Pushing Boundaries Ch. 04

Damn! Why did she always have a soft spot for him? And now he's coming closer towards her... and what's he doing?

"Alex!" she yelped, trying to stop him from licking the blood stains at her inner thighs. It didn't matter if it was the wolf or the man who was licking her but if he didn't stop, they might not actually get back to the shelter.

I promise I'll be gentle next time...

Keona looked down warily at his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Your first time shouldn't have been like that.

She stiffened at his reply. Since when did she say it was okay to communicate mentally like that? And why was he caring so much? Damn him!

"I'll be fine. I'll see you at the shelter," she replied emotionlessly before breaking into a run. Alex followed after her; aware that at the speed she was running, she would probably make it back in time to put on her clothes to greet him.

I'll just have to take them off again then. The wolf howled in appreciation at Alex's thoughts; aware that there would be another time to make love to its mate --gently, seriously and definitely marking her until she yielded to their mating call.

***

"Helene my dear, perhaps you should sit. Pacing around like this isn't going to bring us any closer to catching them."

Helene was tired but she conceded to her brother's suggestion and sat. "What's your status with the Culzean girl?"

"Give me a bit more time Helene... I'll get her here by the end of tomorrow. She's always under the watchful eyes of her guardians."

Helene was silent for a minute as she stared into space. When she looked up, she saw that beneath her brother's cold exterior, he had kind eyes looking at her.

"Thank you for being here Connor... I'd thought you'd leave me to return to England." When he didn't reply her, she continued. "I'm crazy aren't I? I've been chasing this project for so long; almost believing that it was impossible until I saw the Ancient allowing his son to marry that wolf --in public! How could that be Connor? Why didn't our..."

"Enough," he interrupted. "Let's not talk about the past anymore. Wounds will not heal if you keep reliving them."

Helene watched her brother move towards the window then dared to ask, "Have yours healed?"

Connor gave her a small smile and shrugged. "How does one heal from the lost of a mate? Especially not when she cornered you into dueling her..."

"I'm sorry. Oh god... it was all my fault!"

Connor wasn't sure if it was entirely her fault. Helene had found a mate with a Werewolf and despite many attempts to stay away, the mating pull had been too great. Helene was only alive because she bit him first --something she regretted for the rest of her life.

Initially Connor hadn't understood the torment his sister was feeling. In fact he despised her for even considering mating with a lesser being until he met his own mate --then he understood the force of the pull.

Kyra had been beautiful and generous; her smile made everything feel better and best of all, she had given him three children: Kyros, Eliza and Annabelle. But he had made a mistake...

He had asked her to let their children take part in the research for the anti-venom that Helene was working on. Helene was convinced that younglings had a less potent venom in their fangs and wanted to compare them with her own.

He'd expect Kyra to yield but instead she wagered her life for their children's and challenged him to a Pureblood duel --a binding contract that made it impossible for him to touch his children upon her death... and that night, Connor lost his mate and left his children in the care of his brother-in-law.

There was nothing much to care for in life after that except for Helene. He had understood her loss and wanted to help her as much as he could, even at the expense of marrying a Noble working for the European Council.

It had been a strategic move for he was sure that they had a way of going around the problem of inter-specie mating. It had stunned him when he learnt that the Ancient Pureblood Culzean had married off his adopted granddaughter to the Original Werewolf. That was just beyond comprehensible! Connor had been sure it was a political marriage but he had been to the wedding and saw that there was genuine love between them --like they were true mates.

And indeed they were.

The hybrid child present on their American soil right this moment was a testament to that --and he was going to do everything in his ability to capture her.

***

Alex must have been really happy about something because Marine noticed that he didn't even growl at her when she mentioned Riley's name.

"Earth to Alex... hellooooo..." Marine waved her hand in front of his nose. "Daddy, I think Alex is in a trance."

"I am so not!" he snapped; blinking his eyes quickly before looking up at her smiling face. "Where are you going little Miss?"

"She's going out on a date," said Erika, coming out from the kitchen. "And I want the two of you to be on your best behavior," she added, glancing knowingly at Alex and Alaron who were looking like they're about to protest any second.

Erika fussed a little with Marine's hair then kissed her daughter on the cheeks --a cover to whisper her last minute instructions. Despite her reluctance to let her precious daughter grow up, Erika knew that there was no holding age back. So the only way she could protect her daughter was to prepare a mini first-aid kit and a can of pepper spray to be tucked in Marine's purse.

"Take good care of yourself and come home before midnight okay?" said Erika with a smile. Marine nodded and flashed a smile to the other two men glowering at her from the sofa.

"I don't trust that Riley fella," said Alaron as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"Honey, you don't trust any fella."

Alaron made a face. "Alex doesn't trust him either."

Erika gave them both a sideward glance. "Alex doesn't even trust himself. If only he'd been a bit less strong headed, he wouldn't have had that whole misunderstanding with Key..."

"Aunt Erika!" exclaimed Alex. "That's hitting way below the belt!"

"I'm just saying..." she replied with a broad grin. "Now stop it you two. Alex, be good or no dinner for you."

"What! I'm 27 years old!" he protested.

"So? You still need to eat don't you?" Erika walked off to the kitchen after making her point.

"There's just no way around women you know," said Alaron, leaning back against the sofa. "They always win so don't bother to argue... too much."

"You are such a softie," Alex said accusingly.

"Heh. I'm a mated man. What can I say? Besides, your mother gave me that advice and it's pretty good advice I must say. You should try it."

Alex wanted to gag. Try and not argue with Keona? That was like castrating himself --okay maybe not that drastic but something to that effect. He lived to argue with her. Besides, that's just a precursor to hot sweaty sex right?

Hell yeah.

"You look like a lovesick puppy," commented Alaron, smacking Alex's head playfully. "You're not actually jealous of this Riley fella are you?"

Alex's eyes widened immediately. "What! No!"

Alaron chuckled and patted his back. "Just checking. I mean if you were jealous then you'd be in big trouble Mister."

Alex gave Alaron a horrified look.

"What? I have to do this daddy-role you know."

"You are one evil Uncle..."

"Yeah yeah. But you love me. Now get off my couch and eat your dinner."

***

Riley had already been waiting for her when she got out of the house. Giving one last wave at her mother, Marine got in the car and put on her seatbelt. Folding her hands neatly on her lap, she turned to look at Riley and blushed slightly.

She was still getting used to the idea that he wanted her --that they were mates --but disciplined herself to wait until he'd make a commitment to her. Mating was primal and instinctive but beyond that? Surely it wouldn't hurt to think about love right? Besides, she was a hopeless romantic and she was falling...

"Gem? Are you alright?" his question interrupted her from her thoughts.

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine," she replied softly. "Where are you taking me tonight?"

"It's a secret. You'll see when we get there."

The drive took about an hour, and when they finally reached their destination, she couldn't help but ask, "Please... please tell me what we're doing here?"

He turned to flash her a sexy grin, "Skinny dipping." As expected, Marine gasped and widened her eyes at him. Patting her thigh gently, he laughed, "I'm just kidding. Your first time shouldn't be in the cold."

Marine stiffened just a little at his play on words.

"Are you frightened of me?"

"No..." she croaked. Truth was, she wasn't sure what she was feeling when it came to Riley. Knowing that they were mates wasn't enough for her. Like all relationships, work needed to be done to maintain the bond right? Lifting her eyes to look at him, she confessed, "Your sexual prowess overwhelms me... and my fear is not that you'll hurt me but that I won't be good enough for you..."

"Don't say that," he whispered, reaching out for her hand. "I've told you before that what is mine is always perfect."

Marine pulled her hand slowly from him. "But you lie for a living. Even now, you're lying to me."

"How am I lying to you?" he demanded, turning to look at her.

"You're hiding your scent again," she said accusingly. "My family thinks you're just a regular human being... but I know you're not. And the fact that you hide your scent all the time tells me you don't want anyone to know what you are... but why?"

"You don't know me long enough to demand answers for those questions Gem," he replied; frustration controlled beneath his calm exterior.

"Then maybe you resent being mated to me. Mates shouldn't lie to each other."

"I didn't lie to you about who I am."

"But you expect me to lie that you're not human either."

Riley took in a deep breath before lowering his shields; allowing his scent to fill the car. It was a concession for her and he wanted her to know it.

"You can tell your family when you are ready," he whispered. "I don't know why Gem but you mean more to me than you should."

Marine forced herself to smile a little. That was probably the most honest sentence he had said to her all night and she hoped that it would continue that way. She wanted to ask him more questions but he was already getting out of the car to open the door for her. She was unsure where they were or what they were doing in what looked like a park but she trusted him enough to hold his hand and follow him.

"This is about the most romantic thing I could come up with," he admitted as he led her to a small clearing a little deeper in the park. At first Marine was skeptical but then she saw a picnic mat laid neatly on the ground with soft looking cushion lying on top of it.

"Is that a picnic basket?" she asked, squinting slightly as she laughed. "If you were really human, then I'd actually have to pretend to eat and then be sick the whole way home."

"Then aren't you glad that I'm not?" he grinned as they finally reached their destination. Now that they were closer, Marine noticed that there were unlit tea candles floating in cups placed around them. It was unnecessary for they could both see perfectly well in the dark but the romantic gesture didn't go unnoticed.

"I'll light that in a while. Why don't you just lie down first?" he said as though reading her mind. Marine was sure he could if he wanted to. Mates usually could read each other although it was something she hadn't tried before. Maybe some other time. Right now, she wanted to stretch out on the mat and look up at the blanket of stars above them.

She lifted her finger and traced the constellations that she could see with her naked eye. Marine was sure she was making up constellations but some of them really looked like odd shaped umbrellas and random things like that.

"Don't you think that looks like a funny umbrella?" she commented, pointing to a cluster of stars. Riley looked up just as he finished lighting up the last candle.

"I think that's a mushroom," he replied before joining her on the mat. Lying flat on his back, he looked up to the sky and allowed her to point out her conjured constellations.

For a moment, Riley almost forgot why they were there. She seemed to have that effect on him, he realized. Unlike the many women he had met in his life, Marine's innocence and youthful energy was like a breath of fresh air to him. Being with her wasn't about sex or power or money --it simply was about life.

He turned slightly to his side to look closely at her and couldn't help but smile.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked as she turned her head to meet his gaze.

"Because I like looking at beautiful things," he replied, watching her stick out her tongue at him.

"Tell me something else... like maybe about your family?"

Her question caught him by surprise but what surprised him more was when he opened his mouth to reply her truthfully.

"My parents were Augustus Nobles and they were mercenaries. They died together on one of their missions a few decades back, leaving me and my younger brother behind. I was about sixty then and he was twenty."

"I'm sorry..." she started to apologize but he simply shook his head and continued.

"It was their job so you shouldn't feel sorry. Besides it was a long time ago."

Marine bit her lips as though holding back her question. Would it be right for her to ask him more questions when it would hurt him?

"Just say it. I know you want to ask me something else," he said, moving closer to touch her face. "You're like an open book Gem. I don't have to even read your mind to know what you're thinking."

She blushed lightly and made a face at him. "You make it sound like it's a bad thing."

"Right now I find it adorable. Plus you don't look good with a poker face," he mused. "Now ask your question."

"How come you and your brother are born forty years apart? Vampires have to abide by the hundred year rule right?"

Riley actually smiled. "The rule doesn't apply to mercenaries because of the nature of their jobs. They are allowed to have more than one child per century mainly because they might not live long enough to wait a century to have another."

"I didn't know that..."

"You're still a youngling. There's much that you don't know yet."

Marine kept quiet. Riley was slightly older than a century and yet he sounded more mature than that. He'd probably know things that were worth more than her parents combined. What could she possibly offer him?

"Riley..." she whispered. "Why are you going out with me?"

His reply was to roll himself on top of her; hands flattened on the ground to brace his body up.

"Because I want to," he replied, bending his head slightly to press a kiss on her lips. He didn't linger and pulled away before she could deepen it further. "We should probably open the picnic basket now," he said, moving away from her to sit up straight.

Marine mimicked his movement and peered into the basket as saw him taking out two wine glasses and a bottle of what she assumed was wine. She vaguely saw the ice packs that were keeping the bottle cold.

"It doesn't smell like wine," she commented, coming closer to sniff at the liquid. "Oh! It's..."

"Yeah it is," he grinned, clinking his glass against hers. "It's O negative so you should be able to drink it."

Marine nodded and pressed the glass against her lips; tipping it lightly to allow the liquid to flow down her throat. She downed the whole glassful and placed it down. Leaning back on her elbows, she took a deep breath and relaxed. It was really peaceful here and it would probably be a good place to bring Alex for their next run --if only she knew where they were. Did Riley mention the location? He did right? Marine was sure he did but her head was spinning slightly. Maybe she was allergic to O-negative blood or something.

"Riley..." she called out to him and a moment later felt his sturdy hands lifting her lightly to allow her head to rest on his thigh. She smiled as she looked up into his handsome face; reaching up to stroke his cheeks tenderly. He was starting to look blurry now and Marine felt her head spinning even faster.

Cuddling closer to his warmth, she was half unconscious as she murmured, "I... love..." before everything went completely blank and dark.

***

Riley closed his eyes for a moment, trying to push away what she almost wanted to say. Guilt and pain ripped through him at the thought of losing his mate. But this was his mission and Riley had never failed... until now. How was he to know that she'd be his mate? He wasn't supposed to have feelings for the target but he did. He broke his first and most important rule and regretted the choice that he was about to make right now.

Picking up his phone, he made the call.

"Took you long enough Eos. Report your location."

"I'm at coordinates 39.17139°N 119.8925°W."

"Very well. A pick up vehicle should arrive in approximately five minutes. Be on standby."

"Yes Sir," he replied and disconnected the call. Riley was supposed to clear the picnic site but he didn't move from his position. Instead he continued to hold Marine in his arms for as long as he could. His sweet innocent Gem was going to be lost to him forever now. And she was right about him --that he was a liar. He didn't deserve her.

***

The facility was located deep beneath a series of minor lakes and because it was bordered by treacherous hills on all sides, it did not attract any tourist attention; rendering it safe from being discovered. Furthermore, the elevation of the site also meant that the intense cold provided additional coverage when necessary --especially numbing one's sense of smell and hearing.

"Major Eos, this is Hedva, our new head scientist. She will be taking care of the captive for the time being," introduced Connor.

Riley stiffened slightly at the realization that their head scientist was a Werewolf.

"She's the best," said Connor, making no attempt to hide the fact that he had just read Riley's mind.

"Yes Sir. It is good to meet you... Doctor," said Riley politely before adding, "Take good care of her."

Hedva gave him a small smile then disappeared back into her lab. Riley managed to catch a glimpse of the holding cell where Marine was kept and forced himself not to feel anything. This was his job and nothing more.

"That's right it is. And while I appreciate your success in delivering the bait, your loyalty is now questionable," said Connor. Riley almost burst out in protest. How dare him!

"You like her." It was a statement not a question --one that Riley chose neither to confirm nor deny. "Your impartiality might affect the research status so the lab is out of bounds to you effective immediately. If caught, you will be terminated on the spot."

Riley tried not to grit his teeth. "Yes Sir."

"To test your loyalty, I have one last mission for you."

This time, Riley snapped. "No! You promised me that this would be the last! If I lured her here, you'd release my brother!"

Connor simply clucked his tongue and shook his finger. "I never promised anything. You of all people should know that promises don't mean a thing. Look at what you promised the Culzean girl. Tsk tsk. Shame on you." Connor smiled and then added, "Be in Meeting Room Five in fifteen minutes for your next briefing." Then he turned and left.

Riley was furious. They had a deal! He considered attacking the Ancient but controlled himself. If he wanted to ensure that Marine was kept safe, even under the circumstances, then killing the American Council head was not a good move.

He had never been afraid of death for his parents had been missionaries and taught him to be fearless. And now, he was a Vanguard --a missionary in another term --and to the world, they never existed. Their births were never recorded and so will their deaths. He was trained to be the greatest spy; excellent with disguises and the ability to blend in their environments. His scent cloaking ability had been extremely useful for him for it allowed him to live safely amongst the humans, behaving like them while he kept his watch on his targets.