by K. Grey
Rhage barely lifted his head to speak. “You were taking too long….”
“You are an impatient bastard is the problem…” Talon quipped from behind him. Ava didn’t move away from Rhage she couldn’t help it. She felt the need to always be next to him and touching him. She just had to. Lucien untwisted the sashes from their arms and then despite Rhage giving him the evil eye Lucien hugged her. The brothers congratulated Rhage. Ava knew what came next. Rhage’s bonding…she still didn’t like the sound of this part even though Rhage assured her it wouldn’t be as bad as she was expecting. Rhage pulled her to him for one last kiss. “It will be over within minutes…” he told her.
“I still don’t----“
“It will be fine. I promise.”
Lucien nodded his head and took Ava’s hand to stand with her. She watched as all the brothers moved to take their places. She then noticed there was a small round table Lucien had been standing in front of. It was covered with a black
Silk cloth. She saw three thick tall round candles burning on it along with a bowl of water and a small bowl of salt. She watched Rhage remove his shirt and knelt on his knees with his hand at his sides. He tilted his head forward.
“He chose three brothers to perform the bonding….” Lucien told her as they stood outside the semi-circle of brothers. All the others now donned on thick heavy hooded robes except for Talon, Darius and Sloane. They still wore their ceremony attire. “It is a great honor and it shows that he trusts them enough to bond your name upon his shoulders for eternity. Each one performs an important part.”
She watched as Talon dipped the cloth into the water to wash Rhage’s shoulders clean. He then sprinkled salt across the broad area just below Rhage’s neck which mostly stuck because his skin was wet. Ava held her breath when Darius appeared when red hot brand that spelled her name. It looked huge even though her name was only three letters. She watched Rhage and tried to sense him. He was calm and relaxed. How could he be relaxed knowing he was about to be branded with her name?
‘It won’t last long, ava…. I will barely feel it….’ he told her silently. ‘I will have it forever and I want your name on me…..’
‘then I can buy a sharpie and write it all over you every day…it won’t be painful at all…’ she heard him chuckle in her head. Then he was quiet.
Ava squeezed Lucien’s hand as the brand met with Rhage’s flesh. She heard his skin sizzle under the scorching hot metal and she could smell it. Rhage didn’t move. He didn’t even flinch. She didn’t know how he could stand it. She didn’t feel it from him at all. She had a feeling he was keeping her from knowing how bad it did hurt him. It felt like forever as it was held to Rhage’s shoulders. She was about to tell Sloane to stop when he removed it and then Talon poured the rest of the salt over it. The salt stuck to the intricate carving of her name on his skin even as blood ran down his back.
It looked like French script and not masculine against the tattoos that were already donning his biceps and the top of his shoulders.
She sucked in a breath when she saw Rhage’s shoulders tighten. She was about to take a step toward him when Lucien squeezed her hand and whispered.
“It’s almost done, Ava….we heal fast so the salt seals it into the skin. It isn’t regular salt. It comes from the Dead Sea which holds a different kind of property that makes any tattoos or anything else to be permanent.” She nodded knowing Lucien was trying to distract her and keep her from going to Rhage. Darius then laid the black cloth over Rhage’s shoulders and Talon poured the rest of the water
Over him. When Darius removed the cloth she saw her name was on the cloth as well. It was as if the salt and blood bleached her name on it perfectly. Darius folded the cloth and placed it in a small simple black onyx box which Talon sealed with wax from the candles.
“It is done….” Darius announced. “He is bonded.”
Rhage rose to his feet and faced Darius who handed the box to Sloane. Sloane placed it in Rhage’s hands.
“I am honored you allowed me to assist in this. It means a great deal to me, Rhage…” Sloane told him with a nod of his head. Rhage turned to Ava and held his hand out to her and pulled her to him.
“I told you it wouldn’t last long and it didn’t hurt…”
“You’re lying… it hurt like hell and you know it.”
“Just for a minute….” He pressed his forehead to hers. “Now it is done.”
“And now it is time to feast!” Lucien told them. “Alfred has a huge feast laid out. We will celebrate and then leave the two mates alone for the night.” The brothers all followed Lucien and Darius toward the great hall. Rhage slid on his shirt.
“Why did they seal it in the box?” she asked him.
“Because my blood and my vow is in the cloth. When the day comes that I do die,
It will be unsealed and the cloth will be placed in my hand where I can take my vow with me.”
“That won’t be for a damn long time right?” she smirked.
“A fucking damn long time.” He corrected before kissing her. Ava ran her hands up his arms clinging to him. Rhage molded her body to his with his hard erection poking her in the stomach…
“I’m not really hungry.” Ava whispered. “Do you think they would miss us if we skipped dinner?”
“YES!” Lucien called out from the dining room. “WE WOULD! And Alfred has a cake!”
“I can kill everybody else…no problem, but I can’t kill HIM.” Rhage told her with a smirk.
“I can hear you!”
Ava giggled before Rhage kissed her again. He took her hand and walked toward the great hall…
‘We aren’t staying long… so eat quick…’ he told her silently. Ava smiled and nodded at him. Lucien looked at them.
“Don’t even think about plotting. Dinner will last an hour. Then you can go.”
Alfred out done himself with the feast. He apologized that he couldn’t prepared it himself. He really wanted to, but he just didn’t have enough time so he had several of the best restaurants in town send their best catering dishes. Alfred had ordered everything from stuffed artichokes to lobsters. There was also many of Ava’s favorites. And there was a three layer chocolate mousse cake with their initials in sculpted chocolate on top. Alfred even brought up bottles of champagne from the cellar which Lucien said was an appropriate occasion. They celebrated for well over the hour Lucien had asked for. Rhage and Ava left the men still sitting at the table celebrating. When they reached his bedroom she turned to him. “I want to see it now….” He nodded and removed his shirt turning around so his back to her. Ava sucked in a breath at the way it looked now. It was completely healed and beautiful…. It was indeed French script big bold and beautiful. She reached up and ran her fingers over the swirls that fanned out spelling her name. It was unmistakable. “I thought you might use old English lettering to match her tribal tattoos…”
“No…then it wouldn’t match you. I wanted it to show who you are and how I wanted you to be on my skin. All sophisticated and beautiful.”
“Rhage….” she murmured on the verge of tears. No one had ever made her feel so special. Only him! She ran her fingers down his back. She would never get enough of touching him. He turned around to face her.
Rhage reached to untie the sashes at her waist. She trembled at his hands moving across her waist. She couldn’t help it. He made her quiver with just a simple touch or a look.
“Do you know what I’m going to do?” he asked when he untied the silk sashes. He held them in his fists and tugged her against him roughly. Ava clutched his arms and sighed. She was already wet. She could feel it.
“What?”
“I’m going to tie my beautiful mate to my bed and she will be at my mercy…all night.” He lowered his head and nipped at the corner of her mouth. “I’m going to mark you in every way I can think of…..” he heard her inhale quickly and she was trembling. She liked the idea and he could sme
ll her arousal. He knew if he slipped his fingers into her right now she would be so fucking wet. “You like that don’t you? Me marking your body as mine over and over again.”
“Yes….” Ava tilted her mouth just barely and ran her tongue over his fangs that had lengthened. Rhage growled.
“Take the dress off, Ava….if you don’t I’m going to rip it off…. “
She took a step back from him and reached for the zipper in the back. Rhage
Watched the silver silk slide down her body exposing her sweet hardened nipples first they were begging to be sucked, then her hips and then that sweet pussy was his to look at….
“How wet are you, baby?”
“Very….”
Rhage took a step forward and lifted her hand into his before guiding her fingers through her wet folds. She sucked in a deep breath…. He growled when her scent surrounded him.
“Yeah… you are, baby… your pussy is so wet I could drown in your cream….” He rubbed her pussy with their fingers. “Gimme your fingers, Ava…” she moved her hand, but his remained. She lifted her fingers to his mouth and he sucked them between his lips. He moaned around them as he slipped two fingers into her hard and deep. She liked it that way… deep and hard.
“Rhage….”
“I want to feel your mouth on my cock, Ava….” He told her…. “I want to cum between those sweet lips first….” She nodded and lowered to her knees in front of him. She reached for his trousers… Rhage’s head fell back when her soft hands closed around his hard thick cock. He groaned. He felt her tongue tease the underside of his head as her fingers stroked him. Her other fingers were gently caressing his balls. He could die a happy man right now. He couldn’t lie he had fucked he had no idea how many women in his life, but not one of them compared to Ava…. Just touching her made him feel more than he had in a damn long time.
His hand gripped her hair as she took him into her mouth. He opened his eyes and looked down. He liked watching her. And he couldn’t get enough of watching her while her mouth was around his cock.
“Ahhhh, ava baby… I ain’t gonna last long…” he tightened his fingers in her hair. He clenched his teeth and arched his hips forward so she would take more of him. “That’s it, baby…. Take all of me…. Make me cum hard….” He felt the back of her throat and he grunted. He held her hair in his fist as he pulled back a little. ”I’m gonna cum, baby…… here it is….”
Ava felt him cum and she groaned around him. She enjoyed giving him head as much as he did. She kept going until he pulled her away from him. Rhage pulled her up from the floor and swung her up into his arms to carry her toward the bed. When he laid her down he claimed her mouth.
“Rhage…” she whimpered when he lifted her hands from around him and lifted them above her head.
“It’s my turn….” He told her tying her wrists to the head board with the black silk sash she had worn earlier. He brushed his knuckles across her cheek and down her
Neck where his fangs had marked her…. before the night was over he planned to leave a few more places with marks. He ran his fingers across her skin until he could tease her already puckered nipple. He lowered his head to take it in his mouth grazing his teeth on her sweet skin. He gave both the same attention as his fingers teased her clit.
“Rhage…..” she gasped arching her back… “I want---- I need to touch you.”
“Later….this is my turn, baby….” He teased her navel before moving between her legs… “Now this is what I have been waiting for….” He lowered his head and blew across her clit as he opened her thighs wide. He flicked his tongue over the nub several times.
“Rhage!”
He chuckled. “That not enough? Tell me what you want, Ava… you know I will give it to you…”
“Make me cum…”
“How?”
“Rhage….please…”
“Tell me how, ava... Tell me what you need me to do?”
“Eat me….. Suck my clit and finger me…. Hard.” She whimpered. “Please.”
Rhage chuckled and eased two fingers into her wet heat. He gave her hard just like she wanted….hard fast and deep…. He found that one spot he knew would drive her crazy and it did… her back arched off the bed and her hips shook.
“Rhage!” she cried out. He knew by the way she was tightening around his fingers she was so damn close so he sucked on her clit hard even grazing his teeth across the sensitive area. Ava screamed his name.
“Ahhhh baby… you taste so fucking good…..” he pulled his fingers from her and began to use his tongue instead, lifting her with his hands cupping her ass; her legs were over his shoulders. Rhage didn’t stop until she was on the verge of cumming again. When he took her over the edge he turned his head and sunk his fangs into the sensitive area of her thigh. Ava came so hard that her body shook uncontrollably. Slowly she opened her eyes and felt Rhage rubbing her legs… he was also kissing her hip.
“Are you alright, baby?”
She didn’t have to look to see him smiling, she felt it. “Better than fine….”
“Good….” He raised up until he was sitting back on his legs. He rubbed the head of his cock against her swollen and sensitive clit. “Now it’s time to bury my cock in this sweet pussy…” he slid his cock up and down, teasing her by pushing inside and pulling out to rub her clit again. Ava whimpered and then hissed.
“If you don’t fuck me right now Rhage! I’m gonna hurt you… and not in a good way!”
“You want to be fucked, baby?”
“Yes… yes! Fuck me!”
“My pleasure…” he entered her hard and fast in one thrust, his balls slapping against her. He pulled out and thumped her even deeper the second time. Rhage leaned over her as he slammed her pussy harder and faster each time. Ava dug her heels into the mattress lifting her hips to meet his thrusts. “This what you want, baby?”
“Yes! OH GOD! YES! RHAGE!”
He lowered his head to her neck… his incisors were lengthening as his release was nearing. “Tell me, ava…. Say it….” he commanded.
“Yours…. I’m always yours…. Now, Rhage…please….” He opened his mouth and sank his teeth into her. Ava’s body bowed and she came again when he found his own release. Rhage reached up and untied her hands and she wrapped her arms around him. He liked her wrapped around him. He would never grow tired of the feeling either. She was his and he belonged to her. He had never belonged anywhere except the legion. He belonged to her now. He would never allow anyone to take this feeling or HER from him.
Rhage ran his fingers through ava’s long hair as she laid across his chest sleeping. She needed some rest. They had made love most of the night and he knew he had worn her out. He smiled. His sweet mate gave him a damn good run for his money in stamina. She was always ready and sometimes more than eager. She demanded just as much from him as he did from her. Her long jet black hair had a slight curl to it. He liked running his fingers to it. It was so soft. She was soft all over, but yet tough as nails. She was the perfect balance of both.
He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He could feel her heart beating as if it were thumping right next to his. It calmed him. He couldn’t believe he ever wanted to deny her or even thought about giving her up. He had been a fucking idiot! Talon had been right. He would never tell him that though. Talon would never let him forget it. Talon annoyed him enough as it was now.
“Rhage…” he heard Talon from outside the bedroom. “I know you are awake… you aren’t snoring. I don’t want to wake Ava, but Lucien wants to talk to you. He wants to meet with all of us before the council arrives later… I didn’t want to knock and take a chance on waking her. The meeting is in twenty minutes in his study.” Then he heard Talon walk away.
Rhage didn’t want to wake Ava so he carefully moved her onto her side. As soon as he moved away from her just an inch Ava rolled over and snuggled closer to him trying to pull him to her again. He couldn
’t help, but smile.
“Rhage….” She murmured sleepily.
“Go back to sleep, baby…” he leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I’m gonna shower….”
“Want me to wash your back?”
He chuckled. “After you sleep another hour or two I will come back and join you in yours. I’ll wash your front…” he said against her neck. He felt her sigh and drift back to sleep. He kissed her neck where his marks were before tucking the blanket around her. He watched her snuggle down and curl up on her side. He quietly grabbed some clothes and took a quick shower. When he came out she was still asleep, but she was now curled up where he had been laying hugging his pillow to her.
He didn’t want to leave her, but when Lucien called a meeting you just didn’t skip it. And for Lucien to ask him to leave Ava Rhage knew it was important. He closed the door behind him and found Talon in the hallway waiting for him. Talon was grinning from ear to ear. Rhage rolled his eyes and knew Talon was going to give him hell about something, but he didn’t care.
“Sleep well?” Talon smirked.
“Yes, I did…” Rhage walked past him and Talon fell in step next to him.
“We are gonna have to sound proof your room.”
Rhage paused and gave Talon a deadly stare. Talon quickly threw his hands in the air. “We all vacated the area. We all went down to the training rooms and crashed. I swear! We didn’t hear anything else.”
“You better not say a word to ava…”
Talon quickly made the zipper motion at his mouth twisted his fingers in the air and flicked an invisible key away. “Not a word… I just thought as your brother you might want to know.”
“How much did they hear?” he didn’t want Ava embarrassed.
“Not much moaning and groaning. More you than her.” a smirk lifted Talon’s mouth. Talon wiggled his eyebrows. “I am VERY jealous….”
“You should be jealous…” Rhage chuckled.
Talon laughed and slapped Rhage on the back. “I’m happy for you! The other brothers are only jealous because they want a mate too. They don’t want Ava, but now have hope for one…” he laughed again. “Because if you have one they know it should be easier for them because you are a pain in the ass.”