then another. She looked at Kara from the corner of her eye. Her friend sat, looking as if she were enthralled with what she had on the TV, but Neve knew better. Kara watched the clock the same as she did.
At five minutes after seven, the doorbell finally rang. Neve shot up off the couch, but Kara was faster. She raced past Neve and bounded down the stairs to the front door. Neve cursed her high heels, which slowed her down considerably.
She'd just started down the steps when she heard Kara let out a high-pitched squeal. Neve's heart pounded. There could only be one reason why her friend would make that noise---Jalen had to have arrived.
Kara hurried down the rest of the way as fast as she could, her gaze landing on the tall man who stood in the entrance hallway looking up at her. He didn't seem to be paying any attention to Kara who stood near him, practically bouncing in place.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Neve crossed the short distance to Jalen. "You came."
He nodded. "Sorry I'm a bit late. I took a wrong turn and had to backtrack a bit."
Neve turned to look at Kara. "See, I told you." At Jalen's questioning look, she added, "Kara thought I'd made up our date."
He gave her a smile that made her breath catch. "We can't have that." Jalen then shifted in Kara's direction. "As you can see, I'm not a figment of Neve's imagination."
Her friend nodded, her gaze glued to Jalen's face. "Oh my god, oh my god, you're actually standing in my house." Kara let out a small shriek with her hand over her mouth. Once she seemed to get herself back under control, she removed it, and said, "I'm sorry. I'm not normally such a girl, but I can't seem to stop it. Can I have your autograph?"
Not wanting her date to get sidetracked, Neve interrupted. "We really should get going."
Jalen nodded. "Just one quick signature, then we'll go."
Kara spun on her heel and raced up the stairs. Neve heard her friend slamming kitchen drawers as she looked for something to write on. Less than a minute later, Kara raced back to them. She held out the items she'd collected to Jalen. He took them and hastily wrote something before he handed it all back. Her friend looked at what he had written and smiled so large Neve thought her face would split in two.
Ushering Jalen out the door, Neve gave Kara a little wave before stepping outside. As she walked beside Jalen to the driveway, she ran her gaze over the sporty, black Infiniti G coupe parked behind her car, making it look like a piece of crap. He guided her around to the passenger side and opened the door for her. She slipped onto the red leather seat and put on her seatbelt as he closed her inside. He then walked around the back end to get into the driver's side.
"Where would you like eat?" Jalen asked as he put the key in the ignition.
"What do you want? There are a few Mexican restaurants around here as well as Asian and a couple of Italian."
"I could go for Italian, preferably a place that isn't too big."
Neve could guess why Jalen wanted that. The bigger the restaurant the more people and the greater the chance of him being recognized. To be honest, she would much rather have Jalen to herself without having to deal with autograph seekers.
"Actually, one of the Italian restaurants has exactly what you want," she said.
"Then Italian it is."
After Jalen backed out of the driveway, Neve gave him directions to the restaurant. It was where Kara worked. Given its small size, she didn't think they'd be bothered too much. And it would give her a chance to really look at the place, so she could decide whether or not she really wanted to work there.
It wasn't a very long drive before they were pulling into the parking lot of Matteo's Italian Bistro. There were more than a couple of cars already there, suggesting it wasn't completely empty. Jalen parked in one of the available spots and shut off the car.
Neve got out as he opened his car door. She waited for Jalen to join her before they walked to the restaurant's entrance. A podium-type piece stood just inside, with a sign on it saying to please wait to be seated. Jalen and Neve didn't have too long before a man in his mid-forties came to greet them. This had to be Matty, Kara's boss. He smiled at them, did a double take at Jalen, but said nothing more than for them to follow him to a table.
Once they were seated and left alone with their menus, Neve had a hard time keeping her gaze off of Jalen. She was really sitting across from him. She felt a bit of a fan girl moment creeping up on her, but pushed it back. He didn't need her going all giggly and stupid on him. He more than likely got a lot of that from other fans. She tore her gaze off Jalen and focused on the menu in front of her.
It took her all of a minute to pick out what she wanted to order. Neve lifted her head to find Jalen still reading his. To keep from staring at him, she looked around the restaurant. It had been done in dark wood furnishings and trim. The walls had been painted a pale beige. The carpeting was a deep, rich red. She spotted Matty talking to some customers at another table. He laughed at something that had been said to him. According to Kara, he was a great boss and treated his employees really well. Neve still wasn't sure she wanted to work here.
"You look lost in thought," Jalen said.
She turned her attention back to him. "Sorry," she said with a small smile, "Kara works here as a waitress. She's trying to convince me to come and apply for the hostess position."
"You don't sound as if you're too thrilled about it."
She shrugged. "I never really had the urge to work in a restaurant. But beggars can't be choosers, right?"
"If you won't enjoy doing the job, don't do it. Or just do it for a little while until something better comes along."
Neve chuckled. "So says the man who has one of the best jobs in the world. Not everyone gets to work at their dream job. I was already turned down by mine today."
Jalen's brow furrowed. "The early man site?"
"Yeah. I'd love to work there, but they aren't hiring at the moment."
He grinned. "So you like to dig in the dirt, do you?"
She felt her cheeks flush. "Maybe. I've always been interested in fossils and old things in general."
"Old things, you say. How old?"
"Older the better. Like really ancient times."
Jalen gave her a smile as if he were pleased by something. Their conversation ended when the waiter came and took their order. After he left, Neve met Jalen's gaze to find him staring at her as if she were the only person in the room. She couldn't for the life of her look away. Her heart beat faster as her blood heated. Under the table, she squeezed her legs together to try to alleviate the ache inside her pussy. Jalen reached across the table and took her hand. The simple contact had her biting back a moan. Her nipples grew taut beneath her blouse. As he stroked his thumb across the inside of her wrist, wetness pooled between her legs. Jalen's gaze became hungry looking, as if he wanted nothing more than to pull her across the table and devour her completely.
The spell that came over them broke when the waiter returned with their drinks---hers a glass of white wine while Jalen's was a beer. After she thanked the man, she tried to cool her body down by taking a sip of her drink. It only seemed to marginally help, not really doing anything to stop the arousal that still thrummed through her. She found herself suddenly hungrier for Jalen than the meal she'd ordered.
The food finally arrived and Jalen fought the urge to shovel it as fast as he could into his mouth, just so he could get the meal over with quickly. Sitting across the table from Neve, smelling her arousal, unable to touch her the way he wanted, was pure torture. His first glimpse of her walking down the stairs toward him at her place, seeing how her long, slim legs were encased in tight-fitting jeans, he'd almost forgotten Kara had been there. He'd barely stopped himself from reaching for Neve and pulling her to him, in order to greet her properly with a long, hot kiss that would've lead to both of them being naked.
What drew him to her as no other human woman had been able to do before? Jalen didn't know. It wasn't just one thing about Neve that attracted him. It was the entire package. The more time he spent talking to her, the more he wanted her. He could be himself, feel relaxed around her. Not to mention just breathing the same air as her turned him the hell on.
Then there was the little nugget of possibility. After he'd flown home, he'd called Gannon. There was something about his first meeting with Neve that reminded him of how Gannon had described the way he'd felt when he'd first spotted Arwen in the crowd, during the second to last concert on their tour. Jalen hadn't been surprised to have his suspicions confirmed. His being so drawn to Neve, then needing to memorize her energy mark, was the same thing that had happened to Gannon. Once his band mate had heard Jalen had done the same, Gannon had said the one thing Jalen had already thought of---Neve could possibly be his mate.
Not that Jalen fully thought she was, but he couldn't totally discount it, either. Over his very long life, he'd been with a number of mortal women. None of them affected him the way Neve did. Looking at her across the table as she ate, he wanted to gather her close, manifest his wings and fly her to some remote place, so he could make love to her without disturbances. And not as he appeared now, with his eyes and wings hidden. He wanted to make love to her as an Alte, as he truly looked. No other woman had brought that urge out of him in the past. Just Neve.
Once they finished their meals, Jalen signaled the server over for their bill. As they waited, he asked, "You still interested in catching a movie?" He pulled out his cell phone to check the time, then put it back in his jeans pocket. "We should be able to get there just as one starts."
Neve nodded. "I'm game."
After the waiter dropped off the bill, Jalen paid it and ushered Neve out of the restaurant. He drove toward Main Street where the only movie theatre in Barstow was located. He found a place to park, not too far from it and steered into the space before anyone else could take it.
Out of the car, he came around to Neve's side and took her hand, linking their fingers together. As they walked toward the theatre, Jalen liked the fact she was on the tall side for a woman. He guessed her to be around five-foot-seven without her heels. She was the perfect height to tuck her head under his chin as he held her in his arms.
At the movies, he let go of Neve's hand and held open the door for her. In the lobby, they stood looking at which theatres played what. As he'd guessed, two of the movies were about to start.
"What would you like to see?" he asked.
"Hmm, there are a couple of them I've wanted to see, but I'm not sure about the one. It comes across as a bit of a horror flick and I'm not into those. They scare the crap out of me."
Jalen smiled. "Then we'll pass on it. And the other?"
"It's the newest comic book character turned live action film. I have to admit, I love those types of movies, not that I'm a huge fan or anything."
"I've actually thought that one looked good as well. We'd better hurry and get our tickets, since it's about to start."
He went up to the cashier to pay and told her which feature he wanted two tickets for while he looked up at the board on the wall above her that listed all the movies playing. Met with only silence, he looked at the woman, a young one, to find her staring at him with her mouth hanging open. Jalen groaned to himself. He knew what would come next.
"You're Jalen," she practically yelled. "From Soar. I can't believe it."
Jalen looked around, noting all the heads that had turned their way. More than a few people talked excitedly with whomever they were with. This did not bode well. If he weren't careful, he'd be swamped by fans wanting autographs, or have their photo taken with him. Even now he saw cell phones coming out and pictures being snapped of him.
"Yeah, it's me," he said to the woman. "I'd like two tickets for theatre number three."
The hope that she'd just give them to him and let them go on his way died a quick death when she reached across the counter and grabbed his forearm, clutching tightly.
"Oh my god, I'm touching Jalen," she said, her voice still overly loud.
"The tickets," he replied, trying to encourage her.
But it didn't have the desired effect. A small crowd had gathered around him and Neve. Jalen tried to shake off the woman's hold, but she tenaciously held on. He shook harder, just short of possibly hurting her. She didn't budge. He glanced over at Neve to find her watching the people around them coming even closer. Shit. He assumed she wasn't used to this as he was. He should have known better than to come to such a public place, but with Barstow not being a large city, by any means, he'd hoped he could do something normal with Neve, without this happening. Obviously, he'd been wrong.
Jalen turned back to the woman at the counter. He was about to peel her fingers off his arm when Neve stepped closer to his side and yanked the woman's hand away. She then turned him so he faced her and placed his arms around her waist. Her hands sank into his hair and brought his lips down to hers. A jolt of intense desire surged through him as she kissed him, stroking her tongue along his lips until he opened to allow her entrance.
The rest of the world seemed to fall away as he sucked on her tongue, a low moan pushing out of him. Jalen vaguely heard the sound of camera phones going off as he hungrily took Neve's lips.
But then, she ended it all too soon. Pulling slightly away, she turned and fitted herself under his arm while one of hers wrapped around his waist. Neve looked at the crowd around them, which happened to be mostly female. "Sorry, ladies, but Jalen's mine and I'm not in the mood for sharing right now. So no autographs or pictures taken with my man." She turned to the ticket girl. "Two for theatre three." Her tone didn't brook any arguments.
The woman silently nodded, then ran up the price of admission, which Jalen paid for. Once she handed them to him, he put his arm back around Neve's shoulders and they walked through the small crowd toward the theatres. He couldn't stop smiling, playing over and over again when Neve had claimed him as hers. And that kiss she'd laid on him.
Inside the theatre, it was dark, since the trailers played. Wanting to avoid being accosted again by any fans who happened to be there, Jalen guided Neve to the very back. As they settled into their chairs in the last row, the movie started.
He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Thanks for saving me back there."
Neve turned her head toward him. "I hope you don't mind what I did and said," she whispered back. "It was the first thing I thought of."
"It didn't bother me at all. In fact, I liked hearing you call me your man."
Neve smiled and ducked her head. "I'm glad you're not upset about it."
Jalen placed a hand under her chin and tipped her head up so she looked at him. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I like being with you, Neve. And once the movie is over, I want to take you someplace where we can be alone."
She nodded. "I want that as well."
Dropping his hand from Neve's chin, Jalen turned to face the screen. He twined his fingers with hers as she too turned to watch. Even though he quickly got into the movie as Neve appeared to, he was all too aware of her presence next to him. He brushed his thumb over her wrist, feeling her rapid pulse. Her woman's scent filled his nose, causing his cock to harden.
Near the end of the film, Jalen had to have a taste of Neve. It was a pounding need inside him he could no longer ignore. To give them a bit of privacy, he bent what light there was around them, hiding the two of them from the rest of the people in the theatre. Neve didn't notice.
Turning his head to look at her, he ran his gaze over her profile, then down to the slim column of her throat. Leaning in, he bent his head and nuzzled the side of her neck as he lightly kissed her skin. She sucked in a breath in response, which then was released in a soft sigh. Jalen continued to nibble at her, making a path up her jaw as he cupped the other side of her face with his hand. Just as he reached the corner of Neve's mouth, he turned her head toward him. He settled his lips fully on hers, slipping his tongue between them to taste her.
Jalen kissed her deeper, increasing the pressure of his lips. Neve's passionate response had him wanting to pull her up against his chest, but the immovable armrest between their seats prevented them from getting too close. Instead, he settled for touching her. He dropped his hand from her face and smoothed it down the side of her neck to the top of her shoulder. Sucking her tongue into his mouth, he trailed his fingers down her chest to her breast. He covered it with his hand before he plucked at the taut nipple, rolling it between two fingers. Neve reached up and clutched at his shoulders as she pushed into his hold.
Since he knew nobody saw what they did, it would be all too easy for Jalen to take things one step further and see how wet she was for him. But Neve not knowing they were for all intents and purposes invisible to those around them, he decided not to risk the chance of upsetting her. He didn't hold back the quiet groan of reluctance that built inside him as he broke contact with Neve's lips.
"Let's get out of here," he said in a low, husky voice.
At Neve's nod, Jalen took her hand and helped her to her feet. They quietly slipped out of the theatre. He thought of continuing to bend the light around them once they hit the lobby, but decided not to. It was almost empty, since all the last shows of the night played.
He hurried them through the lobby and outside. Neve kept pace with him as he walked them to his car. Once inside, he asked, "Can we go back to your place?"
"Sure. Kara won't bother us, but aren't you staying at one of the hotels?"
"No. I drove from San Bernardino for the day. I planned to head back tonight."
Neve met his gaze. "Then spend the night with me."
\*
Neve couldn't believe she'd actually said that. Normally, she didn't have the nerve to be so forward with a man. But with Jalen, she found herself saying and doing things she'd have held back on. For instance, what she'd done in the lobby when they'd been surrounded by his fans. It had irritated the hell out of her to see the woman behind the counter clutching at Jalen as if she had every right to. And it had bothered her even more when she saw how he couldn't get away. So in a show of possessiveness, she'd staked her claim over Jalen. Luckily, he hadn't minded. And she had to wonder how soon some of the pictures taken of them kissing would hit the internet.
Now in another moment of boldness, Neve had invited Jalen to spend the night with her. She knew exactly what she offered him, as did he, from the hungry look she saw in his light green eyes. Not one to sleep with a guy on the first date, she wasn't going to hold back with Jalen, though. Every time he kissed her, the more wound up her body became, until all she could think about was getting him somewhere alone. She wanted to explore every inch of him, preferably while both of them were naked.
Neve waited expectantly for Jalen's answer. It came in the form of a kiss so intense he had her clutching at him and breathing hard. He pulled away, his chest rapidly rising and falling.
"Yes," he said, his voice gruff. He locked gazes with her. "I want you, Neve. It's all I can think about."
Her pussy clenched at his declaration. "Then my place it is."
Jalen didn't waste any time driving to her townhouse. Since he'd agreed to spend the night with her, Neve directed him to one of the visitor's parking spots. Hand in hand, they walked to the front of her house. She pulled her keys out of her purse and unlocked it. It took her two attempts, since Jalen stood right behind her and swept away the hair at her nape, so he could nuzzle the skin there.
She pushed the door closed behind them and locked it again. Up on the main floor, there was only one light on in the living room and one in the attached kitchen/dining area. Her roommate was nowhere in sight.
"Kara must have gone out after we left," Neve said.
Jalen shifted to stand in front of her and pulled her to him with his hands on her hips. "Good, because I can't seem to keep my lips and hands off you."
He bent his head and kissed her again, this one hotter than any of the previous ones. Neve put her arms around his neck and rubbed herself against his hard body. Feeling the hard length of his erection between them caused wetness to pool between her legs. Throbbing need pounded through her. Oh how she wanted this man. It had been a while since she'd slept with anyone and her sex-starved body wanted to feel the big cock pressed along her belly deep inside her.
"Hold onto me," Jalen mumbled against her lips.
Doing as he said, Neve tightened her grip around his neck as he picked her up. He carried her toward the flight of stairs that led to the bedrooms above. She lifted her legs and put them around his waist, her mouth never leaving his, as Jalen slowly climbed the stairs as if she weighed nothing.
At the top, she only pulled away long enough to direct him to her room. Inside, he kicked the door shut and reached behind him to turn the lock. Neve slid down Jalen's body when he lowered her to her feet. She kicked off her high-heeled sandals while she took hold of the bottom of the black, button-down shirt he wore. She undid it, the backs of her fingers skimming along his well-defined abs before she pushed it off his broad shoulders.
They broke apart so Neve could pull the shirt over his head. Before he could claim her lips again, she said, "There's something I've always thought of doing when I've seen you without a shirt on."
Not giving Jalen a chance to answer, Neve walked around him to stand at his back. She trailed her fingers over the large, black wings tattooed there. Every member of Soar had the same one in the same place on their bodies. She loved the look of it and had even considered getting a smaller version of it on the inside of her right ankle.
Stepping closer, she pressed her lips to one of the wings. A deep shiver went through Jalen and he let out a loud moan. Encouraged, Neve trailed more kisses over the mark, making sure to give both wings the same attention.
"Neve," Jalen said as he panted, "you're driving me crazy. Come here."
She walked back around him until she once more stood to face him. Jalen reached for the buttons on her blouse and undid each one. He pulled the bottom of it out of her jeans, then skimmed his hands down her shoulders and arms to push the garment off. Neve let it fall to the floor.
Jalen circled one of her nipples with the tip of his finger. "Take your bra off for me, Neve. Let me see you."
Without a word, she reached behind her back and undid the hooks. She straightened her arms and let the bra slip down them and off. She pushed it away with her foot. Lifting her gaze, she found Jalen eating her up with his. The sound of her racing pulse thudded in her ears.
He put an arm around her waist and slightly bent her back over it as he trailed wet kisses from the top of a breast to her nipple. Neve clutched at Jalen's shoulders and sucked in a deep breath of anticipation. His tongue came out and flicked the tight bud, causing her pussy to clench.
"So beautiful," he breathed against her nipple.
He then opened his mouth and sucked it inside. Neve moaned, digging her fingers into his shoulders. With each pull, she felt a corresponding sensation deep inside her. Wetness leaked into her panties.
Jalen shifted his attention to her other peak. Neve lifted her hands from his shoulders and buried her fingers in his hair to hold him to her. "Jalen," she said in a breathy voice, "I want to touch you."
He released the taut bud and straightened. "Put your hands on me."
She placed her palms flat on his defined pecs. His skin was warm and smooth beneath her hands. Letting them drop lower, her gaze followed, taking in his muscular body. Jalen was cut with just enough muscle to not be too bulky.
Lower she went until her fingers brushed against the waistband of his jeans. Her gaze landed on the large bulge in front. She undid the button and slowly pulled the zipper down. Jalen's heavy breathing filled her ears. His cock twitched as she parted the material and sprang it free.
He had gone commando. With no underwear to hinder her, Neve wrapped her fingers around his hard length. He was hot and heavy in her hand. She pumped it up and down his shaft, loving how long and hard he was. As she stroked him, a bead of pre-cum appeared on the very tip. She used her thumb to rub it into his skin.
Neve had to taste him. She dropped to her knees before Jalen. With a firm grip on the base of his cock, she licked the second bead of pre-cum that leaked out of the slit. He groaned.
She lapped at the head before she sucked him into her mouth. Jalen's deep moan of pleasure filled the room. She took more of his shaft inside, sucking him in and out. His cock grew harder as he pumped his hips, pushing between her lips. Neve's pussy ached to be filled. She was so wet she was more than ready for him to take her.
"Christ, that feels good," Jalen said. "Just like that."
She continued to pleasure him, taking as much of his length as she could manage. What she couldn't, she stroked with her hand. In and out she took him, her head bobbing with the movement. She fondled his balls through his jeans and tugged them gently.
"No more," he finally said. "My turn to have a taste of you."
Jalen pulled away and helped her to her feet. He undid her jeans and pushed them down past her hips. Neve shimmied out of them and kicked them away, once she had them free of her feet. Only in her panties, he picked her up and placed her on the center of her queen-sized bed. He came down on top of her with his hips nestled between her spread legs. His cock brushed against her pussy.
After a quick exploration of her mouth with his tongue, Jalen worked his way down her body. He sucked at each of her breasts before he went even lower. She clenched her stomach as he left a ticklish trail of kisses across it. At her hipbones, he nipped each one before he hooked his fingers into her panties and inched them off, placing his lips on every patch of skin he bared.
With her panties no longer a barrier between his mouth and her pussy, Jalen resettled between her legs and used his broad shoulders to spread them wider. Neve gripped the quilt beneath her in anticipation as his hot breath fanned against her sex. The feel of his tongue licking her from bottom to top had a strangled moan escaping her. She lifted her hips and spread her legs even wider to give him better access as he set to work pleasuring her.
His tongue swirled around her clit before he stiffened it and jabbed it into her slick opening. Alternating between each caress, Jalen had her panting, begging for more. Pleasure coiled deep inside her pussy the nearer her orgasm came. Sucking on her clit, he pushed one finger and then a second inside her. She squeezed her inner muscles around the two digits as she rode them, lost to the building desire.
"Yes," she whimpered. "God, yes, Jalen."
He pumped his fingers faster, angling them so they stimulated her clit while he used his mouth at the same time. She flexed her hips, pushing herself against him. Jalen slipped a third finger into her pussy and it was enough to send her flying. With whimpered moans, Neve came, her inner walls clutching the fingers he still moved inside her. He didn't stop sucking on her clit until the last spasm subsided.
Spent, Neve relaxed on the bed, trying to catch her breath. Jalen's head came to rest on her stomach. She pulled on his shoulder to get him to shift higher, but he resisted.
"Just give me a minute," he said between deep breaths. "Don't worry, I'm not done with you yet."
Neve stroked his hair. An aftershock went through her at his words. He could take as much time as he wanted. They had the rest of the night and she hoped they'd put most of it to good use.
Jalen kept his eyes closed as he concentrated on calming down just a bit. The scent of Neve's desire that was in the air and on his skin wasn't helping. Nor was the taste of it on his tongue.
While he'd pleasured her, he'd found his wings trying to manifest. They'd moved under his skin, fighting his ability to keep them hidden. Even his eyes had changed to their true silver color. His eyesight becoming keener had alerted him to that fact.
No longer was there any question as to what Neve would be to him---his mate. What he'd just experienced while she'd come, along with his pleasure increasing, was what had happened to Gannon when he'd first become intimate with Arwen. And if they were to make love, Jalen had a feeling he'd have a lot more than his wings trying to manifest and his eyes changing color. But there was no way he wouldn't have Neve. He wanted her too much. Even now his cock ached with unfulfilled desire. No, it was one pleasure he wouldn't give up.
Finally able to control his wings and have his eyes change back, Jalen crawled up Neve's body. He led her hand to his cock. She wrapped her fingers around it and stroked him. He moaned as he rocked his hips in time with her movements.
Unable to take any more, he pulled her hand off him. He fished a condom out of his pocket before he pushed out of his jeans. Jalen didn't need it, since he couldn't contract any sexually transmitted diseases or AIDS, nor could he pass them on to his partner, but he had to stick to the human role he'd taken on.
Shifting to lay at Neve's side, he opened the wrapper. Taking it out, he placed it on the tip of his cock. He glanced up to find her watching his movements as he rolled the latex sheath down the length of his shaft. Her eyes were heavy looking with desire, which he smelled in the air.
Jalen felt his wings shift under his skin once again. Before his eyes changed, he resettled himself back on top of Neve and took her mouth in a heated kiss. He brushed the tip of his cock against her pussy. She lifted her legs and put them around his waist as he slowly pushed inside. The sensation of her body accepting his had him wanting to pound into her. Instead, he set a steady pace, pulling almost all the way out of her before pushing home once more.
In and out he thrust. It felt so good being inside Neve he had to fight to hold off his climax. Before he found his release he wanted her to come again. Lifting himself on his hands, he pumped faster, angling his shaft so it rubbed her clit with each thrust in. He kept his eyes closed, not wanting her to see the change in them. Her sounds of pleasure filled his ears, causing him to become more aroused.
He rode her faster, his thrusts becoming hard and deep. Neve held onto his biceps as she lifted her hips to match his strokes. Just as he reached the point of no return, he felt Neve's pussy clutch along his shaft as she came. His orgasm tore through him, the most intense one of his very long life.
His cock still pulsed deep inside her as he continued to come. Jalen felt something build within him. It took almost everything in him to fight it from breaking loose. He cracked open his eyes to find some of Neve's glowing life energy flowing toward him. Knowing he had to stop it before it reached him, he fought against it, barely stopping it in time.
Out of breath, Jalen collapsed on top of Neve. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. He panted as he rolled them to their sides and hooked her leg over his hip. He kept his eyes closed as his breathing returned to normal.
It had happened. Against his will he'd tried to pull some of Neve's life energy into him while they made love. Jalen had to fight it as long as he could. He knew what the end result would be if he lost control of it. He'd take so much of her life energy, bringing her almost to the point of death, before his would slam into her. Then Neve would be forever changed as Arwen was.
With Gannon having already gone through this same thing, Jalen at least knew what all of this meant. The only thing he had to worry about was letting the change happen before Neve was ready for it, which meant he'd have to reveal his true self to her in the not too distant future. And he wouldn't be able to make love to her again right now. He didn't want to lose control of himself because he got too caught up in the moment. He'd have to be content just to hold Neve close for the rest of the night.
\*
Neve came awake to the sound of a door closing outside her bedroom. She went to look at her alarm clock, but instead, had an up close view of Jalen who lay asleep on his side next to her. But given how light it was in her room, she guessed it was already morning. And the noise she'd heard had to be Kara getting up for some breakfast.
Jalen hadn't moved at the sound and appeared to be in a deep sleep. She used the opportunity to look at him. Neve ran her gaze over his handsome face. She'd never thought she'd wake up one morning with a rock star in her bed after they'd made love the night before. It was still a bit surreal.
And having sex with Jalen had been mind-blowing, to say the least. Even though they'd only done it the one time, she wasn't all that disappointed that he'd wanted to cuddle and talk until late into the night. It was a sign that he was interested in more than just sleeping with her. At least, she hoped that was what it meant. He'd seemed to have enjoyed the intimacies they'd shared.
But now that it was morning, Neve wanted to experience the passion she'd found in Jalen's arms. They were both still naked under the sheets and she decided to put their condition to good use.
Carefully, so as not to disturb him, she inched under the covers. She smiled a little secret smile to herself the lower she went. Once she reached her desired destination, Neve stared at what she was about to have her way with. Jalen's cock lay against the inside of one of his thighs. Even though it wasn't erect, he was still a big man. Fully engorged, he'd completely filled her, stretching her until she'd taken all of him into her pussy.
Taking hold of Jalen's cock, Neve lifted it to her mouth. She dragged her tongue up the length of him, then waited to see what his reaction would be. He only jerked and let out a loud sigh. Not the least bit discouraged by his lack of wakefulness, she licked the head as she would an ice cream cone. Another sigh left Jalen, but this one bordering on a moan.
With him growing hard in her hand, she sucked his cock into her mouth. Soon, her administrations had Jalen completely erect. Deep moans left him as he flexed his hips, pushing more of his shaft between her lips. Her pussy grew wet as she pleasured him, her juices leaking onto her thighs.
Harder she sucked, taking him almost to the back of her throat. Neve knew the instant Jalen came awake. He gasped and pushed the sheet off of them both. She looked up to see he still had his eyes closed. His lips were parted as he dragged in harsh breaths.
"Neve," he said in a gruff voice. "I'm...oh god...fuck...I'm going to come."
She didn't stop pleasuring him. She wanted him to release, to give her everything he had. Neve gripped him firmly at the base of his cock as she reached for his balls. She fondled them as she kept up the suction on his shaft. Jalen buried his hand in her hair and held her to him as he fucked her mouth.
Then with a loud groan, he came, his whole body stiffening. Neve took it all and didn't stop until his climax ended. She released his cock, and with a self-satisfied smile stretching her lips, she rose next to Jalen. He still had his eyes closed as he seemed to fight to catch his breath.
Neve nipped his chin. "Good morning."
He cracked open his eyes and chuckled. "If that is your way of saying good morning, you'll never get me to leave."
"That wouldn't be any hardship."
In a fast move, Jalen rolled her onto her back with him on top of her. "It looks as if I still have to return your greeting. I wouldn't want to be rude by insulting my host."
He gave her a deep kiss before he shifted down so he was level with her breasts. He cupped one and sucked the taut nipple into his mouth. Neve arched her back, pushing closer.
Shifting so he lay partly on his side with a leg between hers, Jalen trailed a hand down her body until he reached her pussy. His fingers brushed against her. Neve shifted her free leg to give him better access.
He let go of her nipple and placed kisses between her breasts. "So wet. I just have to do something about that."
Without any further preliminaries, Jalen set to pleasuring her with his mouth. He lapped at her pussy, paying equal attention to her clit. Her body coiled tight as he pushed her ever nearer to her orgasm. Oral sex with him was so much better than what she'd had with her past lovers. She'd come, but her partners had had to work at it. Not so with Jalen. It was almost as if he knew exactly how to touch her to wring the most pleasure out of her.
Two long fingers pushed inside her. They stroked her G-spot just the way she needed and she came. Neve cried out as her climax took her over. Jalen kept stroking her until the last of it ended.
Same as the night before when he'd taken her with his mouth, Jalen only rose to her stomach and laid his head on it. But this time, his body went stiff as a board. His fists clutched the sheet under them. It looked as if he fought against something inside him. His breath sawed in and out and she felt his jaw clench and unclench.
Not sure what was going on, Neve stroked her hand along the top of his back. She sucked in a breath when she thought she felt movement under his skin. She touched the same spot once more, but it didn't do it again.
After a few minutes, Jalen relaxed against her. Concerned that something was wrong, she asked, "Are you okay?"
He held her around the waist as he rolled them so she ended up sprawled atop him. Jalen smiled. "I'm fine." He cupped her face in his hands and gave her a lingering kiss. Once he pulled away, he grinned. "I still have to say that was one hell of a good morning."
Neve returned his grin. "Why thank you. I'm glad you liked it." She brushed a kiss across his lips. "How about we see if we can make it a good afternoon as well?"
Heat flared in Jalen's eyes for a split second before he shook his head. "Tempting, but I thought of something else I can do with my fiery-haired beauty."
She knew it was silly, but Neve got a warm feeling inside when Jalen had called her that. "All right. What is this something else that is better than spending the rest of the morning in bed?"
"I want to take you to my place, then you can meet the rest of the band."
"Really?" Neve couldn't keep the excitement she felt out of her voice. Meeting the rest of Soar and going to Jalen's house would be a kind of coup for her.
He chuckled. "Yes, really. So can I take that as a yes?"
She nodded. "Most definitely. When do you want to leave?"
"Whenever you're ready."
Neve gave Jalen a quick, hard kiss before she jumped off the bed. "Then in that case, I just need to shower. Oh and if you're hungry, I can make us something quick for breakfast before we leave. Do you want to shower as well?"
"Breakfast would be good. And I'll skip on washing up until I get home. I need to change my clothes, anyway."
She snatched her bathrobe out of the closet and pulled it on. "I promise I won't take too long."
After she gave him one last kiss, Neve left her room, making sure to firmly close the door behind her. She was just about to step into the bathroom when Kara appeared at the top of the stairs.
Her friend gave her a knowing grin as she came closer. "Since Jalen's fancy, expensive car is in the visitor's parking, I take it he's still here."
Neve glanced toward her bedroom door, then nodded. "He is. Are you keeping tabs on him?"
Kara laughed. "Not really. I saw his car there when I came home last night and the two of you were closed up in your room. This morning I couldn't resist checking to see if it was gone or not. All I have to say to you is, whatever you're doing to keep Jalen around, don't stop."
Her cheeks flooded with heat as Neve remembered exactly what Jalen and she had been up to. "I won't."
"From the dreamy look in your eyes, along with that flush, I'm going to say Jalen knocked your socks off in bed. I'm so jealous now."
"You could say that."
"Not that I want to distract myself from thoughts of Jalen naked in your room, but have you decided whether or not you're going to come talk to Matty when I go to work this evening?"
Neve cringed. "Ah, I'll have to pass on it this time. I sort of made other plans."
"That involve the naked hunk in your bed?"
"Yes. Jalen asked me to go back with him to San Bernardino to see his place and meet the rest of the band. You're not pissed off at me, are you?"
Kara shook her head with a chuckle. "Hon, if I had a choice of going to a rock star's house and meeting his band mates instead of trying for a job interview, I'd be doing the same as you. Matty isn't going anywhere and I know he doesn't have anyone else lined up for the job yet. Go and enjoy yourself with Jalen."
"Thanks for being so understanding. I just have to hop in for a quick shower, then I promised I'd feed Jalen some breakfast before we left."
"Then what are you standing around here talking to me for? And if you aren't here when I get back from work, I'll assume you stayed overnight with Jalen."
Neve had no idea if he would ask her, but she hoped he would. As Kara continued on to her room, Neve went into the bathroom. She had a feeling today would be one of those days she wouldn't soon forget.
\*
Jalen lay on his back in Neve's bed and stared at the ceiling. It had happened again. His eyes had changed and his wings had tried to manifest to the point where he'd felt a brush of a feather on top of his skin for a split second. As he'd brought Neve to climax, the feeling of something building inside him had occurred. And some of her life energy had been pulled toward him while he'd come. He'd had to fight harder than the first time to break the connection, but stop it he did.
At least, he'd been able to pretend it was nothing to Neve, and she had believed him. It had helped that he'd distracted her with his invitation back to his place and the opportunity to meet his band mates.
He lifted his arms over his head and stretched. The sound of Neve and Kara's voices from the hall outside the room reached his ears. He had no problem hearing what they said as if he stood right next to them. A smile tugged at his lips when he heard them discussing him. It was good to know Neve had no complaints about his performance in bed.
That thought led to his remembering how she'd woken him up. Coming out of a deep sleep to the sensation of Neve's mouth sucking on his cock had been more than good. He hadn't planned on making love to her this morning. He'd wanted some time for her to get to know him better as a man before he revealed the truth about himself. But he hadn't been able to stop her from pleasuring him in that way. He'd been too close to coming as it was. Then of course, he couldn't leave her aroused, even though he'd had an internal struggle going on that she'd known nothing about.
Jalen didn't know what would happen the next time they had sex. According to Gannon, the pulling on Neve's life energy would become stronger the more often they were together, to the point she would notice. He'd have to find a way to keep her busy and keep both their minds off finding the nearest bed and making love until neither one of them had the will to move.
Hearing the sound of the shower turning on, Jalen sat up and ran his fingers through his hair to straighten it. He then got out of bed and searched the floor for his clothes. He picked them up one by one and pulled them on. His shirt was more than a little wrinkled but it was wearable.
Jalen tucked the ends of his button-down into his jeans before he zipped them up. He would have liked to manifest his wings and give them a good stretch as well, since it was something he did every morning. While alone in his house, he didn't hide who he was. His wings were such a part of him he felt more comfortable with them out in the open and tucked against his back. Only out among humans did he keep them hidden for long periods of time. During Soar's last tour, it had been hard to always pretend to be one of them. He and his band mates had had almost a year of sneaking around to take to the air without being caught. An Alte needed to fly, to feel the wind along their outstretched wings. To be grounded, to never soar high in the sky, was almost torture.
With nothing to do but wait for Neve, Jalen sat on the mattress. He took a better look at the room. Besides the bed, there was a single dresser and bedside table with an alarm clock and a cordless phone sitting on it. Both pieces of furniture were done in a light colored wood. The room was a bit on the small side. It was even smaller than any of the four guest bedrooms in his house. But since it was Neve's, the size didn't bother him. He would have been quite content to be in a closet-sized one so long as it was hers and she was with him.
Last night, while he and Neve had talked, he'd learned she only had enough money saved to pay for a couple more months of rent. He'd also heard how reluctant she was to take the job at the restaurant when she'd told him once again there could be an opening there for her. It had been on the tip of his tongue to tell Neve she didn't need that job, or any other one, for that matter. Considering what she was to him, he'd be taking care of her financially from here on out. She wouldn't have to work another day in her life.
The bedroom door opened and Neve stepped inside, closing it behind her. She had a towel twisted around her head with her bathrobe on. She peeled off the towel first and walked over to her dresser and picked up a comb. He watched her run it through her damp hair.
"So what would you like to have for breakfast?" Neve asked as she met his gaze in the mirror attached to the dresser.
"I guess it really depends on what you're having."
Finished with her hair, Neve turned to face him. "I know we have eggs and bread. How about I make us fried eggs and toast?"
"That sounds good."
"And it shouldn't take too long to make or eat," she added.
Neve reached for the belt on her bathrobe and tugged it open. She then pushed the garment down her arms and off. Jalen's gaze roamed over her nude body, taking in her more than a handful breasts, curved-in waist and long, toned legs. His cock twitched with interest, but he ignored it. Now was not the time to get all worked up again.
He lifted his gaze to find Neve watching him before she returned her bathrobe to the closet and then took out some clothes from her dresser. She dressed in a light pink t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. Once she finished putting on the last article of clothing, Jalen stood and followed her out of the room.
Downstairs, he and Neve had the kitchen to themselves, since Kara was still upstairs in her room. Neve set to work cooking them breakfast as he helped himself to some of the coffee sitting on the counter after she gave him a mug from one of the cupboards. He then took a seat at the table to stay out of her way.
Watching Neve work, Jalen felt a sense of hominess. The last woman he had cared about who had cooked for him had been his mother. All the other human women he'd been with over the years, he'd kept the encounters as impersonal as he could. They had been based solely on mutual pleasure and that was about it. But with Neve, he wanted so much more. He wanted what Gannon had with Arwen. He wanted to have someone he could share his life with, a woman he'd never have to worry about losing.
He followed the line of Neve's back while she stood at the stove. He did care about her---a lot. It also felt good to have another to look after, to protect. Up until now, at times his days could bleed one into the other and had been that way for a very, very long time. He had a feeling it came hand in hand with immortality. It was hard to find interest in things after a while. But now that he'd found Neve, that kind of disinterest had evaporated like a puddle in the hot sun.
Neve brought two plates to the table and placed one in front of him. She took the chair next to his. "I put butter on your toast, but if you want jam I think we have some in the fridge."
"No, that's fine. I like to dip it in the yolk, anyway."
She smiled. "So do I."
They ate in companionable silence. It didn't bother Jalen and it didn't seem to bug Neve, either. Once they finished eating, he helped her clean up by putting their dishes in the dishwasher, then drying the frying pan she'd washed. Just another homey scene.
After that, Neve went back upstairs to get her purse. Once she returned, he ushered her out the front door. A minute later, they were on the road to San Bernardino.
Neve alternated between looking out the windshield and the passenger window. She'd taken a trip to San Bernardino before, but it had been some years since her last visit. She'd been twenty and shopping for a bridesmaid dress with her older sister, Alice, who'd been the bride. Alice was seven years older than Neve. Her parents had thought they couldn't have any more children after her older sister until her mother had gotten pregnant with Neve.
"You're quiet over there," Jalen said.
"I'm just enjoying the drive. I was just thinking I haven't been to San Bernardino in a long time."
"I'm sure it hasn't changed much since the last time you were there."
"Probably not, but I'm pretty sure I didn't go to the section of the city where you live."
"And just what are you referring to?" he asked with a chuckle.
"You know, where all the huge mansions are. You can't tell me you don't live in one."
"You got me there. And the others have homes on the same street."
She turned to look at Jalen. "You mean the rest of the band lives that close to you?"
"Yeah." He shot her a quick glance before he focused back on the road. "We're all neighbors, either living beside each other or a couple of houses down."
"You guys must still be really close. I remember reading you all grew up together as friends."
Jalen nodded. "We did. We could be little shit disturbers at times. Our mothers used to get together and commiserate with each other."
Neve laughed. "And let me guess, you were the worst of the bunch."
"How did you know?" Jalen laughed with her.
"A lucky guess?"
"Then it was a good one."
"So which is it for you?" she asked. "Do you have one of the guys living right next door, or a couple of houses down?"
"Actually, Gannon is my next door neighbor. Not that our homes are that close together. Each one has a fair amount of land."
"Now that you've mentioned Gannon, I've been meaning to ask, is it true he has a girlfriend now?"
Jalen grinned. "It's true. Actually, Arwen and he are engaged. She moved in with him."
"Wow that was quick. It wasn't all that long ago I read about him singing to her on stage at your last tour date, basically telling everyone what she meant to him."
"I guess when you know, you know. They're happy and love each other. It took a bit of work to get Arwen to move from Kalamazoo to San Bernardino, though."
"Really? I would have thought Arwen would have jumped at the chance."
"Oh that wasn't the problem. It was what she had to give up in Kalamazoo that was a bit of work. Arwen was an individual figure skating coach. She's also a figure skater herself. She loves the sport and hated the thought of having to give up coaching, but considering who Gannon is, it wouldn't have worked out. So she ended up passing on her skaters to another coach. To make up for all she gave up, Gannon had an indoor ice rink built at the back of his house. Arwen skates there every day."
"I bet Arwen was thrilled Gannon did that for her."
"She was. She has also tried to convince all of us to skate with her, but none of us know how, nor do we want to learn."
"Why not?" Neve asked. "I've been skating more than a few times. It's fun."
"You might find it fun, but the idea of falling on my ass doesn't appeal to me," Jalen said with a laugh.
"You'd only fall because you don't know how. Once you learn that won't happen very much."
"I'll leave the ice skating to you and Arwen. When she finds out you know how, don't be surprised if she asks you out to her rink."
"Only one problem with that," Neve said. "I don't exactly have any ice skates with me."
"If you really want to, I'll take you to a sporting goods store and buy you some. Problem solved."
Neve shook her head. She'd have to get used to the fact Jalen had a lot more money than she did. Obviously, going out and buying a pair of figure skates---as in this instance---was no biggie for him. Being unemployed and living on a strict budget, she wouldn't have been able to afford them.
"We'll see," she said. "Right now I'm more than happy just to stay with you."
Jalen put his hand on her knee and squeezed. "I'm not going to complain about that."
As he put his hand back on the steering wheel, Neve stared at Jalen's profile. Before yesterday, she'd never have thought she had a chance of meeting someone like him, much less have a shot of having him as her boyfriend. Did she think that was where things were going with her and Jalen? She liked to hope so. Taking her to his house had to mean something. And he had to want more than a one-night stand if he were still with her.
Neve turned her head to look out the passenger window. She'd take it as it came. But that didn't mean she wouldn't try to hang onto Jalen for as long as she could.
\*
High above the ground, Vance flew. Below him was the Interstate. He kept his gaze on one car in particular---a black Infiniti. He knew Jalen was inside it and with a human woman. He flapped his powerful wings, easily keeping pace.
Jalen didn't know it, but Vance had followed him since the day before. After his past encounters with those who were the last of their kind, he'd perfected a spell, using his black magic to keep his presence hidden from them. Little did they know he'd watched them for a few months now.
It had been pure chance Vance had decided to follow Jalen the day before when he'd taken flight. Keeping at a discreet distance, he'd trailed the other Alte to the Mojave Desert. It figured Jalen would return to the place where their people had lived. Jalen and the rest of his friends were too sappy for Vance's liking. Where they lived now was so much better than eking out an existence in the unforgiving desert. Even though it hadn't been his intention, he'd given the others a gift. Because of him, they now lived in a time where life was easier. And they were immortal.
Not that Vance intended to let any of them use that immortality for much longer. In the end, Gannon, Jalen, Keiran, Malik and Trae were mistakes. They shouldn't have survived the illness he'd created to wipe out their people. The whole purpose of it had been to leave him as the one and only Alte. Having been worshipped as a god by a group of humans, Vance hadn't wanted any of his kind to usurp his place. He hadn't gone to the trouble of embracing black magic to give himself more god-like qualities for another Alte to appear on the scene and have his dumb followers turning to another as their savior. That had only been reserved for him.
Vance looked down at the Infiniti again. The direction Jalen went, it wasn't too hard to guess he planned to take the human to his home in San Bernardino. Could she possibly be Jalen's "mate?" Just as Gannon had found his? Vance didn't have any other term to describe what Gannon's woman was to him. And she was another one of his mistakes he'd have to rectify at some point.
He'd been so sure she wouldn't survive when he'd brushed her skin with the powder on his wings---the same kind that had started the illness and overtaken all the Alte. For some reason, Gannon's mate had lived. And she too had come to be changed by it. Vance had been more than shocked when he'd spotted her alone with Gannon and saw her eyes were as silver as his.
Now it looked as if Jalen had found a woman of his own. From watching all the members of Soar these last months, Vance had learned so much without them being the wiser. If Jalen indeed took this human to his home, she had to mean something to him. Vance had only seen the other Alte show a remote interest in one other and that was only for one reason---sex. And once he'd gotten what he'd wanted, Jalen hadn't seen her again.
This one was definitely different, since Jalen had stayed the entire night at her place. Well, if that were the case, Vance wasn't going to let this opportunity go. So far the woman had gone through no changes and he wanted to keep it that way. As he'd tried before by using Gannon's mate against him, he'd try to weaken Jalen through his, if that was what she was to him. But he'd have to do something different than trying to kill her through the illness that had taken out his people.
Flapping his wings harder, Vance flew a little higher. For now, he'd watch and learn, then decide the best way to strike and when.
\*
Jalen pulled into his long drive and waited for the garage door to open before he drove his Infiniti inside. After he shut off the engine and got out, he walked to the back of the car where Neve stood waiting. He took her hand and guided her over to the door that connected the house to the garage. He unlocked it and stepped inside first so he could shut off the alarm system. Neve followed behind him.
He took her down the short hallway until they reached the large foyer at the front of the house. Jalen watched as she looked around, turning in a circle as she took everything in.
"Wow, Jalen, your place is gorgeous," she finally said.
"Thanks. It has five bedrooms, three full bathrooms and a finished basement. Come on, I'll show you around."
As Neve walked at his side, she asked, "Are you sure the house is big enough for you?"
Jalen laughed. "I know it seems huge for just one man, but I like my space. And I like the privacy the backyard offers as well."
"I'm not going to argue with that."
He gave her the tour of the main floor, ending at the French doors at the back of the house that led outside. Jalen opened them wide and walked out. Neve stepped out beside him. They stood on a well-sized patio that had a large wrought-iron table and chair set. It didn't have an umbrella, since it sat under a shade pergola. Kitty-corner to the table was a large gas, stainless steel barbeque. Once the stone slabs of the patio ended, brick began where there was a fair-sized pool with a built-in hot tub next to it. The rest of the yard was grass with some large weeping willows. The borders of the property were edged with tall Leyland cypresses.
"I can see why you like your backyard," Neve said. "It is private. Do you look after the grounds yourself?"
Jalen shook his head. "No. I've hired a landscaping company to do that. And another company to look after the pool and hot tub. To be honest, I love the large yard, but I hate the amount of work it takes to maintain it."
"Yeah, I'd hate to be the one to cut all that grass."
He guided Neve back into the house and to the spacious kitchen. "Do you want something to drink?"
"Actually some water would be great."
"Water it is."
Jalen walked over to the stainless steel fridge and took out two bottles of water. He twisted off the cap on one and handed it to her. He opened the other one for himself and took a big drink. Once they finished, he took the empty containers and put them on the counter.
"How about I show you the upstairs?"
At Neve's nod, he led the way out of the kitchen and to the staircase inside the foyer. Reaching the upper level, Jalen showed her each guestroom, leaving his own for last, which was at the very end of the hallway. They stepped through the open double doors and he did a quick scan to make sure he hadn't left and dirty clothes on the floor. There weren't any, thank goodness. And he'd made his bed.
Neve walked to the middle of the room. "Well, this puts my bedroom to shame. I wish mine was this big."
It was on the tip of Jalen's tongue to tell her he hoped this would be her room sometime very soon. At least, that was what he wanted to happen. He watched her walk over to his king-sized, four-poster bed and run her hand over the dark blue Egyptian cotton duvet. Neve near his bed gave him all sorts of ideas, and ones that had her naked and willing on it.
"As I said, I like my space." The huskiness in his voice gave away his thoughts.
Neve turned in his direction. She gave him a sexy grin that had blood surging to his cock. "Your bed definitely has lots of space. It makes me wonder what you do with it all."
Jalen took in her heavy-eyed look and knew exactly what Neve referred to. It also made him want her in a bad way. The only thing causing him to hold back was what would happen if he took her again. Did he want to take the chance he'd still be able to maintain enough control to stop himself from absorbing some of Neve's life energy?
Then in a single move, Neve took his decision away. She pulled her shirt off over her head. Keeping her gaze latched onto his, she reached behind and undid the clasp of her bra before letting it slip down her arms to the floor. All he could do was watch as she cupped her breasts and tugged on her nipples.
Jalen crossed over to Neve in one long stride and yanked her against his chest. His lips came down on hers, kissing her as if he hadn't had her in a month. She moaned into his mouth as she wrapped her arms around his neck and rubbed against his straining erection. He groaned, holding her tighter as he rocked his hips into her.
Trailing kisses from her mouth and along her jawline to the side of her neck, he said gruffly, "I can't seem to get enough of you, Neve. I just look at you and I want you. I've never needed another woman like this before."
She cupped the back of his head, stroking her fingers through his hair. "The feeling is mutual. If I could, I'd keep you."
Jalen lifted his head and met her gaze again. "Then why don't you."
Neve blinked a few times, some of the dazed arousal leaving her eyes. "What?"
"You heard me. Keep me."
"As in you being my boyfriend?"
"Yes. And you coming to live here with me."
She opened and closed her mouth. "Move in with you? Isn't that rushing things?"
"It might be fast, but I know what I want," he said. "And I want you." Jalen blew out a breath. "I'm going to be honest with you here, Neve. I don't normally find a woman who can hold my interest longer than the pleasure she can give me for one night. But with you, I want so much more. I know you think it's too soon to be talking like this, but it doesn't change my feelings. I'm falling for you, Neve."
Jalen swallowed as she just stared at him wide-eyed. Shit, he'd spoken too soon, gotten lost in their kiss. But knowing each time he slept with her that more of his true nature would come out, he wanted her to know how serious he actually was about her. And he had no idea how long his control would hold out.
Since Neve had yet to respond, he said, "Say something."
"I don't know what to say," she said slowly.
He decided to do a little backtracking. "At least, agree to stay here with me tonight. The last thing I want is for you to feel pressured into something you're not comfortable with."
She brushed her fingers against the stubble on his cheek. "Now that I can say yes to," she said with a smile. "As for the rest, I need to think about it. I don't want to give up my place with Kara and then have you turn around and decide we aren't going to work out, because we rushed into something."
He opened his mouth to tell her she wouldn't have to worry about that happening, but she stopped him with a finger across his lips.
"Don't say anything more." Neve gave him a sexy grin as she dropped a hand to the front of his jeans and squeezed his semi-hard cock. "Now, I think we were in the middle of something before we got a little sidetracked."
Jalen was about to pick up where they had left off when he suddenly remembered part of the reason why he'd come home was to shower and change his clothes. He gave Neve a quick kiss. "We did, but I have to put it on hold for a little bit longer." He rubbed his whiskers with his hand. "I need a shower and a shave. Why don't you make yourself comfortable in my bed while I take care of those things?"
She sighed dramatically. "I guess I can wait. Just make sure you hurry." Neve stepped away and undid her jeans. They were down her legs and pooled at her ankles shortly thereafter. "Don't keep me waiting too long, though."
Jalen turned and was already undoing his shirt as he headed for the en suite. It would be the fastest shower and shave he'd ever had. With Neve waiting for him in his bed, he had all the incentive he needed to be quick.
Neve took off her panties once Jalen disappeared inside the en suite bathroom. She then pulled back the covers of his large bed and got in. She turned to her side, buried her face in the pillow and took a deep breath. It smelled like Jalen. With an even deeper one, she pulled more of that male scent into her lungs.
She vaguely heard the sound of the shower as she brought up all that Jalen had said to her, to the forefront of her mind. He actually wanted her to move in with him. The Jalen from Soar wanted her, a nobody, to live with him in his huge, fancy mansion.
She rolled onto her back. If Kara were here, her friend would tell her to say yes, to not let this slip through her fingers. But Neve had to think this through. Just because Jalen was a rock star didn't mean she couldn't think about him in the say way she would any other guy she dated. He was still a man, albeit a famous one.
Her first gut instinct was to tell Jalen yes, but the warier side of her couldn't make a decision of this magnitude that fast, or easily. As she'd told him, this was all so sudden. Even though he told her he was falling for her, she'd been reluctant to tell him how she felt. She had to make sure her feelings for him were genuine and not her wanting him only for who and what he was. Okay, he was good-looking and she was utterly in lust with him, but she wanted to like him as just plain Jalen, not Jalen the rock star.
Not that Neve thought that was the case. She enjoyed being with him. She found him easy to talk to. He wasn't at all stuck up because of his famous status. He was a really nice guy. And her feelings were definitely heading toward the really like-like stage.
The shower turned off and a little while later, the water in the sink ran. Jalen had to be shaving. Neve pushed the thoughts of the past few minutes aside and smiled as she remembered how desperately he had kissed her before going for his shower. She'd felt just as badly for him. Being in his bedroom, seeing his bed, she'd had thoughts of them naked, using all the available space on the mattress. Arousal had shot through her, not letting her ignore it. This morning had been nice, but Neve wanted all of Jalen, his cock thrusting between her legs as he rode her to completion.
Her head turned in the direction of the bathroom when the door opened and Jalen stepped inside. Her gaze drifted over him as he walked toward the bed. His longish dark brown hair looked even darker, since it was still damp. No longer did stubble cover his cheeks and chin. Gazing lower, she reached the towel he had wrapped around his hips. It didn't do much to hide the erection underneath it.
Licking her lips, Neve continued to follow Jalen with her gaze until he stood at the side of the bed. She sat up, letting the covers fall from her chest, exposing her breasts. His gaze became riveted on them.
Neve flipped back the covers and shifted over to give Jalen room. "Well, are you going to keep me waiting?"
He shook his head. "No. I think you've waited long enough."
Jalen gave a tug on the towel and it fell to the floor. Neve ran her gaze up and down his body. As far as she was concerned, he was perfectly made. He was all defined muscles without an inch of fat on him anywhere. Landing on his cock, she licked her lips. It was thick and long and fully engorged.
His gaze lifted to meet hers as he climbed onto the mattress beside her. He straddled her thighs, bent slightly and cupped her face in his hands as he kissed her. At first it was a gentle exploration, but it soon turned into a passionate meeting of mouths. His tongue slipped between her lips, twining with hers, doing a mating dance of their own. Neve moaned, her pussy growing wet as she tasted Jalen.
He gently eased her onto her back, following her down. Breaking their kiss, he straightened and reached over to the nightstand next to the bed. He pulled open the drawer and took out a condom.
Jalen placed it in her hand. "Put it on me."
Neve wasted no time sitting up again and tearing open the foil wrapper. She put the condom on the tip of his cock and rolled it down the rest of his shaft. Jalen's gaze followed her movements.
Once she had it in place, she nuzzled his chest and reached around to squeeze his ass. "Make love to me, Jalen. I want you now."
He put his hands around her waist and tugged her down so she lay flat on the bed. Jalen then placed one of his legs between hers and spread them farther apart as he settled into the cradle of her hips. The tip of his cock brushed up against her slick opening. Neve moaned and rubbed herself along him.
Hooking one of her legs over his arm, Jalen lifted it, opening her even more. With one thrust, he buried himself to the hilt inside her pussy. He set a fast pace as his cock speared in and out of her body. Neve tightened her inner walls around his hard shaft, glorying in the feel of him taking her.
Neve wrapped her other leg around Jalen's back, digging her heel into his backside as it flexed with each of his thrusts. Her pussy tightened around his plunging cock as she inched closer to her climax.
"Come for me," Jalen said in a strained voice.
"Close," she panted, "so close."
He ducked his head and sucked a nipple into his mouth. With each pull, she felt corresponding sensation deep inside her pussy. It was more than she needed to have her crying out with release. Jalen let go of her taut peak and lifted himself to pump faster, his body trembling as he strove for his own orgasm. Reaching it, Jalen stiffened, thrusting one last time into her as he threw back his head and moaned.
As he came, Neve felt his cock pulsing inside her pussy. Then a strange pulling sensation seemed to sweep through her. Along with it, it felt as if she couldn't breathe deep enough to fill her lungs. She whimpered, clutching at Jalen's biceps. What little air she could get rasped in and out of her.
Picking up on her distress, Jalen opened his eyes. Neve thought they appeared silver for a split second. With a curse, he flung himself off her and sat on the edge of the bed, putting some space between them. As soon as he did that, she was finally able to take a deep breath and the pulling sensation disappeared.
Not sure exactly what had happened to her, she sat up and reached out to touch Jalen's hunched shoulder. He jerked away before she made contact with his skin.
"Don't, Neve," he said. "Not yet."
She pulled back her hand and dropped it to her lap. She silently watched as Jalen took deep breaths, and slowly by degrees, the visible tension in his body seemed to leave him. Once he sat straighter, he turned his head to look at her. His gaze searched her face as if he looked for something.
"Are you okay?" he asked, still not making any move to come closer.
"Yeah. I'm not sure what happened. I just couldn't seem to catch my breath, but I'm fine now."
Jalen scooted closer and cupped the back of her head as he gave her a soft kiss. A deep breath expanded his chest before he slowly released it. "I'm going to clean up in the bathroom. You can have it after me. I think I'll introduce you to the others, then I have to tell you something."
"All right. Tell me what?"
"Something about me."
Without another word, Jalen stood and walked into the bathroom, leaving Neve to wonder what it could be he had to tell her. From the look on his face, it had to be something important.
\*
After coming out of the bathroom and Neve went in, Jalen snatched up the cordless phone from the nightstand and dialed Gannon's phone number. His friend answered after the third ring.
"Hey, Jalen. What's up?"
"Do you know if the rest of the guys are around?"
"I think so. Why?"
Jalen blew out a breath. "I have someone over here who would like to meet all of you," he paused, "like I told you before, I think I've found my mate. There is no question that I'm going through the same thing you did with Arwen."
He was met with silence before Gannon asked, "Are sure?"
"Oh, I'm pretty damn sure." Jalen looked at the closed bathroom door, then lowered his voice. "I just absorbed some of her life energy."
"You were able to stop it, right?" Gannon asked with concern in his voice.
"Yes, just barely. I think I'm going to have to tell her the truth before I do something that can't be taken back."
"If you really think she's your mate, don't do what I did with Arwen and try to run away from it. You'll only make yourself and her miserable."
"Don't worry. I don't plan on doing anything like that. I've learned from your mistakes." At that moment, Neve walked out of the bathroom. In a lighter tone, Jalen said, "So if you aren't busy, how about you and Arwen come over in about twenty minutes. I'll call the others and see if they can pop around as well."
"She's there now, isn't she?" Gannon asked.
"Yes."
"I see. Arwen and I will be there. I'm sure she will be happy to meet her, especially if she really is what you think she is to you. At least, my mate has been through it."
"My thoughts exactly. Anyway, see you two in a bit."
Jalen hung up and turned to face Neve. "That was Gannon. He said he and Arwen would come over. I'm just going to call my other band mates."
She stopped at the side of the bed and picked up her panties, which she pulled on. "I'm looking forward to meeting everyone."
He watched her pick up her bra. His cock jerked, showing interest in going another round, but that wasn't going to happen. As he'd told Gannon, he'd actually absorbed some of Neve's life energy the last time. It was also getting too hard to control. He was going to have to tell her the truth and show her what he was. After that, if she accepted him, he'd see what happened. Jalen was pretty sure he'd change Neve the same way Gannon had changed Arwen.
"I just have to call the others. All right?"
She smiled as she picked up the last of her clothes and put them on the bed. "Go ahead. Don't let me stop you."
Jalen made his phone calls, able to reach the rest of the band and invite them over. While he did that, he kept a close eye on her. She wandered around his bedroom, looking at the things on top of his dresser, then out of the bedroom window, to the backyard below. She didn't seem to have had an adverse reaction from him absorbing some of her life energy. Granted it hadn't been very much, before he'd pulled away from her completely and broken the connection between them.
Once he finished, Jalen led Neve downstairs to the living room. They sat on the black leather couch as they waited for his friends to arrive. He turned on the cushion so he faced her and picked up her hand. He stroked his thumb across the back of it.
"Everyone is going to like you," he said, trying to end the silence that had fallen between them. He'd also caught her giving him a strange look from time to time. He had no idea what she thought about what had happened in his bedroom and he wasn't ready to find out just yet. That could come afterward---once he'd faced the hard part of revealing his true nature.
Neve chuckled. "You sound so sure of that."
He shrugged. "I do. I can't see anyone not liking you. You're one of the easiest people I know to get along with."
She shook her head. "Thanks, but why the sudden compliments about my personality?"
Jalen reached across and stroked the fingers of his other hand down her cheek. "So I'm not allowed to compliment you?" He pulled back.
"I didn't say that." She lifted their joined hands and kissed his. It just seemed like an out of the blue kind of thing is all."
"Well, get used to it, because I'm going to do this often." The sound of the doorbell had him letting go of Neve's hand. He gave her a quick kiss before he stood. "That must be our company. I'll be right back."
He hurried to the front door and opened to it see Gannon and Arwen standing on the other side. Jalen stepped back and waved them in. He gave Arwen a kiss on the cheek as she walked by. He also noticed her eyes were light hazel, the color before they'd changed after her mate had shared his life energy with her. With Gannon's help, she'd learned to hide the silver of what her eyes were now, just as well as any of them.
After closing the door, Jalen followed Gannon and Arwen into the living room. He walked by them and went over to Neve. She stood and smiled at the newcomers, her gaze seeming to linger more on Gannon, staring at him in a starstruck kind of way as she'd done to him when they'd first met.
Making the introductions, Jalen said, "Neve, this is Gannon and Arwen."
"Hi," she said.
"I'm thrilled to meet you, Neve," Arwen said. "It's about time someone else from the band found a girlfriend. I'm sadly outnumbered."
Jalen gestured for Gannon and Arwen to take a seat on the leather loveseat kitty-corner to the couch. He was sure the others would be along soon.
"I hear congratulations are in order," Neve said. "When's the big day, Arwen?"
Gannon's mate smiled at him, then turned back to Neve. "In six months. I would have been happy with just a small wedding where it was only immediate family, but my mom insisted on something a bit bigger."
"At least, she's not inviting everyone she knows," Gannon said as he put his arm around Arwen's shoulders and pulled her tighter against her side.
The doorbell rang again. Jalen got up to answer it. This time it was Malik, Trae and Keiran.
"So who is this person you want us to meet?" Malik asked as they waited for Jalen to shut the door.
"Her name is Neve."
All three men had been in midstride, heading in the living room's direction when they came to a stop and turned to stare at him. They all wore the same surprised looks on their faces.
"What?" he asked.
"You've invited us over to meet a woman?" Keiran asked incredulously.
"Don't act as if you've never seen me with one before," Jalen said.
"It's not that. It's the point that you actually want us to get to know her. Usually you don't keep a woman around long enough for us to even learn her name."
Trae's surprised look turned into a furrowing of his brows. "Is this what I think it means? Is this Neve to you what Arwen is to Gannon?"
"It looks that way," Jalen said with a grin.
Malik and Keiran's faces were almost comical to see, as they shot him an even more shocked look. Trae just nodded to himself, as if he'd had something he thought of proved correct. Trae being the more thoughtful member of the band, that didn't surprise Jalen one bit. His friend probably figured Gannon wouldn't be the only one to find his mate.
Unable to take his friends' stares any longer, Jalen shook his head. "Enough already. Gannon and Arwen are already here."
As Jalen went to walk past Trae, his band mate stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Before we meet her, you're going to tell her about you and us being Alte, right?"
"Yes, but not now and not when you're all here. I'm going to do it later tonight when we're alone."
"Good. If you are going through what Gannon did, we know what the final outcome will be. It's best to get it all out in the open before that happens."
"Don't worry, Trae, those are my thoughts exactly."
\*
After Jalen had left to answer the door, Neve looked at Gannon and Arwen, not really knowing what to say to start a conversation. Her gaze coming to rest on Gannon had her inner fan girl wanting to squeal and jump up and down. Of course, she wouldn't do any such thing. She wouldn't embarrass Jalen in that way, nor have Gannon think she was a brainless idiot. Neve figured the band had to deal with that type of fan more times than they could count. They didn't need that in the privacy of their own home.
Arwen cleared her throat. "So, Neve. This is the first we've heard about you. You and Jalen must have recently met."
Thankful for the conversation starter, Neve nodded. "We actually only met yesterday. At the early man site at the Mojave Desert to be exact."
Arwen and Gannon exchanged a meaningful glance that Neve couldn't even begin to understand.
"Well, you two must have hit it off, since Jalen brought you home to meet all of us," Gannon said.
Neve's brow furrowed. "The way you said that, you make it sound like a big deal."
He chuckled. "It is, believe me. Jalen doesn't normally, how should I put this, include his lady friends in our circle."
"So in other words, you mean he goes after the groupies who won't expect more than a roll in the hay."
Arewn laughed. "That pretty much describes it. He's not a lothario or anything, but according to the guys, Jalen doesn't do serious relationships."
"Then I guess that means Jalen asking me to move in would be a huge step for him?" Neve asked.
"Monumental," Gannon said. "What did you tell him?"
"Nothing right now. It's a big step. One I'm not sure I should be jumping into quickly."
"If it helps, Jalen is serious about you if he already wants to take it to the next level. Plus, that's the way it was with Arwen and me. We fell in love fast and hard."
Arwen nodded. "Instead of asking me to move in with him, Gannon wanted me to come with him to the last performance of Soar's tour."
"And that's where he sang to you on stage," Neve said with a smile.
"Yes." Arwen looked lovingly at Gannon before she turned back to Neve. "He surprised the hell out of me. I hadn't expected it at all. I'm sure he broke a lot of hearts that day."
They were all laughing when Jalen returned with the rest of the band. Neve once again found herself starstruck as she looked at each one. Their faces were as familiar to her as Jalen's had been. At Trae, her gaze looked way up. Soar's drummer was the tallest, at six-foot-six. All the guys were over six feet, but Trae's height made him stand out. His gray-blue eyes were friendly as he returned her gaze.
Jalen crossed over to where she sat and took her hand as he pulled her to her feet. He then tucked her under his arm, positioning her so she faced his newly arrived friends. "This is Neve," he said to them. "If I have my way, you'll be seeing more of her from here on out."
Neve felt herself blush as her cheeks warmed. "Nice to meet you all. I'm a big fan."
"Well, we're really looking forward to getting to know you better, Neve," Malik said, while Trae and Keiran nodded their heads in agreement.
The way they looked at her, Malik and Keiran in particular, Neve had to wonder what Jalen had told them about her. She wasn't the famous one.
"Thanks," she said.
They all proceeded to take a seat either on the couch or in the two armchairs. A conversation started about what each member of the band had been up to the last few days. Neve could only sit there and listen. They all sounded so normal. Gannon then told the story of how he'd first met Arwen at the skate club she'd coached out of and how he'd gone out on the ice rink to meet her and had fallen on his ass. They all laughed, especially when he said he'd had to embarrassingly get Arwen to help him up.
The conversation then turned back to her when Trae asked, "What do you do, Neve?"
She shook her head. "Nothing for the moment. I'm currently in between jobs. My best friend, Kara, thinks she has a job lined up for me as a hostess at the restaurant she works at, but I'm not sure I really want it."
"I told Neve if she feels that way she shouldn't take it," Jalen said. He turned his head to look at her. "Besides, I have enough money. So you really don't need to get a job."
Neve felt her jaw drop. He couldn't be serious? Yes, he'd asked her to move in with him, but having him support her as well, she didn't know how to react to that. If Jalen had his way he'd have their relationship zooming to a lifelong commitment.
As if she'd guessed how uncomfortable Jalen's statement had made Neve feel, Arwen said, "I think we'll leave that topic for another time."
The conversation shifted to other things, but Neve only paid half attention to it. Her mind kept playing over Jalen's proposal of her living with him and letting him support her. What girl in her right mind would turn down something like that? She knew she couldn't say no to him outright.
She turned to look at Jalen as he laughed at something Malik said and responded with humor in his voice. He still had her tucked under his arm. Neve had to admit it felt nice. And she felt safe with Jalen, somehow protected, not that she needed protection from anything. It was just a sense she got whenever she was close to him.
Should she take everything he offered? The longer she spent with him, and now getting to see what Jalen was like with his friends, Neve found herself leaning more and more toward saying yes.
As it got later in the day, it was decided they'd all eat dinner together. Jalen already had some steaks, but not enough for everyone. That led to the others returning to their own homes to get the rest of what they needed. It was a combined meal with everyone pitching in to help cook. Since they were going to eat out on Jalen's patio, he grilled the steaks on his gas barbeque.
The food and company were good and the wine plentiful. Neve ate until she couldn't eat anymore, but made sure she didn't have too much to drink. Jalen wanted to have that talk with her later and she figured being drunk wouldn't exactly be the best condition to be in when they had it. He'd sounded pretty serious when he'd said he had wanted to tell her something about him.
After the meal, the get-together slowly wound down and Jalen's friends had a last drink, then made their excuses to return to their homes. Once they were alone, still sitting outside at the wrought-iron patio table and nursing a glass of wine, Neve had to admit she could get used to living in a place like this. Plus, it helped that Jalen had his friends as neighbors. She liked them all and the band members were not quite so unapproachable now that she'd gotten to know them better. Malik turned out to be the one who found humor in just about anything and was the first to get the others laughing as well. Keiran was a little more reserved, but Neve had warmed to him, anyway. Trae, she found, was the more thoughtful one and the one the others seemed to turn to for advice or opinion. He came across more as the oldest brother of the group, though as far as Neve knew, the members of Soar were all about the same age.
Then there was Gannon and Arwen. They seemed so much in love, their gazes didn't stray off each other for very long. She also noticed they were almost constantly touching. The only time they hadn't held hands was when they ate. Neve couldn't ever see their relationship failing, which said something, considering what Gannon was. A lot of famous couples ended up divorced, more often than not.
Now alone with Jalen, Neve sipped on her glass of wine. The night was clear. She looked up and saw the stars high above them. She'd had a perfect evening and hoped there would be many more like it.
Jalen drained the rest of his wine and put the empty glass on the table. "What do you say about taking a dip in the hot tub?"
"I'd love to, but I don't have a bathing suit."
He shook his head. "You don't need one. We'll go skinny dipping. What we should probably do is jump into the pool first, then get into the hot tub."
"I'm not running around out here with no clothes on," Neve said. "I know you say your neighbors aren't that close, but I'm not going to take the chance of being seen butt naked."
"Spoilsport," Jalen said with a laugh. "All right, if you're that shy, then just go in your bra and panties. They'll just look like a bikini."
"Fine, you talked me into it."
"Great." Jalen stood. "I'll just go get us some towels and change into my bathing suit. While I'm inside, why don't you strip down?"
Before she could answer, he left and walked into the house. Deciding it wouldn't hurt to do as Jalen had asked, Neve stood and moved slightly away from the table before she took off her jeans and t-shirt. Luckily, the bra and panties she wore were lace-edged cotton instead of the lace see-through set she had back home.
She piled her clothes on top of the patio table and walked over to the pool and hot tub. Sometime when it had grown darker, Jalen had turned on the lights inside both. She dipped her toe into the lighted water of the pool and found it not too cold. The thought of taking a swim first before going into the hot tub didn't sound like a bad idea.
Neve turned to face the French doors on the other side of the patio. Jalen had yet to make an appearance. Her gaze then caught on something that drifted in the air toward her. As it came into focus, she saw it was a large black feather. It seemed too big for any bird she knew that was native to California. Stepping closer, she watched it float through the air before it came to a landing on the brick, not too far from where she stood. Curious, she bent to look at it. The blackness of the feather was marred by a gray tinge on the edges.
She reached to pick it up to take a better look at it when Jalen bellowed at her to stop. Neve straightened as he came barreling out of the house. Her brain barely had time to register what he did, when his hand shot out what looked like a ball of fire before he threw it her way. It hit the feather at her feet, instantly incinerating it.
Neve's gaze shot over to Jalen. "What? How?" She fought to get words out after seeing what he'd done. How was it possible for Jalen to form a fireball in his hand and throw it? That was only something characters could do in comic books, or in the movies. Not a real person.
When he didn't respond, she asked, "Jalen? What the hell was that?"
He came to stand in front of her, his gaze looking all around as if he searched for something. She gasped when his normally light green eyes turned bright silver. Jalen didn't look at her but shifted his gaze to look up at the sky.
He walked around her and shouted, "I know you're here, you bastard. I don't know how you're hiding your presence from me, but your feather gave you away, Vance. Show yourself."
Jalen turned his back to her. In the light from the patio, Neve saw the tattooed wings move as if something shifted under his skin. Not knowing what was going on, or what Jalen was, she slowly backed away from him. The eyes, the fireball, and even his tattoo moving, were sure signs he wasn't entirely like everyone else. Her heart beat at a fast rate, banging hard against her ribcage. She continued to walk backward until there was quite a bit of distance between them.
There was a whoosh of air behind her, then a strong arm wrapped around her waist. She let out a shriek as her feet left the ground. Neve looked at Jalen as he swung around in her direction. A bellow of fury left him as a set of large, black wings appeared on his back. They flapped as he too lifted off the ground.
A male chuckle sounded in her ear. "You can try to follow, Jalen, but it won't do you any good. Your little human is mine now."
Neve turned her head and came face-to-face with the man who held her. He wasn't bad looking, but there was a perceived cruelness about him. It also didn't help that his eyes were black, not just dark brown, but a pure black. Large, black wings rose and fell on his back, a match for the ones Jalen had.
The man gave her a smile that was anything but friendly. "Time to show you exactly what kind of creature you've been cozying up to."
He flapped his wings harder and they took off high into the sky. With his arms clutched around her middle and her back pressed to his chest, her arms and legs dangled when he leveled off. Neve looked to see the ground was a very, very long way down. If he dropped her, there would be no surviving the fall.
The sound of Jalen calling the name of Vance, she had to guess it belonged to her captor. She craned her neck, trying to look behind them, but all she saw were black wings. She tried to call to Jalen, but a large hand slapped over her mouth just as the first sound left her.
"No, you don't," Vance said. "It's time for us to disappear."
He whispered something that almost sounded like a spell under his breath. Neve felt a cold sensation travel across her entire body. Jalen's anguished yell had her desperately trying to peel Vance's hand away from her mouth. It didn't budge. Unable to scream, unable to get free, all Neve could do was allow her captor to fly her away from the one person who could save her.
\*
Jalen hovered in the air, straining his eyes to catch a glimmer of something that would lead him to where Vance and Neve had gone. One minute they'd been there and the next they were gone. And it wasn't as if Vance had bent the meager light around him and Neve, either. Jalen would have been able to see through that. No, it was as if they'd disappeared into thin air. And unlike the first encounter he'd had with Vance, he couldn't sense a malicious presence, the marker that the Alte was nearby.
But there was one other way Jalen could find Neve. Something Vance didn't even know about. Still hovering in place, he closed his eyes and concentrated as he tried to focus on Neve's energy mark. Once he got a bead on it, he could follow it to her exact location.
With a loud curse, Jalen's eyes snapped open when he couldn't get a hold on it. It was as if the energy mark no longer existed. However Vance kept his presence hidden had to be blocking Neve's as well. Frustrated and feeling more desperate to get her back as time went by, he knew he couldn't just fly around, hoping he'd find Vance on his own. He needed help.
Turning around, Jalen headed back to his house. He had to speak to his band mates. With their help, maybe they could find Vance. He couldn't go too far, not while carrying Neve. Her extra weight would tire him out quicker. That left a limited range for them to search. With the light bent around him, Jalen came in for a landing in his backyard. Hiding his wings, he rushed into the house to change out of his bathing suit. He'd get Neve back and make Vance pay for taking her from him.
\*
As Vance came in for a landing, Neve recognized the landscape that rose to meet them. They were somewhere deep inside the Mojave Desert. Their landing spot was in one of the mountain ranges, at the opening of what looked to be a small cave. As soon as their feet hit solid ground, Vance yanked both her arms behind her back. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him pull some thin rope out of the pocket of the jeans he wore. He used it to tie her wrists together. That done, he took hold of her upper arm and pulled her inside the cave.
Once they were past the opening, Vance waved a hand toward it. Rock shot up from the ground, sealing them inside. Neve had to fight a rush of panic as darkness closed around her. It was so absolute she doubted she'd be able to see her hands in front of her face if they had been free. The lack of light didn't last long, though, as a fireball appeared in Vance's hand. He seemed to push it aloft where it stayed as he pulled her toward the back of the cave.
With a hard shove, Vance forced her to sit. Neve looked up at him as his hard gaze nailed her in place. His wings were folded on his back. From what she'd seen of them, she guessed they were about six feet in length when outstretched. She fought the need to scream at him to let her go. It would do her no good. From the way he watched her, his black-eyed gaze roaming over her body, it had goose bumps rising on her skin.
As if he knew exactly what his stare did to her, Vance chuckled. The sound grated on her nerves. "Well, Neve, you're going to be a good little human, or I'll make you wish you'd listened to me in the first place."
Her gaze shot to his. "How...how do you know my name? Can you read minds?"
Vance laughed. "No, I can't read minds. You want to know how I learned your name? That's an easy one. I've watched you all evening. Actually, I watched all of you. And none of you even knew it."
"Why?" She tried to scoot away from him when he squatted in front of her, but her back came up against solid rock, not letting her put any more space between them.
"Why I watched you?" he asked. "Or why did I take you?"
"Both," she said hesitantly.
"That's easy. I watched you to see just how close you'd become to Jalen. As for why I took you---to hit Jalen where it would hurt the most. Right now, he's probably thinking of all the things I can do to you. But I think he's more worried I'll touch you with this."
Neve watched as he brought one of his wings around him. He fanned it out, giving her a good view of the gray powder that appeared on a few of the feathers closest to her. They looked like the one that had floated down through the air toward her back at Jalen's house.
Not waiting for her to respond, Vance continued, "You see the powder? I used it to bring down the rest of our people. It killed every single one of them except for Gannon, Keiran, Trae, Malik and Jalen. Somehow they survived the sickness that decimated the others of our kind."
Neve flinched back as the gray coated feathers came even closer. "What are you? Are all of you some sort of angels?"
Vance's laughter bounced off the cave's walls. "No, though that's what some dumb humans called our kind after a few of them spotted a couple of our people in flight. We're Alte, a winged race of people. At least, I used to be Alte. Now I'm something far better, something more powerful."
"What are you going to do with me?"
"Use you to bring Jalen down, of course. As his mate, you're his weakness. I tried to use Arwen against Gannon by infecting her with my dust, but somehow she survived, just as her mate did. Now you, I'll have to try something different, something more effective."
Vance moved his wing away from her, settling it against his back once more, and stood. His gaze bored into Neve. Even though she shook on the inside, she met his with her own, not willing to let Vance see how scared she was. He was cruel enough that he'd more than likely use it against her.
He snorted. "So you do have some backbone, after all. Good, because you're going to need some of that inner strength if you're going to survive what I'm about to do to you."
Turning his back to her, Vance walked to the side of the cave where a slab of rock had been set up to look like an altar of sorts. On top of it were some dried plants. He picked each bundle up one at a time and examined it. Then, as if he'd memorized some kind of recipe, he broke off certain amounts from each, placing them in a wooden bowl. A wave of his hand and water bubbled up from the cave floor by his feet. Another wave had it lifting off the ground to pour into a heavy wooden cup Vance held out. To that, he added the dried plants he'd measured out. The cup still held in his hand, the liquid inside it boiled, sending steam into the air. He put it on the rock slab, held his hand over it and whispered so low Neve couldn't understand what he said.
Seeming to have forgotten her, he closed his eyes, his brow furrowed as he appeared to concentrate. Neve tested the rope around her wrist. There was no give to it at all. She resisted the urge to keep struggling with it. She didn't need to draw Vance's attention. Giving in to her fear would not help her in the least. She had to keep her head.
Searching the cave for anything that would help free her from her bonds, Neve came up empty. And with the entrance to the cave sealed off, there was no chance of her trying to make a run for it. Not that she'd be able to scale down the ledge the cave was situated on with her hands tied behind her back, anyway.
Neve's gaze turned back to Vance as he strained the heated liquid into another wooden cup. She swallowed back a whimper when he turned her way with the cup in hand. She didn't like the sadistic smile that tugged at his lips as he walked to where she sat.
"Now this is where you have to be the good little human and drink all of this," he said.
She tried to shift out of the way, but Vance moved too fast. He grasped her by the back of her hair and forced her head to remain still. The rim of the cup came to rest on her bottom lip. Neve shook her head in denial, keeping her jaws tightly clamped together.
"You will drink this," Vance snarled.
Willing to risk the pain it would cause, she tried to jerk out of his hold. The pull on her scalp caused her eyes to water.
Vance's face reddened with anger. "I guess you need to learn exactly what I meant when I said you'd wish you did as I told you in the first place."
He released her hair and slapped her across the face hard enough her head jerked back and to the side. It slammed into the rock wall behind her. Neve tasted blood in her mouth, but didn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry out in pain. She only turned her face back in his direction and met his furious gaze.
"So you want to play it that way," he said. "Then fine. We can do that."
He was on her again, this time taking hold of her chin. He cruelly dug his fingers into the corners of her mouth, forcing her to open. Vance tipped her head back and poured the contents of the cup down her throat. Neve had to swallow or risk choking on it. Even then, she coughed as the liquid went down.
Once it was all gone, Vance released her and stood as he watched her gasp for breath. "Now the real fun starts. After my potion has done its job, you'll be the walking, breathing tool of Jalen's destruction. The last kiss you give your mate will be the one to end his stolen immortality. But don't worry. Once he's gone you'll soon follow."
Neve felt a burning in her stomach. It seemed to radiate out from there as if fiery flames coursed through her veins and all of her internal organs. Gasping against the pain, it soon became too much. Feeling as if she'd been set alight, she screamed in agony. All the while, Vance's peals of laughter joined her tortured cries.
It hadn't taken the others too long to meet at Jalen's place after he put through a frantic call to each member of the band. They now all stood in his foyer, discussing the best way to search for Neve. Jalen kept trying to pinpoint her energy mark, but still, it was as if it didn't exist. Each time he failed, it only seemed to increase the anxiety he felt. With each minute that ticked by, there was no telling what Vance could have done to Neve by now. The not knowing drove him crazy.
"I think we need to split up," Trae said. "We'll be able to search a bigger area that way."
"And make sure we all bring our cell phones, so we can get in contact with each other if one of us is able to find Vance," Malik added.
"But where exactly should we look?" Keiran asked.
Jalen blew out a frustrated breath. "He couldn't have gone too far carrying Neve. With her extra weight, he would've tired quicker. He has to be holed up somewhere close."
As Keiran and Malik threw out some suggestions as to where Vance could have ended up, Gannon loudly cleared his throat. "I think I have an idea where he could have gone," he said. "The Mojave Desert. After all, it was home to us for the first part of our lives. Plus, it has numerous places where he could hide, close to San Bernardino."
"Yeah," Malik said, "but that still is a large area to cover. Then there are the mountain ranges. Who knows how many caves there could be."
The more Jalen thought about it, the more the desert being the place made sense. He found himself drawn back to the Mojave for what it had once represented, as did his friends from time to time. Who was to say Vance didn't have some deep-seated need to return to the area of his birth, as they did? Then there was the fact that in the middle of the desert, Vance was less likely to be discovered by humans.
"I think Gannon is right," Jalen said. "And I think that's where Vance as taken Neve. It seems like the logical place. It isn't too far from here and it's desolate enough for him to stay under any human's radar."
"Then I guess we have our search area," Trae said. "We'll each take a section."
Jalen patted his front jeans pocket to make sure his cell phone was still there. "If we all have our phones, then let's get a move on. I can't stop thinking about what Vance could be doing to Neve."
After the others gave the okay that they had their cells with them, they took off their shirts, their wings manifesting on their backs.
Arwen, who had kept silent up until now, gave her mate a kiss before she turned to Jalen. "I wish I'd gotten wings as well, or I would be flying along with the rest of you, to help find Neve."
"I know," he said. "But it's best you stay as far away from Vance as you can."
They walked to the back of the house and out the French doors to the backyard. One by one they took off in flight. Flying in a close group, they headed for the desert. It didn't take them long to reach it.
Peeling off to take a different section to search, Jalen flew away by himself, the same as the others did. He hoped like hell he was the one to find Vance. It would give him great satisfaction to smash his fist repeatedly into the other Alte's face until it was nothing more than a bloody pulp, for daring to take what belonged to Jalen. Neve was his, was his mate. He loved her. It didn't feel right not to have her at his side. For so long he'd been alone, and now, he didn't want that kind of life anymore. Neve filled the loneliness he really hadn't known he'd had until he'd met her. And it took Vance abducting her for it all to really hit home just how much---and in such a short period of time---she'd come to mean to him. He'd get her back. He had to.
Flapping his wings harder, Jalen rose a little higher as he carefully searched the ground below. Not that he expected to find Vance in this area. It was too open and flat to serve as a hiding place. As he continued, every few seconds, he tried to focus on Neve's energy mark. He came to a standstill mid-flap and pulled himself upright to hover in the air at his full height when he found a small glimmer of what he'd tried to find. He couldn't focus on it strong enough to pinpoint her exact location, but it was more than he needed to know the general area she'd be.
Jalen flattened out and flew toward the mountain range far off in the distance. Gannon was right. Vance was where he'd thought he'd be. Not calling the others to let them know he had a possible lead just yet, Jalen decided to wait until he had a confirmed location first.
\*
Neve came to her senses a bit when she felt the cool metal of a blade being put between her wrists and the rope cut from them. She didn't move after she was free of her bonds. The burning pain had diminished somewhat, but it still had her curled up into a ball. Her throat was raw from the screams of pain she hadn't been able to hold back. She felt as if her entire insides had been seared with a hot poker. It hurt to draw breath into her lungs. Even her skin ached. Where her meager amount of clothes touched, it felt as if she were being flayed alive.
She cracked open her eyes to find Vance squatted in front of her, gazing at her closely. He nodded. "You're definitely ready. It's time to leave you for Jalen to find."
"I won't do it," she croaked. "I won't let him kiss me."
Vance chuckled with no humor in the sound. "Oh but you will. You see, the pain won't go away until you do. How long do you think you can last before you'll do anything to make it stop? Right now, it has eased some. But when you're with Jalen, it will increase again the longer you keep him away."
"I still won't."
"You think that now, but I doubt you'll be able to stay strong enough to do it. Plus, you're forgetting about Jalen. Once you start screaming in pain again, he'll do anything he can to comfort you. And while you're too weak to push him away, he'll kiss you somewhere, even if it's on your forehead. That's all it'll take---his lips connecting with your skin. Now on your feet. It's time to leave my little present for Jalen."
Slowly, Neve uncurled her body, panting at the pain that slight movement had caused. But she mustn't have moved fast enough for Vance's liking. He went to grab her by the arm. Not wanting him to touch her, to cause her even greater pain, she flinched out of the way. One of his fingers still managed to graze her skin, though. She whimpered, but it was Vance's shout of surprise that overshadowed it.
He held the finger he must have touched her with out in front of him. Neve was able to see lines of black appearing in his skin, slowly making their way farther toward his hand. Vance hurriedly uttered some words under his breath and the lines retreated until they completely disappeared.
Noticing her watching him, he smiled, then broke out in a pleased sounding laugh. "Well, it seems my spell has worked even better than I expected. It's going to take much less than a kiss to seal Jalen's doom." Vance laughed again. "Thank goodness I created a counterspell, or I would have gotten a taste of what is in store for your mate." He nudged her in the ribs with his foot. "Up. Now. Since you're a little more effective than I thought, I really don't think it would be wise for me to be around you."
Knowing full well if she didn't do what he said the nudge could lead to a kick, Neve painfully brought her arms around to her front, so she could use them to push herself into a sitting position. Once she did, she looked at her hands in horror. The same black lines that had appeared on Vance's skin crawled up the length of them, all the way up her arms. She didn't have to look to guess she'd find them on her legs and the rest of her body as well. It would explain why her skin felt so raw.
"Move it," Vance snapped. "Outside."
The rock blocking the entrance to the cave dropped, disappearing below the surface of the ground. After Neve had painfully gained her feet, what felt like a hard gust of wind hit her in the back, pushing her toward the opening. Another one hit her, forcing her the rest of the way out and onto the ledge. She stumbled and fell. She looked up to find Vance standing over her.
"Time for me to leave," he said. "I don't think you'll be alone for too long. I'd stay to watch Jalen's demise, but I'm sure he won't come by himself. Five against one isn't exactly good odds in my favor."
Vance snapped open his wings and launched himself off the ledge. He then disappeared from sight. Neve looked out into the darkness, but couldn't see him anywhere. He'd somehow hidden himself again.
No longer sheltered inside the cave, she shivered in the cold desert air. Her bra didn't exactly offer much in the way of protection from it. Her teeth chattered, causing jarring pain inside her head. Thinking to get into the protection of the rock chamber, she shifted until she faced the entrance. Much to her dismay, the opening was no longer there. Vance must have sealed it shut. Feeling weak from the pain that still coursed through her body, Neve dragged herself over to the rock wall, hoping it still held some of the warmth from the day.
It had a little, but pressing against it only caused her more pain. She looked up at the night sky. The stars were so much brighter out in the desert than in the city. The moon was almost full, giving some light to see by.
Neve had no idea if Jalen would be able to find her here, but a small part of her didn't want him to. Not when it meant his death. She'd rather suffer than do anything to cause him harm. Just thinking about how badly this could end brought tears to her eyes. Never to see his smiling face again, or to wake up in his arms after they'd made love, made her heart ache. With death hovering on the horizon for possibly both of them, it had Neve realizing how much she needed him in her life. She'd fallen for him---hard. It wasn't just a crush because he was a famous, hot rock star, as she'd feared it would turn out to be. She loved him for him. And even though he happened to have real wings, it didn't take away anything from how she felt about him. Going through a crisis seemed to crystallize all her feelings much faster than they would have on their own.
And since she loved him, Neve knew she had to do something to make sure nothing happened to Jalen. She looked over where the ledge dropped off. She was pretty sure she was high enough to do a lot of damage. To safeguard Jalen, all she had to do was go to the edge and walk off it. She obviously had to be alive for whatever Vance had done to her to work, since once Jalen was dead, she'd soon follow.
Neve wiped away the tears that coursed down her cheeks. She grimaced when she pulled her hand away to see the wetness had a black tinge to it. Ignoring the pain it caused, she pushed to her feet and slowly walked to the edge. She peered over it. The distance to the ground below looked to be a very long way down.
She breathed faster as she slowly inched closer and closer to the lip of the ledge. Tears flowed once more. She could do this. She had to do this. It would save Jalen. And if the others happened to be with him, it would more than likely save them as well. Neve didn't think for one moment Jalen was the only one who would be susceptible to whatever Vance had done. He'd touched her and something had happened to him from it as well.
Neve inched a little closer. The tip of one of her feet hung just over the edge. One big step---that was all it would take. She brought her other foot even with the first. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths---even though it hurt like hell---to screw up enough courage to take that first big step into thin air. Her instinct to survive screamed at her not to do it.
She snapped open her eyes when the sound of her name being bellowed reached her. Neve looked around, at first not seeing anything. She then sucked in a breath as Jalen came close enough for her to distinguish him from the rest of the dark night around him. He flew in so fast she barely had enough time to throw herself away from the edge and him.
"No," she screamed as he came to land in front of her with his arms outstretched. "No! Don't touch me!"
"Neve?"
"Vance did something to me. You can't touch me or you'll die."
Jalen's bright, silver-eyed gaze focused on her. His face went hard, a string of curses leaving him as he balled his fists at his sides. His wings twitched on his back.
"What did he do to you?" he asked.
"He forced me to drink some kind of potion he made. All I know is, it will be deadly to you if you touch me."
Neve sucked in a sharp breath as a wave of pain shot through her. She groaned before she could stop herself. Vance had warned her it would increase once she was with Jalen again.
"Neve? What is it?" He took another step closer.
"Don't," she yelled.
"You're in pain."
"It doesn't matter. There's nothing you can do, anyway."
Jalen pulled his cell phone out of his jeans pocket. "There has to be something. I have to call the others and tell them I've found you. They're searching for you as well."
As he talked on the phone, Neve slowly inched her way back over to the lip of the ledge. It was the only answer. She was almost there. Just a little bit farther and it would be all over. Jalen would be safe.
Not daring to look at him in case the sight of him caused her to chicken out, Neve focused on her destination. A little bit more. There. She was just about to walk off into oblivion when Jalen soared in to intercept her, his wings flapping to keep him hovering in front of her.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Neve?" he asked sharply.
Tears blurred her vision. "It's the only way. You can't undo what Vance did to me. The pain I feel is only going to get worse the longer I keep you away. He said it would only end after you touched me. Then you'll die. I won't let that happen, because I..." She groaned as another wave of pain slammed into her.
"Because why?" Jalen asked. His gaze latched onto hers.
"Because I love you too much to be the cause of your death. I would rather it was me."
He flew a little closer. "And I would rather die than let you make such a sacrifice. I love you too, Neve. The others are coming. I think there might be a way to save you, but I have to talk it over with Gannon and Trae first." He gaze softened. "Don't give up just yet. Please."
The way he looked at her, Neve realized she wouldn't be able to do it. She also had the feeling if she jumped, Jalen would only catch her as she fell, which would defeat the whole purpose of her doing it in the first place. With a nod, she backed away from the edge. Jalen flew closer until his feet touched the ledge, then he tucked his wings along his back.
As each one of Jalen's friends arrived, the greater Neve's pain became. She bit down on her bottom lip until she tasted blood to stop herself from screaming with it. After the others landed, there was barely enough room for all of them---and for her to keep a safe distance. Neve stumbled backward until she had a rock wall at her back.
Jalen quickly filled Malik, Trae, Gannon and Keiran in on what Vance had done to her. After he finished talking, all five Alte turned toward her. Behind them, she noticed the sky had barely lightened at the horizon. Dawn would arrive soon.
Still keeping his gaze locked on her, Jalen asked, "Do you think what you did to Arwen will help her, Gannon?"
His friend nodded. "It cured Arwen of the illness Vance had given her. She would have died if not for the life energy exchange."
"I think you have to do it," Trae said.
Neve groaned as the pain increased once again. She didn't know how much longer she'd be able to act as if she didn't have hot pokers searing her insides. "Do what?"
Jalen stepped away from the others, drawing as close as she'd let him. "Make us mates. Make you a little like me."
"You mean give me wings? I don't think they'll help."
"Not wings---but make you immortal. I have to take most of your life energy and then give you back some of mine."
"How do you know you can even do that?" she asked as she panted.
"I've already absorbed some of yours while we were together in bed. It's how I came to realize you were my mate. Gannon went through the same with Arwen when he first met her. The exchange saved her life and she is as immortal as he is. Will you let me try?"
Finally unable to hold back any longer, she whimpered, "This hurts so bad. I don't think I can take any more. Do it. Just do it."
Jalen inched closer until they were almost toe-to-toe, his face a mask of concern. His gaze held hers, his brow furrowed as he concentrated. Neve locked her knees to keep herself upright, waiting for whatever he was going to do to take away her pain, but nothing happened. It still tortured her.
After a few more seconds, Jalen said sharply, "It's not working. Gannon, how did you get it to start?"
"I didn't," Gannon replied. "It just sort of happened. All I thought of was how I would do anything to save Arwen, even give up my own life. She was on the bed and I leaned over and kissed her forehead. While I was over her, that's when I pulled her life energy into me."
"Right," Jalen said. "Neve, lie on the ground."
She shook her head. "You can't kiss me, Jalen. Not even on the forehead."
"I won't touch you, but I think I have to lean over you as Gannon did to Arwen to get the exchange to start."
Trusting Jalen would make sure he didn't come in contact with any part of her skin, Neve slowly stretched out on the rocky ledge. He knelt at her side and leaned over her, supporting himself on his hands on either side of her head. They locked gazes once again. This time, she saw desperation in his silver eyes.
Then she felt it. Something happened. She found it harder to get enough air in her lungs. Her heart labored inside her chest. She felt herself panic. "Jalen? I can't breathe..." She let her words trail off as she fought for her next breath.
"It's okay. It's working. I'm going to have to bring you to the point of death. Keep looking at me. I'm right here with you."
It became harder and harder to get enough oxygen. Her heart slowed, skipped a beat. Only the sight of Jalen staring down at her with all the love he felt for her showing in his eyes kept her from a full-blown panic attack. Her heart slowed even more. Her vision slowly dimmed. She exhaled and didn't take another breath. Just before the world went completely black, something slammed into her, causing her back to arch.
When it was over, she settled down on the ground, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, filling her lungs with much needed air. While she did nothing but breathe, Neve took stock of herself. The pain was gone, leaving no weakness behind. She actually felt better than she had before Vance had taken her. Probably better than she ever had her entire life.
The sensation of Jalen kissing her forehead made her jerk and her eyes snap open. He wore a large smile. "It's all right. Whatever Vance did to you is gone. Look."
He picked up her hand and held it for her to see. The black lines that had marred her skin were completely gone. Finally able to touch Jalen without having to worry she would cause his death, she sat up and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him tight. The feathers of his wings tickled the backs of her hands. Tears of relief flowed, wetting his bare chest. Unable to do anything but cling to him, she didn't protest when he picked her up and held her tightly against him. Nor did she say anything when his wings snapped open and they were in the air, flying off the ledge.
\*
Jalen cradled Neve close as he came in for a landing in the backyard of his home. The sun shone bright as he tucked his wings on his back and carried her inside. Now that she knew about him, he didn't bother to hide his eyes or wings. He headed right up the stairs to the upper level and didn't stop until he reached his bedroom.
Letting Neve down on her feet, he cupped her face and lifted it so she looked at him. No marks marred her skin, not even the split lip she'd had before he'd done the exchange. It hadn't been too hard to figure out Vance had hit her. Jalen would make him pay for that, but right now, he was content just to look into his mate's silver eyes.
He bent and brushed her lips with his. "How do you feel?"
"Better. A lot better." She nibbled at her bottom lip. "So I guess this means I'm immortal now?"
He smiled. "Yes. And there is one other change I have to show you."
Taking her hand, he led Neve into the en suite and positioned her in front of the mirror. She sucked in a breath when she saw her eyes and leaned in closer to get a closer look at them. She then met his gaze in the glass.
"My eyes are silver like yours. You said Gannon did the exchange with Arwen, but hers looked no different."
Jalen placed his hands on the top of Neve's shoulders. "That's because Gannon taught her how to hide them, just as I'll teach you." He hesitated for a few seconds, then asked the question that needed to be asked. "Are you okay with all of this, Neve? With what I had to do to save you and about me not being human?"
She spun around to face him and placed her hands on his chest. "I told you I loved you. What you are doesn't change how I feel. And if you hadn't done the exchange, either one of us could have died. I'd say getting immortality so I can have forever with the man I love is worth everything."
With a moan, he bent his head and took her lips in a heated kiss. His cock hardened as the need to take his mate, to have the ultimate joining with her that would reaffirm she was still his, pounded inside him. While his lips moved on hers, Neve's hands stroked up his back until she reached where his wings were attached. She lightly touched where feathers met skin. Jalen couldn't hold back a loud moan of pleasure as his cock jerked.
Neve pulled away, breaking the contact with his mouth. She smiled. "I can tell you liked that." She rubbed herself against him. "I think I want to feel those wings wrapped around me as you make love to me."
She didn't need to say it twice. He took off her bra before she said another word. His need for her was a living, breathing thing. Once she took off her panties and he, his jeans, they stood completely naked. Jalen took hold of her hips and pulled her farther away from the counter. He then brought his wings around and wrapped them about Neve, closing them both inside them.
Her heated gaze met his as she wrapped her hand around his cock and stroked him. "I want you take me. Now. I don't think I can wait another minute."
"I won't make you wait."
With his wings and arms around her, Jalen lifted Neve off her feet. She put her legs around his waist as he positioned her, surging up and inside her pussy. She was more than wet and he easily sank into her. Holding her bottom, he lifted her off his cock, then back into her. It felt so good having her warm wetness closing around his shaft. And after almost losing her, he knew he wasn't going to last much longer. In and out he pumped. Neve locked her ankles at the small of his back and used her legs to help move her up and down his cock. Her cries of passion echoed off the bathroom's walls.
Just as he was about to exploded, she let out a keening moan and her pussy clutched at his shaft, milking it in a tight fist as she came. He let out a bellow and followed her in climax, his cock pulsing deep inside her pussy, filling her with his cum.
Struggling to catch his breath, Jalen held her close. Once he could trust his legs not to collapse on him, he carried Neve out to the bedroom and then the bed. He pulled back the covers and put her in it. Her eyes were closed and her breathing had evened out in sleep. Climbing in beside her, he lay on his stomach and held her to his side as he protectively draped a wing over her.
Before sleep finally claimed him, Jalen made a vow to himself that he would do everything in his power to make Neve happy, to make her never regret becoming his mate. And the first thing he'd do was make love to her for the rest of the day. A smile tugged at his lips as he thought of what he had to look forward to.
About the Author:
Marisa Chenery was always a lover of books, but after reading her first historical romance novel she found herself hooked. Having inherited a love for the written word, she soon started writing her own novels.After trying her hand at writing historicals, she now writes paranormals.Marisa lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and four children.
Check out Marisa's website at www.marisachenery.com. She would love to hear from you, so drop her an email while you're there.

