Soren's Bondmate

by Mardi Maxwell

  "My blood thirsty little mate. I've missed you." He conjured a wall at one end of the narrow room and carried her behind it then undressed her and examined her injures. "Do you feel strong enough to try to heal yourself now?"

  She closed her eyes and concentrated on her leg. A feeling of warmth began to radiate through it and she felt the broken ends of the bone move and join together. Gradually the constant ache disappeared. She opened her eyes and smiled. "It's done."

  "I'm so sorry, little heart." Soren ran his hand over her back. "I failed you. I failed our babies." He held her close needing the comfort she provided.

  "No, Soren. You didn't fail us. I should have told you what I'd done. This is all my fault for keeping the truth from you."

  "We're both to blame. I sensed you were holding something back and I should have pressed you on it." He kissed her. "Let's just promise to never keep secrets from each other ever again."

  "Agreed."

  Soren created a steaming tub of water, undressed both of them then lowered himself into it with Skye on his lap.

  He propped her across his legs and rested her head on a folded up drying cloth while he built up a thick lather of cleansing gel and began washing her. He handled her carefully, stroking his hands over her body and feeling her ribs beneath his fingers. He ran his hands over her legs then lifted her feet and examined them. "Your feet are torn up."

  Skye kept her eyes closed and hummed an acknowledgement. "I didn't have shoes when they sent me here. I had to make do."

  "You've done something very few warriors could have done. I'm proud of you."

  He washed her feet, making sure to clean the cuts he found on the soles. "When you feel stronger you can heal them." He lifted her left hand and examined it. "Can you tell me who did this to you?"

  "Arlyn. She came after me and ordered one of the guards to beat me while she took our babies."

  Soren rumbled with anger. "The one who was present at your judgement? The one who stood behind me and Berit?"

  "Yes."

  "I'm going to kill him."

  Skye comforted him by stroking her hand over his head and threading her fingers through his hair. "We'll work it out."

  They held each other until Skye shivered. Soren conjured clean water and gently washed her hair. He worked the lather into it from her scalp to the ends and she tipped her head back and hummed with pleasure. He kissed the tip of her nose then lowered her and swirled the water around her head until the strands shone golden. He raised her up and smoothed her hair back from her forehead. "I wonder why Arlyn didn't recognize me."

  "Or why she didn't sense that you're an enchanter and I was nearby." Skye sat up. "Only the Kouncil can remove a female's powers."

  Soren rung the water from her hair. "Do you think she's being punished for sending the children with you instead of giving them to me?"

  "Yes. The Kouncil doesn't like even one of their own tampering with their judgement." Skye rested her head on his shoulder.

  Soren noticed the more he touched her the more color appeared in her cheeks. She was thinner but her breasts were larger. He covered them and she slid her hands beneath his and pushed them away.

  Soren smiled. "Are you shy about your breasts?"

  "A little." She cracked her eyes open. "Mostly they just hurt so no touching."

  Soren wiggled a fingertip beneath one of her hands and very gently traced the bottom curve of her breast. "You still have milk?"

  Her cheeks blushed with color and she nodded. "I want to be able to nurse the babies when we get them back so I've been taking care of it. I just haven't had time this cycle."

  "I could help you with that." He slid his lips down her neck to her breasts and licked the area between her fingers.

  "Soren, what are you doing?"

  His answer was to lift her until she straddled his lap. A blue mist formed around them and his fever grew along with his need for her. "I need you. So much." He met her eyes. "Are you well?"

  Skye placed her hands on his shoulder. "I'm well and I need you as much as you need me." She swirled her fingers through the blue mist on his arm. "Make love to me." Skye pulled his mouth down to hers and kissed him, softly, brushing her lips over his again and again.

  Slowly they relearned the feel and taste of each other. Soren slid his tongue along the seam of her lips then into her mouth. She met him, stroke for stroke before she slid her lips to his neck and bit his lobe. "I've been so cold without you."

  "I've burned up without you." He ran his tongue down her neck to her breasts. She leaned back, giving him better access. He licked around the areola then over her nipple, lapping up a drop of milk.

  Skye couldn’t keep her hands still. She ran them over him from his shoulders to his belly. Soren pulled in a deep breath when she slid her hands over his cock. He moaned and the mist thickened around them. She tightened her legs on either side of him, pressing her knees into his hips while she stroked her hand up and down the shaft. She used her other hand to cover and gently squeeze the head.

  Soren tipped her back and suckled one breast then the other. "You're so sweet, little heart, like the best Zarronian honey.

  She gathered a drop of pre-cum on the tip of her finger and licked it off. "You're hard and so warm and I want you inside me. Now."

  Soren released her nipple, grasped her waist and pulled her forward until her breasts touched his chest. He lifted her then slowly, gently, lowered her onto his cock.

  Skye tightened her arms around his shoulders and wiggled her hips. She sighed then kissed him and sucked his bottom lip into her mouth before she explored his mouth.

  Soren grasped her hair at her nape and held her still while he took control of the kiss and thrust up into her. "Wrap your legs around me."

  She did and he stood and carried her to the mats. He dropped to his knees, lowered her to the soft fur covering and held her hips up and thrust into her. The blue mist filled the room and the air heated until it shimmered.

  Skye wrapped her hands around his wrists as he increased the intensity and depth of his thrusts. He pulled out, moved down and slid his mouth over her clit. He licked around the swollen nub then sucked it into his mouth.

  Skye screamed her release and buried her hands in the long strands of his hair. He lunged forward then thrust into her, deep and hard, and she came again. He lifted her hips and pressed into her then threw his head back, his body stretched taut and the tendons in his neck finely drawn as he came. His body shook with his release and he moaned her name.

  His fingers dug into her hips as he rocked her back and forth and his cock hardened again. He looked down at her, his eyes blazing a deep aqua. "I claim you as my bondmate for all time. I belong to you. My body, my heart, and my soul. Never will I leave you."

  Skye wrapped her legs around his waist. "I claim you as my worthy mate for all time. I belong to you. My body, my heart, and my soul. Never will I leave you."

  Soren lowered himself over her and slid his fingers into her hair. The stared into each other's eyes and breathed the same air as they rocked against each other. Skye pulled in a sharp breath and her eyes darkened.

  "Come, now, little heart." Soren kissed her.

  They shivered and came together. As their breaths slowed the blue mist faded. Soren slid to his side and held her. "Rest. I'll send Rolf and the others to map out the raiders camp. At sun rising we'll go get our children back."

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Soren saw Rolf glance behind him and smile. He turned just in time to see Skye sit down next to him. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her forward. "Rolf's drawing a map of the raiders' camp. He knows which tent Merykh and Arlyn are staying in."

  Skye leaned toward Rolf. "Did you see my babies?"

  Rolf shook his head. "No but there are a lot of children in the camp. They're kept in a large tent away from their parents."

  "We'll only get one chance so we have to be sure," Skye said then grabbed Soren's hand. "I forgot to tell you
that both of our babies have the slightest shadow of a dark tattoo on their faces. Abrianna's is around her left eye and Rilyn's is like yours." She reached up and ran her finger over the shard shaped tattoo on his left cheekbone.

  Soren smiled. "That means they're enchanters and we should be able to sense their presence."

  "Yes." She turned to Rolf. "Where is the children's tent located?"

  "At the west end of the ridge." He pointed to the map. "Here where it drops off into a deep canyon."

  "We need to get into that canyon," Soren said.

  Rolf smiled and pointed up. "We need to go up and over then down and we're in it."

  "Where's Ronin?"

  Rolf pointed to another ridge on the map. "You know he always takes the highest ground."

  "Who travels with him?"

  "Taryq and his sister, Bellya," Rolf said.

  Skye jumped to her feet, walked away then turned back, her cloak flowing out around her. "I don't want her involved. She can't be trusted."

  Soren grabbed the edge of her cloak and pulled her toward him then onto his lap. "Settle down. You're going to make yourself ill."

  "She heard us talking when you remembered how I'd claimed you. She told her mother."

  "Figured that out, huh?"

  "Yes."

  "Berit said she'd be ostracized by the other females."

  "They won't cast her out until the war is over," Skye said. "We need all the enchantresses we can get."

  "One of us will have to tell Ronin about her," Rolf said.

  "Why?" Soren asked.

  "You know how he is? Females chase him and he ignores them but Bellya avoids him and that's caught his interest," Rolf said.

  "Farg," Skye said. "Is she his mate?"

  Rolf shrugged. "He's warned everyone to keep their distance and he stays close to her."

  "What's his mating level?" Soren asked.

  "Don't know," Rolf said.

  "I don't want her to know what we're doing or that we're going after the babies," Skye said.

  "I agree," Soren said. "We won't contact them until we have them."

  # # #

  They left the cave a unit after darkening. Soren conjured an enclosed krystal ladder to the top of the cliff so they wouldn't be seen by the raiders. Once at the top he removed it and Rolf took point.

  They moved cautiously, testing every step for unseen traps as they crossed the plateau. At the edge Soren and Rolf looked down into the canyon below.

  "Think you can conjure another hidden ladder for us?" Rolf asked.

  "That isn't the problem." Soren looked around. "I'd have guards posted up here if my camp was over there. It worries me that Merykh hasn't done that."

  "You think the canyon is a trap?" Rolf asked.

  "If I was in charge it would be." Soren scooted back from the edge. "Think about it. We enter the canyon and they trap us. We conjure a shelter. All Merykh has to do is wait us out. Eventually we'd make a break for it."

  Skye slid up next to him. "Then we should go down, cross the canyon floor and climb up to that plateau." She pointed to the high ridge across from them. "From there we can go south until we're across from Merykh's camp. Then we go down, cross back over and climb up again."

  Rolf smiled. "Tor, I need to find and claim one of these female warriors."

  Soren smiled. "You have to be judged as worthy first."

  Skye smiled. "I'll introduce you to my unmated friends."

  "If you're finished flirting with my mate let's go tell the others our plan." Soren scooted back, stood up, pulled Skye to her feet and led her back to the area where the warriors kept watch. He gathered them around him and told them the plan. "Rolf and I will go first with Skye behind me. The rest of you will bring up the rear."

  Skye stood up. "We don't leave without my babies. Let's go."

  It took them twenty micro-units to get to the bottom of the canyon, cross over and climb up the other side.

  "Pelyn, take Kelyn and Rolf and scout ahead. We'll wait for you here," Soren said.

  Thirty micro-units later Kelyn returned. "There's four raiders in a group of boulders where we need to cross the canyon and climb up to the raiders' camp. Two are sleeping and two are keeping watch."

  Soren conjured white krystal for the Edyn warriors and krystal knives for the Zarronians. "Don't give them a chance to make a sound." He nodded to Kelyn. "Lead the way."

  They crept from shadow to shadow until they reached Pelyn and Rolf.

  Pelyn pointed to a group of boulders about ten meters away. "If we wait until the clouds cover the moon they won't see us coming."

  Soren created a shelter around them. "Skye, stay here with the others while we take care of this." When she started to protest he pressed his fingers over her lips. "Please, little heart."

  She kissed his fingers. "Okay, but just this once."

  He conjured food and water for them. "Eat then try to heal your hand." He kissed her then conjured an opening and they disappeared into the night.

  Skye sat down and Delyn passed her some bread and cheese. She ate it then held her injured hand in her right hand and concentrated on healing it. A warmth flowed through the crushed bones and scars left by the guard's boot when he'd stomped on it.

  She looked up to find the others watching her. She smiled, made a fist then opened it and flexed her fingers. "Good as new."

  Delyn handed her a tankard of water. "Any other injuries?"

  "My feet but they're healing on their own." She sipped the water then picked up another piece of cheese and ate it. "Tell me how the war is going."

  "Your brother is heading up the attack from the north and Magnys is in control of the forces from the south coast. Once the battles began the Zarronians began flying troops into place on the east and west coasts. We've been pushing the Crimeryns and raiders inland toward the village in the center."

  "I think most of the Crimeryns have left," Skye said. "I haven't seen any for a long time now."

  One of the Zarronian warriors moved closer. "Our starships have tracked their ships flying to Crimeryn. None have returned to the peninsula."

  "They would've taken their enchantresses and conjurers with them. That means most of the raiders will have only primitive weapons now," Delyn said.

  "Don't forget Arlyn is with Merykh. If she's claimed him as a mate then he has dark krystal to use as a weapon. There may be other conjurers with the raiders," Skye said. "Some are captives but others will have chosen a raider as a mate."

  Delyn removed his cloak and laid it on the floor. "Lie down and rest until Soren returns."

  The other warriors also removed their cloaks and laid them on top of Delyn's. The last warrior, one of the Zarronians, folded his into a pillow, set it down and patted it.

  Skye gave in. "Thank you." She smiled, closed her eyes and tried to link her mind with Soren's. When she couldn't connect with him she buried her face in the hood of her cloak so the warriors wouldn't see her tears. Losing her powers had been painful but losing the ability to link minds with Soren left her feeling empty and as if part of her had been ripped away.

  They still had Soren's mating claim between them but she yearned for the intimacy of the Krystali claim. If they still had that she would know where he was at that moment and what he was doing.

  # # #

  Soren slipped up behind the raider, wrapped his arm around his neck and pulled him back into the deep shadows. He eased the male to the ground, knowing he'd never get up again.

  He searched the area and saw Rolf slip up behind the other guard. A moment later the last sight he had of the raider was his boots disappearing into the darkness of the night. Pelyn and Kelyn crept into the camp and dealt with the last two raiders.

  They searched the camp and Pelyn held up a club and a knife. "Primitive weapons only. No krystal."

  "Any communication devices?" Soren asked.

  "None," Pelyn said. "I wonder how often they change guards."

  "No way of knowing so let'
s get moving." Soren conjured a hidden krystal ladder to the bottom of the ravine. "Start down and wait for us at the bottom. I'm going to get Skye and the others."

  Soren hurried back to the shelter he'd built for them and dismantled it. Skye sat up and held up her hands. He took them and pulled her to her feet. The warriors grabbed their cloaks and put them on.

  "Ready?" Soren looked at her. "You've been crying".

  "I miss our mind link." Skye brushed off her cloak. "Let's go."

  Soren led them to the top of the ladder then he climbed down followed by Skye, Delyn, and the others. Once at the bottom they moved across the canyon floor until Pelyn froze in place and looked back at them. Kelyn spoke to him for a moment then moved back to Soren.

  "Pelyn's standing on a tripwire. He can't move."

  Soren nodded. "We'll have to figure out how it works and disarm it."

  When he began to move forward Rolf stopped him. "We can't afford to lose you. Let us do it."

  Skye grabbed Soren's hand and gave it a little squeeze. He glanced at her, saw the worry on her face, and agreed.

  Rolf, Kelyn and Delyn returned to Pelyn and examined the trap. Rolf followed the nearly invisible snare to a pile of boulders. He pointed at them then held the top one in place while Kelyn cut the line. The boulders shifted and Rolf kept the top one from tumbling down onto Pelyn. Kelyn joined him and helped him ease the largest one to the ground while Pelyn stepped out of the way.

  They signaled to Soren and the other then finished crossing over and stopped at the bottom of the steep cliff. Soren conjured another ladder and gathered them around him. "The ladder ends at a ledge two meters below the top. Once we've reached it we'll recon the area and decide on our next move."

  "Rolf, you'll lead. I'll follow with Skye behind me and then the rest of you. Pelyn, I want you and your brothers to stay here and guard our six." He conjured krystal for them. "If anyone comes along kill them. Once we get the babies we're going to have to move fast."

  Pelyn motioned to his brothers and the three of them disappeared back into the canyon.

  Rolf nodded to Soren and began climbing. Soren waited half a micro-unit and followed him. One at a time they reached the top and lined up on the ledge.