A Mate's Risk

by Cara Carnes

  She heard his loud groan before he came, the weight of his body collapsing on hers a welcomed sensation. A quick glance reminded her of where they were—the kitchen. It was not like her to be that impulsive, but Djar brought out her adventurous side.

  “Suddenly, I’m no longer hungry and going back to bed sounds like a wonderful idea. Care to join me?”

  “How could I resist such an invitation?”

  * * * * *

  “When must you return?” Melinda ran her hand down Djar’s chest and rested her head on his shoulder. “I don’t understand why you can’t stay.”

  They’d made love and exchanged stories of their lives growing up all day. They’d slept. Somewhere along the way Melinda’s mind had started thinking about the what-if scenario of him staying. What if he could stay?

  Djar’s hand grasped hers as he looked down, sorrow on his face. “Remaining past tonight would be too dangerous for us both.”

  Concern filled her as she backed up slightly. “What do you mean?”

  “Your world is within a realm the gods don’t allow us to travel to.” Djar’s fingers traced her jaw. “Perhaps they wished to keep beauties like you for themselves.”

  “I feel beautiful when I’m with you.” She positioned her leg over his. “You bring out my devilish side.”

  His head dipped and his mouth claimed hers. A soft moan escaped her lips as she savored the taste of him, the feel of his body against hers. His hand ran up her thigh as his lips grazed her neck.

  “You are much more than beautiful, Melinda. Your heart enchants me. Your compassion calls me. Your trust strengthens me.” His hand cupped her breast and she arched herself into his palm. “Show me your passion.”

  Djar tugged her waist and pulled her across his thighs until she was straddling him. She wrapped her hand around his cock and smiled down at him. His hands ran down her arms, then up her thighs until they were once again at her waist. The natural urge to cover herself filled her. Body image issues had always plagued her.

  Until now.

  The hunger in his eyes calmed her need to cover her less-than-perfect stomach. The feel of his fingers tweaking her nipples made her forget about anything—anyone— except him and the evidence of his desire she pumped with her hand.

  Leaning down, she nipped his nipple and trailed her tongue down his chest. His quickening breath incited her desire, energized the adventurous temptress she’d always held at bay—the part of her she’d tucked away until she could find someone she could connect to on a sexual level.

  Djar.

  “Do the goddesses make you this hard?”

  He shook his head. “Not as easily as you do, Melinda.”

  She turned away, not sure why the thought of him fucking other women bothered her. This wasn’t a permanent attachment—it was two adults taking pleasure in one another. No more. She took a deep breath and looked down at him.

  His hand cupped her face. “My precious Melinda. They have not taken amusement with me for many of your moons. My lack of desire for them does not bode well for their ego.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of beautiful goddesses pouting over their inability to arouse Djar. Her pulse raced. She aroused him. Her. Melinda Morgan.

  Reaching over into the bureau drawer, she removed a condom and smiled down at Djar when he took it from her. “May I try this time?”

  She nodded and watched him mimic her previous work and roll the condom down his hard cock. His fingers ran up her outer thigh and across her pussy. “You’re so wet for me.”

  She leaned down and glided her lips across his as he filled her once again. His hands braced her hips and she moved, savoring the way he allowed her to lead. Opting for a slow, sensuous rhythm Melinda rode his cock and closed her eyes as the sound of his heavy breathing mingled with hers.

  His tongue trailed across her breasts and back up her neck before he nibbled her ear and exhaled a shaky breath. “Never could I have imagined sharing such passion with you.”

  “Djar.”

  She didn’t trust her voice. A tiny gasp escaped her parted lips as she surrendered to her orgasm. Her pussy clenched his cock as he tensed under her. His groan filled her ears as his climax met hers.

  Collapsing on top of him, all Melinda could do was breathe. Resting her head against his chest, she listened to his pounding heart and willed her pulse to calm.

  Djar wrapped his arm around her. “You amaze me.”

  “You too.”

  “You put on quite a show, Djar. I see now why so many of the goddesses lust for your attention. Perhaps I should sentence you to an eternity on your back in their chambers.”

  A cool breeze flowed through the room and Melinda gasped as Djar cursed and covered them with the edge of the long-forgotten covers. Djar jumped up and glared at the image of an older silver-haired man coming into focus in the mirror across from the bed. “What the hell do you want, Terel?”

  Melinda’s skin crawled with disgust as the man leered at her through half-hooded eyes. “Your toy would amuse me greatly while you rot in the dungeon. Perhaps this trip was not a waste after all.”

  Dungeon? Melinda’s heart pummeled into her stomach, fear sweeping through her veins. She couldn’t let Djar get hurt.

  “Let’s leave, Djar. We’ll go where he can’t find us.” Melinda tugged on his arm, urgency spurring her movements.

  The man laughed, a loathsome hiss of amusement that tumbled through the room and made her nauseous. “You think you could hide from me, human slut?”

  A crystal blue light appeared in the room and displayed the look of fury on Djar’s face. “This is between you and me, she knows nothing.”

  “Oh I disagree.” The man’s voice fell to a hushed whisper as his creepy gaze wandered over Melinda. “She knew enough to pleasure you. Perhaps she should be of interest to me—and the other gods as well.”

  A growl flowed from Djar’s throat as he stepped toward the image, his hands knotted into fists at his sides. “You will not harm her!”

  Terel laughed. “You are quick to anger. Having you in my dungeon will be fun indeed. You know what must be done. Do not make me come back, Djar, for the consequences will not bode well for your orgasmic friend.”

  The man’s image vanished as quickly as it had appeared and a shiver of dread ran down Melinda’s spine. Djar turned and looked down at her, his hand running down her head. “Are you okay?”

  “Who was that? Why does he want to hurt you?”

  “It will be okay, Melinda. Terel is one of the gods, but he does not have sanction over me directly. He makes threats he has no power to fulfill.” Melinda bit her lower lip and nodded, afraid that Djar was speaking in half-truths.

  He looked over his shoulder at the vacated mirror and his muscles were tense as she ran her hand up his arm. “Djar, why was he mentioning a dungeon? Will you be punished for being here?”

  Fear for him ran through her as she waited for his response. He nodded. “Not by him, but by another more understanding. This is the forbidden zone, so I will have to be punished for entering it.”

  “But a dungeon? That seems so barbaric!”

  “It will only be for a month at the most and time moves differently in my world, Melinda. Each moment I spent with you is worth an eternity there if it leaves me the taste of your skin on my lips.”

  A tear fell down her cheek and she moved to wipe it away. “I’ll appeal to them on your behalf.”

  “No. You must not ever mention me.” Sadness crossed his face as he kissed her softly. “I’m afraid our time together must come to an end, my sweet Melinda.”

  “Now?” she asked as he pulled away. “Surely you can stay the night.”

  Two fingers rested over her mouth, silencing her before she completed her thought. She stared up into his eyes and saw the hunger within them. The concern. He worried about her safety. The realization floored her. She couldn’t remember the last time a man worried about her.

  “I’m
afraid that’s not possible. Thank you for sharing your passion with me and I promise to remember it eternally.”

  She shook her head, not understanding what he was saying.

  “I see now that spending another moment here would be a mistake because I don’t wish it to be any harder for you when we have to part,” he said, the sadness showing in the softness of his eyes.

  Her heart slowed to a crawl in her chest and her hands trembled in shock. He was leaving? Now? There would be no more kisses, no more caresses and no more Djar. “Surely you can stay a few more hours.”

  “Goodbye, Melinda.” The room filled with a dense fog and she cried out for him, looking around but seeing nothing.

  Just like that, he vanished out of her life quicker than he had entered it and left her aching for his touch. Tears fell from her eyes.

  Chapter Four

  “This moping around has to stop, Melinda. I’m sorry, but no cock is worth it—especially if you didn’t have it long to begin with,” Stacy said.

  Melinda stood in line at the swank nightclub Tyzan and tossed a warning glare at her friend. Stacy meant well, but her comments stung more than they helped right now. She’d avoided telling her friends about Djar for the first week he’d left, but they’d picked up on her mood change and demanded an explanation. Two weeks had passed since Djar had disappeared into the mist and she could not understand the feeling of loss she experienced. She didn’t get emotionally invested in people, yet somehow she had with him. She had gotten hurt enough times in the past to know better than believe in happily ever after. When her friends had demanded she get out and start living again, the urge to come here had overwhelmed her.

  Then again, she couldn’t fault them for not understanding her anguish. It wasn’t like she had told them the truth about Djar. She barely believed he’d existed herself. How could she explain a man in a mirror coming to life and pleasuring her? As far as they were concerned, Djar was someone she’d bumped into and had a couple of nights of uninhibited sex with. It wasn’t a lie—it was merely a minor adjustment of the truth.

  “Stacy, keep your voice down. People are laughing at us.” Nancy’s horrified scolding came out through pursed lips. Melinda looked around them and saw a few people grinning in their direction.

  Stacy had a flair for drama and her comments tended to attract attention. Lisa and Stacy laughed, clutching hands and whispering to one another as they waved at everyone.

  “Okay, show’s over. Another one in ten minutes. Carry on,” Lisa said.

  Melinda glared at the two of them.

  “What? I make one statement—that I happen to believe with all my heart, by the way—and everyone looks at me like I’m a circus freak,” Stacy said. Her loud sigh marked the next scene. “I can’t believe we’re having to stand in line. That baboon on the door didn’t even so much as look at me when I went up there.”

  “The nerve!” Lisa exclaimed.

  Nancy snickered and Melinda couldn’t help but smile. A cool breeze swirled around them, making her pull her sweater closed. She knew her friends wanted to go somewhere else. Waiting wasn’t their style. But she had remembered the name Tyzan from Djar’s conversation with that asshole in the mirror. She wanted to know what, if anything, it had to do with him. Maybe someone here would know Djar and could at least tell her if he was okay.

  “I’m gonna go talk to the bouncer. If we don’t get in soon, we’ll go somewhere else.” Melinda’s patience wore thin as she maneuvered her way through the jubilant crowd.

  She didn’t understand the draw for this nightclub. None of the other places around it had a line of people formed outside. Some looked vacant. Why couldn’t Tyzan have been one of those places? The idea of being crushed into a sardine can wasn’t pleasant, but she had to know if someone here knew Djar.

  Breaking free from the group, she breathed a sigh of relief when she stood in front of the bouncer. He sported the classic tight black shirt, the club’s name emblazoned on the fabric. The material stretched across the bouncer’s broad chest. Standing almost taller than Djar, he smiled at her. “Hello, ma’am. The line is at the back.”

  “I know, my friends and I have been stuck back there for hours,” she said.

  He flashed a seductive smile. “Sorry to hear that. Saturday nights tend to get pretty busy. I’ll make sure you get a free drink once you make it inside.”

  It’s now or never. “I heard some great things about this place from my friend Djar.”

  The man’s eyebrow arched and he spoke into a walkie-talkie. She watched two muscular men wearing Tyzan shirts come out and take position.

  “Was the blonde with the cleavage your friend, by chance?” he asked.

  “How did you know?”

  “Same band from a club across town.”

  Melinda blushed and twisted the orange wristband. “I’m impressed at your astuteness. I’m surprised she didn’t get past you.”

  He grinned. “She gave up too easily.”

  One of the men walked toward her friends and soon brought them back. The man extended his hand. “I’m Vlad. Please follow me.”

  Lisa caught up with her and pulled her aside. “How did you get us in?”

  “Not sure,” Melinda whispered as they stepped into the entrance. Her friends didn’t need to know it was Djar’s name that had gained them access.

  Melinda looked around at the sparsely furnished nightclub, the entire area filled with couples dancing, others standing around and watching beautiful flecks of light cascading down from the ceiling and disappearing before they touched the floor.

  “This is remarkable,” Melinda said.

  “Don’t ignore me. How did you do it?” Lisa asked again.

  Vlad came up beside her and smiled. “I believe she and I have a mutual acquaintance. Ladies, this is Zack and he is going to take you up to a VIP room. Melinda will join you shortly.”

  She watched her friends being led in the opposite direction and turned around to Vlad. “I’m a little confused.”

  He smiled and led her over to a secluded area at the back of the bar. “I must admit I’m a bit surprised you are here.”

  “I take it you know Djar?” she asked.

  Vlad nodded as they sat down, his eyes assessing her even though he said nothing.

  “Just tell me he is okay and I’ll be satisfied,” she said.

  “Djar? Is he not with you?”

  She shook her head and looked down at her hands. “No, he left rather abruptly a couple of weeks ago. That freak of nature who showed up really worried me and I just wanted to make sure Djar is okay.”

  “Freak of nature?” The curious lilt in his voice brought a sense of comfort to her.

  “Terel. I think that’s what Djar called him.” A grim expression flashed across Vlad’s face. He studied her, saying nothing as a waitress dropped off a couple of purple-colored drinks. “How did you know to come here?”

  “I overhead the name Tyzan in the conversation they had and was hoping this place was somehow related. Is it?” she asked hopefully.

  “In a manner of speaking.”

  “Good, then you can tell me if he is okay.”

  The man shook his head and downed the concoction in front of him, pushing the other glass over to her. “Not exactly. He and I are from the same place originally but I had not seen him for a very long time.”

  “Then you can’t find anything out from the other dimension?” she asked. She had hoped to find answers here, or at least reassurance he was okay.

  He set the glass down and looked around. “You must be quite astute because Djar used to be rather tight-lipped about things.”

  Melinda felt her cheeks warm. “Sorry, it’s a habit.”

  Vlad laughed. “It’s a good one to have—especially around him. Did he leave anything behind by chance?”

  “Yes, but it’s just an hourglass of some sort. Nothing really important,” she said.

  The man’s eyes widened and his lips formed a lazy g
rin as she took the shot of liquor. Whatever it was, the liquid calmed her nerves, but did nothing for the bone-deep ache she still felt for Djar.

  “What would you do to have one more chance at eternity with him?”

  The question startled her and she wasn’t sure of the answer. Her recently awakened sexual side screamed Anything! but the pragmatic side of her knew better. “Are you implying there’s a chance to see him again?”

  Vlad nodded. “But it comes at a very high price. The only way to do it is to go to the dimension he is in now and return the time spinner to the gods. As a reward, you are entitled to one wish.”

  That was all? It seemed too simple.

  “It will be a challenge to ensure the gods do not trick you, because they will be displeased you are there and possess the time spinner. The only way to ensure you get the chance you want is to invoke the test of the soul. Tell them that is your wish.”

  “The test of the soul?” she asked.

  He nodded. “It is believed that if two people are true soul mates, their love for one another will span across dimensions. That was the true purpose of the time spinner before the gods took it from those who created it and began using it for their own personal agendas.”

  Melinda’s mind reeled listening to him speak so nonchalantly about crossing dimensions, gods and soul mates. She laughed nervously. “I think I need another drink.”

  Vlad smiled. “It’s a lot to absorb and I doubt Djar would be pleased if you tried it because it could be very dangerous for you.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  He sighed. Resting his elbows on the small table between them he looked her in the eye. “Based on what I understand, the test is going to be quite difficult for you. They will be forced to spin time and send you both back in one of the dimensions you were originally from. Since Earth is in their forbidden zone, it will automatically be his.”

  She nodded, trying to imagine being where Djar grew up. Getting to see his world would be an experience she would never forget—especially if she could spend time with him. “That wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”