Blood of the Maple

Chapter Twelve

Amara followed Parker through the magical veil that usually guarded the grove. Terri would be aware of her presence, but there was no help for it. Amara wouldn’t be able to sense anything behind that veil without help. Greer and Ash would come as quickly as they could; here in the Throne they’d have far more power than Amara could begin to imagine.

Until they arrived, Amara and Parker were on their own.

“Parker,” a bubbling voice tried to croon. Amara grimaced. That…shambling, scabrous thing couldn’t be Terri, could it? It looked female, but all Amara could feel was rot.

Parker blinked. “Hello, sweet.”

Amara gritted her teeth. How dare he call that bitch sweet?

“Where’s Mina?”

Terri paused. “Mina?”

“Oak, Terri. Where’s Oak?”

Terri shrugged. “Her? Where she belongs, of course. In her tree.”

Amara darted a glance at the huge oak that dominated the grove and gasped. Mina hung spread-eagle from the branches of her oak. Her head was down, her limbs trembling with effort. Her feet brushed the top of the carved-stone throne that sat high on its roots. Lesser thrones sat before the Oaken Throne, one each for Greer, Ash and Iva.

Something writhed against Mina’s skin, and she wheezed. Amara bit back a horrified gasp when that something burrowed under Mina’s skin, twisting inside her like a giant parasite. The pain had to be excruciating. Blood trickled down her skin where the vines and thorns kept her pinned to her tree like a bug.

Mina’s gaze was dull and bloodshot. Crimson dotted her lips. She coughed once and winced. “’Bout time you got here, Amara.” Her voice was husky with fatigue and pain.

“We were delayed.” Amara stepped forward, knowing Terri would get a good, long look at her. “Hey, bitch. Did you know that’s my man you’re messing with?”

“He’s mine!” Terri shrieked. Weeds sprung up around Amara, trying to block her in. “I will kill you.”

“And my dog too?” Amara pushed at the weeds, startled at their strength. Fuck. Had Terri managed to gain control here? If she had, their chances of survival had dropped to nil.

Parker snorted. Apparently he was no longer under the witch’s control. “Really, Terri. Bad form. Let the women go, and we’ll have a nice chat, hmm?”

“Come here, Parker.” Terri wiggled her fingers in a come-hither gesture that was beyond obscene. Her stench invaded the grove, a poisonous perfume that dulled the senses.

“I don’t think so.” Parker took a step back, toward Amara.

Mina’s back arched. Her head flew back. She screamed, the sound full of petrified agony.

“I don’t think you understand. Come here, Parker.” Terri pointed toward the ground in front of her as Mina screamed and screamed. “Take your time. I can wait.”

A low growl came from him, but he put one foot in front of the other and stopped where Terri had pointed. Mina’s screaming dissolved into sobs.

Whatever Terri had done to Oak was bad, possibly fatal. Mina’s skin had taken on an ashen tone, and she shuddered with each labored breath she took. Amara hoped the witchdoctor would be able to fix Mina, or all hell would break loose. When Dragos saw Mina’s wounds, he would go ape-shit.

“Do you want them to suffer even more?” A parody of a smile crossed Terri’s lips and Mina groaned. “Feed from me, Parker. Feed from me, and the others may go free.”

“Even Amara?”

She drew in a sharp breath. He couldn’t possibly be thinking about drinking the swill running through Terri’s veins.

If he did, there wasn’t enough mouthwash in the world to get that taste out of his mouth.

“Even Amara. She won’t matter to you once the spell is complete. Our suffering will be over, Parker. We will be together forever.”

Parker leaned back and took a deep breath. “And Mina will be set down, unharmed?”

“I can’t promise she won’t be damaged. My friends can be enthusiastic when I give them a task.”

Amara shuddered, remembering the wicked weed that had tried to tunnel inside Parker. Amara rooted her feet into the earth, drew back her hand and slammed it into the weed with all her strength.

The weed bent.

Parker leaned back and took another breath so he could speak again. He was trying not to breathe in Terri’s overwhelming stench. “And what task did you give them?”

She drew back her hand and hit the weed.

There was the faintest cracking sound.

“I needed the forest pliant. This was the fastest way.” Terri ran her hands down Parker’s chest, and he trembled. “I have to admit, I’m enjoying the taste of power. It’s so deep and rich and dark. The things I could do with it are endless.”

Shit. Terri had tapped into Oak’s control over the forest. Amara drew her hand back a third time and gave the weed one more whack.

It broke. Amara was free.

“I don’t think so.”

Another weed sprang up where the broken one lay, covering it, making the base stronger than the first had been. She watched the new weed sink into the old, sucking it dry of what life was left in a matter of seconds.

“You didn’t think I’d give up that easily, did you?”

Amara looked up to find herself eye to eye with the witch. “Hello. You must be Terri.”

What remained of Terri’s eyebrows crookedly rose. “And you are?”

Amara reached deep into the earth, smiling at the response she got from the forest. The cavalry was on its way. “Let me think. You’re the bat-shit crazy bad guy.” Amara’s smile turned evil. “Guess that makes me the hero.”

Up from the earth sprang a huge rocklike formation that batted down the weeds like bugs and knocked both Terri and Amara off their feet.

Terri jumped to her feet faster than Amara. “How?”

Amara rose and punched the woman right in the nose, sending her sailing across the Throne. “It’s good to have friends.”

Terri howled, and her weeds answered, lifting from the ground and writhing around, but the ground rebelled against the invader. It heaved and moved in a quake that would have destroyed a lesser place.

The mountain did not like having Terri there and was showing her the best way it could, with a little help from Rock. The huge park ranger strode into view, batting weeds aside with massive fists. He’d called on the powers of his element, armoring himself against the thorns that tried to rip into his flesh. The deep, grating sound of stone grinding against stone accompanied him as he stomped across the Throne, decimating everything in his path. Almost half the wolf pack fought at his side, their claws and teeth ripping and tearing with deadly accuracy, their alpha at the front of the battle.

Rock and the wolves entered the fray, and leaving Amara free to concentrate her efforts on Terri. She took a brief moment to wonder where the rest of the wolves had disappeared to, but the mountain took her attention. She could barely stay on her feet.

Terri did her best to evade the flying debris the battle between the mountain and the weeds was throwing up, but both Amara and Terri found themselves pelted. Amara ignored the stinging bite of the rocks, her barklike skin absorbing the blows with ease. Terri, on the other hand, sprayed bits and pieces of herself all over the place, chunks falling off with each hit. She screeched with wrath, dancing around like a lunatic, trying to evade the rocks.

She completely missed seeing the hamadryad haymaker that once again sent her skidding across the Throne.

Terri hopped back to her feet with remarkable speed and flung out her hand, screaming in a strange language. A thin green light surrounded her hand; the witch was casting some sort of spell. Amara braced for whatever Terri was preparing to throw at her. From the hatred in Terri’s voice, she’d bet it was supposed to be lethal.

Arms circled Terri from behind. “Now, pretty, we wouldn’t want to do that, would we?”

Terri grasped Parker’s arm and jerked. “Get off!”

“That wasn’t what you were saying that night in the desert,” Parker cooed. “Don’t you remember how sweet it was?”

Terri stopped struggling. Her head tilted to the side, her eyes closed to half-mast. Her breaths came in short pants. Around her, the erupting earth died down as the forest itself seemed to listen to Parker’s crooned words. “I remember. I remember the night, the sound of the cicadas.”

“The strum of the guitar in the distance. You danced so beautifully.” Parker’s hand drifted down Terri’s mold-covered stomach to brush the dandelion growing beside her navel. “You were like a living flame. Remember? Remember how it was?”

Terri moaned, going lax in Parker’s arms. “I remember.”

“Do you remember the crackle of the wood as it burned in the bonfire? The sparks dancing from it, lighting the sky? The way the firelight danced across your skin, warming it, teasing it?” He swayed, taking Terri with him, dancing to a beat only the two of them could hear.

Amara was going to kick his ass when this was all over.

Parker wasn’t looking down at Terri anymore. He was looking beyond Amara, toward the wood. He nodded once and placed a soft kiss on the side of Terri’s neck. “Do you remember what it felt like to burn with passion?”

Terri shuddered. “Please, Parker.”

“Do you?”

“Yes! Please!” Terri’s head fell back against his shoulder. “Please love me.”

Parker’s eyes closed for a brief moment. When he opened them, they’d turned red. Hunting eyes. “No.”

His claws ripped through Terri’s stomach before he spun away, out of her reach. Terri bent over, gasping, stunned at the betrayal. “Parker!”

Mollie, fire sparkling along her skin, her hair a rippling sheet of flame, stepped next to Amara. She raised her hands, palms out, toward Terri. “Burn.”

The blast of heat knocked Amara back a step. It damn near scorched her. Terri shrieked, the flames engulfing her body, the weeds catching fire faster than Amara would have expected. Mollie kept the flame going, roasting the witch with her inner fire. She followed Terri around the Throne, careful to keep the fire from touching anything else within the grove other than the bits and pieces that had fallen off the witch in the rock blasts. What few sparks did land on the native greenery around the great Oak, Mollie swiftly reabsorbed, much to Amara’s shock. Fire was the hardest element to control, but Mollie appeared to be a master.

Terri was reduced to a smoldering pile, but Mollie kept the flame going. Across the funeral pyre from Mollie Selena chanted, cleansing the soul of the fallen witch even as Mollie’s fire cleansed the body. Soon nothing was left but a pile of ash. The markings on Selena’s face faded, Mollie’s fire slowly died and quiet once more entered the grove.

“You two okay?”

Selena snorted. “We weren’t the ones going toe-to-toe with her. Are you okay?”

Amara nodded, staring at the pile of ash, stunned it was finally over. “Ding-dong, the witch is dead.”

Selena sighed. “She was dead the moment her curse hit her. That wasn’t Terri—that was more of a construct, with the drive the curse gave her and a body that would never die. She would have chased Parker through eternity until he gave up, found his true sotiei and killed her, or something caused his death. Once Parker died, the curse would have released her body or, more likely, found someone new to focus on. The only thing I did was try to ensure she can’t get back up again.”

“Wow.” She couldn’t begin to imagine what Terri would have been like in a couple more centuries. Would she have had even the basic appearance of a human, or would she have been a shambling mass, unable to communicate but hell-bent on claiming her vampire? “Wait. She could get back up? Like a fucking phoenix?”

Mollie groaned and settled on the ground. “Thank the Goddess. I wasn’t happy about killing a person, no matter how badly they needed it. A thing, on the other hand? That I have no problems with.”

Selena sat next to the fire elemental and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Terri was long gone. I’m certain the spell she was trying to cast wouldn’t have worked. It requires a soul to do magic, and hers had long ago vacated the premises. I cleared out the curse, but that’s all I had to do.” She smiled up at Parker. “Any desire for vegetable juice now comes from the fact that your sotiei is a hamadryad. You’re clear.”

Parker smiled back. “Good to know. And thanks, Selena. Mollie.”

“You’re welcome.” Selena nudged Mollie.

Mollie grimaced and muttered, “No problem.”

Dragos landed in front of the women. “Are you all right, ladies?” His eyes glowed red, and his accent was suspiciously thick, but otherwise he seemed to have himself under perfect control.

Selena and Mollie nodded. “Check on Mina.”

He stared at the Oak, and his body went rigid. No matter the language, a curse was recognizable, and Dragos was letting them fly as he viewed what had been done to his sotiei. From the shocked look on Selena’s face, she knew exactly what Dragos was saying.

Dragos flew to the Oak and began freeing an unconscious Mina from her bindings. Odds were good the queen of the wood would find herself in Dragos’s bed before the night was over.

“She had one of Terri’s burrowing weeds inside her. It was how Terri was so much stronger here. She used that connection to siphon off Mina’s powers and torture her at the same time.”

“Ouch. I’d better take a look before Dragos drags her off.” Selena struggled to her feet, jumping when Ash suddenly appeared before her. He grabbed her arm and helped her to her feet. “I’m fine, Mr. Ward. I’ve been hauling my ass off the ground all by myself for years.”

Ash didn’t reply. He kept hold of Selena’s arm and escorted her to Dragos and Mina, his expression grim. It didn’t take long for the witchdoctor to pronounce Mina healed, but when she was done, a fine sheen of sweat dotted her forehead and her hands were shaking. Dragos lifted the unconscious Mina into his arms and flew off before anyone could protest.

Amara studied the pile of ash closely. “You said she might come back. Are you sure?”

Selena shrugged wearily. “Who knows? But to be certain she doesn’t, I’d scatter those ashes as far and wide as possible. Either that or dump them in the deepest ocean in a sealed container that won’t rot.”

“A very tiny container.” Parker held his finger and thumb barely a millimeter apart. “Lots of tiny, sealed, nonrotting containers.”

“So we have a shopping trip in our future? Great.” Greer plopped down next to Mollie. Mollie blinked at him, her eyes drooping. “Will Mina truly be all right?”

Selena stroked Greer’s arm, much to Ash’s annoyance. “Yes. Dragos will take care of her.”

“Where the fuck is Iva? Mina could have taken that bitch if only Iva were here!” Greer tugged on his hair and blew out an aggravated breath.

“Who’s Iva?”

Amara answered, “Iva Yamauchi. She’s Yew.”

“Ah. And she’s missing?”

“She’s been missing for almost six weeks now.”

“It’s why it took us so long to realize what Terri was up to. Without Iva, our powers are diminished.” Greer ran a hand through his pale hair. “I only wish I knew where the hell she is.” Greer jumped as Mollie crashed against his side. She’d passed out, her lips pale, her skin an alarming shade of gray. “Selena!”

“No. You’re too tired.” Ash tried to prevent Selena from helping Mollie, without much luck.

Greer looked up at Ash. “Please.”

Ash grimaced but loosened his hold on Selena. “I’m taking her straight home after this.”

Whose? Amara didn’t have the courage to ask.

Selena examined Mollie. “She’s exhausted, her flames low. Find a nice warm place for her to rest, like in front of a roaring fire, and she’ll be fine in no time.”

Greer lifted Mollie into his arms with ease. It was like she weighed nothing. “Thank you.” He nodded his thanks to Ash as well. “And thank you.”

“Like he has any say in who I help,” Selena grumbled. “I’m going home, people. It’s been swell, yet not.” Selena marched off toward the woods. “Where the hell did I park my broom?”

Ash shook his head, his lips curling in a smile. “Do me a favor, Amara? Get that dust contained. I have a witch to corral.” Ash took off after Selena at a jog. “Over here,” she heard him call out.

Parker looked at Amara. “It looks like it’s just the two of us, sweet.”

Amara glared back. “Yup. Just you, me and the charred remains of your ex-girlfriend. Sweet.”

Parker coughed. “I was trying to keep her from killing anyone.”

Amara shook her finger. “If you ever call anyone else sweet but me, you’ll have splinters in places people should never, ever get them except in freak lumberjack accidents. Got it?”

Parker’s eyes widened with alarm. “Got it.”

“Good.” She poked her toe into the pile of ash. “How the hell are we going to clean up this mess?”

“Those lovely little sandwich bags that zipper shut?”

Amara loved the fact that her mate didn’t fear her. It was so refreshing to joke with someone who didn’t think she was strange, even while covered in bark and standing three feet taller. She closed her eyes and shook her head. “And you happen to have some on you? Maybe in the pocket of your jeans?” Because they certainly weren’t in the pocket of hers. She’d have to be wearing some first.

He studied the ash and draped his arm across her shoulders. He leered at her. “Fancy a trip to Sav-A-Lot?”

Amara groaned and hid her eyes. He might wind up with those splinters after all.

They pulled up to the house, dirty, tired and exhausted. Amara looked ready to collapse, her eyes closed, her head resting on the back of the seat. Thankfully there hadn’t been much traffic on the way home; Amara had ripped through her clothes and was dressed once more in nothing but Parker’s shirt.

Parker found he couldn’t complain about that.

“We’re home, sweet.”

Amara’s eyes drifted open. Her lips curled. “And our passenger?”

Parker glanced in the backseat at the multiple jars of ash resting within a cardboard box. He’d done exactly what he’d said he would, flying to the Sav-A-Lot and cleaning out their jam and jelly jars. In the end Amara had been worried Terri would break free of simple sandwich bags, and he’d been forced to agree.

They’d have to come up with a more permanent solution, but for now he was certain this would do. He’d carry Terri into the house and ask Greg to keep an eye on her.

“So far so good. Let’s get inside, all three of us.”

Her smile turned wicked. “And then I think it’s time we took care of something, don’t you?”

His brows rose.

Amara slid out of the jeep, his shirt riding up until he could see the edge of her ass. Suddenly Parker was feeling hungry, and not for blood. “Sweet?”

“Hmm?”

He gulped at the sultry look she shot him. “Bloody hell.”

“Grab our unwanted guest and put her somewhere safe, then meet me in the backyard.”

The back… Oh. Oh. Parker whirled past Amara, Terri’s remains in his arms. He barely blinked at the half-naked Renfield lying on Amara’s couch. He put the box of jars on the coffee table.

“Wha?” Brian, heavy-lidded, an erection tenting his jeans, struggled to sit up.

“Watch her. I have a mate to claim.”

Parker dashed out before Brian or Greg could protest, but he made a mental note to let Amara know that now both their couches would require cleaning.

A vision of bending Amara over the arm of her couch drifted through his mind. Better yet, have Greg and Brian live in my house while I live in Amara’s. Then they could make love on their couch instead of his. Oh yeah. That could… Holy. Shit.

Parker stopped so abruptly he almost stumbled. Amara knelt naked at the base of her tree, her hands pressed against the trunk, her face lifted to the sky. Her knees were spread, her breasts and pussy marvelously displayed, dappled with moonlight through leaves. She looked so stunning, so ethereal, he was almost afraid to approach her.

A mysterious smile graced her lips as her eyes opened, the green glittering in the night. Parker took a step forward, drawn by her unearthly sensuality, once more stunned by the fact that he’d been so lucky to win Amara as his sotiei.

He took his clothes off, his gaze never leaving hers, until he stood naked before her.

“Come here.”

Her voice had that low, gravelly tone he’d come to associate with her hamadryad form. Her gaze drifted down to his cock, and she licked her lips. His cock twitched, eager to feel her wrapped around him in whatever way she wished.

He obeyed her command, stepping closer and closer until his cock nudged her lips open. She took him inside and looked up at him, her body still, her tongue teasing his slit.

It was only then that Parker realized her hands weren’t on the tree’s trunk; they were in it. She’d partially joined with her tree, binding herself with her will, allowing him to take the lead. It wasn’t submission that had her, kneeling for him that way. He understood that this was the dryad’s way of claiming him, making him hers the way he had made her his in that parking lot. He’d bet that when she was ready, she’d be able to move, sliding her hands through the trunk of her tree like he would glide through water.

He began a careful, steady rhythm, unwilling to harm his blood wife in any way. Without her hands, she couldn’t control his thrusts, so it was up to him to ensure he didn’t go too deep. This wasn’t about pain or submission or even the need to mate.

This was about love.

Amara moaned, the vibrations rocketing through his cock and dancing in his belly. “Take me, Amara. Make me yours.”

She went wild beneath him, bobbing her head up and down his length. The suction of her mouth had him rock hard in seconds. If he’d been human, he would have been sweating bullets and coming down her throat.

But he wasn’t human, and he had no intention of coming that easily. He would come only when he was buried balls-deep in her hot pussy, and only after he’d tasted her pleasure at least once.

He pulled her off his cock with no small amount of regret. Amara’s mouth was a work of art, and his cock was mighty unhappy with him for making it leave. “Stand up. Back against the trunk.”

She smirked and stood slowly, brushing her body against his wherever possible.

Parker didn’t waste any time. He took one of her nipples in his mouth and sucked, desperate to hear her moans and sighs. He wasn’t disappointed. It wasn’t long before she was writhing against the rough bark. He was tempted once again to see if he could make her come just by sucking on her nipples, but he was too eager for the taste of sweetness between her legs. He released her nipple with a pop and dropped to his knees. “My turn.”

He took hold of her thighs and spread them wide. When she was open and ready for him, he dived in, licking as much of her pussy as he could reach. He wanted to taste every part of her, stroke her with his tongue until she was begging him never to stop. Amara’s head landed against the tree with an audible thump as she ground her hips against his face. Above him, the leaves of Amara’s tree rustled. He wondered what, if anything, the tree was experiencing.

She was moaning, her back arched, her hair tangled in the bark. The sight of his dryad like this would be burned in his memory forever. When she quivered and came, he knew he’d be repeating this as often as she’d let him.

He lifted his mouth from her and smiled. “More?”

That gorgeous face was relaxed, but her body told a different story. Her nipples were pointed, begging for his mouth. Her hips rocked; she was eager to feel him inside her. “Mmm.”

“How many hands need to be in that tree?”

She lifted one out and curled it around his head. She drew him up for a long, lingering kiss. “Well?”

He smiled. “Wait here.”

Her jaw dropped. “Um. Parker?”

He walked away from her, his erection throbbing, to grab a bench he’d seen on his first trip through the garden. It was the perfect height for what he wanted. He’d lay his dryad down on it, one hand in that tree, one hand on him, and take her any way they wanted.

She took one look at the bench and grinned. “What happened to me spread-eagle, hands pressed against bark, while you took me from behind and fed from me?”

He put the bench near enough for her to reach the tree easily with either hand. It would be close. Odds were good one of them would have splinters by the time they were finished. But it would be worth it. “Next time.”

She didn’t deny there would be a next time. She eyed the bench. “Lie down.”

Well. He hadn’t anticipated that request. “I thought I’d have you lie down.” He ran his hands through her wet curls. His fingers dipped inside her pussy. “I’m not done tasting this yet.”

She shuddered.

“Lie down on the bench, Amara.”

Amara obeyed, her legs on either side of the bench, her hair falling around her. She looked like a goddess, all spread out for him, bathed in moonlight and shadow. He knelt, ready to worship her, pay homage to the beauty he’d treasure for the rest of his life.

The man’s tongue should have been registered as a lethal weapon, because he was going to kill her with it. He dipped it inside her, swirled around her clit, loved her pussy with long, strong strokes until she thought she’d scream. Or kill him. Scream and kill him unless he made her come. He was taking his time, doing his savoring thing that made her want to howl and take what she wanted.

He did that swirly thing with his tongue again, and Amara gasped, her body throbbing with need. She thrust her hips at him, hoping he’d take the hint, but he moved his tongue, darting inside her, fucking her endlessly while his thumb barely stroked over her aching clit.

She would stop him any second now. Drop his ass on the bench and see how he liked being teased and tormented. Then she might… Oh. Oh. “Right there, Parker.” She grabbed his head with her free hand and held him in place. Goddess, she was so close she was whirling. “Don’t stop. Please Goddess, don’t stop.”

“Never. I’ll never stop loving you.”

This time Parker took the hint, giving her what she needed, driving her over the edge until she had to bite her lip to keep from screaming his name.

Above her, her tree shivered, hard.

She smiled as she came down from the orgasm he’d tormented her into. Maybe torture isn’t so bad after all. “Do that again.”

His brows rose. “Are you sure? I’d rather not find myself dead, you know.” He ran his fingers along her pussy. “However, if you’re of a mind to throw me down on the bench and have your wicked way with me, far be it from me to object.”

While she really wanted him inside her, the thought of being licked to death by her vampire had its own merits.

“Oh shit.” He’d darted down for another taste. He lingered over her clit, bringing her body back to shuddering life. She grabbed on to his hair once more. “Parker. Please.”

His eyes bled slowly to red as her vampire began feasting on her once more. It was like he couldn’t get enough of her, and she loved every fucking minute of it.

It took even longer this time to come, but when she did, the bench moved with the force of her orgasm. She shook, shimmied and damn near ripped her lover’s hair out. If she hadn’t been connected to her tree, she would have been on the verge of passing out, it was so fucking good.

When she’d caught her breath, she realized Parker was still playing with her pussy. He kept the need alive, touching and stroking, making her eager for one final round.

No. It’s time.

Amara sat up, ignoring Parker’s pout. She smiled. “Move the bench.” She showed him how she wanted it, nodding when he had it right. “Now lie down, head toward the tree. It’s my turn.”

Parker did as he was told, lying on his back; his dark curls brushed the bark, mixing with it perfectly. Amara slid over him, both hands resting on the tree, sinking inside, making that connection that would bind them all together for eternity. “Come inside, Parker.”

Parker took hold of her hips and guided her until his cock slid inside her, hard and throbbing and all hers.

“Love you, Parker. Forever.”

“Forever, love.” He began to move, thrusting into her in staccato bursts that did nothing but tantalize.

“You’re in the mood to tease me, huh?” Amara swiveled her hips. She rocked over him, her breasts dangling inches from his mouth, and watched his fangs descend. “Want a taste?”

He licked his lips, his gaze on her nipples.

“Go ahead. Take what you want. Take me.”

He buried his face between her breasts and groaned. She felt the sharp sting of his teeth as he bit into the fleshy part of her breast, sinking into her body and soul. He fed from her there, near her heart, and the sensation was more than she could bear. She came on a throaty moan, her head back, her muscles clenching tight around him. He felt so good inside her, so right.

He licked the wound closed, and she knew he hadn’t gotten enough, that he wasn’t done with her yet. “I told Rock you wouldn’t be in for a few days.”

“Oh?” Amara clenched her muscles, smiling when Parker flinched, his rhythm momentarily broken. Thank you, Dr. Kegel. “I just went back to work.”

He toyed with her nipples and licked a drop of blood from his lip. “I don’t think you’ll want to go when you can barely walk.”

“Planning on draining me dry?”

He moved his hands to her ass and spread her cheeks wide. “I plan on filling you up.”

Oh?

One of his fingers toyed with her anus.

Oh. “No lube.”

“No problem.” Something flew through the air, and it was her turn to flinch. He held up the tube of lube. “Guess what else I got at the Sav-A-Lot besides vast quantities of canning jars?”

She couldn’t help it. She laughed. “I love a man who comes prepared.”

“How about a man who’s prepared to come?”

“Even better.”

“Do you trust me?”

She didn’t even hesitate. “Yes.”

He grinned, and the bottle snicked open. He was lubing up his fingers. “Keep fucking me, sweet.”

She began riding him again, the hot length of him gliding in and out of her. When she felt the press of his fingers in her ass, she opened up to him, letting him inside. She rode his cock and his fingers, feeling doubly full.

“Come down here, love.” Parker eyed her throat, and she knew it was time, knew they would finish it now. She doubted Parker had any clue what was going to happen next. She’d found the courage to ask one of the town’s bonded dryads what to do, and the woman had given her an earful.

Above her, leaves rustled, limbs quivered and her tree prepared itself for not one, but two souls.

She bent over him, offering her neck, her love, her life. He bit down, drinking deep of all she gave him, giving his back to her, filling her with his cock, his seed and a love that would never die.

The tree struck just as the orgasm ripped through them, using their joined bodies to take Parker in, make him theirs, sharing in their pleasure, their love. It was so intense Amara’s vision turned black.

They screamed as they came.

Parker lifted his head off the bench and wasn’t surprised to find Amara draped bonelessly over him. He felt the heartbeat of the tree behind him, slow and steady. “Fuck me.”

“Too late. Been there, done that, tore through the T-shirt.”

He snorted. She was barely awake, the words scarcely audible against his skin, but she managed to be a smart-ass. “What the bloody hell was that?”

“I told you we’d take you, make you ours.”

He flexed his ass, accidentally jostling her. “Do I have splinters?”

She sighed.

“You’ll have to check for me. I can’t picture myself in the bathroom, hand mirror at the ready, checking out my ass. I mean, I’m pretty, but I’m not that pretty.”

“Parker.”

“Well, I’ve never been fucked by a tree before.” He sniffed. “I didn’t think the splinters in strange places threat was meant literally.”

She giggled.

“And no way in hell am I asking Brian to check it out for me. He might get ideas. Then Greg might get ideas, and where would that leave you?”

She smacked his chest, hard.

“Ow.”

“Would you shut up and let me bask in the afterglow?”

Parker chuckled and closed his eyes. He ran his hands down her soft skin. Nothing, not even his lame jokes, could take her away from him. “Love you.”

“Love you too.” A kiss brushed his nipple.

Parker opened his eyes and smiled up into the branches of Amara’s tree. He felt the tree’s approval, knew it had shared in their love for each other. Strangely enough, he wasn’t freaked by this. Maybe if he’d met Amara before the curse, he would have been less open to the possibility. He’d never know, and he wouldn’t change a thing.

His gaze drifted over Amara’s—soon to be their—house. He scowled. “Shit.”

“What?”

“Brian and Greg.”

“What about them?”

“They broke out the popcorn.”

It took her a second to realize what he meant, but all of a sudden he found himself alone, naked under a tree, sans his warm and cuddly dryad. From inside the house, the sounds of screeching and thrown crockery told their own story. He hoped his Renfield survived Amara’s naked wrath.

He returned his gaze to the branches of the tree, letting the feeling return to his legs before he attempted to go back to the house. “So. Looks like it’s just you and me. You come here often?”

He felt the tree’s laughter, heard it in the creaking of its branches.

It was good to be home.