She heard heavy breathing and smiled. Then she felt moisture between her legs and swore. She hurried to find something to clean up with, determined not to sleep in the inevitable wet spot left by Mr. Studly.
Except she stumbled in the dark, suddenly fatigued between one breath and the next. Even the ground under her, still throbbing with power, couldn’t overcome her weakness. She managed to find her shirt and cleaned herself before returning to the sleeping bag and the human heater breathing deeply beside her. She had a hard time keeping her eyes open and decided to use him as her personal mattress.
Naked from the waist up, her jeans now around her waist but still unfastened, she pulled the sleeping bag over them and closed her eyes, hoping this newfound peace would last.
Ernst Baer glared at his brother. The ass was fucking Nera in the town jail with the main door to the place wide open. Though most of the town had already gathered at Edda’s, their father might still come by and see. For all that Ernst believed in taking his pleasure wherever and whenever he felt like, he respected his father’s authority enough to know that the old man wouldn’t be pleased to see his son fucking the town whore in the same office where they conducted business.
Ernst crossed to the front door to shut and lock it, but he didn’t stop watching as his brother pounded Nera against the wall until he came. As usual, thoughts of sex brought Heather Wurtz to mind. Fuck if he’d been able to screw anyone without seeing her in his mind’s eye. Nera, Holly, even Bettina paled next to Ida’s beautiful niece. Great-niece, he amended.
How an old biddy like Ida could be related to someone as gorgeous as Heather still baffled him, but Heather’s connection to the old woman only emphasized how right she would look next to him. Sexy, smart, sweet, and a relation to one of the most powerful women in the village. Heather had finally returned to the place of her mother’s birth, and if Ernst had any say in it, she wouldn’t be leaving.
As usual, thoughts of Heather had him hard. His brother wanted her too, but Klaus always played second fiddle to Ernst. They both had power, but nothing like what their father could command. Ralf Baer could move things—and people—with his mind. A scary man to have on one’s bad side, but the old bastard loved his family. He wanted the best for his sons, and Ernst was his father’s favorite.
He stared at Nera, noting how she didn’t bother dressing when Klaus left to clean up. Instead she stood there, half naked with cum dripping down her leg, and watched him with knowing eyes. She wanted him, even though he’d told her they could never be. Her power was weak, her bloodline way below the first families who’d discovered the Source eight hundred years past.
“Funny how Heather never mentioned she had a boyfriend, isn’t it, Klaus?” she asked when Klaus returned fully dressed. She asked his brother, yet her bright eyes remained on him.
Ernst knew she wanted a reaction from him. He didn’t want to give her one, but he couldn’t help himself. He snarled, “What the fuck are you talking about?”
Klaus answered, “She’s talking about that big bastard who arrived today. How did you miss that? According to Hans, you could feel the power seething through the guy. He’s not only fucking huge and muscled to the teeth, he’s also full of energy.”
“A good match for Heather, in more ways than one,” Nera added softly.
Ernst crossed to her and put his hand around her neck. In his rage, his erection grew larger. The lust and anger mixed, thoughts of Heather at some other man’s mercy stealing his control.
“Brother, hold on…”
Ernst ignored him. “You bitch. You’re lying. You’re jealous, because Heather is what you can never be.”
“Oh?” Her clever hands reached for his belt.
He felt her, knew what she did, but he didn’t care. She wanted him? She could have what he chose to give. He’d been with her enough to know what she liked, and what she didn’t. He pulled her from the wall and dragged her to his father’s desk. “Guard the door, Klaus.”
“But…” Klaus must have seen the look in his eye. His little brother knew better than to argue when Ernst was in a mood.
“Now, bitch, tell me what you think you know.” He prodded Nera for information. The woman knew everything, especially because she had a way with others, an ability to dig for answers. She would have known about Heather’s new friend the moment he entered the town. That he’d found them at all spoke much for his power.
“What will you give me if I tell you?” Nera had the temerity to ask.
He glared down at her, pleased when she swallowed hard and shut up. “I was working for Father today, cleaning up some nonsense near the gate. A few tourists wandered too close, and we had to bury them.” He smiled through his teeth at her. “Would you like me to show you where I buried them?”
The townspeople lived in ignorant bliss, so sheltered from the real world that they didn’t know what actually went on around them. Power corrupted, and the Source had been a virtual mother’s milk for centuries. Of course that kind of energy would leak beyond the psychic boundaries Jan and his family had made. So who did everyone look to in order to keep the peace?
The Baers. Death was a sacrifice necessary to maintaining the peace, and if a few tourists or Grainau locals disappeared every few months, so be it. Ernst’s father remained a hero by protecting their town, though his methods on how he did so were known by only a few, the town council included.
And now Nera knew.
The horror on her face pleased him, and he gripped her hand over his crotch and squeezed. “Don’t stop now,” he taunted. “We’re just getting to the good part. You’re going to tell me everything you know about this man.”
“Jack Harmon,” she said.
“Yes, this Jack Harmon.” He flipped her onto her belly and shoved her feet farther apart. His brother, the pervert, watched them without blinking. Little Klaus liked it when they played together. The more blood, the better, a notion Ernst seconded. They’d only ever played with tourists before, but Nera knew too much now. He’d have to make an example of her. But how far to take it would depend on her.
His cock demanded satisfaction, however. Thoughts of Heather plagued him still.
Nera remained silent as he stood behind her, unmoving.
“I thought I told you to talk.” He took himself out, letting his brother get a good look at what he intended. He pulled Nera’s ass cheeks wider, demanding entry into the place she’d begged him never to go again. “I can’t hear you, dearest.” He moved closer, loving this power, the rush of satisfaction growing stronger.
She sobbed and talked while he rutted without mercy, telling him everything and anything while Klaus watched with wide eyes. When Ernst finished, he cleaned himself up and left her sobbing in a huge, bloody mess. In a much better mood now that he had information, he nodded to his brother.
“Meet me at Edda’s. I’m going to take a good look at Heather’s new friend, up close. Besides, we’re celebrating tonight. And I’ll try to talk to Jan, if not tonight, then definitely tomorrow. I think it’s time we found out what the guardian of the gate has to say about our newest guests to town.”
“And her?” Klaus stared down at Nera with a strange fascination that both repelled and saddened Ernst to see. His little brother had always had a thing for the color red.
“Nera won’t say a thing, will you, dearest?”
She shook her head as she continued to cry silent tears.
“Fuck her, cut her, I don’t care.” Ernst shook his head. “Just don’t let the scars be seen. You know what to do.”
Klaus grinned. “Excellent, brother. Can I kill her too?”