The Mating (Black on Black, #1)

by BJ Cunningham

  Also by BJ Cunningham

  Bjorn Clan

  Cursed

  Flesh & Blood

  Black on Black

  The Mating (Coming Soon)

  Also by Misty Clark

  Black on Black

  The Mating (Coming Soon)

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’ imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  Black On Black: The Mating

  © 2016 by BJ Cunningham & Misty Clark

  Published: 31st October 2016

  Cover Art: Morgan-Cunningham Publishing/Creation Inc.

  Publisher: Morgan-Cunningham Publishing/ Creation Inc.

  The right of BJ Cunningham and Misty Clark to be identified as the authors of this Work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise transmitted without written permission from the publisher. You must not circulate this book in any format.

  Misty would like to thank...

  I want to thank first and foremost all people that purchased this book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it. A big thank you to Donna Mann for being my kick in the ass when I need it and being a great friend and sister to me. Whether she wants to be family or not, she is.

  Thank you to Amy Walden for getting me started in RP. Without her doing that this wouldn’t be possible. Thank you to Galina Sulaiman, and Sandy Ravens for all their love and support throughout these last few years. The bonds we share will never change. Melissa Ward, you’ve been my rock, and without you, in my life, I don’t know if I’d make it some days. Thank you, and I love you M&M! Thank you to all of my friends and family for their love and support. Thank you to my RP family Mikhaïella Geneviève Dubois-Randall, Baloo, and Sam aka Hooker Bait. You three have done so much for me, you have no idea. Thank you for being there for me and keeping me sane.

  Also a big thank you, Ms. Toni Palmeri Brass, super fan, when I think no one is reading or paying attention there you are liking our work and giving us a reason to keep going. All your love and support has not gone unnoticed by BJ or myself. We love you!! Last but not least thank you to BJ for taking a chance on me. And to everyone that I might have forgotten. I’m sorry. Thank you.

  This book is dedicated to my daughters Tyler and Hayden. The main reason for writing this was to show them that no matter how out there your dreams may seem, as long as you stick to it and try you can do anything you put your mind too. They are what keep me going and amaze me every day. I love you both more than anything.

  BJ would like to thank...

  My friends and family that continue to stick with me through thick and thin. My LMP family, you’re always there when I need a laugh. The readers who took the time, not only to read my work but take the time to share what they thought of it. Keep that shit up!

  On a more personal level a special shout out goes to Miss Toni, Dack, Sandy, Jesse and of course my coauthor Misty. What can I say, babes? We fricken did it!

  We lost a good man and a great father this month. You’ll always have my heart. Tom, this one’s for you.

  Table of Contents

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  About the Authors .

  PROLOGUE

  Gaia was running out of time. She reclined on the soft chaise lounge covered with soft furs. She let her eyes wander over the strange surroundings that she was still getting used to. It was not home. The walls of cold gray stone kept the bitter chill of winter at bay as a fire crackled merrily in the hearth. She missed the rolling lush hills of home, missed feeling the soft tickling of the grass under her bare feet and the warm sun shining on her face. She didn’t miss the life that the fates had forced on her. Too many, with impure motives wanted to use her to create armies destined to bathe their worlds in the gruesome hue of blood. She shuddered, groaning and adjusting her position to accommodate her huge belly that rolled and twitched as the contractions began.

  Sweeping her straw-colored hair back from her face with a shaking hand, she closed her eyes and breathed through the pain. Her mind searched for a haven for her children. They could not be born here in her gilded prison cell. Not that she suffered as a prisoner. Her jailor had become enamored with her and the lives that she carried belonged to him. Her chest ached. They could have been happy, but again the fates had twisted the needles, crossing lines and ruining everything. Odin flashed through her mind’s eyes. Tall. Strong. His braided blonde hair glowing in the sunlight as his azure eyes sparkled with hidden mischief. His strong, calloused hands had never brought pain but whispered over her skin softly as he stroked her body and stole her heart.

  Pain tightened her abdomen, reminding her that their love could not be allowed to grow. He was promised to another, needed to create an alliance between the two warring pantheons and his intended was a cold, harsh bitch that would never allow the children she carried to flourish. She had to hide them now. Opening her eyes, she slid her legs over the side, grimacing at the hard stone floors under her feet as she pulled the scrying bowl closer and gazed into the shallow depths. Gaia ignored the pain as she searched the universe for the perfect place. One where both she and their father could access but would be closed to the eyes of the Vanir that would soon be here.

  World after world was studied and found lacking. Her delicate brows furrowed with concentration as she sifted through her options and finally found one that would be suitable after a little ‘landscaping.' Huge ravenous reptiles populated the jungles that her children could thrive in. Dipping her finger into the silver liquid, Gaia sent a powerful jolt into one of the two moons that revolved around the planet, shattering it and sending debris into the atmosphere. Dust billowed up from the ground and smoke from the fire that erupted from the deep crevices that opened cloaked the beauty that had drawn her to this planet.

  Her head bowed over the bowl that shook as the contractions grew stronger and no longer seemed to end. She couldn’t wait any longer. Ghosting herself to the surface, she used her magic to mend what she had broken. Leaning her back against one of the mountains that had pierced the earth’s surface and jutted up to give the rest of the universe the single digit salute, her legs shook and sagged until she found herself on the ground. The life within her pouring out, turning the sands a murky yet beautiful red and yellow. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she pulled her knees to her chest, bearing down until the last of her children were expelled. Only then did she let her head fall back and her body relax.

  With a wave of her hand, she scattered her children across the planet, realizing too late that when the earth’s crust had been wounded, she had set free something dark and evil. Something that the giant reptiles had kept at bay for millennia. Icy cold fingers of dread grazed her back, making her gasp and ghost back to the safety of her cell. Panic tightened her chest. Her children were in danger, despite her best i
ntentions. So distraught was she as she searched the scrying bowl for them that she did not notice the armed men who filled her chamber or the beautiful cold mistress that would soon be the wife of the male Gaia loved.

  “Take her.” The musical tone cut through the air and stabbed Gaia’s heart as rough hands grabbed her and dragged her down the hall to gods knew where. She yanked her arms and kicked her legs as she was carried past her love, whose skin was pale and agony etched itself across his face. He could not help her. No one could. Linking her mind with his, and his only, she showed him where their children were and silently begged him to watch over them.

  His sapphire eyes flared as they dropped to her now flat stomach and he nodded, closing his hand into a fist and hitting his chest over his heart in a silent oath. ‘I will care for them, and I will see you free, my beloved.’

  Odin’s deep voice rumbled inside her head, and Gaia felt her panic recede. “I can walk.” She said coolly to those who were grasping her, sighing as she was released and surrounded, blocking all paths of escape. ‘I will be waiting, my love,’ her mind linked with his as she met his azure gaze and offered him a soft smile. ‘I know you will not let our children or me down.”

  Tns-si-a studied the scraggly purple hued mountain that grew larger with each step, as did her anxiety. Her moccasin covered feet, swished almost silently on the scrub grass that grew in sparse tufts. The earth around them vibrated with power, rumbling up through the soles of her feet and slowly leeching into her heart as Gaia’s breath blew wisps of her raven hair free of its braid to tickle her face and neck. She reached out to take Nocona’s hand nervously, glancing up into his mahogany eyes before turning back to what would be their new home. The corners of her mouth turned up as the fierce warrior that had defended their people for decades gave her hand a squeeze and then let go.

  They were the chosen ones. She still wasn’t sure what that meant. Tatanka had walked into their village, an enormous white buffalo that stood as high as some of the smaller tepees, the thick white wool of his cape fluttering in the rare breeze as he called everyone to him. They came out slowly, frightened and in awe, and then the trickle became a flood as curiosity won out. The children were pushed back behind their parents into the center of her people, much like the great Buffalo did with their own young. The silence was broken by the occasional low murmur as they waited for Quana to join them and speak to the God in their midst.

  All eyes turned as the hide of their chieftain’s flap opened on the largest teepee, painted with the images of his exploits and blessing of the gods in the center of the village. His deeply tanned shoulders gleamed in the sun, and his jet hair flowed down his back, licking at the edge of his buckskin pants. His almost black eyes met the white buffalo, and his face was serene, the only sign of his trepidation was the slight tick of his jaw. Nacona and the other warriors stepped forward, between the trespasser and the women, but respectfully offered Quana space. They would come to his aid if needed, but crowding around him would say that they were not confident in their Chieftain’s strength. No one would do that, not after what they had seen him do.

  Tatanka shimmered, like the prairie on a hot summer day and became a man. His midnight black hair was tied at the base of his neck. Dark brows slashed harshly over eerie pale eyes tinged with amethyst that seemed out of place in the high tanned cheek boned face and square jaw. He was taller than them all, his vest and leggings covered in intricate beadwork that spelled out prayers to the gods. He was the most handsome man Tns-si-a had ever seen as she rolled up onto the tips of her toes to see over Nocona’s broad shoulder.

  “Worry not,” Tatanka’s deep melodic voice broke the silence. “I mean you no harm.”

  Quana nodded his comprehension even as his tense body told an opposing story. “What is it that you want from us?” He crossed his bulging arms over his broad chest and looked up at the Buffalo, meeting his eyes squarely.

  Tatanka rolled his eyes and mirrored the chieftain’s stance. “I want to save your asses,” he growled. He knew that he couldn’t help them all. In just a few short centuries the evil would sweep across the oceans that had protected these people and they, along with his kind would be all but wiped from the earth that they revered. “I’m your salvation. Don’t let your stubbornness and pride be the death of your people.”

  Quana snorted, knowing that his people were strong and could defeat their enemies as they always had. “Salvation,” there was a slight sneer in his voice. “And what is the price for this ‘gift’ you offer, or is it a demand?”

  Tatanka’s jaw became rigid as he considered walking away. He didn’t need the humans. Being here was a courtesy call only made because the Great Father and Earth Mother had called in a favor and neither were beings that he wanted to piss off. A growl rolled up the back of his throat, drawing an arched brow from the chieftain. “Look, I don’t care if you take what I offer or not. I am asking that you send one male and one female, both unmated to come with us to another place and learn how to save your kind.”

  The occasional murmurs grew to a loud buzz as the people talked amongst themselves until Quana raised a hand and they fell silent. “And what is it that you offer, exactly, Salvation?”

  Tatanka sighed, Gods, this was how one got stuck with a name that they hated. “A great evil is coming for us all. You and my kind. I offer the pair a safe place to learn from the Buffalo, to harness the magics that will be needed to survive in a cold new world of evil’s making.”

  “Don’t you mean, to help you defeat the evil, Salvation?” Quana arched an amused brow.

  “No.” Tatanka shook his head slowly. “This is not a battle that any of us will win. All I can offer is survival.” Damn these humans and their egos! “I’m asking for volunteers. You have free will and all of that shit.”

  “What kind of powers?” Tns-si-a slid around Nocona to address the God. The buzzing of voices started again as she stepped forward and Quana’s head swung to look at her before he rolled his eyes skyward, no doubt praying for the strength to put up with her. She ignored them all and did not flinch under the scrutiny of those violet eyes. Shrugging off Nocona’s hand on her shoulder, she stood tall and proud.

  “Are you volunteering, Tns-si-a?” Quana’s glare bore into her soul.

  “Perhaps. All of my family died from the sickness. Would it not be better for me to go, then to break up a family?” She met the glare with one of her own, before turning her eyes back to Tatanka.

  “More than you can imagine, Brave One.” Tatanka smiled and scratched his chin as his body relaxed. He’d been expecting a fight from this band of the Kiowa. They weren’t known for their spirit of cooperation. “We will teach you to move through time and space, with only a thought. You and your spirit animal will indeed become one, and you will be able to switch between the two forms. The others will depend on your untapped natural abilities that we can unlock.”

  “I will go with her.” Nocona stepped behind her, so close that she could feel the heat of his body, and gooseflesh broke across her skin. Sweet Nocona. Harsh and unbending to everyone else, but he had always been kind to her, and as she had matured into a woman, she had not missed the way his eyes followed her or the way he licked his lips when he looked at her. It made her warm and caused a strange feeling to flutter in her stomach. But he was a warrior, and she was just an orphan. He was out of her league.

  “No. Not you.” Quana turned his glare on the warrior. The chieftain had his eye on Nocona as a possible mate for his pain in the ass daughter. This would ruin his plans to be free of her.

  Tatanka growled, here was the fight he had been expecting. “You can’t fight free will, Chieftain. Don’t try.”

  “You can have her, but not him.” Quana reached for the hunting knife strapped to his thigh.

  “Stupid prideful humans.” Tatanka shook his head and ghosted the male and female to his camp. He didn’t need the chieftain’s permission, just the consent from the two brave enough to come. He point
ed to a tepee that had both of their lineages painted on the tanned hide. “We leave at dawn.” Whistling to himself, he walked away.

  That had been two weeks ago. Tns-si-a was amazed at the mix and variety of the people who had agreed to go with the Buffalo. So many cultures and languages that it made her head spin, yet they could all communicate using nothing but the voices of their minds. This was strong magic indeed.

  Now they were here. She gasped as the mountain rumbled and an opening appeared. She could not see much other than the rolling hills of lush grass and sparkling pools of water. As they walked through the gaping hole in the stone, she smiled at the birds flying overhead in the clear blue sky and the herds of bison and deer grazing in the distance. Predators and prey, sat together, speaking a language that she understood without learning. She glanced up at Nocona and smiled at the awe on his face. “I think we are home.”

  Tatanka waved his hand, closing the hole behind them and sealing out the evil that was coming, as surely as the rising tide. Shifting into his white buffalo form, he trotted across the never ending fields until he reached the sacred place where Gaia’s presence was closest to the surface. Bowing his head with respect, he silently asked for guidance.

  Her voice drifted to him on the wind, sweet and delicate. “You have done well. Now teach them. They will be the Ghuardians of your people one day and you of theirs. You both need each other to survive. There will be matings, and bonds will grow stronger, creating a new people. Beware of the evil that always dwells in a man’s heart. Even here, you will not be immune. It will threaten to splinter apart what we have made.”

  Tatanka’s mane ruffled in the wind, bringing a groan of contentment from the beast. “What will happen to those left behind, Mother?”

  “They will fight and fail, leaving them broken. The buffalo will be slaughtered to the verge of extinction.” Her voice choked with sadness. “We cannot save them all.”