by Lacey Thorn
“No!” she screamed.
He smiled and she could see the weakness as his blood continued to flow, as he continued to keep her from what she needed to do. “One last sacrifice to meet the goddess’s decree.”
“No,” she screamed once more. “Not you.” She laid her hands upon his flesh and closed her eyes beginning the chant that flew through her mind. She could feel the power leaving her hands and filling his body, could feel as the muscle and tissue began to repair within him. Power of life and death. That is what she held and that is what she wielded now. She would not let him die. As long as there was breath in her body she would protect them all.
The heat of her touch filled his chest making it glow. And she kept her gaze there until the hole sealed and no more blood spilled free. There was silence around her when she stood, silence as they all took in just what she was capable of.
“Now who else is hurt?” she asked.
Alea pushed her mate Drew forward. His right arm hung weak at his side and she could tell that his shoulder was ripped free. Already it was swollen and changing color. With little effort she placed her hands on him and shifted the joint back into place. Her heat and power filled him until his arm was as it was before. But the anger still resonated through her.
She felt the presence of her mates behind her and took a deep breath when Tanner stood before her. She thought she was okay, thought she was calm, until he spoke.
“If my life is required to save yours, to save our people, then I will gladly give it.” His eyes were filled with conviction but that only made her madder.
“Do you not realize that your life is no longer your own? Do you not care who is harmed if something happens to you?” She was gaining momentum as she spoke. “What is my life if you are not a part of it?” She turned to face all three of her mates. “Any of you.” She pointed to her abdomen and the mark she wore on her right side. “Am I any less important to you? Should I be required to give my life to save you would you not be angry to see me go?”
“You will not—” Tanner began but she just interrupted.
“And neither will any of you. Not while I hold breath in my body.” And with that she threw her head back and screamed it to the skies hoping the goddess would hear her and not ask her to sacrifice what she loved most. Her family and friends. “Not my family!” And as she cried out the words she felt hands bind with her own and looked down to see her friends had joined her, had formed a circle. The power that they held separately flowed through the circle and filled them all.
“Not our own,” she stated and one by one all the Guardians repeated her words. They would stand together or fall together but they would not give up one of their own without a fight.
* * * * *
They each went their separate ways, each group of mates needing time alone. What they all faced had just been shown to them in a new way, a way that none could deny or try to diminish. It was a wake-up call to some and a reminder to others. For Reanna it was a lesson learned and a confrontation in the making. One between her and her mates. And she waited only until they were finally alone in the bedroom they shared.
“Never,” she began and the anger had her body trembling. “Never step between me and the enemy again.”
It was Bram who turned to her and there was a cold fire in his eyes. “You dare ask that of us? You dare think that we will not do everything in our power to protect our woman?”
“I am more than a woman,” Reanna stated.
“And still no less our mate,” Finn said.
“Our life,” Tanner added.
“I have power that even I don’t know yet,” Reanna tried to explain. “I could have taken him until you moved between us. I couldn’t risk hitting you instead.”
“But Guardians can’t hurt their mates,” Bram said.
“But I am not a guardian. I am more,” Reanna fired back. “And I don’t know if I could hurt you or not. I only knew that something held me back from firing the spell that came to mind.”
“And are you sure that you could have taken him?” Finn questioned.
“You have to admit that you have powers that even you don’t know the full extent of,” added Tanner.
“Yes,” she cried out and she could feel the fire in her eyes again. “I have no doubt that I could have killed him with no problem.” She turned to Tanner then and the fear finally released in a wash of tears down her cheeks. Tears that she couldn’t seem to stop once they started.
“Don’t you realize how it will kill me if something happens to one of you? If you die, then a part of me dies with you, a part that I will never get back.” Her tears were blurring her vision but still she felt her men surround her, each touching her in some way offering comfort and love. “Can you not have faith in me?”
“Reanna it is not a lack of faith that places us in front of you,” Finn whispered.
“It is a conditioning that has begun from our birth,” Bram stated. “We have always known of the Guardians and that we are to protect them even unto our own deaths.”
“But I am not a guardian,” she tried once more.
“No you are more,” Tanner said. “And as such all the more important to protect.”
“And you are ours,” Finn added. “A warrior will not leave his woman unprotected. Not as long as there is breath in his body.”
“That is a decree that goes back further than all of us, to a time when our people weren’t on this island. It is a call in our blood. A reflex that cannot be controlled,” Tanner said.
“It is not a lack of trust, Reanna,” Bram said. “We would all trust you. But nothing will prevent us from doing everything we can to protect you.”
“Even if it means we die,” Tanner whispered.
“But I can stand alone,” Reanna said. “And I would die if I lost you.”
“None should ever stand alone,” Finn said.
“And just because you feel that you can doesn’t mean that you should,” Tanner added.
“Alone we are all still strong,” Bram said. “But together, our power is undefeatable.”
“I can‘t lose you,” she whispered. “I’ve only just found you.”
“The same goes for us,” Bram replied.
“So we will have to learn to trust and accept,” Tanner said.
“We can’t change who we are, can’t curb instincts where you are concerned,” Bram stated.
“You must trust us to know when to help,” Finn said.
“And you must trust me to be able to stand and fight as well,” Reanna said.
Slowly her warriors nodded in agreement with her. It would be hard for them. They were taught from birth to shelter and protect their mates at all costs.
“Now,” Tanner grinned and pulled her from the others to snuggle against his chest. “Where exactly did you send those attacking? You spoke words and then they all disappeared.”
She looked up at him and then turned to place her back against him so that she could face the other two. “To hell.” She had destroyed them, made it so they didn’t exist. She should feel remorse for the taking of so many lives. Should feel guilt for saying the words to invoke the deaths of so many while she was angry. But she could still see Tanner lying there with his blood soaking into the earth. And try as she might the guilt wouldn’t come.
She was the Mystic now, growing more powerful as every minute passed. Tonight she had saved a life and taken many. And if it came to it she would do it all over again. But for tonight she needed one more moment with all three of her men. One more moment to spend in their arms and share the love that grew stronger inside her with every breath she took. The rest of this night was just for them. For tomorrow things would end. One way or another.
Chapter Seven
She reached slowly for the tie around her neck and pulled it free so that her top fell down exposing her breasts. Both Bram and Finn let their eyes fall to the full mounds of her breasts and she watched as their gazes flared with lust. This was what she needed, what
they all needed. A reaffirmation of life, of love, of them.
Tanner’s hands moved behind her releasing the tie behind her back so that her top fluttered to the ground at their feet. Then his large hands moved around to cup and fondle her flesh and she leaned back into him letting her eyes close. His hands were wonderful. The long fingers tweaking and pinching at her nipples making them tighter, harder. She could feel the thick length of his cock against her back and rubbed eagerly into it.
Finn moved forward kneeling to remove her sandals before helping to slide her skirt slowly down her legs. Bram stood gazing at her his hands busy taking off his clothing as he watched his brothers stripping her of hers. When he was as naked as she was he came toward her. Finn came to his feet and moved out of the way but Tanner continued to fondle her breasts.
No words were said. None were needed. Bram bent and took her mouth in a kiss that screamed of possession. She was his, theirs, and they belonged to her. At some point during the kiss Tanner had stepped away. Her arms were around Bram burrowing into him as his kiss pulled her deeper into the consuming desire that flooded her body. Her pussy clenched with need. Her breasts tingled wanting their hands, their mouths. Even her ass felt empty. She wanted. She needed.
Bram turned her toward the bed and there was Finn lying there naked waiting for her. His hand was wrapped around his cock stroking up and down its length as he awaited her. She licked her lips wanting that cock deep inside her. She moved forward with no prompting, as eager as they were. She crawled up the bed straddling his legs and rubbing her cunt against him as she moved closer and closer to that mouthwatering cock.
And when she was just close enough it was second nature to open wide and suck the head. Long hard pulls at his flesh that had his free hand clenching in her hair as his other held the length still for her to devour. He tasted salty and sweet with a flavor that was so uniquely his own. She loved the way her warriors tasted, each just a little different but still delicious. She could stay here for hours and still not get enough of them.
But Finn wanted more and one of her warriors already has his hands on her ass urging her forward. She could feel the slick oil of the fingers on her ass and knew what was coming. Anticipated it. Wanted it with every breath.
She straddled Finn’s hips as he guided his cock to her pussy. The head lodged at the opening and she sank down with a fast hard thrust of her hips. He bucked up into her surprised at her movement. She could tell that he had expected her to be slow and easy. But that wasn’t what she wanted this time. She wanted hard and fast and deep. So deep that it was as if they were all one unit, unbroken. When she had him fully inside her she leaned over him pressing her torso high so that her breasts were close enough to his mouth for him to suck and bite. And Finn didn’t disappoint her.
His lips latched onto one of her nipples and sucked hard enough to have her bucking against him. His hands moved down to hold her steady, keeping her hips in place while the oil was worked into her anus. She didn’t need to look to know whose hands those were. Tanner. It would be his cock that stroked her ass, filling it with a pleasure that burned as it thrilled. Finn moved to her other nipple and nipped and tugged playfully with his teeth. She moaned thrusting her hips back at Tanner.
“Now,” she begged.
“Now,” she cried out again, demanding what she wanted.
And finally he did. Not slow and easy for him either. But one long hard thrust that had her screaming with lust. The burn was incredible. The feel of being so full was like an aphrodisiac. She was consumed with desire as if she could see and feel nothing but them, their bodies buried in hers. She couldn’t hold still, couldn’t wait for them to begin. She rocked fighting the hands that tried to hold her steady.
“Take me now,” she screamed.
And they were all rocking. The movement was natural, so natural that she wondered if she would ever feel the same with just one of them at a time. She was burning a fire in her veins that seemed unquenchable. As they stroked in and out filling her with their length and girth she felt wild, animalistic. It was as if some wild beast came alive inside her and took over. She moved back and forth with them trying to force their cocks deep, deeper than ever before. She could feel her fingers digging into Finn, knew she would leave marks. And she had the overwhelming desire to bite down, to mark them.
She could feel her body tightening, could feel the rush of her orgasm as it drew closer and closer. And then it was upon her. She screamed throwing her head back as it crashed over her. Her fingers were clenched so tightly in Finn’s skin that she was afraid that she would draw blood. But she couldn’t loosen her grip. She could feel Finn clenching beneath her and knew he was close to his own release.
Tanner surprised her. He bent his head to her exposed neck and bit down on the base where her shoulder met the column of her throat. It sent her spiraling higher, faster, deeper into the whorl of pleasure that already felt like it was swallowing her whole. He shuddered behind her and she could feel the hot spurts of his cum inside her ass.
Finn joined them and the heat of his seed launched her again. Her body was at the point where she felt like she would splinter into pieces if they didn’t stop. It was too much. Too much pleasure for one woman to survive.
Slowly they moved until she found herself lying on her back on the bed. With Bram over her. Bram, who hadn’t joined them. His cock was hard and thick against his abdomen, the head wet with the spill of his desire. She didn’t think she could take any more, but she could never deny one of her men. The love for them was already growing too strong inside her.
But he surprised her. Slow and easy he entered her, taking his time and only working a few inches in at a time. He smiled at her bending low to take her mouth in another of his consuming kisses. This time with him was the opposite of the wild passion she had just shared with Finn and Tanner. This was soft and gentle, a loving of a different kind.
His touch slowly built flames within her again. They didn’t burn as bright or as fast, but they were just as hot. She lifted her legs to clasp them against his hips, her hands lifted to his shoulders. He smiled at her and she was captivated by the beauty of it, of him. She reached for him again, needing his kiss once more. And he gave it to her without hesitation.
Her passion built with every soft touch, every slow stroke, every gentle brush of flesh on flesh. And then she felt the tension, felt the pull in her womb, the tightening of her nipples that preceded every orgasm. It was no less powerful, no less consuming. In some ways it was even sharper making her realize that no matter what she felt when they were all together she would still find pleasure with each alone.
Bram clenched his jaw and groaned as he joined her. He was the most beautiful in that moment, more beautiful than she had ever seen him. Unguarded and fulfilled. Hers. Hers and hers alone in this one moment in time. This man, the eldest, the one who would be prince.
As Tanner and Finn joined them once more on the bed she felt her heart swell to overflowing with love. Here before her was the greatest gift that the goddess had bestowed upon her. Not her powers. Not being the Mystic. But these three men and the love that they shared, the love that grew stronger with every moment of every day. She was truly a blessed woman.
* * * * *
Asme was stuck in the void. Here but not. She wasn’t sure just what her mother had done to her, only that it wasn’t what was supposed to happen. Otherwise she wouldn’t be stuck in this void, feeling useless during a time of great need for her people. At least she was still able to feel and know the things that were happening in her world.
She had been lucky enough to speak with the Mystic in her dreams. Reanna. She was a beautiful girl, the perfect mate for Asme’s sons. Strength and honor resided within the girl. She would fight for what was important to her, and Asme’s sons were important to Reanna. Asme longed for the time she would be able to speak with her outside of dreams. There was much they could share with one another.
She had felt the power grow
ing inside Reanna, had felt it when she had used it. It had unfolded like a dream. Asme relived the moment of horror when Tanner had stepped in front of the Mystic, obeying what she had told them from birth. His death would have killed her. It wasn’t his fate to be the final blood sacrifice. That fate belonged to her, a duty her mother should have already carried out. Instead she was elsewhere. Not dead and yet unable to live. It was as if she were trapped in-between somewhere. But she was grateful that she could still see what was taking place in her world.
She had screamed her own rage when Tanner’s blood had soaked the earth. Had rejoiced at the power that flowed from Reanna to heal Tanner. Had taken the vow with them all that not one of her own should pay the final price that was hers alone to give. And she had marveled at the powerful unit they had all made.
It was as she had always imagined. The Guardians were a powerful force. Her niece, Alea. Her goddaughter Farrah. And the unconquerable spirits of Erika and Willow, sisters now themselves. They worked well together as if they had done it for years. Her breath had caught in her chest as she had watched them fight for the first time all together. They were exactly what the goddess had promised the people. They were the island’s salvation.
And Reanna, her daughter now, was a force all her own. She handled the elements as if she had controlled them all her life. There had been no awkward moment as she learned what she was capable of. No, it had all seemed to come naturally to her. Perhaps that was why Asme was here, in this void. To watch and witness, whispering the words in Reanna’s mind that would bring about what was needed.
But she wanted more than to witness. She needed more than this fate allowed. She needed to see this through. She needed to know that her mates had not died in vain. And more than anything she desired to join their fate. Her time here was done. She had helped prepare the way and now it was their time. The Guardians and the Mystic.
And yet she could not find a way out. And that filled her with a fear she had never truly known. If she were not there to provide the final sacrifice, just who would the goddess claim?