“Are you all right?” Deep demanded. “How do you feel?”
“Pretty good for someone who just took a trip to la-la land.” Kat struggled to sit up between them and Lock helped her. Deep sat back and kept his hands to himself, fearful of what might happen if he touched her again.
“Are you certain you’re all right, my lady?” Lock asked anxiously.
“Fine, except…” She looked down at herself blushing and then crossed her arms over her breasts. “Uh, that was all really intense but now I’m kind of embarrassed.”
“You have nothing to be embarrassed about,” Lock assured her. “You were simply giving your all, participating in the reenactment of the legend.”
“What I’d like to be participating in right now is getting dressed,” Kat said. “I mean, I know you guys have seen me in my birthday suit but I’m still shy about putting on a show for anyone else.”
Lock shook his head. “Birthday suit? You have special clothing you wear on the day of your birth?”
“Birthday suit means nude,” Deep explained, glad to finally understand a piece of the confusing Earth vernacular Kat was always speaking. “Where are her clothes?”
“If you can call them clothes,” Kat muttered, still covering herself. She looked at both of them, frowning. “Hey, are you sure I fainted? I mean, I don’t feel dizzy at all. In fact, this is the best I’ve felt since before the first time we did our first joining to find Sophie and Sylvan.”
“You fainted, all right,” Deep said dryly, as he helped her fasten on the discarded leaf garments. “Only for a moment but it was long enough.”
“Long enough for what?” Kat asked. “What happened while I was out? Did she finish the story?”
As if in answer to her question, the chief’s soft, melodic voice floated out into the still night air again.
“And then Nyra declared that she could not choose between the brothers for she loved them both. And she took both Dakir and Lanare as her mates and slept between them every night, giving her light to the world every day as she shone in the sky.”
She might have loved them both but only one of them was good for her, Deep thought, eyeing the gentle way his brother was caressing Kat’s cheek. Ever since he’d walked in on them kissing, he’d had the sense that they belonged together—that Kat and Lock would be better off on their own, without him. The way she’d fainted while he was fucking her seemed to confirm that belief.
But she cares for me now—not just Lock. She cares for both of us, whispered the soft voice of hope in his head. And maybe Lock is right—maybe it’s just the incomplete bond that makes her weak. If the three of us were bonded completely maybe she could withstand the pleasure I give her, maybe I wouldn’t hurt her anymore. If only…
His thoughts were interrupted by a soft gasp from Kat. She was staring down at the ground around them, her eyes filled with wonder. “Oh my God! Look!”
“Look at wha—?” Deep started to say and then he saw.
Flowers had suddenly bloomed everywhere, covering the soft green belsh in fragrant beauty.
“They’re gorgeous!” Kat leaned down to examine one. “And look—they each have two blossoms coming from one stalk.”
Deep looked and saw that it was true. The flowers were large—about the size of his palm. And every stalk had two of them—one a pure, milky white and one a deep, velvety black. In the heart of each blossom was a crimson center—like a single, perfect drop of blood. But they weren’t here just a moment ago, he thought. Did they appear the minute the chief finished speaking the legend? They must have.
“The Moons blossom,” Lock breathed reverently. “So it does exist.”
“Not only does it exist, it’s our ticket out of here.” Kat leaned down to sniff one pure white flower. “Mmm, they smell good too.”
Deep started to respond and then he felt Kat’s rush of relief. His fragile hope that she had learned to love him as well as Lock crumbled in that instant.
She’s glad, he thought, his mouth twisting. So glad we’ve found the blossoms. Because now we can take them back to Mother L’rin and Kat can be rid of us forever. Rid of me. He had no doubt that Kat would have happily joined with Lock if he himself hadn’t been in the picture. He’d lingered outside the bedroom door after seeing their kiss for a moment, intending to go back in. And he knew what Kat meant when she told Lock that he “came with a lot of baggage.”
More Earth vernacular, he thought bitterly. Just another way of saying I’m not the one she wants.
He’d fooled himself into thinking that she cared for him—that she loved him as he had so stupidly allowed himself to start loving her. But it wasn’t true—she couldn’t wait to get the Moons blossom and leave—he could feel the impatience to be away coming from her already.
It doesn’t matter anyway, Deep told himself grimly. I’m no good for her—just look at my past. At what happened to Miranda. I don’t want that to happen to Kat, even if she doesn’t care for me. I couldn’t bear it if…But he couldn’t make himself finish the grim thought. Instead he watched as his brother helped the woman they both loved gather the rare, mystical blossoms. They were laughing as they did and Kat was tickling Lock under the chin with one of the two-headed flowers.
Lock is good for her, Deep realized. He’s the one she ought to be with. Not me and not both of us. Just him. The concept of one of them having a female without the other was so foreign to him it was hard to contemplate, but he knew it was true.
It didn’t matter who he thought Kat belonged with, though. They had the Moons blossoms—or fifi flowers, as she called them. Mother L’rin would be able to brew a potion to separate Kat from both of them.
By this time tomorrow we will be two and one again instead of three, Deep thought. That’s a good thing—good for all of us. But though he tried, he could feel no joy at the idea. All he felt was achingly empty.
Twenty-One
Sophie turned on her side again and flipped her pillow, hoping the new position would help her fall asleep. It didn’t, though she was tired enough. She’d started her new part time job at the elementary school aboard the Mother ship and the little ones had just about worn her out.
Sylvan had told her she could just stay home and concentrate on her art but Sophie had decided she needed an occupation outside the home to keep from going crazy. Besides, she adored kids and teaching them to paint and draw and use modeling clay was great.
But it wasn’t her new job that was on her mind now. Something else was keeping her restless and wakeful.
With a sigh, Sophie turned over again, facing Sylvan’s broad, bare back. He was breathing deeply and she knew he must have had a hard day at the med station. There had been a big influx of wounded that day from a scrimmage with the Scourge and he’d been going from morning until night with barely a pause.
Sophie sighed softly. If only the thoughts and images would leave her alone. If only—
“Sophia?” Sylvan turned over to face her, his eyes glowing a faint blue in the dark. “Are you all right?”
“I’m sorry,” Sophie said contritely. “I didn’t mean to wake you up. I know how tired you are.”
“It’s all right.” Reaching out, he cupped her cheek gently. “I can tell you have something on your mind.”
“It’s nothing,” Sophie protested. “Go back to sleep.”
“I’m awake now so you might as well talk. Come on, Talana. Tell me what’s troubling you.”
Sophie sat up and ran a hand through her hair. “It’s Lauren—I can’t get her out of my head. I keep imagining what that horrible AllFather must be doing to her and I feel so bad. I mean, that could have been me. It would have been if you hadn’t found me in time.”
“Sophia…” Sylvan sat up beside her and drew her close to his side. In the darkness he felt warm and solid and his muscular arm around her shoulder was very comforting. “I know you feel bad for your kin but you can’t dwell on it,” he said softly, his deep voice rumbling through her. “T
here’s nothing we can do at the moment—no way to trace her.”
“I wish Deep and Lock were here,” Sophie said mournfully. “Maybe they could locate her doing their seeker/finder thing.”
“That’s very doubtful if not completely impossible,” Sylvan said. “They don’t have a properly trained focus and without one, their only hope to find Lauren would be to join with someone who knew her intimately. And you saw how that ended for Kat.”
“That’s true.” Sophie nodded. “But it just seems like there should be something else we can do.”
“You’re not the only one who thinks so,” Sylvan said dryly. “Baird told me he got another call from the detective the sister of your mother hired to find Lauren today. He was angry when Baird put him off.”
“He was?” Sophie frowned and sat up. “But why? What does he know?”
“I’m not sure.” Sylvan shook his head. “But I don’t think we can keep evading his questions forever. The male has good instincts—he seems certain that we know more than we’re telling him.”
That reminded Sophie of something. “Sylvan,” she said, looking up at him. “Speaking of keeping secrets, can I ask you something?”
“Of course, anything.” He looked at her. “But I hope you don’t think I’m keeping secrets from you.”
“No, I know you’re not—this isn’t about you. It’s about Deep.”
“What about him?”
“Well, Kat seemed to think that there was something he’d done in the past. Something…troubling. She didn’t get a chance to give us any details but Liv and I were worried about it.”
Sylvan sighed and raked a hand through his spiky blond hair distractedly. “What you’re asking me, Talana…it’s a secret that really isn’t mine to tell.”
His actions put Sophie on high alert—she almost never saw her cool, collected male so obviously agitated. Whatever it was, it must have been bad!
“Please,” she pleaded. “This is Kat we’re talking about—she’s my best friend in the world besides Liv. If she’s in any kind of danger when she’s with Deep I need to know.”
Sylvan was silent for a long moment, apparently debating with himself. Then he shook his head. “I’m sorry but I can’t reveal another warrior’s past—not even to you, Talana. Not when it concerns something this delicate.”
“Sylvan—”
“I will tell you that Kat is not in any danger,” he said, interrupting her protest. “And that Deep didn’t do anything wrong…though that’s not how he sees it.”
“Do you have any idea how frustrating this is?” Sophie demanded. “You keep throwing out these little half hints and then refusing to tell me the whole story.”
Sylvan looked serious. “The whole story, as you put it, is a grim tale—not something I want to talk about in the dead of night.”
“Not even with me here to keep you safe?” Deciding to let the matter drop for now, Sophie snuggled against him.
“There are other things I’d rather do with you at night than talk.” He kissed her, taking her mouth in a way that made her moan softly.
“Sylvan…” she protested. “About Deep—”
“I don’t want to talk about that. About grief and sorrow and loss.” His deep voice was unexpectedly rough. “Don’t you know I have dreams—nightmares—where I don’t reach you in time? Where I break into the Scourge ship to find you already…already gone?”
“Well, I’m not gone—I’m here with you.” Sophie pressed closer to him. “You got to me in time—you saved me, Sylvan.”
“No, Talana,” he rumbled, kissing her again. “It was you who saved me. Without you I’d be dead inside.”
“Hmmm,” she whispered, stroking his thigh. “You feel pretty alive to me.”
“I’m going to get a whole lot livelier if you keep that up,” he warned.
“That’s okay,” she murmured. “I don’t mind. I…” But she couldn’t finish—Sylvan was licking a long, slow trail down her neck.
Sophie’s heart began to race as his warm, wet tongue caressed her sensitive skin. His big, hard body felt so good against hers and his mating scent was rising, enveloping her in pure lust. She tilted her head to one side, baring her throat. “Do it, Sylvan—I want to feel you in me.”
“I never get tired of biting you,” Sylvan growled softly, lifting her so that she was straddling his hips. “Or kissing you…or tasting you…or fucking you.”
“Sylvan…” she whispered breathlessly as he lifted the lacy hem of her nightie and parted her thighs. Hearing dirty talk from him when he was usually so cool and logical never failed to turn her on.
“Yes, Talana?” he murmured, sliding the broad head of his shaft against her wet folds. “Was there something you wanted?”
“Nothing but you. God,” she moaned as he sank his fangs and his cock into her at the same time. “Sylvan!”
“I love it when you call my name while I’m inside you,” he sent through their link. “Love the soft, helpless little sounds you make when I take you.”
“Take me harder…more!” she begged. And the part of her mind that wasn’t drowning in pleasure wondered how he always knew exactly what she needed. All the troubling thoughts that had been bothering her were swept away on the tide of pleasure as he made her his once again.
But though Sophie knew she would sleep well after their loving, she was also certain she would return to her worries eventually. Lauren was still out there, somewhere and as for Deep’s dark past…well, she would have to compare notes with Liv and see if she’d gotten anything out of Baird.
Later…
Twenty-Two
“We’re here! And we brought the fi-fi flowers.” Kat presented the bouquet of blossoms triumphantly to Mother L’rin.
“Have them, you do,” the old wise woman acknowledged, nodding. She was sitting quietly in the middle of the Healing Garden, doing something with a fluffy bunch of pink and purple herbs. “And still you wish to use them?”
“Of…course we do.” Kat looked uncertainly at Deep and Lock who were standing on either side of her. Well, standing might be too strong a word—Deep was actually slouched against a nearby tree studying his fingernails. “That is…I think so.”
“My lady…” Lock gave her a pained look. “Kat…I wish to say that the time Deep and I have spent bonded to you—even partially—has been an experience I shall never forget. Neither of us will,” he added, looking at Deep.
“How could we forget it? It’s been one disaster after another from the start.” Deep spoke in a bored tone. “But I suppose there’s no use rehashing it now that we’re almost free.”
“Almost free?” Kat couldn’t help the sharp pang of hurt and rejection that raced through her, though she told herself it was ridiculous. “Is that how you feel?”
“Isn’t it how you feel?” he countered, looking up to give her a smoldering glare.
“I…I don’t know.” Kat’s voice sank to a whisper. “I just don’t know.”
She’d been overjoyed to find the Moons blossom—ecstatic almost. But now she realized the reason for her joy wasn’t that she was going to be parted from Deep and Lock—it was because the lovely black and white flowers represented her ticket home. In her mind, they had come to symbolize everything she missed—Earth and Sophie and Liv and a culture where she spoke the language and didn’t have to rely on a partially defective fuzzy caterpillar to translate for her. Somehow that was all she’d been thinking of when she gathered the fi-fi flowers—she’d conveniently managed to forget that the sacred blossoms also meant the end of her partial bond with the brothers.
“Strange that you don’t know how you feel when it’s abundantly clear to me,” Deep snapped, breaking her train of thought. “I felt your relief when we found the blossoms. I’m sure Lock did too. Mother L’rin,” he said, turning to the old woman. “We would be most grateful if you’d use these blossoms to brew the potion that will separate Kat from my brother and me.”
Mother L’r
in shook her head. “Separate you it will not. No potion such a thing can do.”
“What?” Kat said flatly. “I really hope my convo-pillar is acting up again. It sounded like you just said the fi-fi flowers won’t break the soul bond.”
“That they cannot do.”
“But you told me,” Kat cried. “You said if I brought you the flowers—” She stopped abruptly. What had the wise woman said? Had she ever really promised that the flowers would break the soul bond? Or had Kat just inferred it because she had been so eager to get away from Deep and Lock?
“Break the bond the flowers cannot,” Mother L’rin said. “But ease your pain they will, as nothing else.”
“Ease her pain? What do you mean?” Lock demanded. “Why should the lady Kat need special blossoms to ease her pain?”
“Because come back, it will” the old woman said calmly. “Half-bonded a female cannot be forever. But the fifilalachuchu blossoms her torment will ease—for a while, at least.”
“What?” Kat’s heart was suddenly in her throat. Surely she must have misunderstood the old woman? But from the grim look on Deep’s face and the concerned look on Lock’s, they had heard the same thing she had. “But…but I don’t want to live in pain the rest of my life,” she whispered through trembling lips. “And I don’t want to be dependant on some magical flower in order to function.”
Mother L’rin rose and poked her hard in the sternum. “Then bonded you must be. No way to break the soul bond there is and so—”
“Yes, there is.” Deep stepped forward, frowning. “There is a way to break the bond between us—one that has nothing to do with flowers and foolishness.”
“What are you talking about?” Lock said, frowning. “There’s clearly no way around this—Kat will have to be fully bonded to us.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Deep’s bottomless black eyes narrowed to slits. “Yes, you’d love it, dear brother. The problem is, that little Kat here, would not.” He turned to Kat. “Would you?”
Brides of the Kindred Volume One: Books 1-4 Page 108