Awakened and Betrayed: The Lost Sentinel Book 2

by Ivy Asher

  Ryker pumps into me three more times before he growls out his release and stills as deeply inside of me as he can get. Violet strikes crawl all over his skin, and he kisses me sweetly before pulling out and collapsing on the bed beside me. His muscles twitch as he absorbs my weird sex magic, and he gives me a lazy smile as he presses back into the pillows.

  Knox climbs over me, and the grin he gives me is salacious and filled with all kinds of promise.

  “Are you sore? I’m dying to be inside of you, but if you’re not up for that, I get it.”

  I smile at him and sit up. I cup his beautiful face in my hands and kiss him. Purple magic flicks from my hands to his face, and he moans into my mouth. I lean into him, and he dips back to accommodate me until he’s on his back and I’m leaning over him. I climb on top of him, and he caresses me gently all over, I can feel the worship in his touch, and I revel in the intimacy of it. I straddle his hips and reach down to palm him and position him at my entrance.

  Knox’s eyes follow my every move, and he licks his lips as I take hold of him and slowly lower myself onto him. I moan in appreciation of how he feels inching into me. My thighs meet his hips as I fully connect us, and he lifts up off the bed pushing even further into me. We both groan in tandem, and I place my palms on his chest and lean forward a little using his strong body as leverage.

  Knox runs his hands up my sides as he leans up to steal my lips for another deep, passionate kiss. I grind my hips down against his, and the kiss tapers off as we get lost in the moans and sensations of me riding him. I chuckle a little, and he looks up at me with lidded, questioning eyes.

  “I have no idea what I’m doing,” I admit. “Am I supposed to use my legs and do this pogo stick style, or just grind on you to my heart’s content?”

  Knox laughs, which makes me start to crack up too. No amount of romance novel reading has prepared me for the real thing. I’m trying to be all sexy, but I realized after I slipped down onto Knox that I have no idea how to even go about accomplishing that. He lifts his hips up off the bed again, pushing deeper into me, and my laugh morphs into an exclamation of appreciation.

  “Just do whatever feels good to you, I promise you’ll hear no complaints from me,” he encourages.

  With that, he leans forward and steals a nipple into his mouth. I throw my head back absorbing the ecstasy his mouth and cock are creating, and pump my hips up and down on top of him while occasionally grinding my clit against the black curls settled at the base of his shaft. Knox releases my nipple, replacing his mouth with pinching fingers, and I increase my pace. Knox grips my hips and starts to grind up into me every time I slam down onto him.

  Our heated gazes connect, and we watch each other’s pleasure as we chase our release. Knox’s hands trace up my back, and out of nowhere, he flips our positions. I open my mouth to object, but he covers it with a kiss, shifting out of me and then roughly back in. He slams into me relentlessly over and over again, and my objections die amidst sensations I don’t ever want to end.

  “Fuck, Knox!” I exclaim with a shout, unable to string together anything more coherent.

  He hums satisfied into my ear. “Mmmm right there Killer, is that where you want me?” he asks, grinding deeply into me and circling his hips against mine before pulling back out and slamming punishingly back into me. I gasp, and pant, and he growls into his thrusts. He reaches down between us and thumbs my clit, and it’s all I need to go over the edge. With a shout, I climax and tighten around Knox’s cock, and he roars out his release, sinking deep inside of me.

  He gives me a couple more shallow thrusts before he kisses me again and pulls out. He collapses on top of me but scoots down, so I’m not crushed under his weight or size. He rests his head between my breasts and lets out a contented sigh. With one hand I run my fingers and palm over his buzzed hair, and with the other I reach out for Ryker.

  Ryker moves in closer to my side and steals a sweet, tired kiss.

  “You okay, Squeaks? Do you need anything?”

  I give him a slow, satisfied smile. “I need us to take a quick nap and wake up to do that again.”

  They both chuckle against me and I close my eyes, succumbing to the calm and peace that’s beckoning me to sleep.

  29

  I wake up surrounded by heat. I’m clammy with sweat and tucked tightly between two large muscular bodies. Knox’s forearm and hand rest on my stomach, and he’s curled into my side, his deep breaths sinking into my hair and neck. Ryker is on his back on the other side of me. He’s draped a leg over my thighs, and our fingers on one hand are laced together and resting on his abs.

  Soft light floats into the room from the large windows, and I would guess it’s very early morning. I’m tempted to try and fall back asleep, but I feel kind of sticky and gross, which makes my only goal right now a shower. I get out from underneath Ryker’s leg first and carefully move Knox’s arm toward his chest. I get out from underneath the covers, and thankfully neither of them stir. I scoot slowly toward the end of the bed, slip off, and head for the closed doors at one end the room, one of which I’m hoping leads to a bathroom.

  Jackpot!

  The first door I reach for takes me exactly where I’m wanting, and I step into the dim room and fumble against the wall for the light. I flip the switch up and gasp at what the illumination reveals. Directly in front of me is a tub that’s probably better classified as a small pool. All the guys and I could fit in there at one time and still leave room for probably both of Sabin’s horses. There’s a large shower that practically takes up a whole wall to the right of the tub and a long vanity with two sinks to my left.

  I step into the massive shower and twist knobs until the shower head above me turns on, and the water becomes molten just the way I like it. I step under the spray and stand as it washes away any evidence of last night’s activities. I take stock of myself, once again feeling for my magic and trying to determine if anything is different, now that I’ve had my Awakening. Where I once used to visualize a ball of tangled magical threads, now sits a dark hole.

  The depthless chasm in my chest surprisingly doesn’t worry me. It doesn’t represent emptiness, but more of an endless source that I can now pull from. I reach for my Elemental magic and the kelly green power surges into my center like a legion ready for war. I focus in on the water around me and weave my intent with the abnormally eager magic. A ball of water floats in the air chest high in front of me, and I watch it grow in size at my command. I jump up and down with a huge smile on my face, ecstatic that my Elemental magic didn’t fight me as much as it has in the past.

  Strong arms snake around me from behind, scaring the shit out of me. I squeak-yelp in alarm, and my giant ball of water bursts and disappears down the shower wall and floor. I twist to see who’s behind me. Ryker’s soft lips half turn up in apology, but his eyes sparkle with amusement as he pulls me closer to him.

  “Sorry Squeaks, I didn’t mean to scare you. You just looked so wet and inviting, and I couldn’t resist climbing in here with you.”

  “Warn a girl next time. What if I had zapped you or punched you or something?”

  He chuckles and leans down to kiss my neck. “Sorry. I consider myself warned. If I get punched in the future, I’ll take full responsibility for it.”

  I run my hands up the damp golden skin of his arms appreciating the dips and peaks of his muscles as they flex and pull me even closer. I step back into the spray and bring Ryker with me, he yelps and immediately jumps back.

  “Shit, sorry!”

  I scramble to adjust the knobs and cool down the steady stream flowing from the shower head in the ceiling. I guess boiling isn’t his preferred temperature setting. Wisely, Ryker sticks his hand under the stream of water before stepping back underneath it. I watch, mesmerized as the water darkens his golden hair and he tilts his head back appreciatively and closes his eyes.

  Ryker is breathtakingly beautiful, and I can’t seem to snap myself out of the staring I’m currentl
y doing. My eyes trace the trails of water that streak past his long lashes, sculpted nose, chiseled jaw, and plump lips. He tilts his head down and catches me creeping out on him.

  “Stop looking at me, swan,” he imitates, and I crack up at the spot on Billy Madison impersonation.

  He kisses my nose and hands me a bottle of shampoo.

  “I’ll do yours, if you do mine,” he offers.

  I can’t help but give a salacious waggle of my eyebrows, happily going right for any and all innuendo in that statement. He chuckles and pops the top of the shampoo squeezing some into my hand and then in his. I reach up and work the shampoo into his hair until it’s lathered and white and I can make shapes with his almost shoulder-length locks.

  “How are you feeling today?” he asks, as I whip his hair into a dollop that any Who from Whoville would be proud to sport.

  “Good. My magic doesn’t feel tangled anymore. My center, or core of magic, or whatever it’s called, feels different, less limited maybe.” I try to explain, but it sounds more like a question than an answer. “Other than that, everything feels the same, but I also have no idea what I’m supposed to be looking for.”

  He nods in understanding. “How about physically? Do you need any healing? Anything sore?”

  I can’t help the chuckle that escapes me. “My vagina is fine, if that’s what you’re asking.” He laughs and reaches up to for some bubbles from his hair and proceeds to flick them at me before stepping into the spray and letting the water steal away the shampoo and his sudsy hairdo

  The shower smells like honeysuckle, and I breathe it in appreciatively.

  “You’re going to smell so girly and flowery today,” I tease.

  He holds on to my hips and leans into me as I proceed to work conditioner into his strands.

  “I’m good with that. Hell, this might be my new favorite smell,” he admits with a chuckle. I look at him confused. “Now, when I smell honeysuckle, it will remind me of you naked in the shower dripping wet and beautiful.”

  He brings a hand up and skims my cheek with his thumb, as the rest of his palm cups the side of my face. There’s so much depth to the tender affection in his eyes. Before I can say anything, Ryker twirls me around and squeezes shampoo into his hand. He works it into my hair, and it’s impossible to ignore the muscles of his chest as they brush against my shoulder blades, or the hard cock pressed into my lower back. I lean into him, loving the intimacy of this moment even if the intensity of the feelings swirling in here make me nervous.

  I rinse shampoo out of my hair, and Ryker’s hands start to rub all over me under the guise of spreading body wash. I’m impressed he let me clean up a bit before pouncing. I’ve personally been working out the logistics of shower sex from the minute he waltzed in here.

  Ryker rubs his soapy palms in a circular motion up the runes on my sides and then reaches around my front to generously lather up my breasts. He doesn’t spend as much time there as I’d like, moving up and over my shoulders to massage some of the stress that’s been sitting there for way too long. I pull us both under the spray washing away his efforts and then spin around in his arms, done with the leisurely pace he’s setting.

  I reach down and grip his hard cock stroking it easily as the water pours down onto both of us. His eyes are heated and locked on mine as he lets out a sexy groan and shifts his hips forward, thrusting into my hand. He slowly starts to back me up towards the shower wall, and a zing shoots down through my stomach and straight between my legs as my body starts to anticipate how good it’s going to feel to have him back inside of me.

  “Wrap your arms around my neck,” he instructs before he grabs my ass and lifts me up, pressing me in against the wall of the shower.

  The marble is cold against my back, but his full lips crash down on mine, and all I can think about is his tongue, mouth, and dick and where I want all of them to be. I moan into his mouth as he lines up and starts to press into me. I stretch around him, and he takes his time filling me up as he kisses me thoroughly. He nips my bottom lip just as he pulls out and thrusts deeply back in, and I sink my hands into his hair and demand more.

  I hold onto him tightly as he grips my ass and drives in and out of me at a pace that has us both panting already. He thrusts in deeply and suddenly freezes. I nip at his jawline and grind against him with my hips encouraging him to keep going, but he doesn’t move. Every muscle in his body is rigid and tense, and I’m not sure what the hell is going on.

  “Ryker, are you okay?” I ask, trying to pull back and get a look at his face, but he’s pressed his head into my shoulder.

  He groans, but it’s not the sexy kind you hear when someone is enjoying themselves. I shove against his chest, trying to push him out of me so I can figure out what’s happening but his grip on my ass becomes bruising, and something about it makes me start to panic. I call on extra strength from my runes and shove hard against Ryker pressing my back into the marble of the shower wall to give me even more leverage.

  I slip out of Ryker’s hold, and he crumbles to the ground as my feet touch the shower floor. I scramble to him brushing wet locks out of his face. His eyes are squeezed tightly closed, his jaw clenched, and he’s scaring the shit out of me. I shout for Knox as my fingers try and fail to sooth away whatever the fuck is happening to Ryker. I run a hand down his arm, and I can feel every inch of muscle locked up and rigid. I scream for Knox again, but the doorway remains empty. I run a shaky finger over the runes behind my ear and mentally scream for help.

  “Ryker, can you hear me? What the fuck is happening? Are you hurt? Did I hurt you somehow?”

  My hands flutter over him, but I don’t set them down anywhere for fear that somehow it might make whatever’s happening worse. A strained scream starts to bubble out of Ryker’s clenched teeth, and the agonizing sound fucking kills me. Heavy footfall pounds just outside of the bathroom and I hear shouted voices coming closer. Valen runs through the doorway first, and with no hesitation, he heads right for me and Ryker.

  “I don’t know what happened. One minute he was fine, and then he just froze up like this. He’s hurting, Valen, but I can’t tell from what.”

  Valen’s worried gaze leaves mine as he crouches down next to Ryker and tries to talk to him to no avail.

  “Whatever it is, it’s fucking with Knox, too; we found him writhing in the bed when we ran in here.”

  Valen’s words are punctuated by Bastien running into the bathroom.

  “Knox is in agony. I don’t think he can talk.”

  I open my mouth to ask them what the fuck is going on when the realization hits me like a sledgehammer. Oh fuck, I did this!

  30

  I take in Ryker’s body, frozen in pain, his clenched eyes, his inability to respond or interact with anything beyond what he’s feeling right now, and I recognize it from when it happened to me at sixteen. He’s going to come out of the worst of it, and that’s when the screaming will start, and the runes will sear themselves into him and Knox, the magic altering them forever.

  Fuck! I thought we had to bond or whatever the fuck it’s called for this to happen?

  “Valen, it’s the runes!” I tell him, the panic clear in my voice.

  Valen turns to me, and frantically his eyes run over my runes.

  “Not mine, they’re getting runes.” I gesture frantically down to Ryker who’s still rigid with agony on the shower floor.

  Bastien hurriedly steps in and turns the water off.

  “I thought we had to be bound or something for me to transfer my magic, but apparently not. That’s what’s happening to them. It’s the transference!”

  Understanding dawns on the twins’ faces, and it immediately mixes with shock and then worry.

  “Let’s get him to the bed,” Bastien announces, and without any further discussion Valen and Bastien both bend down and lift Ryker off the floor.

  He makes a pained noise, and I break a little, knowing how much he’s hurting right now. Bastien and Valen
easily maneuver Ryker out of the large shower, and I quickly grab a few towels and wrap him up. They take him out to the bed where my heart splinters even more at seeing the agony that’s taken hold of Knox too.

  He’s not as locked up as Ryker, at least his body isn’t, but his face is frozen in a silent scream as he fists the sheets beneath his hands and writhes as much as his pain filled muscles will let him. They set Ryker on the massive bed, and I scramble onto it, dampening everything I touch. I’m panicked and frustratingly clueless about what to do now. This moment reaffirms that watching someone I care about suffer, is infinitely worse than any amount of pain or suffering I’ve ever personally experienced.

  “It’s going to be okay, you guys. It’ll be over soon,” Valen tells them, and the words sit more like a prayer in the room than an offer of reassurance.

  Bastien and Valen stand helplessly on the side of the bed, and I can hear Sabin talking to someone on the other side of the door. A thought races through my mind, and I reach out to both Knox and Ryker setting the palms of my hands on both of their chests. I was hoping just my touch might offer some relief like theirs had during my awakening, but if they’re feeling anything good from my damp hand against their skin, they aren’t able to show it.

  I close my eyes and tap into the chasm in my center. I beg my healing magic to help me do something. I release a grateful whimper when the thick, soft-teal strands of power cooperate without hesitation. The stream of hope that runs through me when my magic answers my call quickly dries up when I feed the healing magic into Ryker and Knox and nothing happens. I feel raw and gutted at having to watch them go through this. I know it will end. I know they’ll be okay. But it offers zero comfort as Knox screams through a clenched jaw, his voice giving agony a sound that will haunt me for the rest of my life.

  I know from personal experience that as soon as you can scream through the pain, you’re in the final stages of this fucked up process, but that doesn’t make it any less brutal. I kneel between Knox and Ryker on the bed refusing to take my eyes from them. I did this, and I deserve to have to live with the memories of how it hurt them. The other guys call my name, but I can’t look at them. The picture is now crystal clear for them, and there’s no more denying that what I am is going to hurt them. Just like it’s hurting Knox and Ryker. Just like it hurt Talon. I can’t bear to see that knowledge and understanding written all over their faces.