Terran Realm Vol 1-6 Page 6

  He rubbed a hand over his face and rose from his seat on the bed. “Seems as though your family is better prepared than I am. I just hope it doesn’t come back to bite us in the ass.”

  * * * *

  They picked up essentials from a K-Mart situated next to the freeway and continued the unconventional road trip. Brenna pored over the Sorhineth, relaying what little she could decipher as they sped down the interstate. Donovan absorbed her words and tried to keep his mind on what she was saying, rather than how he’d awoken this morning. Hand cupped around a perfect breast, morning hard-on snugged all-too-willingly against her ass. It had felt good, right. Too right, considering he was now on a twofold mission, and his first priority had to be finding Jenalee before figuring out what he was going to do with the Sorhineth now that he actually had it.

  Jenalee. Gods, he hoped she was safe, and being her usual flighty self. That the gruesome images he kept imagining were pure fabrication and he hadn’t lost his only touchstone to normality.

  The fact he was enjoying Brenna’s company—too much—made him feel like a prick. He’d deserved such a title many times over the last seventy years or so, but today was the first time he’d really felt it. He’d become a callous bastard, even reveled in it a bit, but for some reason he found himself tempering the tendency while he was around Brenna. He had no freakin’ idea why, but knew it to be so. It was an … interesting … development.

  “Maybe we should be looking at the book your mother found instead,” he suggested, forcing his mind to something he could do now. “Any idea why it was hidden, and not stored with the Sorhineth?”

  Brenna looked thoughtful for a moment, pondering, then answered. “Probably because putting them together would be dangerous, in case one or the other were captured by a Destroyer. Maybe you simply being here was the trigger that led Mom to it.” She leaned forward and turned off the saccharine-sweet pop spouting from the radio. “I can’t listen to this crap; it’s turning my brain to pudding.” She pulled the slim journal out of her purse, flipped it open and started skimming, humming a tune under her breath.

  It took Donovan a minute to place it, and when he did, it chased out an infrequent smile. The Red Hot Chili Pepper’s Higher Ground. Somehow he hadn’t pegged her as being an alternative music type, especially since he tended toward that music himself. She surprised him at every turn.

  “Oh damn. This is not good news.”

  Donovan pulled into the fast lane and moved around a big rig carrying milk. While he was unnerved by her words, her tone had been matter-of-fact. “What’s that?”

  “The Destroyers are just as Terran as you but they use their power for evil rather than good. Everything Gram surmised about Destroyers is shit.” She ran a hand through her hair. “She said I’d know a Terran from a Destroyer, and while I certainly do after what I felt in my place, what it says in here contradicts it. We always assumed the Destroyers were a different species entirely.”

  “Say again?” He was shocked by her theory. How was that possible? Then he considered the ennui he’d not only witnessed, but been a part of since Cambodia, and wondered if she wasn’t very far off the mark. Yeah, he’d heard the scary “Destroyer” stories since childhood, but he’d never thought them to be true, never even considered that he might share the same blood, the same preternatural bond.

  “The Destroyers are Terran, and as Warden I may very well be the only human who can tell the difference.”

  Well, didn't that just fucking make his day.

  * * * *

  The rest of the afternoon passed in much the same way. Brenna read from the journal, attempting to decode the Sorhineth while he drove down the long, straight freeway. Shit. He probably could have tied the steering wheel in place, set the cruise control and napped. It might have made for a more productive day.

  When Brenna’s mobile rang, it sounded like salvation. She picked it up, listened for a moment, then handed it to him.

  “Callahan here.”

  “She’s back.” Mark’s voice was jubilant.

  “Is she all right?”

  “Oh yeah, back to her usual Queen of Sheba self. She’s pissed as hell about her place. She wasn’t home.”

  Pure, sweet relief and a hint of anger chased through Donovan.

  “So where in the hell has she been the last two days?”

  “Ah…” His second-in-command’s voice took on a decidedly uncomfortable tone.

  “Never mind. From your pregnant pause, I get your drift. Put her on.”

  “Donovan, darling!”

  He could tell from her voice she was coming down now, but had probably been high on a mix of drugs and sex for the past few days.

  “Jenalee. Don’t ever disappear like that again.” Donovan knew his voice was hard, but really didn’t care. She’d scared years off his life, and that was saying something. Protecting her was his job, maybe one of the few things he’d taken seriously these past few years, even if it was a pain in the ass. He didn’t need her making it harder. If it had been anyone else but his childhood friend on the line, he would have reamed them a new one.

  Her pout was clear, even over the static-ridden airwaves.

  “Don’t sulk. Did Mark tell you what happened to your place?”

  “Julian said something about a burglary, but nothing is missing.”

  “It wasn’t a burglar. It was a Destroyer.” Her gasp sounded in his ear. “Now do you understand? You can’t go anywhere without protection. He found you somehow, and it led him to the Warden.”

  “Oh, Donovan! I never meant…” Her distress and chagrin was obvious.

  He gentled his tone. “I know you didn’t, love, but whoever you talked to about my trip is obviously dirty, or just said something to the wrong person. I need you to think hard about who you talked to over the past few days. Is there anyone you can think of?”

  She paused so long Donovan was afraid they’d been disconnected, then came back on the line. “Just the usual. Mark, my hairdresser Carrie, those people. I haven’t even seen another Terran for days.”

  “Okay, but think about it more, and we’ll discuss it when I get into town.”

  “All right.” Her voice was subdued now, and Donovan knew she wouldn’t be going anywhere without Mark. She was a capricious little thing sometimes, but she’d take him seriously. She had since they were children.

  “I’ll see you soon.”

  “Okay.”

  Donovan disconnected and handed the phone back to Brenna, truly at ease for the first time in twenty-four hours. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He’d felt anything but easy this morning, his good judgment and an erection for the ages engaged in a vicious war. But Brenna didn’t need to know.

  “Jenalee’s fine. She was out playing.”

  “Huh?” Brenna’s confusion was almost comical.

  “She found herself a sweet young thing and was entertaining for the last two days. Didn’t even know anything had happened. One of my employees, a Protector named Julian, was the one who discovered her missing when she didn’t return his calls.”

  “Oh.” Her voice had an odd little kick to it that made him look at her in concern. She smiled brilliantly, and for just a moment he was caught in her sunburst, everything fading until it was just the two of them, in their own little world. Then Brenna spoke and her tone was back to business. “So that’s good. Did she have any idea how they found me?”

  “Ah … she’s thinking about it.” He paused, searching for the right words as he struggled to regain his equilibrium. What the hell had that been? The more he was around Brenna Kennedy, the more he realized there was something special about her—and it wasn’t her Warden status.

  He recovered, but not very well. “Jenalee can be a bit … exuberant, when it comes to her extracurricular activities.”

  “Oh for God’s sake, just say it.” Brenna was frustrated now, and it had Donovan biting back another grin. Since Jenalee was safe, a huge burden had been lifted.


  “She goes through stages where she parties … hard. People like Jenalee do everything in excess, she more than most.”

  “So she does drugs.”

  Well, it didn’t get much balder than that.

  “She’s been known to, and I know she saw my trip to Boston as a kind of defection, so she went out, hooked up and tried to forget about it.”

  “And that doesn’t bother you?”

  “Why would it? It’s Jenalee. It just pisses me off because I was concerned about her safety.” Concerned was a mild way to put it. He’d been about two steps away from blind rage. It would have been amusing he’d invested so much in their quasi-relationship if he hadn’t realized how much she meant to him as a friend in that time.

  “I, uh, got the impression the two of you were a couple.”

  Donovan laughed, the first real laugh he’d had since October 17th.

  “No. Sure, we get together if the mood strikes, but we’ve been friends too long to screw it up by being exclusive. Not only that, we’re complete opposites.”

  “I see.” But Donovan could tell she really didn’t.

  He knew he didn’t have to justify his relationship with Jenalee to Brenna, but they were going to be together for quite some time… Whoa. He hadn’t really considered that. Sure, she’d told him all of her familial ducks were in a row, and she was obviously committed to her calling as Warden, but from what she’d told him, unless he decided to give up the Sorhineth, she was basically shackled to him for as long as he chose.

  He shook his head. Hell of a choice to make. At least he could take care of her financially, whether she needed it or not. If nothing else, it would put a burr under Tommy’s saddle, and he liked the notion, in a perverse sort of way.

  He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, a new thought taking hold which had nothing to do with her over-the-top brother. With the Jenalee situation under control, what was to stop him from taking what had happened this morning further? If she was willing, of course. If they were going to be together, why not be together? They were attracted to each other, that much was obvious, so why not combine their mission with the Sorhineth and some guiltless pleasure? But he’d have to explain Jenalee first.

  “Jenalee and I have known each other since we were children. We played and grew into adulthood together. Yeah, we’ve been lovers on occasion, but we’re better friends than that. And now, well, our paths have definitely diverged. She’ll never want anything more than what she’s got, and I’m not satisfied with that anymore.”

  “Okay, but you really don’t need to tell me all this. It’s none of my business.” Brenna’s voice was controlled, clipped.

  “But it is. We’re going to be together until we figure out how to use the Sorhineth for what it was meant. You’ll need a crash course on the Terrans, and understanding Jenalee is probably the best way to begin. I love her dearly, but she’s exactly the kind of person I haven’t wanted to be for the last two months.”

  *

  Together. Brenna processed Donovan’s statement although she understood exactly what he was saying. This changed everything, and made her earlier thoughts of leaving him to his Terran lover almost moot. And he was right about one thing … she was going to need to understand the Terrans, and understand them well, if for nothing else than to pass the knowledge down to the grandchild who would become Warden.

  What she needed to decide now was if she wanted to get involved with Donovan Callahan. Why she was even considering it, given her feelings about the Terrans, was a mystery. Then she remembered the feel of him against her back this morning, and knew there wasn’t all that much to think about. Why shouldn’t she take a taste of the images he had haunted her with for the last two nights? No harm could come from it … so why not enjoy a little business with pleasure?

  Chapter Four

  They found a reasonable hotel on the outskirts of Flagstaff, and got just one room without a word being spoken between them. Donovan walked in front of Brenna, carrying the single bag containing their toiletries and a few changes of clothes. She admired his ass from behind, knowing through their unspoken agreement that tonight they’d become lovers. A thrill ran through her body. It had been a good six months since she’d been with a man, and while the interlude had been nice, she had the feeling it wouldn’t begin to compare to the pleasures this Terran could give her.

  She’d spent the last few hours of their drive seriously contemplating having sex with him, and in the end decided she didn’t have anything to lose. He was hot, she was willing … what more did they need?

  He opened the door and set the bag in the small closet area and flicked on the light, just standing there for a moment as Brenna closed it behind her. She leaned against the cool wood and watched him think. “Does it really take so much thought?”

  “I want to do what’s right, but damn it if I don’t absolutely need to have my hands on you right now.”

  “Then what are you waiting for? We’re safe, I’m on the pill.” There, she’d done it, thrown down the gauntlet and left no question as to what her intentions were.

  When he turned, a dangerous light burned in his eyes, one making her hyper-aware of every nerve in her body. His big body was framed by the light, and if she hadn’t been raised around four hulking brothers, she might have felt threatened. Instead she was titillated … and hot.

  “Be sure of this, Brenna Kennedy. Be very sure, because once I start, we won’t be finished until the morning light.”

  Brenna stepped forward and reached up to trace a finger over the lines bracketing his mouth.

  “Shut up already and kiss me.”

  He lowered his head slowly, breath wafting across her lips, amber eyes locked on hers.

  When his lips finally slanted over hers, Brenna closed her eyes and held on for the ride. His mouth was tender, hot, full of wicked promise, and at that moment Brenna wondered if she really had understood what she was getting into.

  Then his tongue swept into her mouth and she didn’t give a damn, concentrating instead on the wonderful, wondrous loop of pure sensation whirling through her, from her lips to her breasts to her pussy. On the carnality of his cruelly sensual mouth as it softened against hers.

  Donovan alternated between long, slow sweeps of his tongue and little nibbles, maintaining the distance between them so only their lips touched, only their breath mingled. It was tortuous and incredibly sweet.

  Her body screamed for contact, wanting to feel the long, hard lines of him pressed against her, needing to feel the thick, long imprint of his cock against her stomach. She whimpered in her throat, not caring if she sounded needy, and forced his hand. Threading her fingers through his belt loops, she yanked him forward, branding him with the softness of her breasts, the scratch of her fingernails against his sides.

  He groaned and wound his hand through her hair, pulling her head back and deepening their kiss.

  Mmmm, she thought as the length of his cock prodded her through his jeans, that was more like it.

  She abandoned her hold on his pants and squeezed his oh-so-fine ass, pulling him even more firmly against her. This is what she wanted, hot, mindless sex. Hell, she’d wanted it since she’d first laid eyes on him, her mind had just been too overwhelmed by the whole Terran history and Destroyer menace to acknowledge it.

  Decadent carnality hummed in the air around them, almost a living thing that thickened and strengthened with each second. Giving in to it, Brenna arched up, nipping at his lip, dragging one hand around to trace his erection.

  He stiffened, then growled, low and dangerously, before pushing her against the door, sandwiching her body between his own and the smooth wood. Her hands crept up of their own volition, tangling in his midnight-dark hair as he plundered her mouth. He was relentless, taking and taking and taking until Brenna let her head fall against the door in surrender, totally overwhelmed by his mouth, the press of his body, the heat streaking through her.

  He broke away and braced his hands
on the doorframe, breathing heavily, ruffling her unbound hair. When he pushed from the wall, the expression on his face stole her breath. Pure, raw, untamed and male, his face was chiseled in lines of want, eyes blazing whiskey-gold with Terran power.

  Brenna swallowed and allowed her gaze to drop to the prominent bulge in his jeans. Did she want this? Oh yeah, she wanted it more than she’d wanted anything in a long, long time.

  Donovan seemed to be waiting for her to break from his embrace, to run, so she did exactly the opposite and reached down, running a questing finger along the outline of his cock before dipping lower and cupping his balls. God he was big, pulsing … and all hers for the time being. She allowed herself a small, very feminine smile before leaning in and swiping her tongue across his lips.

  That was all it took. He bent down and threw her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing. She squealed … actually squealed! Not something she’d ever done before, but then again she’d never set out to seduce a Terran before either.

  His hand slapped her ass, drawing a giggle … a giggle! … and then he tossed her down on the bed. She bounced, and before she even began to settle he was pulling at her jeans, fingers sure on the button tabs. She toed off her new sneakers and fumbled with the chunky sweater, finally pulling it over her head.