Phantom Warriors: Bacchus Page 2

  Bacchus exited the car and followed the couple down a sand-colored hall to a room that faced the ocean. He felt guilty for intruding upon their privacy, but he needed to ensure that Earthlings joined in much the same manner as Atlanteans. He didn’t want his first joining with a woman to end in disaster… or death.

  Ryan opened the door and ushered the woman inside, shutting the portal quickly behind him. The abrupt action left Bacchus standing in the hall, staring at the door. He grimaced at the momentary inconvenience and then walked through the wall.

  The green room was bathed in light from the open shutters. Rich blue-green fabrics covered the bed, making it feel as if the hotel brought the ocean indoors. Bacchus watched the male stroll casually to the bathroom. Water came on a moment later. The woman looked around the room, her gaze straying again and again to the bathroom door. Bacchus laughed to himself, counting down the minutes it would take for her to give in to her curiosity. More splashing came from the shower.

  One…two…three.

  The woman dropped her purse onto the floor, then stripped out of her clothing. She’

  d shaved her mons, leaving a thin brown line of curls behind. She padded down the same path Ryan took, her bare feet silent upon the carpeted floor. Her ass swayed from side to side, framed perfectly by her womanly hips. She didn’t knock. She simply turned the handle and walked in. Steam bellowed out the door as Bacchus made his way toward the small room.

  He reached the entrance in time to see the woman grab the shower curtain in order to wrench it aside. Ryan’s hand stilled her actions. She gasped. Bacchus watched her nipples bead in response to the man’s touch.

  “I thought you weren’t going to join me,” Ryan said, pulling the shower curtain aside without releasing her hand. His short hair lay slicked back on his head and his tanned body glistened beneath a thousand tiny droplets. Moisture clung to his lashes, hooding his brown eyes.

  “You were expecting me.” The woman didn’t sound surprised.

  Bacchus stared in fascination at the mating ritual taking place before his eyes. Earth men were smaller anatomically than his species, but this one looked well enough endowed to please this woman, if her widening gaze was any indication. She licked her full lips.

  “See anything you want?” Ryan choked, then cleared the thickness out of his throat.

  The woman tore her gaze away from his cock and glanced back at the Earthling’s face. “I could think of a thing or two that might interest me,” she practically purred.

  “That makes two of us.” Ryan’s eyes lit with hunger as his gaze devoured her nakedness, focusing on her full breasts and then lower. “Come on in, the water’s perfect

  —like you.”

  Bacchus stood there, listening to their soft moans and the slide of hands over wet skin. He couldn’t see them, but the sounds were enough to drive any man insane. The ache in his groin grew to dangerous levels. If Bacchus didn’t find release soon, he wouldn’t be able to maintain his cover.

  He stayed for a few minutes more, sweat beading his brow and his cock hard enough to demolish walls. Bacchus needed to find Jill, and he needed to find her now.

  He turned to leave the room when Ryan’s words to the woman stopped him cold.

  “This time is going to have to be hard and fast. I hope you don’t mind.” His voice came out on a harsh growl.

  Bacchus backed out of the room, forcing his legs to move. He materialized as he reached the shrub-covered balcony. His hand slid into the flap concealing his cock.

  Bacchus nearly groaned aloud as his fingers made contact with his erect flesh. He pulled his shaft free and began to stroke hard.

  He clamped his jaw shut as his body tightened in preparation for his release. Blood roared in Bacchus’ ears and his vision dimmed when his seed spilled onto the concrete balcony. It took a few minutes for him to recover. By the time he had, Ryan and the woman were on the bed. He faded again, blending into the wall like a chameleon.

  He needed them to fuck, so he could see what transpired, and then leave while he could still walk. His balls ached despite his release. If Bacchus stayed much longer, he’d be tempted to join the couple and he knew this short-haired warrior wasn’t into sharing females. Pity, considering the woman seemed to be more than up for it.

  Bacchus concentrated on the man. Ryan’s memories of sex were hazy at best, diluted from alcohol consumption and apathy. He didn’t attach value to the act, only physical pleasure. Even that filtered in and out of his memory as if it weren’t worth recalling.

  “I’m not sure what you’re doing to me,” Ryan said, rubbing his chin against the woman’s cheek.

  “Do you like it?” She hesitated.

  “Love it. That’s the problem.” He laughed, but it held no humor. “Nothing this good lasts forever.”

  Bacchus held his breath, waiting to hear the woman’s response. This man was a fool to push a perfectly acceptable woman away. Were Earth men stupid enough to believe a good woman was easy to find? Did they mean so little to him that he felt he could discard them at will? The thought was unfathomable to Bacchus, given the current state his people were in.

  The woman ignored his words and reached out, grasping the back of Ryan’s head with one hand, sinking her fingers into his short blond hair before pulling his lips into a blistering kiss. With her free hand, she reached between their bodies and grasped his cock, parting the towel around his waist at the same time.

  Bacchus felt himself grow hard again. He fisted his hands. Gaining knowledge of mating on Earth would be the death of him. The woman caressed the man’s erect shaft, teasing the head with her thumb.

  Ryan broke the kiss, air rushing from his lungs. “Let me go. I want to taste you.”

  She slipped her hand free. Passion glazed her hazel eyes as Ryan slid down her body until his face was mere inches from her shaven mons. He inhaled and Bacchus found himself doing the same. The rich and spicy fragrance of female nectar filled his lungs. She was more than ready.

  “God, you smell so good, succulent and sweet, definitely good enough to eat. And I intend to devour you, then lick you dry.” With that, he lowered his face and began nibbling her quim. “You’re incredible. Plump, fresh and juicy like the perfect pussy should be,” he murmured between strokes. “I can’t seem to get enough of you.” He flicked his tongue over her engorged clit, exposing a small gold ring, which sparkled in the sunlight.

  “Please, Ryan.” She groaned, her skin glistening with a sheen of sweat.

  Bacchus was convinced he’d explode if he moved a muscle. He’d never seen such a ring on a woman. He wanted to explore its round surface with his mouth, slide a fang into the opening and tug. Taste the flesh beneath it.

  Ryan flicked his tongue over the adornment. The woman gasped, her hips rising from the bed. Bacchus knew now what held the Earth man enthralled. The ring added to her pleasure, heightening her need, made her crave his cock.

  “I want you to fuck me,” she begged.

  Ryan laughed, a pain-filled sound that told Bacchus the man had reached the end of his control. “I’ll do that, right after I hear you scream out my name when I give you another orgasm.”

  Ryan dipped his head and began to feed upon her flesh. Sucking and licking sounds filled the air, tormenting Bacchus worse than any suffering he’d ever experienced during the course of war.

  The woman’s body clenched and a keening cry ripped from her lungs as she bowed off the bed. Ryan drank her juices as they flowed from her body onto his chin. He teased the ring on her clit, drawing out the last ripples of release. His fingers followed the dark strip of hair between her spread thighs, petting her flesh for a job well done. Ryan reached for a foil wrapper he’d placed on the bedside table before entering the shower.

  Bacchus stepped closer to see what the man held. Horror filled him as Ryan slid the object over his shaft then plunged inside the woman. Bacchus wasn’t sure if sheathing one’s cock was part of the human mating ritual, but if so, he wanted
no part of it. He longed to plant his seed deep inside his mate, not catch it for safekeeping.

  Ryan’s movements slowed as he rocked his hips back and forth, sending his shaft spearing into the woman’s entrance. “You are beautiful. You know that?” he asked on an upward thrust.

  She shook her head.

  “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.” Their gazes locked.

  The woman giggled. “You probably say that to all the women, but it’s nice to hear.”

  Ryan’s brow furrowed. “No, I don’t. I say very little actually. We exchange pleasantries, perhaps a drink or two, then I fuck them once and leave. No fuss. No mess.

  No complications.”

  Bacchus stood near the wall, shocked to hear the man’s confessions. The beings on this planet were mad. That could be the only explanation for the Ryan’s actions.

  “So, is that what you’ve got planned for us?” Her voice quieted in anticipation of his answer.

  Bacchus waited too, anger surging through his body. If the man replied the wrong way, he’d materialize and make him very, very sorry. No one discarded a woman who so willingly laid herself bare. Did this fool not realize how precious they were?

  Ryan’s jaw clenched and unclenched a few times. Finally, he spoke. “At first, yeah.”

  “And now? Have you changed your mind?”

  He scrubbed a hand over his stubbled face. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do. I sure as hell don’t have a plan, if that’s what you’re asking. I don’t want to talk about it.

  Not when we have better things to concentrate on.”

  Bacchus left the room, but chose to remain close, ignoring the hunger growing inside him. He wanted to ensure the woman’s safety and well-being. The couple made love on and off, stopping only long enough to eat and shower. He knew a confrontation would occur as the need to bond grew. It was only a matter of time.

  Ryan and the woman slipped out of the room on the second day to stroll down the beach to the Santa Monica Pier. There was talk of taking the woman’s car up north later that night to attend a friend’s wedding. Ryan’s car would remain in the lot to keep his mileage low. Whatever that meant, Bacchus thought as he watched them go. Envy filled his chest.

  If they planned to take the woman’s vehicle, then Ryan would not be in need of his for at least a couple of days. Bacchus smiled as he realized his transport problems were solved. He took the opportunity to rummage through the closet, finding a pair of jeans and a T-shirt he could wear. Ryan had ordered the clothing from a place called “the gift shop” and had it delivered like their meals. It would be a tight fit, but should work until Bacchus obtained the proper clothing down the road at the open-air market at Venice Beach.

  He morphed his appearance to lessen the red of his eyes and pulled his long black hair into a queue at the nape of his neck. With Ryan’s imminent departure came a newfound urgency. Jill would be alone soon, whether she knew it or not.

  Bacchus slipped Ryan’s car key off his key ring, then dropped them back onto the table. He shoved some of the replicator-created money the Atlantean queen had ordered printed, so Zaronians could purchase items on the planet, into his pockets. He didn’t bother to walk through the wall this time. ‘Twas time to blend in and adhere to Earth customs. Bacchus opened the door and slipped outside.

  The woman would be safe in Ryan’s presence, even though the demons of guilt over not being able to save his friend haunted him daily. Bacchus understood loss all too well, but that didn’t excuse the man’s treatment of Jill. Ryan had selfishly moved on with his life by choosing to bed another. With Bacchus’ patience and assistance, Jill would move on as well.

  He found the car and followed the highway south, heading to the palm tree-lined area Jill called home. Driving ended up being a bit more difficult than it first appeared from viewing Ryan, but Bacchus eventually got the hang of it.

  He learned to wave with one hand while honking and steering with the other, just like the drivers who passed him. Bacchus still didn’t quite understand why they’d put that red octagon-shaped sign on the side of the road. It now sat in his back seat, along with a couple of orange cones, the car’s bumper and a small pine tree. It shouldn’t have been planted so close to the sidewalk, anyway.

  Bacchus arrived as darkness descended upon the neighborhood. Finding things in Los Angeles was difficult with its one-way streets here, no entrance areas there. He’d barely missed the man holding the “slow traffic ahead” sign. If he hadn’t dived out of the way into the pile of dirt nearby, Bacchus would’ve flattened his feet. He could still hear the man’s curses ringing in his ears and see his raised fist punching the air. Luckily, Bacchus had made it and the car was still in two pieces.

  He slipped out of Ryan’s borrowed clothes, folding them neatly on the leather seat beside him before killing the engine. Bacchus sat in the car for a few minutes, listening to the sounds of the night. His forked tongue darted out of his mouth so he could scent the air. The streets were relatively quiet, except for the constant hum of traffic on the freeways in the distance. Nearby dogs barked as underground sprinklers sprouted to life.

  Bacchus could hear stereos thumping alien music, couples making love, murmuring television sets, yet no ocean. His ears strained as he searched for the gentle lapping of the distant waves. There it was, buried beneath the cacophony of existence. He stepped out of the vehicle, his feet falling silently on the pavement, and faded into the darkness.

  Shrubs lined Jill’s small yard, creating a green wall of privacy around her little white home. Fragrant flowers surrounded the windowsills, their red and yellow blooms adding a burst of color to the otherwise plain palette.

  Neat and obviously well tended, the space was cozy and seemed to fit the personality Ryan assigned to her. Curious, Bacchus allowed his image to solidify. He stood in the shadows, searching the windows for any sign of life.

  Would she look like the woman Ryan created in his mind? Would she have short brown hair and a pixie face?

  Then Bacchus saw her. Like taking an Atlantean energy blast to the gut, the air rushed from his lungs in a whoosh. Jill flicked the light switch on, illuminating her fair skin under the soft glow.

  She’d changed her hair since Ryan had last seen her. It was now shoulder-length and blonde, without a trace of the brown that had been there before. Tiny boned but long of limb, she moved with the grace of a gazelle as she walked from room to room, lights twinkling on in her wake. She stopped in the main area, a rolled magazine grasped in her hand. Jill brought the pages to her mouth and began to sing into it. She tossed her head back as she held a long note, while her hips swayed in time to the beat.

  Bacchus stared, gaping, unable to look away. Blood rushed from his head straight to his cock as she dropped the magazine and bent over to pick it up off the floor. She held it in her hand, carefully unfurling it, before placing it onto a side table. Bacchus knew without looking that his eyes glowed red to match the heat churning inside him. He could feel the color as it surged through his body, demanding release.

  The need to possess this woman was strong, but he fought his instincts. He couldn’t exactly march in and demand she mate with him. He didn’t even know if it were even possible. Beyond that, Bacchus knew he would scare her to death in his current condition and that was the last thing he wanted. He needed Jill to come to him willingly in order for the blood bond to work. This was going to take careful planning, not a direct assault. He hated the idea of deceiving her, but what choice did he have? The future of his people depended on his success with this fragile woman.

  Tiny lines bracketed her mouth as she pursed her lips into an “O” and began to whistle. The sound tore through him, slicing into his flesh while imbedding in his soul.

  His gaze remained locked on her enticing lips as they puffed out in order for her to blow. Bacchus longed to cover her mouth and capture the sound, draw it deep into his body for safekeeping.

  His three-inch fangs unfur
led without warning. Sudden hunger beat at his brow. He brought his hands to his temples and rubbed as he followed the curve of her mouth down to her chin and over to her throat. Bacchus could hear her blood pumping just below the surface of her milky skin. It called to him, demanding that he taste her essence.

  Bacchus swallowed hard, fighting the urge to mark her as his own. He needed to be sure Jill and the other females like her were compatible with his people. The only way to do that was to get close, but not tonight.

  Tonight was for observing. A breeze filtered over his skin. He watched her for another two hours. She sat on the couch, laughing at a television show he didn’t understand. The yellow cartoon characters appeared to be some kind of family with a particularly unruly son. Bacchus glared at the screen. If that boy were his child, he’d spend his time in the fields picking crystals until he learned how to behave and stop mistreating his sister, Lisa.

  * * * * *

  Jill watched her favorite show, feeling the quiet press in around her. John had brought the house to life with his raucous behavior. Always one to pull childish pranks, he kept her in stitches of laughter during his visits. She missed him dearly, but the pain wasn’t quite as acute as it had been. Even Ryan’s sudden desertion nine months ago didn’t hurt as much as she’d expected. Jill wasn’t sure what that said about their relationship and her feelings for him. This was the man she’d planned to marry, after all.

  She had always thought that she’d been in love with Ryan, but lately…

  The skin on the back of her neck prickled and heated, something it had been doing for the past hour. Jill glanced out her living room window into her front yard. Darkness met her, the shadows clinging to the bushes particularly dense for this time of night. Her eyes strained to penetrate the inky mass.

  No movement came beyond the hiss and spray of the sprinkler system. There was nothing to explain the sudden wave of hyper-awareness coursing through her body or the heaviness in her breasts. She gave the darkness one last glance, before dismissing it as an overactive imagination and settling back in her chair. She looked down at the front of her shirt, noting her pebbled nipples. This was one more indication that she needed to get out, start dating again.