Read Online Awakened (Eternal Guardians Book 8) by Elisabeth Naughton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elisabeth Naughton
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beat of her heart—and her left breast.
Realizing what he’d done, he dropped his hand and moved back. Holy Hades, this female was doing a number on him. Arousing him in ways no female had, making his thoughts scatter and swirl. What the hell was happening to him?
“The, uh, amulet is a sign,” he managed. “It means you’re in the top seventy-five percent of recruits. You only have one labor left. Congratulations.”
A wide smile spread across her gorgeous face, one that told him she’d liked where his hand had been. And just that fast, confusion fled and the need to touch her and know her and possess her came rushing back.
“That’s good.” She stepped closer. So close her seductive heat surrounded him. “Very good. So long as you stay to help me with the last labor, that is.”
Oh man. Her eyes were vast dark pools. And he was falling under their spell. Just as those sailors had fallen for the ancient Sirens’ hypnotic voices.
Her hand landed against his bare chest, igniting a fire in his blood. He lifted his to close around her long, slender fingers. Whoever she was, whatever she was, he no longer cared. All that mattered was having her.
He lowered his mouth to hers, and the instant her lips brushed his, desire flared hot and urgent through every cell in his body. He gripped her hand tighter against his chest, slid his tongue along the seam of her lips, then groaned when she opened and let him in.
Heat. Life. Home. The words swirled in his head while her tongue stroked gently along his. This was familiar. This was new. This was all-consuming in a way nothing and no one had ever been before.
She broke the kiss and stepped back long before he was ready to let her go. Cool air whooshed over his lips and bare chest. Before he could pull her back, she turned away. “Oh my gods, it’s the seventh labor.”
In a daze, he realized she’d moved toward the pedestal. A small wooden box sat near the aegis, as if it had floated through the skylight above.
Which, considering who was sending them, was no surprise. They’d set it up to happen just that very way.
Did that mean Athena knew he was here? She had to. She knew everything the recruits did on this damn island. He was going to be in some serious shit when he got back to Olympus.
His gaze drifted to Elysia. As he watched her open the box and read the scroll inside, arousal flared in his belly and spread into his groin. He’d deal with Athena’s consequences later. All he cared about right now was the female in front of him.
Elysia’s face fell. Worry immediately clamped a hand around his chest, distracting him from his thoughts. He moved toward her. “What’s wrong?”
She turned to face him with wide, sickened eyes. “It’s the last labor.” She held out the scroll. “I have to kill another soul.”
K ill another soul…
The words echoed in Elysia’s mind as she sat by the fire on the beach that night. Darkness pressed in all around them, and every once in a while, the sound of branches crashing sounded from the jungle, but Elysia didn’t even turn to look. The thuds were far off, and as Damon had told her, the monsters on this island didn’t like flames. They were safe so long as the fire didn’t go out.
“You’ve barely eaten,” Damon said across the fire, where he stoked the hot coals with a thick branch.
Elysia looked at the fish he’d caught and cooked after they’d returned to the beach, sitting on a piece of bark he’d used as a plate beside her. “I’m not hungry.”
“You have to eat.”
Kill another soul…
Her stomach rolled. Eating was the last thing she needed to do. Pushing to her feet, she paced ten feet into the darkness, then turned and paced back. No, what she needed to do was find a way off this island. She couldn’t kill someone. What did the Sirens think she was? A monster? She couldn’t do that. She’d gladly bind herself to anyone her parents paired her up with over this.
Her feet stilled, and
Realizing what he’d done, he dropped his hand and moved back. Holy Hades, this female was doing a number on him. Arousing him in ways no female had, making his thoughts scatter and swirl. What the hell was happening to him?
“The, uh, amulet is a sign,” he managed. “It means you’re in the top seventy-five percent of recruits. You only have one labor left. Congratulations.”
A wide smile spread across her gorgeous face, one that told him she’d liked where his hand had been. And just that fast, confusion fled and the need to touch her and know her and possess her came rushing back.
“That’s good.” She stepped closer. So close her seductive heat surrounded him. “Very good. So long as you stay to help me with the last labor, that is.”
Oh man. Her eyes were vast dark pools. And he was falling under their spell. Just as those sailors had fallen for the ancient Sirens’ hypnotic voices.
Her hand landed against his bare chest, igniting a fire in his blood. He lifted his to close around her long, slender fingers. Whoever she was, whatever she was, he no longer cared. All that mattered was having her.
He lowered his mouth to hers, and the instant her lips brushed his, desire flared hot and urgent through every cell in his body. He gripped her hand tighter against his chest, slid his tongue along the seam of her lips, then groaned when she opened and let him in.
Heat. Life. Home. The words swirled in his head while her tongue stroked gently along his. This was familiar. This was new. This was all-consuming in a way nothing and no one had ever been before.
She broke the kiss and stepped back long before he was ready to let her go. Cool air whooshed over his lips and bare chest. Before he could pull her back, she turned away. “Oh my gods, it’s the seventh labor.”
In a daze, he realized she’d moved toward the pedestal. A small wooden box sat near the aegis, as if it had floated through the skylight above.
Which, considering who was sending them, was no surprise. They’d set it up to happen just that very way.
Did that mean Athena knew he was here? She had to. She knew everything the recruits did on this damn island. He was going to be in some serious shit when he got back to Olympus.
His gaze drifted to Elysia. As he watched her open the box and read the scroll inside, arousal flared in his belly and spread into his groin. He’d deal with Athena’s consequences later. All he cared about right now was the female in front of him.
Elysia’s face fell. Worry immediately clamped a hand around his chest, distracting him from his thoughts. He moved toward her. “What’s wrong?”
She turned to face him with wide, sickened eyes. “It’s the last labor.” She held out the scroll. “I have to kill another soul.”
K ill another soul…
The words echoed in Elysia’s mind as she sat by the fire on the beach that night. Darkness pressed in all around them, and every once in a while, the sound of branches crashing sounded from the jungle, but Elysia didn’t even turn to look. The thuds were far off, and as Damon had told her, the monsters on this island didn’t like flames. They were safe so long as the fire didn’t go out.
“You’ve barely eaten,” Damon said across the fire, where he stoked the hot coals with a thick branch.
Elysia looked at the fish he’d caught and cooked after they’d returned to the beach, sitting on a piece of bark he’d used as a plate beside her. “I’m not hungry.”
“You have to eat.”
Kill another soul…
Her stomach rolled. Eating was the last thing she needed to do. Pushing to her feet, she paced ten feet into the darkness, then turned and paced back. No, what she needed to do was find a way off this island. She couldn’t kill someone. What did the Sirens think she was? A monster? She couldn’t do that. She’d gladly bind herself to anyone her parents paired her up with over this.
Her feet stilled, and
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