by Audra Hart
I raise up on my forearms to look at him and smile wickedly, feeling so satiated I am almost goofy from it. “Anytime, leannan.” He grins back at me, kisses my mound again before setting my ass back on the bed and rising up my body to kiss my mouth again. I can taste my own arousal in his mouth and find it oddly exhilarating. My hands come up to clasp his face as I deepen our kiss. I finally tear my mouth away from his to whisper breathlessly in his ear, “Damian, I have never felt anything like that. I want you, all of you. I want to see you, to touch you, to taste you. Please take your clothes off.”
Damian chuckles and raises up on his elbows. “You think it’s time for a turnabout? A little tit for tat? What would you say if I said when we are loving I will be in charge? Hmmm? What do you say to that, Breena?”
I grin and say; “Fine, I don’t know what the hell I am doing anyway.”
Damian looks surprised and starts to say something, but someone starts banging on the chamber door. “Damn!” I mutter in irritation. I can feel Damian’s confusion caused by my answer and his frustration at the interruption.
“Breena, get up!” Aideen yells. “Mom is going off into some damned other dimension to try to stop the attacks against her.”
Unfortunately those words, remove all thoughts of loving from both of our minds and I call out, “Okay, I will be right out.”
“Have you seen that little prick? The vampire I mean?” Aideen drawls belligerently.
I suspect that Aideen is baiting me but I take the bait and roll out from under Damian taking the sheet with me to yank the door open and confront my niece. “Knock it off, Aideen.” I can feel her surprise at my state of undress. She looks behind me, but seems disappointed. “Don’t talk about my mate like that, Aideen. This is your last warning, little girl. Step over the line again and I will go off on you.”
“Sorry,” my niece mutters. But I know she’s not really sorry. She was convinced that Damian was with me and she was wanting to hurt him, and didn’t care one little bit if she hurt me in the process.
I slam the door in her face and turn back to the bed. Damian isn’t there, I whip around and find him standing beside the door. He was behind it when Aideen looked inside. “Why did you hide? Are you ashamed of being with me?” I ask, feeling hurt and uncertain.
Damian laughs and takes me into his arms, “Fuck no, beautiful girl. But I don’t want you to be ill at ease if others realized I was with you. No one has a lot a privacy here.” He leans down and kisses me before he smirks, “But if it makes you feel better, I can go out to the common room and announce that you have the sweetest cunt in creation.” He raises a wicked eyebrow at me.
I push out of his arms and frown up at him. “Stop it,” I whisper. “I am not joking.”
“I am not either, mon amour. I was trying to protect your feelings and your honor. But I would love to proudly announce I claimed you as my lover.”
“Not entirely,” I grumble irritably. “We were interrupted.”
“True, and we do have things we need to talk about before I completely claim you. But now, we need to go see what is going on. Morna going into another dimension sounds pretty scary to me.” I nod, because it sounds scary to me to. Damian understands my feelings and pulls me into his arms to kiss me tenderly. “I can’t wait to be inside of you, Breena Glynn. I want to make you totally mine and erase all former lovers from your heart and memory.”
I start to tell him that I have no former lovers, but Aideen bangs on the damned door again. “Hurry up, Auntie!”
“Fucking brat has the worst timing,” I murmur. Damian smirks his agreement.
I toss the sheet at the bed and look at my mate. “Next time, you’ll be naked too,” I growl playfully.
I am not sure what to make of it when he chuckles, “Perhaps.”
I know we don’t have time to get into this, so I scowl at him and quickly put my clothes on. I don’t bother with a bra this time, just panties, a tank top and jeans. When I stand up from putting my boots on Damian is watching me intently. He comes to me and cups my breasts through my thin cotton tank top. “I am not sure I like other’s being able to see how perfect these are. These are mine,” he growls possessively.
I snort. That comment sets off my independent nature and rubs me the wrong way. “Well get used to it, Damian Summers.” I move his hands and cup my own breasts. “These are actually mine, but I chose to share them with you. I may let you take control of what happens between us in bed, but you won’t control what I wear, or what I do outside of bed.”
Damian smiles. “I knew that. That’s why I insisted on control in bed.” I nod. I can understand that. He needs an area where he’s totally in control because I am not the kind of woman who will follow a man’s lead without question.
“Smart move, leannan.”
“Breena, that doesn’t mean I won’t insist on control in other areas, mon cher. I will do whatever is necessary to keep you safe. You are my mate. I will protect what is mine.”
“I assumed that, and I am sure it will keep our long lives together from ever being boring. But, leannan, don‘t think for even a second that being my mate makes you my master. I am a big girl, I have lived over eight hundred years and I have taken pretty good care of myself during that time.”
Damian smirks at me and I can already see we are going to have this discussion over and over. “No, our lives will never be boring. Having a woman as strong as you for my mate will be challenging, but never boring.” He kisses me again, “Let’s go join the others before Aideen comes back and says something stupid that really pisses me off.”
We are about to leave my room when I think to ask a question that’s been in my mind since shortly after I first met him. “Leannan, where did you learn to speak French?”
Damian‘s face darkens, I can feel him close off from me. “You won’t like the answer, mon cher.”
“Well, whatever it is, it’s a part of you, so I want to know.” I can see he doesn’t want to tell me and even though I worry about why he’s so unwilling I move to reassure him. “Don’t worry. We can talk about it later.”
Damian sighs and rubs his hands over his face. “I can tell it bothers you that I am keeping something from you.”
I nod. He’s perceptive as hell. That’s good and that’s bad. I mentally roll my eyes at myself.
“When I was thirteen, a teacher of mine made me her lover.”
“Ewww, Mrs. Robinson much?” I make no effort to hide my disgust at the thought of a grown woman doing that to a young boy.
Damian chuckles, “Try Mrs. Laveau, Marie Laveau.”
I cock an eyebrow at that. His answering smirk chills me. I can tell he’s masking a lot of pain from me behind that hard, cocky attitude. “Not that Marie Laveau. Obviously. But she did imagine herself some sort of Voodoo practitioner and mistress of darkness. She was also a high school French teacher. She taught me to speak and read French, table manners, how to dance and how to conduct myself in public, and how to fuck in more kinky ways than you can ever imagine,” Damian growls. “She gave me a taste for pain… giving and receiving. For power exchange, bondage, domination, exhibitionism and some outright kinky ass shit you probably don’t even want to know about much less participate in.”
I gasp and move back from him, “What?”
He smiles sadly and gives me a little shrug. “Baby, I told you that you would not like the answer.”
I nod to concede that he did warn me. But I still would rather know all about him, even things I might not like. “So, is that what you want? A mate to fuck in those kinky ways?” I am pissed at myself because my voice sounds so shaky, but this revelation shakes me to my core.
He backs me into the door, kind of hard, pinning my wrists above my head in his inescapable grip. And the harshness of his actions surprises me considering how protective and solicitous has acted towards me since we met. “Breena, you are mate. I will always cherish and protect you. And I will love you as I see fit… but I promise, mo
n amour, I will always make sure you enjoy it. I will always give you pleasure.”
I yank my hands out of his harsh grip and push him away from me. I am surprised to realize that I had forgotten to drop the iron-lion spell. “I don’t want to be used and I certainly don’t need a fucking boy-toy or a Dom. I want a mate, a partner.”
Damian leans down in my face, almost making me feel threatened. “What do you know about a Dom? You into a little BDSM, baby?”
I resist the urge to slap the shit out of him because his tone was wicked, leering and left me feeling demeaned and debased. “No,” I whisper. “But I am not totally ignorant either.” I swallow hard and close my eyes, “That’s why you want control of our sex life, isn’t it?”
He doesn’t answer me so I open my eyes to search his face for his reply. The sadness I feel from him is nearly overwhelming. “We should go see what is going on with Morna. This is not something we have time to deal with right now,” he says gruffly. All I can do is nod and follow him out of my room.
I walk beside Damian to common room learn what they have planned to deal with Morna’s attacker. I feel a gulf widening between me and my newly found mate and it tears at my heart. Judging by the sadness coming from Damian, I suspect he too is concerned by what may turn out to be insurmountable differences between us.
I want to run off somewhere and cry. I feel my dreams of a gentle, loving mate disintegrating before I even have an opportunity to claim him. The sense of loss is nearly overwhelming, but I push it out of my mind and firmly slap my shields around my mind. Hell will freeze over before I let Fionn find out about this. I look over at Damian and whisper, “Don’t forget Fionn can read our thoughts.”
Damian pulls his lip back in a snarl; “I am capable to keeping my thoughts to myself, now that I know what your boyfriend can do.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I hiss angrily as I stop and turn towards Damian. “Stop being an ass, Damian. You know there’s nothing sexual between Fionn and me. You are just pissed because I am overwhelmed by what you just told me. You have no reason to be jealous of Fionn and you know it.”
He throws his head back and laughs. It’s a harsh sound, conveying no amusement whatsoever. “Bullshit, Breena! You may not have ever fucked him… but there’s plenty sexual between you two. I could smell you when you two spoke at Luca’s house. Your body responds to him, and he sure as hell wants you.”
I swallow hard because I know he’s right. My body does respond to Fionn. “I don’t want him. I thought I wanted you.”
Damian looks like I slapped him. “But now you aren’t sure?”
“I still want you… but now you do scare me.” I sigh when I see the horrible pained look on his face. I reach up and cup his face. “Not that way. Look, leannan, we need to join the others. Our personal lives have to take a back seat until we can remove the threat from Morna’s life and our Guild. We can talk later.”
I feel him close off from me emotionally. “Damian, don’t shut down and keep me out. This is my fault, I moved too fast. I wanted you and I let that affect my judgment. We need to get to know each other we go any further. I should have realized the differences in our backgrounds would take…”
“A fucking miracle to overcome,” Damian snaps before he walks away.
I catch up with him, grab his elbow and spin him around hard to make him face me. “Not a fucking miracle! Just a little maturity and willingness to meet each other halfway.”
Damian’s face softens. “I am sorry, mon cher. I panicked. I felt like you were writing me off.” He reaches out and cups my face tenderly, and I automatically lean into his hand, turning to kiss his palm. “I am not worthy of you, baby.” He whispers. “We both know it. Fuck, everyone here knows it. I just know any minute you are going to admit it to yourself and tell me to stay the hell away from you.”
“Ne retenez pas votre souffle, mon jeune ami.”
Damian laughs, “I don’t breathe, Breena. No breath to hold.”
“You know what I mean.” He nods and seems to accept it, for now. I pull his head down and kiss him. He groans and picks me up, causing me to wrap my arms and legs around his body. Damian deepens the kiss and takes me completely out of my mind. When he finally breaks the kiss I am breathing so hard that I can’t speak. I rest my forehead against his chest and savor how good it feels to be held by Damian Summers. I am so drawn to this man it scares me. I am finding out that he is very, very different from what I assumed I wanted and needed in a mate. God help me. He scares the shit out of me because he might be more twisted than I imagined my mate mit be but I want him, I want him badly.
I finally raise my head from Damian’s chest when I hear someone clear their throat. I look up and realize that I had stopped Damian in the entrance to the common room. I blush vividly knowing that I must have given them quite a show. Damian leans in and kisses my cheek near my ear and whispers; “Mon amour, don’t worry about them. Don’t be embarrassed.” I nod and slowly slide down his body and stand on my own two feet. Raise my chin and turn to face my family and friends.
I see a few knowing, but nonjudgmental smiles. Only Aideen looks at us in an unfriendly way, but she’s been going around with a bug up her butt for years. I meet Fionn’s eyes, expecting … I don’t know what. But all I see is a wan, accepting smile. But he’s closed himself off from me, so I really have no idea what he’s thinking.
Shit! I hate being like everyone else and having to guess what others are feeling.
Damian sits beside George Welborn. I smile because I suspect he does that just to make the Stone Breaker uncomfortable, but I don’t sense anything negative from George, just acceptance and maybe a little amusement.
I sit between Morna and Fionn. I almost laugh when my sister and my best friend squeeze my knees under the table at the same time. Both of them seeking to reassure me.
CHAPTER TWELVE
I quickly forget all about my embarrassment over kissing Damian with an audience after I find out what they are planning. Morna plans to enter the twelfth spiritual plane, it’s kind of a dream dimension where all manner of non-human entities live. It’s a very dangerous place that few human Immortals are willing to enter, and my sister plans to go there alone. Shit!
The creature that she is planning to confront is an abomination created a several centuries ago by Lord only knows who. It is a hybrid between a Stone Cold vampire and a Troll with a healthy dose of powerful magic mixed in just for shits and giggles. Whoever created them also infused them with power psychic abilities and that’s why the creature can attack Morna across the dimensions. They are dangerous foes and I wish that I could go with my sister, but our kind of Immortals can only go into planes of this kind one at a time, or we weaken each other. Maria will act as a guide to the plane and then will have to wait outside for Morna. Fear gnaws at my gut and I try not to give into it and beg Morna not to go.
Morna informs us she needs the necessary. I almost smirk at that. I bet she just wants few moments with her mate. I can’t say that I blame her, I would feel the same in her place.
The rest of us go to the training room to wait. Damian remains near me, watching me intently. I feel his worry and uncertainty. I reach out and squeeze his hand right before Fionn joins us. Where he wraps an arm around my waist and assures me that Morna will be okay. I appreciate the comfort and assurance, but I am not sure Fionn touching me this intimately is really smart for him or me right now. I am pretty impressed that Damian doesn’t get into some kind of territorial dispute with Fionn over his actions. I can sense his displeasure but he confines himself to giving Fionn an angry glare until he releases me with a knowing smirk.
When Morna joins us she greets us all, many individually before she puts herself into the hands of our friends Rinda and Elias before she ultimately trusts Maria, the Stone Breaker Shaman to lead her to the Spirit Plane.
The fight will actually take place on the twelfth plane and it takes Morna a while to get there. I want to explain it to Dam
ian and Fionn, because I can feel their anxiety building as Morna and Maria climb through the ascending planes. But it is important that we remain silent and not distract my little sister from her task at hand because she is existing in both planes at once. A tricky thing for any magical Immortal, especially one who hasn’t regained all of her power and has been physically under attack for months.
From what we are able to observe, and what I can feel from Morna, it is a very intense hunt and battle. I smile grimly when I feel Morna’s satisfaction as she rips the creature’s head off before burning the body. But I am very confused when she sees someone or something on the plane that causes her to feel extreme feelings of compassion, kindred and regret. I can’t help but wonder if Valgullveig is there and Morna recognizes her on some level.
How would that even be possible? Has Morna ever met Val? I don’t see how that’s possible, but I can’t shake the feeling that Morna is, at least on some unconscious level, aware of Valgullveig and their sisterly bond.
When Morna makes it back to our dimension she is wounded and losing a lot of blood. She is weakening fast and trying to quickly explain what she saw. The creature was a female, not a male as they expected. And Morna also saw some blond woman in the distance whom she felt a connection to. Dammit! I knew it.
After Morna passes out, we get her wounds cleaned, and start IV antibiotics after she passes out. At one point, her healers go out onto the Gateway plain to debate her best course of treatment. They need to be out of range of her hearing so that she can rest. But I know in my gut what option they will probably decide is best. When Luca comes back to stay with his mate, I hug him hard before I kiss his cheek in an effort to reassure him. He embraces me back and I really have no idea how long we hold each other in an effort to share comfort.
Before long I leave the room with Damian before I go to the common room to eat. Everyone is subdued, but hopeful that Morna will be alright. Damian is watching me closely, but I can’t get a read on his emotions. Why are the men that are most important to me so hard for me to read? Damian, Fionn and even Luca… I have trouble reading them all.