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What the hell was happening to hih Gray&039;s s, but he couldn&039;t open his eyes He couldn&039;t fucking open his eyes

The knowledge hit his seized Sharp needle-pricks stung his chest, and he realized he didn&039;t even have the strength to draw in a singleto die

Every survival instinct he possessed screa Anything All he needed was one breath As seconds passed, the lack of oxygen seared hi hih his head, so ht in their intensity

But with the colors ca his pain would vanish co void of darkness that awaited hi the void was, like the last cold beer in the Sahara

A part of hied to simply fall into the peaceful abyss The other part, the part that refused to be a failure failure - was that Jewel&039;s voice he heard? He fought to reach her, grinding his teeth together, clenching hishis hands into fists

Where was she?

Hissing voices and grunts of fury suddenly echoed in his ears, clai his focus; his own death dripped fro his every cell And with the sounds, a need to taste blood, warrew inside him He yearned to drink sweet, crimson nectar from someone&039;s throat Yes, he needed to, would die if he didn&039;t

What the hell was happening to him? Around him? Inside him? His eyelids re of swords? Claws? The louder the intonations beca hientle beseeching drifted above the chaos enco battle sounds "Gray"

Jewel

He recognized her sexy accent She see blood abandoned hith he possessed, he finally ed to pry open his eyelids - no, not his eyelids, but hisa bullet

In a flash of white light, Jewel materialized

Dark walls surrounded her, and he realized they weren&039;t in the forest They were in some sort of shadow land

"Your mind," she said "We&039;re inside yourseductively Her sheer white robe whispered around her ankles, a vivid contrast to the silky black hair cascading down her back She looked like an angel

Her rose-petal lips eased into a sweet sain "Breathe with me" Can&039;t, he wanted to tell her His mouth refused to obey

"Breathe with me," she repeated, the command sharp "In Out Open yourbeen so i him completely frozen

"Perhaps there is another way, the way you helpeddistance between theers She fit her soft, soft lips over his Her hair hung like a curtain around them as she blew her very essence into his mouth The sweetness of her breath seeped down his throat and little by little, his lungs accepted the oxygen

The fragrance of sea-storic wafted to his nostrils Jewel&039;s scent So lovely So necessary "In Out In," she said when he began breathing on his own "You&039;re doing wonderfully"

With her face hovering over his, his lips tingling from the touch of hers, he couldn&039;t help but remember how turned on he&039;d been when she&039;d talked about having sex on a waterbed - how he&039;d wanted to be thebetween her thighs, sinking his fingers into her hot, wet sheath Bringing her to cli black plum clouds flew past his shoulder and slammed into the far wall of his mind TheThe little bit of air he&039;d ain crept insidious fingers around hi?" he croaked

"Don&039;t worry about that right now" She sentle hand over his brow "Concentrate on aze ainst fathomless blue, and he was overwhelmed by a compulsion to do whatever she asked She was his lifeline

In an obsidian swirl of sulfur and blood-scented evil, the dark clouds whirled and gelled until two separate creatures forated, saliva dripping froht red

Shock chilled him from head to toe

The two creatures leapt at each other, oblivious to everything except the other&039;s destruction As they sliced, bit and kicked, it was Gray who experienced pain Gray who felt the sting of each blow

Their co, protractedher froht of her beautiful face, his body craht against the pain, deter past his injuries, he leapt to his feet and attacked full force He used the only weapons he currently possessed - his fists and legs But each time he punched or kicked, the cloud darted aith a violent, taunting laugh

"Step away fro pair whizzed past hied creature in a chokehold

"Gray," she shouted, frantic "You cannot beat the while you are in the middle of them Let me help you"

The de up and launched hi at its throat All the while teeth and nails sliced at his back His breath grew ragged, unsteady His liy He&039;d spent his entire life protecting those weaker than hi the streets of Dallas as a police officer, then as a detective, then stalking other worlds as an OBI agent

He wouldn&039;t stop now He&039;d kill these hell-bound bastards if he had to die to do so "Please," Jewel cried, the sound distant "Please step away from them, and let me help you"

Her desperation and fear penetrated his killing rage, but he refused to do as she asked If he released the creatures, theywhat else to do, he used the last of his th to shove her out of his mind

He would not risk her

"Leave Now!" he shouted

A burst of white light erupted, and she disappeared

A hint of sadness lingered where she&039;d been,his chest constrict His deepest rant her every wish But if her wishes put her in danger, he&039;d refuse her every tie, the creatures closed over hiht

Panic thundered inside her, panic she could not subdue Gray had actually shoved her from his ht now his physical body lay at her side, jerking every few seconds as the creatures ravaged hi hints of night&039;s shadows As she forced her heartbeat to slow, she studied hireenish hue of sickness, and several cuts on his face and chest bled profusely Bruises curved under his eyes

How h The dire warning echoed through her Not long

Hand shaky, she reached out, wrapping her fingers around his wrist His skin was cold, his pulse weak Before her eyes, a cut appeared on his forehead, slashing from brow to hairline Every wound he received internally appeared externally

All her life, he&039;d been her anchor and her only source of happiness Watching his life unfold had been her greatest joy If she had any hope of helping him, she had to find a way back inside his mind

Think, Jewel Think How could she burst past his ical answer, really, she realized a moment later She&039;d just have to try harder, to force her way back inside, through the one et his attention

Jewel drew in a deep breath and as she released it, she eased herself on top of hiers in Gray&039;s pale, silky hair, and the pulse at the base of his neck leapt He sensed her touch!

She closed her eyes and dragged in another breath The air boasted su, all Very slowly, she lowered her head until her lips ue pushed past his teeth and into his mouth His masculine flavor consuhs to ache

His nostrils flared, his mouth widened, and he kissed her back