Quintus: #7 (Luna Lodge: Hunters of Atlas) Read online

  She swallowed. “I will.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Allison sat at her desk and ran her fingers over her lips, still thinking about the night before.

  She wasn’t sure just what had come over her, but for the first time in a week, she’d actually slept well. Albeit a bit warm, but still, better than she had been. Not even a hint of a nightmare had troubled her.

  A smile played on Allison’s lips. She wanted to see Quintus again. In fact, she even invented a stupid reason why she needed to see him.

  The envelope with the money for the work and brownies she’d picked up that morning sat next to her on the desk. Along with his number on the top.

  It was about the oldest pickup line in the book, but she was desperate. She wanted to see him in his element. Maybe they would be able to pick up where they left off.

  Allison knew there was no rational reason she should be going over there, but the heart had never been all that rational an organ.

  Maybe everything he’d told her about the Vestal connection was true. In a world where men like the hybrids existed, she couldn’t dismiss it out of hand.

  “Wait,” she heard Celine call from outside the door. “You can’t just go—”

  The door flung open, and Ms. Anderson strode in, an irritated expression on her face.

  “They say I need to have it surveyed as well as the plans for the place,” the woman yelled.

  Allison looked past the very angry woman to Celine. Her eyes were wide behind her glasses as she watched the raving woman.

  “I believe that was outlined in the paperwork I gave you,” Ms. Anderson said.

  For the first time, Allison fully took in the strange woman’s current clothing.

  Today it was all red. It was like her clothing reflected her moods.

  “I can’t wait that long,” Ms. Anderson said, and leaned against her desk. “I demand you speed this process up.”

  It wasn’t Allison’s first time dealing with someone trying to intimidate her. Usually it was men, but it didn’t really matter. She was more than capable of handling it.

  “As discussed before, these things take time,” Allison said.

  For a moment, she thought she might argue further when the other woman suddenly stood up straight and smiled down at her.

  “Now I’m sure we can come to some sort of agreement,” Ms. Anderson said. “I’m sure there’s… something you need that perhaps I can provide.”

  Allison felt her temper bubbling just under the surface. Trying to boldface bribe her was just as outrageous at it got.

  “As I said before, there is nothing I can do. If that’s all, please shut the door on your way out.”

  Allison blinked. She could have sworn she saw a flash of red behind the woman’s eyes, but shook her head. The bright red outfit was just messing with her head, especially after the week she’d had worrying about the Glycons.

  The woman’s face twisted just before she stormed back out of the off in much the same manner she’d entered. When she was outside the door, Celine scurried inside the room.

  “I told you,” she said. “I have a bad feeling about that woman.”

  Allison frowned. “She’s just used to getting her way. I’m sure that’s not the last we’ll see of her. Remember the timber company?”

  Celine cringed and rightly so.

  They showed up nearly every day for a month bitching about the permits. It was a nightmare.

  “Okay, but she still gives me the creeps.”

  Allison had to agree there. Ms. Anderson was creepy but harmless, especially compared to killer Glycons.

  “And on that note, I’m calling it a day,” Allison said.

  Celine smiled at her. “Got a date?”

  She opened her mouth to refute it but found she couldn’t.

  “Oh. My. God. You do have a date!”

  Allison sighed loudly. “I’m just dropping off money for the work and thank-you brownies.”

  Celine grinned widely. “And does thank-you sex follow those brownies?”

  Allison grabbed her coat from the rack and slipped it on, her face flush with excitement.

  “A lady doesn’t kiss and tell.”

  Celine stepped over to the door. “Well, don’t do anything I wouldn’t.” She winked.

  Allison laughed. “That’s a pretty wide range.”

  Celine gave her an over-the-shoulder wave. “I like to keep my options open.”

  Allison found herself laughing as she made her way out of the building. She was excited. Likely more than she should be considering she was just dropping off a few things.

  But it wasn’t the chance that they might do something, but more just seeing him again. It made her heart race and her palms sweat.

  A long, happy sigh left her mouth. The Vestal thing sounded crazy, but maybe it explained why she felt the way she did. This was more than just simple attraction. She felt so strongly pulled toward Quintus. There had to be something deeper.

  Still, the Vestal concept sounded a lot like soul mates, and that was something Allison had never been able to buy into.

  She decided she’d just play it by ear. The reality was, regardless of what happened with Quintus, she needed the hybrids to help with the Glycons. After that was taken care of, she could figure out if there was any long-term future with the hunky Quintus.

  She climbed into the car and made her way through town. The street lights popped on overhead as the sun sank over the horizon.

  Happily, she hummed to some nameless tune on the radio, following the winding road as she did so, feeling truly relaxed for the first time in a long time.

  A piercing scream ripped through the air. A chill ran down her spine. Even though she was in a car, the sound seemed to come in stereo from all around here.

  There was no question just what had made that sound. She’d heard it before, even if in the distance. As long as she lived, she’d never forget the sound of the Glycon.

  With a shaking hand, she grabbed the phone beside her and tried to punch in Quintus’s number as carefully as she could. She was thankful for all the time she’d stared at it on her desk.

  “I’m glad you called,” he said in his smooth voice over the line.

  “They’re after me.”

  As soon as the words were out of her mouth, something large slammed into the back end of her car. The wheel shook in her hands. She dropped the phone as she struggled to keep herself from driving into a ditch on the side of the road.

  Bam!

  Something else slammed into her from the other side. This time she was more prepared, and the car swerved just slightly.

  Allison checked in the mirrors all around her. In the distance, she could make out two sets of glowing red eyes moving in the darkness.

  “Oh shit,” she said as she watched them and the road in front of her. “Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.”

  She struggled to take in deep breaths as she reached down to pick the phone back up.

  “What the fuck is going on?” Quintus shouted over the phone.

  “Something hit the back of my car,” she said still trying to catch her breath. “Twice.”

  He could hear him mumbling something to someone.

  “Quintus, it’s them. I saw their red eyes in the mirror.”

  “Where are you?”

  She swallowed hard as she watched the eyes getting closer behind her. Allison pressed the gas with everything she had and hoped her little four cylinder didn’t give out on her.

  “I’m on 97 headed your way,” she said.

  “Good,” he said, and she could hear him panting now as well. “Give it all you got, and I’ll meet you at the road, baby.”

  She didn’t even have to ask how he was going to get all the way down the long road to his place to the main road with such ease. She’d seen his speed before.

  Her engine roared as she barreled down the road. The red eyes in her rear-view mirror receded farther away. The Glycons were fast, but at
least they couldn’t keep up with a car at high speed.

  Not that it slowed her racing heart. She wouldn’t feel safe until she was in his arms again. If they’d tracked her down once, they could track her down again, maybe next time when she wasn’t in her car.

  Allison spotted a dirt road and slammed on the brakes to make the turn. Her tires squealed, and she added long tire streaks to the highway. The car finally skidded to the stop.

  Her heart leapt in her throat when she spotted Quintus standing in front of her car with several other men at his side. Judging by their size and bright blue eyes, they were all hybrids.

  Allison stepped out of the car, and Quintus was there, pulling her hard against his bare chest.

  “You’re safe,” he whispered. “I’ve got you.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Quintus watched Allison as she sat on the couch. She seemed to be doing fine now, but he knew that the event had shaken her.

  Rem had sent a dozen hybrids to search the area. And although the stench of the Glycons was in the air, no one could find one.

  What was even more puzzling is why they’d target Allison, especially when she was in her car. The behavior she described didn’t sound like anything like what they’d seen from the Glycons before.

  They’d already covered that part of town with the sonic fence as well.

  Quintus brought a tumbler of whiskey over to Allison and handed her the glass. For a moment he considered going to put on a shirt but decided that it was better he stay with her after an event like that.

  Allison took a swig and choked a little as the burning liquid made its way down her throat.

  She shook her head. “I just don’t understand why,” she said, and turned toward him. “I thought those electronics would keep them out.”

  Quintus leaned back against the couch and sighed. “Not sure. We’ve covered that part of town, but they could have come in from a different side. Veronica also said that there may be pockets that are slightly weaker than anticipated,” he said. “We’ll need to go through and add additional pieces in order to close those gaps. The rest of the equipment was delivered today.”

  “And how long will that take to set it all up?”

  He could see the fear in her eyes and knew that she worried someone else might be attacked. Someone who hadn’t been able to keep such a level head as she had.

  “No more than a day or two,” he said. “We’ve got our people out patrolling the border at night just in case. That’s when the Glycons are most likely to come out.”

  Allison nodded and took another drink from her glass. With nearly half gone, she seemed slightly more relaxed than she had been.

  “Why me?” she asked.

  That was a question he’d been asking himself since the moment she got there. Was there some special significance?

  They knew the Glycons were interested in Vestals. There was always a chance they had hoped to make her one of theirs. Whatever sick and twisted sense that might mean.

  Quintus didn’t want to mention that to Allison. It’d probably only freak her out even more than she was.

  “I think it’s best to stay here tonight,” he said. “We can’t be sure why they targeted you, or if it even was targeted. There’s a chance that you were just a lone car that came across their path.”

  Allison downed the rest of the glass and sighed loudly as she sat it on the table. “So is this your life?” she asked. “Dodging dangerous creatures and living on the edge?”

  Quintus wasn’t quite sure how to answer. It wasn’t their life. It was just the way they had been forced to live.

  “We came here for some peace,” he said. “For a chance to have the life we were never given.”

  Allison nodded and placed her hand into his. Quintus laced their fingers together, and he stared down at her small hand.

  “What would you want if you didn’t have to worry about the next problem?” she asked.

  Quintus thought for a moment. So many things had been taken from them. “The chance to find what I’m good at.” He looked over to where she sat on the couch and stared into her soft green eyes. “To have a family, a wife, some place to call home.”

  Soft pink spread on her cheeks, and her lips parted slightly.

  “Is a Vestal like a wife?” she asked.

  Hearing her use those words lit a flare inside of him. His Vestal.

  “Vestal is more than just words on a piece of paper. A Vestal is the bond. An unshatterable connection between two people. Two halves making a whole.”

  She took a soft shuddered breath. “Oh.”

  Quintus stared hard at her. It was funny really. He had never spent much time thinking about a Vestal or even wanting one. He watched the men around him pair off, and the others pine for what they didn’t have. But when faced with his own Vestal, it all became clear. It seemed inevitable and overwhelming.

  The pulsing need echoed through him like a drum. She was the one thing he needed that he never knew he would. He brought their linked hands to his mouth and kissed her soft skin.

  “I know it doesn’t make sense,” he said, “and maybe it sounds a little crazy, but it’s something I just know. Something I feel in every part of my being.”

  Quintus was surprised when she turned and placed her other hand against his cheek. His heart thumped wildly in his chest at her touch.

  “I feel it, too,” she whispered. “I didn’t know what it was, but it feels like I was just waiting for the moment when I meet you.”

  Fate.

  Never in her life did she think she would fall into such nonsense, but somehow that seemed to be the least crazy thing going on.

  She thought about Quintus, living a life where he was hunted by creatures and a sadistic corporation, plus just the normal day-to-day existence that came with being a hybrid.

  It put a whole new perspective on just what someone could find and experience in the world.

  Allison rubbed her thumb on the stubbled skin of his cheek and then over his soft lips.

  Even after everything that had happened, she could remember the feel of his mouth against hers, and the way it ignited something deep inside.

  Slowly she moved forward until their lips were just a fraction away from one another.

  His eyes blazed a bright blue. The act should have frightened her, but instead it only seemed to stir her passion.

  “I should let you get some sleep,” Quintus said.

  Allison watched as he pulled away and climbed off the couch. “You can take the bed, and I’ll sleep on the couch.”

  She rose from the couch and made her way over to where he stood. Allison stopped directly in front of him and leaned in to smell his masculine scent.

  A low rumble filled the air as she placed her hands against his solid bare chest. His muscles flexed under them.

  “I’m trying,” Quintus said, his voice hoarse with restraint. “You have to understand if I touch you, I don’t know that I’ll be able to stop. I want you too badly.”

  Allison stared into his bright blue eyes, her heart beating all the way into her throat.

  “So don’t stop.”

  The rumble in his chest grew louder as Quintus dipped his head and captured her mouth with his. There was no gentleness like there had been the night before. This was raw, naked need coursing through them.

  His hands moved over her body as his mouth plundered her own. His tongue swept over the roof of her mouth and then twined with her own again.

  Allison let her fingers trail down his chiseled chest, reveling in the flatness of his hard stomach as she strolled through his abs.

  When she reached the thin line of hair that led down, she paused just above the band of his underwear.

  She’d never been the one to really instigate much in the bedroom before. But Quintus seemed to be an exception to all of her rules.

  His nimble fingers quickly unbuttoned her blouse. Allison placed her arms to her side and let it fall to the floor. Within s
econds, her bra joined the garment.

  She ached for him to touch her, to feel his rough hands scraping across her nipples.

  Instead he pulled her forward, pressing her soft breasts against his hard chest.

  The zipper to her skirt slipped down effortlessly, and she felt the cool air blow across her nearly naked form. Her heart thundered now, and her center fluttered.

  She moaned against his mouth as his hands roamed freely over her flesh, pressing against the sides of her breasts and then palming them in his hand.

  Allison felt herself grow slick with need as she moved her body against his. Her hips bucked against his, each time his solid length pressing not quite where she wanted him.

  Desperate for more, she pulled her mouth away from his and wrapped her arms around his neck as he palmed her ass around the skimpy thong she was wearing.

  “More,” she whispered as she placed soft open-mouthed kisses against his chest.

  Quintus grunted at her words and lifted her from the ground until she wrapped her legs around him.

  Free to rub herself against him, Allison pressed her wet hot pussy against the firm length she found.

  She rubbed hard against him, desperate to end the ache that had followed her the last few days.

  Passion swallowed any thought of restraint. She only cared about getting the pleasure her body so craved.

  He moved with her now, holding onto her ass as he helped her up against her.

  Allison needed more. She wanted to feel him slide deep inside her as she came, squeezing his hard dick.

  She reached down between them and pushed his pants hard down his legs. Liberated, his hard length sprang free.

  Quintus wanted Allison with everything in him. He’d been restraining the beast side of him before, but she’d set it free. He needed to show her how much he wanted her, and that she was his.

  He walked them over to the wall and leaned her back against it to help support her weight. He stared down between them and watched her hand move over his thick cock.

  Allison moved in time with her hand, her hips shifting up and down as she slid her hand in the same way. It was the most erotic thing he’d ever seen.