Samuel's Pride: Hawk Part 2

"He said that he has to heat you with his dragon's breath. Is that right?" Awnia nodded and told her it was the only way she could cool off sometimes. "I would think that would be worse than the hurt you have right now, but then I'm not a sun G.o.ddess. I suppose you can stand a great deal of heat."

"Yes. But I can create more, too, if I need it." She didn't want the girl to think badly of her so she changed the subject. "I should like to meet the man who has housed me. He must be a very understanding person."

"Samuel Payne. And he is. His mate is Kennedy." They moved out of the barn and into the light. The sun felt wonderful on her face and arms, and she lifted her face to it fully. Clar said nothing as she waited, and Awnia was grateful. She needed this more than she could say. When she looked at the woman again, she saw that there was a hint of fear in her face.

"It's the sun." Clar nodded. "I told you I would never harm you, and I won't. I need the heat of the sun to heal in small ways. It is what I am."

"I understand. But you should know that you're glowing. And I mean really glowing."

Awnia nodded. She could feel it...her body hummed with the feeling from the rays. As they made their way to the house, Awnia was able to control her heat, but didn't close it down completely. It was dangerous, she knew, but for now, until she left, she had to be as strong as she could be.

The house was warm. Not in the sense that it was heated, but she could feel the love and happiness from it as soon as they entered. This sort of heat would heal her as well, but she didn't take it. To do so would drain the house and the people living there. And Awnia had no wish to harm those within. As soon as the big lion, the man of the house, came from one of the rooms, he stopped and stared at her. Awnia bowed before him.

"Master Samuel. I am in your debt for housing me." He didn't move when she stood up again. Her mirth bubbled out when he continued to stare at her for several minutes. "You have seen a woman before, I'm sure."

"Yes. But not one that had G.o.ddess as a t.i.tle. I do call my wife that on occasion, but it's more of a term for her than her actual t.i.tle." She liked this man. "You're also glowing a nice shade of gold. s.h.i.+mmering gold, as a matter of fact. I'm a.s.suming that means you're better?"

"Getting there." He came toward her, and she could see he was at a loss as to how to talk to her. She put him at ease, or so she hoped, by putting out her hand with a warning. "If you take my touch, however brief, we will be connected. Much like the connection you have with the others of your pride, but mine will be magical. I tell you this so you'll know...something of a warning, but in a nice way."

Samuel nodded and put out his hand. He wasn't shaking, but he was nervous. She touched his hand and found out a great deal about the young lion. He was not just a good leader, but a great one. A man she could take into her confidence.

"I'm being chased. Have you been made aware of that?" He said that Vinnie had told them all. "This man, he will bring danger to your pride. As soon as I am able, I will leave here. He will search but not harm if I'm not here, I think. If he does...then I will return and help you."

"We're making plans to keep you safe." She nodded. It had been said to her before. But when Hatter came, he didn't spare humans or s.h.i.+fters trying to help her, but killed them all. "You don't believe me. I understand. There is more to this man than we think, I'm sure, but we're a pride that is not your normal bunch of cats. I have...there are more here than that."

"I know. Cats, leopards, vampires. Even a bear or two, if I'm not mistaken. But this man, he is stronger than that, than any of that. He will not be kind or gentle. He wants me to come to him so that he can be rewarded. I'm betting that all he will get is his own death, but he thinks she'll be honorable. He might have the powers to do so...take me, I mean, but not fight Temptress." She looked around the big room they were in. "All this s.p.a.ce cannot hold what I am in my truest form, yet Temptress, the woman who sired me, will fill ten times ten of this room and still over flow it. I am not as strong, not nearly as strong as I should be."

"How do we make you stronger?" She flushed, and he grinned. "Okay. I'm a.s.suming that it's a little more involved than I can give you."

"Yes. A mate. Which I cannot have." He asked her why. "Because I have been cursed. My mother, as I said, is a jealous and vicious woman who will not allow me to mate. My powers would be greater than hers, greater than them all."

"And by all, do you mean other G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses?" Awnia nodded. "And that is a s.h.i.+t ton of magic, I'm betting."

"Yes. A very large s.h.i.+t ton." A woman entered the room, and she felt the connection to her through Samuel. "Your mate?"

"Yes. Kennedy, this is Vinnie's friend, Awnia. Awnia, my mate and wife, Kennedy Payne. And the young man behind her is my son, Kendal. He's just turned one."

"A fine man you are too." She looked at Kennedy, then back at the boy. "He is strong. Stronger than the two of you. He will be a greater man than the greatness of his father."

"Aye, you've the right of that. Ye be the G.o.ddess." Awnia nodded, not taking her eyes from the boy. He moved from behind his mother to stand beside her, and Awnia went to her knees.

"You know what I am." He nodded and put out his hand. "You cannot touch me unless your mother and father say yes."

Kendal looked at his mom, who looked at Samuel. She knew that they were talking. It was a big step for her to connect with the child. But she knew that the connection would not be the only thing that was exchanged between them.

"Our touch will be magic, Master Samuel. He will have a part of me, as you and the missus do, but he will be stronger for it. And he in turn will heal me. Not completely, but as complete as I can be without a mate." When Samuel asked her what she needed to do, she looked at him. "A touch, nothing more."

"I've no problem with ye making him stronger. But if he comes to harm because of it, I'll tear you apart, G.o.ddess or not." Samuel came to stand beside Kennedy, and he too gave his consent. The little boy put out his hand and touched her cheek. Then in an act completely mesmerizing to her, he leaned in and kissed her other cheek.

The pain shocked her. It started at the place where he'd touched his lips to her, then took over her body. Her breath felt as if it had been knocked from her, then someone squeezed her for good measure. Awnia fell back on the floor. Her back bowed from it as she was lifted up by some unknown force. The scream that wanted to spill forward seemed to make the pain worse, and she had no choice but to let it go. Then the blackness took her again.

"What do you mean, you've no idea what happened? She was right in front of you." Samuel was trying his best not to snap back at Vinnie, but the man was p.i.s.sing him off. "And why the h.e.l.l didn't someone call me when she woke up?"

"I've told you six times, and if you make me say it again after this, I'm going to s.h.i.+ft and tear your a.s.s up. She wanted to touch Kendal. I said yes, Kennedy said yes. Then when he kissed her cheek, it was as if she were possessed by something. Her body nearly bent in half and she rose up off the floor to the ceiling. Had I not been there to catch her, she would have crashed to the floor again when she pa.s.sed out. Are you any more satisfied this time than you were the other times?" Vinnie growled. "Take it down a notch or two, or I will. I didn't contact you because there was nothing to say. She was awake. Silly me. I thought she'd told you."

"We can't talk any more. Not when I'm a dragon." Vinnie started pacing again, but it was less violent, calmer even. "She's never done that before. Touched a child, so far as I know. They hold a special power that she can use, but it drains the child. Kendal must be extremely strong for her to have been able to touch him."

"She didn't." Vinnie turned to him. "Awnia didn't touch Kendal. He touched her. Then he kissed her cheek. Kennedy and I talked about it. She didn't touch him at all."

"Then...I don't understand. You said she asked, but didn't touch him?" Samuel told him that Kendal touched her before she did. "And Kendal is all right? He wasn't hurt at all?"

"No. He's in the kitchen having a snack. If anything, he might have gotten a bigger appet.i.te from it. She said that he'd heal her, but...I don't know, maybe that's why he's so hungry."

Samuel had been terrified when she'd screamed. Then when she lifted up, Kennedy grabbed their son and ran with him. Samuel was ready to follow them when Awnia suddenly fell from the ceiling and into his arms. After that, he'd brought her up here to lay her down and reached for Vinnie.

"That medallion I gave you, do you still have it?" He told him that Hawk still had it. "I'll have to get it back from him. She gave it to me decades ago to protect for her. It's a part of her. I'm not entirely sure what part, but it's my only connection to her. I think it keeps her from dying somehow."

"It does." When Awnia sat up, she looked dazed. "I have frightened you. I'm very sorry for that. The child, he is well?"

"Yes. Eating." Vinnie sat on the bed again, but was careful not to touch her. Kennedy had told Samuel that she didn't smell the G.o.ddess on him at all. He had expected her cat to get p.i.s.sy, but she said that there was nothing to get mad about. "Are you okay now?"

"I don't know. I feel much better." She stood up and stretched. "Yes, much better indeed. I have not felt this well since...well, I don't remember how long."

Samuel watched her stretch again and wondered if she realized that she was no longer glowing but now seemed to be hot. Heat devils, he'd heard them called, danced over her body.

"Kendal said to tell you that he loves you. I don't normally tell strangers that my son loves them, but he made me promise." Awnia smiled at him with her thanks. "You have a fan in him, I think. Did he do this for you?"

"Yes. His touch, one of complete trust and purity, did it. I had never let a child touch me before. I...it was my plan to touch him, to help him keep safe. When he gave me the gift, the kiss, it was as if he had given me a great deal of energy. He is a very wonderful little man." Samuel nodded. He knew that already, but it was good to hear it from someone else. "Your wife? Is she upset with me?"

"No, not at all. She was worried when you doubled over, but not mad. Had Kendal been hurt, that might have been a different story." He cleared his throat, uncomfortable with threatening her. "We were getting ready to leave for Hawk's house. Are you well enough to come with us?" Samuel hoped so, and when she didn't answer him right way, he looked at Vinnie.

"She's trying to decide on something." Vinnie laughed when he backed up. "Not to hurt you, jacka.s.s, but if she should go or not. She's terrified of liking all of us too much and then getting us hurt."

"We'll need your help to make sure we're ready when this man comes for you. Do you have a name we might be able to try and do a search on?" She nodded, then frowned. "I'm sorry, you're probably exhausted."

"No. I'm fine. I don't know his name, this guy that is coming for me. I know you need the information, but I've only called him the Mad Hatter. It suited him somehow. He wears a hat, all the time. Mostly it is ball caps, but before, long ago when I first knew him, they were top hats, bright colors with flowers or feathers on them."

"A dandy?" Awnia shrugged but smiled. "You know something that might make it easier for us to find him? I'm sure that you don't have an address or anything like that."

"No, I don't have an address for him, but I did manage to mark him. Not long ago I was able to burn a scar onto him. His face. I had hoped it would go much deeper, but he...I was injured and wasn't able to finish him." Samuel wondered what had happened, but he thought that Vinnie knew when the big man s.h.i.+vered. "He was ill for a long time, and I had thought he would stop coming for me. But I should have known. I'm something that he wants very badly."

"For what?" She looked at him, and he was sure that she wasn't going to answer him. "I'm sorry. But it might help us to know."

"I understand. I do. If Hatter can capture me and take me to my mother, then she will reward him." Samuel asked her how he would be rewarded before he thought maybe he didn't want to know. "He will be a G.o.d. Not a strong G.o.d. But I don't think that's the point. It will give him powers that he doesn't have now, and he will be a G.o.d. The t.i.tle is most important to him."

"And you? What will she do to you once she has you back? I'm a.s.suming that there isn't a lot of love between the two of you." She grinned, and he thought it was the scariest thing he'd ever seen.

"None at all. She'll try and end me. And if she succeeds, which is likely, then she will take what is mine from me. Not just my powers, though those are great, but she will take my looks as well. She will, in effect, become me. But a much nastier, meaner me. Not that it matters, really. When I'm dead, she'll destroy all that is here. All of the world." Awnia went to the window. "It's why she has cursed me. Without a mate, a person to complete me in more ways than you can imagine, I will be at her mercy. At both hers and Hatter's mercy. I've no way of coming to my mate because of her calculations. If I'm stronger than her, you see, she will end."

"Ending you by killing you, you mean." She nodded but didn't turn. The heat still radiated off her, and he had a thought that Kendal had caused it. "Did my son do something to you? With his kiss, he did something to you to make you heat like this, correct?"

"Yes. He trusted. Temptress said no one would ever trust me. He did. It was the first time...no one has ever trusted me fully before. Even you, when I asked to touch him, didn't trust me. But I understand that." Awnia turned to look at Vinnie. "Not even my dragon trusted me fully. I could have killed him at any time, and it was always in the back of his mind. But Kendal had no such thoughts but to offer me comfort. And a bit of his own magic."

"How many curses must you overcome to become strong?" She looked out the window again. And this time he needed the answer. "Awnia? How many?"

"Two more. Just the two. One may happen now. But the love of a man will never come to me. I'm a sun G.o.ddess, after all." She turned then to look at him. "A man must be of a certain breed, without fault, without anger in his heart, just love. He must give me his all. When he comes to me, he will take a part of me into him, have it as his heart for all time. A man with magic of his own."

"And the other? The one that can happen?" She turned away again. He looked at Vinnie, who was staring at her as well. He knew, he was sure of it. But from the look on his face, he didn't like it any better than she did.

"She must be able to kill without thought." Vinnie looked at him as he continued. "She couldn't do that. Never. Not even when she was being hurt could she kill Hatter."

"And you can now?" She nodded. "Why? What's changed that wasn't there before? My family? This pride?"

"Your help. And that of your child." She came away from the window then and smiled at him. "You will help me, will you not, Master Samuel? No matter what I say or even if I leave, you will protect me."

"Yes." She touched his cheek then, and he felt her heat. Not burning, but a warmth that spread throughout his body. "You trust me as well?"

"I do. And as much as it terrifies me, if I do not stay, you will die. All of you." He didn't want to hear that and nearly told her so. "But with your help I might be able to beat Hatter. If not...if I do not, he will die with me. That should end the threat for all of you and your pride."

"I don't want you to die either, Awnia." She moved away from him and out of the room. Samuel looked at Vinnie. "She will, won't she? She'll die to protect us."

"She will, I think." He stood up. "The piece that Hawk has, it's not just to keep her alive, but her mate as well. I know that part. If he can wear the pendent, put it on his neck and let his heart consume it, she'll know that he's her mate. And the only reason I know this came not from her, but from Yve. She knew more about the G.o.ddess than even Awnia does."

"It's not that simple, is it? The fact that he can wear it, there's more, isn't there?" Vinnie shrugged. "What do you know? Please tell me, Vinnie. I need to help this woman. I have no idea why, but helping her is very important to me all of a sudden."

"That when he takes it within his heart, there will be a reckoning like no other. The G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses will come to her and bow before her. They will pay her homage. Her father, a G.o.d of little worth until then, will acknowledge her, take her and her mate under his wing for all time." Samuel nodded. He didn't really get it, but that it was going to be a huge deal he understood. "She will no longer walk the earth as a mortal person, but as a G.o.ddess that she truly is."

"How do we find her a mate?" Vinnie laughed. "You tried, didn't you? To wear it. What happened to you?"

Vinnie pulled his s.h.i.+rt up and showed the scar that he'd seen before. Samuel had always thought it was because of a fight he'd had with another of his kind, but when he looked closer, he could see that it was round, like the medallion that he'd given Hawk.

"It didn't work, in case you didn't get that. I nearly died when I put it on, and before she could get it off, it had nearly burnt to my heart. I thought...when it started to burn into my body, I thought it would work. But she screamed at me to take it off and, by then, it was too late." He asked him what it was supposed to do if not burn. "Absorb into me."

Chapter 4.

Hawk walked along the property line. He knew that he should be back at the house helping Margo with dinner, but she had told him to get out from under her feet. Smiling, he thought about the fl.u.s.tered look on her face when he'd asked her what he could do.

"Be gone." Hawk had looked at her oddly, and she told him again. "I've enough going on without you under my wings. You've been...go out to the yard and fly. But leave me to my work. I'm nervous enough as it is."

So he'd come out here. And now, an hour later, he had no idea what he should be doing out here either. There were guests coming, the first to his house, and here he was looking at the flowers.

"It's considered bad form to walk by a person without speaking." He was startled to say the least, but when he turned to look at the woman who had spoken, he nearly swallowed his tongue. "You could, I suppose, just move on by. I'd not mind really but I was afraid you'd step on the little ones. They've no wings as yet."

He looked to where she was pointing and knelt down. The little fairy flies were just hatched, he could see that, and their downy wings were not yet strong enough to carry them away. As Hawk touched the flower that they clung to, one of them moved to his finger and bowed before him.

"They're only a few hours old." She said she'd seen them hatch. "Really? What a rare treat. I've only seen it once before, long ago. However did you manage it?"

"I was sunning myself. I need the rays more lately. I think that it is due to the fact that I was so unwell before." He looked at her as the little fairy moved over his fingers. He saw nothing to lead him to believe she was anything but in the prime of health. "You're not afraid of me?"

"No. Should I be?" She didn't answer but looked at the flowers again. "You're the sun G.o.ddess. I saw you when I helped search for you. You do look a good deal better than before."

"I was nearly dead." She'd said it so matter-of-factly that he laughed. "You find me dying funny, sir?"

"No. Just the way you said it." The fairy moved off, joined by her family, their wings finally strong enough to carry her and her family away. "The pride is coming over to my home tonight to plan a way to keep you safe. I'm a.s.suming they think you need it. I'm sort of nervous to have guests at my house." He had no idea why he'd said that to her, and felt a little foolish.

"Hatter is coming." He nodded, not sure who that was unless it was the man in the car. He'd never actually seen the man, but he had known where he was going. "When he comes here, he'll try and kill the pride. Their only recourse is to let me go, but I doubt that they will. Samuel is very stubborn."

"He is." Hawk stood up when she did. "I'm Russel Hawkmen. Everyone calls me Hawk. It's my favorite animal."

"A bird of prey." He nodded, not sure why he'd told her his full name. He'd never really been inclined to do that before. "But you're so much more, aren't you?"

"I can do a few things." Hawk took a step toward her. He'd never met a female that he could talk to so easily. And especially one that made him feel as if he was not some sort of freak. He found he wanted to smell her, bring her scent into his body, and then taste her. "Will you be coming to the house later?"

"Yes."

Her step back made her stumble, and he reached for her. In the back of his mind, he knew that touching her was wrong, but she'd been about to fall and he had to save her. But as soon as he put his hand on her arm, he felt everything about her. Hawk wanted her as well.

Hawk stared down at her for several moments while he continued to hold her. Her eyes darkened, and he wanted to pull her to him again. When he wrapped his other hand around her arm, she came to him willingly, but she was still stiff. Hawk didn't care so long as he could taste her.

"I'd like to kiss you." She shook her head but licked her lips. The moistness of them seemed to beg him to take them into his mouth, and he caught the lower one in his teeth. Letting it go, Hawk pulled her body flush with his. "Please. I only want a kiss."

"You should be hurting now." He wasn't and right now, wouldn't have cared if she shot him...touching her was all he could think about. "Are you going to kiss me or not?"

"Yes." Hawk lowered his mouth. Slowly and as gently as he could, he brushed his mouth over hers. Her lips were soft and still wet from her tongue, and he nibbled on them again. Then when he couldn't stand it any longer, he kissed her.

It was only meant to be one to taste her...a simple touching of his lips to hers. Something that would have him breathless, no doubt, but also leaving him with her taste and scent all to himself. But the moment that he deepened the kiss, ran his tongue along the seam of her lips, the second that she let him in, Hawk knew that nothing with this woman would be simple. Cupping her a.s.s now, holding her body close to his, he moved to the closest object he could find and pressed her against it. The tree seemed to moan with their combined weight, and he lifted his head to look around.

"I need you." She nodded and pulled at his s.h.i.+rt. "I don't know what to do. Are you going to be all right if I drink from you?"

"I'm...I'm needy, but for only you. Do you know what that means?" Hawk shook his head. "s.e.x. I want to have s.e.x with you more than anything right now. I feel...what are you?"

"s.h.i.+fter." Hawk pulled her s.h.i.+rt up and filled his hand with her bare breast. "I need to be inside of you. I want to bury my c.o.c.k deep inside of you and feel you come with me. I want to drink from you, taste your cream while you...Christ."

Dropping to his knees, he pulled her pants off. She was bare beneath them as well, and he buried his mouth over her p.u.s.s.y while he pulled her soft pants from her body. Her cream slid down his throat, filled his body. Sliding his fingers into her sheath, he relished the way she rode his hand and soaked him as he made a feast of her c.l.i.t and nether lips. There was so much more of her juices than he could capture, so he lifted her leg to his shoulder and ate her hungrily.

Her climax filled his mouth again. As her c.u.m dripped from his chin and onto his bared chest, he looked up at her. She was beautiful, and she was his.

Standing up, he pulled her hips up. His need to mark and to take her was making his breath hot in his lungs. Taking her to the ground, he leaned over her until he thought he could take her without hurting her. She looked up at him, and he could see the need reflecting back at him.

"I'm a s.h.i.+fter. When I take you...when I fill you with my c.u.m, you're going to be marked by me. I'll bite you." She nodded and bared her throat for him. "You're my mate."