“Is it going away?” I look up at him and see him frowning down at me a look of concern on his face. I nod and try to pull my arm away again but once again he holds it still. He pulls his hand down my arm and looks at the mark that is now drawn over my upper shoulder and down my bicep.
“How the hell did I get this?” how is this possible? Does it come out? The questions are running through my mind in a spin. Am I sleeping and this is a crazy nightmare, but then I shake my head realizing that the pain was too real for it to be a dream.
“It’s my mark, see” he points to his own left arm and then to mine. He isn’t kidding, when I look at the symbols tattooed on his arm and then at mine it’s identical but smaller. This isn’t possible, how did I just get a tattoo in a few minutes.
“What do you mean, your mark. . . explain.” I can hear the panic in my voice, but this is madness anyone would freak if this had to happen to them.
“I told you I’m not human,” at his words I nod reluctantly, not so quick to overlook his words now, “Elemental’s have the power of bending an Element. Mine is fire, we are also faster than humans, hear better than humans and only have one mate. When we find that mate it’s for life, and you are my mate.” I shake my head in disbelief at what he’s revealing. This can’t be happening, maybe I hit my head.
“As soon as we touched the bonding begun, once we mated you became mine.” I rub my temples trying to massage away this information. This can’t be possible, maybe everything that has happened in the last few months has finally destroyed my mind. “This mark is to show everyone that you belong to me.”
“What if I don’t want to belong to you?” at my words he tenses
“Nothing you or anyone does can change that,” his hand lifts to stroke my cheek but I quickly take a step back. I don’t know what to think, I find him attractive, and what he says is true there is a pull between us that I have never felt before, but belonging to him? I don’t even know him.
He lifts his hands in the air and takes a step back, his eyes boring into mine and then he turns and walks towards the door and leaves. Only once he’s gone do I realise that he left without his t-shirt. What am I going to do if what he says is true? Looking down at my arm I tense, I have a bad feeling that it’s all true.
I walk over to a partially open door and see that it’s a beautiful bathroom, the bath is sunk into the ground, dark stone covering the floor. The tiles on the walls are a dark grey with a mirror covering the expanse of one wall. Walking in I look at my arm and still, the markings are in a tone darker than my skin tone but still visible. He says he’s not human, what if his perfect looks are just that, a covering and he’s actually one of those lizard looking aliens that we see in the movies. I shudder to think that he might be something like that underneath all that perfection.
I look towards the shower on the other side of the bath and wonder if he’ll come back or if I have time to indulge. “Argh” I mutter as I drop the duvet, he won’t see anything he hasn’t already. Stepping into the shower I look around at the different faucets, one thing is true, Burkhart must have money because this place they live in and the bikes and cars I saw in the garage are not cheap. Whatever they are, and whatever they do for a living it must bring in a lot of money. Looking at the mirror I see a smudge of red in the corner of my lips. Bending closer I look at it and frown, I rub at it with my finger and it smudges. What is this? It looks like blood, did I bite my lip and not realize? I open my mouth and look at my lips and then my tongue but there is no vestige of me having bitten myself. Bringing my finger up to eye level I look at the smudge . . . strange.
I wonder if Burkhart was somehow wounded and I didn’t see, does he even have blood? I remember his wrist near my lips when he was using his words to bond us. Maybe he had some kind of cut. . .
BURKHART 5
“You didn’t wait did you?” Cassius asks when I walk into the training room and find Cassius, Caelius and Bjarni there. I don’t reply but make my way towards the boxing bag and start taking my frustration out on it. I know that I should have been more patient and maybe explained things to her before mating, but I’m not a very patient person as my mate will soon realize.
Just sex! How can she call what we did just sex? “You’re going to destroy another punching bag if you carry on like that.” Bjarni says, “I thought now that we had found your woman you would be calmer, looks like you more agitated.” I ignore his comment as I turn a full circle and kick the bag, I hear a tear. Fuck, these darn punching bags aren’t strong enough.
I can feel the pull to be by her, but I know that she doesn’t want me there. How the hell am I going to make her see that we are made for each other? Already I can feel a change in my body, my movements are sharper, my strength has increased. Our mates enhance our powers like we do theirs. I open my senses and feel her, I can tell that she’s still in the room, I wonder what she’s doing? Maybe she fell asleep, I should go and make sure that her arm isn’t paining her any longer, but what if she awakens and finds me there? I know that I will lose my shit if she rejects my touch again.
“Did you tell her what we are?” Bjarni asks with a raised brow as he comes to stand on the other side of the punching bag.
“Yes” I grunt, “and she didn’t believe me until her mark appeared.”
“You need to be patient Bro, this is a big thing.” Caelius suggests as he comes to stand on my left.
“Sit her down and explain everything to her.” Cassius says as he comes to stand next to Caelius.
“What is this, a fucking intervention?” I grunt as I turn to face them, “I did explain things to her, she didn’t take it too well.” I confess,
“Maybe the women should go talk to her, she will relate if they tell her their stories.” Cassius suggests and I see Bjarni nod from the corner of my eye.
“When I told her she’s mine, she argued that she doesn’t even know me.” I rub my hand over my face to try and clear my thoughts because at the moment my mind is racing everywhere.
“Technically she’s correct,” Caelius states which has me shooting him a murderous look, he lifts a hand in the air and continues, “Maybe you should abstain for a while, so that you can get to know each other.”
“No” I state, letting him know that that isn’t an option. There is no way that I’m going to stay away from Saskia, and that is the only way abstinence would work, because I definitely won’t be able to keep my hands off her if I’m close.
“If you go losing your temper you will never get this woman to agree to stay your mate.” Cassius states with a raised brow.
“She’s already my mate, there is no fucking way she’s going anywhere.” I say with conviction, “she will realize that she can’t stay away from me.”
“Brother, one thing I have learnt with Gabriela is that they have their own mind, if you try to force them to do something they don’t want to, you are in for a whole lot of grief.” Bjarni says just as Celmund informs us on the intercom that Draco wants to meet. Cassius places his arm around my shoulders and squeezes.
“Come on brother, let’s do this meeting and then you go back to your mate.” He states as he lets go and starts making his way towards the door with Caelius and Bjarni following. The last thing I’m interested in is being in a meeting, my every cell feels like its rushing through my body as it fights with me to go to my mate. Once we Elemental’s mate we can’t stay away from our mates for long or them from us as it becomes physically painful, especially just as we bond. I know that I should still be close to Saskia, but the thought of her repelling my touch is keeping me away.
Shaking my head I make my way to the computer room where we usually have our meetings, as I walk in one by one the brothers all stop talking as they look at me. “Lose your shirt?” Ceric asks with a lifted brow which has me shrugging as I take my seat next to Brandr.
“You’ve bonded.” Draco states from the head of the table, looking over at him I see the tension in his body. “Is she fine?�
� he asks
“What, you think I hurt my mate?” I shoot back
“Don’t play games; you know what I’m asking,” Draco snaps as he sits forward in his chair.
“Yeah, she’s fine. She’s just having difficulty believing that I’m not human.” I grunt as I place my hand on the table.
“You must be lacking something if the sex didn’t do it.” Ceric teases which have me jumping out of my chair and pulling him out of his before he even knows what’s happening. Before I can punch him I feel arms pulling me back.
“Calm down,” I hear Wulf say as he drags me back. Ceric is looking at me with raised brows, I know that he was joking around like he usually does but that hit a nerve and I don’t do very well with calmness.
“I’m fine” I grunt as I shrug Wulf off me
“Go to your mate, I don’t want to see you unless whatever is between you is resolved.” Draco states, looking over at him I see that he’s now standing with his hands flat on the table, his eyes a earie blue as he looks at me. I nod and make my way out of the computer room feeling my brothers eyes on me, I make my way towards my woman; I take a deep breath trying to calm the anger rolling through my body before I open my bedroom door.
When I first enter I freeze when I don’t see her on the bed, but then I hear the shower and I relax, perfect. Closing the door behind me I approach the bathroom, discarding my boots and jeans on the way. I walk in to find my woman under the spray, her head thrown back, her eyes closed as the water runs down her hair and back. Instantly I harden at the view of her perfect body on display for me, walking towards the shower I slip in silently.
She gasps when I place my hands on her hips and pull her perfect ass against my hardness, “What are you doing?” she mumbles as her eyes shoot open and she glances back over her shoulder to look at me. Instead of answering I lower my head and take her lips in a blistering kiss. At first she doesn’t respond but then she’s kissing me back with a passion that has me turning her around and picking her up as I slant her body over mine so that I can thrust deep into her.
“Ohhh,” she gasps as I still deep in her body, her legs wrapped tight around my body. “Look at me” my voice is a rumble as I fight myself not to pound into her. When she’s looking deep into my eyes I continue, “I know this will be difficult to accept, but give me a chance to show you that we are meant to be.” Her breathing is laboured as I pull our slightly and then plunge slowly in again, I can see her indecision but then she nods. That is all I was waiting for before I start moving, lowering my head I take her nipple into my mouth as I plunge repeatedly into her body.
Her cries of ecstasy driving my own pleasure higher until we’re both coming with an explosion that leaves us both breathless and well sated. As her legs untangle from around me, I let her body slide down until her feet are touching the ground, and then I pull her against me as I start to wash her body. My soapy hands stroking over her body and then rinsing, I know she’s staring at me her eyes not once leaving my face, but I don’t say anything as I continue my ministrations. When I finish I quickly wash myself before I turn off the water. Stepping out I pull out two fluffy black towels, wrapping one around my waist I hold the other one out so that she can step out.
When she’s wrapped in the towel I pick her up and carry her back to my bed. “I’m going to try and explain everything to you.” I state as I place her on the bed and then sit down next to her. I start by explaining to her about the mating and how our bodies are linked together once we touch.
“I’m sure you’ve touched other women” she says when I explain about how the bonding begins.
“Yes, I’ve touched other women, but the bonding won’t work with anyone except our mate.” I explain.
“What happens if you don’t find your mate?” she asks as she slides further back on the bed until she’s leaning against the headboard, the towel wrapped tight around her ending just below her thighs.
“Then we become Keres,” at that she stiffens, her hand moving up to her chest in a fist. I go on to explain about how with time our energy darkens unless we find our mate that brings light into our souls.
“How many years before an Elemental becomes a Keres?” she asks
“It’s different for everyone, Draco for example is the oldest among us Elemental’s and he hasn’t changed. Then you have Elemental’s that are barely two hundred and they change.” I see her eyes widen as she stiffens
“Two hundred years old?” she asks surprised and I nod which has her leaning forward. “How old are you?” I push my hand through my hair to get it out of my face and see her eyes following the movement.
“I’m five hundred and eighteen years old” she gasps at my revelation, opens her mouth to say something then snaps it shut again as she shakes her head.
“I’ve dated older men before but this is crazy,” she finally murmurs which has my anger rising again at her statement.
“I don’t want to hear about other men you dated.” I growl as I stand up and start to pace, the idea of Saskia with any other man has the fire in my blood igniting and wanting to torch everything within its reach. She waves her hand in dismissal as she looks at me fascinated.
“Is this really you, or do you have some kind of disguise?” I stop at her question, what does she mean disguise? I see her eyes traveling over my body and I can see the appreciation in her eyes as they travel over my chest and torso down to my covered hips.
“What do you mean?” I ask distractedly as I see her tongue shoot out to moisten her lips, snapping back to the present at her next words.
“Do you look like this, or have you got some kind of a disguise. It’s okay if you look like an alien or whatever, but I think you need to let me know.” What the fuck? I throw back my head and roar with laughter. I need to tell the guys about this one, I’m sure none of their women has ever asked them this.
“No darling . . .I look like this” I see her pout at my laughter which has me grinning.
“It’s not funny, you could look like a lizard or something.” This has me roaring with laughter again, which has her a minute later joining me, her whiskey coloured eyes twinkling in merriment. When we finally quieten down she asks, “you say you bend the elements, what exactly do you do?” at that I grin as I lift my hands, imagining a ball of fire I see the flame grow until between my hands an orange and blue ball of fire rotates beautifully. She sits up on her knees, her hands together as if in prayer as she looks at the fire fascinated.
“I’m a fire bender, each of the brother’s bends and element depending on when we are born.” I explain, “What about you, what gift do you have?” at my question I see her stiffen and then she looks down at her hands as she starts to twist them agitatedly. I approach the bed and sit, taking her hands in mine I look at her. “All our women have a specific gift; therefore I know that you have one. You don’t have to worry; I will protect you from anyone and everything. No one will ever hurt you again because of it.” I see the tears in her eyes at my words and I wish I could kill the fucking Keres that hurt her.
“I feel energy,” I frown at her revelation, “I can tell when someone is approaching by the change in energy around me, I can tell when its bad or good energy.” She look deep into my eyes and I can see the vulnerability in hers. “Now I know why I couldn’t feel your energy, or tell when you guys approached. It has never happened before with anyone.” She confesses.
“None of the women can use their gifts on us, we don’t know why but it just is.” I reveal, and then I add just for good measures “You will like them, just don’t listen to anything Nova says okay, she’s great but she’ll get you into trouble.”
“What do you expect of this?” Saskia asks as she points between us
“I told you, you are my woman, my mate.” I say and see her frown her one hand that is still in mine ice cold.
“I know what you said, but I can’t stay here.” At her words I tense, what does she mean she can’t stay. There is no way I will let my
woman leave here, she’s safe here, protected by me, by the other brothers, whatever it is she’s staying.
“You can’t leave, we bonded now. You can’t stay far from me for long because we will both feel the pain of separation until it kills us,” At my words she pails and pulls her hand away from mine.
“You don’t understand! I can’t stay.” She murmurs “because I have a boyfriend back home.” At her words my stomach knots and my anger rises. I spring up and off the bed, I don’t care what she says, she’s mine and no matter what she’s not leaving here and she’s definitely not going to any other man.
SASKIA 6
I know this is crazy, I’ve only been with this man for one day but already I feel a connection to him that I have never felt before, not even with my family, but I have to go back and talk to Paul. Already he must be so worried about me, I couldn’t phone him before because I thought that somehow the Keres might intercept the call and hurt Paul or figure out where we were.
I’ve been with Paul since high school, only last year we moved in together. It’s true that our relationship hasn’t been perfect, especially this last year but I owe him that much. I have to go back and speak to him, have to let him know that I’m fine. I see the way Burkhart is pacing, the anger radiating off him.
I believe everything he said to me, for the simple reason that I have never dreamt that I could feel this connection for someone like I do for him. The thought of being away from him already terrifies me. Yes I’m angry that I didn’t have a say in this bonding, but if the love that I saw between Jasmine and Wulf is what I will have with Burkhart I am more than willing to let that go.
“You will not leave here.” He states angrily, which has me stiffening.
“I thought Draco said that we are free to go anytime we want.” I say as he stops his pacing and glares at me.
BURKHART: Elemental's MC Page 4