by Tj Shaw
She shivered as his fingers skimmed down her arms. Entwining his hands within hers, he backed into the water so he could watch her every move. Although hesitant, she followed him. He wanted to be gentle, to make her first time memorable, but the sway of her hips as she tiptoed into the pool was going to make it difficult.
She glided into the path of the moonbeams bouncing off the water. The rays illuminated her body in a breathtaking iridescent light as her legs disappeared under the surface. With the soft glow reflecting off her skin, her hair mussed from his hands, and her beautiful, red lips—redder from kissing him—she looked like a goddess.
He guided her deeper until her breasts teased the surface, not completely above but not submerged either. Transfixed, his eyes devoured her. She stepped up to him and his teeth grazed down her neck to the hollow of her throat. He smiled at her rapid pulse, and ran his hands down her thighs before lifting her to straddle him. He held his breath when she rubbed against his cock, straining his already weakened willpower. Even in the water, he could feel her slick heat and it took all his strength not to enter her.
He wrapped her legs around his waist and gently pushed her back into the warm pool. She spread her arms wide, her upper body floating in the ripples, and closed her eyes. Her hair danced with the movement of the current and again he thought her a goddess.
Even as he bent over her, capturing a nipple in his mouth and hearing her whimpered response, a thought burst into his mind. Out of nowhere, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Carina’s fate had been predetermined at birth, and he was meant to protect and guide her. His chest tightened at the importance of this task and he trembled, humbled by the knowledge that he’d been the one chosen for such an honor. He prayed he would be worthy and his blades would be swift and strong when the time came to defend her. But these thoughts were fleeting as Carina dug her fingers into his hair and pulled him into her chest.
His hand covered her other breast, the nipple hard and rigid, demanding the attention he readily gave it. She started rubbing against him, moving her hips up and down his thick column. Panting, he buried his head in her chest. His arms shook as he fought to maintain control when every instinct in his body urged him to drive into her in one long, deep thrust.
Grabbing his forearms, she pulled her upper body out of the water, pressing her taut nipples against his chest. Water trailed down the sides of her face. Her hands roamed along his arms and across his shoulders before her fingers settled in his hair, her palms against his jaw.
Her moans tantalized him while her body clamped around him tormented his throbbing need for her. Until Carina, he’d been devoid of life—living, but only walking through the days—not seeing the world around him. Yet with her every touch, she reawakened something inside him, a part of his spirit he’d somehow lost.
She showered kisses down his face. Insistent and pleading, she begged for him to ease the ache, and he obliged by lifting her and resting his tip just inside her heat. As he tortured himself by watching her mouth part in anticipation, he finally understood what she was offering. His beautiful Carina would breathe life back into his soul. She would help him see the world again, a world that had only regained its color because of the goddess he held in his arms.
He lowered her. Her satin walls grabbed him, encouraging him to fully merge with her. When he felt resistance, he paused knowing her first time would be painful. She opened her eyes and stared at him, sensing his hesitation.
“Marek,” she whispered. Her eyes, glazed with passion, yet the trusting eyes of someone experiencing the beauty of what was about to happen for the first time, crushed his heart and a flare of protectiveness flooded his veins.
“Carina.” He rasped her name, his desire so great. “The first time might hurt, we—” He had intended to say they should go slow, but her lips plundered his mouth, unrelenting and insistent. He lost all thought, wrapping his arms around her and pinning her lithe body against his chest, losing himself in the welcoming marvel of her mouth.
In a sudden motion, she used him for leverage by tightening her legs and lifting her body to plunge down hard onto him. He tore through her barrier in one smooth motion until he was buried deep inside her. She cried out and burrowed her head in the crook of his neck. He groaned, clamping his teeth in restraint as she cradled him in a silken cocoon. The wonderful velvet steel of her body beckoned him, forcing him to use every ounce of self-discipline to keep from driving into her. She was in pain. His focus had to remain on her.
She rested against him, breathing heavy. He stroked her back, tracing his fingertips along her smooth skin. When she shivered, he smiled.
He murmured in her ear. “Are you okay?”
She lifted her head and gazed at him with wide eyes. “Yes,” she stammered, her voice washing over him like a whispered caress. “I guess I lost control,” she mumbled with a sheepish smile. Not even the soft moonlight could hide the rush of red filling her cheeks.
A veil lifted from his heart. He laughed and pulled her to his mouth, kissing her until they were breathless. When he spoke, he refused to remove his mouth from hers, murmuring against her lips. “Then we should finish what we started, luv.” His hands grabbed her hips and coached her by sliding her up and down the length of his pulsing cock.
She moaned in the back of her throat and tightened her legs, following his direction and guidance. With a final shudder, he surrendered, closing his eyes to the world and losing himself to the sensations Carina commanded with every thrust of her body.
Aye, a goddess indeed.
34 – MORNING AFTER
Carina awoke the next morning to an empty bed. The sun streaming in from the windows bathed her in warmth. She rolled onto Marek’s pillow. Just the faint smell of him rekindled a flood of memories. Although a little overwhelmed by what had happened, a lazy contentment filled her with peace.
She yawned and arched her back in a relaxed stretch, but a twinge of discomfort fluttered low in her belly. Marek had told her that any soreness would pass. He’d also promised next time would be better, but she doubted that since their first time was burned in her mind forever.
She closed her eyes. Last night, she couldn’t control the desire Marek had awakened from some hidden depth within her, and never imagined wanting someone so much that her body ached for him. Marek brought those feelings to the surface, exposing them in a raw, basic emotion. She blushed as images replayed in her mind. And even though tender, a dull longing throbbed in her core at the thought of him inside her again.
Her stomach growled. She roused herself out of bed, splashed water on her face, and dressed. With a quick pull on the door, she hurried down the circular staircase, her purpose twofold—to eat breakfast and find Marek, but not necessarily in that order.
When she reached the bottom floor the unmistakable rumble of Marek’s voice booming from the foyer greeted her. As if they were connected by an unseen tether that snapped taut whenever he was near, she turned away from the kitchen to find him. She rounded a corner in time to witness a group of men leaving through the main door. Marek was shaking hands with someone she didn’t recognize. Although shorter than Marek, the man still looked intimidating with thick arms, a barrel chest, and long red hair that flowed over his shoulders like a panthera’s mane.
Feeling self-conscious, she almost slipped back around the corner, but Marek glanced up. His eyes raked over her with an unfettered heat that caused her heart to somersault. The red-haired man followed Marek’s gaze and smiled before exiting with the others, leaving the foyer empty except for Marek, Damon, Caden…and her.
Not sure what to do, she stayed rooted in place, a silent shadow watching Marek talk to the remaining men. With hard eyes and grim faces, their body postures were of warriors about to go into battle, and a whisper of concern chased through her mind.
Caden said something and Marek nodded. After Marek had formally spared Caden, the fair-skinned Tiwan had surprised everyone by swearing a loyalty oath to Marek.
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Marek finished speaking and both men disappeared through the door, leaving it open behind them. An open door beckoned for another to follow and Carina doubted the invitation was meant for her.
Even from across the room, she noticed Marek’s forehead etched with worry. The noise from her footsteps echoing off the walls as she approached seemed to disturb a lingering tension, like a trapped animal searching for a way to escape.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Marek scrubbed his hands over his face before wrapping his arms around her. Normally, she would’ve enjoyed their closeness, but now the embrace combined with his silence stirred a growing fear.
“Marek?” The rise and fall of his chest as he sighed only intensified her anxiety.
“This is not how I wanted things to be.”
“Just tell me,” she insisted, the not knowing unbearable.
“The man with the red hair was King RiJec Gaiwane. His lands were attacked by Outlanders yesterday, two villages slaughtered. His trackers are following the marauders and he wants my assistance.”
She stared into his somber face. A muscle ticked in his jaw and his narrowed eyes chilled her heart. She glanced at the floor and whispered, “So, you’re leaving.”
When she tried to slip away, he gathered her back into his chest. “Aye, I must. He’s a neighboring king. We’ve sworn an allegiance to each other. Please, understand this.”
Of course, she knew he had to go. She expected nothing less. But how could she let him leave knowing he’d be in danger. She lifted her head and fixed her eyes on his. “Then, I’m going with you.”
From the frown on his face, she knew his answer before he spoke and anger flared in her belly. “Why not?” she demanded. “I’m just as good as your archers…if not better.”
He stepped away. “No, Carina. I won’t discuss this further.”
“But I’m not finished,” she persisted, blocking his retreat when he would’ve left the hall.
The grey flecks in his eyes darkened, but she refused to back down. “I can help.”
“No.” He spun for the door.
An irrational panic rose inside her, choking the air from her lungs. She reached for him. “Please, let me go with you.”
He stopped when her hand grabbed his arm, but didn’t look at her. When he finally turned, her boldness wavered. The set jaw and clamped lips told her that he was still going to refuse her, but he couldn’t hide the sadness in his eyes.
“Carina,” he whispered on a defeated breath. As if he needed to touch her, he buried his hands in the curls of her hair. She glanced away, unwilling to let go of her anger. She could ride a Criton and shoot an arrow with as much accuracy as the men, so his reluctance to even consider her offer chafed her pride. She’d proven herself in battle. She’d be an asset, not a hindrance.
Marek chuckled, and forced her head up to place his forehead against hers. “My stubborn girl,” he whispered. “You’re too important to me. I won’t put you in danger.”
“But it’s okay to put yourself in danger?” Her hands slid up his chest as her body gathered strength. She tried to turn when his lips brushed against her cheek, but he held her. And when his mouth found hers, she shoved hard against him. He countered by grabbing the back of her neck. His other arm encircled her waist and locked her body against his.
Anger blistered through her veins, but his kiss remained soft. “Shh, Carina,” he murmured against her mouth. “Be still.”
His request dampened her resolve. Despite herself, her body shivered. She faltered. Her mind wanted to stay mad, but her body betrayed her and surrendered to the longing he could bring forth from deep within her.
“Don’t make this more difficult for me and let us not part on an argument.”
His voice seeped through her skin. He smelled of fresh pine and leather as she inhaled his scent. Pressed against his chest with his hands splayed along her back, her anger evaporated. She opened her mouth and melted into his body. Her arms swept around his waist, clutching him tight. She could feel the desperation in his kiss and her body reacted with a need of its own.
He broke the kiss and rested his cheek against hers, breathing heavy. “You make it hard to leave.”
“Then don’t go.”
“You know I must.”
“Yes…I do.” With a courage she didn’t feel, she stepped from his arms. “Then go so you can come back to me.”
The whoosh of leathery wings as Critons landed outside, and FireStrike’s distinctive roar demanding obedience from his band, drew her attention to the open door. The iron fortified, hardwood entrance reminded her of a gaping maw about to swallow the only person she couldn’t live without.
“Caden is coming with me because RiJec’s men have tracked the Outlanders into the Bridal Lands and Caden can enlist his tribe to help. But Damon is staying here as captain of your guard.” Marek lifted her chin with his finger. His eyebrows furrowed with the importance of his command. “Listen to Damon, and don’t get into trouble.” After a quick kiss on her forehead, he strode for the door but paused at the opening to look at her. His tortured gaze captured her soul and stole the breath from her lungs.
“I will be back, Carina McKay,” he vowed, then stepped through the doorway. In a fluid motion, he jumped onto FireStrike. A few words later, the Critons took to the air with FireStrike and Marek leading the way.
She watched until she could no longer see them then closed the door to the world that had just snatched the man who had seduced her heart.
35 – DREAMS
Almost two weeks to the day after Marek left, Carina had her first nightmare. She hadn’t been sleeping well to begin with, her mind simply refused to shut down. But the nightmare was worse than anything she could conjure up during wakeful, restless mental wanderings.
The nightmare became a regular interloper. They were on a hilltop on a beautiful, sunny day. Out of nowhere a storm developed, darkening the skies and swirling dust into the air. Black thunderclouds tumbled above the Dorrado landscape. Without warning and devoid of mercy, demons poured from the heavens. Swooping and diving, they attacked from everywhere, yet came from nowhere.
Lightning splashed across the sky illuminating his swords and chest armor in brief, intense flashes of light. Silhouetted against the roiling thunderheads, Marek protected her from the endless onslaught. She knelt beside him as his blades whirled in a continuous, unyielding cadence. To observe him was to see grace, skill, and a sheer masculine strength that filled her with awe.
As he fought the flying demons that always stayed beyond the reach of his steel, her heart would swell with such pride and admiration for the man who would be her warrior, her king…her lover that she would willingly forfeit her life to ensure his survival. But the sky would unleash a sudden blinding light, engulfing him. In agony, he’d crumble to the ground. As she screamed his name, his pain-filled eyes would find her and shatter her heart into a million jagged pieces before he burst into flame. Again and again the dream played out in her mind, night after endless night.
During the days, she drifted without purpose as lack of sleep and worry for Marek battered her body like a wave crashing down upon her. She lost weight, her energetic appetite gone. She tried to distract herself by attending a few formal functions, but the queen mother wasn’t hospitable, which the Ladies of the Court took as an example to follow.
She could only find solace by taking to the skies on Mira. She’d get up in the morning, call Mira down from one of the cave dwellings, and spend the rest of the day flying, letting her mind drift with the wind.
Now, several weeks later, she sat on top of the tallest mountain along Marek’s western border. A constant wind blew in her face causing her skin to pebble from the chill. She hugged her knees in a poor attempt to console the hollow emptiness inside her. Desolation, her constant companion, hung from her shoulders like a shroud.
Mira’s impatient snort drew her attention. She tucked away her misery to check on the
last beloved creature in the world that mattered to her. Mira stood next to a spindly tree, the sole living resident on the mountaintop.
She smiled at Mira’s transformation. Her emerald skin shimmered in the late afternoon sun and her green eyes glistened with intelligence. She pawed the ground, her four claws digging divots into the only patch of dirt where the tree could take root, and snorted again.
Carina’s lips curved up in a small smile. “Okay, I get it. You’re ready to go.”
Mira jumped into the air before Carina’s feet were secured in the stirrups and pumped her strong wings to propel them skyward. She banked toward Stirrlan without guidance, rising until she caught a wind current to increase her speed.
They were gliding down the backside of a smaller mountain range when something in the distance captured Carina’s attention. A glimmer of red sparkling in the fading sunlight before it disappeared over the horizon. She gasped as her cobwebbed heart sputtered to life, beating for the first time in weeks.
36 – RETURN
Carina landed Mira in a lower pasture near the castle proper. She rubbed Mira’s nose before unbuckling the saddle and slipping the bridle from Mira’s head. “Forgive me, but I must hurry,” she mumbled. Abandoning the saddle and reins where they had fallen, Carina sprinted up the hill.
Dust hung in the spring air from the trampling feet of excited people and Critons, mixing with the sweet scent of wet leather and orange blossoms. She tried to organize her thoughts while dodging high-strung Critons and barking warrigals. For weeks, she’d rehearsed what she would say and how she would behave for Marek’s homecoming, but she’d missed her opportunity. Why had she picked today to ride so far from Stirrlan?
She pushed past soldiers who were hugging their wives and sidestepped the horde of children who were jumping and behaving…well…like children. Sweat trickled down her back as she darted around people and animals. She should act more civilized and slow down, but the crowd thinned before she could adjust her behavior. Sliding to a stop, she scanned the diminishing throng.