Blood had flowed into his mouth. It had tasted wonderful, and he had swallowed it eagerly, until there was no more to suck from the body.

Feeling better than he could ever remember, head stood and wiped his lips, then started searching the manas house and found his stash of gold. After stuffing it into a leather bag, head fled.

The money had helped transform his life. Head found he was good at gambling games, often guessing what was in his opponentas mind. Head doubled his original stake, then doubled it again. The new wealth allowed him to live comfortably and gave him the luxury of time to rest and educate himself about the world and about himself, as well.

As head matured, head found that he had strong psychic talents and the ability to change his shape as the mood struck him, his power fueled by the blood he now drank on a regular basis.

He could have used his gifts for the good of humanity. But every year he lived with them reinforced his conviction that they were unworthy of help. They were greedy and immoral. Below his regard. He had been lonely among them, but his special talents gave him satisfaction. Now they were his chief solace.

As he had perfected his techniques, he had a.s.sured himself that none of that inferior race could stand up to his might. Until the terrible time of the psychic change at the end of the nineteenth century when a group of humans had suddenly acquired powers equal to his own.

They had recognized him for what he was and joined together to fight him. He had barely escaped with his life and had vowed to never again let himself be vulnerable to any of the humans who infested this planet.

Since then, he had vanquished all his enemies. Not always easily. But in the end, he had increased his power so that no one could challenge him. Certainly, not a mere woman with some telekinetic powers.

From this world, he had little direct control over her. But he could reach the main trigger he had placed inside her head. He could send her a message to come back. When she did, she would feel his wrath for defying him.

KENNA heard the front door open and close again. Earlier, shead gone to the window and watched Talon clean up the mess shead made with the barbeque grill. This time, she watched him walk purposefully off into the forest. It looked like he wasnat coming back anytime soon, but she waited for several minutes to make sure. Then she got up and walked down the hall, stopping in his office because head left the light on, and she knew he had been there.

The computer was on, and she wondered what head been doing. Nothing that she could easily figure out. The machine was still a mystery to her, so she continued on to the kitchen.

She was hungry, but as she looked through the food that head bought since she arrived, she stopped herself before taking a small pizza out of the freezer.

Would he notice shead eaten something? And would someone with a migraine headache want to eat? She didnat know. She didnat even know what a migraine was, exactly. But it had popped into her head, and it had seemed to satisfy Talon, or maybe head just let her think that head accepted the explanation.

Her jaw clenched. She hated going back over every little incident with him and trying to figure out if she had given too much away. But it seemed that she had no alternative.

After a few momentsa hesitation, she got out the pizza, set it on a plate, and put it in the microwave. Progress in the ways of this world.

She wouldnat let herself think in terms of progress with Talon, because she knew shead messed things up with him. Because she was trying to tell him the trutha"for all the good that had done her.

The bell on the microwave dinged, and she reached for the plate, testing the heat before picking it up.

As she chewed on the pizza, she listened for Talon. She was pretty sure head gone out because he didnat want to run into her. Which meant that shead be better off eating in her room.

Hating herself for the way she was making decisions, she stood, wiped off the counter, and took her simple meal back to the bedroom, along with a gla.s.s of cold water from the refrigerator.

Sitting in the chair by the window, she ate, then put the plate and gla.s.s in the dishwasher before going through the bedtime routine that shead gotten used to.

In this world, people washed and changed their clothes every day. She liked the feeling of being clean and knew she wouldnat like the reverse when she went back to Vandaras cave.

That thought jolted her. Going back? She didnat want to do that. But soon. She must do it soon.

Trying to put that idea out of her mind, she busied herself with brushing her teeth, washing her face, and changing into a fresh T-shirt.

Then she turned on the small television set on the bureau across from the bed. Flipping through the channels with the remote control, she came to Swift River, a television story about a town full of young people and their parents and grandparents.

The show came on every evening, and she was getting to know the characters, amazed that she was so involved in their lives when they werenat even real people.

They were just actors in a story someone was telling, like in a play.

But watching them told her a lot about life here.

as.p.a.ce cadet,a she repeated after one of the girls said it. Then adumb blond joke.a Strangely, she could click to another channel and watch an earlier time in their lives. Some days she did that. Tonight, the characters didnat hold her interest for more than one episode.

She was still listening for Talon when she finally turned off the television and lay down, thinking it would be impossible to sleep. But she drifted off quickly, and for a time she was lost in blessed oblivion.

Until she plunged into a nightmare where a huge hand with long pointed nails reached out and grabbed at her hair.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

AS KENNA WRENCHED away from the monster, she could feel her hair being torn out at the roots. Turning, she fled for her life. She was on a flat plain, littered with ruined buildings and dead trees, and she knew this was the badlands of her own universe. She had traveled through them with Vandaras warriors on her way to his cave.

Desperate to escape, she ran in the other direction. At least, she hoped it was the other direction. In the dream, she was wearing jeans and a T-shirt and the tennis shoes that Talon had brought home from the store for her.

The shoes helped her run across the dry ground, and for a time she thought she could get away.

Vandar was in his human shape, and she heard the sound of his breath, hissing in and out behind her, but it was getting farther away.

Then, suddenly, he was a huge dragon, flying in the air above her. He circled around her before arrowing down, making straight for her. Instead of catching her, he hit her with a blast of his fiery breath, searing her skin and making her cry out in pain.

As he flew lower, his great talons caught the skin of her back, ripping through her flesh. Blood dripped down her back and his tongue flicked out to lap at it. When she stumbled, he shoved her to the ground aNo!a Again she screamed, then felt hands on her shoulders, holding her to the bed.

aKenna!a Desperately, she tried to break free, flailing out with her arms, hitting him with her fists.

aKenna.a It filtered into her mind that it wasnat Vandar holding her or speaking. When her eyes blinked open, she found herself staring into Talonas tense face.

aAre you all right?a he asked, his voice urgent.

aYes.a She looked from him to her raised fists, knowing she had struck him. aI hurt you.a aItas okay. You were having a bad dream.a She nodded, remembering her terror. aHe had me. He was tearing me apart.a aWho?a Somehow, perhaps because she was still half awake, his name pa.s.sed her lips. aVandar.a Talonas hands tightened on her shoulders. aThe man who hurt you?a aHeas not . . .a As she tried to explain, pain seared the inside of her head, and she clamped her lips together.

Talonas expression grew urgent. aWhatas happening? Another headache?a aNo. Just a nightmare.a He stared down at her, his dark eyes clouded with worry.

Panic gripped her. Panic and the knowledge that she must not let this moment pa.s.s. Talon was here again. In her bedroom.

She reached for him, pulling his head down.

aDonat.a Ignoring him, she kept up the pressure, and when his lips touched hers, she felt a jolt of sensation.

aPlease,a she murmured into his mouth. aI want the same thing you do. Donat run away this time,a she managed to say, her lips moving against his, inviting him to take anything he desired from her.

aI didnat run away,a he growled. aI thought it was best for you to stop.a She knew that was only part of the truth. aFor me? Or for you?a she asked, astonished at her own audacity. Or was it desperation?

Where she came from, no woman would challenge a man so boldly. But her short time in this world had changed her. Partly it was seeing the way the people on Swift River acted. And partly it was living with Talon. She had compared him to a n.o.ble back in Breezewood, but really she had never met anyone like him at home.

Yet he was a man, and she knew that women had ways of getting what they wanted from the opposite s.e.x.

He didnat answer, but they were still mouth to mouth.

In invitation, her lips began to make little sliding, nibbling motions. He stayed where he was, and her heart began to pound as she waited for him to make a decision. Then a sound welled up from deep in his throat as his lips began to move over hers, like a starving man invited to a feast.

At the same time, his hands traveled over her, stroking down her arms to the backs of her hands, his palms pressing against her and his fingers knitting with hers, raising goose b.u.mps on her skin.

It was what she wanteda"so much. For this s.p.a.ce of time, if that was all she was allowed. She was only a visitor in this world, and she couldnat have him to keep, but she longed for these moments with him, longed to make memories to warm her when she was alone again, and afraid.

She had gone to bed in only a T-shirt, and she had kicked the covers away when shead struggled in the dream.

Talon stared down at her, his gaze traveling from her face, slowly down her body, and back up again.

aCome here,a she whispered.

She smiled as he lay down beside her, gathering her close, rocking her in his arms, his hair-roughened leg sliding against hers, his body naked except for the thin shorts she knew were his underwear.

She sighed and stroked her hands over his strong arms and wide shoulders.

aYou feel so good, especially after that dream.a aIt was bad?a aMm-hmm.a aAnd youare using me to drive it out of your mind.a When he started to pull away, she gripped him tighter. aI want to be here with you. Thatas the truth.a aPart of the truth. Whatas the rest of it?a he asked in a tight voice.

aThis is the most important part.a Clasping the back of his head, she brought his mouth back to hers and kissed him with a desperation that welled from deep inside her.

When he finally lifted his mouth, they were both breathing hard, yet his dark gaze questioned her.

aTell me why we should do this.a aBecause thereas something between us that neither of us can explain.a aYou sense that?a he asked, his voice rough.

aYes. And you do, too.a Before he could challenge her or ask her any more questions, she kissed him again, feeling the intensity spiral between them.

Still, she was afraid that she must act quickly, before something happened and he changed his mind.

Although she had little experience with men, she was pretty sure she knew how to push him over the edge. With her eyes squeezed closed, she reached and found his hardened rod through his thin shorts and pressed her palm against him, rocking her hand.

When she felt him shudder, she breathed out a little sigh, stroking her fingers against the firm shaft, listening to his breath quicken. G.o.ds, he was big. Would he fit inside her?

Well, she would find out soon, she knew, unable to keep a small shiver from going through her.

When his hand came down over hers, lifting it away, her eyes blinked open to find him staring at her.

She tried to drag her hand back, but he curled her arm inward, holding it against his chest.

His voice was gritty when he asked, aHave you done this before?a She swallowed, astonished by the question. aWhy do you ask?a aBecause I can tell youare nervous.a aI . . .a aHave you done this before?a he asked again, more sharply.

She dipped her head. aNo. But I donat want to stop.a aYou always stopped before. With other men.a She couldnat hold back a nervous laugh. aI never got this far before.a aWhy?a There was too much to explain about the relations between men and women in her world, and if she tried to tell him any of that, she would get all tangled up in things she shouldnat talk about at all.

Raising her chin, she stared into his eyes. aAre you trying to come up with an excuse to stop?a aYeah. And it wouldnat be an excuse. It would be a perfectly logical course of action.a aThen stop being logical,a she managed to say, knowing she had no other words to continue the argument. She could only bring her mouth back to his for a long, pa.s.sionate kiss. In the middle of it, she knew she had won. He wasnat going to walk away this time.

She thought it would happen fast now. She wanted it that way, so she wouldnat have time to thinka"or worry.

When he rolled up her T-shirt, exposing her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, her breath caught.

He raised his hand, sliding his fingers across her tightened nipples. It was only the lightest of caresses, but it made her gasp.

When he closed his thumbs and fingers around the crests, she arched toward him.

And when he replaced one of his hands with his mouth, she thought she would go up in flames. He swirled his tongue around the erect point, then closed his mouth over her, sucking and mirroring the caress with his hand on her other breast.

She stared at him, sure her expression must be equal parts shock and sensuality. She had known about kissing and touching, but she hadnat known that a man might put his mouth on a womanas breast, or how wonderful it would be.

She felt her skin flush. Felt her breathing accelerate. Felt an unfamiliar heat gather between her legs. When she moved restlessly on the bed, he lifted his head, looking at her as he slid his hand down her body, playing with her navel, then the crinkly dark hair at the juncture of her legs. His touch in those places felt good. It was nothing compared to the burst of sensation when he dipped into the hidden folds below.

It shocked her that a man was touching her so intimately, and even more shocking when she felt slippery moisture gather there.

She should be embarra.s.sed, but the heat smoldering in his eyes told her he liked her reaction.

She caught her breath when he lifted his hand and licked his fingers.

aThatas good,a he murmured as he kept his hot gaze fixed on her face. aIad like a more direct taste, but I think that would be a little too much for you.a She swallowed. Surely he couldnat mean . . . She stopped trying to figure it out when his hand went back to work and one finger dipped inside her.

aWhat . . . are you doing?a aGiving you pleasure.a aI want to pleasure . . . you,a she managed to say. aIsnat that what a woman is supposed to do?a aNo more than the other way around. Unless the guy is a total jerk.a He bent to play with her b.r.e.a.s.t.s again, using his lips and tongue and teeth while he slid his hand up and down through her wet and swollen folds in long strokes that dipped inside her, then moved upward to a place that sent tingling sensations radiating outward through her whole body.

As he touched her with such skill, she realized that he must have a lot of experience pleasing women.

aIam going to . . .a She didnat even know how to finish the sentence. But she felt like he was pushing her toward some point of pleasure that was too much to bear.

When she began to move her hips, he seemed to know what she needed. Increasing the pressure, he kept up the maddening stroking, until a kind of explosion quaked through her, starting at that point of sensation and making little spasms clamp her internal muscles around his finger.

He stayed with her, drawing out the pleasure of it, and when it was over, her eyes blinked open, and she stared at him.

aWhat happened to me?a aYou reached s.e.xual climax.a aYou can do that without . . .a She let the sentence trail off.

He answered with a shaky laugh. aYeah.a She thought about what had just happened and what she knew about s.e.xuality. aI reached s.e.xual climax. You didnat.a aI will.a He began to kiss her again, caress her again, and she understood that this time it wouldnat be his finger inside her.

Now more than ever, she expected it to happen quickly, but he surprised her again, kissing and caressing her until she felt that tempting pressure building inside herself once more.

He kicked off his shorts and shifted on top of her, parting her legs with his knee as he kept kissing her, murmuring into her mouth. She felt the pressure of his rod against her and started to tense up. But he surged inside her, and she gasped as he broke through the barrier of her virginity.

He went very still above her. aAre you all right?a aYes.a aI hurt you.a aOnly a little.a aDo you want me to stop?a aG.o.ds, no.a Because she couldnat say more, she moved her hips a little, feeling him slide inside her.

He gazed down at her, watching her face as he began to move above her, slowly at first.

Shifting to his side, he took her with him, caressing her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, then reaching between them to find that spot with his fingers.

As he stroked her there, her pleasure built again so that she was soon moving against him as she had before.

He moved, too, stroking in and out of her as he caressed hera"until the explosion came again, more powerful than the time before. And while the aftershocks were still vibrating through her, she felt him follow her over the invisible cliff.