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His Lady of the Night

Chapter Seventeen

Jake and Olivia slept until their next rising. They both changed in the form of a wolf, the alpha pair and headed into the forest. Jake took the lead but Olivia was having none of that. She growled low and ran up to his side, nipping his hind leg as she passed tail in the air.

Jake growled back, "You will stay behind me my love," he ordered. "Danger lurks everywhere in this forest."

"Oh, alright, I'll stay by your side," she compromised.

"You will also stay hidden while I feed for both of us. This I will not negotiate," he said sternly.

Olivia barked her answer, which was yes. Hunger spurred them on and they ran to the edge of the city. They changed back into their human form and Jake left her in the trees to seek his prey.

He ordered her to stay put, that he wouldn't be gone long. Always a shadow in her mind, Jake smiled when she grumble something about him being a 'male domineering pig' and observed her memories of their earlier argument. His smile widened in satisfaction, he'd won that round.

~ * ~

"Why can't you feed off deer and other animals!" she exclaimed. "Feeding off humans is disgusting."

"My love, human blood is what keeps us strong. Animal blood is only ingested in dire cases of emergency," he explained.

"Then why not go to a blood bank! At least then you won't have to sink your teeth into a human neck," she argued.

"At times I have used blood banks, but the blood is cold, stale and often tainted," he said gently and pulled her into his arms. "What we require for the coming battle is fresh, warm blood, untainted blood," he said as his hand caressed her back, up then down, soothing her.

"How can you tell whether blood is tainted or not?" she asked curiously.

"By the taste," replied Jake. "Tainted blood has a metallic taste because of all the drugs and alcohol humans consume. Untainted blood has a clean taste that tingles on the tongue," he explained.

"I'm not biting anyone's neck no matter how much I'm hungry," she stated.

"Do not worry my love, you won't have to. I will provide for you," he promised. "Are you ready to leave?"

Olivia reluctantly nodded and they shape shifted into the alpha pair.

~ * ~

Out of her sight, he cast his senses out, calling to him the closest untainted humans in the area. Three businessmen walked down the street, almost trance like, answering his call. Jake grabbed the first one and sank his teeth into his neck. He drank deeply almost draining the man completely. He let the man fall to the ground as he seized the second one and did the same. Of the third man he only drank half, leaving him enough strength to get the other two home. He waited until the three men were well out of his sight before shimmering and materializing at Olivia's side.

Olivia's hungry gaze focused on Jake as he appeared. He immediately folded her into his arms, pressing her mouth to his neck. Her pale complexion took on a healthy glow as she fed long and deep. She passed her tongue over the wounds and raised her head. Her gaze on his lips she kissed him. Jake returned her kiss, tasting the sweet tingle of the remnant of blood on her lips.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"It was my pleasure my darling," he smiled easily and replied. "Are you ready to merge?"

Olivia grinned back and merged her mind with his, pouring her energy to boost his own as he sent out his senses in search of Drake's location. Luck was with them. Drake was outside, staring up at a mountain, one Jake recognized instantly. It was Mount Skylight in the Adirondack Mountains.

He remembered being there once with Drake and hearing him say the hidden caves under Skylight would make a great lair for him and the army he was going to recruit. He had plans he said, plans to feed off the human race. But those plans never materialized because of Jake.

Jake couldn't stomach killing humans, He accepted Connor's offer for the return of his soul, in exchange he had to imprison Drake, forever, using the means the angel had provided. The means turned out to be a binding spell, which could only be broken if Drake ingested the rare blood of a druid a Warrior Priestess.

Surprised by his own thoughts, Jake gazed down at Olivia, "Who taught you to fight like that?" he suddenly asked.

Olivia shrugged, "No one, I just always knew. My mother used to tell me I was born knowing how to fight," she replied, recalling the conversation. "She used to say I was special, that when I was older and the time was right, she'd explain everything to me."

"So you've never taken lessons?" he asked, he wanted to make sure he was right. That she was from the Druid race he'd read about when he was a boy. He remembered the ancient tome he'd found while poking around in an old castle ruin he and his family had visited in France. He'd left the tome behind when he'd left his home, what happened to it he didn't know. He hoped Drake hadn't found it.

"No, why do you ask?" she inquired.

"No reason," he said and smiled at her. He didn't want her to know who she was until he could be really sure.

Jake turned his gaze back to the night sky, "It's time," he said. Olivia nodded and they shape-shifted into two magnificent Peregrine falcons. They took to the sky flying towards Mount Skylight.

"I remember this mountain," said Olivia in his mind, "before my mother was killed, she and I camped here. Is this where Drake is?"

"Yes," replied Jake. "The mountain is riddled with interconnected caves deep underground. His minions each have a chamber of their own. It will be dangerous. They'll try to stop me, kill me, but you they'll keep alive for Drake." He told her then cursed. "I shouldn't have let you come!"

"You couldn't have stopped me my darling," she said fiercely. "I would never let you confront Drake alone. I've had v…." she began to say but instantly clammed up. She was afraid to tell him the vision of death she'd had, his death. For that reason she went with him, to prevent it.

"You've had what, my love? Visits? Visions?" asked Jake. He was sure she had been about to reveal what she was hiding from him.

Olivia drew in a startled breath, mentally shrugged her shoulder and said, "It was nothing, really."

Jake heard her startled breathe when he mentioned visions. "Visions my love? What were these visions about? I could break down those walls you have guarding them, but I would prefer you told me yourself. I've waited long enough don't you think?" he said in a persuasive voice.

Olivia was terrified, she considered not telling him, but he would forget to duck and she could loose him; something she refused to do. Besides, ever since the visions, somewhere deep inside her, she felt the need; an instinct if you will, to protect and defend her soulmate. She didn't understand but knew it was something she couldn't ignore.

"The other day as we slept, I had a vision of your death," she stated. "You were battling with Drake and he got the upper hand. He managed to grab a spear and destroyed you." she said her mind filled with the images.

Jake watched the images go by as if watching a film clip. He saw himself fighting with Drake, then one of Drake's minion's attacked from behind, kicking his legs out from under him, giving Drake the opportunity to grab a spear from an ancient armored statue and pierced his heart. During the battle he also saw Olivia, chained to a back wall so she could see the battle. She tried to warn him but it had been too late, her expression of horror and grief had been his last sight before he'd turned to dust.

The last part of the vision nearly broke Jake's concentration, he had to reinforce the image of the falcon to continue flying. Seeing her chained to the wall had really thrown him. For the first time in his life, since encountering Drake, Jake was scared.

"Why didn't you tell me this before, woman!" he roared. "We're turning back! I will not put you in danger." He said and tried to make her turn around.

"It's too late darling. We've arrived," she said and evading him, she flew down to the summit of Mount Skylight. Jake cursed and flew after her.

 

©2006 Romance at Heart Magazine.

©2000 Angel Young.

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