Disclaimer: I do not own the Fever Series, they belong to Karen Marie Moning.
Barrons stood outside the bookstore, scanning the abandoned street through the dense night that surrounded him. It was the day. Today that stupid fairy would come, and when he did, Barrons and his pack would be ready. Ready to do whatever it took.
A husky laugh picked up from where the 'dead zone' used to lay, "My, my well if it isn't the great Jericho Barrons." Cruce's figure came into view. His wings outstretched gloriously on his back. He looked around; spotting the team that welcomed him. "What a pity, did Mac choose to stay inside?"
"I'm afraid it's just going to be you and me." Jericho replied quietly.
"And what of your pack?" Cruce questioned as he motioned to Lor, Fade, Kasteo, Ryodan and the others behind Barrons.
"They're here to take on the back up that you brought along." Jericho motioned to the herds of unseelie standing behind Cruce.
"Oh, these fine soldiers came to help me get what is ours. And the Princess is in fact ours!" He yelled and several unseelie screamed in unison.
A figure came to a halting stop, "What the hell is going on here?" Dani asked as she observed the two sides, edging closer to the side with Ryodan and Barrons.
"Ah, dear sweet Dani, how are you on this fine evening?" Cruce asked slowly as his gaze travelled down the young warrior's body, "And I must say, you've grown quite a bit since I last saw you." He said silkily into the air knowing the effect it would play upon her mind and body.
Dani felt shiver of pure desire run down her back. Suddenly, she felt hot and achy. Her clothes were too much for her body. She began pulling at the fabric. Her pulse began to race and an aching began to pool down by her thighs. She needed to get out, she needed the freedom he could get her. She began to edge his way. A smile playing on his lips. NO! She thought to herself angrily and backed off, she had to stop the effect. She had to stop this need.
Ryodan had heard the effect princes played upon women yet this was the first time he'd seen a women so turned on. A nerve pulsed in Ryodan's forehead. Like hell he'd let the stupid prince take his women. He broke away from his pack and edged towards Dani. He saw her eyes light on fire with both passion and anger. Her chest was falling up and down at a rapid pace and her heart beat just as quick. He looked back at Barrons, who nodded in his direction. Oh, yes, he'd take her home but then come right back to give that prince just a little bit of hell before handing him to Barrons.
Dani saw Ryodan come her way and the need only intensified in her body. Please, stop the aching.
Ryodan walked to her and saw he silent plead, You're going home, take care of Mac while I take care of HIM.
Dani felt herself being wrapped in Ryodan's embrace and in the span of a second she was in the bookstore, right outside Mac's bedroom door. And without even a word, Ryodan left to join the battle he'd taken her from.
Dani felt herself relax now that she was no longer in the presence of the prince. She took a deep breath to relax herself and knocked hesitantly on Mac's door.
Mac opened the door to see the young girl looking shaken, "Dani, honey, are you okay?"
Dani walked into the room, closed the door and locked it. Just as soon as she sat on the bed she swore lightly before the tears began to burn her eyes. Why? Why hadn't she been strong enough to stand on the battlefield with all the other men? She hated her gender at that moment.
Mac sat beside and pulled her in a hug, "Did something happen? Did Ryodan do anything?" Dani shook her head and Mac officially exhaled. Then the panic set in, "Is Barrons all right? Do you know where he is?" She asked in a feverish breath, but Dani dispelled her fear but shaking her head again.
Dani rubbed her eyes and looked at Mac with bright eyes, "I'm fine, it was just a moment of weakness." But Dani saw the doubt in Mac's eyes so she shook her head and emphasized, "No, really, I'm fine. More importantly, are you okay?"
Mac looked exasperated, "Just because I'm pregnant does not mean I'm a fragile porcelain doll!" Mac yelled but then stilled, "But there's something wrong today, I can feel it."
Dani began to panic, did Mac know that the unseelie were outside the bookstore fighting Ryodan and the pack?
Mac continued, "I've been feeling like someone has been watching me all day. The feeling just intensifies. It started a while ago and I can't seem to stop it." Mac said looking over her shoulder and to the window she'd locked and drawn the curtains to.
Dani looked at her then at the window.
Barrons looked at the mess that had become of the street. The unseelie bodies were everywhere and his men depositing more every second. Cruce was currently engaged in a battle with Ryodan, which Barrons was suspecting as a revenge for Dani.
An unseelie came rushing at him but was on the ground before it had even made it too him. Yes they were strong, he and his pack. But they were faster too.
Ryodan chose that moment to kick the prince in the face and pound him to the ground. Barrons looked at his friend who seemed awfully joyed at the satisfaction of hurting the prince. "Have you taken the blood you wished?" Barrons asked Ryodan when he glanced back.
"He's all yours. Just a moment." Ryodan crouched to the prince's level.
Cruce was struggling to get up, these men weren't human but something much, much stronger. A breed of their own. That was what he was thinking when he heard the deadly threat float from his attacker's mouth, "You ever come near Dani again, it'll be your last provided you survive the night."
Ryodan satisfied with his work looked back to Barrons. "He's all yours."
Barrons walked to the Cruce as he struggled to get up. He watched as the prince backed away, cradling his arm with his other hand. Yelling something foreign to the unseelie, Cruce and his unceelie backed out from the portal that had summoned.
"So, you're a coward now?" Barrons asked amused watching his prey flee from him. Was he that afraid, just from Ryodan? What would he do when Jericho Barrons extracted his revenge?
"No, I simply know when to bow out, and now is a time that I must. But I'll be back for the princess, count on it." He said as he spat out something looking an awful lot like blood.
"So he escaped?" Ryodan asked as he watched his fellow brothers transform back and disband from the area.
"So it seems. But he'll be back. One thing I know of him-Cruce is persistent." Barrons replied smoothly as he and Ryodan walked into the bookstore. They made their way up the stairs and to the room Mac used to occupy. They heard a low murmur of voices from within the room and knew that the two women were talking, as always.
Barrons opened the door to see Mac sprawled on the bed with Dani sitting on the edge with her feet crossed. Both women had discarded their shoes in favor of comfort. "Then just as I think it can't get any worse- OH! Barrons, you're back!" Mac said surprised as she caught his face in the corner of her eye.
"Oh no don't stop on my account. Just what were you talking about?" Barrons asked silkily.
"Oh ex-boyfriends." Mac replied not seeing Dani pale under the harsh stare of Ryodan's eyes.
"Ex-Boyfriends, I didn't know you had any Dani." Ryodan spoke in a soft voice.
Dani looked sideways to Mac's lifting eyebrow.
"Oh Dani has tons of stories she told me about like recently Hunter, then Ju-" Mac broke off when she saw Dani glower in her direction.
Dani bounced off the bed and looked at Ryodan.
"Anyway, we need to get some serious business done." Barrons replied as he looked back and forth between Dani and Ryodan.
"What business?" asked Mac as she pulled a blacket around herself and sat up to cross her legs on the bed.
"We need to find out whether you're actually pregnant and just how far along." Barrons said as he sat beside Mac and took her hand in his.
"But why so quickly?" Mac asked confused at the glances and secrecy that was evidently present in the room.
"In case we need to move you." Ryodan said and watched Barrons throw him an exasperated look.
"Why-?" Mac asked persistent in knowing the answer.
"You don't need to worry. Sleep." Barrons used Voice to lull Mac into sleep.
Caught unaware Mac became distraught and gave herself up to the darkness that claimed her.
"Was that really necessary?" Dani asked as she placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow.
"Well, it was better than hearing her ask a thousand questions just to get an answer she's not going to receive." Barrons said.
"Why keep her in the dark, after all we live in the modern day where women are EQUALS!" Dani yelled to both the alpha males present in the room.
"Haven't you realized yet Dani? We come from the dark ages, where we do anything to protect our women. I mean anything. Now I'll be going. You are free to stay here tonight. I've shielded it against Cruce and his unseelie." Barrons replied just before exiting the room to leave Ryodan and Dani alone.
Dani looked at the silent man who was standing in front of her. She was about to take off when a steely hand enclosed around her wrist and pulled her back to a solid chest.
"What the hell happened to you today?" Ryodan asked as anger stormed in his eyes. He'd heard too much tonight, most of which he didn't want to. Hunter, this J- whatever person and Cruce. And bringing Cruce's name brought the images of her lush body going crazy with need which in turn made him tight and hard. He looked at her stormy eyes and slowly settled to looking at her luscious lips. "You heard Barrons, we are extremely possessive of our women." He said just before he brought his lips down to hers.
Dani blinked in surprise as Ryodan claimed her mouth. His lips moved sensually against her. Dani tried to breath but it was virtually impossible as Ryodan plunged his tongue deep into her mouth. She felt herself being pressed against his lithe body and tried to resist the compulsion that was forcing her to run and tangle in his hair. Ryodan pressed closer yet and a fire within Dani burned as she gave him the room and approval to do whatever he wanted. This was worse than what V'lane had done to her, this was truly igniting her soul.
Ryodan let go satisfied that his effect on her was greater than that of Cruce. He looked at the girl in front of him and immediately saw that she was no longer the same little girl whom he'd encountered years ago. Instead this woman had grown and if he didn't act fast, she'd be taken by someone else. The mere thought of her with another man lit him with rage and anger. He looked down at his hand, since when had he even cared if a woman had someone else in her life?
Dani wretched herself away from Ryodan's arms and felt herself shiver in his passion. Why? Why had his effect been greater than that of the prince? She wondered. She looked up to see Ryodan look at his hands with a question lighting his eyes, then suddenly as if he'd come to a conclusion he looked up. A smile pulled at his lips. He walked towards her and whispered softly in her ear just before departing.
Dani blushed a deep shade of red as she clutched her ear and sank to the floor. His words trapped and replaying in her mind: That was just a preview, little Dani, wait till the actual show.
A/N: Enjoy.