She watched as he walked over to her, his member erect and ready for action. Candy swallowed with difficulty. He was huge! He must have felt her hesitation. She certainly hoped what she was thinking was not stealing through their private channel. He took her in his arms without dropping the fur pelts.
“We can wait if you are not ready,” Tolfer said out loud. “I do not want you to do anything you are not ready for. That is why I hid our true relationship.” Now was not a time for confession, but a time for action. She wanted him with a desire that was all consuming.
She felt him release the pelts, all except the one he wrapped her naked body in. The fur felt luxurious against her skin. As much as how wonderful the pelt felt around her, she wanted to be in Tolfer’s embrace.
“It’s not what you think, Tolfer,” she said in a voice barely audible. Candy leveraged the soul mate channel to communicate what she needed to tell him. Somehow it was easier than saying it out loud. “I’ve never done this before. Well, not all the way. It always felt wrong, so we stopped.” There, she had said it. It had always been so awkward when her girlfriends talked about sex and she silently just nodded in agreement to whatever they said. Only Alex knew the truth. She was the only one she trusted. How could a woman her age still be a virgin?
Tolfer looked disappointed. “I understand,” he said.
“No, you don’t,” Candy cried as she beat his chest with her fisted hands. “I want this. My inexperience will make this awkward between the two of us. Disappointing you would just kill me!” The honesty in what she said was liberating. It was overwhelming how comfortable she was with this man. There would be no more secrets between them.
“You could never disappoint me, silly girl,” Tolfer reassured her. He took her back into his arms and licked away her tears. She did not know if it was possible to love anyone as much as she loved him at this point. “Salty. I never want to taste your tears again unless they are tears of joy.” Tolfer kissed her once again.
Candy stepped back, letting the animal skin that sheltered her body fall. Tolfer took a hold of her hips and drew her closer into his body. She wrapped her arms around his neck and opened herself fully to his kiss.
Slowly Tolfer eased her down, arranging the pelts as he did. Tolfer’s tongue continued to explore her mouth, as his hands gently squeezed her hips. Candy smoothed her hands up and down his back, not staying at any place too long.
Tolfer caressed her breast. She emitted little sounds from her throat. Her response must have encouraged him, since he squeezed a little harder. Candy moaned, the sound muffled by his kiss. Tolfer released her mouth and inched down her neck, depositing kisses along the way. When he reached her other breast he took possession of it. Candy gasped as his mouth made contact. She nearly bucked him off.
“That feels incredible,” she managed to say. She started to knead his hips. Tolfer’s response was to suck on her breast’s nipple a tad bit harder. “Oh God, don’t stop.”
She wanted to touch him. She took one of her hands off his hip and made her way to his erection. Tolfer grabbed her hand before she made contact. “You will unman me if you touch me right now, my sweet.”
“My sweet,” Candy purred. “Now that name I actually like, Pup.”
Tolfer chuckled as he brought his mouth back to hers. If it was possible, his kiss was more passionate than any before. She figured he was trying to distract her as one of his fingers entered between her folds. Candy gasped into his mouth.
She was partly surprised at an instant feeling of discomfort. As his finger moved within, her body slickened. An urgency built inside her and she was not quite sure what to do. She had always been able to control every aspect of her body’s movements. This was something she was not accustomed to. Against her will, her body started to freeze up.
“It is all right,” Tolfer reassured her. He must have felt her reaction to what he was doing. He grabbed her upper leg and lifted it to his own leg. “Wrap your legs around me.” Candy complied as a second finger entered her. Tolfer moved both fingers quicker and she responded by tightening her legs around him. She was having problems catching her breath.
Tolfer entered her slowly, letting Candy get used to his size. Candy deepened the kiss this time. She shifted her legs higher, closer to his waist. He continued to enter her inch by lovely inch, Candy’s body accommodating him as he drove into her inner core. She shifted her pelvis and Tolfer drove the rest of the way. Her body wrapped around him, as if it was made for him. Candy figured she actually was.
He withdrew and entered her repeatedly, increasing the pace with each round. She met his speed, reveling in the sensations he sent within her. Candy worshiped his body as he did hers. She was not sure how much more she was going to take before she fractured. Candy screamed when she could not hold it back any more.
Their release happened simultaneously. Her second scream was muffled by his kiss. Tolfer collapsed onto her body, taking most of his weight onto his forearms. He lay there for a couple of moments. She figured he was trying to catch his breath. It was not long before he turned onto his side, taking her with him.
She felt her brain sizzle. Alex had described the sensation to her, so it did not alarm her. “The hormone is being excreted. It is a natural process when soul mates make love. There is nothing to be concerned about,” Tolfer reassured her.
“Pup, my brain is the least of my worries,” Candy told her soul mate. “My whole body is humming after what we just did. I plan on gathering my strength and then we are going to do it again. This time I’m on top!”
Chapter 12
Candy woke with a start. She and Tolfer were lying naked on animal pelts in the middle of the hut. Her hair was all over the place. During their second round of lovemaking, Tolfer had released her hair from its binding. The events of today were so overwhelming, she thought she had dreamed them. Candy rose on one elbow, not wanting to disturb Tolfer.
Scanning his body, she noticed the spear wounds were no longer bleeding. She had been so overcome by lust earlier, Candy had not taken notice of his injuries. Fortunately, they did not look deep from her perspective.
At the entrance to the hut there appeared to be a change of clothes and a bucket. She hoped it was filled with warm water so she could clean herself. It was not every day a girl losses her virginity.
Tolfer rose next to her. “Hello, beautiful.”
Automatically she smiled at his words. “Your names for me keep getting better and better,” Candy responded. She could not help but kiss his sexy lips. It would be wonderful to lounge in each other’s arms. Unfortunately, Candy figured that was not going to happen. “We better get up and prepare for the communal dinner.”
Candy jerked her body. Tolfer turned as he rose to find out what was wrong. She waved him off. It was the strangest sensation. Candy thought she saw Tolfer move before he actually did. Obviously she was imagining things.
Her soul mate pulled on a pair of leggings and tunic. At least the Troyk government had not sent yellow outfits. Tolfer was clad all in black and looked incredible. Too bad they did not have time for a quickie. Tolfer had controlled the urgency she felt simmering under his calm, loving exterior. As his soul mate, she had felt him holding back his overwhelming passion for her.
He brought over the water and clothes she could change into. “I will wait outside while you change.” Candy felt another blush coming on. Tolfer leaned down and kissed her. Leaning on one elbow she watched him exit their hut.
She slowly rose and placed a couple of fingers into the bucket. The water had been heated. Washing in cold water would have been horrible. Candy was not quite ready to lose the euphoria she felt after being with Tolfer. She quickly cleaned up. She tied her hair back with a clip she found in the pile of clothes. Her grandmother had left her a dress, rather than the usual tunic and leggings. She rarely wore dresses. It was dyed a light pink and had been an animal hide. The suede felt sinful against her skin. The dress came six inches down her thigh. Her ton
ed legs were very much on display. An image of a pair of high-heeled sandals popped into her brain. She felt her forehead to determine if she was running a fever. She did not wear dresses and heels.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped outside to re-unite with her soul mate. He was talking to a man who had accompanied them to the village. Tolfer had a friendly grin on his face as he conversed. As soon as he saw her, a totally different look crossed his face.
His eyes traveled up and down her body. A man never looked at her the way Tolfer was consuming her with his glance. There was a look of hunger reflected in his eyes. She saw him visibly swallow, as if there was something in his throat. She stood a little taller, proud of the body she conditioned over the years. Candy had a new appreciation for dresses. She was going to have to wear them more often.
She flew in front of Tolfer, she moved so fast. Candy grabbed the spear as the man who had been talking to Tolfer turned, and the weapon became visible for the first time. All three stared at Candy’s hands gripping the weapon.
“Candace,” the warrior said, “I meant Tolfer no harm. My name is Marton. Follow me, I will take you to our evening meal.”
“What is going on, Candy?” Tolfer asked through the soul mate channel.
“I don’t know,” Candy replied. “Just like before in the hut, I sensed movement. What just happened definitely is not my imagination. I reached for the weapon before I knew it existed.”
“It must be one of the telepathic enhancements the hormone brought about,” Tolfer informed her. “A fable about a soul mated warrior woman who had foresight was one of my favorite stories growing up. She knew what action an opponent would take before he took it.” He looked at her in wonder. “I became obsessed with the character as a boy.”
Candy held back saying something sappy. She was his warrior woman come to life. Or how about, she was a dream come true. A number of silly comments kept popping into her brain.
Tolfer chuckled next to her. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, “You are my dream come true.” Tolfer then nibbled on her ear.
Yet again she felt her face redden with a blush. “Lord, we need to work on my not leaking private thoughts through the channel.” She gave his shoulder a little punch. Hopefully it proved she was not some lovesick twit.
“You have it, Canny,” Tolfer responded. She gasped at the latest name he had for her.
“This just keeps getting weirder,” Candy muttered. “Alex called me Canny when we were little. She could not pronounce the letter D.”
Tolfer shook his head as he took in what she just communicated. “We were worlds apart, yet somehow we connected. That was the name I gave my imaginary warrior woman. She had rich beautiful brown hair and sapphire eyes.” He took a strand of her hair and wrapped it around his finger. “For the time being we keep this between the two of us. Even the part about us being soul mates. I do not know who we can trust in this world. Kelog suspects, but I have not confirmed his suspicions.”
They arrived in the center of town where numerous tables were laden with food. It looked like a Thanksgiving feast. Wood had been carved into platters, bowls, plates, and utensils. There appeared to be fish, fowl, vegetables, and fruit in abundance.
“We do what we can with the few knives we have been able to gather over the years,” Marton shared with them. “Kelog’s knife would have gained him an invitation to our village if we had not already accepted you all as a group.”
Kelog had regained possession of his weapon. Candy imagined Chartail had a hand in bringing about that miracle. She would have to explore the proximity of the portal guardians’ village for other gems Chartail may have been able to liberate for them.
She scanned the crowd looking for her fellow CT Guard. Candy finally found him. He was surrounded by a group of people. An older woman had her arm around his waist. She wondered if the woman was his mother or perhaps an aunt. Candy was glad he had found his family in this world. Symonn was also with the group, grinning like an old fool.
“Candace,” her grandmother said as she approached. Her voice was laced with excitement. “There is someone I want you to meet.” Her grandmother led Candy to a woman about her age. She was surrounded by a number of older women. “This is my daughter Darah, your aunt.”
Candy held her welcoming smile as Darah raised her eyes to gaze at her. There was true evil reflected in those eyes. Madness evident in her gaze.
Tolfer must have sensed the same insanity as she had. He positioned himself closer to her and half a step closer to Candy’s aunt.
“You are not welcome here,” the girl growled. “Mommy is all mine!” Her eyes came down to the familial bracelet Candy wore. A look of pure hostility crossed Darah’s face. She reached out to take the bracelet, scratching Candy in the process. Stepping back out of the girl’s reach, Candy looked to her grandmother for some kind of reprimand related to what Darah had just done.
“Now, Darah, you do not mean that,” her grandmother hugged her daughter. “You have to play nice with her, like we tell you when you are with the children. Candy is sweet, like her name.”
For the first time in her life Candy knew another human being wanted to do her harm. Her grandmother was blind to the danger her daughter posed.
Tolfer felt the fear emanating from his soul mate. As Tarsea had to have someone guarding Alex from Raine Narmouth, he knew he would do the same for Candy. His soul mate’s grandmother seemed oblivious to the danger that existed within her own community. The comment she made about Darah’s interaction with the village’s children confirmed his decision. He had to reach out to Kelog and Marton for assistance until he met other men and women he could trust.
“Darah takes her meals with her friends,” Alaura explained. “She does not like crowds. We will all get together tomorrow as a family. I know the girls will become great friends.”
Candy’s aunt was led away by the women he assumed were her caregivers. Alaura obviously knew there was something wrong with her daughter.
“The father,” Tolfer inquired, “does he reside in this village?” Perhaps the man could be talked into keeping Darah away from his soul mate.
“He took me by force when we were in the portal guardian’s village,” Alaura responded. “When he slept I took his knife and left a warning on the side of his face to never touch me again.” Her matter of fact tone gave Tolfer a chill. Tolfer wondered what losing both of her older children and living in this world had done to Candy’s grandmother’s sanity.
“Franclyn,” Candy said under her breath. “We need to get Chartail free of that monster,” she shared with Tolfer.
“Yes,” Candy’s grandmother confirmed her assumption. “When I found out I was pregnant I knew I could not raise a child in such an environment. We mustered together a small group willing to risk their lives to challenge his rule. There were enough of us that Franclyn decided we were more trouble than we were worth. We left with only the clothes on our backs.”
Tolfer looked around at all they had built out of nothing. “How did you manage?”
“Sharp rocks, weaving together fern leaves,” Alaura answered. “Anything and everything we could to survive. We traveled for days to find our way across the gorge. Over time we formed raiding parties, sneaking into the guardian camp to steal what we could. When Franclyn learned I was with child, he started to give us supplies. Now we barter with him with what we farm and hunt.”
“What of Darah?” Candy asked.
“She adores her father,” Alaura replied. “We barter for medicine and other supplies we cannot produce ourselves for time with his daughter. If I had not allowed visitations, I feared he would attack and take her.”
Tolfer wondered if Darah had been born with the madness or if the situation between her parents led to the girl losing her mind. It did not matter how she got the way she was. The girl was a threat to his soul mate.
Darah must be the woman Chartail had indicated could be Franclyn’s Achilles heel. Candy was just not sure h
ow she was going to manipulate her grandmother to use Darah to free Chartail.
Candy watched as Darah was led away. For the first time she wondered if insanity ran in her family. Orphans knew very little about the genetics related to their relatives. It never had been important enough for Candy to care.
A procession was run past them as they were introduced to people who lived in the village. Even the children were given the opportunity to greet the newcomers. Candy figured ultimately she and Tolfer would be spending the majority of their time with the younger members of the community.
Most of the people they met were sentenced to this world because they were dissidents against mind control. There were a few thieves in their numbers. Candy remembered her grandmother mentioning stealing supplies from the portal guardians in the early days of the settlement. These criminals’ skills must have come in handy during their raids. Everyone had been candid about why they had been sentenced to this world. Secrets plagued the Troyk universe but that did not seem the case here.
There were no violent offenders in Utopia. Such men and women lived in the portal guardian village or were exiled to a lone existence. She and Tolfer had been warned against walking alone outside the community. There had been instances of Utopian citizens being attacked by lone marauders over the years.
Every Utopian member had to train to protect the village and serve guard duty. When Candy had shared she taught self-defense, the community got excited. She was immediately assigned to take over a number of classes starting the next morning.
Rotations were also assigned for cooking duties, farming, and child rearing responsibilities. Children were the responsibility of the whole village, not just the parents.
Tolfer immediately started working with the children as they ate. They flocked to him with the promise of reducing the pain they experienced managing their telepathic abilities. Candy immediately saw the relief cross a number of the kid’s faces as their headaches were mitigated. Tolfer agreed to take a group out the next day to search for herbs that could be made into a tea to also relieve their suffering. She knew firsthand how the herbs his mother prepared helped her and her friends.
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