Shadow Justice

Moon Magic

Shadow Justice Luka is a bounty hunter who just wants to do his job and get paid. Being a banished Shadow, he'd learned the bitter lesson long ago that he was alone, after he was expelled from his home world by his own blood. Now, he needs to understand why he is wanted dead while his desire for the fiery-haired witch erupts out of control. As a rare moon-witch, all she's ever known is a life of misery under the oppressive Fae-Guard. Nine years ago Cerys escaped the Meta-World after regretting the forced banishment of a Shadow. Now, she leads a normal life without her abilities, and all she wants is to blend in. When a bounty hunter wants to take her back for a crime she didn't commit, she's willing to take a chance on her future by trusting the man who had no idea she'd wronged him years before. Genre: Contemporary, Fantasy, Paranormal Length: 29,974 words

SHADOW JUSTICE Moon Magic

Xandra James

EROTIC ROMANCE

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer. WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at [email protected]

A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Erotic Romance

SHADOW JUSTICE Copyright © 2012 by Xandra James E-book ISBN: 1-61926-172-3 First E-book Publication: January 2012 Cover design by Jinger Heaston All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Shadow Justice by Xandra James from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment. This is Xandra James’ livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. James’ right to earn a living from her work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com

DEDICATION Without the support of my hubby, this story would have never been written. Thanks for always believing in me…I love you.

SHADOW JUSTICE Moon Magic XANDRA JAMES Copyright © 2012

Chapter One The redhead bent over, showing her peachy ass off to perfection. Luka groaned, and a deep desire tugged at him as he memorized the curve of her backside. Now that was an ass that could break up the monotony of a stakeout. He sighed and pushed his hand through his hair for the hundredth time in the past three hours. This was the part of the job he hated. Luka was a man of action. Give him a bounty to chase down or a piece of scum to fight and he was happy as a pig in shit. Sitting in his car, waiting for a mark that he was sure wasn’t there, was excruciating. Eyes still on the cute, little redhead, he urged her to turn around so that he could prove to his dick she was even more perfect from the front. Her concentration on cleaning the front windows of a small shop, she was oblivious to him sitting across the street, watching the small residence next door. The sexy woman wasn’t shy in showing off her long legs in a pair of cutoffs. Teamed with a figure-hugging, white vest, she was perfection. She was as sexy as any Playboy Bunny and as out of bounds. Luka sighed, telling himself that he didn’t have time to take her down the alley next to the shop and screw her. He had a job to do, even if some parts of his anatomy had a

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totally other job in mind. He looked at the sky and watched the sun dip down low, causing long shadows to cover the street on this unusually sunny October day. His body itched to be free of its constraints, despite his preference for his human form. Times like this, when he was stuck in a car, he needed the relaxation that his Shadow side gave him. Checking around his vehicle, there was no one else around except the redhead. He switched form for a few moments to ease his body out of the sitting position. It was almost instantaneous as his body rippled and distorted before darkening into an inky black Shadow, more transparent to the eye than not. Luka floated free of his constraints and stretched himself out, sighing as his form no longer resembled a body, but a dark patch of fog. Finally, after his muscles had eased, he checked again for onlookers before switching back, once again sitting back into his seat. The woman was still there, as she had been before and there was still no sign of his bounty. Fantastic. His mind wandered to the woman he was searching for. A source he’d used countless times before had given him this address. The little punk had guaranteed the moon-witch was there, always arriving between two and four in the afternoon apparently. It was almost five, and his patience was gone. Luka shifted in his seat and looked once more at the hot woman. She had stopped to talk to a man passing by, and he watched as she relayed something in the most animated way he’d ever seen. The man was enthralled by her, if his wide-ass smile was anything to go by. The man she’d been talking to walked off happily, and she bent over to pick up the sponge once more. He snorted at the perfection in front of his eyes. With a body like that, she had to be a bitch. Sighing, he started his car and indicated to enter the low-traffic street, putting this down to a wasted afternoon. Well, almost wasted. As the car passed, he took one final lustful gaze at her. The

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woman chose that moment to turn slightly, and he looked into the prettiest face he’d seen. Recognition hit him next, like a gunshot to the gut, and he braked hard. Shuffling around on the passenger seat next to him, he found the file under an empty Coke can and a burger wrapper. He opened it to look at the photo of the raven-haired cutie and took a good hard look before he looked at the woman he’d been admiring for thirty minutes. A horn blasted behind him, and he looked into his rearview mirror, reminded that he’d stopped right in the middle of the street. He looked again toward the woman, and this time, she looked directly toward him. “Well, shit.” **** Cerys had an uneasy feeling. She’d been living in the area for more than two years now, and this was the first time she’d felt it. Her nerves itched. Being outside the shop where she worked part-time as an assistant seemed to amplify the feeling. The physical energy exerted in washing the windows just wasn’t cutting it this time, and the fresh, late afternoon air didn’t distract her as it usually did, even on a warm day such as today. As she was packing up to go back inside, she felt the presence. It wasn’t the customer she’d spoken to moments before. No, he was definitely human. A slither of fear prickled her spine as she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, this definitely wasn’t human. It was someone from the Meta-World. The parallel world where creatures not of human origin lived was scary but beautiful. She hadn’t stepped foot there in almost nine years, yet the pull of the metaphysical power of a creature still enraptured her. This time though, it put her on high alert. Her cover was blown. It had to happen at some point. Cerys chastised herself for becoming too attached to the little

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village on the English coast. She should have moved on a year ago. Instead, she’d made friends. Something she’d promised herself she’d never do. It was his aroma that hit her next after that initial awareness. A light muskiness and the essence of burger hit her senses, catapulting her mind into visualising the person who’d found her. She wanted to just walk away from the window and keep going, not look — “Cerys Bailey?” His voice was husky, deep, and way too sexy, but it didn't disguise her fear at hearing that name again. Her name. Part of her wanted to look back at him and check him out, the sexysounding man, and the other half, the sensible half, wanted nothing more than to hightail it back to her car parked out back and not look back, ever. Her past needed to stay exactly where it was. She blinked slowly and prayed for courage. Cerys stepped forward before she turned slowly to face her future. She blinked at the size of the man in front of her. He had to be six three at least. And built like a bodybuilder. Her eyes travelled up from his feet, lingering on his forearm where an obscure tattoo taunted her. She kept on moving until she hit his jawline softened by scratchylooking fuzz and then finally up to his eyes, blue eyes that looked as deep as oceans and were just as unreadable. He looked at her intently and awaited her answer. “I’m sorry, who?” She hadn’t used the name since the night she’d said good-bye to her homeland. Here, she was Julie. Cerys Bailey no longer existed. “You are Cerys Bailey, right?” His eyes narrowed slightly before a smile tugged on his full lips. “You used to have black hair.” The denial died on her lips as he confirmed the hair colour she’d hidden all those years ago. Cerys’s mind finally caught up to her predicament and got her mouth to start working again. “You’ve got the wrong girl, I’m afraid.” The smile she plastered on her face was as stiff as it could be, but she hoped it fooled him and put him at ease. She turned to go and had taken a couple of steps and

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thought she was free when a hand came down on her shoulder. Cerys shivered from the unexpected touch and slowly turned. The man knew he had her. The smirk on his face could have been sexy if she didn’t want to wipe it off. “I need you to come with me, Cerys.” His hand dropped from her shoulder and ran slowly to her wrist where he grasped it. Her eyes lifted from his hand and caught his eyes once more. She sighed and weighed up her options for a moment or two before a decision was made. “I don’t think so, mister.” She smiled, this time allowing herself to enjoy the sensation as her mind whirled. Her abilities were too rusty for anything but the basics, but she focussed hard on his deep-blue eyes. Cerys chanted the temporary paralysis spell under her breath and knew she had him. So many experiments had been performed on her in her younger years, she knew exactly how she looked to onlookers as his eyes widened. Cerys felt her skin prickle and knew her eyes were turning into a silvery white, almost devoid of colour. Even her skin tone and hair lightened slightly as the energy kicked up a notch. This time, all she could do was brace herself for the energy to flow through her and into her blood. The man in front of her blinked and let go of her wrist, scowling down at her from his great height advantage of almost a foot. Her power was weak, sickeningly so. She’d made a choice to stop her practice of moon-magic when she’d stepped into this world in the hope it would make it harder for the Fae-Guard to find her. Now, as she called upon the trickle of power that lay dormant inside her, she regretted her action and wished she’d kept herself charged up for this sort of occasion. There was enough to stop this guy in his tracks though, thank the Goddess. He stood there, stock-still, glaring a hole straight through her as he stood paralysed to the spot, unable to fight the magic coursing

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through his body. Cerys went to run away, to make a quick exit, but she stopped in her tracks and turned to him again. She reached out and tweaked his nose and chuckled as he growled deep in his throat. “Good-bye, sweet prince!” Cerys was still chuckling as she reached her car a minute later.

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Chapter Two There wasn’t a soul on the road as Cerys pushed the speed limits on the twisty back lanes. She had her emergency stash of £150 in the bag she’d stashed in the car five years ago and a full tank of fuel. And she didn’t have a clue where to go. It had been a close call back there. Stupid was a word to call her nonchalant behaviour as of late. She was a wanted moon-witch who’d run from the Fae-Guard. Of course someone was going to look for her sooner or later. Nine years was a long time, but she knew deep down they’d wanted her back and would never stop looking. He would never stop looking. She jammed her foot down harder on the accelerator. The Fae-Guard policed the Meta-World with an iron fist. She had done their bidding for many years, and her abilities had suffered at their hands. They’d been unscrupulous in the pursuit of their goals. Her ability to use the moon for things like spell-work made her one of only three to hold the power. And survive. She’d been lucky. Cerys had realised the wrongs she was committing through the Fae-Guard and had escaped. If she’d still been there, letting them use her like they did, she’d be one of two things. Crazy or dead. The experiments she’d endured would have turned a less powerful witch into a quivering wreck. She’d endured because she knew there was something better than her current life out there. There had to be. And she’d been right. Dusk settled, and she switched the headlights on to pave her way. She had no idea where to go this time. Maybe she ought to trust Mother moon to guide her? Cerys liked that idea. She needed to

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reconnect to her power source, and now was as good a time as any. She let go of her thoughts and allowed her mind to wander before an easy meditative state found her, and she settled into the drive. The car behind came up fast. Too fast. It couldn’t possibly be the man she’d left behind. It had been barely ten minutes since she’d left him, and no one could break the spell that quickly. Cerys didn’t want to panic. It could just be an idiot driver breaking the speed limit. She watched her mirrors as it approached her. The sound of a horn blaring rocked her. Oh Goddess, he’d found her again! She gunned the engine, and the old Ford shot forward as the trees beside the road began to blur. Heart rate up, Cerys flicked her eyes back and forth from the mirror to the road ahead. The other car was on top of her in moments, and she could see the outline of the driver. It wasn’t the man from earlier. There was more than one. Fear rushed through her veins. They hurtled along the road as Cerys tried to figure out a plan. There was nowhere she could go, and her abilities were barely there at this stage. She glanced at the moon that had started her ascent a short time ago. Cerys might be able to focus hard enough to disguise her trail for a short time. Trouble was it took a lot of energy, and that was one thing she no longer had. If she had some alone time, she might be able to make herself strong enough. Cerys chuckled maniacally at the thought and glanced over her shoulder. If she could get some alone time? The car was practically sitting in her backseat and was now pulling up alongside. This was a time for action, not meditation. Her car was hit from the side, wrenching a scream from her throat and sending her onto the gravelled verge. The tires crunched as she fought to control the vehicle to no avail. She glanced out her passenger side window and came eye to eye with the other driver. He was Demon, the harshest of bounty hunters in the Meta-World. His eyes glowed back at her with menace as she

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screamed again. This time, when his car careened into hers, she spun in slow motion toward the trees. The car flipped over onto its side, and everything gained speed again before metal hit wood and shuddered to a halt, jerking her body into the hard interior. Cerys whimpered as she pulled her head away from the driver’s window. There was a tickle down the side of her face before blood dripped onto the window. She struggled to get herself upright, but the angle of the car hindered her. Quiet surrounded her, her ears buzzing as they tried to adjust. She heard footsteps outside the car, and the silence of the evening was broken as her mind came back around to her pursuer and fear paralyzed her. The car crashed back down onto four wheels again, and she was thrown against the constraints of the seat belt. Her air bag finally reacted and inflated with a hard pop as it filled her side of the car, pushing against her aching body. Someone stood outside her door, and she knew it was the Demon, even before he pulled the car door practically off its hinges. He was strong, and she had little chance of stopping him. Cerys concentrated all her efforts on a spell, the same as the one earlier, but she had nothing there. Her outward injuries took any excess moon energy she had left inside in an attempt to self-heal. Gnarly hands grabbed her armpits and pulled at her body. The seat belt held strong and bruised her chest as the Demon continued in his efforts. Finally, he reached over with a grunt, and his hand clicked the seat belt open, and she looked up into its eyes. His skin was pitted and pale, his teeth brown and large against chafed lips. He stunk of cheap aftershave and sweat, and her stomach turned. Her energy had gone completely as the Demon hauled her away from the vehicle. Cerys had little struggle left in her body, but she pushed against the strong arms that held her tight. She reached toward his mind with hers, a trick she’d not used for many years. It didn’t

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take much to get into the simpleton’s thoughts, and she tried to convince him to let her go. She felt his entire memory bank flood into her brain and she fought to stop his thoughts initially taking over hers as the beast refused to free his hold on her. What she felt from him was interesting information though, well, at least the part that didn’t involve his huge appetite. Cerys saw the lights of another speeding car at the same time the Demon did. He grunted, mumbling in a Demon tongue she didn’t recognise. It then dumped her straight into the already-open boot of its car. “Stay.” He went to close the lid, but Cerys found something inside of her to struggle against it. Pushing all her weight against the closing boot, she managed to sit up. She had to get the other car to see her. It was her only chance. “Stay!” He pushed her down into the vehicle once more and swiped a large hand across the side of her face. The world spun, and her ears rang as her cheek stung from the hit. She couldn’t move for precious seconds before her predicament became more important than her hurts. Cerys struggled to get it together again. The Demon had closed the lid, and she beat her hands on the underneath for a moment or two before switching her attention to the backseat. Pushing against the seat with all her might, it budged slightly, giving her hope. Again and again, she forced her shoulder against it in the pitch black of the boot until finally the seat creaked forward enough for her to fit through. Cerys pulled herself into the backseat and looked out. A fight ensued between the Demon and the driver of the other car. She couldn’t see properly, but she thought it was the man from earlier. She scrambled to open the door but couldn’t as panic and fear began to make her hands shake. Eventually, she managed to climb over the seat into the front. Keys were sitting in the ignition, and she started the car, throwing it into gear. The next moment, the car door was pulled open and the

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sexy man from earlier stood there, looking madder than hell with a line of blood on his lip. She jammed her foot on the accelerator, and the car jumped forward and stalled. She cried out in frustration as the man pulled her out of the car and up against him. Her tears fell freely as she cried out against the encompassing hold of the man. He held her so her feet were no longer touching the ground and walked her straight to yet another waiting car. Her body aching from the accident minutes before, the man she spelled earlier pushed her into the front seat where she whimpered, shying away from him. He grasped her chin and tugged it toward him as his eyes took his fill of her facial injuries. He frowned before reaching into his back pocket and taking out a pair of handcuffs. Cerys begun to complain and struggle once more, but he made short work of cuffing her. He stood back, placing a hand on the car door and looked down at her, admiring his handiwork before his lip lifted in half a smile. “I think I won that round, don’t you, sweetheart?

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Chapter Three Luka nudged the car harder. He wanted away from this place. He’d cleaned up the accident site as best he could, but local authorities would still find two abandoned cars in the morning. The Fae-Guard would demand a report on the death of another bounty hunter of course, and they would usually deal with any fallout in this world, but the stupid Demon had tried to smash his skull in. It was fair play as far as he was concerned. Luka pushed his hand through his hair and scanned the mirrors before he was satisfied once more no one was behind them. He glanced over at the woman next to him who’d wedged herself against the door with eyes closed and swore under his breath. Damn woman wouldn’t have got hurt if she’d just gone with him. He’d stood under that spell for almost ten minutes before his muscles had started to relax. The redhead wasn’t strong in her magic, so it took him less time than she probably expected. Luka glanced at her bloodied face. Lucky for her, he’d come along. Not so lucky for the Demon. The car chewed up the miles as the woman stayed silent in the corner. It suited him. Luka glanced down at the expanse of leg that was showing from her shorts and frowned back at the road ahead. He’d nearly been so enamoured with her body that he’d lost the mark. That was a first. Luka rubbed his eyes. All it had taken was a cute, little ass to turn his eye off the game. He needed to get laid as soon as he’d made arrangements for her to be dropped off at the Stronghold. Mindless sex was always a cure-all for lusting after the wrong woman.

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His eyes drifted involuntarily back to her legs and up over her curves. Even battered and bloodied, she was gorgeous. She looked touchable and soft. Annoyed with himself, he forced his eyes away. Luka was one of the best bounty hunters out there. There was no need for modesty, as far as he was concerned, he always got his mark. Tonight she’d almost slipped through his fingers, and that rankled his pride. She had a hefty compensation package on her head that his small team of hunters would always welcome. All he needed to do was get one of his partners to drop her off at the Fae-Guard’s base in this world, and his job was done. He was a three hours’ straight, hard drive from the Stronghold now, and hopefully, the lucky Demon who’d waited for him to find the mark then steal her didn’t have any friends. They weren’t given the bounty anyway. He was. The greedy bastards were only grabbing an opportunity. It wouldn’t be the first time one had attempted to take money from his pocket. He needed to focus on the job at hand. Cerys Bailey was a killer and, as such, needed to be treated like the scum she was. Luka’s eyes drifted over his bounty once more. “Fuck.” He jammed the accelerator down harder. **** The smell of bacon and coffee wafted over her senses, and Cerys smiled and stretched before pain lanced through her body and memories tumbled free of her sleep-filled brain. She looked warily to her right and saw the man from earlier watching her with hooded eyes. Cerys blinked away her sleep and focussed on the mess she was in up to her eyeballs. “I can pay you. Whatever price you say.” The words tumbled from her mouth before her brain had given the okay. She winced at the unintended sexual reference as the man opened his eyes fully and chuckled. “As much as I’d love to take payment” —his eyes trailed over her

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body, and Cerys fought the urge to cover her hardened nipples— “your bounty is worth more to me than your body.” Heat blossomed in her cheeks, but her chin kicked up. His appraisal had made awareness spring up all over her body, and she hated the weakness. “I wasn’t offering myself.” The blush still lingered, but she did her best to ignore it. “There’s money, a lot of money that’s yours if you just let me go and forget this ever happened.” The man surveyed her for a long time before breaking eye contact and reaching down for the bacon sandwich and the coffee propped in between them. “Here, these are yours.” His voice was gruff as he shoved the refreshments at her. She mumbled her thanks before setting the sandwich on the dashboard and opening the lid to her coffee and taking a gulp of the hot liquid. Cerys reached up awkwardly with her hands to push through her hair, taking her coffee with her, and winced. Her ribs were killing her. Hell, everything was killing her. And it wasn’t exactly easy with her hands still cuffed together. “Let me see.” Cup halfway to her lips, she stopped and looked toward him in confusion. “You’re hurt. Let me see.” “No, no. I’m fine, thanks.” Yeah, right. Like she’d let that maniac look— Her cup was taken from her hand and stashed next to her sandwich before his hands were on her once completely white vest, pulling it up to expose her bra and a red welt that ran from her ribs to her shoulder. “Hey.” Cerys pushed at his hands until he very gently laid his hand over the welt and pressed. She wasn’t sure whether it was the tender skin or the electricity that bolted through her body that stopped her dead in her tracks. She just sat there and watched the grim expression on his face as he gently prodded her exposed middle. “Nothing’s broken, but it’s bruised. It needs to be bound.” Luka reached around the back of the passenger seat and pulled out a first aid kit.

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“It’s fine. I’ll heal myself.” “You’re not strong enough.” Her eyes shot to his blue ones. “How would you know that?” She pulled at her vest, and it slid back over her lacy, white bra. “You put a spell on me, and it wasn’t very strong, remember?” Cerys had known he was from the Meta-World straight away, but she didn’t know what he was. She’d been too long removed from them all to recognise much these days. Or maybe she just blanked out as much as she could. “What exactly are you? And I don’t even know your name.” The man looked at her, surveying her for long seconds before his focus went back onto the box in his hands. She watched as he pulled out some antiseptic wipes and a plaster. “I told you. I don’t need those—” “Play along, Cerys. I’m doing you a favour here.” His voice sounded resigned, like he wanted to be here just as much as she did. Nodding quickly, she leaned forward so he could wipe away the dried blood still stuck to her skin, her metal cuffs making the only sounds in the car. His hands were gentle and quick, and she watched the play of muscles in his jaw whilst he cleaned up her face. He was gorgeous. There was no other way she could describe the perfection that sat in front of her. His full bottom lip begged to be nipped and— “Ow!” His gruff apology did little for her aching eye, and she pulled back, fantasy over. Cerys opened the sun visor and peered at herself in the small mirror. She looked like crap. Her eye was swollen, and her temple held a jagged cut that threatened to bleed again. And then there was the handprint from the Demon printed right across her cheek. Fantastic. Cerys took the plaster offered and took her time to position it just right on her temple. She was still frowning at the mirror when he spoke again.

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“I’m Luka. I used to be from the Shadow kind.” Cerys’s heart kicked up a beat or five, and she turned to look at him, her face forgotten. It couldn’t be him! She cleared her throat before she continued. “Used to be?” He nodded and turned, taking a sip out of his own cup. He turned and grinned at her then, but it didn’t reach his eyes, “I’ve not been welcome by my people for a long time.” “Why?” Cerys thought he would answer until his face closed down and he looked away once more. “Enough of the questions. It’s time to go.” He started the car and went to pull away. “I need to use the bathroom.” She pointed toward the small café that sat feet away from where they were parked. Luka swore and cut the engine, throwing open his door. In moments, he had pulled her out as well, regardless of her groans. Cerys couldn’t believe he was the one whom she had banished for the Fae-Guard. It had been a traumatic event for her, one she’d never likely to forget as she unforged the bonds between him and his race. She’d seen the truth that night about how cruel the Meta-World could be and ran away from it all, escaping the years that the Fae-Guard had used her to do their bidding. The pain and anguish Luka had felt must have been intolerable, and it was all her fault. Guilt racked her body as she stumbled away from the car. Hand at the back of her neck, he strode across the almost-empty car park with little regard as to whether she was able to precede him. Her inner grief pulled at her eyes, and she longed to apologise to the man next to her, but that was out of the question. Cerys had never dreamt that she’d run into the one being whom she’d hit rock bottom for. Although she’d never seen his face, she often thought of the man whom she’d taken the bonds of the MetaWorld from. It was one of the low moments in her life, and it had taken her a long time to come to terms with exactly what she’d done to the man.

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At the time, the Commodore, the man in charge of the Fae-Guard in the Meta-World, had somehow convinced her younger, more naïve self, that she was doing their world a service. The man who was to be banished was evil, apparently, and some of the atrocities he had committed were sickening. Cerys had agreed to the bond revoking, even though she’d had a feeling that she was making a mistake. A big mistake. What she’d learnt as she’d connected to him using her moonwitch abilities was that the man was good and his heart and mind were pure, despite his predicament. It had rocked her to her very core that she had been duped into doing the bidding of the Commodore. Again. Once she’d started the banishment, including his ability to survive in the Meta-World, she couldn’t stop. She felt Luka’s pain down to her bones. She’d even sent him healing energy to try and ease the transition, even though she knew it was too little, too late. She looked over her shoulder at her captor, and nausea clogged her throat. Cerys couldn’t be here. There was no way she could handle being near him. Looking frantically for a way out, her eyes caught sight of and then lingered on a police car sitting by the café entrance, and she considered whether, if inside, they could help her or not. The large glass windows showed the only customers in the café were, in fact, the two officers. Her predicament was complicated. How could she possibly approach them and explain that she was a bounty from another world who’d been wrongly accused? There were just too many questions she wouldn’t be able to answer. Cerys looked at the men again before turning away with regret. At the entrance to the small outside toilets, she hesitated before she was pushed through the door, Luka at her rear. “I need some privacy.” She turned and stared at him. “And I’d appreciate it if you could uncuff me.” Cerys held her hands up to his face and shook the metal restraints.

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“The cuffs stay, sweetheart.” He turned her around, opened the outer door and pushed her toward the small, single cubicle. “I’ll be outside the door. You’ve got two minutes.” Cerys heard the door slam as she sat down to use the facilities. Her mind whirled. Escape. She needed to escape. There was a small window above her that looked held in place by coats of paint sloshed on over the years, and she quickly pulled the chain and rinsed her hands in the small sink outside the cubicle. She stood on the edge of the toilet seat and cursed the fact there was no lid. Cerys pushed hard at the window, but it didn’t budge. There was no way she could stay here with him, not knowing what she’d done to him. He would surely kill her if he found out, and their relationship was fragile as it was. She pushed hard at the window, and it creaked open. There was no time to wince at the noise of splintering wood as she attempted to hoist herself up using her cuffed hands and tried not to wince as pain shot through her body from her earlier escapades. There was no energy reserve left for any help. What she did have was automatically at work on her injuries. All she could do was pray she would be able to hoist herself up and out of the small window. A brainwave struck, and she stood on the toilet cistern. It gave her an extra foot to work with, and she’d pushed her head and shoulders through the gap before realising it was too small. She was stuck. Cerys pushed forward and backward for a few seconds before realising she was making things worse. Think! The sound of the outer door opening was just the icing on the cake. He had to see her from the top of the short cubicle door. She held her breath before hearing a chuckle behind her. “Don’t laugh at me, you son of a bitch. Help me down!” The chuckle turned into a laugh before she heard the cubicle door open behind her and felt his hands on her backside. “Hey, don’t feel up my ass.”

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“Do you want help or not?” She groaned out in frustration, and he grasped her hips firmly and tugged. She didn’t move on the first try, but little by little, her shoulder freed from the gap. His laughter subsided until all she could hear was her own breathing and the dripping of the tap just feet away. At last she wasn’t confined and was sliding down the body of the man who stood behind her in a ladies’ cubicle. There was something very erotic about being trapped in there, her ass pressed up against the crotch of a man who seemed to enjoy her squirm down his body. Her breath caught as her feet hit the floor, but he didn’t let go of her hips. Cerys felt his breath against her neck, and she shuddered. Wetness pooled in between her legs, and all thoughts of escape disappeared. She wanted him to push her down and take her from behind. She wanted to feel him pressed up against her, nudging her open. She wanted him in whatever way she could get him. And she wasn’t past begging to get it. A soft moan escaped, and Cerys felt her cheeks turn pink from embarrassment and desire. This wasn’t her. She didn’t do quickies in toilets. Luka’s hands hadn’t moved from her hips, but nothing could mistake the hardness nuzzled up against her backside. Cerys closed her eyes as his mouth opened on her neck, and she could almost feel his lips as they trailed down to her collarbone. “I need to tell you something.” The words fell out of her mouth before she could stop them. “I don’t care.” His lips made full contact with her neck, his tongue darting out to press against her sensitive spots. “The Demon... I read his thoughts.” “I don’t care.” Frustration laced his voice, and he pulled her hips back to grind into his. “You’ll want to know this.” Her words came out on sigh as he reached up to the top of her back and pushed her down. Luka leaned into her and pushed up her top to expose her bra strap. It snapped

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apart in moments, and then his mouth was there, and all she could think about was him, inside her. Fucking her. With her cuffed hands braced on the cistern, she was almost out of words. “Luka, I—” He reached around and tugged at her left nipple as he unbuttoned her shorts. “I don’t fucking care, Cerys.” She melted at his touch and helped him push down her shorts, exposing her knickers. A growl somewhere outside the main door had Luka stepping back and pulling a gun from his belt, his dick tenting his jeans.

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Chapter Four Cerys could have screamed with frustration at the ill-timed interruption as Luka turned away from her. Cerys stood with her shorts around her ankles and listened. “That didn’t sound friendly,” she whispered. “Shhh.” “Erm, maybe we should get out o—” She couldn’t finish the sentence as he reached around to fasten his hand over her mouth whilst shooting her a look that could have frozen fire. Her face heated around his cool fingers. Luka peered around the opening of the cubicle and moved forward, keeping his back against the main wall until he reached the only exit. Glancing back to look at her, their eyes met briefly before he focused on her shorts still around her ankles. She scrambled to pull them back around her waist, feeling mortified, especially when she noticed Luka’s lip quirk. Quietly, the safety was clicked off on his gun, and he inched the door back. “Err, would you mind helping me with my, erm, bra?” she whispered, feeling her face turn the colour of a Coke can. He sighed and quickly fastened her back up. Cerys enjoyed the feel of his fingers softly touching her back a little too much. Cerys was unsure quite what to do with herself now except follow him. Her body still buzzed with unfulfilled lust as she stood behind him, appreciating his backside in the snug, dark jeans. Questions gurgled up in her mind as to how she’d ended up nearly screwing someone in the ladies’ bathroom of a roadside café. In handcuffs. She’d taken cheap to a whole new level. Cerys flinched

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and batted away a low-hanging cobweb as it tickled the side of her face. No men were allowed in her tight defensive circle. It was so much easier that way. For nine long years she’d played the good girl. She didn’t need a man, and she wasn’t going to start fawning over the first one who’d shown any real interest in her. She watched Luka’s back in the form-fitting sweater and realised she’d fallen into a trap. Luka’s seductive trap. He knew if she was enamoured, she was less likely to want to escape his clutches. Cerys felt pleased with herself for catching it before it went too far. Not that she couldn’t have called being bent over a toilet with her shorts around her ankles too far. The increasing soreness from the cuffs brought her attention back to the situation at hand, and she grimaced. Luka was almost through the door as she stepped closer to him. “Demons are everywhere.” Luka sighed, his gun still held high. “What the hell is going on, Cerys?” “I tried to tell you— Luka’s hand came down over her mouth again, and her eyes widened. That arrogant, dominant streak of his excited her, unfortunately. A large tank of a man glided through the shadows at the far side of the car park, near where Luka’s car was parked. His bald head glinted in the moonlight, and Cerys found herself holding her breath. They watched in silence as the Demon approached the car, wrenched open the hood, and reached down deep inside. “Son of a bitch.” Luka’s hand was still tight over her mouth, but he pulled her closer to him. The warmth of him penetrated through her thin vest, a fluttery feeling starting low down in her belly. Cerys reached up to pull his hands away with her cuffed ones and, after what seemed like playful resistance on his part, succeeded. “What’s he doing?” “He’s fucking everything up. That’s what he’s doing.” His tone was low, and she strained to hear him.

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The Demon straightened back up and closed the hood again as they watched, quickly looking around him before jogging off to the shadows again. Cerys wondered just how many more were out there, and she strained to try and catch sight of the devious bastards. Her senses were alive with all the magic in the air from the Demons and she had to concentrate to try and get through the fuzz. “We need to leave.” Luka dragged her along behind him as they hugged the wall. They watched as a Demon came out of the café entrance, stopped, scanned the area, and started walking toward the toilets. The Demon got closer to them, and Luka stopped once more, pulling her closer whilst drawing his gun level and aiming at its ugly head. Cerys held her breath again. She could smell Luka’s musky scent as the hard lines of his chest nudged hers. If Luka shot the Demon, all of them would know their whereabouts. How many could he fight off? How many bullets did he have? A loud boom echoed through the night air as fire shot high into the sky, pushing Luka’s car with it. She hoped that the heat pummelling their bodies and the noise that assaulted them would be a distraction to the big son of a bitch. Cerys held her breath as Luka let off one shot to the Demon’s head, dropping him before it’d even seen them. She blew out a shaky breath before peering at the body and shuddering. “My car,” he sighed as Cerys turned and looked up into Luka’s face. He scowled at the scene before them. As they watched, the Demons congregated in front of the burning mess. “What do you think you’re doing?” Cerys heard but could barely make out the voices. Her ears hurt too much, and her skin felt fried, but she understood this Demon tongue. “I thought you were setting it to go off when he got back to the car and after we’d taken the witch?” “It must have been faulty.” From the corner of her eye, she saw a fight break loose between

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two of the five Demons that now stood where the vehicle lay simmering. They were renowned for violence. Cerys wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to kill each other. Grabbing Cerys’s hands, Luka made a run for it around the back of the building and away from the turmoil. They headed for the petrol station behind the café, making sure they kept to the shadows. The forecourt was empty, but the shop assistant had come out of the booth and had run toward the commotion. Cerys didn’t know what they were supposed to be doing. Her ears were ringing, and her mind was working overtime. What if the Demons walked over this way? They’d surely see them, and then Luka would be dead. And that was another thing that didn’t add up. Why did they want Luka dead? She thought he was supposed to be one of the good guys. Cerys glanced up at the man who was watching the forecourt intently. Maybe he wasn’t as good as she thought he was. Maybe she was in deeper shit with him than on her own. Cerys shook her head at her own thoughts. He was a good man. She’d felt that when she had connected to him years ago. Whatever it was he was into wasn’t too bad. At least she hoped it wasn’t. She looked back toward the commotion to see the police officers, who were once happily eating, now screaming at the Demons to hit the ground. At least that would distract the evil bastards for a while. Luka heard the elevated voices too and turned around to look, surveying the scene in moments before dismissing it. “By the time they get themselves out of this mess, we’ll be long gone.” Cerys agreed. It still didn’t help her current situation though. She was still handcuffed and being taken to the Stronghold as all common criminals from the Meta-World caught on this side of the portal were. That didn’t equate to a good day in her eyes. A motorbike roared into the station then, its rider decked out in full leathers. He pushed down the kickstand, got off his ride and,

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seemingly unfazed by the car bonfire and the five giants and two policemen in the distance, grabbed the nozzle, placed it in the tank, and filled up with fuel. “Stay here.” “What? Hang on, where you going?” Too late, he was already walking toward the man who was doing up the fuel cap on the motorbike. “Great-looking bike, man.” The guy looked up and smiled through the opening in his crash hat. “Thanks. She’s new.” “What does she do?” “One eighty on the straight, zero to sixty in less than three seconds.” “Nice.” The punch to the man’s exposed throat could be heard from her hiding place ten metres away. The poor man hit the ground with a thud and shook his bike on its stand. “Muh...muh...muhthafuh …” The choking splutters of the man gasping for air as he held his windpipe with one hand and swiped at Luka with the other made her grimace. In moments, Luka was mounted and had thumb started the machine into life and roared over to where she stood. “You just stole that man’s bike!” Luka pulled her toward him by her bound wrists. Cerys looked back at the slumped figure of the man and winced. “I need it more than he does. Get on, sweetheart .” She climbed on behind him, her feet barely off the tarmac before the motorcycle took off in a squeal of tyres, pushing her backward in the small seat and causing her to grab hold of whatever she could on Luka just to stay on the machine, which wasn’t easy in cuffs. The small wheelie he pulled was just dumb as far as she was concerned, and she heard Luka’s chuckle and held onto his belt with her cuffed hands, convincing her mind she was as secure as she could be. The bike was already quickly eating up the road as the smell of

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burnt car still lingered on their clothes. The biker was left behind them with the burning remnants of Luka’s car and the pissed-off Demons.

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Chapter Five They’d been riding for around five minutes when Luka saw a dirt road. He turned into it, stopped the bike, dismounted and paced. He rounded on her with a face like he’d been chewing nails. “Just what is it with you, lady?” “What the hell—” “Are you some sort of bad-luck charm or something?” “Me?” She cocked her leg over the side of the bike, but her legs were dead and she fell straight on her ass. Awkwardly, she used the bike to climb before her feet were steady on terra firma. Luka watched her as she struggled, a frown on his face. “I was happy, I’ll have you know, until you tried to kidnap me. You let everyone know where I was. This is your damn fault!” “Yeah? Well, I’m not the one who’s got a hefty bounty on my head so be aware. You’re not being kidnapped, you’re being cashed in.” Cerys gasped. “You didn’t think you’d get caught on this side of the portal did you? Admit it.” Cerys glared back at him, her hands pulling at the restraints and she itched to lash out at him. “I just hoped I’d be forgotten about after a while. There are criminals that run wild between the worlds, and they’re seemingly left alone to do whatever the hell they want. I’ve done nothing wrong.” Luka snorted, and Cerys narrowed her eyes on him. “You killed, Cerys. Justice will always be given sooner or later—” “I did not kill anyone. That’s all a lie...” Cerys let her words die off. She didn’t want to explain to this man what it was like growing up as a moon-witch in the Meta-World. There weren’t words to describe the ways in which the Fae-Guard would mentally and

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physically test your abilities. Luka just wouldn’t understand. “Regardless of what you think of me, I won’t be going back to the Stronghold. Not with you or any of those other Demons, so just let me go now and I’ll tell you what I know about you.” “How about I don’t let you go and you tell me anyway?” Luka stood with his hands on his hips and waited. “Sorry, no deal.” “If you’re not welcome among them why are you working for them?” “They need people like me, with my skills, on the outside. Look, to them, I’m impure. They don’t want me around them, the MetaWorld, the Stronghold, or other places they see as sacred, but I am useful to them. They need me, my ability, they pay well, and I like their money.” “So you’re a sell out.” “No, I’m a fucking realist. When I got here, I had two choices. Go stack shelves or something else menial and struggle, or do this and live comfortably. It ain’t rocket science so don’t preach to me.” Luka watched her for a moment, and then he resumed his pacing before stopping to face her. “There shouldn’t have been any way of knowing about your bounty unless they were given it, too. And I was guaranteed that I was the only one.” “Why were you the only one?” “Clients that use me all the time know my company works alone. The more dogs you put on a trail, the easier it is for the rabbit to see you coming. But for this one, all we got was the official paperwork giving your details as the target. There was nothing there to specify that we weren’t the only one to be contracted.” “But there was nothing to say you were either, right?” He ran his hand through his hair then scrubbed at his face. She could see he was getting agitated. “I’m too careful when I’m on a bounty so they wouldn’t have been able to follow me.” Luka turned to look directly at Cerys, his blue eyes hard. “It’s you.”

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“Me, what?” she said. “You’re being tracked.” Within two strides, he was by her side, had her arms up in the air, and was patting her down, taking no care of her bruised ribs and ignoring her winces. Cerys’s body heated and desire rushed her body as his hands rubbed up and down her exposed legs and under her shorts. She probably shouldn’t be enjoying it the way she was. Her mouth was suddenly dry. “Hey,” she choked out, more out of feeling she had to than wanting to. He was silent as he kept on going, but his jaw tightened under her scrutiny. He stood back, a frown marring his features when nothing was apparent. Luka pulled her toward him and looked in her hair, his fingers massaging deep in the hope of finding something attached to her. All Cerys could feel was the tingly sensation shooting through her body at his touch. Her eyes rolled back, and she wished the movement of his hands would go on forever. It was one of her secret places that she adored being touched and would happily purr for hours. Oh Goddess! Please slow down and make it last, Luka. His eyes narrowed on her. “That thing around your neck, where’d you get it?” “This pendant? My boss gave it to me a few days ago.” Cerys looked down at it. Moonstone was one of her favourites, and her friend had surprised her with it. She had been choked up at the time. Why would Luka be interested in that? Realisation dawned slowly, but as it did, it made her sick to her stomach. “Oh no.” Luka reached for it and inspected it. “You’ve been set up.” He pulled the thin chain, and it stung as it ripped from her neck. “You’ve been set up to set me up, it seems.” Luka coiled the necklace in his hands before launching it into the night. The slight glow of the stone caught the illumination of the moon briefly before it disappeared forever.

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He backed away, turned, and looked into the distance. “Just what is it you’re supposed to know about me? Help me out here, goddamn it. Please.” Cerys sighed and reached up to push a strand of her hair behind her ear. “There wasn’t much, but I sensed the Demon knew that you were the ultimate goal. That I was just an excuse and that you were their real target.” Cerys stretched and felt her bones creak. She was stiff, but her self-healing ability was covering her, and it was automatically repairing any injuries she had. Albeit slowly. “Since that device is no longer around your neck, we don’t need to worry that they’ll find us any time soon. The trail’s gonna be cold by the time they get away from the cops, anyway.” He turned to look up the road they’d just ridden down. “We need to get out of here.” Cerys was numb as the realisation filled her mind that she’d been set up by her friend. Had she even been approached by the Fae-Guard or the Demons? Given her sensitivity to those from the Meta-World, how had she not noticed that? So many questions ran through her mind. Not the least being, could she trust Luka? Really trust him? Or was he going to be just another one of the people around her that let her down? It was a question she didn’t have an answer for. **** Cerys Bailey held onto his belt as the motorbike accelerated through the night. He was at home on a bike, owning one himself, and this one was a great example. A Ducati. Pity he’d have to get rid of it soon if he wanted to avoid getting picked up by the cops. There was little traffic on the road, something he was grateful for considering neither of them had a crash helmet and were pushing the speed limits. Tonight though, something clung to the air that made him edgy. He knew they were being pursued, a fact that wouldn’t have bothered him if he had been on his own. But with Cerys, he couldn’t shift into Shadow and go underground. Whatever she had

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done, or not done, she didn’t deserve to face all this on her own. It seemed like she was just a pawn to get to him anyway. Her breasts occasionally pushed against his back as they silently pushed on in their journey. Luka found himself sucking in deep breaths to try not to push back into her. He was feeling things about this woman he had no right to feel, and the sooner he got his head out of his ass, the better. Getting laid was his top priority after he worked out who was trying to do him in. A nameless, faceless woman was just what the doctor ordered. Luka tried not to think about the fact that the woman actually did have a name and a face. Cerys. He tried to relax into the ride, putting the thoughts to the back of his head. Too much adrenaline pumping around his body was his problem. The motorbike ate up the miles, but despite sticking to the country roads, he needed to ditch his transport sooner rather than later. He pulled into a farm track and skidded to a halt on the gravel road, avoiding the potholes. He shut the engine off and felt Cerys climb off behind him, feeling her breasts press gently into his back again. Luka’s teeth ground together as he thought about how they’d felt in his hand earlier. There wasn’t time to think of sex right now, but that was all he could think about with this woman so close to him. Off the bike, he said a fond good-bye before pushing the machine down the verge and into the deep hedgerow. The scratching on metal made him shudder, and he mentally apologised to the owner. He’d have killed the bastard who’d done that to his bike. When this is over, I’ll try and come back for you. A paint job and a plate change and you’ll be good as new, baby. “So, what now?”

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Luka sighed and eyed the bush that the motorcycle had disappeared into. What now, indeed. This was a whole new game he hadn’t played before, and he didn’t like the ante one little bit. “We walk, that’s what.” “Can I at least get these handcuffs off of me?” Luka felt a little bad that he’d forgotten about his cuffs, but as far as he was concerned, she was still his bounty. At least, for now. “Nope.” “Well, could you at least loosen them? They’re cutting into my wrists.” Her pretty eyes opened wide to him, and he felt like a dick. “Bring your hands up.” Her hands were held at her chest level as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the key. He grabbed her right wrist with his left hand, and as he brought up the other to the cuff lock, his fingers grazed her hard nipple. His breath hitched slightly, but he tried to concentrate on the task at hand despite the blood rushing down his body and his knees feeling a little shaky. Luka then loosened the cuff around the left wrist and tried not to think about that nipple, too. Finally he stepped back. He watched as she looked incredulously at him and spun on her heel to march down the road in the direction they’d just come from. Her ass, the same ass he’d fantasised about when he hadn’t known it belonged to Cerys Bailey earlier, taunted him. So did that wavy, red hair of hers. Luka had a thing for redheads. Who knew? Cerys turned back to him, a fiery glint to her eye, and stalked back toward him, standing toe to toe. “I was happy. For the first time in my life, I was happy. I wasn’t Cerys Bailey, moon-witch. I was Julie Travis, Ms. Normal. And then you came along—” “Technically, you’d already been busted. I was doing my job.” Luka tried not to grin, he really did, but she just looked so cute, all small and angry. She spluttered for a few moments, the moonlight making her look wild as her hair fell in waves around her face and her anger fisted her hands at her sides.

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“I could tear you apart, inch by stupid inch if I wanted to.” She stood on tiptoes to face him almost eye to mouth, and Luka was temporarily distracted by the flowery smell that emanated from her hair. “I’m dangerous. Didn’t anybody warn you of that?” Luka chuckled then laughed as steam practically erupted from her ears. “Sweetheart, if you could do more than heal yourself and look pretty, you’d have done it. I know that. Right now? You’re stuck with me until we get out of the situation that you’ve got me into.” “That I’ve got you into? Weren’t you listening? It’s you they want. I’m just a happy, little bonus for them.” Luka scratched the stubble on his chin and shook his head. “Either way, you’re still my bounty until I can figure out exactly where I stand.” Luka watched as Cerys’s mind ticked over and waited for the inevitable reaction, whatever that might be. She wasn’t a natural redhead, but she sure had their passionate temper, and that thought excited the hell out of him. What he wasn’t expecting from her was a kick to his groin and for Cerys to hightail it back along the track through a cloud of his pain and a mass of her hair. Any blood that had amassed down there retreated to his face and ears. Luka staggered and he sucked in his breath, pain shooting into his stomach. Moments passed, and he couldn’t move. “Bitch!” The word was wrenched from the depths of his soul. As soon as his eyes began to clear from the tears that threatened to fall, he began to run like a drunk chasing a ten-pound note in the wind, with little focus at first, but slowly he gained on her. She glanced around in panic and stumbled, allowing him to gain precious distance. And then he switched. Luka knew the moment it dawned on Cerys that he was no longer playing fair. The look of horror spread across her face as the inky blackness in front of her enveloped her and brought her down to the ground. He couldn’t touch her in his Shadow form but he could

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manipulate the air around her. It also wouldn’t stop his nuts from throbbing for the next few hours. Although Luka preferred his human form, his Shadow made him feel alive and allowed him to become one with nature. The change was as quick flipping a light switch and all it took on his part was the intent in his mind to change. It was natural to him to feel his body not as a solid, but as a mist. But it still felt like him, even if he didn’t look human. Appearing back to her in his human form, his mouth was inches away from hers. Cerys opened it to scream, but Luka took advantage and kissed her hard and fast. The woman was a menace. To herself and to him. The quicker he got to the bottom of all of this, the better. She moaned beneath him, and any thoughts of resisting her charms, drifted away. Luka didn’t want to feel anything from the kiss. He was scratching an itch that had been there since the moment he’d met her as far as he was concerned. Yet the more he tasted of her, the more he wanted. And that just wasn’t good. Her skin was flawless, and he was momentarily taken aback by its perfection as he looked down at her. Luka swallowed as her tongue darted out to moisten her already-damp lips. There was no way he should be doing this. Pushing her away from him, he looked deep into her gorgeous green eyes and saw exactly what he was feeling. A deep longing desire. Shit. Jumping to his feet, Luka made a show of brushing the dirt off his jeans whilst Cerys struggled to her feet, the metal chink of her cuffs the only sound in the night. He gently pushed her ahead of him, and she reluctantly moved. “We’ve got a long walk ahead of us.” Luka adjusted his aching nuts whilst watching the swing of her hips in front of him as they

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walked back toward the country lane. Maybe this part of the journey wouldn’t be too bad after all.

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Chapter Six Cerys was as stiff as a board when she woke up, and it felt like she had razor blades in her eyes. A long shiver racked her body as the wind, from the back of the open-backed truck they’d hitched a ride on thirty-five miles ago, whipped at her hair and neck. She nuzzled into the only warm thing in her vicinity, only realising in hindsight it was Luka. Cerys felt his lips in her hair as he murmured something she didn’t quite catch, and his arm squeezed her gently before pulling away from her, speaking louder this time. “Good timing. This is our stop.” He reached behind him and knocked on the window separating them from the driver. “Right here’s great, Rich.” The truck slowed and pulled over. “How long have I been asleep?” “About thirty minutes or so.” No wonder she felt awful. They’d walked miles through the night before they’d come across someone who’d been willing to give them a ride. Luka jumped over the side and reached out to her. She clumsily held him around his neck with her cuffed hands as he smoothly lifted her fully out of the vehicle. Her breasts came close to his face, and he glanced down at her cleavage as she passed. Cerys’s face flamed as desire stretched out from her lower belly. She closed her eyes briefly until her feet hit the ground. The desire was palpable between them. Cerys ached at the thought of not fulfilling the fantasies that had plagued her restless sleep. Quietly studying him as he waved at the driver, they both turned to watch the truck speed away and head into town. She ached to graze

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her lips along his jaw, but instead of doing what she desired, she pulled away from him and looked around. They’d arrived in a pretty seedy area, that was for sure. She wouldn’t have been there if it had been her choice. They’d been dropped off on the outskirts of town, and Luka kept her to the shadows once more. After ten minutes of what seemed to her to be walking with no real place to go, they skirted down an alley. He stopped as she was midstride, and she collided into his back with an “Oomph” “Wait,” he whispered, pushing her back with his one arm up against the wall behind her, still watching the streets. They moved again after a few minutes, and Cerys breathed a sigh of relief at whatever had spooked Luka that had thankfully disappeared. Cerys was cold and hungry and had too little patience to be standing around in the early hours of a chilly October morning. She glanced around with little interest. Industrial units from the sixties that hadn’t seen a lick of paint in years stood empty behind them. Across the road there was a small parade of shops. A sex shop, a convenience store and pawn shop. All had neon lights still blaring outside, but it was the flashing neon boobs that confirmed Cerys’s earlier seedy impressions. “Come on.” Luka held her arm as they crossed the street hastily, and she hoped they weren’t being watched as they darted down another alley behind the parade of shops and into the back door of the pawn shop. Thank heavens it wasn’t the sex shop. After switching off the alarm, Luka pulled his gun and told her to stay close as they walked through the office. The inside wasn’t quite as seedy as the outside, but it was close. She noticed three fake rubber plants, a layer of dust, a stack of well-out-of-date magazines, and a carpet that looked as old as her. Cerys hoped her feet wouldn’t stick to it. She stood in the doorway and watched Luka do his thing. She admired his shapely shoulders and wished he wasn’t quite so

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pigheaded. And sexy. Yeah, that would have made her situation less complicated. “Sit down, Cerys.” Luka was striding back, tucking his gun into his waistband. She looked at the three large desks deciding which of them was the tidiest and therefore the cleanest. “The pawn shop is a front?” “It’s not exactly a well-known pursuit to chase otherworldly creatures around here you know. And it also gives me a little extra cash to play with.” Cerys shrugged and carried on inspecting her surroundings. She finally chose the seat in the corner by the water cooler, and to her surprise, he followed her over and unlocked her cuffs. Cerys smiled her thanks whilst she tried to conceal her surprise before flexing her hands and rubbing her wrists. They hadn’t been tight but they’d still been awkward to wear. He went back and sat down at his desk and shuffled papers, before picking up the phone and dialling. Her body was healing nicely. She felt almost back to normal, and she bet even her facial cuts were almost gone in the hours since the accident, too. That plaster on her face could probably come off. She wasn’t very powerful at the moment, but she was grateful that what she did have was working completely for her well-being. Her thirty years of life had consisted of constant surprises when new abilities cropped up. Despite needing the moon to channel and to “charge her up,” she was still capable of doing things naturally, like self-healing. No matter how uncharged she was, she could always heal herself. Most of her other capabilities, like connecting to other people’s psyches and casting spells, were much more effective the more moon energy she stored within. Cerys turned and looked at the desk, knowing Luka was still on the phone, she peeked inside the top drawer and smiled. Inside, was a collection of paranormal paraphernalia including several crystals, a wand, a book on spells for dummies and some sage incense. She picked up the closest crystal, a large phantom quartz, and almost

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gasped. The intensity of the energy held within the crystal was enhancing her own and she felt her vision begin to change, despite not supposedly having much energy within. She dropped the phantom, with its smaller crystal visible inside it, back into the drawer and slammed it shut. “What the hell just happened?” Luka was sitting at the desk, a frown marring his features. “N-nothing,” Cerys admitted, knowing full well she was getting stronger. “Why?” She slowed down her breathing and awaited his answer. “The air shifted in the room, like all the colour was trying to drift out. It was… bizarre,” he said softly, frowning again before turning his attention back to the desk. Luka picked up the phone, held it to his ear, and dialled out. He waited for a while before he dropped the receiver onto the desk, pulled off his sweater, then put it back to his ear when the person on the other end of the line answered. “Yeah, it’s me. Meet me at the station in twenty. Okay.” The phone was down, and his attention was on her again. Over her crystal incident, Cerys stared at the tight black T-shirt that hugged his chest then focussed her attention on his eyes again. They really were a pretty shade of blue. “We’ve got ten minutes. Go get freshened up in the bathroom. We’ll grab some food when we’re out. We can’t stay here.” Cerys nodded, slightly distracted as she got up to move away from the desk. He was way too much male for her, and she couldn’t be thinking about his long, thick legs, but she was. Especially since he was her captor. For now. “And sweetheart?” She turned to look at him. “Don’t try and escape. It’ll really piss me off to chase you down again. And I will catch you.” Cerys tried to conceal the slight excitement that burst through her veins and hurried to the back room. She felt really stupid for thinking this situation was anything more than met the eye. A bounty hunter

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with his prisoner. To him, she was just a cash sum for his bank balance. Even if he did desire her. That stung, but she was nothing if not realistic. Her situation was pretty dire. The Fae-Guard had tracked her down and were on her tail to take her back to the Meta-World. If she went back, well… there was no way she’d go again. Cerys choked back memories of her past. No. She wouldn’t go back. Disappearing again was her only hope. Whoever wanted Luka wanted him bad enough to put a price on her head for a crime she hadn’t committed. Despite her reasoning to Luka, she was under no illusion that her involvement was an accident. And that meant she was inextricably involved, whether she wanted to be or not. **** The abandoned train station was only a short walk from Luka’s office. Cerys was thankful since she wasn’t sure how much more cardio her body could take that day on such little sleep. The chill in the air still penetrated her skin although she was warmer-blooded than a pure human. She noticed the weeds grew through the path and over the tracks whilst they waited for one of his business partners to arrive. Luka had changed into a long-sleeved, cotton top that hugged his well-defined body. A fact he was surely aware of. Earlier, back in the shop, he’d offered her a sweater, and she’d tied it around her waist. She managed to resist the urge to bury her face in it and breathe in his scent. A grin spread across her face. Cerys really was a sick puppy if she was desperate enough to get off on a quick sniff. The large, old building looked like it had been abandoned well over twenty years ago by the looks of the smashed windows and birds nested happily in the remains. They’d had to climb through some unmaintained fencing to get there, and she scratched at the nettle stings that had attacked her bare legs.

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Cerys sat gingerly on an old wooden bench that creaked under her weight. Graffiti lined the wall on the opposite side of the tracks so she amused herself by reading it. Luka hadn’t seen it necessary to put the handcuffs back on her, and she wasn’t about to remind him of it either. He could carry on quietly pacing the length of the platform as far as she was concerned. Every now and again he’d catch her eye, knowing he was deep in thought, his eyes hard and focussed. She felt sorry for him, she honestly did. What she’d done to him by banishing him was terrible. He would surely kill her if he ever found out it was her who’d ruined his life all those years ago. And that was definitely another reason to get away from the bloody man. The procedure had been her first—and last—banishing, although it had been done before by others. It had felt natural to her to connect to the anonymous villain, known only as the Shadow Luka. She’d tapped into his mental connection and wrenched at the ties that held him bonded to his people. The mental anguish she felt couldn’t be surpassed as she stole his ability to breathe in the Meta-World atmosphere, ensuring he could never return. Guilt assailed her, but she told herself it had been another lifetime and to forget the pain she’d caused him. Her heart wasn’t listening, though. Two large men rounded the corner of the building from the same direction they’d come in from. One wore tracksuit bottoms and a Tshirt and the other, a ratty pair of jeans and a football shirt. Her senses picked up, and she could tell only one of them was human. The other was a Demon, a fact that made her very nervous indeed. The football shirt guy smiled at Luka as they approached and slapped him on the shoulder. “Jesus, man, you need to be careful.” Cerys watched the emotions cross Luka’s face and knew these two men meant a lot to each other.

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“Yeah, well, I don’t do anything by halves, Cal, I never have.” Luka faced the other man. “Finn, wasn’t expecting you here as well, thanks for coming.” Finn just nodded but looked pointedly toward Cerys. Her skin prickled slightly, her senses coming alive once more. “This is Cerys Bailey. She’s the bounty wanted for killing five Fae-Guard.” Five? Wow, she had been busy. Perhaps if she’d been that clever whilst a virtual prisoner in the Meta-World, she could have racked up quite a killing spree. Cerys rolled her eyes. “No cuffs?” Finn nodded toward her hands, and she slipped them underneath her thighs. There was no way she was being restrained again, no way! Luka hesitated for a moment and looked over toward her and caught her eye. “No.” “Well, first things first. We have to sort out what the hell is happening with your wanted status, Luka.” Cal put his hands on his hips and looked around the empty station. “And you can’t stay here.” “Great, I have a wanted status. What have you heard about me?” “That you’re wanted for helping a known fugitive escape from the Meta-World,” he told him, nodding toward Cerys who was listening with interest. “And that you’ve been on a killing spree, too.” Cal glanced over at the man by his side, maybe to see if he had anything to add. When nothing was forthcoming, he glanced over to Cerys, where she noticed for the first time, he had the nicest hazel eyes she’d ever seen. A thought brushed across her mind. It was he who was the Demon, despite not looking like the big thugs she was getting used to seeing. “Difference is she’s to be brought in alive and you’re not. Somebody wants you dead.” The wind around them picked up then. Any silence there may have been was carried away with the dust.

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“I’m innocent you know.” All eyes turned to her so she kept talking. “I never killed anyone.” At least to her knowledge, she thought sadly. “And certainly no Fae-Guard. You should know that just because I’m a moon-witch that doesn’t make me a bad person. It was just sometimes I had no choice.” A memory hit her hard and fast, one she knew she’d pushed to the recesses of her mind. It surfaced despite her efforts. The fifteen-year-old girl had been an innocent before the Commodore had raped her. By the time Cerys had found out about the assault, the girl had been badly beaten by some in the Fae-Guard. She’d sent her healing to help her deal with the traumatic event, but there was only so much she could do. The Commodore had boasted to her that the girl had looked, and felt, older. It sickened her down to her very essence. He’d commanded Cerys to wipe her memory, and she had reluctantly agreed, thinking it might be the best for the girl. Her ministrations had been thwarted when the Commodore went back for seconds on the girl. The trauma he’d inflicted had been devastating. The girl had ended up taking her own life. Cerys had blamed herself. She’d known and not done anything about it. Reacting quickly, she’d attacked the Commodore, but she’d been overpowered due to them restricting her abilities and the control they’d always exerted over her. The Commodore should be dead for what he’d done to that child. It was something she’d always regretted not being able to do. Cerys bounced back to the present, her eyes starting to fill with tears before blinking quickly. All three men were still staring at her so she made herself carry on talking. “Whoever put the bounty on my head wants me back to use my abilities again. I can’t let them do that. I won’t. I want a clean slate and to disappear again—this time for good.” Cerys smiled softly. “I just want an easy life.”

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Luka stepped toward her on the bench, a smile hovering around his own lips. He reached out his hand to her, and she didn’t hesitate in taking it. “Listen, I haven’t got much else to do right now but get to the bottom of finding out who’s got it in for me. Seeing as you’re somehow connected in all this, I’ll see what I can find out about your problem, too.” She smiled shyly at him and nodded. Cerys couldn’t believe that he was offering to help her, but she wasn’t going to complain. “I hate to piss on your parade here, people, but we’re not playing happily ever after.” Finn had a gun fixed directly at Luka’s head and pulled Cerys toward him, suffocating any warm and fluffy feelings she’d had over Luka.

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Chapter Seven Luka’s blood boiled as the realisation hit home that one of his closest friends and business partners had betrayed him. He stared him down, never looking away from Finn’s eyes, even when Luka moved toward him and pushed his forehead into the gun barrel. From the corner of his eye, he saw Cerys struggle to free herself. He knew Finn, well, he thought he had in any case. How could he do this to him? How could Luka not have seen this coming? Not that there were any signs one of his oldest friends would have done that to him. No. This was a blow. The bitter taste of hurt washed over him. Again. Why did people keep betraying him in his life? His uncle, his people, one of his best friends… he pushed down his grief. He stood there watching a man he’d trusted with his life threaten a woman who irritated the hell out of him. Pain lanced through his chest at the thought of losing her. He’d have protected her anyway, but this threat on her made his protective instincts kick in even more. Luka had to do something. “They know you’re here, Luka, it’s no use. Go quietly.” “Quietly? That’s not happening. What do you think you’re gonna get out of this?” “Me?” Luka watched how Finn laughed with a boyish fervour as Cal moved very slowly away from them all. God, he hoped Cal wasn’t in on this, too. “Who the fuck else, you piece of shit?” Luka pushed into the barrel, to try and get into his face, but Finn stepped back and waved the gun at him a little before pointing it at Cerys, which stopped Luka

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in his tracks. Her wounds from last night’s car accident had almost healed completely, but he wasn’t chancing her becoming collateral damage in this fight. She was too important. Luka tried to ignore his fear. Fear that she was going to get hurt. Fear that she had already crawled into his heart. “Well, first there’s the money I’ll get for this little one.” He smiled down into her face, and she growled back at him. Luka would have laughed at the way her snarly face looked like an angry shih tzu at any other time. “And then of course there’s the bonus of getting rid of you.” Despite the obvious breakdown in their relationship that had become apparent in the last few moments, Luka hadn’t been aware there’d been any issues up until now. How could he? Maybe he should have guessed something like this would happen sooner or later though given his track record. “Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t realise I was the cause of your now-obvious pent-up issues. What was it? Didn’t like that I was always a better hunter than you?” Finn’s smile faltered before he made an effort to right it once more.” You were always so fucking arrogant, half-breed.” Luka hadn’t been called half-breed in a long time. If Cerys hadn’t been at risk from the maniac, he’d switch, then pull out Finn’s tongue. “Tell me, Finn. When does the backup arrive or are you feeling brave all on your own?” Luka listened out for signs of movement, expecting to be jumped at any minute. He had to get Cerys away from him. Away from the Fae-Guard. He wouldn’t let them take her back to the Meta-World, not now. “Oh, they’ll be a few minutes more.” He looked way too pleased with himself, and Luka had the sudden desire to wrap a train track around his skull. He looked down at the tracks below and wondered how bonded they were to the ground. “In the meantime, the big hand says it’s time to get rid of you.” Luka should have been concentrating on the imminent threat from Finn, but instead he was distracted by the woman with the gun

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pointed at her. He found himself looking at Cerys’s eyes as a light shone from deep within. It was slight at first, and he didn’t know if he imagined it or not. He briefly looked away, just in case it was an illusion, but it still remained when he looked back. “Your name’s Finn, right?” Cerys said quietly. Finn glanced down at the woman he held, and he smashed the butt of the gun into her temple, causing her to stumble and a trickle of blood appeared. He watched Luka intently as he winced at the scene before grinning. “And your name’s Cerys Bailey. It must be my lucky day.” Luka noticed Cal step behind Finn, who was currently completely focussed on Cerys. Cal nodded slightly toward Luka and stood poised to grab Finn, but just before he could, he stopped as he heard Cerys start reciting something. “Mother moon, open your eyes and shine your heart down on me. Show this man the gift that you have bestowed upon your daughter.” Luka couldn’t understand the rest of the words that just sounded jumbled to him but her body took on the sheen of the moon, growing steadily in intensity. She began to vibrate, ever so slightly and it almost felt like the air around them was being sucked toward her. He stepped back slightly, wondering what the hell was going to happen. As Finn stood there in awe at the woman he held, Cerys snapped back and elbowed him. He staggered backward from the slight force but readied himself to pistol whip her again, but Cal was quicker. He took down the other man with quick actions. Luka was still standing exactly where he was in shocked silence, watching all colour drain away from Cerys. He felt his heart skip a beat as he watched her crumple to the floor. It had taken all the energy she had inside for that burst of whatever-the-hell-it-was, and it hurt him to realise she’d been put in a position where she thought she had to save herself. He would have done anything to save her, he realised. And that scared him just as much as Cerys and her unknown powers.

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Luka rushed to her side and took her in his arms, her limp body draped across his. Cal had Finn pinned on the floor, struggling, but Cal, being Demon, easily overpowered him, and a well-placed thump to his head knocked the human clean out. “Is she all right?” his friend said softly. “I’m not sure. She’s unconscious.” “She’s got guts.” Luka was well aware of that. Not only was she gorgeous, but she was courageous, too. This didn’t bode well for him. Not one little bit. Luka was much too involved with her, and it had only been a few hours. He had to have a screw loose or been hit on the head if he thought he was feeling more than exaggerated lust though. He pushed a strand of her wavy, red hair back from her face. “I’ve never seen moon power before. It’s rare,” Cal murmured. “Neither have I,” he admitted, watching Cerys’s chest move as she took deep breaths and tried not to linger on her shapely breasts outlined by her white vest. “But we need to get out of here.” Luka pulled his eyes away from the woman in his arms to look at his friend. “I’m going to leave my Demon brethren to find Finn here.” Cal smiled down at Finn lying on the ground, but it was full of distaste. “Hopefully they won’t appreciate being sent on a wild-goose chase and will need to have a few words with him. “I’m taking her away from here. I need some answers.” He looked down at the redhead in his arms and sighed. “And I guess the only way I’m going to get them is by going straight to the horse’s mouth— the Stronghold.” Luka knew the Stronghold was the last place he should have been going, given his banishment. And he was damn certain he wouldn’t be taking Cerys back there, but he needed to find out why he was a dead man walking all of a sudden, and going there seemed the logical conclusion, especially with Finn’s defection to the other side. Things just didn’t feel right.

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“There’s a party, day after tomorrow, at the Stronghold. Everyone will be there for a political fundraiser. It’s your best bet for getting in there unnoticed. I can get hold of some invitations for you.” “Perfect. Maybe whoever set the bounty for Cerys and put the hit on me has an invite, too.” That would be his opportunity to get to the bottom of this. His mind whirled at the possibilities. “Take care of yourself, Cal.” Luka got to his feet with Cerys in his arms. His friend nodded, and Luka turned away from the two men who’d been a part of his life for the past nine years. As he walked away, he could have sworn he heard the sound of fist pounding on skull, but he didn’t turn around to check. **** The hotel room Luka had checked them into was small and dusty, but at least there was a bath. The water lapped at her naked body as she stared blankly toward the peeling paint on the ceiling, but her mind was elsewhere. Her energy was almost nonexistent. Cerys reached over and unwrapped the small, slightly medicinal-smelling soap and lathered it in her hands. Humming along to a tune from the TV she could just hear in the background, she soaped her body. It felt good to relax in the water and to try to forget her problems. Problem was, no matter what she did, she couldn’t escape her past. She’d never be able to it seemed. And now somebody had accused her of killing members of the FaeGuard in an effort to get her back into the fold once more. Luka was her saviour. He could have left her at the station to be taken by the Guard or the Demons, but he hadn’t. It went against all her past issues, but she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she could trust him. The feeling was foreign to her given her background. Had she ever trusted anyone from the Meta-World before? She

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scoffed at the thought. Her past acquaintances had been out for themselves. It was nice to think that someone had her back. Her chest started to ache as she thought of the annoying man who had crept into her defences. Cerys didn’t want to like him, but he had morals, and that meant a lot about those from the Meta-World. Since she’d woken up in the bed at the hotel, he hadn’t said anything about what had happened back with his friends, but she knew it had to have stung to have his business partner stab him in the back. It had been the last thing she had expected to happen, despite the uneasy feeling she’d had around the two men. She’d presumed her instincts had picked up on the Demon, but it had been the human who’d been turned. But, honestly? Nothing surprised her anymore. If someone could be bought, the Fae-Guard were on them like flies on shit. Corrupt didn’t even begin to cover the top brass. Cerys hadn’t realised she’d slept quite so long since the incident at the station until she spotted the worn clock on the bathroom wall, but it was what she’d needed. Her energy had dwindled so very quickly when she’d called on the moon. Cerys sighed and dunked her head under the water then reached for the small unopened bottle of cheap shampoo. She caught sight of her reflection in the low, dirty mirror on the back of the door and stopped still. Red hair suited her more than her given black, and her pale skin was a good contrast. She wouldn’t have called herself pretty as such, but she could call on her feminine wiles when she needed to. Lathering up her hair, Cerys wondered what Luka was doing right now. He’d run her a bath after she’d woken and ushered her into the bathroom, barely looking at her. She dunked her head again and used the showerhead attached to the tap to thoroughly rinse it through. She couldn’t work him out. And she wasn’t sure she completely wanted to, either. Maybe it was for the best that he was still an enigma to her because, if she actually started to know the man behind

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the sexy, stubbled chin, she knew she’d be in rough waters. Not that she didn’t feel she was taking a trip on the Titanic as it was, of course. Luka hovered on the outskirts of her mind as the water beat down her hair and face. She found everything about him tantalising. That was the issue. Even his large shoulders and heavy-looking biceps called out to her core. And right now, all she wanted to do was glue herself to him. She let the water from the showerhead run over her hair then her neck soothing her weariness. The sharp, needlelike intensity of the water brought awareness to her skin, and she sighed and dipped the showerhead lower, rinsing soap off her breasts. Nipples pebbled as her body relaxed, but knowing she was mere feet away from the man who’d looked at her with heat in his eyes, made her heart beat faster. She hadn’t even realised where her hand was until she tweaked her nipple, pulling at it in pleasure, allowing the showerhead to dip lower over her belly and hit the soapy bathwater before disappearing beneath. A tiny bit of guilt tugged at her as her pleasure slowly increased. Getting herself off was probably the last thing she should be doing, but her body had crossed the line and was now fully in control of where her hands travelled. Cerys opened her thighs in anticipation of the powerful water spray slowly slipping lower and lower until it grazed the lips of her pussy. “Mmm...” Cerys pulled at her nipples once more, eyes closed, and she felt the pink nubs grow and harden between her fingers before tracing her fingers down over the silken wetness of her breast. Cerys’s mind raced as her body heated in the barely warm water, and thoughts of Luka bombarded her now. She imagined his hands on hers as her fingers explored her nakedness, heading down toward the streaming water. Breaths came in short gasps as the sensation, the

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purely wonderful vibration, took her to the edge of an orgasm very quickly. Fingers slipped inside her pussy lips and stroked at her clitoris as her ultimate goal was clear in her mind. Edging closer every moment, she shifted in the water and opened her legs wider, pushing her fingers deep inside herself. Luka on her mind, wishing he was on her body, deep inside her. The showerhead and her fingers weren’t fast enough in giving her the climax she craved as feverishly she worked to attain it, writhing in near ecstasy. She was almost there, and Cerys imagined Luka poised between her legs, his cock poised to thrust into her at any second... “Everything okay in there?” Cerys surged upward in the tub, her legs falling from their perch on the side of the tub to splash back in the water, and the shower sprayed water straight up into the air. She scrambled to grab the showerhead, and water splashed over the side. “Bugger.” “Cerys?” Luka knocked on the door, and her body shivered with unfulfilled desire, and the chill in the air finally caught up with her. “Ye-ah, I’m okay. Just coming—” She cringed at her choice of words as her breath began to slow down. The showerhead floated in front of her, water now off, tempting her to return to her task. Ignoring it, she grabbed a towel from the rack, stood up and stepped out, water cascading down her body, hair already drying. The rough towel didn’t help her overly sensitive body. Her clit was swollen with desire, her nipples dark and engorged. Wetness still pooled in between her legs, and it would only take a few moments to bring herself off. Cerys looked up to see her reflection once more in the long mirror on the back of the door. Her hands seemed to move of their own volition, rubbing over the shaven area of her pussy. Her full-body shudder buckled her legs, and she grabbed the sink to stay upright. A glass tumbled into the sink and shattered, jolting her from her

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decadent thoughts. She growled her frustration and looked at the pieces of glass glittering at her in the white sink. “Cerys, I’m coming in.” Concern laced his tone. There was no time for her to do anything but pull the towel over her front. The door shot open, and there stood Luka, whose eyes devoured her almost-naked state. “I was just...” Memories of what she’d imagined him doing to her just moments before heated her skin. They stared at each other for moments before Luka turned on his heel and walked away, leaving the door open and giving Cerys the opportunity to breathe once more.

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Chapter Eight The towel was securely wrapped around her now-under-control but still-moist body. At least it was slightly more under control than it had been five minutes previously. “You need to leave. You need to be far away from me.” Cerys stopped dead in the room and looked at Luka, who was lounging back on the double bed. He was giving her exactly what she wanted—to disappear again and to become Julie Travis once more or another anonymous woman. Nausea spread across her stomach at the thought of walking away from Luka. Why should she have any feelings for the man? She didn’t need anyone to survive. She’d managed this far on her own just fine. A barrage of conflicting thoughts raced through her head. She could run, escape, get away from all this. But the absolute desire she had running through her meant she just couldn’t walk away. Not from him. Besides, Cerys needed to get to the bottom of whoever wanted her back desperately enough to put Luka’s life in jeopardy. “Yeah, well. I can’t do that yet.” Luka frowned at her. “Why the hell not? You’ve got a ticket out of here—take it.” He pulled his knees up toward his chest and relaxed back more against the head of the bed. “I don’t understand you, I really don’t.” Luka sighed and scratched at the stubble on his chin. The dirty-blond colouring appealed to her on many levels, and she tried not to be distracted by it. She pulled her eyes away from him and looked around the room. It was heavily shadowed, but she noticed the drab décor. Her eyes caught and stared at a piece of curling wallpaper, so very distant from

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her cute, brightly painted, little flat. Cerys would never see the place again, and that thought made her sad. Finally, looking back at him, she knew she had to try and make him understand. “I can’t just walk away now.” She checked that the knot of the towel was fastened securely and walked slowly toward the far edge of the bed, careful not to allow the material to gape. “I’ll never be truly free of them if this person can easily track me down.” Pushing a strand of her still slightly damp, finger-ruffled hair behind her ear, she sighed. “I really don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” She watched the play of muscles in Luka’s face as she contemplated how to say her next sentence. The end of the day’s sunlight drifted through the small window, catching his hair, and she watched the natural highlights dance in front of her eyes. “I was thinking that since you were going to track down who was behind your problems, then maybe I could... you know... tag along with you?” Cerys stopped talking when his face screwed up, and he shook his head. “No, that’s a bad idea. I can’t keep you safe, Cerys. I need to focus.” “The strength I used when I elbowed him back at the station came through the moon, so I can look after myself—” “What would you have done if you were on your own? You may have knocked him down, but it seemed like a one-shot deal before your body gave out. Cerys, he could have gotten up before you’d have regained consciousness and simply pounded you into submission. Then what?” Cerys sighed. He was correct of course. Her energy was severely limited still, although she was getting better. She would need to spend some more time channelling the moon’s power if she was to stand any chance of helping herself and Luka. She wouldn’t beg this object of desire in front of her for his protection and guidance. It went against everything she’d fought for

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her entire life, especially over the last years. But she wanted to stay with him so badly she could taste it. “If you really want me to go, I will.” Cerys got up from the bed and walked back toward the bathroom. Hopefully her underwear would be dry soon from her impromptu washing so she could be on her way. She made it to the bathroom door before Luka called her name. She stopped but didn’t want to look back. Cerys didn’t want him to see the hurt in her eyes that she could feel down to her very toes. “Listen, you can stay until the party in two nights. If you stay out of my way and don’t try anything silly.” A smile tugged at her lips, but still, she didn’t turn around. This time she’d be sure he would see way too much in her eyes. **** Luka watched as Cerys sat on the cold pavement behind the single-storey hotel building and channelled whatever the hell it was that she was channelling. He kept watch, wary of any movement around them, just in case the Demons had located them again. He’d taken precautions, but someone had it in for him bad. Tomorrow he’d ring Cal and arrange to pick up that invitation to the party. They weren’t far away from the Stronghold, something that was dangerous in itself given the Fae-Guard located in the area. Luka had picked his place of business because of the relatively close vicinity to it. The convenience of being able to drop any bodies that had escaped from the Meta-World back to this world’s base and then be left with only a short ride back was a bonus in his eyes. Of course, it was never solely him that took the bounties back. He wasn’t allowed on any Meta-World sacred ground since he was banished. A problem he and his partners had gotten around over the years.

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His partners. The hurt of what Finn had done still burned in his chest but it was too late now, the damage done. He glanced back at Cerys. It made him nervous to have Cerys still with him though for several reasons, not the least being that just her presence made his body act in ways it had no right to act with her. Gorgeous didn’t even begin to cover it. Everything about Cerys got him hard. And that scared the shit out of him. It was time to admit it to himself. Cerys was special. Why it had to be her, he didn’t know. A cute, little, unsuspecting woman would have been a better choice… instead, he was enamoured with a firecracker. Luka watched in silence as her hands started to glow in her lap. She sat quietly, seemingly in deep meditation, wearing the same clothes she’d had on when he’d first set eyes on her yesterday. He’d never met a moon-witch before. As far as he was concerned, they were one of the many myths that he had grown up with. His mother used to tell him the moon had three children and how they would one day be reunited with each other and, as the prophecy stated, be as powerful as Mother moon herself. Whatever than meant. More thoughts of his mother bubbled into his mind, and he pushed them away again. There was no time to grieve the loss of the only person who’d truly looked out for him. He focussed back on Cerys. The way she’d briefly spoken about her time in the Meta-World, it was clear she didn’t want to go back and that her life had been hard. And the Fae-Guard had controlled every aspect of it as they so loved to do. No wonder she had freaked out about going back when he’d first detained her. She’d been fighting for her freedom, and he’d not helped in the slightest. The vibration started again and he watched Cerys carefully, her hair getting lighter, almost to a pink. It was dark out there, surely he was seeing things. A halo of white spread out from her whole body as he watched. Luka had no idea exactly what she could do and he didn’t

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suppose she knew exactly either. It was going to be interesting, that was for sure. Luka pushed back his hair and scanned their surroundings once more. They were alone. For now. He glanced at the curve of her breasts outlined in the small white top before making himself look away. And he’d never wished for a Demon ambush so much in his life. **** They were alone in a small hotel room with nothing but a small television and a radio alarm clock. Cerys, after her channelling, looked the most relaxed he’d seen her since he’d met her. He yearned for her to say that she wanted to sleep so that he could make himself scarce and go sleep in the bathtub or the floor or in the middle of the road, or something. In the same token of breath, there was a part of him that was hoping she’d beg him to fuck her all ways under the sun, or moon. He wasn’t fussy. Luka winced as his hard-on pushed against the seam of his jeans. Their conversation had been stilted and uncomfortable for the most part, especially when she’d brought up his banishment and questioned whether he resented those in the Meta-World for what had happened. “Of course I fucking do.” She recoiled at his tone, and he tried to curb his irritation. “But they made their decision a long time ago. I’m dead to them already.” “Do you think there could be any connection between what happened here and your banishment?” “Listen, they’re not gonna bother with me. If anyone should be looking out for themselves, it’s that soulless scum that ordered my banishment and his mindless minion who carried it out.” Luka noticed her pale slightly but didn’t care if he shocked her.

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“Why did they banish you?” She looked hesitant to ask, but he was done with thinking about his past for tonight. “I didn’t fit in, but I don’t want to talk about it anymore, Cerys.” She nodded before turning back to the television. That had been an hour ago. As the minutes passed, they sat there at either side of the bed with a rerun of The A-Team on the TV, trying to not think about the fact that they were both lying in the same bed, the only bed, in the room. At least, that was where his mind kept going. She seemed quite content to watch the show and ignore him. The remains of a Chinese takeout sat on the floor beside the bed, tantalizing smells dancing up his nose and teasing his taste buds every now and again. Food and sex, two of his favourite pastimes. It wouldn’t take much for him to pull her across the bed, push that top up and take that nipple into his mouth through that lacy— “Did you want to watch the next one? I’ve seen it before, but I’ll watch it if you want to.” Her voice jarred him from his thoughts, and he stood up and paced to the other side of the room, making a show of pulling back the frayed curtain and peering out into the night. He counted to three to make sure he didn’t tell her the way his thoughts were going. He felt out of control, and he didn’t like it. “No, I’m good. Think I might call it a night.” “Okay.” He walked over to the small airing cupboard by the door and pulled it open to reveal two spare pillows and a thin blanket. Taking them out, he threw the pillows to the floor and shook out the blanket. “You can sleep on the bed.” God, how he wanted to! Luka smiled awkwardly at her and shook his head. “It’s okay, you take it. I’m used to sleeping on floors.” Like hell he was, especially when a stunning redhead was lying on a comfortable mattress just feet away.

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It looked like she was about to say something and hesitated, making Luka’s heart start beating harder. He tried for casual as he pulled off his top and threw it over the nearest chair but felt her eyes on him. The thought that she might have offered to share her bed gave him an instant erection, and he practically dove under the blanket. “I’ll turn off the light. Night, Luka.” Luka grunted, not quite able to believe that he was going to be freezing his ass off on the floor when he, at least, could have been up there. Counting sheep didn’t work, he found, an hour later when sleep evaded him. Maybe he should start counting the time he’d fantasised over taking Cerys’s body in the last hour? He wouldn’t stop counting for at least the count of, oh, one hundred and sixty-three. One, two, three, four... fuck... He was about to explode in frustration. And he wouldn’t be feeling quite so bad if it was just a physical reaction, but he had the distinct notion that his time with Cerys was meaning way too much to him. He didn’t know how to feel about that. It was a whole new ball game to him. Luka adjusted himself under his jeans, the hard-on he’d had since, well, he’d met her, was going to give him blue balls. He tried to think of something—anything—that would distract him. He clasped his hands at the back of his head and looked at the dark ceiling. He heard movement and looked toward the bed to see a shape moving. “Everything all right, Cerys?” His voice was deep, even to his own ears, and he wondered if she could hear his desire, too. “I can’t sleep.” He closed his eyes briefly, knowing where his body wanted to take this and tried to resist. He couldn’t. Resistance was futile. Luka rolled over to his knees and stood up. His heart rate had kicked up again.

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“Me neither.” Luka knelt on the side of the bed and watched as Cerys scooted over on the mattress slightly. She’d taken off her top and her bra glowed in the blackness of the room like a beacon for his hands. He reached for her, knowing it wasn’t a good idea, but feeling her body next to his would be pretty damn fantastic right now. Luka hoped he wasn’t making a massive mistake taking their relationship physical because he was certainly getting emotionally involved. And that was never good when you couldn’t resist a woman. Not good at all.

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Chapter Nine Allowing his body to give in to the lust he’d felt since the moment he’d met her, his dick thanked him and sprung to attention as it nuzzled Cerys’s leg. He couldn’t wait to get her fully naked and feel her body responding to his own. Her shorts were already off, he was happy to find when his hand reached in between her legs and stroked the silken material of her panties. Arching into his hand, she opened her thighs for him to gain better access. Luka reached over and switched on the small bedside lamp, casting half the room into shadow but lighting up Cerys’s wanton state. “You’re so beautiful.” She smiled, and it made his nerve endings tingle. He wanted this so bad. It was like he’d never touched a woman before, and his body craved the release only she could give him. His tongue traced down over her belly, teasing the navel until he dipped lower, brushing his lips over her panties until she squirmed with pleasure. Luka smiled and his finger ran along the edge of the material, sliding underneath very slightly so he felt the softness of her skin beneath. Cock swelling to massive proportions, he shifted so he was face to face with Cerys once more, but his hand lingered around her abdomen. Luka watched as her mouth opened wider and she took a sharp, breath that held a hint of a moan as his hand finally slipped beneath the thin material and touched her pussy lips. Pleasure rippled through him as he felt her beautifully shaven skin, so soft to his touch. He took her mouth with barely concealed urgency.

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Fingers dipping inside her, he tested her moistness and found her slick with need. He was glad, knowing he wouldn’t have been able to wait too much longer. She was too perfect and his body was too pent up. Rolling to the side of the bed and up to his feet, he shrugged off his jeans, but not before taking a condom from his wallet, and Cerys smiled. He grinned back before grabbing her feet and pulling her toward him. “Hey!” He flipped her over to her front quickly and pulled her up to her knees. “I’ve been fantasising about this ass my entire life.” Her smile was seductive and teasing, and Luka realised to his horror he was only half joking. Her ass in the air thankfully distracted him from thinking any more about those unwanted, but not surprising, feelings. Luka pushed down his shorts, and his cock was ready for action. He quickly rolled down the rubber before stepping forward and nudging his erection against her ass cheeks. He reached forward and unclipped her bra then hooked his fingers in her panties to rip them down to her bent knees. Fingers back in between her legs, he pushed his fingers deep inside her pussy once more, stretching her as she sat back on to his fingers slightly, gasping. “You’re so fucking wet.” “I want you, Luka.” He wasted no time once he found her opening with his cock, thrusting hard and deep. Grasping her hips to steady himself, he controlled the speed of their lovemaking with gritted teeth, dying to reach his climax within her, but making himself slow down. “Harder, harder,” she grumbled, and her words caught him by surprise and he almost finished right there and then. Instead, he did as she asked and pummelled her pussy, her lovely backside rippling as he fought for control again.

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Fingers reached around and down in between her legs until he found her wet clit, stroking it as she shuddered. Leaning over her more, his other hand pushed her bra farther out of the way and took hold of her breast and pinched the hard nipple before squeezing the rest of her firm mound. “I’m going to come. Keep going...” Her breathy words were like nectar to his ears making him pump harder and faster. Luka was almost at his peak as his breath caught and held, but it was the tightening of Cerys’s pussy around his dick that pushed him over the edge, bringing him to mind-shattering orgasm. Her moans and whimpers faded into his own as ripple after ripple of sensation flooded through him. At last, after what felt like minutes, he started to breathe again. “Holy fuck.” **** Cerys knew she had a damn-big grin on her face but didn’t care. The smile slipped slightly as she stayed in the same position that Luka had left her body in before rolling next to her on the bed. That couldn’t have been as perfect as her mind and body seemed convinced of right now. If it was, she was in deep shit. The unnecessary feelings she’d been having about the naked man next to her all seemed to fall into place and point in one direction. Cerys clenched her eyes shut and attempted to block any thoughts out except for the pleasure he’d pushed her body to. She felt Luka’s hand on her hip before he tugged her over to spoon into. “Hello.” She smiled, happy to be distracted, feeling his erect cock nudge her lower back, the condom they used now disposed of. “Hello yourself.” He brushed her hair away from her neck and kissed her nape as he cupped her breast. Her body started to respond

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instantly. She’d never been a multiple type of girl, but Luka might have converted her. Cerys reached back and brushed the length of his cock with her fingernails, and he shuddered in her hand. “Mmm” She turned in his arms and kissed him, allowing her tongue to explore his mouth slowly whilst her hand still lingered at his dick, slowly caressing him. “You ready for round two?” Cerys sighed into his mouth, and his laugh was hearty in response. “I’m always ready.” Cerys shuffled down his body, purposely rubbing her breasts across him and then lower, over his dick, until she was right where she wanted to be. The first lick of his balls caused him to shudder, and she glanced up to see him watching her, his blue eyes intense and full of passion. She kissed around them, holding his hard dick higher to give her full access to what lie beneath. She filled her mouth with them as she held his dick, rubbing up and down, slow and firm. Cerys liked the way his hand came down to her head as if he could control where her mouth went next. Her smile turned into a kiss to the bottom of his cock. Long licks, up and down, made her eager to take him fully, but she wouldn’t rush this. Now that she had him exactly where she wanted him, she didn’t want this to stop. It was perfect. He was perfect. From nowhere, she found herself thinking about what would happen next and about Luka’s safety. He resented the person who’d banished him, and she couldn’t blame him for that, but it hurt like hell to think that there would always be that between them—a fact that hurt her more than anything else. “Everything all right?” Cerys hadn’t realised she’d stopped what she was doing, dick in hand. She wiped the thoughts out of her mind

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for now and concentrated on making Luka happy, smiling sexily, licking her lips. “Of course.” She took him fully into her mouth, and she was sure she heard him whimper before both of his hands found her head and he pushed her down, impaling her on his dick. Up and down she sucked, her tongue darting around his large dick, one hand cupping his balls, the other pumping him gently. She glanced up toward his face and saw his eyes screwed up tight, his face caught in a look of pain. Quickening her pace, she felt his ass tighten, and he simultaneously pushed his hips toward her mouth and used his hands to keep her head steady, the tip of his cock pushing deep into her throat. Luka spilled to orgasm inside her mouth, and she swallowed him down, enjoying the feeling of having him push deeply into her throat. Cerys pulled back, licking the tip of his dick of the excess moisture, then sat up and smiled at him. Like a cat that had gotten the cream. His response was to pull her to him and snuggle her under his arm, her head lying on his chest. And that was where she fell asleep.

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Chapter Ten It was early afternoon when they rose from bed. They’d spent almost a day and a half in bed and in each other’s arms, exploring one another’s bodies. They’d talked about the ways of the Meta-World, how they remembered it, and what they missed about it. Neither of them spoke too much about their personal experiences, glazing over the facts that were still too raw in their minds. They were both fully aware that Luka would be going to the Stronghold soon, and they hadn’t wanted to think about the potential consequences when all they’d needed was right there in the bed. “You want any of these leftovers for breakfast?” Cerys watched as a naked Luka looked in the small shopping bag of food he’d bought yesterday. “Or there are some muffins in here, I think.” “I don’t care.” And she didn’t. All she wanted to do was watch him all day. His tight, tanned ass just made her want to eat it. Cerys frowned. In fact, she was pretty sure she had at one point. Her memory was hazy. He threw her over a bag of Skittles, and she raised an eyebrow at him. “What?” His grin was infectious, and she smiled right back. “I want to come with you tonight.” Luka’s smile faded, and his face hardened, and she regretted saying the one thing that’d been on her mind since he’d agreed to let her stay. “I told you that’s not happening.” He walked over to his clothes and began to get dressed. Cerys’s heart started to hurt. She knew the passion and oneness they’d felt was over, and it was all business again. Her chest felt hollow at the

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thought as the shutters came down on the Luka that had teased and joked and satisfied her. “You’ve got no choice. Either I come with you, or I go on my own.” Luka stopped what he was doing to look at her, his face searching hers. “I’d like to think you weren’t dumb or stubborn enough to do that but, unfortunately, I think you are.” “You’re not the boss of me, you know.” Cerys bristled, jabbing her finger toward him, the Skittle bag rattling in her clenched hand. So what if she wanted to be involved? They’d slept together, which didn’t mean he could tell her she was stupid. They stared at each other across the room, the tension eating at them both. “I could tie you up.” Cerys remembered being caught up in the moment and confessing to Luka in the early hours of the morning that she’d liked to be restrained with handcuffs and spanked. She flushed deep crimson but didn’t turn from the stare, despite Luka’s slow appraisal of her body telling her he remembered the confession, too. “I’m going. I’ll be careful.” “You know as well as I do no magic happens in the Stronghold. If you get parted from me, and if you get into a fix, you’re screwed.” She realised what he was saying was true, but a part of Cerys bristled again, the part that was independent and knew she could look after herself. The other part, the bit that didn’t want to get split up from Luka ever again, felt that all he wanted to do was stop anything happening to her. And she liked that thought. She liked it a lot. “I’ve been in worse situations, Luka. I’ll deal with it.” She had been in worse situations. Problem was, this time, the stakes were pretty high considering Luka’s life was on the line and she could be taken back to the Meta-World. Cerys hoped she wouldn’t regret the decision.

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**** With no time to lose, she’d chosen the first dress that was fancy enough and that fit from the women’s clothes store less than a fiveminute walk away. It fit like a glove. Cerys admired herself in the hotel bathroom as she got ready for the party at the Stronghold. Luka was in the room, now pacing around and waiting for her, but she was taking her time, making herself perfect for tonight. For him. Her red hair was high up on her head, and the figure-hugging black dress curved around her figure like a snake. Her skin sparkled in the light. Heeled shoes gave her much-needed height. Tonight could be her last night of freedom, her last night with Luka. They could be walking into a trap. Walking into the FaeGuard’s domain, whatever way you looked at it, was a very bad thing. Luka’s eyes devoured her the moment she stepped in from the bathroom, as she hoped he would. She sized him up, too. His well-cut black suit hugged his hard, large body, and she wished they had the chance to peel the clothes off one another once more before they left, but their ride was already outside. “You ready?” The inflection in his voice warmed her. He was giving her another chance to walk away, to keep herself safe from the Stronghold. Cerys gave him her Hollywood smile. “I’m always ready. Lead the way.” **** Luka shouldn’t have let her come with him. He watched her as she gazed out the side window of the car he’d hired to take them to the party, his eyes trying to catch every piece of how she looked tonight. His attention was caught by her teeth nibbling at her own beautiful lips, and he couldn’t pull his eyes away.

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Cerys had been nervous since they’d left the hotel but doing her best to cover it up. Her hand had trembled slightly when he’d helped her into the backseat of the car. Luka wanted to slide down the tinted security glass, in between them and the driver, and tell him to go anywhere except where they’d needed to go. It shouldn’t have to be like this. Cerys didn’t have to walk into enemy territory like he did. If anything happens to her… Pulling his gaze away from her lips, he reached over to pick up her hand and lifted it toward his face so he could kiss her trembles away. As his lips touched her skin, she smiled at him, and his heart melted. If things were to go wrong at the party and he could never see her again, he wanted to remember her like this. Beautifully dressed, the feel of her skin on his lips, her scent. Everything. Luka leant over and brushed a kiss over her mouth. “What’s that for?” There was no way he was telling her how he felt right now. Instead of pulling away from her and answering her, he dipped his head once more and tasted her lips in a lingering kiss. Their tongues danced as the kiss deepened. All of Luka’s desires were begging for this sense of worry to subside, just for this moment. The urge was in him to take her right now, to connect with her completely so the emotions he was feeling would stop their assault. Both of Luka’s hands slid to her waist, pulling her closer to him, one hand moving down her left thigh, then gently under her knee. With a pull, she was twisted toward him whilst he guided her leg gently over, allowing her to straddle him. She pulled her dress up over her thighs to allow her to be able to sit over him. Luka traced the softness of Cerys’s upper thighs until he had her ass cheeks in both of his hands.

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The strap of her thong in between her legs was no barrier for his urgent touch. Luka needed to be closer to her. His breath hitched in his throat as his fingers found her pussy lips. Cerys’s moistness almost sent him over the edge, there and then. He pushed two fingers deep inside her pussy and he took her mouth in a blistering kiss. She reached down to pull at his shirt and undo his trousers, seemingly as anxious as he was to be inside her. As soon as his cock was free from its confines, it sprang up and Cerys had gripped him. He was so far gone for her, Luka could have come in her hand right then. He growled his impatience as he rubbed over her breasts, still imprisoned by her dress. Luka reached between her legs to push the sliver of material away from her pussy before he roughly pulled her down onto his dick, watching her eyes every second. Right after he thrust once, twice, he felt her pussy tighten over his cock, and he was coming. Her fingers found her clit and rubbed the wet nub for a few moments before her back arched and her fingers were digging deep into his shoulders. Luka didn’t care. All he could see through the haze of his orgasm was the woman he knew he’d given part of his heart to. The thought worried and excited him more than he could fathom at that moment. Cerys collapsed over him. “Thank you, Luka.” Her words were simple enough, but looking into her face, he knew she had the same worries about this evening, too. He hoped for both their sakes this wasn’t the last time he got to feel her body on his. The car turning caught his attention, and he looked out the window. They were in the long driveway of the Stronghold, and their time was up. Luka didn’t need to say anything to the woman still draped over him. Her face told him she understood, and that was good enough for him. Cerys finally pulled away to adjust her clothing, as he did, before they needed to step up and get answers.

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As the car stopped, Luka brushed a kiss over Cerys’s plump lips. Her smile was bright. And he was totally ready to get this over with. **** The Stronghold was a large stone castle that overlooked the North Sea. Its high outer walls kept its secrets locked within its sinister gaze as did the guards that flanked every corner. Cerys’s blood ran cold, and she couldn’t contain her shiver as the hired car pulled away, disappearing down the long driveway. She looked over her shoulder at the tall stone walls keeping intruders at bay and guests, wanted or not, in. Cerys’s tongue flicked out to moisten her lips and she told herself again why she was there. Not for the first time, she wondered how they would leave, but all Luka would say was that he had it covered. Whatever that meant. Strategically placed lights paved the way up the driveway to the main doors. They should have cast a glamorous feel to the castle and its political event, instead she felt a chill down to her bones that had nothing to do with the breeze from the sea. All she knew was that this place was wrong on many levels. Quickly glancing up at Luka, she noticed the worry on his face, too, until he wiped it clear. Every part of his body was still as his eyes darted everywhere for a couple of moments before finally coming to rest on hers. He smiled, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes, and she returned it. All she wanted to think about was the way he’d felt inside her minutes before. The lingering effects of her orgasm still buzzed through her body, giving her confidence a much-needed boost. Making love to him was exactly what she’d needed. Adrenaline and nervousness had coursed through her body, and he had helped her to focus on what was real. Cerys needed to face reality. That could be the last time she ever got to lose herself in Luka’s body. The thought

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was sobering, but she had no time to think more on it. They’d arrived at the main entrance. Their smiles were still frozen in places as they held out their invites to the beautiful, tall, blonde girl with immaculate hair who greeted them at the large doors. She looked at the invites and then back at them, Luka’s eyes first, then Cerys’s. “Mr. and Mrs. Giovanni, it’s so nice that you could make it this evening.” “Thank you for inviting us.” They let out a collective breath as they stepped away and the blonde greeted the next guests to arrive. “I can’t believe we got in so easily.” Cerys leaned toward Luka’s ear to talk, laughing gently in the hope that, if anyone was watching, they wouldn’t cause suspicion. She smelt the spicy musk of his aftershave, and she opened her lungs to it, soothing her nerves. Luka’s hand came around her waist in an easy manner, and he pulled her close into his side, surveying the room. The move happened almost subconsciously, like he’d done it a thousand times before. Overwhelmed with emotion at the simple gesture, Cerys blinked quickly to stop the tears she felt forming at the corners of her eyes. How could she have met someone so perfect for her yet everything about their relationship be so very wrong? His reaction to her role in his banishment would surely kill her. Cerys had to tell him, but she didn’t want to lose their tentative relationship either. What she needed to do was compose herself for the coming evening. She couldn’t control anything about what she had with Luka. She just had to live with the consequences. Looking around, she surveyed the people in attendance. Politicians and moneymen. The Meta-World worked the same way as this one. “I’m going to go mingle and see what I can find out.” Cerys kissed the side of his mouth, and he frowned down at her then, remembering where they were, he turned it into an awkward smile. “You shouldn’t be on your own—”

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“I’ll be fine. Go do whatever it is that you need to do.” She didn’t wait for him to give his acceptance. She turned and headed toward the luxurious buffet and, more importantly, the drinks. She needed some Dutch courage. **** Luka was still nursing his first drink of the evening almost two hours later when he decided that coming here was a bad idea. FaeGuard surrounded them, some in full, black uniform, others in black party dress. All alert. They’d been lucky so far. Cerys had stayed away from most of the idol party chitchat, choosing to talk to politicians and their flunkies who thought it amusing to hit on a married woman. Luka frowned at that thought and reminded himself that he and Cerys weren’t together, regardless of what he might wish to the contrary right now. Either way, he was getting mighty sick and tired of seeing old men gaze longingly down his pretend-wife’s dress, blatantly ignoring Cerys’s ring that she’d switched to her ring finger. Wasn’t anything sacred nowadays? His hand tightened around his glass, and he glanced at the laughing man next to him. He’d been talking to this circle of people for the past ten minutes, only half listening to what they’d had to say. Luka had given up trying to get past the main floor where the party was being held as there were just too many people. Up until the point of deciding that, he’d just hoped he could get some information from some of these big drinkers. Now he just wanted to take his wife—Cerys, whatever—home and make love to her and put this down to a bad night. He glanced up at the large chandelier that almost dominated the room. Everything about this place was outwardly perfect, from the old masters covering the walls to the expensive crystal glass in his hand

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that he wanted to smash against the lavish open fire. Luka counted to five. This was frustrating as hell having to go through the motions— “What line of business did you say you were in, Mr…?” “Giovanni. And I didn’t.” Luka smiled confidently at the portly Fae-Guard, not missing his stride despite his thoughts being interrupted, before he let out a chuckle to make the Guard think he was joking around. The other man smiled and chuckled back. “Good one. You had me there.” “Oh, I’m sure I did. I’m in property. Among other things.” He hoped that was vague enough. It seemed to placate the Guard, and he launched into a stream of why he wanted to purchase an old abandoned warehouse by the Thames and asked Luka’s opinion on prices and talked in length about Meta-World similarities in properties, despite its mostly desert landscape. And if Luka could do anything, he could blag his way out of a situation. Taking a small sip of his drink, he let his eyes wander over the Fae-Guard standing next to him. He wasn’t as physically perfect as most other Guard were so he had to be genetically sound in other areas. Intelligence maybe? All Fae-Guard were born into lives of servitude to the Meta-World and its government but too many were loyal to whoever paid more. And that meant he had to be vigilant around these people. Any one of them could make him or Cerys and then their little charade would be over. At last, most of the other group gave their apologies and dispersed to mingle with others until it was just Luka and the Guard left. Cerys had her eyes on him, and he nodded at her, pointing at his nonexistent watch. A buzz grew around the entrance of the high-ceilinged room with oversized doors. People began to gather around, and Luka’s interest piqued. “What’s happening?” “It’s the Commodore. He’s finally arrived.”

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Luka’s mouth went dry, and all rational thought escaped him momentarily. His chest started to ache, and his eyes rushed to pick out Cerys, who was now talking to another old gentleman. They had to get out of there. He looked toward the small crowd of people, and his heart felt like it was going to explode. There was only one person he knew who made everybody call him the Commodore. Luka searched for a glimpse while common sense urged him to turn and run. He ignored it. He wanted to see for himself. He wanted to see the man who had banished him from his Shadow kind nine years ago. He wanted to see his uncle again.

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Chapter Eleven The man was feet away from him, and Luka stood like a statue, unsure of what he could do. He never thought he’d see him again. “Why’s he here?” he said to the Fae-Guard, who appeared now to be quite awestruck along with everyone else in the direct vicinity. The words were choked from Luka’s body, and he quickly downed the last of his drink before exchanging the empty for a new one with a passing waiter. “He’s standing for election in the Meta-World.” Now that made perfect sense to Luka. “The Commodore’s been waiting many years for his opportunity to stand for president, and now he’s come through the portal to try and gain support from the Meta-World residents in this world. It’s the perfect time to announce his candidacy. There’d been a few loose ends to clear up, if you know what I mean, but now it seems it’s full steam ahead.” The Guard looked pleased with himself, and Luka had to work hard to stop the scowl from spreading across his face. His uncle had always been controversial in his sexual partners, and for someone who hated bringing the family name down, he skirted scandal more than most. All those skeletons in the closet needed an extra dollar to shut their mouths. “I didn’t think the Commodore travelled to this world very often,” Luka snapped back. The Commodore hated the fucking place, last Luka had heard. The Fae-Guard was speaking, but Luka was no longer listening. He took a hard swallow of the fizzy liquid in his glass and wished it was stronger so it would numb the pain shooting through his chest right now.

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His uncle had cast him away for having a human father. The Commodore was considered pure. Half Shadow, half Fae, just as the rest of the family had been. When it was discovered Luka was able to switch form into human, he had been shunned and his mother declared a whore. The Commodore, who had been on the Shadow Council at the time, was mortified by the scandal. Luka had been tolerated by his uncle to a certain extent until his mother died when he was twenty-one. His uncle had then petitioned the council to banish his own flesh and blood from the Meta-World, to break the bond that all Shadow kind held. It didn’t take him long to convince the other council members, and Luka was painfully sent to this world, never to return. Luka stared straight ahead as realisation settled in his stomach. It was you. You tried to have me kill— A hand on his arm quickly reminded him he was amongst others. The Fae-Guard looked at him carefully, and Luka realised how dumb it had been to think that this rather talkative Guard wouldn’t recognise him through the disguise of age. The Guard’s eyes narrowed slightly before his face relaxed back into a smile. “Well, it was great talking with you, but I’d better go see what trouble my wife’s causing.” “Oh, troublemaker, is she?” “You have no idea.” The Fae-Guard chortled again, quieter now but still acknowledging his good-bye. They needed to leave, and now, Luka concluded. Cerys met him halfway across the room and smiled sweetly at him, and his heart tightened. She was beautiful and everything he wanted, but she shouldn’t be anywhere near this screwed-up situation. He took her arm and led her toward the exit. A cluster of Fae-Guard hovered, and he pulled her into a dark and secluded alcove. “You need to disappear, now.” The dominance returned to his voice.

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“Sure, let’s go.” She turned toward the front exit. “If we—” “No, you need to leave. I have... business I need to deal with here.” “What? No!” Cerys stepped closer to him again, and he sucked in a short, sudden breath, feeling her pert breasts push into his chest. “We’re doing this together, remember? Did you find out something?” “I know who set me up.” Cerys’s eyes grew wider. “Who?” Luka looked over at the bent heads of the Fae-Guards by the door, reminding him of their precarious position. “You need to go—” “Wait, who is it?” “My blood, my uncle, Commodore—” “Commodore Ellis? He’s your uncle?” Cerys’s eyes grew wary, and it set alarm bells ringing all the way down his spine. She stepped back away from him slightly, and the hands that had loosely grasped his jacket lapels let go. “He sees me as an embarrassment since I’m not pure Shadow kind. Then, of course, I went and became a bounty hunter, which only the lowest of the scum does. I’m a loose end apparently.” Luka’s lip turned up in a sneer as he remembered the disgust on the faces of the family he’d loved unconditionally. They hadn’t returned his affection. “A loose end he’s trying to burn.” Cerys’s eyes softened, and he yearned to take her in his arms and kiss her sympathy away and forget the pain that still edged around his heart, even after all these years. He wished things could be different between him and Cerys, that they both didn’t have so much baggage. Falling in love was way too easy to do with her. Luka understood now that he truly cared for her, that he somehow always had, but the words hadn’t yet found their way to his lips. “I need to tell you something,” Cerys said quietly. Hope bubbled in his chest and he wondered whether she would take the step that he seemed unable to take right now. Had the words

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ended up at her lips? He nodded, unable to do anything more than look deep into her beautiful, green eyes and pray she felt the same way. “I’m sorry. It was me.” “It was you, what?” Not the words he’d wanted to hear, but he was intrigued and confused, nevertheless. “I was the one who carried out the physical banishment on you for your people. It was me. I’m so sorry, Luka.” It took a moment for her words to fully register in his mind as he stared at her, mouth slightly open. The feeling of being cheated by not hearing the declaration of adoration that he thought he would faded. Moments ticked by before it occurred to him what she’d actually said. The colour drained from his face, and he stumbled back into the alcove, hitting the back wall. “Why-why didn’t you tell me?” “I couldn’t. I—” “Hello there. So this is your troublesome wife?” Luka looked up in irritation to see the chubby Fae-Guard hovering behind them, a stupid smile on his face. Cerys whirled around on him, as impatient at being interrupted as Luka. “What do you want? Fuck off.” “Feisty. You remind me of someone I once knew...” The Guard frowned at her. Cerys spun back around, ignoring the look of interest on the Guard’s face. Her eyes softened for Luka, but he didn’t want to see it. “Please, you have to listen to me—” “You’ve known all along, and you failed to tell me that piece of information?” His voice rose slightly, and he battled with himself to keep his temper under control. The last person he thought would betray him would have been Cerys. From the corner of his eye, he saw the red-faced Guard storm off in the other direction, but he was already forgotten. Luka stepped around her, bumping shoulders as he passed.

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“Luka, I’m sorry. I didn’t know how to tell you.” “You made a good job of it just then. Maybe next time you try dropping a bombshell like that, though, you might want to tell the idiot before he sleeps with you.” He didn’t care that she paled at his words. He didn’t care that it hurt so goddamned much to breathe right now. Luka just wanted this whole situation over with. To forget the fiery-haired woman whose image was burnt deep into his eyes and to tie up his own loose ends. It was time to confront his uncle. “Just go, Cerys. I don’t even want to see you right now. You disgust me. Why I thought you were different, I don’t know.” Luka looked away and tried to tell himself that was the truth. He heard the clatter of heels on the concrete floor and glanced back to see a quickly retreating Cerys depart through the main door. She was safe. **** Cerys didn’t want to stop moving, but as fresh air hit her face, she suddenly stopped. She had no way of getting away from the imposing building, thanks to being in the middle of nowhere and Luka not sharing his departure plans with her. She swiped at her eye, but it was too late. Tears streamed down her face. It was always going to happen. She didn’t know why she was so upset about it. As soon as Luka found out about her involvement in his banishment, Cerys knew their tenuous relationship would shatter. And it had. They’d shared something special, but that look of disgust on his face? Cerys whimpered and didn’t care that her mascara was running. Why was she such an idiot? Cerys should have seen this happening a mile off. Commodore Ellis was a stuffy son of a bitch who just happened to be high up in the Fae-Guard. He’d controlled her under an iron thumb. Memories flooded back to her once more in her grief.

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The Meta-World had a different atmosphere than Earth. All creatures that were born there had the ability to process the different gasses. All, it seemed, except moon-witches. She’d struggled with her breathing since she was very young. That was how she had eventually come under the “protection” of the FaeGuard. The older she got, the harder it became to breathe the air. At first she’d been a guinea pig to be tested, then, as her abilities grew stronger and she grew older, they’d put her to work on some of their more interesting criminals. She’d been a rarity, and her abilities were as much a surprise to her as they were to them. Her parents had abandoned her to the Fae-Guard when they thought she was about to die. And that had been the last she’d seen of them. Throughout all this, she’d been given a device, a small object inserted into her thorax acting as a filter that she depended on to survive in the otherwise toxic atmosphere. Through this, the FaeGuard were able to track her movements. Despite being a moon-witch, her abilities were never as strong as they could have been, and whenever she tried to find a solution for her own imprisonment, she’d fail. The day she accidentally discovered that the device would fail near strong electromagnetic sources was a blessing. She nearly died that day before they found her, semiconscious. They’d saved her by giving her a replacement, but the knowledge was ingrained in her mind. Cerys now knew how to avoid tracking and how she could escape. That had all seemed a lifetime ago. Cerys sniffed and wiped again at her puffy eyes. Commodore Ellis had commanded her to take away Luka’s bonds to his people and his ability to breathe in the Meta-World, something she’d instantly regretted agreeing to do. The notion she even had a choice was an illusion and was the catalyst for her departure. Cerys had struggled for breath, her insides blistering every single step of the way through the portal into this world. And she had lived

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every second on Earth scared for her life but loving every second that freedom gave her. And it was exactly why she couldn’t leave Luka to face that bastard on his own. She owed Luka that much. Hell, she owed herself, too. Cerys spun on her heel, a plan starting to form in her mind as she composed herself. “Miss? Can we see your invitation please?” Cerys froze and she realised she’d been so wrapped up in herself that she’d barely clocked the cluster of handsome, but similar looking, Fae-Guard that had congregated around the entrance. Shit. “Er, actually, I was just looking for my husband, Mr. Giovanni.” Cerys smiled her sweetest smile at the blond guard, but his face held nothing but indifference. “I’ve had a little too much to drink.” “If you’d like to come with me, miss, we can find him together.” “No!” Cerys felt her arm grabbed on either side and pulled behind her back. Her vision flashed white and she felt the air around her charge with an electronic buzz, a spell forming in her mind. “Quick, get her inside.” Cerys screamed bloody murder to all who would listen and tried to resist, but she was hustled into the entrance of the Stronghold and the door was firmly shut behind them. The spell that was forming drifted away, and in her mind, she attempted to grasp it and pull it closer, but it was no use. Magic was shut down. It took her a moment or two to recognise that the fat Fae-Guard who’d interrupted her argument with Luka was standing on the periphery. It was him who’d twigged her, she just knew it. “You son of a bitch, I hope your balls drop off.” His nervous laugh grated on her. She flung a kick out toward the Fae-Guard in frustration but surprised herself as her shoe flew off, travelling fifteen feet through

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the air and smacking the fat bastard straight between the eyes. Cerys didn’t know who was more shocked, but she smiled wickedly. “Get that Guard out of here and give her back her shoe,” someone said behind her as the Guard that had ruined everything scrambled away from her with a horrified expression, squealing in pain. A scuffle broke out to the side of her, and she saw Luka come charging toward her, a Guard hanging onto one of his arms, yet it didn’t slow him down. His eyes were directly on her and not on the threats around him. Her heart dropped into her stomach. Fists flew between the crowd and Luka was flung against the wall, coming back with fists flying, now with a bloodied nose. Cerys was aware of screaming and people rushing, trying to get to where he stood as his body was pummelled when more Fae-Guard joined in on the action. Her own screams filled her ears as she was securely held, unable to help. Finally he was held steady on the floor, a bloody mess. Cerys’s throat constricted at the thought of losing him. The Commodore had no scruples. How could he if he’d been the one to instigate his nephew’s banishment? Luka would die tonight. And there wasn’t a damn thing she could do to stop it.

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Chapter Twelve The Stronghold dungeons could have been located in the MetaWorld they were so true to form. Sinister, dark and musty, she heard the calls of creatures that’d lost count of the nights they’d been kept imprisoned. It smelt of urine, fear, and death. Cerys attempted to keep the contents of her stomach right where they were. The salty smell of the North Sea hit her hard as she stepped into the drafty, dank cell she’d been taken to after the ruckus. It was sparse and completely different from the opulent upstairs, offering only a small pot, a dirty single mattress, a tiny window, and what looked like a furry rodent asleep in the corner. Cerys kept to the other side of the ten-by-ten cell. Luka had also been dragged away, the only difference being she was to be held to go back to the Meta-World and his life was to be taken. Cerys leant back against the slightly damp wall, her head falling back to rest on it. She’d lost him. It was all her fault he was even in this world in the first place. Tears fell in earnest again as the full impact of what was going to happen hit her. She knew his uncle, unfortunately, and he would never let him go now, especially not after the sheer audacity of them turning up uninvited to the Stronghold. That would definitely be looked at as rubbing salt onto an already-ugly wound. Cerys closed her eyes and sank to her haunches, her heeled shoes catching on the uneven stone floors. She was going back to a life she hated, a life she wished for years was finally over, but she’d do it all in a second if she could save Luka.

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Opening her eyes, she pondered that last thought and realised it was completely true. She would go through every bit of hardship again if it meant that Luka walked away. She scrambled to her feet and over to the window, lifting herself slightly on the iron bars that protected the windows. The sound of the sea calmed her, and she could just about see Mother moon. Another plan started to form in her mind. This time she knew it had to work. There wasn’t any way she’d let them win this one. She didn’t know where she was from, maybe she never would. And maybe she would never meet the other two moon-witches that were her kin. But she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that what she had right here, with Luka, was worth fighting for. Cerys opened her mind. She was stronger than she’d been in many years, and she could feel the already-stored moon energy flowing through her veins. She glanced at the full moon, knowing the waters that flowed through the sacred planet were flowing through her, too. Her hands loosened on the iron window bars, and she stood back, spreading her arms wide, welcoming the power that was being blessed upon her on this night. Mother moon knew her dilemma, and she was helping her. Cerys wasn’t quite sure how it was going to work, but it was going to. Like a thunderbolt from the inside, it felt like the very essence of her was being ripped apart as the pure white energy from the moon swept through her, becoming at one with the physical body she was confined to. Cerys fell to the floor as ripple after ripple of energy buzzed through the small space. Words floated through her mind, but she didn’t focus on anything but the sensation of being filled by the moon. Her dress caught on the rough stone floor but nothing mattered as she lay completely still, becoming whole for the first time. Moments or minutes passed, she wasn’t sure which, before the channelling stopped and she was as full to the brim as she possibly

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could have been with the moon magic that swirled within. She’d never felt so connected with her birthright than she did right now. Weak up until that point, Cerys knew things had changed. There was no denying her destiny. No denying what she really was and no use hiding from it, attempting to disappear. She was a powerful moon-witch. A fact that no one could deny. She knew the Fae-Guard had looked for the other two remaining witches, but neither had been found, and Cerys knew if they were in control of them, like they’d once been in control of her, she’d know it and feel it. Somehow. The Stronghold dampener of magic would be no match for her now. If the Fae-Guard—and more importantly the Commodore— wanted her back, then they were going to get her. Be careful what you wish for. And suffer for it. **** “You’re a mongrel, Luka, a filthy half-breed. You always have been. My sister was nothing but a whore for taking up with that human.” Luka growled low in his throat, his face squashed up against the floor, blood pouring from almost every orifice. “And where is the scumbag who sired you, then?” The Commodore paced over from a small wooden desk to wear he lay on the floor and knelt down, mouth close to Luka’s ear. “He wasn’t good enough to touch a Shadow and he paid for that privilege.” Luka attempted to move, trying to switch into Shadow, but all of his energy had been sapped away, and the embargo on any type of magic within the confines of the Stronghold meant he couldn’t fight it. He was stuck as human. He had little chance against his uncle and his minions, and they all knew it.

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“Go to hell, you son of a bitch.” It hurt to speak, but it hurt more to think that Cerys had been taken away from him and probably taken back to the Meta-World. The years of hidden resentment he’d felt toward his uncle intensified. “I appreciate you coming here tonight, Luka. It was an unexpected pleasure. Now I can announce my candidacy and not fear being associated with the likes of you.” “Get this over with. I’ve no interest in hearing you speak.” Luka turned to fully look at him through a swollen and bruised eye, the first time he’d been inches away from him in over fifteen years since the man wouldn’t tolerate his presence, even before the banishment. Despite his abhorrence to those from this world, his uncle couldn't change his likeness to Luka when he was in human form, regardless of the Fae blood running through his veins. Just being this close probably made the bastard sick. Well, the feeling was mutual. Luka took whatever saliva he had left in his mouth and spat it straight into the Commodore’s hovering face. To the old man’s credit, be didn’t flinch as the bloody gob dripped from his eyebrow and ran down his cheek. He only chuckled, which lit a fire deep within Luka’s belly. He stood back up, took out a handkerchief from his pristine suit, and dabbed at the wet spot. Luka’s own suit jacket lay on the floor across the room where the Fae-Guard had beaten him again. His once-white shirt was ripped and bloodied. “Of course, you managing to bring the witch to me was an added bonus.” He turned and walked toward a small liquor cabinet located next to the window and poured a drink before facing him again, his greying hair cut immaculately, his misshapen ears the only indication he was part Fae. “She’ll be very handy to my cause and will help me to locate the other moon-witches that seem to have evaded me. Not to mention keep control of the masses when I become president of the Meta-World.” The old man paused, picking at a piece of invisible lint on his expensive dinner jacket, the tan of his skin contrasting against the black of the fabric.

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The Commodore looked at him directly. “Do you realise how thrilled I was to find the stories were true about the moon-witches? How exciting that is to the future of the Meta-World? Cerys is unique, but there are still two others like her.” The old man smiled and swirled the amber liquid in his glass. “Earth will fall under the rule of the Meta-World when those three witches fulfill the prophecy. Do you realise how sought-after she’s become? Everyone wants a piece of a moon-witch, and soon, I’ll have them all.” He smiled widely. “They’ll be my possessions, and the power will be mine.” The Commodore sneered at Luka. “If only she’d stayed with me all those years ago, we’d be much more advanced in our search, but at least we have her now, eh, boy?” He saluted Luka with his drink and knocked back a healthy mouthful. Luka lifted himself up from the floor, despite a Guard’s foot still wedged into his back. He wouldn’t show that every part of his body felt battered. “Leave her alone, Commodore.” His uncle cocked his head before taking another sip of the no doubt expensive drink. “She’s grown into a very beautiful woman since I last saw her, Luka. The red hair has to go, of course, but I’m sure she’ll be able to make her betrayal up to me in, hmmm, one way or another.” Luka struggled to free himself and get to his Uncle as thoughts of the bastard touching her tortured him. He couldn’t let it happen. His beautiful Cerys shouldn’t have to go through this. Eventually the Fae-Guard got him back under control, and Luka had to use practically all his strength to keep himself upright when they dragged him to his feet, holding him securely at either side with three Guards behind him. “I’ll take pleasure in finally ridding my family of you. You got off far too lightly just being banished. You’ve ruined my family’s pure blood. I always knew it would be a mistake to let the dregs of society live, you bastard.”

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“You’ve done a great job of that on your own, you sick prick. Fucked any underage girls lately?” The Commodore’s cheeks flamed, and he spluttered. “Yeah, you’re infamous for your pursuits even in this world, you sick fuck.” “I’m going to take great pleasure in seeing you suffer.” Yeah, like he could do anything more to him than what he’d already done. Luka watched as his uncle put his drink down on the desk and instead picked up a small paper knife and stepped toward him. Luka knew he had let down Cerys. He could no longer protect her from her past or from his. She’d be better off dead than with these people, but it was too late. He’d allowed this to happen to her. Desolation rocked his body as his mind and body welcomed death. There was noise at the door, and everyone turned to look. Cerys erupted through it, slamming it shut behind her. “What are you doing here? Guards, seize her.” The Commodore retreated behind the desk and put down his glass as Guards approached her warily. “Stand back, I’m warning you.” Cerys’s chin lifted as she eyed the approaching Guards. Elation spread through him. It wasn’t too late to prevent her being taken back to the Meta-World. He tried to move but winced. The thought of her trying to save him, though, pissed him off. She should have just saved herself. His eyes sought hers to try and find answers. Cerys looked directly at him and held out her hand. Luka felt strange, like a current of electricity flowed through his battered body, and it felt like he was on fire from within. Within moments, he realised she was healing him. She was doing the impossible. Her magic was actually working within the Stronghold. No one realised that she was overflowing with power, and Luka was proud that she had finally found her true abilities, knowing how hard it was to control anything within this place.

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He took a deep breath and hoped that he didn’t give his rejuvenated state away until the opportune time. Luka felt great, but a quick glance back at Cerys saw that she was surrounded by Guard, who now had her securely by the arms. “Let Luka go. It’s me you want.” “It’s you I have, my dear.” The Commodore stepped forward from behind his desk and approached her. “You had it all, Cerys—” “Except my freedom, of course.” The Commodore smiled gently. “Why you’d want to live here over the Meta-World, I’ve no idea. Our beautiful twin suns, soft rainbow atmosphere and stark landscape are more beautiful than this slum could ever be.” He paused and looked at her intently. “You could have eventually been the catalyst in the biggest changes the Meta-World had ever seen. Your potential far, far outweighs the inconvenience of dealing with your inability to breathe in our atmosphere. You could have had everything. You’re special, child.” He turned and stared at Luka with venomous disgust. Any warmth he’d shown for Cerys had now turned ice cold. “And you’re too perfect to have a mate that isn’t.” The Commodore laughed, throwing his head back as Luka’s face flushed, not in embarrassment, but in anger. He was proud to be who he was. He was a Shadow, but his destiny wasn’t to be with the kind that hadn’t nurtured him as a child. Luka was glad he had been banished from the Meta-World and the narrow-mindedness of his people. Cerys had done him the biggest favour of his adult life by getting him away from the place so he could start again and find his calling as a bounty hunter. “I always wondered, Uncle Ellis”—Luka smiled, knowing he hated being referred to as his uncle—“why on earth you always insisted on everyone calling you Commodore when it’s quite obvious you’re not even worth being called a bitch.” Luka pounced out of the Guards’ hold as his uncle spluttered in indignation. He wasn’t as quick as he hoped though as he only got as

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far as the desk when Ellis pushed the chair toward Luka to hinder his charge. At the same time he moved, Cerys did, too. From the corner of his eye, he saw the whole side of the room light up and she pushed the Fae-Guard off her like they were dolls. Encouraged and inspired, he jumped the chair and had almost reached the old man, his hands toward his throat. Luka allowed all the hatred that had lain dormant for years to bubble to the surface to urge him on. “Shoot, goddamn you!” Commodore Ellis screamed desperately at his guards. The next few moments were a blur as Luka heard guns cocked and a barrage of shots fired. Luka stumbled, his breath catching as he looked down at his body. “No! What have you done! Cerys is a moon-witch, you fools. She was unique, she was a miracle, she was—” His uncle continued to babble as he raced across the room toward the Guards who were now standing around the fallen body of Cerys, a look of terror still etched on their faces. A sound from deep within Luka reverberated through the room, tears gathering in his eyes. Blood poured from Cerys’s chest wounds, and the light that once illuminated the room switched off. Just like a light.

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Chapter Thirteen Cerys could taste metal in her mouth. Copper to be exact. She resisted the urge to choke as silence settled around her. She wondered if she was dead but decided against it considering she could still feel the piercing pain of the nine, no, she finished counting, ten bullets in her torso. Sleep tangled with her mind as it tried to overcome consciousness. She resisted the temptation and counted to five slowly before attempting to open her eyes. Her vision was white, and at first, she thought she’d gone blind until she realised she was actually still under the protection of Mother moon. Slowly her eyes adjusted and vision came back, along with the other senses. Cerys could hear grunting and furniture being scraped across the floor, and she lifted her head to take a look. What she saw was both the Commodore and Luka in an all-out brawl. In their Shadow forms. The powerful energy she had sent Luka to heal his wounds had also allowed him to overcome the magic restrictions of the Stronghold, although she had no idea what trickery his uncle was using to overcome it. Cerys sat up slowly and looked down at her chest and stomach whilst ten bullets slid slowly from her body and landed on her lap, the wounds healing instantly. She was still sore, but at least she wasn’t dead. That was always a bonus. Gathering her wits, she pushed herself to her feet, keeping her eyes fixed on the Shadow mists fighting in front of her. The FaeGuard saw her stand, and they backed away, paling. They wanted no part of her.

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Every now and again, Luka would fall to his feet and turn back to his human form, struggling to keep up with the more powerful Shadow. Cerys wouldn’t let him die now, not after they’d gone through so much. The spell she had in mind was simple but effective. It turned any creature solid. She thought of it on the spot and knew it would work. As her power intensified and the light within amplified, she lit up like a glow stick once more and the two fighting men dropped to the floor, surprised to be in their human forms. “You’re alive. It’s a miracle! If I can just take more of your energy, I’ll be invincible, too…” A maniacal look crossed the Commodore’s face as he ran toward her, his old age no barrier in his vigour. Visions of long-forgotten experiments raced through her mind. They’d somehow been able to take some of her energy, and now he was using it to make himself more powerful. Mother moon only knew what atrocities he had used it for. Rage spilled from her heart and enveloped her. Cerys held out a hand, and he stopped in his tracks. She channelled almost every piece of her stored energy into his heart chakra and focused hard. The Commodore screamed, and his body shook as the pressure inside of him increased to magnificent proportions. Blood started leaking from his nose, then his ears, his mouth and through his eyes. Finally he dropped to his knees, completely translucent and under the Moon’s control. Cerys stumbled backward, and strong hands were there behind to brace her. She glanced up into Luka’s beautiful eyes and saw everything she’d ever wanted in a man. Movement behind him distracted her, and she noticed the still-dumbfounded Fae-Guard, half of them pointing their weapons at Cerys and Luka, half at what resembled Commodore Ellis. “Who is in charge here?” Cerys was surprised she still had her voice after every piece of her being felt like it been ripped from her.

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“Let me rephrase that. Who’s in charge here now? He’s done,” she said, nodding toward the glowing figure. A tall, harsh-looking, blond man stepped forward but didn’t say a word. Despite the bravado she saw in his posture, she could feel his fear. Good. You should be scared. “These are the terms. We walk away from this—both of us—and we disappear back to our lives. If any Fae-Guard or Demons try to attack, I won’t hesitate to come back here and kill you all. Am I clear?” The Guard nodded quickly. “And another thing, this man”— she pointed to Luka’s uncle—“is to be imprisoned in the Stronghold and charged with treason.” The Guard hesitated, and Cerys felt a slight bit of panic rise in her throat. “Why treason?” “He gave the order to shoot a moon-witch, and that’s illegal.” The Guard flushed slightly. “Technically, no, it isn’t.” He caught her eye but looked away. “I, er, don’t think it is.” She narrowed her eyes and took one step forward. The Guard in return took one step back and turned to the others in his command. “Charge him with treason.” Luka took her hand and rushed her out the door and through the long, winding corridors of the Stronghold and up the stone steps to the main floor where the party was still going strong. They got strange looks as they quickly walked through, neither daring to slow down just in case someone tried to stop them from leaving. The door was still guarded, and Cerys squeezed Luka’s hand. He looked a state, and she was sure she did, too, with her hair escaping wildly from her clip and bullet holes in her dress. The Fae-Guard stepped back from the door and nodded to them as they slipped past. They both breathed a collective sigh as the night air whipped against their faces. They felt as one, walking hand in hand down the long driveway, both in their own worlds.

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The wind had picked up around them, and Luka pulled her closer to him, his arm snaking around her shoulders. “I’m so sorry, Luka.” “I need to thank you for getting me out of there.” Cerys felt the kiss on the top of her head, and she smiled sadly. He didn’t want to acknowledge the part she had to play in his banishment. She needed to appreciate his wishes and not push it, but she couldn’t. At the gates leading to the road, she stopped and pulled him to a halt, too. “If I could give you back your bonds to your people, I surely would.” She reached up to his face, and he turned to kiss her palm. The wounds inflicted on him were healing nicely, but his eye was still badly swollen. “In hindsight it was probably one of the best things that’s happened to me, getting away from the Meta-World.” He smiled into her palm and kissed it again. “And of course getting to handcuff you.” Luka took hold of her chin and planted a hard kiss on her lips before resting his forehead on hers. “I thought I’d lost you...” His voice was breathless, and it didn’t sound like his. Cerys pulled away and looked at him carefully and saw his eyes squeezed shut. Her heart rocketed in her chest, and she hoped it meant that he felt the same way about her as she did about him. “I do… care for you, Luka.” Cerys felt small, like the world was on her shoulders. She gazed up into his face. His strong, stubbly jaw and beautiful skin urged her to touch him, but she couldn’t, not yet. The silence stretched between them, Cerys finding it harder to breathe by the second. “I have to admit, you’ve gotten under my skin, too.” Luka sighed. “And not always in a good way—” Cerys gently punched his shoulder and Luka grinned, pulling her toward him. “You better watch yourself. I’m a deadly weapon.”

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“Mmmm.” His lips found her neck and nibbled her skin. Cerys melted into his embrace for a few moments before pulling back so she could see his face. “This is completely crazy, Luka.” “I know.” He grinned before his lips moved to briefly touch hers, and her mind exploded with sensation. The kiss deepened, and Cerys opened her mouth to take his tongue, sighing into his mouth, wishing for another seedy hotel room so she could taste him all over again. “Let’s get out of here.” Luka had pulled away from their embrace and kept hold of her hand, guiding her across the small country lane, his stride urgent. He headed toward a cluster of trees at the side of the road where curiosity finally got the better of her. “What’s going on—” Her gaze stopped dead on the motorbike they’d escaped on yesterday, sitting there, scratched to hell. Luka turned around and grinned boyishly. “I couldn’t just leave her there, I sent Cal back to get it. Come on, baby.” He swung his leg over the bike and turned to her expectantly. Cerys looked down at her ruined dress, shrugged and hitched it up to her thighs. Luka gazed down at her legs, and a familiar fire crept through her body. “I love you, Cerys,” he said quietly. Luka’s face was deadly serious. His blue eyes were luminous, even in the night’s sky. “I’m not sure how it’s happened or why, but I’m yours, Cerys, forever, whether you want me or not.” Her chest ached with emotion as she stepped closer to him, knowing she was the luckiest girl alive to have the love of this gorgeous man. “I love you, too.” She cupped his face and gently kissed his lips, letting all her passion and love pour into him. “And believe me, I want you forever.” Finally, she rested her forehead against his and let the moments pass.

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“Come on, let’s get out of here.” She climbed on behind him and adjusted her clothing, wary of not giving unsuspecting passersby a flash. Luka reached behind him and ran his hand over her bare leg as she snuggled into his back and his warmth. “Where are we going?” Not that she cared. She was exactly where she wanted to be. “Back to my office,” Luka said over the roar of the motorbike starting. Cerys took her head off his back and looked at his head. “Why?” “So I can pick up my handcuffs.” It took a moment for Cerys to catch up, but slowly a grin spread across her face. Luka looked over his shoulder and winked at her, causing her insides to scramble at the prospect of the night to come and being restrained by her sexy bounty hunter. She glanced up at the new moon and smiled. One thing was certain. Cerys certainly wouldn’t try to escape him this time.

THE END WWW.XANDRAJAMES.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Xandra James has always wanted to write romance books. Even when she was sneaking peeks at the hot bits, too young to fully appreciate them, she dreamt of writing her own. Now, older and wiser, she's got the opportunity to project her slightly dark and wacky British sense of humour onto others, whilst still writing the hot bits—bonus! When not writing, Xandra is thinking of excuses as to why she shouldn’t be doing the housework, looking after a husband and cats that refuse to pick up after themselves, and climbing the mountain in her house that's affectionately called her tbr pile. She currently holds the crown for Queen Procrastinator— something she's very proud of—so you can usually find her online, somewhere, when she really should be writing.

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