Scent of Salvation (Chronicles of Eorthe #1)

by Annie Nicholas

  Sorin rested his forehead against hers and held her close. “I want you to stay with me.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Sorin hadn’t meant to say anything. The intense storm of emotions Susan had stirred wanted to swallow him whole. He needed to find a place to think, to figure out how to convince his pack to accept her. As he moved away, she whispered his name. It sighed over his body, caressing all the raw edges of his confusion.

  She pulled at his neck, tugging him down beside her. Drowsy with exertion, she didn’t have much strength, but her arms might as well have been made of stone. Laying her head on his chest, she moved into his embrace.

  He didn’t want to pull away. Her warmth spread over him like a thick blanket of refuge. Staring down at the dark hair fanned over his shoulder and spilling onto the blanket, he was grateful for every moment she spent with him.

  What was he supposed to do? He’d never slept alone with a female before. When he used to take lovers, before becoming alpha, he’d leave after sex. Had never felt relaxed enough to stay. Susan was different. He pressed his face into her hair. In many ways.

  Wrapping his arms around her, it surprised him how comfortable she fit against his body. He closed his eyes, swallowing as he recalled how her pussy clenched around his cock. Goddess, the sex had been powerful. Nothing he’d experienced so far could compare, and he wanted more. He let her sleep, though.

  She was such a caring creature. Honest to the point of being blunt and so secretly sensual. She owned him. He didn’t need a collar and chain to follow her.

  What if the portal door opened again? He hugged her tight. Would she leave him? If the pack didn’t depend on him for safety, he’d follow her home. He’d become a stray for her. A strange change had started in him the day they met. He accepted her as his mate. The soul-seizing connection between them made it plain, but she wasn’t a shifter. How did humans bond?

  His species tended to fall in love fast. Attraction couldn’t be hidden—the scent was too strong. Eventually a shifter found a lover who matched in more than physical attraction, something deeper that kept them together. They’d give each other a permanent mark and allow their scents to seep under the surface. If a couple slept together long enough, they smelled similar.

  He’d like that. Never had he considered anything like this with another female. After killing his father in challenge, everything changed. The Apisi had needed his strength to recover from the repeated abuses they’d suffered. All his energy and thoughts had been focused on them. Somewhere along those first months, he shut down his heart.

  Susan was the key that had freed it.

  Susan languished against Sorin in silence. Short of an emergency, she never wanted to move again. The hard muscle under her cheek cried of strength yet his thick arms held her tenderly, soothing all her fears. She’d never achieved this level of peace.

  Sorin hadn’t stirred since resting his chin on her head but she knew he didn’t sleep. She listened to his heart race and sensed the tension in his muscles.

  Running away had been a mistake. She’d almost died and never would have known him in such an intimate way. How she wished things could be different though. That she could be a shifter and be his true alpha mate. Or him a human and they could find a way back to Earth.

  In Sorin’s alpha way, he expected everyone in the pack to do as he said and accept her differences. The pack might try but time would show her weaknesses. Her ancestors endured such conditions but not to a ripe old age.

  Too bad she couldn’t survive on love alone.

  Chapter Thirty

  Finding eggs for breakfast was the easiest part of Sorin’s morning, picking berries without squishing them the hardest. The pack omegas did the gathering. He’d be picking thorns from his hide for the next few days. Storing the fruit in a bag at his feet, he tried to suck the purple stains from his fingers.

  “What’s this? Berry picking? Pussy-whipped so soon?” A familiar male voice spoke from the other side of the bushes, downwind of him.

  Sorin growled. He’d been so absorbed in finding food he could have become some predator’s meal. “What are you about, Tor?”

  “Looking for you.” The large, brown-furred hunter paced around the bushes. The old male was a good friend. Two younger hunters accompanied him, but they waited far from their conversation. “Lailanie said both you and the human were trapped out in the storm last night. Search parties are covering the valley to find either of you.”

  “We’re fine.” Sorin picked up the bag of berries and eggs. “We stayed in one of the hunting caves.”

  The male observed Sorin’s naked state and snorted. “Nice bite.” He pointed to his neck. “Is it an official mark or is she just practicing?”

  Sorin clapped a hand on the small bruise on his neck and narrowed his gaze on the male. Susan couldn’t help it if she lacked the canines to leave a proper bite. That she tried was enough for him. He bared his teeth at Tor.

  The hunter folded his ears back and crouched onto all fours, his gaze on the ground. “So the rumors are true?” His voice didn’t reflect his posture. “You want more than to lay with her?”

  “I plan on keeping her. She will carry my mark. Will you or the others give me trouble?” He crossed his arms over his chest. It was difficult to appear intimidating with berries and eggs in his possession.

  “I’ve never known you to take to any female so quickly.”

  “I know my heart.”

  The hunter met his gaze, and his ears came forward. “I’m glad. I was beginning to wonder if you had one.” Stepping forward, the male rubbed his muzzle against Sorin’s shoulder, a sign of submissive affection. “A happy alpha is a happy pack.”

  Sorin released a breath he’d held. Tor was the second pack mate to tell him that.

  The hunter sat on the ground. “Will you bring her home today?”

  “I planned to.” He rubbed his chin. “But we need to be at the Temple by morning. The Payami are holding Peder hostage. I have to go negotiate his release.”

  “We should come with you.” Tor gestured to himself and the other two hunters.

  “The pack is still too weak. You need to stay and protect the den. We shouldn’t be gone long.”

  “There’s no hurry to return.” The male winked, his tongue lolling out the side of his muzzle. “Take some time with your new mate.”

  “But the sick—”

  “Are doing well. Susan’s medicine is working wonders.” Tor leaned forward. “If I were a young male with a new, pretty mate I’d want some time…alone.”

  “Yes.” Rubbing the back of his neck, Sorin chuckled at the unsolicited advice from the old dog. “Alone time would be—nice.”

  “I’ll tell the others you’re taking Susan to the Temple and will be back in a few days.” The shifter rose and made his way to the younger ones waiting in the shade. “Better teach her how to bite though.” He shouted over his shoulder.

  Sorin planned to. He grinned as he returned to the cave and his sleeping mate.

  He crept through the narrow tunnel, relieved to see his small fire still burned. With purple fingers, he cracked the eggs onto the hot frying pan. They popped as they contacted the heat.

  Susan stirred on the pallet across from the fire. She stretched, her arms raised over her head, the blanket slipping low on her breasts. The perfect mounds rose as she sighed.

  His breath caught in his throat. Tilting his head to the side, he tried to get a better view around the flames, urging the blanket to slip a little more. A half-naked woman could be a hundred times sexier than a fully nude one.

  She rolled on to her side, grabbing the blanket as she moved. “Hmm…smells good.”

  Smell? He blinked then glanced at their breakfast, flipping the eggs before they overcooked. His thickening cock needed to take a rest so she could eat.

  Bed-tangled hair hung from her head, covering her bare shoulders. She rose onto her elbow. “What I wouldn’t do for a cup of coffee righ
t now.”

  He quirked an eyebrow but kept his gaze on the pan. He had a list of things she could do for him or to him, but he didn’t know coffee so couldn’t offer the trade. The eggs stuck to the unused pan but he salvaged most. He sat next to her, holding a wooden spoon, and offered her some. “Careful—it’s hot. I couldn’t find bowls.”

  “What about you?”

  “I already ate.” His traitorous stomach growled at the smell.

  She ran her hands over his forearms. “You’re full of scratches.”

  “I almost forgot.” He pulled the bag of bounty he’d struggled to collect closer to them. “Berries.”

  She looked inside. “I can’t eat all this. We’ll share.”

  Share—such an odd word for his heart to quiver over. As pack they shared everything. Yet Susan wasn’t Apisi. Not yet. They sat so close, her alien scent traveled over the egg’s smell. She was so delicate and fragile, yet strong and fierce—a mixture very different from any other female he’d met. She didn’t smell things like shifters did, not his present arousal or anxiety. Communicating with her would be different, if not difficult.

  She took the wooden spoon from his hand where he’d stopped mid-air then offered it to him. He took the bite.

  They’d done well so far.

  It didn’t take long to finish the meal. Neither of them had eaten the evening before so later this afternoon he’d hunt and make them a bigger meal. “I’ve been thinking we could spend the day away from the den.”

  “Okay.”

  Grinning at her quick reply, he kissed her forehead. “We could take our time and travel toward the Temple.” He worked his way along her brow to her ear with kisses. “Camp out under the stars,” he whispered. “Make love all night again.”

  She moaned and leaned into his body. “What about the sick?”

  “I met a search party this morning. They said all are recovering well because of you. My pack is self-sufficient—they don’t need me hovering. We’ll be back tomorrow with Peder.”

  “Have you thought of what to say to Kele?”

  “That I’m not trading you and have taken you as my mate. She’ll need to ask another price.”

  She remained silent.

  “Do you think the Payami would harm him?” asked Sorin.

  “Kele’s mother might.” Susan chewed on her bottom lip. “Maybe you should let me do the talking.”

  “Don’t worry.” She cared about omegas as much as he did. Truly, she’d been created for him. “Peder is very good with females.” He winked. Most omegas were gifted in social skills. The pack needed them to survive. He couldn’t imagine a bunch of hunters capable of living together without killing one another. Omegas defused the aggressive energy within packs somehow. To him it was like magic.

  Peder had better be fine.

  “Okay.” She didn’t sound so sure.

  “As for the rest of the day…” He pushed her back onto the pallet, tugging the blanket from her luscious body.

  She blocked him with her hands. “I stink.”

  The heady scent of her arousal filled his nostrils. Bypassing her defenses, he pressed a kiss on her stomach. “You smell like mine.”

  “No, I smell like old sex and sweat. It’s making me nauseous, and I can’t feel—sexy like this.” She squirmed away.

  Following her off the pallet, he tried to grab her. She belonged in his arms, not running from them, no matter how she smelled.

  She squealed and laughed, the sound free and happy. It reflected his heart that had been imprisoned in bad memories for so long. “Let me wash, let me wash.” She danced away, covering her breasts.

  He leaped from the floor and snared her. Slipping his hands under hers, he caressed her breasts. The hard nubs pressed against his fingertips, and he traced small circles around them. “I know of a waterfall.”

  She moaned and stopped struggling.

  “The water is clear and cold. It’s a small hike from here.” He pinched her nipples, delighting in them.

  “Sounds wonderful.”

  Slithering out of his arms, she grabbed her dress. “Are you going like that?”

  He glanced down at his naked body. “You don’t like it?”

  “What’s not to like? I don’t want the important bits getting snagged on something.”

  He couldn’t help but grin like a fool. As alpha, most people didn’t banter with him. Susan’s quick wit made her even more precious. She gave him spirit and—and fun.

  By the Goddess, when was the last time he’d had fun and laughed?

  With a hunter’s speed, he captured her again in his arms. He ravaged her mouth, tongue and lips. Tasting, he consumed her delicate flavor as he trapped her against his body.

  Using his hair as leverage, she pulled him away. “Waterfall.”

  “If you didn’t obsess about washing so much, you wouldn’t have to worry about my bits, and you’d have the whole day to fondle them.”

  “Keep this up, and you may need to protect those bits from me.”

  He growled. “Promise?” Watching her bathe in the cold waterfall would be a joy though—hard nipples, goose flesh and so many drops to lick. “Let’s go.” He set her down, shifted to feral form and gathered a few supplies.

  “You shift so quickly. Does it hurt?”

  “No.” He tossed the things in a large pack—blankets, flint, cooking gear. “Can you carry this on your back as you ride me?”

  She ran her fingers through the fur on his chest. “Honey, I can do anything while riding you.”

  His knees weakened at the image those words inspired.

  The trip took an hour of climbing at shifter speed. If Susan had walked the distance it would have taken a day. She’d misjudged the distance and speed to the Temple when Sorin brought her to the Apisi den. She never would have made it on her own.

  She dismounted from Sorin’s back and stared at the oasis he’d spoken of. Water trickled from a high cliff thirty feet above in a steady stream and collected in a sandy, oval pool. “You know the best spots, Sorin.” She kicked off her moccasins and dipped her toes.

  Cold, but the sun rose overhead and promised to be warm. The light danced on the clear liquid, sparkling in a thousand diamonds. She undressed, tossed the dress on the grass and stepped into the pool.

  After Sorin’s thorough exploration of her body last night, she didn’t feel timid. Tingles played over her skin but not from the brush of cool water on her thighs. She glanced over her shoulder at the source.

  Sorin stood on the grassy slope watching, his avid attention almost solid enough to caress her skin.

  Electric currents of sexual energy charged through her body. No one had ever looked at her quite this way. He made her feel sexy, desirable. With Sorin around, she wanted nothing.

  He strolled to the edge, thick muscles moving under his fur, and lounged across the ground. The sun sparkled on his silver fur, giving it an almost metallic sheen. She’d never seen a creature more deadly—or more beautiful.

  “Won’t you wash with me?”

  “I’ll bathe after. I want to watch.” He shifted back to civil form. After only a few days, the act didn’t faze her anymore. The silver color of his long hair and his amber eyes always remained the same. “I want to look at you.”

  Oh, she was in deep shit. She’d fallen so hard for him. She didn’t have any experience with these kinds of emotions. Clutching her stomach, she tried to settle the butterflies rioting inside. Would she be like Lailanie one day? Trapped living in the Apisi den forced to watch as he seduced a different female?

  No wonder the female shifter hated her. “Were you and Lailanie—um—”

  “No.”

  “You didn’t let me finish.”

  “You didn’t need to.”

  The butterflies in her stomach dispersed and set her heart free. She hadn’t realized the guilt she carried until now. She didn’t want to be known as a male stealer.

  His gaze wandered over her body. “No scar
s anywhere and no calluses on your hands. You’re so smooth and soft, I can barely keep from pouncing on you.” He sighed and plucked at the grass, one strand at a time. “You lived an easy life. I wish I could offer you the same.” He sounded hurt.

  It twisted her gut that he thought he had so little to give. She came ashore and knelt in front of him. “I don’t think Eorthe could offer me what I lost.”

  He flinched.

  She caressed his face until his chin rested in her palm. “I never knew how empty and meaningless my life was until I met you though. You saved me, Sorin. I only existed in my world, but you showed me how to live.”

  He turned his face against her palm and placed a kiss on it.

  She slipped back into the pool. “Swim with me.” Floating in the center, she observed a couple of cumulus clouds passing across the blue sky. She’d never bothered to look at them on Earth. She’d been too busy meeting deadlines, secreted away in her lab, going over calculations and arguing theories. She should be trying to figure out how to return home. Instead, she rode shifters bareback through the mountains, bathed in hot springs and fell out of trees.

  If the portal opened again while at the Temple, she wouldn’t step through. This world with its vicious creatures held Sorin, and he in turn owned her heart. How could she ever live without him?

  Waves rippled around her. Sorin swam close, circling. “You have an advantage over me.”

  She wanted to laugh. She had nothing on him—he had all the power.

  “You know of my world. Tell me about yours.”

  Settling her feet onto the sandy bottom, she stopped drifting away from him. “I told you some things. Only humans exist there as far as I know. Our technology is much more advanced. What else?”

  “How many lovers have you had?”

  Her breakfast rolled over and played dead. “Not many.”

  With a grave expression, he swam closer and inhaled. “You’re not lying but I find that hard to believe.”