Nightmares

Talon woke to find his hand curled around a warm mound of flesh, and it took him several seconds to realize he had, at some point in the night, slipped his hand under her nightie and cupped her breast.

It spilled over his fingers, and as he pulled them back, her nipple puckered under his touch. A sigh escaped her lips.

He froze, afraid she had woken as he felt her nipple harden even more, and she arched her back, pressing her body against his hard member.

He bit back a groan, trying not to wake her up.

Damn it, she was hot and he was having serious withdrawal symptoms. He watched as she snuggled her head against his arm.

He slowly lowered his head and buried his nose in her neck, breathing in her scent deeply.

He placed a gentle kiss on her exposed flesh and slowly pulled away, feeling her body respond to his caresses as his fingers lingered over her breast, giving her nipple a quick flick before completely leaving it.

He sat up and looked away from her, realizing he had just violated her trust in him.

He looked down at the hand that had not only just caressed her breast but had at one time entered her most secret of places.

In disgust, he headed for the bathroom to relieve this ache.

***

For the next week, that was their routine.

Most nights, Wren would stay out late. Talon quietly waited for her return.

He would pull her into his arms, and within moments they would both be asleep, neither one speaking.

***

Eventually, Wren became too tired to stay out late to avoid him.

One night, she entered the room just after their evening training and headed for the bath. She wanted to soak in a hot tub and then crawl into bed and sleep.

Tomorrow was Friday, and she was ready for the weekend.

The stress was wearing on her emotionally and physically. She entered the bathroom with a sigh.

Even with everything, she still found herself waking up in the middle of the night in the most…erotic positions with Talon.

Thank God the man had slept through them.

She ran the bath water and slipped in, looking at the hand she had woken up to the night before, wrapped around his member through his pajama bottoms.

He had been hard and hot and large, making her have the oddest fantasy of sucking on him like you would a lollipop.

She had turned bright red when she realized her thoughts and pulled her hand away, but not before Talon had let out a groan and buried his head deep into her neck, sighing her name.

She had blushed even more but had been unable to move for a while, afraid she would wake him.

If they did not do something soon, she was likely to jump him one night out of sheer lust.

She was so confused right now.

It was not the thought of sex with Talon that caused her fear. It was fear she would be unable to enjoy the experience, and if that happened?

“Wren? Are you…” Talon had opened the door and stepped in.

It seemed she had forgotten to lock the door after her.

She ducked down in the water, glad there were still some bubbles to help hide her body from him.

“Uh…sorry.” Talon turned red and immediately turned around, but not before he had gotten a glimpse of her body through the water and suds, his body reacting instantly.

“What do you need?” Wren asked softly.

“I was just…I…I do not remember. Sorry for disturbing you.” Talon walked out and closed the door after him, sitting down on the bed, letting out a sigh, putting his head in his hands.

He did not know how much longer his control would last with all the assaults on his senses lately.

It was even worse when he climbed into bed a few hours later.

Tonight, he had been the one who stayed up later than usual because he was not sure if he trusted his body not to ravage her if she gave even the smallest hint she was interested in him.

Damn, this was not good, not good at all.

Whose idea was it to do this anyway?

He tried to stay away from her, but she immediately rolled over and curled into his side, mumbling something as she did.

He tried to steady his breathing and ignore her leg wrapping itself around his waist.

She turned away from him, pushing at the covers, exposing most of her leg and revealing a very quick glimpse of her thong as she tossed around, muttering the whole time.

Her arm flung around next and almost hit him head-on.

***

Lily could feel the vomit rising in her throat. The Zentith’s stench was overwhelming, and it was all she could do to keep from keeling over and spewing her breakfast all over the ground.

“Watch out!” Eric dove, slicing the Zentith’s arm off at the wrist.

Lily rolled under it and came up behind, her saber finding the mark in the Zentith’s spine.

“Die, humans,” the Zentith roared in pain and twisted away, toppling backward. “Pest of the world. Death to you…”

Eric removed the Zentith’s head from its body with one swing of his axe.

“Their speech is becoming more fluent,” he commented, turning to see Lily lose her breakfast. “We need to see a doctor. You have not kept anything down for three days now.”

“No. I am fine,” Lily stood. “I feel better already.”

She sheathed her weapon and gave Eric a smile.

“Come on. I am hungry for some Italian, and we are in Italy.”

Eric shook his head.

“You are crazy.”

“Only for you, love.” Lily kissed him on the cheek as she headed for the car.

She needed a shower and some food, pronto.

***

“No… I… Stop.” Wren mumbled and kicked out with her leg, taking the covers completely off and revealing the scrap of material that was the only thing covering her.

Talon swallowed hard. ~Damn it. What am I supposed to do now?~ He gently reached out and put a hand on her hip, shaking her gently.

“Wren,” he spoke softly. “Wren, wake up, honey. Please.”

Wren opened her eyes, not really seeing him.

^SEVERAL YEARS EARLIER^

~“Please don’t. Don’t do this. You do not have to do this,” she pleaded, and Don shook his head.~

~“I told you. You are worthless to me if you are pregnant,” his knuckles had split from the continued beating, and Wren’s stomach was on fire, her arms bruised from trying to protect the life in her.~

~“Please. Do not destroy it. It did not ask to be conceived.”~

~“Then you should not have allowed it to be. I will not have some bastard or bitch running around this house!” Don grabbed his favorite flogger and punched her stomach with the butt, hard.~

~Wren dropped to the ground, the tears flowing as the kicking began.~

^PRESENT^

“Wren, honey, wake up. I am not going to hurt you. Wren…”

Talon placed his hand on her cheek, trying to figure out how to snap her out of it. He watched her lick her lips and then bite the bottom one, causing his own member to tighten painfully.

He let out a sigh and leaned down.

“I am sorry, honey,” he said.

He gently took her lips with his own, applying the softest of pressure, tense and ready to jump back if she woke up and tried to strike him. Instead, she let out a sigh and relaxed in his arms.

“Talon, please…”

At her words, Talon’s heart rate picked up.

“No more.”

^SEVERAL YEARS EARLIER^

~Wren cried out in pain as Don pulled her up by her hair and dragged her to the steps.~

~With a cackle that would forever haunt her, he threw her down them. Wren did her best to protect her head and neck, and she hit step after step.~

~She blacked out for a moment at the bottom, awaking to Don standing over her, the flogger in his hand, ready to continue if he needed to.~

~Where is Talon? Why has Talon not come?~

~“Talon, please. Help.”~

~Wren knew this was only a dream, but it was a dream she could not wake herself up from. She needed Talon’s help.~

^PRESENT^

Talon jerked back. What the…? Was she dreaming about him?

Was he the one who had been causing her nightmares?

He pulled away from her, not sure what to do. He lay back down, careful not to touch her, and tried to sleep as she continued to toss and turn.

“No more…no more…no…I…no, no more…no fight… Please…,” she pleaded, reaching out with her arms, still lost in her dream.

“No. I don’t…no.”

As the minutes went by, Talon struggled to sleep as she continued her movements. He did not know what to do as she would not wake up.

^SEVERAL YEARS EARLIER^

~The scene changed, and Wren knew what would come next.~

~“Is it gone?”~

~Wren nodded. With the amount of blood coming from her, there was no way the baby could have survived.~

~“Good.” Don motioned for her to get in the shower. “Shower and then meet me in the punishment room. We are going to make sure this never happens again.”~