Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romance: Paranormal Romance Boxed Set

by Colleen Gleason

  Six white stone pedestals holding candles surrounded the outside of the circle. Among the thick bamboo stalks, palms and gumbo limbo trees sat a tall mango tree, its trunk wider in diameter than a truck tire. Its gray branches stretched over the grove like ghostly arms. Obviously the tree had died, yet it remained standing. Robert went to the tree and touched it.

  “I loved that mango tree,” a tall, redheaded female said, her voice filled with sadness. “It used to bear such wonderful fruit. Why did it die?”

  “Everything dies,” said the male holding her hand.

  “But the tree was healthy until last month.” The woman looked at Robert. “Can’t you heal it? Is the magick waning?”

  “Hush,” the male whispered.

  Robert dropped a hand on her shoulder. “My powers must be preserved for the greater good, Dahlia.” He looked at the couples.

  “Purify the air,” Robert commanded.

  The six robed couples picked up bundles of sage and lit them, then walked in a circle. She recognized the spicy scent.

  Then they extinguished the sage by immersing it into a bucket filled with sand.

  Robert walked around the circle, his tall body towering over the others, his grace as lethal as a wolf’s. Six candles rested upon the six stone pedestals that came to his chest. He picked up a white candle that rested upon the dragon itself.

  The alpha flicked his finger and the candle ignited.

  Aurora bit her lip. Fear coagulated in her chest and her breaths came in short, stabbing gasps. Never had she seen such power from a Lupine. Mages could not create fire, and for this Lupine alpha to do so? It petrified her.

  Was Robert like her? She once could create fire with her fingertips, but the power had been muted at the placement of the slave collar.

  Impossible. He was wolf, pureblood.

  Using the now-lit taper, he touched it to the first white candle upon the pedestal. “Power of the air, endow this mating and this couple with your strength and let them never know want.”

  At the second candle, he murmured, “Power of the earth, endow this mating and this couple with your fertility and let them conceive and bear strong young.”

  At the third candle he recited, “Power of fire, endow this mating and this couple with your passion.”

  At the fourth candle, he said, “Power of water, let this mating and this couple be healthy and awash in a flood of life.”

  At the fifth candle, he added a spell to all the earth elements for honor and loyalty, and strength of balance, and love of pack. But at the sixth candle, he seemed to hesitate. It was taller than the others, a red candle with a silver circle at the top.

  The six couples standing in the circle looked at him. Guy drew in a deep breath and squeezed Helen’s hand.

  Robert removed his mask, as did the others. “Power of the dragon, I bare myself before you. Protect my people with your life force and your strength. Make them fertile, and our land prosperous. Let our eyes be opened to the wisdom of the ages, and let us remain true to ourselves, and enable us to fight this evil that has cursed our people and our land.”

  When the lit taper touched the candle’s wick, Aurora stifled a gasp. The flame burned bright silver.

  Surely this was wizard magick. She’d never seen anything like it.

  Robert blew out the taper, set it upon the last pedestal and turned to the circle. He donned his mask again, as did the others. Then he lifted his long arms and looked up at the nearly full moon, shining down upon them.

  “By my right as alpha of this pack, I purify this space and this mating of Guy, my beta and my right hand, with Helen, daughter of the earth, and bless it with my blood.”

  The candles flickered, casting ghostly shadows around the circle.

  Robert took his silver dagger and made a small cut in his palm. Blue-black in the silvery moonlight, his blood dripped upon the dragon’s head, then fell to the ground.

  Wonder filled her as the blood, black in the moonlight, suddenly turned bright silver. He lifted his head and for a moment she felt fear, for he seemed to look directly at her. “I speak to the power of the Goddess Danu. Let this union be blessed, and as these two come together as one to consummate their mating, endow them with the strength of our people, the Lupine.”

  Guy and Helen came forward. Robert placed a hand on their heads. “Take Helen, Guy, to be your forever mate, and fill her belly with your seed. May she conceive strong, healthy offspring.”

  The six couples laid their hands upon Guy’s and Helen’s heads and then stepped backward.

  Legs cramping, Aurora rubbed her calves, but didn’t dare stretch out. Instinct warned her that this very mysterious and formal ritual was not meant for her eyes. It rang of ancient magick, the kind she’d read about in the old texts. Most Lupines had discarded the old ways in these modern times. Why had Robert instituted this ritual?

  She should leave, before someone spotted her. Aurora wasn’t certain what punishment she’d face for spying. But then the six couples dropped their black silk robes.

  All of them were naked.

  Aurora sat, riveted. She could not tear her eyes away.

  Robert stood at the head of the stone dragon and disrobed as well, but left his mask on, as did the other couples. His powerful body gleamed with life, each line of muscle and sinew seeming as strong as the earth itself.

  Guy led Helen over to the dragon. He removed his mask and shed his robe.

  “I bare myself before the old ways, as I take this female for my forever mate, to mother my young,” Guy said in a loud voice.

  Helen also removed her robe and her mask, though her voice quivered. “I bare myself before the old ways, as I accept this male as my forever mate, to father my young.”

  Guy helped Helen to lie on her stomach on the stone dragon’s back. She gripped the dragon’s outstretched wings.

  The beta dipped his fingers into a jar. He smeared an oily substance on his thick, erect penis.

  Then he seized his mate’s hips, guiding his penis between her legs. He gently pressed forward once, then again while kissing her back. Helen cried out. “It hurts, Guy,” she whimpered.

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he soothed. “It’ll fade. Just hold onto me.”

  Helen clasped his right hand as he laced his fingers through hers. Guy thrust harder. Cheeks flaming, Aurora stood immobilized by the bamboo, hidden by the thick stalks. Then came deep male grunts and high-pitched female squeals.

  “Guy,” Helen called out, her cries growing shriller.

  “Oh, sweetie. Helen, fuck me, you’re so tight and wet.”

  Guy’s deep voice sounded like Robert for a moment. Aurora sagged against the bamboo stalks, her body trembling. Her mind envisioned Robert naked, straining over her as his thick male flesh pounded hard inside her, his thrusts growing more and more frantic as she pumped her ass upwards to meet him, the pleasure spiking higher and higher…

  The air grew heavy with the scent of sandalwood and cedar. Robert’s scent. The heady mixture made her bite back a moan. Anticipation rushed through her loins, making them heavy and full. With each grunt and cry of pleasure, she felt open and aching and very much aroused.

  The copulating Lupines endowed the space with a sensual allure. Her gaze went to Robert, who stood straight and alone, the only male who was not erect.

  It did not take much longer. Six hard, deep, strokes and Guy threw back his head, shouting Helen’s name.

  He withdrew from her body, her virgin’s blood staining his penis and smearing upon the stone dragon.

  Then Guy lifted her into his arms and kissed her, as Helen snaked her arms around his neck. He was still erect.

  Still kissing, they went down to the soft bed of moss. Helen opened her legs and he settled between them.

  Guy began making love to his mate again, her cries now of ecstasy, echoing his as she pumped her hips upward to meet his urgent thrusts.

  The six couples began to copulate as well, the males bending th
e females over on the smooth white rock. It was an orgy, but she, who had been taught by Mages to regard group sex as repulsive and disgusting, found the rite fascinating. It was beautiful, watching the couples move in rhythmic unison, in sinuous grace. Loud grunts and excited female cries filled the air.

  Only Robert stood alone by stone dragon. He looked aloof and strong, but she sensed a hint of loneliness, of vulnerability about him.

  He had no partner in this sacred rite. No one to give him pleasure and take pleasure in return. Indeed, he remained flaccid. Cool. Aloof.

  She longed to see him lose control, see all that power unleashed. Aurora stared at him, her loins feeling full and the space between her legs aching to be filled.

  She imagined herself on her knees before the powerful alpha, looking up at him, his penis in her trembling hand. Aurora saw herself opening her mouth wide to encase his thick length.

  She fed the fantasy. She envisioned Robert, clutching her shoulders as he thrust deep into the moist cavern of her mouth. Then he pulled out, and guided her down to the soft bed of moss. As they lay on their sides, he opened her legs and put his mouth on her as she took his shaft into her mouth again.

  He pleasured her as he’d done at the hot spring, only now she pleasured him as well. Aurora’s hips began to undulate as she felt his tongue upon her wet sex in slow, languid strokes.

  She kept pumping her mouth upon his thick cock, rolling her tongue around its rigid length, flicking it over the bulbous head. Cupping his sac, she squeezed gently.

  He slid a single finger into her as he licked her clit.

  Moaning, she felt her nipples turn to tiny pearls as the moon smiled down upon them. This was the sensual nature of the Lupine, wanton and fierce - the burning drive to mate overcoming all else. Her womb clenched hard as she envisioned him filling her with his seed, creating new life.

  The fantasy grew wilder, more real as the sensation between her legs increased. His tongue was fire, like a dragon’s hot breath, warming her from the outside as well as inside. He would take her and claim her as his own, dominant, sexual, and overpowering. Aurora clutched a stalk of bamboo, which felt as strong as Robert’s thick shaft.

  Breathing hard, she opened her eyes and stared into the grove at Robert.

  He was now erect. The hard length of his penis jutted out from the dark hair at his groin.

  Groaning, he arched backward against the dragon. Sweat streamed down his body, droplets cascading down the rippled muscles of his abdomen. He jerked his lean hips forward, as if engaged in sex like the others.

  Or thrusting into her mouth.

  Was this fantasy… or somehow a reality between them?

  Aurora moved in slow, sensual rhythm as the others did, continuing the fantasy in her mind. He licked her harder now, his tongue sliding across her soft female flesh as she worked his sex with her mouth. Both of them gave pleasure to each other, faster, harder…

  Arching, she squeezed her hands around the bamboo stalk. The orgasm burst out of her like a rocket as she rose to her knees. Panting, she collapsed back to the ground.

  Lying there, Aurora stared at Robert. He stiffened, then convulsed.

  Robert groaned. His powerful body shuddered as thick ribbons of white semen pumped out of his erect penis. He continued to ejaculate for several more seconds, shooting his seed onto the dead mango tree.

  Then he collapsed backward against the dragon’s head. The tree he’d ejaculated on burst into blossoms, and then the blossoms morphed into rich, ripe fruit.

  Aurora went still, the languid sensual pleasure turning to real alarm. The alpha’s seed had caused the dead tree to flower and then bear fruit.

  What kind of powerful magick was this? What was Robert?

  He stared at the tree as Guy gave a loud shout, his shouts of pleasure echoing Helen’s. The mated couple shuddered together, and Guy collapsed atop her.

  But there was no smile of pleasure on the alpha’s face, as there was on the other Lupines’ faces. He clenched his fists as the panting couples gradually separated.

  A shrill whistle came from the alpha’s lips. It served as a bucket of ice water upon the Lupines. Instantly, they scrambled for their robes and dressed and removed their masks.

  “Oh dear goddess,” Guy said softly, pointing at the mango tree.

  “You brought the tree back to life,” Helen whispered. “What happened?”

  “I did not do this. My power alone could not cause such a transformation in the mango tree. There’s a spy among us,” Robert told them.

  Helen began to weep. Gathering his shaking mate into his arms, Guy stroked her head tenderly. “Impossible. The circle is unbroken, the magick strong.”

  “Only one thing could have caused this.” Robert pointed to the tree, its ripe fruit glistening in the moonlight. “I bound my sexual nature to hers when I mingled my blood with hers. Only she can do this during the sacred rite.”

  He flung off his mask and in a loud, deep voice that shook the trees, cried out, “Aurora!”

  CHAPTER 10

  She’d been caught.

  Aurora picked up the hem of her long gown and fled through the fields, running through the soft, damp grass. Wind whispered through the bamboo and the trees, taunting her. Run, but you cannot hide. He will find you. He is alpha.

  A low growl sounded behind her. She could feel the wolf’s hot breath at her heels, sense his eagerness at the chase, hear his big paws thumping across the ground. Panic squeezing her chest, she ran faster, and then a tree root, out of nowhere, rose and tripped her. With a whumph! she fell forward onto the grass, sprawled on her belly.

  The wolf snarled and bounded around her, facing her. She struggled to sit back on her haunches, holding out her hands in a defensive motion.

  Aurora stared at the wolf’s eyes. They were silver, not the amber of other Lupines. Alpha. Robert was a muscled beast easily weighing as much as a small pony. A wolf with white fangs flashing in the moonlight, his lips bared to show those very sharp teeth.

  “Please,” she whispered.

  Growling, the wolf herded her backward. Then he shifted. Robert crouched before her, naked, furious. Her fear turned to fascination as she swept her hungry gaze over his nude form.

  He waved a hand and conjured jeans and a t-shirt. She nearly sighed with sheer disappointment as he covered that magnificent body. But he remained barefoot. “You spied on us.”

  “I meant no harm. I was curious.” Gods, he was so remote, and furious. Her heart pounded like a war drum. Wolves could sense the fear of their prey. Was she prey?

  Hovering over her, he looked as dangerous as the beast that had bared its teeth. “You interfered with our sacred sex rites. If you are that inquisitive, I will give you a personal demonstration right now.” He seized her wrist, and she stood.

  Robert pulled her to his muscled chest. “We won’t wait for the full moon when I take you.”

  For a wild moment she thought he truly would do it. Strip her naked, and take her here, violently on the grass, pushing himself deep inside her. The drink she’d consumed felt like fire racing through her veins. Aurora tilted her head up.

  “Then don’t.”

  Black as night, his gaze smoldered as he stared down at her with the darkness that she knew meant he would take her, and take her hard. There was no second thought, no turning back. Robert tunneled his fingers through her long hair, pulled her head backward, exposing her throat. She felt vulnerable and yet alive, so wanton.

  She felt the hardness of his body, smelled his intoxicating scent grow stronger, sensed the sexual frustration brimming inside him. The air grew heavy with want, the smell of the night blooming jasmine teasing her nostrils.

  He kissed her hard. She melted into the kiss, as if melting into him, her fingers clutching fistfuls of his shirt. She ached to be touched, to feel his hands roving over her naked skin, cupping her breasts, teasing her nipples. Robert slipped one spaghetti strap off her shoulder, baring her breast, and his mouth e
ncased her nipple. He sucked hard and she cried out in sheer need, each flick of his wicked tongue sending fire between her legs. So hot, so very hot. She was burning with desire.

  Robert drew back and Aurora nearly sobbed for lack of his hot mouth upon her chilled skin. He stepped back and unzipped his jeans, pushing them past lean hips. From the thick hair on his groin, his penis stood hard and gleaming in the moonlight. Then he drew her down in the cold, damp grass, but she didn’t feel the coldness, only a tremendous heat.

  She needed him inside her, needed his thick cock penetrating deep, claiming her as his own. Aurora hitched up her dress and he yanked off her panties. The alpha took his penis and stroked it through her slick, swollen folds. Aurora moaned, grabbing handfuls of grass. Never had her desire been so desperate, so yearning.

  He positioned himself over her, panting, and grunted, his penis slipping a little inside her. Aurora’s breath caught. They were truly doing this here, now…

  “Rob, Rob! Where the hell are you? I need you!”

  Guy’s voice, high and panicked.

  Stopping, Robert dragged in a great gasping breath, then shoved a hand through his thick hair. “I must be mad.” He stared at her, and the coldness returned to his face. “I want you. I will have you, Aurora. You will be mine, but not tonight. When the moon turns ripe, I’ll spread your legs and claim you as my own. I’ll fuck you until you scream from the pleasure, from the need for it.”

  Her sex pulsed and wept, as the unfilled desire tautened her raw nerves. Now, tonight, why not tonight?

  And then she realized. The drink had enhanced her needs, turning her into a sex-starved woman with only mating on her mind.

  Hot with embarrassment, Aurora slipped the strap over her shoulder, covering her breast. Robert stood, adjusted himself and then yanked up his pants. Guy raced into the clearing, worry tightening his face.

  “Hurry. It’s Louis. He’s really, really ill.”

  “Watch her,” he directed, and raced off.

  Aurora sat on the grass, the coldness seeping into her gown. She hugged herself, refusing to look at Guy as the male circled around her.