Choices: Immortal Protectors, Prequel Read online

  Beautiful blue eyes met his, her lips pressed tight and her brow crinkled. “We just had unprotected sex.”

  “You don’t have anything to worry about.” He pressed a kiss to her creased brow. “Are you sorry this happened?” Somehow he had to work the conversation into telling her they were now bonded for life.

  Her lips curved into a mischievous smirk. “In truth, although I'm not a one night stand kind of woman, I would have kicked myself if I wouldn’t have been with you before I left. I don’t think I’ve ever met a hotter guy.” She shrugged and snuggled closer. "Are you."

  He let out a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding. “You think I’m hot?”

  She rolled her eyes at him. “Ah yeah, and I’m sure I’m not the first woman to tell you that.” Rachel kissed his jaw, her lips lingering. “The hottest guy I've ever seen.” She drew a circle on his chest with her forefinger. "Unforgettably Hot."

  Crap he was hard again. Not now. Talk first. Tell her everything. Not that they had any choice of remaining together. Separation from a bonded mate was not an option, it was not only physically painful, but the need to connect would become all-consuming if they were separated for too long, especially when the connection was new.

  “We need to talk,” Roderick began. “We have something special here and I need to explain…” his thoughts faded as Rachel drew herself against his body and began to kiss him again.

  “Explain this to me again? Because you gave me your blood, I’m immortal now?” just as expected as soon as he began to explain the situation, Rachel was no longer curled beside him. Instead she paced in front of the bed, his t-shirt back on. His gaze followed her, roaming over the enticing figure. She was beautiful, tall and sinewy but rounded in the right places. Her long golden chestnut hair that fell almost to her waist was a tussled mess thanks to his fingers.

  His Mate. Well, he’d lucked out in the looks department, she was gorgeous.

  “Are you listening to me?”

  Ah, not really. “I didn't think about the consequences. I took an oath when I became a doctor to save lives when possible. I couldn’t leave you to die. I had to do something, anything, to ensure you a chance of survival. It wasn’t until my roommate brought it up that I realized the full impact of giving you my blood.”

  Finally she moved closer, but far enough he couldn't reach her and sat at the foot of the bed. Her curious eyes studied him. “What exactly are you?”

  “I am an immortal, part of a group of men known as the Protectors. Cyn, my roommate is one too. Our sole purpose is to defend innocents from beings that kill. Like the one that attacked you.”

  Other than a slight widening of her eyes, she seemed to take news well. “Were you born this way?”

  “No.” He shook his head. “We are predestined. Chosen by I don’t know whom. At about twenty or so, I began to change. My vision became sharper, hearing keener, and I grew almost a foot and bulked up. The pains were excruciating, the nightmares terrifying. It was during this time that our leader, Julian, came to me and explained what happened and why.”

  When Rachel began to shake, Roderick couldn’t stop himself from pulling her into his arms and smoothing her hair.

  “How old are you?” she asked against his chest.

  “I’m not sure. I was born around 300 AD in Sparta.”

  Eyebrows lifted, her tempting lips forming an O. “Holy crap! A Spartan, I’ve read about your kind. The fact that your race were known warriors, I can understand why you were chosen.” She reached for his hair, her fingers combing through the strands. “Is that why your hair is silver?”

  “No, my hair has always been this color.”

  He pulled his mate tighter against him and cleared his throat. “There’s more you need to know.”

  Brave. She pushed back, slipped from the bed and once again put distance between them. She leaned against his dresser, her arms crossed. "Explain to me. Why am I immortal?"

  "You may or may not be. But I would venture to guess my blood will insure your life is prolonged. I am not sure as we are forbidden from giving our blood to humans...mortals."

  "So you broke some kind of law for me?"

  He closed his eyes for the moment, not wanting to think of Julian's reaction to the news. The Roman was not exactly a nice guy on the best of days. "Yes."

  "What else?"

  "We are bonded. Mated. Tied to one another."

  It was easy to see the wheels turning as her expressions changed from questioning, to 'oh shit' and finally to oh hell no. Intelligent from the fact that she reacted by asking another question and not exploding. "Can it be broken?"

  He shrugged and clenched his hands. Talk was not what he wanted to do at the moment. Her scent filled his every sense, he itched to touch her again, to have her once again. The last thing he expected after so many years of existence was to bond, to be responsible for a female. His life was not easy. Waking each morning more of a gift than a given. Then there was the matter of Julian's reaction to the situation.

  He looked to the ceiling only to snap back to Rachel when Rachel let out a huff. "Well can it?"

  "I don't think so. Julian would know. But I doubt it. We are tied for life."

  She didn't hold back this time. "The hell you say. I chose who I marry and when. I am not like you, not going to happen buddy."

  Instead of replying he fell back on the bed and put his hands behind his head, attention on the whirling ceiling fan. "It's not like I planned it. So you're not the only one stuck."

  She loomed over him, her bright eyes meeting his. "Aren't you going to do something?"

  "Yeah, but I have to plan, think it through."

  Her gaze traveled from his eyes to his mouth and finally to his very obvious desire and she let out a gasp and swallowed. "Shit."

  "I know."

  "Will it always feel this strong? This need is crazy." Rachel let her mouth fall open and she squeezed her legs together. "I can't allow it to take control."

  "But?" Roderick reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. "Come. I will only get worse if we resist."

  "Damn it," she exclaimed, "I really need to go."

  She climbed over him and straddled his waist, her sex flush against his and this time is was Roderick who let out a loud gasp. "Shit."

  "One more time, but then I'm leaving."

  "Yeah...about that..."

  Her hands stopped him from saying anything further as she pushed his shorts low on his hips, grabbed his thickness and led him inside her. Talking time ended.

  Chapter Three

  The back streets of Midtown were quiet and full of shadows. Places for dark Fae to hide with their unlucky victims. The crunching of gravel under his boots seemed to echo. Yeah so he wasn't being stealth this night, but whatever. If an idiot was stupid enough to hunt in his territory then he'd at least give him a running start.

  And...there he was. The thing darted from behind a dumpster and ran away from where Roderick. It sprinted like an Olympian going for the gold only to shriek and skid to a stop when Cyn appeared at the end of the street.

  The Scot lifted his chin as if in greeting. "All alone tonight? Kill your date or something?"

  The demon growled and yanked out a handgun. He cranked his head to Roderick and then back to Cyn. "Let me by. I'll shoot you in the head. Even you cannot survive that."

  Cyn rolled his eyes and lifted a brow at Roderick. "Seriously. That's all you got?"

  The gun blast echoed, a second later, with a swift slash of his sword, the demon's head rolled onto the ground. Cyn was looking behind him to ensure no one was shot while both the body and head evaporated, a thick blue smoke spreading over the ground like a mist.

  "Well that was boring," Cyn said waiting for Roderick to sheath his sword. "What about the victim?"

  "Homeless man. Dead." Roderick stalked to the sidewalk and let out a breath. "Do you ever take anything serious?"

  His friend seemed to ponder. "Nope."

  Cynden
Fraser was young get, at only two hundred and twenty five, not tired of the continuous circle of killing demons only for them to multiply.

  The never-ending war between the protectors and dark forces was rarely with odds in their favor. He longed for a time when they would grow exponentially. Julian had recruited hundreds into their army, but when fighting thousands of evil creatures, it made little difference.

  He had to admit, they were stronger, faster and had the advantage of not having to feed from humans to survive. Yet at the same time, he wondered at times what the point of it all was.

  "Three o'clock," Cyn muttered watching three men and two women heading to another sidestreet. The women giggled loudly at something one of the males said.

  "Dark Fae," Roderick said and picked up the pace. "Lets ruin their party."

  They rushed into the darkness then stopped abruptly. Roderick stilled his breath and allowed his keen ears to pick up where the people had gone. "There," he motioned to a door on the side of the industrial looking building. "Cover me."

  Careful to not make noise, he pulled the door open and stepped into the darkness. It reeked of a mixture of oil and dampness. The shuffling of a rodent and the wind against the top windows were the only noise until a soft whimper sounded from deeper inside.

  His partner went to the left side and Roderick to the right and they stalked forward. He caught himself smiling. Okay so maybe there was the thrill of the hunt that showed up at times like this. It was like a game of cat and mouse. The only downer in the whole situation was the possibility of victims being hurt or worse.

  Shouts sounded and they took advantage of the nose to race to a side room. I must have been an office at one time, but it seemed the demons had gone all Martha Steward and fixed it up to look like a bedroom, curtains included.

  Five sets of eyes looked to the door, three wider than the other three. The demons hissed and snarled as one of the women slid down the wall, flopping onto the floor. Both women were nude, obviously they'd been led to believe it was going to be an orgy. Perhaps after they'd fed, they planned to keep them alive to have sex. Sooner or later, they'd kill the women.

  Two of the three demons flew at them, knives in hand. The one that attacked Roderick held two long wicked looking knives. He sliced across the air over and over. "You'll be chopped up in little pieces by the time I'm done." He slashed again. "We'll finish our party while you lay on the ground bleeding." He stepped closer and attempted to stab him. "I'm going to fuck you up..."

  The demon's head plopped onto the floor with a sickening thud and the other woman shrieked so loud his ears rang. The remaining male had escaped out through a window while he and Chatty Kathy had fought. Cyn had gone after him and he remained in the room with the nude women.

  "Get dressed he told the one who continued to whimper. Help me get some clothes on your friend." He bent to the woman who'd passed out. She'd been bitten, but from the looks of it the demon had only commenced to feed.

  "Am I going to turn into a vampire?" The other woman asked as she scrambled into her dress. "Oh my God. I don't want to become something like that."

  "You won't." He tugged a tshirt onto the limp woman.

  When Cyn came back a few moments later both women sat on the bed and stared at him. The one who'd fainted was obviously drunk. "He's hot," she told one one in particular, then glanced to Roderick. "You're hot."

  Roderick looked at Cyn. "Scrub them. I'm going to scout and make sure no one else was coming to join the festivities."

  The street was deserted. Not quiet as the sounds of passing cars and voices of people on the busier street in front of the building floated in the air.

  Seconds later the women came out from the building, gave him a curious look and scrambled to the sidewalk. He walked behind them and watched them until they melded with others on the sidewalk.

  "What did you say to them? They gave me a strange look."

  "That you couldn't get a hard-on screamed to them you were gay and ran outside crying."

  Roderick gave Cyn a droll look. "I'm serious."

  "So am I." The guy walked off whistling.

  "You're an asshole." Roderick let out a breath. If he killed his partner, he'd be paired off with either Thor, a Viking who was about as subtle as a category five tornado, or the Moor who gave him the creeps. The guy never talked and moved so silently even other protectors lost him.

  "Wait up. Let's go grab a bite."

  Cynden always hungry stopped midstride. "Good idea."

  They settled into a booth in an all night diner. Cyn squirted ketchup into his mouth. "I'm starving."

  It was almost one in the morning and soon the place would be filled with clubbers. As much as he hated being seen out in leathers and a sword across his back, he couldn't help the rumble in his stomach. Lately he was always hungry.

  "You need to get laid more. Not like you to take so many meal breaks."

  "I get laid enough," he grunted not wanting to discuss Rachel with Cyn. "More than you." He added with a raised eyebrow just to egg his partner on.

  Cyn shrugged. "I'm not bonded, so I can go longer. Not that I enjoy doing the left hand gig, but whatever. Women are not worth the trouble."

  That was a true statement. Most women were not worth it. But when he thought of Rachel, he could not picture life without her. She was beautiful, giving and in bed, they were like...

  "Dude you're smiling." Cyn leaned across the table and snapped his fingers in front of Roderick's face. "What you want to order?"

  It was then he noticed a server stood beside the table staring at him. "Sir, can I take your order?"

  "Yeah...a double burger with cheese, two orders of fries and a milkshake."

  When the waitress shuffled off, Cyn laughed. "So when does your girl move in? Can I stay or should I start looking for a place?"

  "Don't know. And yeah...as much as you annoy me, I'd rather you not move out."

  "My heart flutters," Cyn said and squirted more ketchup into his mouth. "You love me...you really love me."

  "I'm stuck with you, which is very different."

  The server brought their shakes and both delved in. Cyn gave him a quizzical look. "Truth is I hope she comes around soon. She's your other half and I'm happy for you brother."

  "Shit now he had to admit he liked the guy."

  Chapter Four

  “How long are you going to torture the poor man?” Rachel’s mother, Mariam, eyed the long stemmed white rose in her hand. Rachel turned away to fill a crystal bud vase and placed the bloom in it before setting it on the counter.

  That her mom accepted the news of her newly prolonged life and being mated forever to an immortal demon slayer so well still amazed her. Perhaps her mother’s addiction to paranormal romance finally came in handy. Over time, they’d figure out how to break the news to her father, but for now, they kept the secret between them.

  “For two weeks you’ve kept him at arms length knowing darn well you’re in love with him.” Her mom arched a knowing brow. “Deny it.”

  After much cajoling, Rachel had convinced Roderick her mother would have to know by telling him that she could never keep the secret from who she considered her best friend. Besides, there was no way in hell she was going through it alone. She observed her mother glance at the rose, her lips pursed. Maybe this had been a mistake.

  A snappy retort in check, she replied. “I don’t like that Roderick didn’t give me a choice in this.” Her chin jutted out at the hollow words. “He took the choice of who I would spend my life with away from me.”

  “Roderick sleeps here often.” With a sparkle in her eye, Mariam picked up her cup of tea and sipped, her soft blue eyes watching her over the rim. “You’re obviously enjoying the relationship.”

  “Mom! I told you, we have to. As bonded mates it’s physically painful not to er…touch regularly.” A tingle swept through her as the picture of Roderick under her, his handsome face thrown back while she rode him, earlier that morning flash
ed into her mind. Her gaze slid toward her bedroom where he presently slept.

  Every day Roderick brought a token, whether a rose like today, some chocolate or her favorite cappuccino from the nearby café. Not only that, but their chemistry was off the charts. She couldn’t deny that the handsome man fulfilled her every dream in a partner.

  “All right I admit that the basis of my reluctance to accept him fully, and to move in together is fear.” Rachel flipped absently through a Southern Lady magazine on the kitchen table. “I’m not ready to lose the little bit of control I have left. Mom, you know I'm not a control freak by nature or even close, but it’s just that this entire scenario takes time to get used to.”

  Her mother’s hand covered hers in understanding.

  Roderick proved to be a patient man, other than coming to her bed every morning, he never pressured her to make the decision to live together. She’d never deny him her body. Nor would she chance being the cause of him being hurt or worse. If he fought with the distraction of their bond calling, he could be killed.

  Not that she could resist Roderick anyway. By the time he arrived at her home at dawn, her desire for him was so overwhelming she practically took the man in the doorway.

  Then there was a new matter she’d not expected, another blow to her already fragile hold on sanity. She suspected she was expecting. How would Roderick react if her suspicions that she was pregnant were true?

  “Well he’s not going to wait for ever, honey.” Her mother jutted her back to the conversation. “If I were you, I’d make up my mind one way or another. It’s not fair to either one of you if there’s no choice anyway is there?” Her mom stood to go. “I better go, I have a tennis match with your dad in half an hour.” She paused and smiled at Rachel. “Just think about it. Drag the situation out too long and he’ll figure out a way to break this bond thing.”

  Would he? Her stomach flipped.