Shit. He whirled around and started through the woods, setting a grueling pace. It wasn’t their cave. There was no their anything. They were two strangers thrown together in a life-and-death situation, forced to depend on one another for survival.
In fact, it made perfect sense that she’d had sex with him. Since the beginning of time women had used sex to attract the strongest males, the ones who could protect them and their children.
And he didn’t believe a word he was saying. Neither did his bear. Kellsie wasn’t the type of woman who’d depend on a man for anything, which perversely made him want her to depend on him for everything. He should be thrilled she could stand on her own two feet, wasn’t whimpering or cowering behind him.
If the muttering and swearing he was hearing from behind him was any indication of her mood, Kellsie could probably defeat Hades single-handedly. The thought brought a smile to his lips. No doubt about it, Kellsie was one tough lady.
But she had a soft side too. One he’d been privileged to see firsthand. She was a generous lover, holding nothing back, giving herself freely, at least with him. Marko didn’t think she was that open with most men. Only the fact that she’d thought it was a dream at first had allowed her to lay down the shields she normally kept erected around her and allow him to see the real woman beneath.
He realized he could no longer hear her litany of complaints and spun around, cursing himself under his breath. He knew she couldn’t keep up with him—she didn’t have his preternatural night vision or his speed—but that hadn’t stopped her from trying.
He sniffed the air and caught her scent. Then the low sound of her muttering reached him. His claws were extended and the lower half of his jaw was contorted, teeth bared, sharp and deadly, ready to rip to shreds any threat to Kellsie.
He forced himself to relax as he headed back up the trail. She was about fifty feet behind him. He’d been moving way too fast for a human to keep up.
She was sitting on a log and her right shoe was off. She didn’t even glance his way as she dumped the rocks from her shoe and shoved it back on her foot. He waited as she laced her footwear and climbed to her feet. Her hair was plastered to her skull. She was sweating and shivering.
Again, he cursed himself under his breath. She wasn’t immortal, but human. The cold didn’t affect him but it did have a huge impact on her. At this rate she’d be too sick to fend off any attack. “You need to get warm.”
She gave him a look that would have withered a lesser man. But Marko was impervious. All he cared about was making certain she was all right. He closed his eyes and concentrated. He’d manifested his pants, boots and a sword, so why not more? Maybe it was time to try his powers again.
He’d had a cloak. One lined with the pelt of one of his brethren. The ancient creature had lived more than eight thousand years ago and Marko had watched him raise a family and die in its defense. He’d taken the beast’s pelt to remind him of the fierce strength that his brother had used to protect his mate and cubs. They had lived and Marko had watched over them and their line until he’d been imprisoned. He couldn’t manifest it earlier, but maybe now he could.
Softness, rich and thick, filled his hands. He heard Kellsie gasp and he opened his eyes. The long cloak was draped across his extended hands. Kellsie was standing now, her eyes wide and her lips parted. He walked toward her and went down on one knee before her. “For you. To keep you warm.”
She reached out her hand and tentatively touched the fur lining. She looked at him and back at the cloak, burying her fingers in the fur. “It’s incredible.”
He came to his feet and shook out the cloak. It was short on him, which meant it would come to her ankles. Marko wrapped it around her shoulders.
“How?”
“My powers are coming back a bit at a time. I’m still not at full strength and don’t know if I will be in time to fight Hades. I could not manifest this earlier, but I am glad I can now.” He fastened the simple tie at her neck, wishing he had a fancy silver and gemstone broach to close it with.
“Thank you.” Her heartfelt gratitude filled him with pride. She’d needed and he’d provided. His bear approved.
As much as he wanted to bask in the warmth of her appreciation, it was time to leave. “Come. We must move fast.” He held out his hand and she took it. He told himself it was because he didn’t want her to fall behind again. He couldn’t afford to lose her. The closer they got to the carnival the greater the danger became.
It had nothing to do with the fact he wanted to touch her, to feel her small hand tucked firmly into his much larger one. He tightened his hold on her and began to move at a much slower pace through the thick forest.
The lights of the carnival flickered in the distance. Kellsie had no idea how long they’d been walking but it had to be hours. They’d stopped twice for her to have a short rest and once at a small, trickling stream so they could drink. The sky was growing lighter so she knew it had to be close to dawn. She was exhausted and her feet hurt. It had been one heck of a long night.
Somewhere between leaving the cave and now she’d come to grips with the fact this was real. Marko, Hades, the curse. All of it. So she had to deal with the facts.
One, this wasn’t really a movie set. Two, she probably wasn’t going to live to spend that lovely money that had already been put in her bank account. Three, Marko really was a shapeshifter and could morph into a bear, which was kind of cool, but scary too. If he had strange powers then Hades’ demons probably did too. And that brought her to point number four. Hades was real. She knew deep in her soul that he’d been the voice in her dream, the one that had scared her half to death. Which only made sense considering who he was.
But that begged the question, who did the female voice belong to? She didn’t want to think about some woman being trapped in Hell. Kellsie shivered and pulled the cloak tighter around her.
And that was another thing. The way Marko had conjured the cloak out of thin air was astonishing. She only wished his powers had allowed him to bring the thing out when they’d been in the cave. It would have made things much more comfortable. But she understood that his powers were coming back a bit at a time. She was grateful to be wearing the cloak now. Rubbing her hand over the plush fur, she imagined how it would feel sliding over her naked flesh while Marko made love to her.
No, she sternly reminded herself. They had not made love. They’d had sex. There was no way they could be in love. They’d just met. She didn’t really know anything about him other than the fact that he was loyal to his friends and was a god when it came to sex. Both great things, but certainly not enough to base a relationship on.
She had to fight this growing connection she felt toward him. It was nothing more than proximity and the dangerous situation they were facing. It was heightening her emotions and making every reaction more extreme than it would be under ordinary circumstances.
It had nothing to do with the fact that she’d dreamed of him before she met him. Nor that she felt as though he belonged to her in some strange fashion since she was the one to release him from his captivity. It didn’t have anything to do with her deep connection to the bear, which happened to be his animal form. She touched the pendant at her neck to make sure it was safe and snuggled the fur cloak around her. And it certainly had nothing to do with how she felt when they’d made lo—had sex, she reminded herself yet again.
Hot, sweaty sex that had culminated in the most mind-blowing orgasm she’d ever had. Marko was the perfect male specimen. And why not? He was an immortal warrior after all. His body was a honed weapon, strong and sure. He was massive and muscular, but would that be enough to defeat Hades? According to the legend it hadn’t been enough the last time.