The Darkest Warrior (Lords of the Underworld 14)

This was no ordinary Hulk-out. A strange madness had overcome everyone but Puck. Why not him, too? Indifference? But Gillian had a connection to the demon, as well.

Puck's magic, perhaps? Still a flaw in his logic. Gillian and William had magic of their own.

Puck's inborn magic, then? Connacht magic? Something the other two didn't have.

Exactly. There was only one way to stop this, then.

The solution unsettled him. So drastic. Maybe he could reason with Gillian and the others instead.

Worth a shot. Puck leaped at the females, knocking the two apart. They pounced on him, nails slicing into his flesh, teeth biting into his neck. Despite the influx of pain, he did little to defend himself.

Careful. Must protect Gillian at all cost. But not Pandora. He grabbed the other woman by the hair and flung her into a bank of trees before trapping his wife beneath him.

She bucked, a wild thing, and tried to rip out his throat. In her eyes, he saw no hint of recognition.

"Calm down, lass. Breathe for me. In, out. Just--"

Nails scraped his face, his neck, and pain seared him anew.

A heavy weight slammed into his back, but failed to budge him. Pandora had returned. She scratched, punched and kicked the most vulnerable parts of him. Rage beneath him, fury atop him. Fun times. He reached overhead, grabbed Hades's daughter by the hair and flung her a second time--at William.

A distraction. Mistake. Gillian jammed the heel of her palm into his nose, and cartilage snapped. He grunted, battling a brief bout of dizziness. Warm blood poured down his face.

After kicking and dislodging him, she leaped into a crouch. Her sights zoomed to William, who was shaking his head and howling at the sky, daring her to close the distance; he would not go easy on her.

"You're staying right here." Puck clasped her ankles and yanked, sending her crashing into the ground face-first. She winced. He winced, hating that he'd caused this precious woman pain.

When he had her pinned, he said, "Gillian. I know you're in there." She had to be. "Concentrate on me. Think about--"

She slammed her forehead into his chin, dislocating his jaw. More pain, stars winking before his eyes. And she wasn't done! Arms free, she whaled at his face while bucking and kicking with more force, desperate for freedom.

Despite his injuries, he rasped, "Gillian, I'm your husband. Remember my kiss, my touch. We are--"

Lifting her head, she pressed her mouth against his, sucked his tongue into her mouth--and bit off the tip. In seconds, blood filled his mouth, nearly choking him.

Spit. He used magic to expedite the healing process, his jaw realigning, gashes weaving back together, tongue regenerating.

"Enough, lass!"

Again she kicked him, managing to free herself. A mindless state might hold her prisoner, but it hadn't wiped away centuries of training. Then she drew back her leg, broadcasting her intention. She wouldn't. Surely she wouldn't--

She punted his face.

All right, then. There'd be no reasoning with her.

Using superspeed, Puck grabbed her ankle when she made another play for his face, and yanked her off her feet. He pinned her beneath him, wrapped his fingers around her throat and squeezed just hard enough to immobilize her. As he'd done during her Hulk-out, he turned his attention inward, to their bond. This time, he gifted her with a tendril of Connacht magic.

You didn't have to die to cede magic to others. Not even inborn magic. You could offer it willingly. Though he'd never met anyone keen to do so.

What would Puck lose, in doing this? His ability to shapeshift? Run at the speed of light? Either way, he'd never get the magic back, unless he killed the ones he shared it with, or they willingly returned it. But Galen and Pandora, whom he would have to brand with runes, wouldn't know how to return it for centuries, and William wouldn't out of spite. Hardly matters. Must help Gillian.

Her motions slowed, stopped. She peered up at him, wide eyes darkening with horror as her mind cleared. "I attacked you. Oh, Puck. I'm so sorry."

Relief. Pride. He'd succeeded. "Do you not yet realize I would endure anything to get you into this position?"

"How did this happen?"

"Magical illusion. A trap set by Sin, programmed to start whenever we breached a certain point. You believed you were an animal, aye?" At her nod, he said, "The others still do." He stood, helped her to her feet. "If we can pin them, I can feed them Connacht magic." A bond wasn't needed for a gift of magic, only made it easier to give.

Her eyes widened with horror when she spotted William, Galen and Pandora tangled together, each covered in wounds and soaked in blood.

Anyone else might have run screaming, but not Gillian. She kept pace at Puck's side and approached the combatants.

"I'll take William," she said. "You take the other two."

"He won't recognize you. Might harm you." Then I'll be forced to retaliate.

She tossed him a quick smile, causing his heart to careen out of sync. "Have more faith in your wife." After withdrawing four daggers--two in each hand--she punted Pandora in the face and elbowed Galen in the jaw.

As the combatants fell away, Puck struck, pinning Galen to the ground with daggers.

Movement at the corner of his eye. He paused to watch as Gillian masterfully maneuvered William to his back, and staked his wrists and ankles into the ground. Just boom, boom, boom, boom, and the guy was pinned.

My woman is skilled.

Considering William's strength, Puck wasn't sure how long the hold would last. Puck abandoned Galen--for now--placed a hand over William's brow and unleashed the barest tendril of Connacht magic. Just enough. The male ceased fighting, frowned. No time to explain.

Puck vaulted into Pandora. With her, he had no qualms about using necessary force. After he'd staked her, he reached for a dagger, realized he'd dropped his somewhere along the way. Very well. He palmed hers, quickly carved a rune in her hand and fed her the barest hint of Connacht magic.

Finally, he turned his sights to Galen. Rune. Connacht magic.

Done.

"I thought I'd transformed into a beast," Pandora said, between panting breaths. "Why?"

Gillian explained the situation while ripping the daggers from William's wrists. Silent, he sat up, freed his ankles, then rubbed wounds already in the process of healing.

"What if this is only the beginning?" she said. "What comes next might be worse. Which sucks, because we're running low on everything."

Her fears were not misplaced. Each challenge had proven more difficult than the last.

"We'll deal," Puck said. They must. They had no other choice.

*

They traveled the rest of the day.

Gillian couldn't keep her eyes off Puck. He'd saved her, saved them all, by sharing his magic. He could have turned into the Ice Man at any point, but he'd chosen to stay with her and, judging by the heated looks he'd been casting her, feel everything. Never had a man appeared more tempestuous. A storm brewed in his eyes and darkened each of his features.

Time is running out. Don't know what the future holds.

Need him. Need him now.

Never had she been more ready for a man's possession. Even now, her heart assaulted her ribs, racing faster and faster. Her nipples ached more than ever before, her belly quivered and the apex of her thighs throbbed.

Can't have him. Yet. Soon...

They came upon a pond about an hour before sunset. After setting up camp, everyone took turns bathing to wash away battle blood. Puck first--she wanted to join him, but there was no time--then William, then Pandora and Galen. Finally Gillian stripped and waded into cold water that failed to cool her heated skin.

She waited...but Puck never showed up. Disappointed, she dried off and dressed in a shirt and short leather skirt for easy access and Puck's torment.

On edge, on alert and sexually frustrated, she returned to camp. William sat in front of a fire, sharpening his daggers with an almost obsessi

ve concentration. Pandora and Galen lounged beside Puck, peppering him with a million questions about Sin, Amaranthia and magic, but he wasn't in the mood to chat, or even be sociable. His answers were "yes," "no" and "shut up before I cut out your tongue."

When he spotted Gillian, he gave her a look of such blatant hunger, such palpable desire, she grew dizzy with lust and missed a step, nearly falling flat on her face. Ecstasy beckoned, her body already overly sensitized from hours, days, of anticipation.

William popped to his feet and muttered, "Father calls." With no more explanation than that, he flashed away.

Galen and Pandora shared a moment of aggravation before standing.

"Where he goes, one of us must go," the dark-haired female said.

"Thankfully, Hades equipped us with a WNS." Galen tapped his temple. "William Navigation System."

"William will be gone for hours," Pandora said, and wiggled her brows. "I'll make sure of it."

"Good to know," Puck said. "Make sure you all stay away from the pond, then."

A blush burned Gillian's cheeks.

"Aren't desirous of a little light spying, eh?" Galen asked. "Fine. I'll go after William, and I'll make sure he stays away. Pandy cakes, you guard the perimeter. I have a feeling our little lovebirds are about to lose track of everything."

Pandora snapped her teeth at Pandy cakes. "Come on. Before you lose your favorite appendage." She dragged the winged male away.

Finally!

Puck stood, his kohl-rimmed gaze tracing over the curves of Gillian's body. As if he could stand their separation no longer, he advanced on her, all dark and lovely and hot and aggressive. He hefted her over his shoulder in a fireman carry, and carted her away from the campsite.

Her pulse quickened as his scent enveloped and intoxicated her. "Puck?"

"This is happening, woman. Best get used to the idea."