Falcon nodded as they walked their Atan into the temple behind IxChel. She had a large bed set up in the sunshine. A gentle spiral of smoke curled up from a bowl next to the bed, creating intricate patterns in the air. Falcon recognized the energy patterns that surrounded them and knew the smoke was reacting to it. It didn’t carry the acrid scent of burning but instead released a light, sweet perfume into the air around them.
“Place your hands on either side of your Atan’s injury,” IxChel instructed and he and Wolfe were quick to comply. She placed a hand over the top of each of theirs and he felt a tingling that danced down his arm.
IxChel’s eyes flicked open in surprise. “You performed the ook’at with her already?”
Both he and Wolfe shook their heads. The ook’at was a ceremony where all the warriors danced for the Atan and she was drawn to the men meant for her. A warrior knew his Atan the moment he found her, but he had to win her affection. That way the women were never forced into a mating. They always had the final choice.
“There is a synchronicity to your energy paths that only happens during the ceremony. You need to consummate your bond as soon as possible. Leaving her in this state will cause her passion to flip wildly and put an unhealthy strain on her emotions. Does she know the depths of your feelings toward her?”
Again he and Wolfe shook their heads. They’d been concentrating on stealing her away from the dangers of her world and figured they would convince her that she was meant for them once it was safe. Rock and Jag had told all the warriors about the Earth word, love, and how important it was. Hope wouldn’t completely understand at first that for them Atan meant the same thing, A soul-sealing bond between her and her warriors.
IxChel snorted and shook her head. “You all insist on doing things the hard way.” She rubbed her hands in small circles around the backs of his and Wolfe’s hands before lifting them up and gently wrapping her fingers around Hope’s bruises and knee. “There is a lot of damage in here…tearing and strains.”
She lifted her hands again and repeated the circles on the backs of his hands. He could feel her pulling great amounts of energy from his body and then laying her fingers back on Hope’s leg. As they watched, the bruising diminished drastically and he could see the muscles moving under her skin. Hope whimpered in her sleep, making Falcon’s heart skip, concerned she might wake up.
“Shhhh. You’re safe, Hope,” Wolfe crooned to their woman. IxChel paused her ministrations and waited as Wolfe pulled their Atan deeper into sleep. “Sleep now and dream of the wonders we’ll show you when you wake.”
The frown that wrinkled her brow unfurled and her features softened as she slipped into a deep, peaceful sleep. Falcon took a deep breath and relaxed his shoulders. There was something about Hope’s pain that gnawed at his soul. He hated that he couldn’t heal her the moment she’d hurt herself.
IxChel nodded and then continued her work on Hope’s knee. He heard what sounded like the snapping of tendons or bone under the skin and was relieved that she wasn’t awake to feel that. This was one of the gifts Midnighters were blessed with, the ability to pull their Atan and warrior brother into a deep healing sleep. He’d read the legends and didn’t completely understand why it would be useful, but now he understood. One day their Hope would have a swollen belly where she protected their child. He and Wolfe would be able to ease the pain she’d experience in childbirth. He and Wolfe could heal themselves for the most part, but she didn’t have that ability.
“She won’t have any problems when she wakes, but I would let her rouse in her own way for now.”
IxChel’s voice snapped Falcon out of his thoughts. He hadn’t realized he’d dropped into an almost trance-like state while she worked and by the way Wolfe was shaking his head Falcon knew his warrior brother felt the same way.
“Thank you, IxChel. We’re grateful for your aid with her and your advice.” He bowed to her.
“We’ll keep in mind everything you suggested,” Wolfe continued as he bowed to her in respect as well.
“I am grateful you trust me with your most precious part of your life. I’m also very aware Midnighters will do whatever they want regardless of what I say to them.” Her smiled took the sting from her words. “You have visitors who have been waiting to talk to you both, I’ll send them in, but I want you two to rest with your Atan. No letting her wake up alone. It will add to her fears.”
“Yes, IxChel,” he and Wolfe answered in unison, making the old woman laugh and shake her head as she left the room.
“I think she drew enough energy from us to fight a hundred battles,” Wolfe muttered as he held his arm out to his warrior brother.
“Agreed.” Falcon grasped Wolfe’s arm, and they clasped each other’s elbows over top of their sleeping Atan. The moment the markings on their arms matched up, they flared brighter than either man had ever seen before and Falcon felt an instant rush of energy. Each of them still had a hand on Hope and when he felt the energy rush between him and Wolfe it also travelled down his arm to the hand that lay on Hope. She moaned in her sleep, but this time the sound was seductive and his cock jumped to attention.
“Did you feel that?” Wolfe stroked his hand along her upper arm as they let go of each other’s elbow. “I could feel the energy rush into her.”
“I felt the same thing.” Falcon lifted his hand from her thigh and stroked his fingers along the edge of her face, tucking some hair behind one of her ears. “I want to try that again when she wakes up.”
“I fully recommend it,” Rock spoke as he strode into the room. Jag followed, holding onto Destiny’s hand.
“How is she? I heard that she’d been hurt by Kimil,” Jag said.
“They were hunting her and one frightened her enough through a window that she tripped over some furniture and hurt her knee. IxChel said she should be fine now.”
Destiny handed Wolfe a warm sheet. “Our body temperature drops as we sleep. She’ll feel chilled without something over her.”
“Thank you.” Wolfe took the sheet and laid it over Hope, tucking it in around her body.
“We’ll arrange an ook’at as soon as she wakes.”
“No need. IxChel said her soul already recognizes us.”
Rock looked confused. “How did you manage that?”
“We have no idea.” Falcon sat down on the bed next to the hip of his sleeping Atan. Even though Rock and Jag were a fully claimed in’tialóox, a trio, he felt an instinctive protective sensation toward her. He’d felt the same way when she first arrived at the club. He hadn’t liked the way the workers leered at her.
“That’s a bummer for her. I enjoyed mine. Can’t we do one anyways?” By the look both Rock and Jag gave Destiny it was obvious they didn’t like that admission. Destiny obviously wasn’t concerned by their reactions.
“It wouldn’t be fair to the other warriors. They’d know she’d already picked Falcon and Wolfe.” Jag pulled Destiny close and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
“We’re very competitive during an ook’at. If there is the slightest chance of gaining an Atan’s attention we’ll try.” Wolfe grinned at Falcon. Both of them had tried their best to garner Destiny’s attention away from Rock and Jag during her ook’at. Now that Falcon was in his warrior brother’s position, he completely understood the depths he would fight for his Atan and why Rock and Jag had been so angry at them.
“You haven’t claimed her yet.” Jag pointed at the markings on their arms. The color in both Rock’s and Jag’s marks had deepened to black when they claimed Destiny and she received beautiful iridescent markings on her arms that matched theirs.
“She’s never been touched before.” Wolfe spoke the words in a reverent tone. Falcon’s cock jumped at the reminder and he had to consciously hold himself back from waking her and taking her body right now.
“Wow, that’s pretty rare nowadays,” Destiny said softly. “You’re going to need to be careful of her feelings. There will be a reason why she hasn’t had
sex before now. If you trample those emotions now, she may never forgive either of you for it. And trust me. We can hold grudges for a long time.”
Falcon knew that Destiny couldn’t hold a grudge to save her life. She got angry and then got over it. Her treatment of the Raxka was a perfect example of that. The Raxka were bathing girls who took and gave pleasure for the warrior’s bodies. They’d grown bold and possessive over the years and didn’t like that Rock and Jag no longer availed themselves of their services. One bold Raxka had tried to entice Jag in front of Destiny. While he didn’t think Destiny took it well and Jag might have felt her anger, Destiny never took it out on the Raxka.
“I wonder what Hope’s reaction would be?” Wolfe mused aloud. It wasn’t unusual for him and his warrior brother to be thinking the same thing at the same moment.
“It’s a toss-up, but I’m not certain I want to find out,” Falcon replied and Wolfe nodded in agreement.
“As tempted as I’m sure you are, you can’t claim her the moment her eyes open.” Jag wrapped his arm around Destiny’s shoulders. “I suggest you make some plans while you still can.”
“Good idea.” Wolfe sat on the side of the bed and pulled off his boots. “We can keep her warm as we talk.”
That also meant that he and Falcon could curl up peacefully with their Atan. Falcon pulled off his shirt before the thought finished. Perhaps they could take her to the baths when she woke up.
“We’ll leave you to your discussion. Let us know when you have made a decision. I’ll pass the word amongst our brothers that they won’t be able to dance for your Hope. Too bad, I would have enjoyed watching you hold your temper.”
Falcon ignored that last comment and stripped his pants before lifting the sheet that covered Hope. He was relieved he wouldn’t have to fight any of his brothers for her attention.
Rock, Jag, and Destiny left him and Wolfe to their Atan. IxChel had said to let her wake on her own, but she hadn’t moved since Wolfe pulled her into a deeper sleep. He lay on his side next to her, with his head propped up on one hand, while he lightly stroked the hair beside her face.
“Stop trying to wake her up.” Wolfe smiled at Falcon and shook his head. “You never did have any patience.”
“So says the man who burnt his mouth because he was too impatient to wait for the cook’s pudding to cool.” It was a long-running joke between them and Wolfe laughed quietly. “I’d risk a thousand burns to taste her again. But they were right. We should plan how we are going to entice our Hope into the claiming.”
“I think we follow IxChel’s advice and tell her the truth.”
“All of it? She might run screaming again and this time a damaged leg isn’t going to slow her down.”
* * * *
“Have you taken complete leave of your senses?” Hope gaped at him and then waved her hand in the air. “No, never, not a chance, not even if hell freezes over.”
She pointed at the gown on the bed. “Half of me is going to hang out of that. I don’t think I’d be brave enough to wear that to bed, let alone out in public.”
“Personally, I’d prefer you naked in bed, Atan,” Wolfe said from his position, leaning back against the bedroom door with his arms crossed over his chest. He’d taken up position there when Hope made a comment about leaving naked before wearing the dress they’d picked for her.
Neither Falcon nor Wolfe had any issues with nudity, but neither of them would allow any other warrior near her until they’d performed the Cha’an. Her soul might recognize them, but her mind was fighting them every step on this. They were learning a lot about their Atan in the short time they’d been alone together and the fact that she woke up grumpy and temperamental was new. He’d be annoyed, but she was so cute when she was angry. Wolfe thought so, too, or he wouldn’t be deliberately saying things to prick her temper.
“The fabric stretches and I swear no one will see any part of you that you don’t want them to. All you have to do is pull the material where you want it and it will stay that way.” As an example, Falcon pulled the front of his shirt apart, baring his chest. The material flowed back as if it has been made that way and Hope stared in rapt interest. The color on her cheeks rose slightly and Falcon was willing to bet that she was distracted by more than his clothes.
He stepped closer to her and her gaze remained on his chest and the tip of her tongue slipped out and wet her lower lip, a simple unconscious movement that had his cock roaring to attention. She startled slightly when he was close enough to grasp her hands and lift them to his chest, holding them there when she immediately tried to pull back.
“You can touch me whenever and where ever you like, Atan.”
“I didn’t mean to…I mean I wasn’t…” He did his best not to laugh at her flustered babbling, but it must have shown on his face because she frowned and pulled his shirt together. The fabric melded seamlessly together over his chest and distracted her from her annoyance. Her fascination might have been childlike, but his body and mind were well aware that a woman was running her hands over his torso looking for seams.
“Will you try the dress on now, Atan?”
“Okay, but you both have to turn around.”
“Hope, we’ve seen your most intimate secrets up close and you’re still going to make us close our eyes?”
“Yes, ’cause…that was temporary insanity on my part.” She crossed her arms over her chest, mimicking Wolfe’s pose.
Falcon sensed she was trying to wrestle some of the control in her life back from the two of them. If this made her feel better then he would play along for now. He shrugged one shoulder and turned his back on her. Wolfe remained stubbornly in position, apparently having a standoff with Hope. Falcon wasn’t certain what his brother would do since he could be equally stubborn at times, but with a deep breath he raised one hand and covered his eyes.
“Thank you,” Hope said behind him and Falcon tried not to listen to the sound of rustling clothes as she let the towel slip. He knew for a fact that Wolfe would cheat and peek as she changed. In fact he was certain that his fingers weren’t as close together as they should be. Not that it bothered him. Hope hadn’t noticed her reflection in the mirror hanging on the other side of the room. It was a perfect angle for him to watch her dress.
The twin suns’ delicate light highlighted her body, casting it in shadow for the most part, but he could make out her body’s profile, the gentle arch to her spine as it curved in above her ass, and he promised himself he would press a kiss to that exact spot. Her breasts lifted as she moved her arms up with the dress, her nipples standing out in sharp relief before the fabric covered them. She made his blood sing with the promise of taking her body and soul.
She looked down at herself and skimmed her hands over her own hips. The idea of watching her pleasure herself entered his thoughts and fired his ever-simmering desire. He and Wolfe had decided to wait to claim her until the ceremony, but at times like these he’d wished they hadn’t waited.
He imagined turning her over the elevated bed and flipping the material up over her back, exposing her bare ass to his view. He’d drop to his knees before her and wrap his hands around the lush curve of her ass. Gently pressing them apart, he’d press an intimate kiss to the little rosebud there and run his tongue around the opening to see if she moaned or cried out.
“Okay you can turn around now.”
Her words snapped him out of his fantasy and left his cock rock hard. Hope was pulling the purple material together where it had parted on either side of her legs, smoothing it together so that her thighs were completely hidden from view. Next she pulled on the top, lifting the neckline to her collarbone.
“You’re going to cocoon yourself and suffocate if you aren’t careful.” Wolfe stepped in front of her and caught her hands, distracting Hope and giving Falcon a moment to try to control his uncontrollable cock.
“Is that possible?” Her wide-eyed concern and gullible reaction had him shaking his head.
; “If you yank it any higher it might cover your face, but you would be able to breathe through it without a problem.”
“Atan, we have two suns and our climate is warm. You don’t need to cover up so much and I prefer to have another peek at your charms.”
“I knew you were looking.” She glared at Wolfe. “That’s cheating. At least Falcon was honorable enough to turn his back.”
Falcon like that she believed him honorable, but he wasn’t going to lie to her either. So he cleared his throat to get her attention and tapped his finger in the direction of the back wall.
“Oh, no not you, too?” She shook her head when she noticed her reflection. “At least you’re both honest with me.”
“We’ll never deliberately lie to you, Hope.” Wolfe tucked a finger under her chin and encouraged her to look up at him. “I swear we have your best interests and safety at the forefront of our thoughts even if it doesn’t seem like that.”
Falcon stepped up behind her and pressed a kiss to a small bit of skin she had showing at the base of her neck. He fought the urge to press his cock against the cleft of her ass. “Let us take you out and show you our world.” He slid his hand down her arm and entwined his fingers with hers.
She looked over her shoulder and up at him. “I’m overreacting a bit, aren’t I?”
“No, I think you are doing well.” He grinned down at her. “I fully expected you to be throwing things at us by this point.”
Her stomach chose that moment to growl and a beautiful flush crept up her neck and cheeks.
“We’ve been neglecting you already. We might earn a few things thrown at us yet.” Wolfe tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow. “Let’s start this tour with the kitchens.”
Hope didn’t let go of Falcon’s hand. Instead she tightened her grip on him and he felt her anxiety spike a bit. Wolfe wrapped his hand over hers in reassurance. Hope was a wonderful conundrum of volatile emotions that often hid her true thoughts. He should have realized fear was driving her temper, but he knew to watch for it next time. They still had a lot of challenges before them when it came to convincing Hope that she would be happy here, because they’d never feel a moment of happiness without her.
Stealing Hope [Midnighter Seductions 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 11