Blood & Power

Prologue

Asher lie on his back upon rumpled silken sheets pulled haphazardly from the night's amorous activities. To his left, a sordid pile of men and women sleeping peacefully in a tangle of naked bodies. On his right, the moon shown through the window illuminating the room. He raised his arms above his head stretching his powerful 6'4'' frame until the bones in his back popped audibly. He flexed his neck from side-to-side before rising from the bed.

The soft pad of his bare feet on the concrete floor was the only sound save for the hooting of owls. It had been this way for the past few months. He would abscond to bed with a crowd of willing lovers, plow his frustration and anxiety away praying that exhaustion would gain him a few glorious hours of rest. Thus far, the plan had not worked.

Something did not sit well with him. His spirit and his mind were in conflict. He had a job to carry out, a task he had accepted without much thought. As the days faded into twilight, however, he found sleep increasingly difficult to obtain. He had turned his attentions to alcohol, strenuous physical labor, and sex in the hopes that he could override whatever held sleep at bay. Nothing helped, nothing settled his unease.

He had spent the previous nights exploring the abandoned factory his group had taken as their temporary home, learning the lay of the land and how best to defend against an enemy presence. It was unlikely that they would be attacked during the course of their mission, but he practiced under the philosophy of hoping for the best, preparing for the worst. It had not steered him wrong so far.

He had barely put up a fight when the council had asked him to form a search party. He had balked, however, when he had learned they were to scour the city, searching for a "person of interest". A person of interest, whom the council felt would prove to be quite useful in the days to come, whatever that meant. No harm was to befall the target. She was to be treated with the utmost respect and care.

As one of the best Seekers, Asher had been consulted specifically for his prowess in remaining undetected, as well as a multitude of other skills which were not quite so covert. He had been promised a new seat and higher authority within the government, provided he was successful in his acquisition.

Asher recognized a delivery job when he saw one and by all standards he should have turned on the council when they made the offer. In another life, perhaps he would have. The times had changed, politics held more power than brute strength. Even being a paragon meant little these days. As such, he and eight of his most talented and proven soldiers now stalked a lone girl at the request of some old men in robes.

He paused in a large empty window-frame which afforded a entrancing view of the city. The bright lights of the bustling downtown night-life sparkled, dotting the velvet night sky with promises of happiness and decadent adventures. Asher leaned his head against the pitted wooden frame and closed his eyes, letting the cool night air sweep around his body bringing goosebumps to the surface. The half-moon peaked through the clouds, shining crisp pale light onto his naked body.

A hand lightly caressed his back. In a flash of bared teeth and thick-muscled limbs, Asher captured his would-be assailant in a tight grasp and slammed the sneak against the nearest wall. The clack of teeth chomping against themselves gave testament to the power he had utilized on his target. His eyes adjusted to the near dark of the hallway and he found, to his surprise, that there was no assailant.

Wide, shock-filled brown eyes gazed at him from beneath an oily tangle of mid-length jet-black hair. A choking sound emitted from her mouth as she pulled franticly at the large hand wrapped tightly around her throat. Asher released her and she crumpled to the ground drawing large gulps of air into her lungs as tears filled her eyes.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" The girl screamed, her voice shrill; strained.

Asher turned away from her, casting his gaze upon the city once more.

"You could have killed me you sick bastard!" The 5'5" girl said over a choked sob.

He could hear her rise from the floor.

"What the hell is the matter with you?!" She clenched her hands into fists. "Are you fucking psycho?!" She screamed at his back. His muscular body cast into relief by the soft light of the moon. Her breath came in gasps as she fought to keep her anger at bay.

His breaths were deep and slow. "I could have killed you." He said. His deep voice, crisp and articulate seemed to reverberate in the hollows of her body. "I do not do well when someone sneaks up on me." He looked over his shoulder at her. His handsome face shining in the silvery light of the night. "I trust you have learned a lesson?"

She looked at him; awestruck by his beauty. The dark of the night could conceal many things from her searching eyes, but the dark could never block the mesmerizing shift of colors dotting his dark green irises. "You're crazy." She started to back away from him, but something within her buzzed hungrily for him. "You're . . . You're crazy." Her words losing their venom.

She was caught completely off guard by the shifting hues of pinks and purples, like flecks of opal had been caught in his eyes. The result was, for lack of a better word, dazzling. She took in the magnificent power of his form, the rippling muscles of his body. She admired him, unabashed, her eyes devouring every inch of him. Aside from his head and face, he was perfectly hairless. On others it would have looked pre-pubescent, on him it looked perfectly appetizing.

"You don't sound very convinced." Asher said, turning his body toward her. He widened his gaze, letting his birthright pull her under his influence.

She swallowed as she looked him over, her mouth suddenly felt dry. The chiseled features of his body radiated power and the hard length of his manhood sparked a fire deep within her. She could feel herself heating up, the core of her body tuning in to something primal, something dark, something coming from him. A noise filled the room, a humming.

"What," She spoke softly, "What is that sound?" Her body seemed to move of its own accord. Her legs bringing her nearer to her target, her large, muscular, DANGEROUS, target.

"I think it's coming from you." Asher replied, caressing the skin of her arms lightly.

"But it's so loud." She complained.

"Maybe, there's something you want to say to me." Asher whispered to her. His mouth was inches from her own. The hot air of his breath washing over her lips as he took her in his arms. "Or, maybe there is something you want which requires no words."

This time she recognized the noise which came from her throat; a throaty purr. She blushed as her body responded eagerly to this man. Her blush deepened as he sniffed the air, like he was savoring a scent. She became explicitly aware of the wet proof of her arousal trailing down her thighs.

"What. Are. You. Doing. To. Me." She spoke each word slowly, taking a deep breath between each word.

Asher moved the tip of his nose along her skin, breathing in her scent while his hands trailed slowly down her back. "I have no idea what you mean." Asher said, innocently.

"I. Have. Never. Felt. This. Way." She shivered in his arms. She looked up at him, a fire burning brightly in her eyes. "I. I." She fidgeted as the sensations of being so close to him overwhelmed her senses. "I. Need. You." She said through clenched teeth. "Now!"

Asher kissed her deeply, pulling her lower lip sharply between his teeth. She groaned into him, pressing her body tightly against the sharp edges of him.

"How can I deny a beautiful woman what she needs?" Asher asked quietly.

Her nails scraped lightly down his back, though at 5'5'' she could barely reach the bottom of his shoulders. She pressed her body as close to his as possible, feeling the length of his member against her stomach; the heat of him scorching her skin.

"Please." She begged.

He lowered his hands to her soft, round bottom. His strong fingers grasped her tightly, easily lifting her into the air. She wrapped her legs around his waist pressing her scorching sex against his abdomen. He hissed through his teeth as the scent of her arousal filled his senses.

"Please, what?" Asher asked, his hand dropping lower so that the tip of his finger teased her soft, velvety lips. She arched her back, pressing her breasts into his face as he continued teasing her. "Please, what?" He asked once more.

He marveled at the feeling of her body wrapping around his fingers. The sweet clench of her muscles as his thick finger massaged her, drawing her moisture out. Her scent filled his nose, chasing away the thoughts which had plagued him upon waking. He licked his lips, tasting the salty naughtiness of her heat. Her natural feminine smell causing his manhood to pulse with a sweet dull ache.

"Anything." She replied huskily, locking her eyes on his. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth, her hands squeezing her breasts suggestively.

"Gladly." Asher replied, swatting her hands away so that he could gaze upon her unhindered.

She burned for him, like a bonfire on a moonless night. Her nails scratched deeply into his skin as he licked the warm, salty skin of her neck. She tightened her legs around him, trying to force him into her. He nipped her skin causing her to moan loudly in the abandoned hall.

She could feel the length of him rising against her. It began as a pressure against her inner thigh, though it quickly became a rod of heat throbbing against her body, begging to fill her completely. She salivated at the thought of him entering her, stretching her, bending her to his will. She leaned her forehead against his shoulder groaning as he continued to tease her, denying her what she so desperately needed.

She hissed through her teeth as the hard, hot head of his arousal rubbed between her lips quickly becoming coated with her juices. He moved his lips closer to her ears, whispering heated words which took shape in her mind, playing vivid fantasies behind her eyes like a theater for the animal part of her.

"Please." She whimpered. "Please, I can't take anymore. I need to feel you inside me. I need you to take me."

He chuckled lightly. Supporting her body weight in one arm, he used his free hand to trace phantom patterns on her skin, enjoying the goosebumps blossoming on her lightly tan flesh. She trailed her hands up and down Asher's body, feeling the thick cords of muscle twisting and shifting beneath the surface. She wanted nothing more in that moment than to become the object of his desire, the tool of his release. The thought made her smile.

With one hand, Asher pulled her shirt over her head. Her breasts looked magnificent in the black lace bra beneath. Her nipples pressed hard against the sexy fabric, her quarter sized areolae dark circles in the moonlight. Asher pulled the bra lower until it was bunched beneath her breasts. He licked his lips before pulling one of her breasts into his mouth. She cried out at the sensation. The power flowing from him intoxicated her until her want for him was all that remained.

Asher could feel his own desire building to a painful crescendo. He knew that he should turn her away. He knew that she would be another insignificant conquest in a line of failed attempts to achieve a restful night's sleep. He looked into her dark brown eyes, shining bright with hope that he would take her, make her feel things she had only ever experienced through crisp words found in worn copies of harlequin romance novels.

He reached beneath her, wrapping his fist around the shaft of his sex and guided himself closer to her. The silky enveloping folds of her flower dripped heavily of nectar. The sacred liquid coated him and made his erection throb powerfully within his firm grasp. The girl arched her back as the head of him slowly slid into her, filling her almost to the point of pain.

"Ungh!" She complained. Her nails dug sharply into his back, little drops of blood springing to the surface of the wounds. "Fuck!" She flexed her hips, commanding her body to take all that he could give.

"It's ok." Asher said soothingly. "Take your time, get used to the feeling within you." He stroked her hair reassuringly, letting affection seep into his words. "There is no rush. We have all the time in the world."

She looked deeply into his eyes. The opal-like flecks shimmering in the sea of his green eyes. She pressed her lips roughly against his, drinking in the taste of his mouth, the scent of his skin, the rough prickle of the stubble on his face against hers. She moaned into his mouth, an indulgent scream as more of his prodigious length slid into her, filling her swelling cavern to capacity.

She crossed her ankles behind his back, spreading her hips wider, needing to feel as much of him against her body as possible. She shuddered uncontrollably in his arms, struggling to fight back the explosion threatening to rip her apart as he began to move his hips. He drew the hard length from her core before slowly sliding it back in stopping only when the swollen head of his member bottomed out within her.

"God, you are so big." The girl moaned as Asher filled her once more. She clenched her toes tightly, squeezing her eyes shut as her release threatened to take her over. She feared that if she gave in to the amazing sensation, she might never recover.

"Don't hold back." His voice seemed to vibrate every inch of her body. "You are so wet around me, I can feel your hot liquid coating me, dripping from my body." He licked her neck languorously, savoring the taste of her sweat-salty skin on his tongue. "I love it." He growled.

She opened her eyes as the feelings began to override her ability to think. She pressed her palms against his muscular chest, as her breasts heaved from the power with which he ravished her. She could feel him, pulling quickly from within her, only to slam into her once more. With each movement her slammed her into the concrete wall, the grit of stonework biting into her skin barely registered to her at all.

She could feel, rather than hear, the moans coming from her mouth as he twined his fingers in her wet hair. He seemed to know how she needed to be touched, what would set her off, and what she wanted done to her body. He played her body like an instrument. He took one of her breasts in his mouth, sucking roughly on the hard point as he slammed his hips into her once more.

Asher could feel the vortex of her muscles pulling him in, squeezing him, milking him. He hissed through his teeth as he pushed into her, always wanting more, needing more. He was acutely aware of her scent on the air. A muskiness reminiscent of coconut and shea butter. He continued to take her, feeling the dust in the air stick to the sweat of his body, forming dirty droplets which left dark trails as they raced down his toned back. The Animal was rising, rearing its head, riding on the coattails of his release. He hoped he could fight it off; for her sake.

The dark haired girl could feel a force building within her. A pressure that she had never felt with any lover. The muscles in her back were tense, her thighs jumped of their own accord, and a panic filled her as the last of her defenses crumbled. She screamed for him, her voice resounding within the open spaces of the semi-empty walls.

She scratched at his chest, her nails peeling the flesh with ease, releasing a crimson trickle which traced the hard landscape of his torso. Her muscles tensed as never before and a wild flood sprayed from her body, splashing against Asher's navel and waist.

Asher could feel her body moving against him. She had become liquid, a fluid poetry flowing in perfect synchronicity to his lust. The heels of her feet were pressed tightly to his butt, pulling her harder into him with every thrust. She moaned for him, begging for more, begging for the time they shared together to stretch into infinity. Her juices soaked his firm length, coating him completely in the thick fluid of her release. It left him tingling, boiling toward his eruption. The animal within him longed to claim her in the most primal way. He rushed over the edge, slamming in to her clenching chasm one final time.

Asher drove himself into her once more, a roar from his throat marked his release as his seed sprayed into her coating her womb with his hot, thick seed. Asher clenched his teeth tightly, feeling the change wracking his body. He fought the urge to give in to the power within him. His orgasm became the focal point of his existence. He pinned the girl between his body and the wall, as the tips of his fingers stretched, forming long sharp nails. He drew his hands down slowly, scratching deep gouges in the hard stone to the sides of her body. His hard length pulsed within her as rope after thick rope of his seed filled her.

As he came down from the high, he let his hands slide down the cool concrete, his nails scraping away more of the concrete, until his forehead rested against hers. When Asher finally raised his head, he saw a look of sleepy contentment on her face. She smiled at him, giggling lightly at the perfectly normal, plain green of his eyes. He smiled at her, running his fingers through her hair. He lifted her, still connected at the hip, and moved away from the wall.

She exhaled into his face as he pulled their bodies apart, her breath a sour mix of saliva and the last meal she had eaten. He turned his face away as he moved her to the floor. He pulled his satiated sex from her well used slit. She moaned lightly at the feeling of his seed dripping from within her, coating her thighs. She closed her eyes and began breathing softly, sleep rushing upon her like a freight train.

"Dream." Asher whispered. "Dream of stars. A cloudless sky. Dream of the moon. Peaceful things." He kissed her brow and walked away, padding into the darkness. Sleep seemed forever out of his reach, so he walked, following a trail he could not see.

She dreamt.

A low howl wavered on the night breeze raising the hackles on the back of Asher's neck. He sighed heavily; it was going to be a long night. He lifted the sleeping woman from the floor and carried her back to his room. Depositing her on the bed, he pulled on his Buckle Black jeans and heavy black leather boots. He pulled his leather jacket over his bare shoulders and walked from the room, quiet as a shadow chased away by a rising light.

The trees formed an almost perfect circle around the meeting place. At 6'1" the figure in the center of the worn dirt patch would be an intimidating sight to most, to Asher he was reassurance. Asher turned his head from side-to-side, groaning as the pops sounded. When he finally stood in front of the other, he put his hands in his jacket pocket and waited quietly.

The other fidgeted in the silence.

Asher finally spoke. "What do you have to report, Garret?"

Garret shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He had decided to follow Asher early on, quickly proving himself useful until he had become one of Asher's most trusted advisers. Normally, he was a stalwart fixture in Asher's world, rarely spooked, never beaten. His demeanor on this night meant something unexpected had occurred.

"There are others here." Garret's voice was deep, a bass line no instrument could match. He clenched and unclenched his fists.

"Mine." Asher replied. "They are of no concern."

Garret grumbled low in his throat. "Not them." Garret cocked his head to the side, like he was listening for something only he could hear. "We found Oni."

Asher straightened his body. "How many?" Oni were a wildcard indeed.

"Can't be certain." Garret replied. "Not many. A small contingency. Maybe just a pair."