“Keep him safe.” It was all she could do to form the words.
“I suspected as much.” Robin brushed her hair off her forehead. “Michaela will be in soon to help ease your pain.”
“Glad she made it.” She swallowed, the pain of speaking becoming sharper the more she tried.
“So am I.” Robin’s eyes flashed bright green. “Your bondmate comes.”
Cassie blinked. “When?”
“Now.” Robin winked as Cassie heard a door open.
“Cassie?”
Oberon’s voice shivered through her, resonating deep inside her.
Oh.
Oh, shit.
They were truebound. She remembered now. She’d sung his song, accidentally taking him inside her, forcing him to save her by singing her song back to her. They’d bonded in the way of the merfolk, twining their lives together for all eternity.
She was so screwed, and not in the happy fun-time way, either.
A weight settled on the bed next to her. With great difficulty Cassie turned enough so she could look up at Oberon, who leaned over her with an anxious expression. “Good. You’re awake.” He looked almost relieved. “You’ve been out for a couple of days. We were starting to get worried.”
“Sorry.”
“Hush.” His finger rested against her lips, and she had the strongest urge to stick out her tongue and taste it. “The bonding was strong. It’s to be expected.”
She noticed he hadn’t passed out.
He must have seen something of her thoughts in her expression, because he chuckled. “I’m much older than you, a thaisce. The bonding was rougher on you than on me.”
That wasn’t the only reason and he damn well knew it.
“Did… Did you laugh?”
Robin’s astonished tone almost made her want to look at him, but movement was beyond her.
Oberon glanced over at the Hob with an amused expression. “And what if I did, my Hob?”
“Then I owe my new queen far more than my loyalty.” The love Robin had for Oberon was clear in his voice.
Wait.
Queen?
Cassie groaned. Of course. When you bonded with a king, you became his queen. And a truebond with the High King would make Cassie High Queen.
Her parents were going to love this.
“We’ve sent announcements to both Pacifica and Atlantis, informing them of your truebond with Oberon.” Robin’s amused voice floated over her. He was well aware of how she felt about the arranged marriage her parents had set up. Hell, he’d helped hide her for two months.
“Wonderful.” Her voice was a croaking whisper, barely audible.
Oberon glanced over at Robin. “Can you get her some water?”
“Of course.” She could hear the sound of water flowing.
Oberon helped her sit partially up, carefully holding the glass to her lips. “Not too much, now.”
She grabbed hold of the glass and downed it in three gulps. She held it out to Robin, already feeling better. “More.”
Robin’s brows rose.
“Please?” She gave him her best puppy eyes, pouting for all she was worth.
“Michaela was concerned that too much too fast would make you sick.” Oberon plucked the glass from her hand. “We should wait and see if you hold that down.”
“I’m a siren, Oberon, a water nymph. Water will make me feel better, not worse.” The aches and pains that had dogged her since she woke up were already starting to fade, but it would take more of the life-giving fluid to bring her fully back.
He studied her for a few moments as if he doubted her words, but when she pushed herself to a full sitting position on her own, he held out the glass to Robin. “You heard the lady.”
Robin gave a little half bow and disappeared into what looked like a bathroom. She heard the fall of water once more, and her throat tightened.
Gods, she was thirsty. When was the last time she’d had something to drink?
“Shh.” Oberon’s arms wrapped around her waist. “He’ll bring it soon.”
Had she actually whimpered?
“Would it help to get you into a bath?” He chuckled as she made a whining noise. “Let’s go.”
Oberon stood and lifted her easily in his arms. “Robin, run a cool bath please.”
“Salted or not?”
“Salted, please.”
She relaxed in Oberon’s embrace. The two men seemed to know exactly what they were doing.
When she saw Oberon’s bathroom, she gasped. Vanities flanked them, beautiful granite countertops dark against the bright white porcelain of the sinks. The woodwork in the room was cherry, a bright, cheerful counterpoint to the dark countertops.
But what really grabbed her attention was the tub. Easily sized to hold two people, it stood alone under a huge window with a view of the mountains. Private and exposed at the same time, it gave a glorious view for anyone soaking in the huge tub to enjoy.
Robin stood over the tub, pouring salt into the water. He reached in and tasted, nodding in satisfaction. “Here you are, my lady.” He winked at Oberon. “I will leave you to the tender mercies of your bondmate.”
She gulped. She was so not ready to be alone with Oberon yet.
Oberon growled at Robin, who merely smiled before he disappeared.
Cassie whispered, “Is he really gone?”
“Yes, he’s really gone.” Oberon set her on the edge of the tub and began taking off the pajamas she hadn’t even realized she was wearing. When had he switched her clothes? “He knows I would never allow you to be seen naked by anyone other than myself.”
The possessive glint in Oberon’s gaze gave her some hope that perhaps he wasn’t as upset by their bond as she’d feared. Still, she felt compelled to apologize. “I’m sorry.” The last of the silken cloth fell to the floor, leaving her naked to his heated gaze.
“For what?” He lowered her into the water. “Drop your Seeming, a thaisce.”
She obeyed, swishing her fin lazily in the water. She felt ten times better already, the water healing her as only her element could do. “For bonding you without your permission.”
His brows rose. “If I recall, I ordered you to sing with me. Does that mean that I, too, need to apologize?”
She ran her fingers over where her flesh slowly became scales, unable to meet his eyes. “I just…” She blew out a breath, wondering if they should even be having this conversation. But if she didn’t say it now, it would bother her for decades to come. “I am aware you did not wish for a bondmate.”
She winced. She’d slipped right back into the formal speech of the Atlantean court. She’d even straightened up, squaring her shoulders even though she couldn’t bring herself to look at him.
“Cassie.” His tone was gentle as he placed his finger beneath her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “It’s true I didn’t want a bondmate, let alone a truebond.”
She nodded, why, she wasn’t sure. Agreeing with him, perhaps?
“But I’m not unhappy this happened.”
That…wasn’t what she’d expected to hear.
“We are truebound. I feel the pull just as you do.” He brushed her hair away from her face. “I can’t say that I will come to love you as you deserve. I don’t remember what that feels like, not entirely. But I do promise I will do my best to make this a good bonding for both of us.”
She had to make the offer, even if it killed her. “You broke a bond once. It could be done again.”
His eyes darkened to gunmetal grey. His skin began to sparkle, his ears becoming pointed. His hair shone with strands of metallic silver as it grew until it puddled on the floor. “No.” His voice echoed through the room with quiet power, a magical vow that shivered through her, binding them even more tightly together. He grabbed her chin, his
grip almost painful. “I will not let you go.”
“But—”
He silenced her, taking her mouth in a kiss that touched her down to her soul.
“I will never let you go.” How dare she even suggest it? Was he so easily dismissed, left behind by the women who should have been his other half?
No.
Never again.
Her dazed expression barely registered as he took her mouth once more, doing his best to imprint himself on her until she finally got the message.
The gods had given Cassie to him. He would be damned if she broke them apart.
In between kisses he removed his clothing. The song inside him trilled, and he realized something he hadn’t before. While they were bound in the way of her people, they were not in the way of his. Perhaps that was why she was still so unsure of him, of his level of commitment.
From his reactions to her, he had no doubts that she would come to mean far more to him than Titannia ever had. If she left, tried to break their bond, it would literally destroy him. What was left of his heart would go with her. At that point he might as well turn himself over to Titannia, because unless Robin destroyed him he would become the monster Shane saw in him, with or without the fangs.
So he would bind her to him, claim her as only a Tuatha Dè could, wind them so tightly together she couldn’t leave even if she wished.
If that made him a villain, then so be it. Losing Cassie was not an option.
He managed to get into the tub with her without breaking the kiss. The silky feel of her scales rubbed against his legs, brushed against his cock, making him moan with pleasure.
Her tail split, became legs once more. Delicate scales still decorated the long length of them as she wrapped them around his waist, pulling him closer to her.
He gazed down at his truebond, smiling slightly at her heated expression. Her Seeming was still down. Her aqua hair darkened where it hit the water. Her eyes, huge and glistening, shone with desire. She’d taken on that soft aqua glow she’d had beneath the waves, giving her an otherworldly beauty that stunned him.
She was his. This gorgeous, exotic creature was his, and he would treasure her for the rest of his existence.
The tips of her breasts were the same aqua as her hair, tempting him to see if they tasted sweet or salty. Faint, pearly scales highlighted the round globes, shining with that faint aqua light. He cupped one, smiling at how warm Cassie was, even in the cool water of the bath.
“Oberon?”
Her breathless voice shivered through him, a sing-song tone that trilled at the end as her siren nature took over. He would make his mermaid sing, hear that glorious voice as he rode her and claimed her.
He could feel his own light bursting from his skin, startling his bondmate. She jumped beneath him as their light combined, his lending a silvery hue to her aqua.
Good. His power had accepted hers, mingled with it easily. Perhaps the merfolk bonding eased the way, or the gods had granted him another gift. He neither knew, nor cared. All that mattered was that Cassie, for good or ill, would be his in every way possible.
She moaned as his power brushed through hers, the sound inflaming his senses. She pushed up until she was sitting, forcing him to kneel in front of her or be knocked over.
Cassie surprised him by leaning forward, kissing and nipping the side of his neck. He shuddered as she found a particularly sensitive spot, the sensation shooting straight down to his cock.
She hummed, a fragment of song that resonated within their shared light, causing it to undulate like the northern lights, joyfully dancing to the siren’s song.
He cupped her shoulders and gently pushed her back, giving him access to her breasts. He finally got to taste, finding her both salty and sweet. The faint scales did not cover the tips, her nipples soft and supple on his tongue.
Cassie arched her back, her hum becoming a wordless song filled with pleasure. Her hands flexed on his shoulders, digging the nails in.
She drew blood, but he didn’t care. He would bear her marks proudly as a sign of her passion.
He lifted her, careful of the slippery tub, and placed her on the edge, her back against the window. He spread her legs, eager to taste his bondmate for the first time.
The moment his tongue touched her clit the song rose, overwhelming every other sound. Her head fell back, her eyes closing as she continued to hum her wordless melody. She clutched the side of the tube as he pleasured her, sliding a finger into her.
He was determined to make her come at least once before he took her.
He continued to taste her, gliding his tongue over her clit in measured strokes. Her pussy tightened around his finger, her impending orgasm sending the song soaring.
She gasped, the song stilling as her body went taut, the pleasure glowing from her as her light brightened. Then the song erupted from her, seeming to pour from her very skin, bouncing off the tile and echoing through the bathroom.
His bondmate was beautiful when she came.
He continued to stroke her clit, gently now as she squirmed and shivered above him. She was sensitive to the touch, her song hitching once or twice as he kept the passion alive.
It didn’t take long to get his mate to move with pleasure once more. She spread her legs further apart, giving him ample room to play.
Oberon shifted, his cock achingly hard as he played with his mate.
“Please.” She was trembling, clutching at him with unsteady hands. “Inside me. Please.”
How could he deny her request? He licked her clit one last time before getting on his knees and sliding inside her hot, wet depths.
Gods, she was tight, her pussy clamping down around him as he slid in and out of her. He grabbed hold of her hips, holding her steady as he fucked her.
Cassie gazed at him, her eyes clouded with passion, her song taking on new, higher tones as their bodies joined. She gripped his arms, her claws once more drawing blood, not that he cared. In fact, the slight sting of pain from the otherwise careful healer only showed how deep into their lovemaking she was.
Their lights danced around them as Oberon claimed his truebond, the rhythmic splash of water as he moved setting the tempo of their shared melody. Cassie’s toes began to curl, her stomach going taut as she threw her head back, coming so hard she nearly strangled his cock.
He slowed his strokes, determined to enjoy this for as long as possible. He hadn’t had sex in…
In…
Had it been so long?
Not since Titannia had he enjoyed a woman’s warmth, allowed himself the comfort of a female’s touch. Now his bondmate was spread out before him, a feast for all of his senses, and he intended to gorge himself on her pleasure.
The song slowed, became lazy and sensual as he fucked her with easy strokes. He wanted to build the passion up once more, take his time and savor her thoroughly, so even when her hands began to clench once more, when her gaze became pleading, he kept his strokes languid. He could bring her off again, keep fucking her until they both passed out, this passage of their song completed, but he chose not to.
He was enjoying her passion far too much to end it so soon.
Cassie licked her lips, tangled her fingers in his hair and dragged him down for a kiss. In doing so, he drove deeper into her body, making them both gasp. He stilled, reminding himself of why he wanted to take it slow.
She nibbled at his bottom lip, her claws scratching down his back in a sensuous glide, marking him again. She cupped his ass, tugging him to her as she began to move her hips.
It seemed his bondmate had chosen to take the reins, holding him steady as she rubbed against him. The soft curls between her thighs rubbed against his own, mingling them together as their magic did. Her clit rubbed against him as she panted into the kiss.
The little minx was trying to come before he was re
ady.
He pulled away from her lips with great reluctance. Kissing Cassie had become one of his favorite pastimes. Staring down at her saucy expression, he growled. He wanted them to come together their first time. “Cassie.”
She nipped his chin and flexed her fingers, the sharp points of her claws startling him into moving forward the small fraction they’d been separated.
Cassie cried out, her body spasming around him as she came, the music and light pouring from them both as she dragged him over the edge with her. Blinded and deaf, Oberon gave in to his bondmate, pouring himself into her as the ecstasy went on and on.
Their magic twinned, her aqua sparkling with silver, his silver dotted with aqua, as they became one in the way of the Tuatha Dè. She became he, and he became she, one for all time.
When it was over, Oberon slumped into his bondmate’s arms, the pain of his broken bond with Titannia gone for the first time in centuries.
The High King had claimed his truebond, and once again was whole.
Chapter Twelve
Cassie didn’t want to wake up. She was far too comfortable, curled up around something nice and warm, the scent of her bondmate filling her senses. But that persistent, nagging voice wouldn’t go away.
“Sire, the queen needs to be fitted for her gown.”
“Let her sleep a little longer, Harold. She’s had a rough time of it recently.”
She snuggled closer to the warm, hard object under her cheek.
“Yes, sire. Shall I tell the dressmakers to return this evening?”
A sigh, quick and quiet. “That would be better.”
“And that other matter, sire?”
“When Cassie wakes we’ll meet with Robin and see what he’s discovered. I’m certain he already has his most trusted people working on it.”
She frowned. It sounded like official business, and therefore none of hers. Maybe.
As Oberon’s truebond, did that mean she needed to know what Robin was up to? That was a frightening thought.
“Bring up some breakfast and a pot of coffee, Harold. I believe her highness is waking up.”
Siren's Song: The Gray Court, Book 5 Page 12