Answered Prayers (NC-17 warning)

[Iron Dog]

Okay, here goes. This is an original (well, duh) fic I wrote. I'd like to develope it into a full-fledge book at some point. Yes, I am heavily influenced by the Anita Blake series, but this is not a rip-off it. This comes out as 15 pages in word, so it's a little on the long side. Happy reading and fead-back is always welcome.


Authors Note: These characters are inventions out of my own sick and twisted little imagination and belong entirely to me. The pairing is het with blood, violence, language and of course sex. NC-17 rating applies. You were warned.

Answered Prayers

It was three am and I was a mess. I had barely managed to keep my butt in one piece, my favourite pair of jeans had a huge, non-repairable rip in them and I had ghoul gunk under my nails that would take forever to get rid of. I was not having a stellar night. I limped towards my little crap-box car and muttered about people who called up things from dark places without knowing what they were doing. It always came down to someone like me to clean up these messes. What made these fools think they could control these creatures?

?What?s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?? asked a lightly accented voice from the shadows.

Perfect. Some drunken idiot was trying to make a pass at me. Can my life suck any more than this?

?Bugger off,? I hissed at I reached for the handle of my car door.

?My, my, language,? he replied with a soft laugh as he walked from the shadows.

Whoever he was, he moved with a grace that I didn?t see often. It was almost as if his feet weren?t touching the ground and he was just gliding over the pavement. After the encounter I?d just had with the ghoul, I was leery of anything or anyone coming close to me. I put my back to the car and faced him squarely and waited on alert to see what he was going to do. The wait wasn?t long.

?You did very well with those ghouls. I was concerned for a few minutes that I would have to step in and help you.?

?You saw what was happening with those ghouls and you didn?t jump in?? I fumed as I balled my fists at my sides. So much for chivalry.

?I saw no reason to help. You were doing fine,? he said as he continued his approach to me. ?I would have stepped in if you looked like you needed the help.?

As he passed under one of the street lights, I got a decent look at him and sucked in a quick breath. Two things hit me at once. I knew who he was and he was more beautiful than I remembered. Black hair hung just past his shoulders in carefully styled disarray. Brilliant sapphire blue eyes stared back at me with intelligence and a lazy heat. His body was lean like a battle-hardened soldier and he exuded an aura of barely leashed power that could overwhelm the unwary. I swear I could feel the heat of him touching me and he was still a dozen feet away. He stopped just out of arms reach from me, for which I was grateful. I never totally trusted myself around him. He pushed way too many of my ?jump his body? buttons.

?What about helping a lady in distress?? I asked as I continued to watch him. Just because I thought he was gorgeous was no reason to treat him as harmless. I knew he wasn?t. I?d have been safer snuggling up with the ghouls I?d just toasted.

?You weren?t in distress and from what I?ve heard, you aren?t a lady. Hell-cat, yes. Lady, definitely not,? he said with a soft laugh that always did funny things to the lower regions of my body.

?What you?ve heard? I?d like to know who?s been telling tales out of school. I might need to re-educate them on the finer points of not kissing and telling.?

?You see. A lady would never think of physical violence to defend her honour.?

I just glared at him. Then I noticed that he had somehow moved a couple of feet closer to me than he had been just a few eye blinks ago. I hadn?t seen him move or heard a single foot step. I was tired and worn out and in no shape to banter with him at three in the morning. I get cranky when I?m tired and I saw no reason to protect him from my rising bitchyness.

?Look, I?m not going to stand here and let you insult me. I?m leaving. Don?t try and follow me or I?ll make you regret it. If you saw the stuff with the ghouls, then you know I?m not making idol threats,? I said as I groped behind me for the car door handle.

?She sent me to you,? he said as he was suddenly in front of me and seized my chin with a strong grip.

I had time for one surprised gasp before his lips descended onto mine in a kiss that put any others I?d ever had to shame. The fingers that gripped my face were almost painful in direct contrast to his lips on mine. They were soft and supple and were demanding a response from me. I almost gave into the wonderful sensations when a little noise on the darkened street snapped me back into awareness of where I was. I did the first thing that came to mind. I bit him on the lip. Hard.

He hissed in pain and tightened his grip on my jaw but didn?t break the kiss. I could taste his blood in my mouth and growled low in my throat. He growled back at me and I could feel him start to smile against my lips. He was really starting to piss me off. And arouse me.

My one hand was trapped behind my body and my car but my other hand was free. It was just my luck that it was my left hand that was available not my right. South-paw punching was not one of my better fighting styles but I had nothing to loose and everything to gain. I let fly with what was supposed to be a quick punch to his ribs and missed entirely when he twisted out of the way. Somehow, his lips still remained on mine. The swift knee to his groin fixed that problem. It also forced him to release my jaw.

He dropped to his knees on the pavement and groaned. I backed away from him as quickly as possible. I wasn?t taking any chances on him catching me unaware again. I watched him warily and started when I heard a pained chuckle come from him. I?d just nailed him in the goolies and he was laughing. Had I ticked off some God in a former life to deserve this kind of shit?

?I like them feisty and She did not lie when She said you would suite me perfectly. I cannot stand weak females, especially as bed partners,? he said as he slowly pushed himself into a standing position.

?Who said anything about being bed partners? And why would She send you to me? You must be thick if you don?t take a knee to the groin as a rather forceful no.?

?Foreplay,? he said as he wiped the back of his hand across his bleeding lip. He examined the bloody smear before licking it off and continuing with a smile, ?You really have no idea why I?m here, do you??

?Aside from irrating the hell out of me, no. Look, I really don?t want to have to hurt you more than I already have, so why don?t you just leave me alone and we can both forget this ever happened.?

?I?ve tasted you and you?ve tasted me. I can?t leave you alone now. You?ve only sparked my curiosity and you know what they say about curiosity,? he grinned as he began stalking towards me.

?It killed the cat. Now back off,? I said as I began to pull in all the energies I could muster in my tired state.

?Ah, but satisfaction brought him back. I get the feeling that satisfaction will keep me coming back to you too.?

My night was already going to hell in a hand basket, so I figured I might as well put on a bullet train and get it over with. I shook my head at the beautiful, crazy man walking towards me. It was going to be a shame to bust up such a fine piece of man, but I did warn him.

A charged feeling entered the air and my senses sharpened a hundred fold. My eyes could suddenly see as if in daylight and I could now hear his foot steps on the pavement that I hadn?t been able to before. I could smell the faint traces of ghoul from under my nails and the coppery scent of blood from the bite wound I had given him. I could smell him as well. He smelled of some kind of exotic musk and something else that teased my sharpened senses that I couldn?t identify but wanted to smell more of. I heard cloth rip and knew that the change in my body was responsible for it.

?This is even better. Now, I don?t have to worry about hurting you,? he said with a growl as he began to sprint with un-natural speed towards me.

I was quite the sight to behold if I do say so myself. I was all supreme, Cat-Goddess of the Old Faith, with impressive taloned wings, claws and tail. I knew I looked like an old painting on a temple wall from Egypt. It should have warned him off and let him know I was serious. I could feel the leashed power grow even stronger in him. Crap, I was in deep shit.

He laughed in delight at my changed form before changing his own form in mid-stride to what he normally looked like in battle. We now looked almost like a matched pair. The only difference was that while I had taloned wings, he didn?t. Score one for me; like it was going to really help.

Just as I would have been bowled over by him, I leaped straight up. I had caught him off guard by doing that but I knew it wouldn?t happen a second time. He slid to a halt and spun to face me. The grin on his face let me know he was enjoying himself.

?We don?t have to do this,? I told him.

?But we do. You won?t be satisfied with anyone who isn?t as strong as yourself,? he said as he began to slowly circle around me.

?I don?t want to be satisfied by anyone right now,? I insisted as I mirrored him in his circle dance.

?That?s not what you said in your prayers to Her. It?s no accident that I happened to be here at this time.?

?Prayers? What prayers? Oh, crap. She did send you didn?t She?? I sighed as I came to the realization that his being here was entirely my fault. You should never ask a Goddess for something in prayer if you actually have a direct hotline to Her.

?I am Yakez of the Minoush and She has sent me to you. You are Her favourite right now and She wanted to reward you. You have never asked for anything from Her until those recent prayers. She saw this as a fine way of rewarding you for your outstanding service to Her. I have been loyal to Her for a very long time, so She has given me permission to pursue you as a reward. This works out well for all of us.?

?I know who you are, but it?s not what I meant,? I stubbornly insisted as I continued the dance of avoidance with him.

?Then take it up with Her in your next prayers. Or, call Her down right now and settle the matter,? he grinned with a wicked light in his brilliant blue eyes.

I almost did call Her down until I realized that it wouldn?t do me any good. Oh, She?d come down if I called Her. I was Her favoured Avatar right now. Of course, She?d make sure I had a grand old time with the Minoush She had sent. She?d also make sure I experienced and remembered every single, dirty, sweaty thing we did together. That wasn?t what I had in mind right now. I had to stop him, at least temporarily. I hoped I wasn?t going to piss off the Goddess I served by technically refusing the gift She had sent me at my request, but desperate measures we being called for here. I motioned the Minoush to come at me and he leapt with no further urging.

All two hundred plus pounds of battle-honed muscle crashed into me with the force of a wall. I let myself relax for the fall against the hard pavement and was surprised when he twisted his body to take the brunt of the fall. Strong arms held me tight to his chest and the light of victory was shinning from his eyes.

?I win Little Mau. I have you pinned. Under the rules of battle, do you concede defeat?? he asked with a grin.

?Nope,? I said as I jabbed him in both sides of his neck with the talons at the tips of the wings I sported. His eyes blazed in fury and pain and something that might have been admiration before they began to glaze over.

He wasn?t dead. It would take a lot more than the toxin I had just injected him with to do that. It would kill a mortal faster than you could blink and most non-humans as well. I was actually thankful the toxin had worked. I wasn?t sure it would. With him being a Minoush, he was damn near immortal. I would have had to pull out all the stops to kill him and I?m not even sure I could have. Yes, I was a Goddess?s Avatar and that gave me certain Powers. But he was one of Her personal bodyguard/soldiers. He had to be a couple of thousand years old and I had nowhere near that kind of battle experience. I had the distinct feeling that he?d kick my ass but good if we tangled again. This little tussle had just been a bit of fun for him. Foreplay he had called it. Next time we met, he wouldn?t underestimate me again.

Now that he was unconscious, I took some time to look him over. My Goddess had really listened to my prayers when I had asked for Her to send him to me since he always made me want him the moment I got within ten feet of him. Of course, She?s been inside my head and knows exactly who I was asking for. I had no doubt that he?d know exactly what to do with a warm, willing woman in his bed. Considering the Goddess we both served, it was simply a given.

He was beautiful. His hair was like the finest black satin under my fingers and his skin was all warm velvet over steel. I was giving myself shivers just from touching the skin on his face and throat. I knew his eyes were a striking blue and his lips were divine. I leaned my face into the hollow of his throat and inhaled deeply. His scent was even better up close. I found myself pressing my nose into his neck and inhaling again as I licked a small line up to his ear before I could stop myself. He tasted as good as he smelled and I had to jerk myself back from doing it again. I had no idea how long the toxin would affect him and I really didn?t want to be around when he came to. He was going to be pissed.

Reluctantly, I pushed myself off his chest and wriggled to try and get free from him. In the process, I discovered that, apparently, victory in battle had an interesting effect on his anatomy. A really interesting effect. I sighed and stood. I had to leave before I did something I?d hate myself for later. I turned and walked back to my car, letting my body return to its natural form. I took one last look before getting in and driving away. I was nuts to be turning down a gift from a Goddess that I had asked for, but there you have it.

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Yakez woke to find hard, cold pavement under his back and no warm woman captured in his arms. He frowned until he remembered what had happened. A smile ghosted across his face. He was now determined to claim the reward his Goddess had given him. He needed to pay Her a visit before continuing on to track down the Avatar. With a thought, he was back in Her temple. He walked to the throne of cushions and knelt on one knee before Her. A deep purr of laughter made him look up.

?I did tell you not to underestimate my Little Mau, General. I told you she would suite you.?

?That you did My Lady. Do you still wish me to have her as my reward? She said she hadn?t meant what she asked for in her recent prayers to you.?

?I?ve already been made aware of that. But, what she says and what she really wants are two different things. She wants you. She has wanted you since the first time she saw you. I have not been able to do anything for her about it until she asked it of me in prayer and you came to me about pursuing her. Just be careful with her. I?ve not had an Avatar like her in almost two thousand years and I don?t want to see her hurt in any way. If you still desire her, then you may continue to pursue her.?

Yakez inclined his head and bowed before leaving the temple. He knew where the Avatar lived and it was a simple matter to appear in her home. He followed his nose to the room that she was in. He knew from the scent in the air that she was asleep before he opened the door. Moving on cat-light feet, he approached the bed and gazed down at the sleeping woman.

He had thought her pretty before, but now, seeing her relaxed in sleep, he found her beautiful. He knew her eyes were a deep green that matched the colour of her hair. He found it amusing that she had done such a thing to her hair and reached out to wrap a long strand of it around his fingers. It slid against his skin like silk and the faint scent of cinnamon floated up from it. Her lips were soft and red and he had to hold himself back from kissing her again. She had high cheek bones and a slight tilt to the corners of her eyes. A stylized tattoo circled her left wrist and extended up the back of her hand to the first knuckle of her index finger. She sighed in her sleep and rolled over, taking the blankets with her. The move exposed her legs and the fact that she was wearing thong underwear and nothing else.

Yakez was gifted with the sight of a shapely bare backside and a soft groan escaped him. It would be asking too much for him to not touch what was before him. Keeping his touch feather light, he ran a hand over the exposed skin and sighed in delight. He leaned in close and placed a quick kiss on her hip. When she didn?t move, he placed another and gave her a quick lick on the hip as well. She mumbled something in her sleep and Yakez regretfully backed away before he woke her. He was about to leave the room when he heard his name softly called.

?Yakez?..?

A sly smile tugged up on corner of his mouth. She may have said one thing to him, but his Goddess was right about her wanting something else. A devious idea took shape in his head and he almost laughed out loud at it. Yakez undressed and carefully slid into bed behind the Avatar. He inched closer to her until his skin was touching her exposed skin. The skin on skin contact and her scent had him aroused in less time than he thought possible. He gently draped his arm over her waist and pulled her snug against him. He sighed in contentment and then groaned softly when she wiggled her rear in his lap and pressed against his erection. If the rest of the night continued like this, he wasn?t going to get much sleep.

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There are few things better than a great night?s sleep. I had one of the best dreams of my life and was reluctant to wake all the way up from it. Yakez was playing a staring role in it and I could swear that I could feel the heat of his body and smell that indefinable scent of his that made me want to just sniff his body all over. I sighed and let myself drift in the half-asleep state. I almost fell back asleep when I felt a soft kiss on the nape of my neck. I came instantly awake and struggled to get free of the arms that held me like bands of iron. I knew immediately who it was that held me.

?You won the first round, but I will win this one. I spoke with Her after I woke up cold and alone on the pavement last night. She said She heard what you said to Her in your prayer about not wanting what you had asked for. She said you are lying to yourself. She told me that you want me and that I was free to pursue you, if I wanted. I still want,? Yakez said with on a warm puff of breath against the back of my neck.

?I guess it?s pointless to say I don?t want if you?ve already heard from a Goddess that I do. All right, do you want to hear me say it?? I bitched, peeved that I had been trumped by my Goddess.

?I need to hear you say it as much as I want to hear you say it. Don?t you trust in Her,? Yakez asked as he nuzzled my neck.

?I trust in her explicitly and I know She?d never do something to intentionally harm me?? I trailed off.

?It?s me then that you don?t trust,? he sighed. ?Does it help to know that I?m under Her orders to do no harm to you or She will make sure I deeply regret my actions??

Shivers started to work their way down my body from the feel of his lips on the back of my neck. My body gave a little involuntary shudder and that was when I realized that he was naked and very aroused. He was wrong though. It wasn?t him I didn?t trust but myself.

?You did pray to Her to send me to you didn?t you? She believed that She was rewarding you as you had asked,? Yakez said as he pulled me tighter against his body and subtly flexed his hips against my ass.

A breathy little moan escaped from me at the feel of him pressing against me. The man that I had asked a Goddess for was naked, warm and aroused in my bed just waiting for me to give the all clear and I was waffling. Maybe I had suffered from brain damage in the fight with the ghouls. My body certainly wanted what he was offering. Traitor that it was, it was responding to the restrained thrusts that he was making as he continued to trail kisses over the back of my neck and shoulders.

?How long is this arrangement supposed to last?? I asked in a stall tactic as I tried not sighing in pleasure when his hand began to draw lazy patterns on my stomach.

?She didn?t say. As long as we want it to,? he whispered as he began to nibble on the skin at the junction of my neck and shoulder.

I was drowning in pleasure and going down for the third time. If something didn?t happen soon to break us up, I?d give in to him and probably have the best time of my life. When I looked at it that way, I couldn?t think of one good reason not to throw caution to the wind and take what he was offering and what had been sanctified by my Goddess. I began to turn in his arms, surrendering to him on my mind, when a heard a voice in my head crying out for help. One of the Goddesses? faithful was calling for help and it was my duty to go. My life can really suck at times.

?Let me up. Duty calls,? I said as I struggled in his arms and tried to ignore the wonderful sensations that particular movement was causing.

?Duty? Or are you running away like you did last night?? he taunted as the hand that had been on my stomach moved to higher territory and made my breath hitch.

?Duty. I?m being Called. One of Hers needs my help. I have to go,? I said as I pushed against the one arm still wrapped around me. It was like trying to push away a fifty ton boulder. I wasn?t going anywhere until he let me.

?You were going to accept me weren?t you?? he breathed into my ear and caused goosebumps to rise up on my skin.

?I?ve gotta go. She?ll be mad if you keep me from my duties,? I hedged.

?She sent me here. She can find another to take your place this once. We are each others reward for exceptional service to Her. She wants both of us to be happy with each other. Would you deny your Goddess what She wants??

My Goddess gives great bonuses for doing well on the job doesn?t She? She can be equally harsh with those who displease her. There was something he wanted from me besides a great time between the sheets to keep me from one of my primary duties like this. I didn?t have time to play around like he wanted to, so I just came out and asked him what he was after.

?You. But, if you want to play a game of chase, never let it be said that General Yakez didn?t oblige a woman. It?s always been one of my favourite games anyway,? he said as he suddenly leapt from the bed and landed a hard smack on my ass before disappearing right before my eyes. Ghostly laughter floated on the air behind him. I hate macho guy displays.

My left butt check tingled painfully and I knew I?d have a red hand print there should I stop to look in the mirror. He was gonna pay for that. The voice I had heard earlier called again, more urgently this time and with a twinge of pain tossed in for good measure. I yanked clothes out of the closet and dressed in a rush before leaving the house at a dead run. I didn?t need directions to where I needed to go. My Goddess would guide me to the one who had cried out in desperate need for Her aid. I just hoped I wasn?t too late. She really frowned on screwing up.

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Yakez watched the Avatar from a viewing pool in the Temple. She really was quite spectacular when in command of her office as the Avatar. He would be honoured to stand at her back on the battle field. He had stood with many Avatars over the millennium and few were as good as the one he watched, fascinated.

?She is stunning isn?t she?? purred a husky voice at his back. ?If her sense of justice hadn?t been so ingrained into her, I would have lost her to another, more vengeful Goddess. That would have been disappointing.?

Yakez knew that the Goddess had come up behind him to watch the fight through the pool. The Avatar was still fighting on her own and hadn?t called down the Goddess for any extra aid. She didn?t need it. A long whip was held in her left hand and a curved set of claws was held in her right. The whip would snake out and capture one of her enemies and yank them to her. The claws would flash out in the sunlight and another would fall under her feet. Yakez found himself becoming aroused from the sight of his soon-to-be companion in the heat of battle. He barred his teeth and let his bottom jaw drop open to try and catch scents of the far away battle. He growled in frustration when nothing came to his sensitive nose.

?Go. I know you want to and I have no problem with you helping her. She may not like it, but you never know,? the Goddess laughed as she trailed a hand through the pool and caused the image of the battle to ripple and disappear.

Yakez needed no further encouragement and winked out of the Temple and down to the place where the Avatar was engaged with the remaining enemies. Her clothes were torn in several places and she was coved in gore. Yakez thought she looked beautiful. She had transformed into the creature he had tussled with the night before and was busy laying waste to the demon-like creatures that were attacking her. Between her feet was the body of a small, old woman curled up into a protective ball. A low keening noise was coming from the old woman, so Yakez knew she was still alive.

The damn creatures kept on coming at me from somewhere that I couldn?t pin down. I couldn?t move much from my position or I?d end up leaving the poor woman I?d come to save vulnerable to attack. I was thinking I was totally screwed when a rush of energy and an exotic scent found its way to my sensitive nose over the stench of the dead things around me. I looked up to find my little bit of sexual torture standing not ten feet away from me and grinning like a fool.

?A little help?? I yelled while slashing madly at the creature dumb enough to come into range.

?As you wish,? Yakez smirked with a low bow.

His body shimmered in the air and he was suddenly the fearsome half-man, half-lion creature that I had dusted up the street with the night before. A large scimitar flowed from a sheath at his waist and began flashing in the early morning sun. Squeals of pain and terror began as the new threat surged into the middle of the melee and came to stand by my side.

?Keep her safe,? I said pointing to the woman with my chin. ?All these guys are coming from somewhere and I think I may have a bead on where,? I said as I began to back away from the fight.

Yakez grunted at me and grinned with a mouthful of way too many sharp teeth. He seemed to be enjoying himself slashing away at the demons and I had the utmost confidence in his abilities to protect the old woman. I saw a flash and another wave of demons appeared. Somebody was being very bad and gating in demons. I waited for the next flash and pin-pointed the location of the one bringing the demons in. In a few breaths, I was there in front of a very startled man in a business suit.

?You?ve totally screwed my day up, so I?m gonna return the favour,? I hissed as I snapped out my whip to snare the man.

I was surprised when the whip didn?t even touch him and bounced harmlessly off of some kind of shield that protected him. The man began to mumble and pointed his splayed fingers at me. Multi-coloured sparks shot from them and hit me square in the chest. I screamed in agony as the force of the magic burned into me and knocked me back several feet to land kneeling and gasping on the ground, my shirt in hanging in shreds.

I dimly heard a bellow of male rage and the shrieking of several otherworldly things in the distance. A man?s low laughter grated on my ears as I staggered to my feet to face the magic user that had just about knocked me on my ass. He began to chant once again, but with a more sinister sound to the words. I could feel the energies he was pulling up and they didn?t feel nice. It was time to pull out the big guns.

The thought had barely left my mind when I felt the warm presence of my Goddess. Suddenly, all the cuts, bruises and aches I had were gone. Power filled me in a way I could never begin to describe. The man was too intense on his spell casting to even notice the change that had come over me. He was the only one who didn?t.

The demons that had been attacking Yakez fell back as one and squeaked in terror. The old woman began sobbing prayers of relief and Yakez stared for a brief instant with an open mouth before going back to hacking up the demons. The man came to the end of his chant and flung the spell at me. It fizzled like a wet match and didn?t so much as muss my hair.

?You have attacked one of Mine. You have attacked my Avatar. For this, you will die.?

With that, we/I advanced on the man, seeing him from a strange, almost third-person perspective that happened when we/I shared our/my body with our/my Goddess. Impossibly strong hands seized the man by his wrists and squeezed. We/I felt the bones snap in his wrist and smiled ferally at his scream of pain. We/I yanked on his arms and grinned at the twin pops of his shoulders dislocating. We/I licked our/my lips as we/I raked claws across his chest, scoring him to the bone. We/I roared in triumph as we/I grasped his head and snapped his neck like a twig. We/I let the body fall to the ground and fired it into ashes in seconds with a look. One spoken word opened a gate that sucked all the demons back to where they had come from.

We/I walked to where Yakez was standing over the old woman and trailed a hand covered in blood down his cheek and across his lips. His tongue darted out to taste the blood there and he growled softly.

?You are safe now. You will not be harmed by that man again,? we/I said as we/I leaned down to the woman and helped her to stand. ?Continue to look after and love my little mau?s and you will always be protected,? we/I continued as we/I kissed her softly on the forehead and popped her back into her home with a thought.

?Come with me now, Yakez,? we/I said as we/I took his hand.

Yakez pulled his hand back from ours/mine and shook his head. He knew that the Goddess had control of our/my body now.

?I want her. Only her.?

We/I pouted at Yakez. We/I were/was pumped from the battle and still had some feelings swirling around in us/me from the early morning wake up Yakez had given us/me. A brief flash of memory drifted into our/my brain and had us/me gasping at what it contained. It was of Yakez and the Goddess in a very intimate moment. We/I almost cried out at the rush of sensation that washed over us/me from just the memory. We/I heard the Goddess laugh and tell us/me to take our/my shot with him before he changed his mind. Then she was gone and I staggered into Yakez?s arms. I was suddenly burning hot and felt ready to climb out of my own skin.

?Home,? I gasped.

Yakez wasted no time in flashing us out of the scene of the battle we had just been engaged in. We appeared in a tent to dry heat. I was disorientated. I had no idea where Yakez had just taken us, but it wasn?t to my home as I?d asked.

?Where are we?? I asked as I licked at his throat, not really caring about the answer.

He inhaled sharply and cursed roughly in a language that hadn?t been spoken in thousands of years. I could swear I heard laughter but I was suddenly fascinated by the texture of Yakez?s bare chest under my hands. I pressed my nose to it and inhaled deeply. He smelled of sweat, blood and that personal scent I found so damn intoxicating. I moaned low in my throat and began to lick at a spot on his chest.

Yakez groaned and fisted his hand in my hair. He pulled my head back from his chest and looked into my eyes.

?She gave you a Goddess Blessing before she left. Tell me to leave and I will. I didn?t want the chase to end this way. It takes all the fun out of it.?

?She can?t do anything like that to me if I don?t already want it. She was just giving me a not so subtle push. If you leave when I?m like this, I swear I?ll hunt you down, tie you up and have my way with you,? I said as I trailed my nails down his chest with enough force to cause thin, bloody welts to rise. I groaned softly at the heady smell of his blood in the air.

Yakez hissed in pained pleasure. ?That just might be interesting enough to leave you suffering like this.?

I grabbed his hair close to the roots and yanked his face next to mine intending to kiss him. Surprise flared briefly in his eyes before a strange light came into them and he hissed at me, baring fangs. Words in a strange guttural language whispered from his mouth before his lips crashed down on mine in a hard kiss meant to show dominance. Fangs grazed my lips and drew thin trickles of blood. The fresh coppery scent was suddenly in the air and seemed to provoke Yakez further. A hand flashed out, tipped with claws, and completely shredded the shirt I was wearing but not the skin beneath.

I wrenched my mouth away from his and watched, fascinated as his facial features began to shift into something not quite human. I wasn?t afraid as I felt my own features begin to change back into the fearsome creature I became when fighting a serious battle. My skin burned at his touch and the idea of clothes was something that I could not stand to be wearing anymore. Yakez obviously had the same thought as those clawed hands flashed out again and tore the remnants of the jeans I had been wearing from my body. I growled low in my throat and returned the favour to his pants with claws of my own. In moments, we stood in front of each other nude. Our chests rose and fell in synchronized breathing as we looked at each other.

Yakez was more than ready for intimate bed play. He was all hard muscles and golden skin. His cock was erect and shiny drops of pre-cum glistened at the tip. Power fairly radiated from him and made me a little dizzy. He looked the same as he had in the vision that my Goddess had gifted me with before giving me the Blessing, except he was mine for the taking. I was aware of my own wetness between my legs and I had the most unreasonable desire to lick his entire body. A purposeful light entered his eyes and I knew that he was going to make the move to establish dominance between us. I waited, tense and aroused for the game to begin.

Yakez moved faster than I thought he could. He made the lunge to catch me in his arms and subdue me to his will. I dodged him, barely, and flashed fang at him. Even though I wanted him on a nearly painful level, I wasn?t going to make it easy for him. I wouldn?t run, but I wasn?t just going to submit easily to him either. I hissed at him and spread my wings as far as they?d go in the confines of the tent. Yakez was unfazed by it and rolled his shoulders and began to stalk me in earnest. I felt more moisture gather between my legs and knew the instant he smelled it by the sudden alertness in his expression.

Yakez was inching closer to me with every step, countering every move I made. I tucked my wings close to my body to keep them out of the way and mirrored his moves. For every step he took towards me, I took one back. I was forced to stop when I encountered the cloth wall of the tent at my back. Yakez smiled in victory and approached closer until he was within arms reach. He licked his lips at the idea that I had nowhere to go and snagged my arm to drag me against his body.

I yowled in protest and slashed out with my free hand. I caught him off-guard and raked him shallowly from shoulder to belly. He hissed in pain but never let go of my arm. Instead, he yanked hard and caused me to stumble into him, off-balance. Once there, he spun me roughly and trapped both my arms with one of his across my chest. I could feel the slipperiness of the blood on his chest against my back and moaned softly.

?Yield,? Yakez commanded against my neck before licking at the spot behind my ear.

I shivered and struggled against his hold. If I yielded this easily now, it would set the wrong tone to any further moments we had together. I continued to struggle against his greater strength and eventually stopped when I realized I was only exciting him by rubbing our naked bodies together. Not that that was a bad thing.

?Yield,? Yakez repeated, nipping at the flesh of my neck with his sharp fangs.

I kept my mouth shut against the exquisite torture of his lips on my neck and his body rubbing against mine. I was awash in sensations and wanted to give in at the same time I wanted to stretch out the love play currently going on between us. A soft laugh was all the warning I got before I felt Yakez?s fingers slid through the curls at the top of my thighs and rub against flesh made extra sensitive by my Goddess?s gift of Blessing. I had forgotten he had one hand free while both of mine were trapped. I gave an incoherent moan at his touch and sagged slightly as delicious feeling coursed from between my legs.

?Yield,? Yakez growled in my ear as he began to stroke me faster, in time with the thrusts of his hips against my ass.

The tension in my belly was fast approaching unbearable. I was breathing in large gulps of air spiced with the scent of arousal and the particular smell that was Yakez. It was driving me crazy. Using one last burst of strength, I slipped from Yakez?s grasp and turned to face him. I noticed his startled expression at getting loose just before I shoved him with all my might. He fell to the floor of the tent and landed on his back with a grunt. I followed him down and didn?t give him the chance to get up. I sat on his lap and sighed at the feel of his hard cock pressed against me.

?Yield,? I demanded as I ground my hips against his erection.

Yakez closed his eyes at the feel of our bodies touching so intimately. A smile passed over his lips before he opened his eyes and stared straight into mine.

?I yield; this time. Next time will be your turn to yield to me,? he said as he pulled me down to his lips for a kiss.

I met his lips and kissed him back as I reached a hand between our bodies and positioned him so I could slid down onto his cock. The feel of his hot, hard flesh sliding into my body was beyond good. I groaned and pressed myself down as far as I could and just held myself still once I had the length of him buried inside my body. Damn, but he felt like a little slice of heaven. I raised myself up and let almost the entire length of him slip out before sliding back down again. The friction was intense and his thickness made me feel fuller that I would have ever imagined.

I began to move faster on his cock and knew I was whimpering softly. I flexed my claws in his chest, not breaking the skin but causing him to gasp with pleasure at the sensations. His hands grasped my hips and changed the rhythm I had set. I struggled against it briefly before allowing him to control the speed. I was close to release and when it hit me, I cried out in a high, keening voice. My inner muscles clenched him and this spurred Yakez to lift me off his cock and roll me onto my hands and knees. It was done and he was back inside me before I realized and pounding hard for his own release.

?Yield to me,? he panted into my ear as he ground his hips against my ass and dipped his hand to play between my legs.

My whole body shuddered at his touch and I tried to squirm away from the touch of his hand on sensitive flesh. He had me firmly in his grasp and I didn?t really want to get away from him. He began thrusting faster and growled once more in my ear to yield to him.

?Yes,? I finally moaned as I felt another orgasm break over me from the combined assault of his talented fingers and the hard pounding of his cock in my body.

Yakez hissed his pleasure and thrust once, twice before his own release overtook him. He bit down on the joint of my neck and shoulder and I moaned in bliss as I felt his cock explode and pour into my body. I felt his fangs break the skin and the scent of fresh blood suddenly filled the air. It was too much sensory overload and I screamed while black dots danced in front of my eyes. I opened my eyes moments later to find I was resting on cool sheets spread over a raised, padded platform with Yakez?s warm body curled around me.

A warm tongue was licking at the blood on my neck and making shivers race over my skin once again. I groaned and half-turned to face Yakez. His blue eyes were heavy-lidded and sated. He looked human once again and I could tell from the feel of my body that I was as well. His smile was seductive and he trailed a hand over my body. I was shocked when I felt the heat start in my skin again. He noticed my shocked expression and chuckled.

?The Goddess Blessing will run through your system for the next twenty-four hours. I take it this is a first time experience for you. I won?t let you suffer. Now that the initial rut is over, each time we come together will be without the violence of the first time, unless you want that,? he added as he cupped a breast and teased the nipple to a stiff peak.

Twenty-four hours with a near immortal of unbelievable beauty that had been sent to me, at my request, by a Goddess, was going to bang my brains out anyway I wanted. Sometimes my life was very good indeed.

[teardropdangel]

LUV IT LUV IT LUV IT!!!! I'm an avid fan of the Anita Blake series and as far as being inspirated by that series, I've got to say WOW. Great great job!

[Leia Avenrose]

Oh my. I just love graphic erotica like that. Now if only I were male, I'd have a wad of toilet paper with me at this moment.. *strokes chin* That was just f*cking awesome. Give me more.

[Iron Dog]

I am grovelling on my belly, estatic with pleasure that somebody liked my stuff. Thanks so much.

As I stated at the beginning of the piece, I'd like to use these guys for a novel length story sometime down the road. But if you would truely like more of these two, I'll try wringing the ole brain cells for more smutty/kick-ass goodness.

[Leia Avenrose]

I liked it because it was very well-written - I love stories that have a good pov, like this one - and it was just reeking of erotica. And look at that; what did I read; bloody damn good erotica.

And yes, I would truly love to see more of these two; I like the need between them where they try to dominate each other. I'm big on that whole dominant/submissive thing. *waves a hand*

Give me more! <33

[AnShino]

more please that was damn good Ms. Iron Dog. Keep it up, I really would like to see more of those two ^^

[Katisha888]

Hmm...first time I have into Original Fiction and can't say I am disappointed. Interesting story and I definitely would be one of the people who would like this developed more into a novel.

Love the tension and struggle for power (ehem) between these two characters. Some spelling errors could have been avoided in order to make it a more flawless story but that can be easily remedied. The concept is good. Hope you write more.

[Morrighan]

*fans herself* Wow!! Steamy, streamy, steamy!! *fans herself some more* Yikes!!

Awesome job!