Running in Fear: Ghost Warrior Read online

  “There is nothing to apologize for -- you are a trained warrior, and I’m in your home.” She moved to the large window and stared out of it. “The witch woman, Marsha, was right. You will not be serving me anymore, my friend.” Isabel glanced at him over her shoulder.

  “It’s time for your life to begin anew, and it seems it’s going to start on Earth. I just have one piece of advice for you; give your new mate time to adjust, Nikola. This woman is a moth and she is waiting to fly. If you and your other mates push her too hard, she’ll fly away, never to return.” His queen spoke in riddles, and he frowned.

  At seven feet tall, Nikola stared down at his queen, who was about two feet smaller than him. She laughed, and turned completely around to hug him.

  “We have been friends for a long time Nikola, and you have been by my side for over two hundred years. It’s time for you to have your own life, a woman to warm your bed, and your heart.

  Now, I would like your recommendation for your replacement.

  After all, it took me twenty years to find you.” Isabel smiled up at him. “I do expect you to bring your mate around when you are able.” She sighed, and he knew she was remembering their time together.

  He lifted her chin up, and brushed her hair back. “I don’t know how it’s possible for you, or this witch, to know my mate when I don’t even know, but I trust you Isabel. As far as my recommendation, let me think on it. There is no hurry.” Nikola kissed her lips softly. “Hendricks, is a very lucky man.”

  “Yes I am.” Hendricks stepped into the room, as the last word left his mouth, and held out his hand to her. “Are you ready?” Isabel, took her mate’s hand, and grinned at him, as she went into Hendrick’s arms. “Go find your mate, Nikola, but…” She glanced behind her at him, her eyes sad. “She’s going to need all of you Nikola. You will be her anchor, don’t back down. She’ll need a strong hand, and a patient one.” Both of them disappeared from his living room, leaving him confused, and for the first time in years, uncertain.

  The only female that… Lissa. “Oh hell!” He flashed back to the mansion and walked the distance to her room, as he tried to make sense of everything. In the hallway, lined up against the wall, or standing about, were the men of these few women.

  “It’s pretty sad…” Dominic nodded to the men. “Isn’t it?” As he came up next to Nikola and glanced around them. “Every man here is a dominate man, an alpha, and wouldn’t hesitate to kill anything that would harm what was theirs. But yet, when you see something like this, you wonder who is really in control.”

  “Hmph, I know for a fact that Jaycee has me wrapped around her pinky finger.” Remi laughed, and stepped up on his other side, slapping him on the back. “Welcome to the ring of the unknown.

  The only thing we are certain of, is our mates, and when we find them.”

  Dominic held out his hand to him and he shook it. “And so we follow the most precious thing in our lives, making sure nothing happens to her, because if one scratch, one tear, or one unhappy thought descends on her, you want to tear the world apart to change it, to make her smile once again.”

  The door opened and one by one the women slowly came out.

  Suzanne’s gaze never left Dominic’s and made her way straight to him, Jaycee to Remi. “We would sell our souls, relive our nightmares, or give up our lives, so you may lead, and protect the innocent, from those that would destroy their chance at happiness.” Suzanne whispered and kissed Dominic’s chest.

  Jaycee cupped Remi’s cheek. “You are the men of the future, our leaders, our masters, the ones who will guide the future genera-tions, teach them how to survive in this new world evolving around us. Our children would have no chance at life if you were not here, we are only the vessels to your souls, we cradle and love them like we would our own children.”

  Tears slid down her cheeks as Jaycee rested her head on Remi’s chest. “We have six hours to rest Remi, before they will try to break into the house, and Remi…” She glanced up at him almost as if lost. “Someone inside will let them in.” Jaycee wrapped her arms around him as best she could with the girth in front of her hindering her, but she was still squeezing tight. “We’re going to lose someone, Remi. We don’t know who and we can’t stop them.” The hallway was quiet. All eyes were on Suzanne who shook her head. “Temmra can’t stop this, and she’ll be unable to help as well.”

  Nikola looked across the hall to Lissa. She leaned against the door in a tee-shirt, a single tear slipped down her cheek, and he could have sworn his heart stopped.

  “No!” He whispered unaware he said it out loud. A small hand touched his arm, he glanced down to Jaycee. She shook her head.

  “No, it will not be her. We don’t know who, but we do know, it isn’t one of us. I hate only being able to see part of things.” Once more she glanced up at Remi, then at Dane when he moved behind her. “Marsha is still trying to remove the spell, so our connection can be one hundred percent again. I feel as if part of me is missing when I can’t connect with you guys.”

  He needed to see Lissa again, but her door was shut and she was gone. “Go talk to her Nikola, tonight no one should be alone.” Suzanne tried to get closer to Dominic’s body.

  “Let’s get you to bed.” Dominic swung her up into his arms and nodded to Nikola. “Suzanne is right, don’t waste time, go talk to her, and hold her tonight.”

  Suzanne frowned and glanced down. “I got the impression something was scaring her, and she wanted us all to leave her room. Even Temmra couldn’t figure out what was wrong, Lissa has a way to block us. It’s different; I’ve never seen it before.” Nikola gritted his teeth and nodded. “I’ll see what is wrong, don’t worry so much.” He turned away from them and made his way to her room. The thought of something scaring her or hurting her, made his gut tighten, and his vision blurred for a moment as he reached for her door.

  Now, of all times his body informed him that he was close to his other half. His mouth was dry, his hands trembled, and his cock throbbed, leaking the clear fluid that would bind his mate to him.

  Her life span would match his, even though it would not make a difference to a vampire, new powers would be bestowed upon her, and once taken, Lissa would not be able to distance herself from him, without feeling some kind of effect on her body.

  * * * *

  Lissa shook and reached for the handcuffs, tucked under her pillow. Her knees gave out and Lissa plopped down onto the bed. Tears rolled down her face as she flung the cuffs across the room furious that she hadn’t recognized the signs before now. Now she knew that her brother, Stephen, had been the one who had delivered her to the Bloods, and had raped her all those years ago, before he handed her over to the them.

  The hurt was so deep and intense that she was in her on world.

  Lissa didn’t hear the door open and close behind her. She pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them as she rocked on the bed. “I’m so fucking blind. It all makes sense. Why didn’t I listen? How they got in the house, who drugged me, and who…” She ground her teeth together and held on tight to herself. A shadow fell upon her when she glanced up.

  Nikola knelt down, wiped her tears and slowly unclenched her hands which were in balls, her nails digging into her skin. “What’s wrong, Parvus Papilio?” Slowly, he picked her up, sat down on her bed, his back against the headboard with her on his lap. Once more, a small current moved through her as he held her and licked the small amount of blood from her palm. Nikola waited for her to speak.

  She opened her mouth to ask him why he was there, but didn’t get a word out.

  The bedroom door banged open with such a force that it split in two. Stephen stood there breathing heavy, a knife in his hand.

  His eyes flashed a dark red and his fangs grew larger than normal, almost to the bottom of his chin.

  Lissa didn’t take her eyes off of Stephen, as she carefully rose off the bed, and Nikola’s lap. She would take care of Nikola after she dealt with Stephen. Anger so st
rong surged through her, giving her the strength to move. “So, you’ve decided to make your self known. Why Stephen? I thought of you as my brother. We grew up together. What would your mother say? Or was she part of your little game?” Lissa shouted.

  She reached behind her on the small table, where she had set her weapons, but Nikola moved next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. He blocked her throwing arm. “What are you talking about?” He nodded to Stephen. “And what is happening to him?”

  There was no time, Lissa whirled around, and grabbed the knives as Stephen jumped onto the bed with a snarl. “He’s on a drug called Xenical. To humans it is a weight loss drug.” Lissa moved away from Nikola to the end of the bed, two of her longest knives in her hands. “To the vampire, it feels close to that of feeding, an ultimate high, but also a deadly one. It also transforms the one taking it into a pre-historic caveman, with fangs and all.” Her gaze met Nikola’s for a second, a tear slipped down her cheek.

  Stephen snarled, he raised his arm, the knife ripped into the beautiful canopy above his head. “You don’t need to talk to that fag. Wasn’t twenty years enough to teach you a lesson? You’re mine Lissa, even your mother and father saw the light in the end, or should I say right before their watery grave.” Stephen cackled like a hen, and it sent a chill down her spine.

  Everything inside her stilled, his words sank in as she lifted her gaze, and focused on the mad man in front of her. That is when everything fell into place. Her so called-cancer, her folks timely deaths, even her change, had all been orchestrated by Stephen.

  Lissa’s legs gave out, but she didn’t hit the floor. Nikola was there in an instant, his arm around her, and he held her close.

  She looked up into the madman’s face. “I didn’t have cancer did I? You made sure your mom changed me. You killed my parents.” Lissa whispered, as Nikola sat her down on the chair against the far wall, and he slowly turned towards Stephen. Her gaze slid up Nikola’s tall form. He twisted his neck to the left and she heard his neck crack, his once straight hair down his back now back was now in a ponytail, and he moved with grace as he swung his long sword in his right hand in the air, waiting for the right moment.

  “For over fifty years, I have been waiting, and planning all of this.” He waved the knife around the room, and jumped off the bed, only a few feet from Nikola, as Lissa struggled to get up. “Get the fuck out of the way, before I stick you like the pig you are.” Stephen tried to move around Nikola, but Nikola countered his movement, leaving no chance that Stephen would be able to harm her. “But you know, it really was a toss-up as to who was a better fuck, you or Suzanne. Boy did I have to come up with a fast one on that night she remembered me.” He laughed again and it was as if someone had run their nails down a chalk board, she shook so bad.

  “Dominic was ready to tear me apart.” Stephen babbled for what seemed like hours, but in reality it was only a few seconds, before she heard the sound of boots in the hallway. Dominic moved into the room faster than anyone she had seen move, but not fast enough as Nikola swung his sword, and beheaded the man before them.

  “You will hurt no one anymore, especially that which is mine.” Nikola stated.

  Lissa tried once more to move in the chair, blood splatters were all over the room including on her, Dominic, Granger, but not on Nikola. His sword disappeared and he turned. His eyes sparked with fire, highlighting the dark green which held her gaze.

  “You are mine, and if you ever try to put yourself in danger again…” Dominic slapped him on the back before he could finish his sentence.

  “Why don’t you take Lissa to your quarters, while we clean this up, and Nikola thank you, because if you hadn’t killed him, I would have. We’ll discuss what was said later. Right now, I believe Lissa is in shock.” Dominic nodded to her and she frowned.

  “No I’m not, I just can’t figure out why I can’t move.” Once more she tried to get off the chair, but couldn’t. It was if someone held her down.

  “That is where I put you. I just made sure you stayed, so you would not get hurt.” Nikola informed her, while he picked her up, and threw her over his shoulder. “We will see you in the morning, and there is no need to clean this mess.”

  Lissa glanced up just in time to see the blood, body and torn canopy gone. “I’m getting dizzy here.” Lissa tried to get up, but he slapped his hand down on her practically bare bottom and she froze. She only had her thong on and Lissa knew every male there could see her ass. Her face heated and she moaned. If it wasn’t enough that a mad man had ruined her whole life, she was now showing her fat ass to three hunky men.

  Chapter Three

  Nikola laughed, but his laughter faded in and out as the air around her seemed to disappear. One minute, she was in her room, and the next, in his quarters in the fae realm. He gently lowered her to the ground in front of his favorite view and hoped that the scene of the hills and water would relax her. Music played in the air, the one song he had heard her listening to, “Bound To You.” He leaned in and kissed her nose. “Your backside is not fat by the way, it’s perfect.”

  Lissa turned to stare out at last glow of the sun as it set over the mountains as she tried to hide her grin. “This isn’t Michigan, I take it?” She glanced over her shoulder at him. Lissa’s smile did not reach her eyes, and her face still had a few spots of Stephens’s blood, as did her clothes.

  “No, this is my home. I want you to feel safe tonight at least.

  Come, I have a hot bath waiting for you.” He held out his hand and waited to see if she would take it.

  She slowly turned around and faced him. “The only time I’ve ever felt safe was with my parents, in my own home, but for some reason everything in me is calm here. I’m not afraid, and I should be terrified, why?” Lissa put her small hand into his and he twined his fingers with hers.

  He guided her toward the master bedroom and bathroom. “Do you know anything about my kind, the fae?” Nikola asked as he moved into the steam filled room. The scent of vanilla filled the room. He had seen that it was her favorite scent in the back of her mind.

  Taking a deep breath, Lissa closed her eyes and sighed. “No, I’m afraid not. You are the first I’ve talked to, or been near.” Her dark blue eyes slowly opened, and stared up at him.

  Nikola lifted his hand and brushed her hair back away from her face. “As with Vampires, we to know when our partner is around, and you are mine, Lissa. Your body and soul recognizes mine, while your heart and brain might take a little while longer to believe.” He reached for the edge of her tee-shirt. “Lift your arms, Parvus Papilio.”

  The corners of her sensual ruby lips lifted into a smile. “Do you always order everyone around? And what is parvus…?” Lissa lifted her arms as he stripped the bloody shirt from her body.

  “Parvus papilio, little butterfly and when it comes to you…” He circled her hard pink nipple with his finger; goose bumps broke out on her skin, her heart race increased, and her gaze clouded over.

  Nikola held her gaze and pinched her nipple. “In our world, each mate can do nothing but try and please the other. When it comes to you, my words, and requests, you will go out of your way to please me, all the while I will please you.” Nikola whispered into her ear, he slid his hands down the sides of her stomach holding her gaze until he reached her thong.

  He gripped the sides of it and ripped her thong off with his hands, slowly moving the piece of material back and forth on her pussy lips.

  “I will always please and protect you. Your wishes and needs, are mine to fulfill.” He ran little kisses down her neck. “You will want for nothing, ever again. Let go, Lissa.” She grabbed onto his arms, her head rolled back, but her gaze slipped to his, a puzzled look upon her.

  “Nikola…” His name a whisper, her nails dug into his arm.

  “I’m here, and I’m going nowhere. Come Lissa, and know it’s your mate who brings you pleasure. This is the way it’s supposed to be, between two people, who are meant to be w
ith each other.” Her body tensed up, as he reached down and slowly pushed two fingers into her pussy. He threw the rest of her thong to the ground, and wrapped his other hand around her waist to hold her up as he dipped her back, watching her every expression.

  Nikola knew this would be the first time for her to experience pleasure, instead of terror, and he wanted to make sure he was the one to give it to her, Lissa’s first climax with someone who mattered.

  She shook her head. “Nikola…” Lissa whimpered.

  “It’s okay Lissa, no one will hurt you again. Let it go, little butterfly, for me.” He nibbled her ear, his fingers sliding in and out of her, while his thumb rubbed her clit. She was wound so tight, when her release came it would sap the rest of her strength, giving her the restful night she needed.

  “No I can’t! It’s wrong.” Lissa pulled out of his arms, and backed up against the bathroom door, which was now shut. She glanced around the room like a scared cat. He took a deep breath, and knew now what the others had said was true. She would need time.

  “Lissa, look at me.” He whispered, standing perfectly still as he waited. Ever so slowly, Lissa lowered herself to the floor, curling her knees up, and resting her chin against them.

  “I’m afraid you got a raw deal, Nikola. I don’t know, if I can ever be with any man again.” She whispered softly not looking at him. “I want to be that woman you need. I feel safe with you, but yet…”

  Nikola sat down across from her, but before he did his clothes disappeared. He heard her gasp, and she scooted back closer to the door, if it was at all possible.

  “Little butterfly, I did not take my clothes off to frighten you, but to show you something. No, it wasn’t that, get your mind out of the gutter, sweetie.” He teased hoping to see a small smile.