Chapter 6

His heat surrounded me, joining with my own. I wanted…needed…him to get closer. I wanted to open my legs and have him give himself to me, to fill me. Digging my nails into his back from pleasure, I could feel his muscles rigid with passion, and failing control.

Then it ended as soon as it had begun, a small but audible cry came from my throat. Our pleasure—our connection, was once again severed.

He slowly rose from me, a wild look in his eyes. "Emma, one day there will be no interruptions, and I will have you." He sensuously promised. I was still lying on the bed, the heat from our passion growing cold, sighing I stood, albeit on shaking legs.

Returning my clothes to their proper place, I moved to the front of the tent where Jeb was now waiting, watching me move. He pulled one flap of the tent open but stopped before we could step outside, "Emma, I'm sorry for moving quickly. I know we just met, but you make my control slip so fast, I don't think I have the power to stop it." He didn't even look at me when he spoke.

Touched by his words, yet hurt because he chose not to look at me, I made a low sound that could've been an agreement, or anger for having our moment ruined. I wasn't one to move fast either but damn, when it felt as good as it had, I threw caution to the wind.

Together we stepped from the protection of the tent, making our way to where we would most definitely be bombarded with talks that both took our strength and our patience. Eyes bore into us, and I instinctively moved closer to him, his arms wrapped around my waist, as if to shield me from judgment.

Once we had reached the tent, I realized that it was silent. No one was talking. Jeb opened the flap, motioning for me to enter before him. The sight that was laid out before us was, well…unusual. Jeb however immediately walked towards the man with the zipper in his head, his face told me that this wasn't his first time doing this.

A man was strapped in a chair, his hands were restrained, and he had cuts on his face from the fight. I remained behind Jeb as I watched as the hairy man had a hand on the prisoner. His face was twisting as if he were searching for something. The man's face showed no signs of panic.

"Azkadelia shield his mind, Raw cannot see."

Stepping away from the man, he stood next to the zipper-head, his gaze turning back to the man being questioned. Stepping closer to Jeb, I whispered into his ear, "Who's this guy?"

"His name's Zero, he's the man that killed my mother." Was all he said, his eyes never moving from the man.

After awhile, Jeb moved from me, taking my protection away with him. Without realizing it I moved closer to the guy with the zipper, hiding myself from view once more.

"I'll make this easier for you, if you tell us everything you know about the machine." Jeb told Zero, getting in his face, so he had nothing to look at but Jeb. Zero gave a small smile before spitting into Jeb's face.

I made a face; thankfully there was little light in the tent so no one could see my disgust. I looked to Mr. Cain, noticing he was waiting for Jeb's next move. Standing and wiping the spit from his face, Jeb looked behind Zero, and to his men, telling them to "Bring it in," whatever "it" was.

I've seen Jeb fight, I've seen him get angry, but there was no anger in him, his calm exterior made me shiver. Laughing Zero began to look around him, trying to see what they were bringing into the tent. "What do you got there?" he asked, still smiling. He stopped, his face becoming frightened when he saw that Jeb had no emotion on his face.

He began to laugh again, trying to cover his failing courage, his tough façade was slowly falling though. Jeb walked towards whatever the men brought in, messing with what was on the tray. Everyone was looking at him questioningly, wondering what was causing that clinking sound. Zero began to get scared, and I couldn't help but smile as I watched him muttering his questions. "What is that…what do you got there?" He kept moving, stretching his neck to see what Jeb had, his movements were useless. Jeb had his hands behind his back, "Hold his fingers," he ordered his voice calm and collected.

This side of him was definitely scary.

Zero continued to squirm as the men pushed him forward and unclenched his hands. He begged for them to wait, his cries becoming higher pitched in his panic. "Not the fingers, not the fingers!" He was resisting with everything he had. It was useless though, the position he was in gave Jeb the advantage.

I jumped when I heard Jeb yell for the man to shut up, I looked wide-eyed at him. I couldn't believe what was happening. There was no way he would hurt this man before he got answers out of him right?

"I'll talk!" Zero shouted. "No, it's too late," Jeb yelled back, moving whatever was in his hands closer.

"Stop! I'll talk!" The man was near tears at this point. I knew it was wrong, but I still couldn't help smiling knowing that this man was finally feeling what he did to all of those people. Justice never sounded so good. Jeb yelled to him again, telling him that it was too late for him to talk, when his father told him to stop and let him. Turning to the man, he ordered for him to talk.

Zero sang like a little bird, he told them everything they needed to know.

"The machine forms an intense beam of light." Zero said quickly.

"Why?" Asked the man next to me. Everyone looking at him.

Jeb caught my eyes, and he had no emotion on it, I couldn't help but shudder.

"It forces the power of the emerald on the double eclipse. Locks the two suns behind the moon." He explained. "It'll bring darkness to the OZ forever." He added.

'Damn thing's the Anti-Sun Seeder," Glitch said looking around the room as if he was recovering information that he forgot he knew. "Sun-Seeder?" Jeb said questioningly.

"Its a little doo-hickey I designed to slow the suns and extend the growing season." Zipper guy explained, a sad smile growing on his face.

"How do we shut it down?" Jeb asked loudly to the man who still had a panicked look on his face.

"Ask him." He looked next to me, smiling, like he was tattling on him.

"Well it sounds like what she's using it for is an entirely different barrel of monkey bats. I don't know how her machine works."

"Part of you does. Ambrose." So that's what his name is? It didn't seem to fit him.

"Ambrose?" Jeb asked, surprise evident in his voice. "Jeb?" Mr. Cain said his name, urging him to explain why he was surprised.

"Our spies found out that Ambrose is a code for the brain that runs the machine." He looked to…Ambrose. Wondering what this man had to do with the machine. I stared next to me at Ambrose, hoping he would explain, because even though I learned some of what was going on, I had no idea that a man could have his brains removed and still live.

"My marbles are in the tower?" He sounded relieved and happy at the same time. This was a weird man.

Zero nodded slowly, Wyatt asked him where the brain was, and he quickly answered, remembering that he was about to be tortured, and feared whatever Jeb was holding. After he had told them where they were, he began to stammer and beg for Jeb to put what he had away. Panic and fear was again painted on his face.

Jeb scoffed, holding up two spoons and clanking them together softly, "Glad to." Was all he said. I laughed a bit at his cleverness. Feeling a bit foolish for thinking he would torture him before getting answers out of him.

The look on Zero's face was enough to know that he felt like a dumbass for getting so scared over nothing. He lowered his head in defeat, and shame. Jeb left to go set the spoons back down and I swear the look on his father's face was both amazed and proud. If I had a son who was clever enough to scare a man with only a couple of spoons, I would be proud too.

Everyone's gaze followed Jeb to see what he would do next to the man who had been broken. He picked up a sword, turned to the man, and the sound of the sword being torn from its cover filled the tent. Walking over to Zero, he positioned the blade at his neck, moving it slightly so he could feel what was to come.

A look of pain was soon covered by that of satisfaction, when he watched the man tremble. His father had a look of disbelief though and he questioned what his son was doing, "Jeb, what are you doing?"

"Job's not done yet." He replied, his voice sounding like it was obvious what had to happen next, he looked at his father, his eyes conveying the same message his voice had. "Now I can finally finish this." He moved the sword slowly against Zero's throat, teasing him.

Taking a step towards him, my arm outstretched as if to stop him from doing something he shouldn't, I stopped when his father reached him before I did, and pulled him away from the man. "Not like this, put it away." He said pushing his son.

The look of disbelief was now plastered over Jeb's features. "This is the man that killed mother. He destroyed your life and mine, and you want to let him live?" He was near yelling at this point, and my heart broke. What this man did was terrible, but killing him would be doing a service to him. "He deserves to die," his father started, Jeb chiming in to agree, before his father continued, "I won't deny that."

"Then what?" Jeb asked, his anger rising. I shivered at how harsh his voice was. Pure anger, flowed through him, and out of the corner of my eye I could see Raw flinch.

"Killing him won't bring back your mother; it won't honor her memory either." The tent grew silent, as we all looked on with sympathy. This moment would be burned into our memories, as the time a father and a son, hurt over a loved one's death, argued with each other over how to revenge her death. Their opinions were different, but their love for the dead woman was equal.

Jeb said nothing as he looked into his father's eyes, letting the words sink in. He swallowed and started to walk away, plunging the sword into the ground, and exited the tent, anger and sadness pouring out of every movement he made.

It was later in the day, and I couldn't shake Jeb's face from my head. The sadness and the pain. He wanted revenge and had been so close, and now he might never get the full satisfaction. I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I hadn't seen Ambrose sit next to me.

"Hey doll, you look like you're deep in thought." He said smiling pleasantly. "I was just thinking about what happened this morning." I cringed at the thought, and Ambrose moved closer trying to make me feel better. "Listen, the OZ has been troubled for awhile, it gets tough, and tougher with every passing day. Jeb lost so much growing up."

I looked into the forest, "It's a shame, and Jeb had to grow up in a world that was bent on ruining him. He barely had a mother to love him, and he thought his father was dead." Taking a deep breath to control my emotions I put on a cheerful disposition, and looked up at the man sitting by my side.

"Emma willows." I extended my hand in greeting. Ambrose took it, "Glitch."

I cocked my head to the side, confused. "I thought your name was Ambrose?"

"Oh, it was, before the witch took my marbles."

I sat in astonished silence as Glitch, explained his story. He thoroughly explained the time he was the Queens advisor, to having his brain taken out of his head and released into the wild, meeting Raw and Mr. Cain. He told me what he knew about them. I was interested until he brought up DG.

I gasped, "You've seen DG!"

"Yeah we kind of met in an odd way, but she was nice enough to help me down, and boy am I glad, those ankle-biters were starting to get on my nerves. What's left of them anyway." He repeated the last sentence a couple of times, but I wasn't listening to him anymore. DG was alive? Why didn't they tell me sooner?

"Where is she!" I yelled. People were staring at me now, but I could care less, I've grown to their prying eyes and my patience was wearing thin. "Tell me where she is!"

Glitch had a worried look on his face now and he stood, backing away from me, his hands up in a surrendering motion.

"Emma, sit down." I snapped my head to the left and saw Jeb's father looking at me sympathetically.

"Not until you tell me where she is!" I walked to him, intent on hurting him to get him to answer.

"Emma please, you'll find out just calm down and sit. You are accomplishing nothing by getting angry." He whispered. Raw walked up to us and cautiously put his hand on my shoulder, instantly I felt a calm wash over me and my eyes droop with relaxation.

"Emma sad, cousin lost, family gone." The glint of tears was present on his face, gently he released me. When he did, I was thrust back into the world, not risking getting worked up again, I turned on my heels and stalked back to the log and sat, a pout forming on my face.

Sighing, Mr. Cain followed and sat next to me. Raw, and Glitch also sat down, intent on helping me understand what was going on. It took awhile for them to tell me the story. Hearing Glitch's story was interesting, this one was scary. DG…was a witch? I shouldn't be surprised, I too had powers but I didn't bother telling them at the moment. My body was motionless, even cold. I held no emotion on my face. Her parents, my aunt and uncle, were fake; and DG's real parents were the Queen and Consort of the OZ? Was I really even her cousin?

"Emma, are you alright doll?" I faintly heard Glitch, he laid a reassuring hand on my shoulder, and I shrugged it off. "Excuse me." I ran off into the forest, not knowing where I was going anymore. Tripping, I fell to the ground, out of breath. Tears were running down my face, jealousy tore at my heart, and my heart was breaking. DG would save the OZ and live with her family. What would happen to me?

A voice deep inside me answered grimly, you will be forgotten, just a pigment of their tortured imagination. No one loves you.

I lost my parents, and not only does DG have hers from Kansas but she has real parents from the OZ. Why did she get to have her parents, when I had none? It wasn't fair, but then again, what was?

I lay on the ground, letting the air dry my tears, and watched the sky. My breathing slowed, and relaxed. The last pangs of anger fleeing from me, as sleep took its place.

I found her lying on the ground, her hair sprawled around her head like a cinnamon halo. I stood and stared at the image, my heart going out to her. She had been through so much, we all have, and it was finally taking its toll on her. Of course she would be hurt, I got my family back, DG did too, and yet she was left without hers. That was only the bottom of her pain. She thought she had lost her family again when she lost DG, now she got her back and finds out that she may never see her again when she faces the witch.

Sighing, I moved closer, and kneeled down to her. I brushed my fingers over her lips and my heart danced at the small sigh she gave at my touch. So beautiful…. Finding her that day, was a gift from God. Falling in love with her was a gift from fate. Her strength astounded me, her courage was breath-taking, and her love was—abundant. She was a warrior in every sense of the word. My small warrior, with a big heart.

I lowered my head until my lips barely touched hers, her lips were parted and I could feel her warm breath flow from them. With a softness I never knew I had in me, I kissed those lips that earlier were tight with anger and pain. Relishing in the feel of them upon my own, I didn't notice her hand reach up and tangle in my hair, pushing my kiss deeper. I didn't break the kiss, I would rather have died then end it. I could hear her groan into the kiss, as one rose from deep within me too.

She pushed back, breaking the kiss, searching my eyes. She didn't say anything, just looked, her brilliant green eyes reflecting the moon that was shining down on us. If I wasn't so hungry for her, I would have looked forever. I lowered my head once more, this time to her throat, taking my time to taste every part of it, before raising my lips to her waiting mouth. I tasted, in obvious pleasure, and it brought my senses to life. As the tip of her tongue found mine, we deepened the kiss.

I could smell the scent of her arousal, I could feel the intensity of my need for her, pushing to bury into her. My hunger was powerful and I could barely contain it. Her hands explored me, starting at my shoulders, clawing at me as I continued to taste her neck and her collarbone. She tasted like the sea—salty, wild, and mysterious. My control shattered, as she lowered her hands to my hips, and then to my erect male flesh.

Letting out a low guttural cry, my hips thrust forward instinctively, searching for her warmth. I could feel her shiver repeatedly beneath me, her hunger grew, and was nearly parallel to my own. Her name escaped my lips, and I began to undress her, quickly clawing at the fabric. I pulled her shirt over her head as she went for mine. Next I unbuttoned her pants, slowly dragging them down to her ankles. She was just in a pair of lacy briefs now, a sheen of sweat covering her, glistening off of her skin in the moonlight. Stopping, I removed the rest of my clothing, next time I would have to let her do it, just so I could feel her hands roam over my body.

Looking down at her I noticed the fast rise and fall of her breasts. I traced the outline of them, watching her nipples tighten in pleasure, at my touch. I smiled, she was watching my every movement, softly moaning my name. I began to circle her nipples with my tongue, "Jeb?" she whispered, I made a rumbling sound, loving the way my name came from her mouth as I brought her waves of pleasure. A ragged sound came from her, as I moved to her other breast, intent on torturing her slowly. I let out a husky male laugh, and eased away from her breasts long enough to look into her eyes one more time before trailing wet, warm kisses down her stomach.

As I neared her warmth I could feel her arch her back, she was tense as she waited for me. Her breaths came out in gasps, and I bit her inner thigh lightly, leaving a mark of territory more than anything. She was mine, I wanted to be the only man to bring her this pleasure. She called my name in what was meant to be a question but was cut off in a cry when I licked my way closer to her feminine secrets waiting for me.

"Yes, my small warrior?" I understood her silent question,

"Please, be inside of me." Her breath caught when I parted her legs. She was giving me what I wanted without question. Prolonging my torture, I raised myself, grabbing her hair , I pulled her head back gently, leaving her neck vulnerable and I began to nibble, whispering her name at times. "Emma, tell me again, I need to hear you say it." I ordered her.

"Jeb, I need you, all of you," was all she could say, before I plunged deep into her secrets.

I heard myself moan out in ecstasy, as he entered me. My world was spinning and everything was flooding my senses. He was gripping my hips allowing him to go deeper into my warmth. I lifted my legs around him making it easier for him. His own warmth was spreading through me as we moved together, a dance that I would never forget. His heat and his hunger stripped everything I knew away, I grabbed at his shoulders; he was the only thing I knew to be real at this moment.

"Jeb?" His name rose from me in a question, then again in pure, sinful pleasure, as it seared through me, "Jeb!" I screamed. I was tense and could feel myself rising with the climax, I dug my nails into him, my rush was powerful, and he was holding me tightly as his was also reaching its breaking point.

Together, we felt our release.

When the last shivers of pleasure ran through me, he shifted as if he were going to remove himself. I held onto him, as tightly as I could. "Jeb, wait." He smiled down at me his eyes sleepy from our passion, "Emma, we have to go back to the camp." He told me, his smiling growing.

"Why?" I whined, not wanting to ruin this moment. "So we can do it again, except this time, we won't get dirt all over us." He was laughing at this point and he kissed me passionately.