Free The Unforgiven by Storm Savage Page A

Cooper, too, yet didn’t seem to feel they were worth saving. And now she’d said as much about Von, that he was unworthy to receive the blood-bond.
    Will she try to eliminate Von once this assignment is complete? Do my feelings mean nothing to her? What of my child? I can’t hide her forever unless I walk away from the sisterhood. At this point, Flame questioned her loyalty to a nation that could use innocent souls in the name of justice. She’d always held her breed in high esteem, but if everyone was a pawn, perhaps her line of thinking needed an adjustment. She’d been raised in their culture but had never questioned their methods or beliefs until now.
    Energy raged in her body like never before. Everything Twilight had instilled in Von—supernatural speed, extremely heightened senses and telepathy—had begun to merge with her own innate gifts. At times the heady sense of power felt difficult to control, as if she could start a fire or summon the forces of nature with just her mind. She understood how this mix of power came to be, but wasn’t quite sure how to use it. The blood-bond, the very thing her ruler didn’t want Von to receive, was in fact the element that created this exciting phenomenon. She didn’t want to give it up.
    No, I’m not going to stop what’s happening between us. The blood-bond ritual had become addictive and unbelievably sensual, the most powerful aphrodisiac she’d ever known. Even the sisterhood’s inventive Marabella seduction potion could never compare to the wicked-hot exchange between her and Von during their ritual. Maybe it’s not that the Lioness thinks Von is unworthy of this rare bond…maybe she just doesn’t want me to possess the power of both worlds. Her thoughts began to churn, making her realize that a child born of both worlds, then reunited with the energy of those very same worlds in her prime, could become a force to be reckoned with.
    A warrior such as that would be free to make her own decisions and not bow to anyone. Suddenly the mission at hand did not seem in vain. Nor did the past suffering she’d endured to win the war seem futile. Once she received her gift, she and Von could decide where they wanted to go and who, if anyone, they wanted to share their lives with.
    Still, her heart ached for Raef, a sweet man used by both sides for different agendas. Raef didn’t deserve any of this. She wished there had been some way she could’ve saved him.
    The sound of footsteps caught her attention. Though the footsteps were quiet, her sharpened sense of hearing picked up the soft brushes on the sand. She hadn’t heard Von’s Harley return. Rolling over, she saw a man approaching in the distance. He looked ghostly familiar. A chill raced down her arms. Shielding her eyes from the early morning sun with one hand, she watched.
    As he drew closer, her anxiety rose. She discreetly reached for the daggers lying beside her. His layered sun-blond hair shone in the sun. His tanned hard body was deliciously poured into skintight white jeans and an open vest revealed firm rippling abs. I’ve gone over the edge. She gasped when he came into plain view. His sleeveless white denim vest was frayed at the shoulders of long, nicely toned arms. This cannot be! I won the war. His soul should be free. Did he strike a deal just to come back? By the time he stood before her, she was breathing erratically while clutching her Sai. He was gorgeous, even more than before with a dangerous aura around him and sexy as hell. She’d never felt this level of raw sexuality in him.
    “I’m sorry to startle you, angel, I really didn’t know how else to approach. Please don’t be afraid.”
    “Raef?” She staggered backward a few steps. “What have you done?”
    He cocked his head to one side. “What do you mean? Didn’t the Supreme Lioness tell you?”
    “T-tell me what?”
    “Oh…I see.” He stared at her with the same big blue eyes she’d always loved.
    “You can’t be back.