Predator

Chapter 60

When Riddick woke the next morning, he stretched an arm out to his side in search of his mate’s warm body. The sheets next to him were cold from where she had been laying. He opened his eyes and saw the empty spot next to him. “Alex?” He called out thinking she might be tending to the children.

“I am here.” Came a soft reply.

He rolled over to find her sitting at the foot of the bed clutching her knees to her chest. Her forehead rested on them and she was shivering. “Baby, are you alright?” He asked as he crawled to sit behind her.

“I am a little unsettled.” She whispered.

“About what?” He reached out to touch her shoulder and felt her tense. “What is it, baby?”

“Despite the fact that you wore me out, I still had a hard time sleeping. My head…” Her hands moved to her temples and she began to rock back and forth. “My head is killing me.”

“I thought you didn’t get sick.” He said curiously. “You did heal completely, didn’t you?”

“I don’t and I did. It is all the thoughts in my head. They are too much.” She clutched her temples tighter and shook her head trying to clear her mind. “It is worse than it was before.”

“Before when?” Riddick asked but had the sinking feeling he already knew the answer.

“Before I was restored. I erected mental barriers in my mind ages ago to keep the din of the masses from overwhelming me but it is harder now.” Her body racked with a shudder and he could hear her restrained sobs. “Richard, I can hear every living being’s thoughts inside of my head. It is so loud. I cannot think clearly…”

“Baby, it is going to be okay.” He moved forward and wrapped his body around hers. “I’m right here.” He kissed the side of her head gently. “Take all the strength you need from me and concentrate. You can get this under control.”

“I can’t…it is so loud.” She said in a tiny voice. “No.” She shook her head. “You…are right. I have to clear…my mind.” She closed her eyes and focused on the man holding her. He was whispering loving words of encouragement into her ear and she concentrated on his voice alone until it was all she could hear. “Good.” She released a sigh of relief. “I can now focus on the task at hand.”

“What is that, love?”

“I hunt today.” She moved one of her hands to wipe the tears that were rolling down her cheeks and returned it to her legs. “It’s here and I cannot avoid it any longer.”

“You said that something was here yesterday before we…got carried away.”

“Yes.” She let out a tiny chuckle. “I did allow myself to be distracted by you yesterday. I was so focused on us that it is probably why the voices didn’t filter into my head. We both desperately needed what happened. It was important for us to experience that together. Both of our beasts needed their mates and my animal is now satisfied.”

“Mine is too but what are you hunting?”

“The Abyss has infiltrated our home. It isn’t in its true form but I can feel it here.” She sniffled and shook her head slightly. “It is fucking with me by messing with my family. If what I suspect is true, I am in for a hell of a fight within the walls of my own house.” She glanced around the room before settling her gaze directly in front of her. “No one is safe here.”

“What are you saying, Alex?”

“I’m saying that after I find out where it is hiding, you need to get everyone I tell you is clear out of the palace so I can deal with it. I cannot afford any harm befalling my family when I go into battle.” She turned to look into his eyes with tears flowing from the gravity wells within hers. “I am unaccustomed to fighting at full strength. It has been too long since I have experienced it. I do not want to accidentally hurt any of you.”

“You were scanning me yesterday, weren’t you?” He asked as he gazed at her curiously. “You were looking to see if it was inside of me. It can do that? It can possess one of us?”

“I was scanning you but I wasn’t looking for the Abyss. My animal was targeting yours and wanted it free. She needed her mate.” She smiled briefly before it fell from her face. “In one of its forms, the Abyss can invade any body it wants and plant itself inside their mind or their heart. They can go an extended period of time completely unaware that it is even within them until it decides to use them for its own purposes. Aside from Ian, Ioan, Ronon, you and myself, everyone else here is vulnerable to its influence.”

“I think most of us can handle ourselves.” He said with conviction.

“No you can’t! Not against this being! I need you to do this for me without question, Richard.” Her voice rose in volume and he could see the desperation on her face. “You have to protect our family…especially from me.”

“Okay. I promise to do as you ask.” He cupped her cheek in his palm and she nuzzled into his touch. “Do we stay on Ariana or do I take them elsewhere?”

“For now I think the temple will suffice. When the final battle comes, I will make my decision then.” She furrowed her brow and a hard edge resounded in her voice. “I have no intention of letting it happen on my world but I don’t know if I can prevent it.”

“Do you think it will happen here?”

“I don’t know. I should be able to tell where it is hiding now but I am still getting used to my heightened abilities. It is a little unnerving trying to reacquaint myself with my full power. I know that wherever the final battle does occur, it will be just me against it. All of you need to stay away.”

She took his face between her hands and gave him a searing kiss. “The power that will be unleashed will be unlike anything you’ve ever seen. It could kill any of you with the exception of Ian and Ioan. You have to stay away. Do you understand?” He nodded his head with a look of fear in his eyes. “The only ones that I will take with me are the Wielders.”

“What?” He yelled in disbelief. “I have more power than the Wielders! Why do you need them?”

“I need them to stop me!” His face fell when he understood her meaning. “When I unleash my true self on the Abyss, I will be overcome with the power. If I cannot regain control when it is over, I will need Logan and Scott to do their duty.”

“Alex…”

“Richard, I love you but you cannot argue with me on this. I cannot risk losing control and doing the Abyss’ job for him.” She threw herself into his embrace and relished in his warmth. “I need the Wielders there to ensure the safety of everything I love in case I can’t bring myself back, Richard.”

“You’ll come back to me.” He whispered as he scented her hair and ran his hands over her bare back. “I know you’ll come back to me.”

~*~

He held their daughter in his arms and watched his mate pace their room for an hour. She stalked back and forth like a caged panther and he could feel her inner animal clawing its way to the surface. She needed to release it to begin her hunt but her underlying fear was keeping it at bay.

“Alex.” He watched as her hand moved nervously from her forehead to her mouth and back again. “Baby, you have to let it go.”

“I’m afraid to.” She said nervously. “I don’t know what I am capable of when I am on the hunt.”

“I do.” She stopped her pacing and looked at him waiting for an answer. “You hunted me, remember? I am definitely not complaining about it.”

“Are you saying I should use the same sexual prowess to get to close enough to scan them?” She smiled and arched an eyebrow at his proposal. “I think that is a little much, don’t you?”

“I’m not telling you to go on a sex fest but they all miss you. It will give you the chance to get close enough to check them out.”

“You know how I get when I let her out.” She smiled seductively at him. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to control myself.”

“You said that Ian, Ioan, Dawn, and myself were your only concerns.” A frown formed on his face when his jealousy kicked in. “You don’t need to fuck them all just to find out if the Abyss is inside of them.”

“She said that the four of you were her only concerns. I am in charge now and I want all of my mates.” She leaned towards him and looked straight into his eyes. Her hunger was plain for him to see. “Just for the record, I don’t fuck my sons.” She smiled and stood back up to continue her pacing. “I know Ian, Ioan, Ronon, you, and the Wielders are safe from possession.”

“Why them?”

“The Abyss cannot inhabit the body of a Phoenix. Ronon has a power of his own that makes him too powerful to possess. You are a Furyan and, ever since you bonded with me, you are second to only me in power. The Wielders’ gauntlets safeguard them from harm.” She stopped and turned towards him. “That just leaves the rest of them and for some reason I don’t think it is in the boys.”

‘Ian.’

‘Yes, my love?’

‘I need you in my chambers.’

He appeared in a flash of white light with his head bowed. “What can I do for you, love?” He glanced up and his eyes widened when he took in her nude form. “What the hell happened to you, Alexandra? Where did you get all of these bruises?”

“Richard was too rough with me during sex.” She crossed her arms beneath her bruised breasts and gave him a pouty lip. “I want you to beat him up.”

“What?” Riddick yelled incredulously. “Baby, what are you talking about?”

“Ian, look what he did to me.” She uncrossed her arms and ran a fingertip over a swollen nipple. She sauntered up to her First, wrapped her hands around the back of his neck, and rubbed her body against his. “I need you to defend my honor, my beloved.”

Ian’s eyes clenched tight as she ground her abdomen against his burgeoning erection. When they opened again, they were burning with white energy and fixed on Riddick.

“Wait a second.” He jumped to his feet and tilted his body sideways to protect his daughter. “Ian, it isn’t what you think.” He raised his hand to ward off the angry Phoenix and glanced at his mate’s smiling face. “Alex…”

“At ease, my love.” She rose up on her tiptoes and kissed Ian hard on the mouth. He groaned as her tongue dueled with his for dominancy and was left breathless when she won. “I was just kidding. Richard did exactly what I wanted him to do to me.”

As she pulled away from him, Ian saw the fiery bird branded on her chest and caught her by the wrist. “What the hell is this?” He ran his free hand down her cleavage to her abdomen and back up over the swells of her breasts. “What did she do to you, my love?”

“She branded me, Ian. We had a little disagreement. She thought I betrayed her by locking her away in the containment cell. Then we argued about the importance of my family. She thought everyone was worthless with the exception of Ioan, Richard, Dawn and you. She won the first fight. I won the second.” She pulled her wrist out of his grasp. “As you can see there was a price for her cooperation.”

His hand went to the back of her neck and drew her face within inches of his. “The whites of your eyes have been consumed by the black.” His hand traced over the wingspan of the Phoenix symbol and watched as her nipples tightened into hard peaks. “You have gone feral, haven’t you? That is why the whole palace could hear you screaming his name out all day yesterday.”

“I have undergone a transformation that you helped to facilitate. We are preparing for my final battle. She has ensured her place in my life by embedding her claws so deep in my being that I will never be free again. I have given her the emotions that she has craved for all eternity and together we are the perfect predator.”

“My love, I am so sorry.” His eyes filled with tears as he placed his hand over her heart. “I did not mean to condemn you to this new existence just as you finally found peace with your old one. I wanted you to have the abilities you’d need to win your battle.”

“I definitely have that now, Ian.” She held her arms out to her sides and indicated the length of her body to him with a wave of her hands. “You made me into a new animal.” She cocked her head to the side and gave him an eerie grin. “Something unlike you have ever seen before.”

“I am not like she was when it was just the 2 of you soaring through the stars.” She narrowed her pitch black eyes on him and the smirk faded. “I am most definitely not like the Alexandra you all knew. You have given a supreme being with human emotions and an unbelievable need to protect her loved ones, the full abilities of the most powerful entity in existence. I was powerful and dangerous before, Ian, but now I am a different being altogether. If you thought I didn’t care about collateral damage before…well, wait until you get a load of me now.”

“I didn’t know it would be this bad.”

“Who said it was bad?” Her head snapped up towards his and she drew in his scent. “You don’t like the new me? I was never quite human and now I am even less of a supreme being. The humanity that courses through my mind and soul has forever tainted the Phoenix. I am more of a hunter now than anything else. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“No. I never wanted this.” Tears flowed from his soulful eyes and he bowed his head to stare at the floor. “I always wanted you to be happy and find peace. I did what I had to do because your enemy is upon you. I knew you would try to fight it at half power and I knew you would die painfully and repeatedly. I couldn’t stand for that to happen. You were dead for a long time at the hands of its Agents before you were reborn. The Abyss could have attacked your family and wiped them out before you rose. You needed every advantage you could get before it strikes and I gave it to you.”

“You did at that, my darling Ian.” She ran her hand over his bearded cheek before she turned to her other mate. “You have made me into a creature that could probably break any of my other mates during sex.” She ran her hands over Riddick’s chest before she quickly bit his nipple. He gasped and squeezed his eyes shut as she ran the flat of her tongue over it before he gazed down into her smirking face. “It would appear that Richard is the only one that is built for the new me.”

“I think you underestimate the rest of your husbands.”

“Am I, Ian?” She turned towards him and leaned into Riddick’s side. “I’ll tell you what I know and what I think. I know the Abyss has infiltrated my home.” She tilted her head in curiosity when his brow furrowed in concern. “I think it has possessed one or more of my mates.”

“Are you positive?”

“I know my enemy, pup. The last time I battled him was right after I created you. The bastard likes to hit me where it hurts the most.” She bit Riddick on his chest and drew a growl from deep in his throat when she laved the sting away with her tongue. “You, Ioan, Richard, Ronon, and the Wielders are immune to possession.” She ran her arm around her feral mate’s back, leaned her head against his chest, and glanced back at her First. “I do not believe it would benefit the Abyss to inhabit the bodies of my sons.”

“Why are you counting the boys out?” Ian asked quietly but already knew the answer.

“You know as well as I that when I die my power passes to the boys. If it happens to strike me down, the spirit that possesses the boys will die the second the transference begins. It might hate me but it isn’t stupid enough to lose its power in such a futile manner. No. It has definitely targeted my men and it is about time I did something about it.”

“What are you going to do, my Lady?”

“I’m going to hunt.” She stepped away from her mate’s embrace and looked down the length of her body. She flicked her fingers towards her form and a second later she was draped in a black leather tank, pants, and high heeled boots. “Damn it.” She swore with a hiss as her brand burned through her top to show the flames and curves of her chest and abs. “Well this fucking sucks.”

Riddick began to laugh hysterically at the look on her face. “I guess you could forego wearing clothes from now on, baby.” She placed her hands on her hips and gave him an indignant glare that made it all the more humorous for him. “You would be sparing yourself a waste of a good wardrobe.”

“I’ll tell you what, lover. I will remain nude for you when we are alone but I am not going to forever roam these halls in the buff.” She glanced down at the fire emblem on her torso and frowned. “I guess I’ll just have to put up with the bitch making herself known at the expense of my clothing.”

“Who do you plan to target first, Alexandra?” Ian asked as he stepped forward.

“Just want to get down to business, huh, my love?” Alex smirked at her First and turned to pace between her mates. “We know the Abyss feeds off of negative emotions. If it wouldn’t die within my inner fire, I would be a meal that would feed him forever.” She chuckled at her little joke. “Since you, Richard, and Logan are immune that leaves me Ares, Duncan, Tyr, and Telemachus to contend with.”

“Negative emotions?” Riddick said as he rocked Dawn in his arms. “If that is the Abyss’ drug of choice than he could set up shop in any of them. We might have worked out our differences a while ago but I know they must all have some issues that are still bothering them.”

“You are correct. I will just have to go through one at a time until I find out who.” She glanced between the both of them before her eyes settled on her daughter. “I want the babies in Athena’s care now. She and Vaako will keep them safe while I weed out the uninfected. Once I have deemed them safe I want you both to get them out of the palace. Get the boys out as soon as you can do it without drawing attention to yourselves. Are we clear?”

“I’ll call for Athena now, baby.” Riddick said as he stared sadly at his baby girl.

“I will get Ioan to the temple now to protect the ones we send there.” She looked into her mate’s amber eyes and he could feel a gentle push against his mind. “Why are you probing my mind, Alexandra? You know the Abyss is not within me.”

“I know but I sense you are keeping something from me and I don’t like it much when I am about to play the end game.” She cut off her scan and narrowed her eyes at him. “Keep your little secrets, Ian, but make sure they don’t interfere with my work.”

“I am always on your side, my love.” He inclined his head towards her and kissed her gently on her parted lips. “I will join Ioan in the temple as soon as everyone has been evacuated.”

“Good. I guess I am off to see Ares.” She held her hand up and crossed her fingers. “Here’s hoping he isn’t too horny because I do not have time to service them all today. Not to mention the Furyan wore me out for a while.”

~*~

Alexandra appeared by her Olympian mate’s bed and smiled when she saw the God of War curled up with her pillow in his arms. His face was buried in the soft fabric and a smile of both contentment and longing graced his sleeping features.

The Phoenix within told her this heartfelt moment was a waste of time and to get on with the scan before he woke. The feral Alexandra snapped at her to keep her opinions to herself and gazed over his bodily perfection.

She watched him stir and sniff the air around him. A grin appeared on her face as he subconsciously caught her scent and snapped awake to stare at her. His gaze took in the ebony pools that used to be her eyes and a frown formed on his handsome face. His eyes slid down to the bird of power that burned on her chest. She could see the brand bothered and excited him at the same time.

“You just love to look at my breasts, don’t you?” She tried for levity but it was no longer possible to see if her smiles reached her eyes. It looked like Death inhabited his mate’s body and the path to damnation was either in the coldness of her eyes or the flames within her heart. “It isn’t as bad as you think, Ares.”

He rose up from the bed and stood before her with absolute horror on his face. “How can you say it isn’t that bad?” He grabbed her shoulders and shook his head at the unreadable expression on her face. “I can’t even tell what you’re thinking. I used to be able to read your eyes and now there is nothing left.”

“I know my eyes are different. I know I am different but I am still your mate.” She furrowed her brows as she gazed at his eyes that were darting between her face and chest. “Are you really displeased with my appearance?” She asked in a tiny, concerned voice.

“It will take some getting used to, Alex.” He registered the hurt expression on her face and shook his head at his stupidity. “I guess what is really bothering me is that I had a hand in this.”

“Aside from transferring the power Ian gave you back to me, you had nothing to do directly with this transformation. I had an argument with my Phoenix. I won but this is the price I had to pay to get her to merge with me and not commandeer this body.” She rubbed her fingers through his neatly trimmed goatee and his eyes drooped from the contact. “I have to remain in charge for the battle with the Abyss.”

“Damn it, baby, I still don’t like this.” He pulled her into his embrace and held her tight to his chest. “Are there any other changes I should know about?”

“Well…” She tensed in his arms and he held her at arm’s length when she hesitated. “There are a few little things that have changed.”

“Like what exactly?” He said in a demanding tone.

“I am a lot more feral when I am angry and…” She trailed off and turned an interesting shade of red.

“And what?” He prodded her to continue with a shake of her shoulders.

“My sexual appetite has increased exponentially and I am more primal during the act.” She rushed out in a slur of words and avoided his eye contact. “I tend to dominate more than usual and I am a lot rougher on my partner.”

“I guess that has something to do with how many times I heard Riddick howling yesterday.” He arched his eyebrow at her and gave a disapproving frown. “Not only am I missing my week with you but you 2 are going at it like wild beasts.”

“Actually that was Richard dominating me.” She had a sheepish look on her face as she stared at his chest. “He…uh…couldn’t stop and I didn’t want him to.”

“Uh huh. When do I get my time with you? Ian kept you way into my week and then Riddick decided to keep you.” He released her and began to walk a circle around her. “I haven’t been able to get you out of my head for days and then I hear you screaming your head off in ecstasy.” He stopped in front of her and pointed in her face. “And don’t tell me that he didn’t get your ass last night because you sound different when you orgasm that way.”

As he ranted about his stolen week and his need for her, Alexandra slipped into his mind and searched for any trace of her enemy. Ares was a very straightforward person and tended to repress nothing. He spoke his mind and released his negativity quite frequently. His soul was just as pure and she found him to be clean of Abyss’ dark presence.

“Ares, I promise we will be together very soon but there is a matter I must attend to first.” She took his hands in hers and gave them a reassuring squeeze. “As you know, I was attacked by Agents of an old enemy of mine. While I was recovering, the Abyss itself infiltrated our home and I am hunting it.”

“I don’t understand. Are we under attack?”

“For now, baby, it is just me it wants. The amount of its essence that is currently on-world is not enough to do too much damage other than break my heart.” She wrapped her arms around his midsection and buried herself in his chest. “It is currently trying to possess one or more of my mates.”

“What?” He pulled back and looked into her eyes. “Wouldn’t we know if some malevolent entity was trying to possess us?”

“No. Not until it was too late to do anything about it.” She placed her hand over his mouth as he tried to argue and cut off his words. “Look I will explain everything later but right now I need you and our boys to go to the temple. As I eliminate suspects, I am sending them all there for protection. Please call the boys and go so I know you will be safe.”

“Okay.” He said after a few moments and nodded his head sadly. “Promise me you will be careful.”

“I promise, baby.”

“I love you, Alexandra.” He pulled her back into a crushing embrace. “It has been only you for over six thousand years and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“I love you too, Ares, and I have cherished every moment of our lives together. That is what I am fighting to save, my love.” She pulled him down to take his lips in a deep kiss and left him reeling from the intensity of it. “Please take our children and go. I cannot focus on the task at hand if I think you are in danger.”

“Okay but I will see you soon.” It wasn’t a question and he did not wait for a response before he teleported away.

~*~

After she had made sure that Ares, Brandon, and Brennan had arrived safely at the temple, Alexandra slowly made her way down the halls to Duncan’s suites. Her Immortal husband was an open book to her and it wouldn’t take much to determine if the Abyss compromised him. There was light within Duncan. She could sense it from outside his door.

He was the most human of her mates. He suffered from all of the irrational and negative emotions that mortals did but his innate goodness overcame all of it. He had dominion over her heart and by proxy she had full access to his. She did not need to probe her husband’s mind or soul to know he was clean. It shone from his being whenever she focused on him.

She lightly rapped on his door and waited for him to answer. He was her delicate mate. The one she had to handle with kid gloves on. The door swung open and she greeted his surprised face with a smile. “How are you doing, love?”

He pulled her into his arms, kicked the door shut, and just held her like she was the most precious thing in the world. To Duncan, she was the center of his universe. “Thank God, you are alright.” He whispered into her ear in relief. “I was so worried that you would not recover from the entire ordeal.”

“I recovered, my love, but there are a couple of things that aren’t quite the same as before.” She said as she reveled in his touch. “Duncan, I want to tell you everything but I don’t have the time. I need you to do me a favor and not ask any questions.”

“Of course, baby, I’d do anything you ask of me.” He pulled back and finally registered the change in her appearance. “Oh my God…” He said in a hushed voice and sadness in his eyes. “Did we do this to you?”

“No, you did not.” She took his hand that was covering his gaping mouth and held it tightly in hers. “Duncan, I love you. You will get your answers but you need to take Dean and leave here.”

“You want us to leave?” He stared into the soulless black of her eyes and he knew. A wave of numbness rushed through his body and all emotion left his face. “It is time, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” She threw herself into his arms and buried her face in his chest. “There has always been a balance of good and evil in the universe. I was the good. The Abyss was the evil. For a while I thought that had changed. I have killed so many people…” Tears welled in her eyes and her voice caught in her throat. “I really believed that I had become the ancient evil and needed to be stopped but then the Abyss showed up…”

“Baby, I know the hardships you’ve endured since you embraced humanity. I hate to say it but being human isn’t all it is cracked up to be. We make decisions that affect people around us and sometimes it is good and sometimes it isn’t.” He rubbed her back with one hand and entwined the fingers of the other in her long hair. “I know the Creator is not supposed to make mistakes but humans do. You decided to take on the burden of humanity and have been fighting to correct the mistakes you’ve made. I think you’ve done an excellent job of it and I know you aren’t evil. I don’t care how many mistakes you’ve made or how many lives you’ve taken. You did it all out of love and that can’t possibly be evil.”

“Duncan…I am so scared.” She shuddered in his arms and sobbed quietly into his chest. “I don’t want it to end. I wanted more time with my baby and my family.” Her sobs grew in intensity and the keeper of her heart held her tight in his embrace. “I don’t want to lose everything that I love. It isn’t fair. Haven’t I given enough to the universe? Aren’t I entitled to be happy too?”

“Shhh. You are definitely entitled to your happiness especially since you just found it.” He hushed her and rocked her in his arms. “Baby, do you think you’re going to lose this battle?”

“I don’t know, Duncan. I haven’t carried the full force of the Phoenix in ages. I am not used to wielding it.” She whimpered and burrowed deeper into his chest. “The Phoenix is changing me into something different…something further away from the humanity I fought for. I could destroy the Abyss or it could destroy me. Either way I look at it, I am going to lose this war.”

“You listen to me.” He tipped up her chin and stared into the shimmering black pools. “We are all here for you. If you survive, and I know you will, we will be here to bring you back. We are your lifelines…your anchors in the storm of the Phoenix. Do you understand me?” She nodded her head before he took her mouth in passionate kiss. “You will always be my wife. No matter what you’ve transformed into, you will always be the love of my life.”

“I love you, Mr. Macleod.”

“I love you too, Mrs. Macleod.”

~*~

After she teleported Duncan and Dean to the temple, Alexandra sat on her husband’s bed and tried to overcome the feeling of loss that invaded her being. Duncan had always been an outlet for her inner turmoil and a voice of reason while she dealt with the confusion. He had the ability to just look at her and know what was hurting his domain.

She took a few moments to shake her emotional release and searched the palace for Tyr and Rhade’s positions. It came as a surprise to her that they were together in the gym. Her Nietzchean mates were difficult to read from a distance. The emotions that ran through them were more powerful than any other species she had encountered and they changed from one second to the next.

‘Ronon.’

‘Alex, how are you feeling?’

‘That is a question that is best left unanswered until later, my precious. I need you to do me a favor.’

‘Anything you ask.’

‘I need you to gather Jesse and teleport him, Kyra, and yourself to the temple. You need to go now, Ronon.’

‘Mother, what is wrong?’

‘I cannot answer that now, my son. I do not have anymore time left but Richard or Ian can tell you when you get there.’

‘Should I get Father before I go?’

‘No, baby. I will take care of your father. Go now, Ronon, and don’t come back here no matter what you sense. Do you understand me?’

‘I understand.’

‘Ronon, in case I don’t get the chance to tell you later, I am sorry that we were apart for so long. I never meant to hurt you and I always loved you. Make sure you give all of your love to your mate and your son when he is born and tell him that I wish I could’ve been here to see him grow.’

‘Mom…’

‘I have to go now, precious. I love you so much. Please remember that always.’

‘Mom!’

She did not respond to his mental call. If she spoke to him any longer, she would succumb to her misery again and she could not afford that. She had a job to do. She always had a job to do and it weighed heavy on her soul. She was tired and just wanted to live her life with the family that she made and loved. But she was the Phoenix and her responsibilities outweighed her wants.

‘Logan, my love.’

‘Hey darlin’, how is the critter?’

‘She is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever made.’

‘I can’t wait to see her. Is Riddick letting you accept visitors yet?’

‘I am up and about already, Logan, and you can see Dawn now. She is at the temple along with the rest of our family.’

‘Why is everyone there?’

‘It is time, my love.’

‘Alex…’

‘I can’t discuss it with you now, Logan. I am in danger of losing Tyr and Telemachus if I don’t act soon. You and Scott need to be waiting in case I call on you.’

‘Alex…no…’

‘Logan, you have your duty and I expect you to do it. You are an honorable man and I know you won’t let me down. I wish I had more time to tell you how much you mean to me. You brought peace to my life when I was lost. I will love you forever.’

‘I love you, darlin’. You brought out the man in the beast but they both love you with all of their hearts.’

‘Go now, Logan, and wait for my call.’

~*~

She stood at the entrance of the gym and silently watched her mates circle each other. They were sparring but she could sense the underlying anger in both of them. Nietzchean males did not share their females. They knew when they mated her that they had no choice but they never thought she would have another Nietzchean mate. It made their jealousy even more pronounced.

“What is the delay, Rhade?” Tyr growled as he sized up his adversary. “I thought the descendant of the great Gaheris Rhade would make fast work in taking me down.”

“I can see why your Pride was eradicated, Anasazi.” He struck out and caught Tyr with a punch to his chin. “You preen and posture too much and you can’t seem to keep your mouth shut.”

She could see the fury in her dark male’s face as he growled and tackled Rhade to the mats. They rolled back and forth as they tried to gain the upper hand. Bone blades cut into flesh and held off from inflicting fatal wounds. They both froze in place when they caught her scent and heard her clear her throat a second later.

“Looks like fun, gentlemen.” She said with a smile as she sauntered into the room. “Is this a private party or can anyone join?”

They pushed apart from each other and rolled to their feet. Two sets of dark eyes ran the length of her form and she felt as if they were sizing her up for a meal. Tyr came forward with sweat glistening on his heaving chest and looked down into her eyes. She felt very small before him. His presence was overwhelming.

“What is this?” He took her chin in his hand and lifted her face to study her eyes. “They draw you in like gravity wells.” He abruptly released his grip and his hand instantly went to her chest. “You have changed quite a bit since I last laid eyes on you.”

She found the hiding place of the Spirit of the Abyss but realized her mistake too late. Tyr had dominion over her body. Even with her heightened abilities, she could feel his influence over her taking effect. As his hands ran over the swell of her breasts and down her cleavage, she began to sway on her feet and fell into his arms.

Tyr caught her and gently lowered her to the floor mats. Her vision swam before her eyes and her mind clouded over as she felt his bone blades rip her top down the center. “Tyr, you…have to…fight this.” She shook her head trying to clear his hold on her with no success. She could stop him if she unleashed her animal but she feared hurting her mate even as he tore the shreds of her tank from her body. “Please don’t…do this, baby.”

“Your mate is in here. I am letting him watch, helpless to stop me, as I take you from him.” His low voice rumbled in her ear. “I have never participated in human intercourse before.” He said as he roughly pulled her pants down her legs and removed them with her boots. “I can see inside your male’s head that he finds it most appealing.”

“Telemachus, my love!” She rolled her head to the side and fixed her hazy eyes on her other mate. “Help me…”

He walked towards them and looked down into her frightened yet excited eyes. “This one has found a lot of pleasure in your body.” He smiled at her with her beloved’s boyishly handsome face. “I am looking forward to finding out if fucking you is as enjoyable as killing you will be.”

Her eyes narrowed in anger and suddenly went wide when Tyr forced his length into her pussy with a vicious thrust. She opened her mouth to scream but found her vocal cords paralyzed by her mate’s power. ‘No! This is not happening to me. Not again!’ She cried out in her mind as her mate pounded into her already sore body.

“You do feel quite exquisite, Phoenix.” He grunted in her ear as he sped up the power and force of his thrusts. “I think I will enjoy taking you several times before I grow tired and finally dispose of you.” He pulled out of her and rose up on to his knees. “Get up on all fours like the dog that you are, Phoenix.”

She shook as she tried to fight Tyr’s influence over her body but slowly rolled over on to her stomach. When she pushed herself up, Rhade settled on his back beneath her. “Use your power over her and force her to ride this one’s body.” She followed Tyr’s urgings and slid on to Rhade’s waiting cock. He grabbed her hips and pulled her down hard until he was buried within her to the hilt. “She does feel good.” He leaned up and bit down on her nipple. “She is feeling pain here and there is something else.”

She was startled to feel Tyr kneeling behind her and winced when he grabbed her breast in his large hand. He squeezed his hand from the fullness of her tit towards the nipple in a milking motion and drew it away when he felt the liquid on his fingers. “She is lactating.” He licked the substance from his hands and pulled her head back by her hair. “Did you spawn a child like a human, Phoenix?”

“I will enjoy killing it when I am done with you.” Tyr pushed her head down and Rhade wrapped his arms around hers, pinning them to her sides. “I should have attacked you long ago, Phoenix. You have grown weak pretending to be a human.” He smirked at her before he latched on to her breast. He fed from her body and she tensed when she felt the head of Tyr’s large cock probe her anus.

“I saw this in his mind.” Tyr’s voice rang in her ears as he lubed her asshole with her own juices. “He reveled with the idea of fucking the Angel of Death in the ass.” Her whole body tensed as he pushed into her tight anus. When he filled it completely, he began to pound into her relentlessly. “It is a very pleasant feeling for me too, my old enemy.”

Even though she knew the Abyss was driving her mates’ bodies, it was still Tyr and Telemachus that she saw and felt. Her animal tore at her insides much like her men were tearing her body apart. They pulled her out by their behavior. Primal. Vibrant. Hunger. Desire. Alexandra closed her eyes and let it go.

She startled both men when she began to move on their bodies. Rhade released her nipple and saw the flames consume her eyes. “No. It is not possible.” She broke his hold on her arms and used them for leverage as rode their invading shafts. She smiled at his shocked face before her power burst free from her body and encased the three of them in fire.

“Baby…”

“Its okay, Tyr.” She covered his hand with her own. “Just keep fucking me.” His thrusts went from awkward back to forceful as he felt his need take over. She smiled down into her mate’s eyes as he looked at her curiously. “Don’t stop, Telemachus. Just feel me, baby.”

As she rode the three of them to orgasm, her cleansing fire forced the Abyss out of her mates and it hovered above them in the air. She rose up off of Rhade and pushed Tyr away from her to fall beside the other spent Nietzchean. She reached out a hand and encased the dark energy within a sphere of her cosmic force.

“I’m sorry, my love.” Rhade gasped at her feet. “I couldn’t stop it…”

“Be quiet the both of you.” She glanced down at their saddened faces. “There was nothing you could have done to stop it.”

“Baby…” Tears glistened in her dark male’s eyes and he shook his head in misery.

“Tyr, I love you.” Her eyes flashed to Rhade’s. “I love both of you so much. Do not blame yourself for what happened.” She smiled mischievously at them. “We will have to do this again when you are both acting on your own accord. I have some things to take care of now so I am going to send you to join the others. I love you.”

~*~

Before either of them could say a word, they appeared in the temple sprawled out naked on the floor. “What happened?” Riddick yelled as he went to their sides. He could scent his mate the second he neared them. “What the fuck did you do?”

“The Abyss used their bodies to rape her.” Ian said as he read their minds. He heard Riddick growl and stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “They weren’t in control, my friend. There is no way they could have resisted.”

“Where is she now?” Riddick asked the two men on the floor. “Where is she, Tyr?”

“I don’t know. She said she had something to do and then we were here.” He said in a daze.

“Her words…” Rhade said as his son produced some clothes for him to put on. “She sounded like she was saying…goodbye.”

A loud rumble followed by an explosion brought the whole of her family to their feet. They rushed out the doors of the temple and stood on the stairs looking up into the sky. The Phoenix rose into the upper atmosphere carrying the sphere-encased dark energy in its clawed feet.

They watched as the bird of fire screeched into the star-filled void and forcefully drew the whole of the Abyss to join its fragments. The darkness filled its energy cage until it burst free of its confinement and faced its nemesis.

Good versus Evil.

Light against Dark.

The age-old battle was renewed and it was happening now.

To the death.

~*~