Braving the Elements

by K. F. Breene

  “I was thinking the opposite. Maybe you should take mine this time? Even the score. I want to feel what it’s like.”

  His mouth dipped to my throat, my head falling back to allow him access. My breath came in fast pants as his lips skimmed my pulse. His kiss was gentle, but he did not bite. “I can’t take yours.”

  “Why? What did I do wrong? Too much garlic in my diet?”

  He chuckled, his tongue flicking out and licking the base of my neck. “We’ll just say, I don’t want to mess with…anyway.”

  I made an unhappy sound before claiming his lips again, frustrated with the amount of fabric between us. I sat up and unbuttoned my shirt, exposing my breasts slowly, my cleavage holding his attention. My blouse fell from my shoulders. My bra quickly followed.

  His hand caressed down my chest, cupping a breast in his palm, rubbing my nipple with his coarse thumb. Pleasure erupted in my core, tied directly to my breast. When he bent down and took it into his mouth, sucking and teasing, I couldn’t believe how good it felt.

  He backed off quickly, shedding his T-shirt, and sitting back, two hands now on me. I lowered my hands to his shoulders, feeling the grooves of muscle with my fingertips. I traced down his chest, running my palms over his defined pecs, down his smooth skin to his rippled abs. Surveying, I ran my hands over his strong arms, his tattoos seeming to wave under my fingers.

  “Why the tattoos?” I murmured, running my hands back up slowly, letting the anticipation build.

  “They’re runes. Spells. They have many uses. For one, they aid in delivering…power. Our hands and arms become weapons, like our swords. Another reason is they gather the darkness, helping us camouflage. Also, they help send magic airborne, like when I wrapped that protective spell around you. We can easily fortify an object with magic, like our swords, or like the walls, but it takes a certain amount of power for magic to travel. Runes, in a set pattern, make that easier.”

  “But I can throw magic without runes. Often when trying to do something normal.”

  His hands slid up my back, making me shiver pleasantly. “Mages have more versatility, they have the power and ability to allow magic a life of its own. Even they require tattoos, usually. You are rare. In so many ways.”

  He leaned forward, touching his lips to the base of my neck, then kissing upward to my jaw. His hands crept toward the front of me, to my lower stomach. I felt my top button released with a tiny jerk. My eyes closed as my zipper lowered.

  He stood, a mountain moving, taking me with him. Setting me down, his hulking body in front of me, his head lowered to mine, he gently pushed my pants down my thighs, my undies hitch-hiking a ride to the floor.

  Another zipper ripped down, pants discarded. Stefan stood naked in front of me, his giant member erect and bobbing, freed. I had remembered his size from what I thought was my dream.

  It still shocked me.

  I inhaled a deep breath as he backed away and sat down, that massive erection half daunting. At least to a woman of my limited experience.

  “At your pace,” he whispered. Understanding and support filtered through our link. His eyes, soft, waited patiently for me.

  I grinned. “It fit once. And felt really, really good, if memory serves.”

  “Too good, maybe.” I barely heard his voice.

  “But…protection?”

  He shook his head. “We don’t have the same issues with diseases as humans. Something with our blood eats diseases—maybe its nature taking it easy on us since we have a hard enough time procreating.”

  I stared at him for a long moment, making sure it wasn’t one of those things a man says to get out of wearing protection. The link radiated honesty, though. And it made sense.

  He interrupted my pondering with, “But we can get humans pregnant.”

  My brow furrowed. “You can? Even though we’re different species?”

  He half smiled, connecting his warm lips with my chest. “We are different, but not fundamentally diverse enough to prevent the merging of DNA. There are other problems, like watering down magic, and acting like a lottery for each species to inherent gifts, such as they are, but...”

  I waved it away before he could tell me we wouldn’t be marrying and having children, anyway. I couldn’t have reality messing this up. I didn’t want the impracticality of happily ever after messing up the glory of right this moment. I wanted my dreams of him to last a little while longer.

  Plus, I stayed on the pill after Jared for regularity. Problem solved.

  Trying to find my breath through my constricted chest, I straddled him again, flattening his manhood with my body, and touched my lips to his. I felt his lips curl before he answered, passion unfurling between us. I got lost in the kiss, sucked into a void where the world fell away around us. He licked and tasted my mouth expertly, teasing but wanting. I clung on to his body, his tight arms around me.

  I slid my body forward, then back, rubbing along his shaft. When we were good and slick, I raised a fraction, his arms around me lightly shaking. His tip crested my folds, having me nearly weeping with the anticipation. I sat, slowly, his girth invading my body, stretching me to the point of pain.

  I pulled up, trying to work him in. His hands flew out to the sides, straight along the couch back, and clutched at the cushions. Intense concentration took over his face.

  Back down again, filling me. More stretching, the sweet torture having my eyes fluttering. It felt so good—I couldn’t remember anything, ever, feeling this damn good!

  “Oh god, Sasha—.” Stefan’s whole body flexed as his eyes squeezed tight, preventing himself from thrusting upward by sheer strength of will.

  My heart sank. I wish I knew how to do this better—he was just so big. It hurt to force it, but I could tell he couldn’t handle the slow torture of working it in. “I’m sorry, I’m trying to—“

  Stefan’s eyes snapped open. His arms crushed me to his chest as he laughed. “Don’t be sorry! I haven’t felt this good in…a long time. Keep going. Don’t worry about me. If all torture felt this good, I would never have another worry as long as I lived.”

  He kissed me sweetly, his hands shaking on my hips.

  I let out a relieved sigh as my body started its downward decent, once again reveling in that sweet torture. He was right about that—it felt almost unbearably good. I wanted to laugh and cry with each plunge, working in a little farther each time. I was oh-so-graciously full, every sensitive spot sparking and pinging around my body. His hips pushed up, forcing just a tiny bit more in, about three-fourths inside. His arms flew to the sides again, apparently trying to keep from grabbing me and jamming me down.

  I bounced twice more, sighing with each plunge. Nearly there, now, barely stretching around his girth.

  “Oh fuck.” He panted. “I might…can’t…oh—” He shuttered, my body filled in a different way.

  I stared at him, shocked and wide-eyed. I’d been atop Mt. Premature many a time, I just hadn’t thought it would be with him.

  Ready for the “that’s okay” smile, I put my palms on his chest to push away, only to have his hands grab my wrists and his eyes open again, hooded.

  A lazy smile slid up his face. “It’s probably better that way,” he said easily, relaxed.

  He secured my hands around his neck before his palms found and started kneading my breasts. “I haven’t been with anyone since…well, you. Full speed ahead.”

  “You can keep going?”

  He gave me a scoffing eyebrow quirk. “You don’t think I’d leave you on the edge do you? What kind of a male does that?”

  “From what I’ve heard, a normal one.”

  His grin turned smug. “Exactly. Proceed.”

  Half laughing to myself, I sat down, not paying as much attention as I should have been. A dull ache stopped me, my hands clutching his shoulders like claws, telling him to stop even though I was the one in control.

  “Here, let the creep take over,” he whispered, clutching me to his body
with one hand and turning us over so he was on top of me on the couch. “I recently had experience in these matters.”

  His lips attached to mine, deep and needy. One hand enclosed my breast, his fingers flicking my nipple, causing me to squirm. His other hand paid attention to the top of my sex where I felt things the hardest. A pleasure-filled squirm turned into a full scale buck, thrusting my hips up to meet his. His manhood dug deep, embedded to the hilt, our ends rubbing together.

  “Oh!” I sighed, the dull ache only lingering a moment, and unable to compete with his ministrations.

  He began moving slowly, working my body with those clever fingers, building me. Each muscle started to flex, then release, flex, release, and release again. His hard shaft moved into me, gaining speed. Shivers wracked me, leaving more intensity in their wake. My body sweating, his slick as well, he worked into me, deeper and harder, faster.

  My legs squeezed his thighs, my arms clutched his shoulders, my mouth kissed his neck. The pleasure condensed in on itself, localizing in my groin, tightening. Everything tightening. My body getting dense, blasts silently bursting all over my body in muffled detonations, hinting toward that final event. Tighter still, muscles shaking, Stefan groaning, his face against mine. The world sparkling with color so intense, I could barely stand it. Everything pulled down, winding up, then— “Oh, Stefan!” I cried, my body convulsing under him with such intensity, I could barely breathe. Jackhammers of pleasure echoed through my limbs, infusing me with euphoria as the vibration subsided. I had so many endorphins, I wanted to rocket off the couch. I was so relaxed, I didn’t even want to move enough to turn my head, tingles of lingering sensation creeping throughout my body.

  Ho—ly hell.

  All this time, I had no idea what sex was really supposed to be. What a true orgasm could really feel like. It was… I was…

  I’d never be the same.

  Stefan lay over me, limp, his face buried in my neck.

  “Please tell me you are satisfied, because it might take a miracle to get me hard again,” Stefan mumbled into my neck.

  “No. Good. Wish this was a bed.” And I did. How the hell would I get back to my room? I didn’t want to ruin this feeling by walking.

  Then I didn’t have to. Stefan climbed off, wobbling, grinning, and scooped me up.

  “Clothes?” I asked sleepily, curling around his upper body and laying my head between his neck and shoulder.

  “It’s late. Nobody will notice.”

  “Nobody will notice two naked people wandering through the halls?”

  “We’ll take the hidden tunnels to the far-eastern door and exit directly outside; but then, no, they won’t notice. Plus, no one is out there.”

  “Right, I forgot which house I lived in.”

  “My house.”

  “Yes, sweetie, that’s right. This is your house.” She patted his arm.

  Stefan chuckled. A cozy walk later in Stefan’s arms, I felt the bow of magic as we passed through the wards of my hidden residence.

  “Hey Boss, whatcha got there?” I vaguely heard Charles moving around.

  “I found your charge.”

  “You certainly did. You also serviced my charge. Thank the merciful gods. Maybe now she won’t be so wound up.”

  “Please be careful how you address my pet.”

  “Not funny.” My voice didn’t have much conviction. My body was too busy trying to shut down.

  As Stefan laid me down, he said, “Sleep tight. Have pleasant dreams of me.”

  “Cad.”

  And he was gone, shutting my door with a soft click.

  Chapter 5

  “Run!”

  A giant mouth made by petals swooped down, trying to catch me. I scrambled back, terrified, my magic winked off as I stared at my fifteen-foot-high creation. The goal was to coerce a natural element to grow. I created a plant beast.

  Charles dashed forward, glowing sword in hand. He ripped me out of the way, hurling me back to the center of the classroom. He slashed at the monster, swiping half a flowered mouth off, only to curse when it grew back.

  “Sasha, what the hell did you do?” Charles yelled, dodging a lovely smelling chomp.

  “Made the plant grow!” I screamed back, my own dagger in hand, glowing a bright orange.

  “You weren’t supposed to—“ he feinted and struck, slashing off a giant, reaching leaf, “give it an agenda!”

  “Maybe they naturally have agendas.” I sprinted to his side, bobbing and weaving, looking for an opening. I’d made some great strides at stabbing things. I was quick.

  I felt my arm yanked, hurtled back behind Charles again, this time by Adnan, his sword glowing a pale blue.

  “Don’t fire magic at it, it might make it bigger,” Adnan yelled.

  Yeah, I was also great at setting magical fire to my opponent accidentally. Gabe said it actually felt good half the time. He was such a trooper.

  Adnan, the ninja, darted with such speed, I stood in awe. He whipped around, almost dancing, and then retreating before the curly green shoots of the plant could capture his legs. Unfortunately, his blade didn’t do a dang thing. I’d created the beast with a strong red power and he was only using blue, two steps down; his eagerness suffocating him.

  “Relax, Adnan! Open up to it.”

  I focused on the elements in the room, feeling the currents, sampling the percentages. There was always a healthy amount of air, of course, but the other elements were often disguised within the life around them. A humid day held good doses of water, so did pipes and toilets, and other household areas. Fire existed in electricity, in sparks. Earth, of course, was all around, but often so far beneath me or removed, I couldn’t work with it easily. I felt it was my greatest weakness, as did Charles, but Jessiah didn’t seem perturbed, so I didn’t fret too heavily.

  I felt everyone’s magic around me, but honed in on Adnan. Like someone with asthma, he wasn’t drawing enough because his receptors were tightened.

  I sucked in a big draw, connecting with his flare of magic and billowing it higher. I did it to Charles, too, since I was taking the time. Sweet essence pumped into me, fanning the other boys higher as their magic tried to flirt and play with mine.

  “Good times, Sasha,” Charles said, darting in between angry green stalks to slash at a thick green stem. “Don’t do that when you actually have to…work magic…though. You’ll be weaker.”

  “Yes, professor obvious. I figured that.”

  Adnan’s blade glowed orangey-red. He was in business.

  He dodged in, jumped with a neat flip, and landed on the other side of the evil plant. He stabbed it through a petal, and then hacked off a vine. Charles met it from the front, slashing again at the stem.

  In another few minutes, it was over. My cute but violent flower lay in a puddle of plant parts, the room looking like a weed whacker went wild on a garden. Charles stood in the middle of the melee, sweaty and loving it, his smoky eyes bright. He flashed Adnan a triumphant smile, striding over to shake the younger man’s hand.

  “With fighting like that, the Boss would welcome you in the Command with open arms,” Charles boomed, swagger fit for a prince who’d just slain a dragon.

  Adnan returned the compliment with a sheepish grin, his eyes briefly flicking to me. He’d always had the ability in movement, just not the power to back it up. Apparently he realized I wasn’t such a useless jerk after all. Hah!

  Well, maybe the jerk part was right enough, but still.

  A slow, jarring clap echoed through the room. Darla stood against the far wall near the door, a mocking expression on her face. “Yes-oh-yes, let the little dog create a magical nightmare to show off, then let her big tough bodyguard take it down. Quite a spectacle. Maybe they were thinking no one would notice how weak they are in spells and chanting, hmm? Well, maybe we should—“

  The door swung open, thankfully halting Darla. She always had creative ways to put me on display. Jessiah stood framed in the doorway, his wide sh
oulders making his upper body look like a triangle. My heart fluttered weakly, wishing Jessiah had the same effect on me Stefan did. But then, Jessiah wasn’t attached to the slinky, long-haired beauty next to the door, with her perfect breasts nearly falling out of her tube top, and her long, slender body draped just so—a weak flutter was better than nothing.

  Raising my chin and pushing down my insecurity, while muffling the link with Stefan—hoping he wouldn’t notice if I didn’t cut it off completely—I tried to keep a hopeful expression from my face. I’d been getting closer and closer to Jessiah over the past few weeks, learning heaps, but also just having someone to talk to who wasn’t hell-bent on keeping me prisoner. He was kind and thoughtful, often giving me a flower and a smile when we met for the lesson.

  And right now, he counted as a savior, because I knew Darla wouldn’t make fun of a student in front of another teacher. She was vindictive, not stupid.

  “I was told your class would be finishing about now?” Jessiah asked with a gleam in his eyes, touching Darla with just enough sex appeal—which he had in droves—to get his way, but not so much as to distract him from what he’d come to procure. Me!

  I nearly gushed like a twelve-year-old!

  “Just finished, yes. The human created a giant plant that had to be destroyed, cutting my teaching time in half.”

  “Ah.” Jessiah’s eyes twinkled as they beheld me. “She excels in creativity.” He winked.

  “Hmm.” Darla’s eyes roamed Jessiah’s body, lingering on his arms and stopping for a brief moment between his legs. Her gaze returned to his face, heat kindling.

  “I’ll just be escorting her out, if you don’t mind?” Jessiah stepped toward me and away from Darla.

  That move right there, which made him the only person besides Charles who would say no to the tramp, endeared him to me. At a spiteful nod, I took his warm hand and let him lead me through the door, Charles hot on my heels.

  “Wait, you, I want that mess cleaned up.” Darla stopped Charles with a flaying stare.

  “That’s not my job. She is my job.”