Chapter Four

“Get out!” Poppy screamed the moment she opened her eyes. She stared at Adam first before moving her gaze to the others who were crowding her door.

Katie left immediately, taking William with her.

The others refused to move.

“You heard her, get out!” Adam yelled at the others. He pulled her cloak from the bed and wrapped it around her.

The door shut and Poppy happily covered her body from his view.

“I’m sorry about my family,” he said.

Poppy couldn’t look at him. She knew he would have seen one of the worst parts of her condition.

Her blood would have soaked up into her body like it always did. The process hurt like hell, but at least she couldn’t die. Not unless she was killed by someone far more powerful than her who could rip her heart out. She pressed a hand to her chest and looked at the criss-cross above her breast. No blood, the wound was now pale.

Closing her eyes, she let out a sigh of relief.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” he asked.

With all my heart.

But Poppy shook her head. She didn’t want to worry Adam any more than she already had. They needed to concentrate on finding the alpha wolf before her situation grew worse.

They’d said one day she’d have to make a choice and it appeared that day was drawing near.

“We need to find the original alpha—the alpha who is dead,” she told him, pulling away from his close embrace. Adam always found the time to touch or hold her. She feared his touch was becoming addictive to her.

“Robert has told us we can’t. It’s too dangerous,” Adam said.

“Look, I was sent here to deliver a message and help the witch. This is not my mission or my call. I’m here to help you and if we don’t deal with it soon, there will be another call for me to answer.” Poppy put her cloak on properly while turning her back to him.

“Can’t you ignore the call?”

“Can you ignore your thirst for blood?”

“I see what you mean.”

No, you don’t.

“I’ve not got a lot of time left. We need to search for the alpha. Trying to find him could take days.” Poppy turned to him and her heart fell to her stomach.

“Take the cloak off,” he asked, stepping closer.

“What? I’ll do no such thing,” she said, even as her hands twitched to open the cloak. She found the more time she spent with him, the more power he held over her. If he asked her to die for him, she would gladly do it. The strong emotion she’d kept locked away for so long was starting to emerge and Poppy didn’t know how much time she had left.

“I said take the cloak off.” This time he ordered her. He stood close now. If he reached out, he’d be able to circle his arms around her.

“Why?” Poppy was mesmerised by him.

“I want you to.”

Her fingers went to undo the sash and buttons, starting at her neck and working her way down. She licked her suddenly dry lips and unbuttoned each of the large black circles.

Adam took the cloak from her as soon as she’d untied the last sash and threw it on the bed.

His hands came down and very gently he pushed her hair back from her face. Her hand went up to cover one half of her face.

Adam stopped her and pushed the hand away. “I want to look at you.”

Feeling really stupid, Poppy stood while he looked his fill. She was conscious of the scars running down her face and neck. They were like a hot burn she couldn’t get rid of.

He moved his palms down and began to unbutton her dress.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

The dress flowed around her and she couldn’t bring herself to stop. Once the dress was parted to the waist, she placed a hand above his to pause him.

“No more,” she said. Being completely naked was out of the question. He nodded and opened the dress wider. Poppy watched him run a thumb over each scar. The one from her neck ran down across her other breast to finish in a jagged pull.

“Each scar is a battle or two that you’ve fought.” He sounded fascinated by her.

“We’re supposed to be thinking about the upcoming search,” she argued even as her heart melted where his finger followed the trace of the scar over her breast.

“I’ll talk to Robert and we’ll go shortly after. This one looks so painful.” He was tracing the criss-cross board.

“It was,” she admitted.

“You’re a true warrior.” She cried out when he began to kiss every one of her war wounds in turn. He spent extra attention on the most painful of her scars.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked.

“Because I want to.”

His lips moved to her nipple and she gazed down as his tongue wetted the aching bud. It was a simple flick that had her crying out and cupping his head. A pool of heat swirled in her middle.

“So sensitive.”

No man had ever touched her in such an intimate embrace. It was forbidden in her world to allow such contact. Only properly mated and married couples could partake in such activities. And even then they were only allowed in order to produce more offspring.

“You’re so tasty,” he groaned before moving to her other breast.

With his moans and growls Poppy forgot about the pain and the scars on her body. She truly believed he saw her as desirable.

His hands bunched up her skirts and in the next second his hands were seeking her wet heat. Poppy tensed, pulling away.

“No,” she cried out, turning away from him and fumbling to do her dress up.

“What’s the matter?” he asked. He stood close behind her.

“I don’t want that.” Yes, I do but I’m not allowed.

“I’m sorry. I only wanted to give you pleasure.” He cupped her shoulders and brought her back against him. It would be so easy to accept him and forget about her calling. But she couldn’t do it. Not yet.

“Why? Why would you do it?”

“I don’t know. All I know is in my gut all I want to do is be with you,” he said.

“It doesn’t make sense.”

“How can a world with werewolves, vampires, witches and necromancers make any sense?”

She found no counter-argument.

“We should wait until tomorrow at nightfall before we approach Robert about leaving to complete our mission. I think it would be best if we rested and then moved out after a good night’s sleep.”

Poppy agreed then waited until she heard the click of the door before she collapsed in a heap on the floor. She wanted more than anything to call him back, but she couldn’t do it. The curse of a necromancer—they must always remain pure and untouched. Her heart bled at the useless emotion filling her chest. To want him and to know she could never have him hurt her more than anything.

She glanced at her reflection. The woman from her dream sat in the same position on the other side.

“You know what you have to do,” her reflection said to her.

Poppy let the tears fall. She knew the Valentines, and what was being asked of her was too much. She couldn’t do it, but to not do as she’d been told… What was the punishment in that?

She was beginning to have feelings for Adam. Not just lust but the all-consuming kind of feelings. Closing her eyes, she knew how close she’d come to letting him take her. To letting Adam have her body.

Would it be so bad to say screw it to a destiny she wanted no part of?

 

For the second time that day, Adam shut the door behind him. He cursed his need to be near her. By seeing her without the cloak, he’d hoped to dispel the need to be with her. As each part of her flesh had been uncovered, the need to have her had only increased inside him. His cock, hard and erect, pulsed inside his jeans and all he wanted to do was charge back in there, throw her to the bed and fuck her until she wanted him with the same intensity he wanted her.

“I see you’re still alive,” Jason joked, coming up from his seat at the step.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” he asked. He stood guard outside her door, not wanting his younger brother to hurt her.

“You’re so quick to defend her. All of you are. A necromancer comes here and you all trust her as if she’s a long lost sister.”

“I don’t view her like that,” Adam said.

“No. You want to get into her pants.”

Adam closed his eyes. The instinct to draw his weapon—he kept a small hunting knife on him at all times—and strike his brother down was strong. “I suggest, little brother, that when this battle is done and the war is over you take yourself and leave this place.”

“Are you threatening me? Choosing a woman, a mere necromancer, over your own flesh and blood?”

“Our father taught us to be fair and to treat others with the same common courtesy we expect for ourselves. You slight him every time you think and say a bad word against Poppy. As of right now, I no longer consider you a brother and I suggest for the time being you stay away from me. I won’t be held responsible for my actions,” Adam warned him.