Water's Mark - Cancer

by Rachael Slate

  “What now?” She cradled his head, peering at him.

  He glanced upward, curving his lips mischievously. “Now, I make you mine.”

  The air in Cyane’s lungs stilled and, for a moment, she became so lost in Theron’s stormy eyes, she forgot how to breathe. As her body seized command, she inhaled shakily, weakness already spreading to her legs. Since his heart had opened, it seemed Theron’s love crashed through her in a raging torrent.

  She’d never experienced such devotion, and part of her wasn’t sure how to contain it. But then, their love was like a tempest—whipping them about in its passionate embrace—and never meant to be tempered.

  They’d both spent too long waiting for this.

  She smiled at him, caressing his face in her hands and brushing her thumbs across his cheeks. “I never knew anyone could, and so, my love, I’m eagerly awaiting your attempts.”

  Those firm lips curved wickedly, and Theron pressed them to her skin, trailing a sensuous path toward her core. At her opening, he nipped and licked, teasing her bud with his mouth, until her desire beat a steady drum within her pulse.

  As she was about to sink to her knees and pleasure him in return, he leapt to his feet, clinched his arms around her bottom, and hefted her over his shoulder. “Ah, Theron?”

  In reply, he gave her a quick slap. “The next chamber is calling us.”

  “Oh, is it? Perhaps I can walk there.” She huffed, upside down and staring into the water.

  He grunted and passed through the shimmering opening, which closed behind them. Wisps of steam floated about this cavern and the walls glowed with a blue luminescence. The water deepened, ebbing around his waist. Instead of setting her on her feet, Theron shifted her in his arms, pressing her back to the cavern’s rock wall and wrapping her legs about his neck. Then he continued plundering her with his tongue.

  Cyane opened her mouth to protest, but only moans and whimpers escaped her. Finally, he lifted his head, smirking at her. Aha. “Is this how Karkinos men compel their women into submission?” Through endless rapture.

  “That depends.” He traced his fingers across her bud. “Is it working?”

  She squirmed, but with his brawny arms caging her in, she had little chance of escaping. His large palm spread upward, fanning across her breast, and her body melted into his, unable to resist this connection.

  His fingertips lit sparks across her skin, igniting everywhere they went. The hardened edges of his smooth, rippling muscles and massively broad shoulders were no match for her nymph instincts. She writhed against him. “Let me touch you, too.”

  “Not. Yet.” He nipped at her inner thigh. “Mayhap, in the next cavern.”

  Ugh. “Hard-headed male.”

  “Aye, and trust me, you’ll be grateful soon enough that something else of mine is hard as well.”

  Theron backed from the wall, his hands sliding beneath her bottom as he lowered her along his body, wrapping her legs about his waist. The long rigid width of him bobbed against her in the water. She reached backward to grasp him, but Theron snatched her hand. “You know, Karkinos females are quite obedient creatures. They never raise their voices, never disobey their male’s commands, never engage their sassy tongues.”

  “Humph. Well, I’m no Karkinos female.” Theron had better not expect such behavior from her.

  “Mmm.” He nuzzled her breasts. “I knew there was a reason I liked you best.”

  “Best?” she squeaked.

  “Oh, aye.” Theron raised his face to glint those intense, stormy pools at her. “The elders tossed every female they could at me, to convince me not to mate outside of our people. You have to forgive them,” he pinched the bridge of his nose, “they mean well; they’ve just never had to reconsider possibilities. It’s going to take time for them to adjust.”

  She nodded, having already accepted this. They were breaking centuries of tradition by mating each other. Besides, she was a nymph living amongst centaurs. She was used to fighting for inclusion. Nothing she couldn’t manage. “What about these females? Hmm? Did none spark your fancy?”

  “Well…” He cocked his head. “One did have a lovely bosom.”

  She choked on her breath and, finding it again, shoved at his shoulder. “Theron.” She narrowed her gaze at him, but the mischief in his quirked lips and the chuckle rumbling in his chest revealed his jesting.

  “She was pretty.” He shrugged, then pinned his stare on her, intensity flashing in his grin. “But none could ever compare to you. Don’t ever doubt my undying devotion and longing for you.”

  “Oh, I won’t.” She wrapped her arms about his neck, triumphant. “Because after tonight, you won’t belong to anyone but me.”

  Theron growled low at Cyane’s declaration of possession. Sweet gods, he’d never wanted anything more. The flow of water slicked their bodies together, but before he had a chance to sample her again, another shimmering Portal opened.

  They’d passed this test. Time for the next cavern.

  Wading through the Portal, Theron emerged into a mesmerizing cave. The water didn’t flow around his chest, instead, it tunneled through the entire expanse, as though they were trapped inside a wave.

  He clutched Cyane for a moment before relaxing. The wave didn’t crash down on them. Curiously, the water flowed upward, along the walls, across the ceiling, and down the opposite wall, in an endless vortex.

  Tradition stated they weren’t to be informed of what lay inside these caverns, except for the last. Because emerging from that one, well, truly was a test of life or death.

  He pressed forward. It was time to commence the mating process. His eager cock could hardly wait.

  “It’s breathtaking.” Cyane arched her neck to scan around them.

  “Nay, you are what steals my breath.” He caressed her cheek, drawing her attention to him. “I wish you to know, even if the gods hadn’t chosen to bond us, I would still have given you my heart.”

  Her lips curved in a soft smile. “I know, because mine was always yours.”

  Elation puffed his chest and he swept forward to seize her mouth. He gripped the back of her head, controlling their kiss, and kicked to swim toward the edge of the walls. With his back pressed to the stone and the wave cascading upward around them, he positioned Cyane onto his lap. She settled atop him, straddling above his rigidness.

  Theron snared her hips, holding her steady. “As soon as we do this, there’s no going back. Not for me.” Because, though the bonding would seal his devotion to Cyane, she might yet find pleasure with another male.

  She stroked her finger down his cheek. “Not for me, either, my love.”

  His pulse thrummed rapidly. This was what he’d wished for—to belong with someone—and all he’d never dreamed he’d seize. He feathered his lips to hers, pressing down on her hips until her tight, hot sheath enveloped him. Once joined, he paused, his chest heaving and heart pounding. They bent their foreheads together, and he cradled her cheek in his palm. “Now, Soteira,” he murmured, “we are one.”

  The frenzy seized them both. Cyane drove forward, undulating her hips and claiming his mouth. She rocked harder, faster, as though unable to move enough to sate her lust.

  An effect of these waters. Enchanted for the breeding and mating ceremonies, they captured the couples submerged within in their unrelenting grasp.

  If he didn’t maintain a clear head through this, they might never emerge on the other side. The entire process was a test. If he found his release with Cyane in this chamber, he’d be deemed unworthy. Only once on the other side, in the fourth cavern, could he spill himself inside her.

  That damned Portal hadn’t yet opened.

  What more did this ritual demand of them? Hadn’t they declared their bond as unbreakable?

  “Theron,” she slammed her hips into his. “I want all of you.” She clawed at his chest, and he sensed her nymph powers rising to attack. She was falling victim to the waters and, bloody hell, he wouldn’t be able to r
esist her charms if she employed them.

  “Cyane, listen to me.” He clasped both of her arms in one hand and stilled her hips with his other. “Easy, love.” She thrashed about, whipping her head, but he held firm. “If you lash your powers at me, I won’t be able to do this. We must fight, together. Remember?” He gritted his teeth, struggling for control. It took everything within him not to surrender what she demanded. His ballocks were ready to burst, but he rose above his urges.

  “Mmm,” she purred and leaned forward to lick his neck. He groaned, his eyes shuttering and his length twitching.

  “Theron?” Slowly, she shifted back, blinking at him. “What if the cavern demands not my surrender, but yours?”

  That couldn’t be possible, and yet…

  She twirled her fingertips along his chest, drawing out indescribable pleasure that cascaded through his senses. He rumbled, encouraging her exploration. His nature wasn’t to allow others control, especially not of himself, yet she was right. He had to trust her, if he ever hoped to be worthy of her trust.

  She withdrew from his lap, her hands roaming across the breadth of his shoulders, down his abdomen, her small mewls of appreciation making him reconsider this.

  He held steady, and soon her fingers met his shaft. She wrapped her hand about him, pumping gently, then more forcefully. He threw back his head, jaw clenched tight, as he reveled in the moment and the sensation of her touch.

  Suddenly, the next Portal opened, its shimmering glow casting soft beams of light across them. Cyane whirled about and he draped his arm around her. “Well,” he swallowed thickly, “it’s time. Are you ready?”

  She spun to face him and perched a hand on her hip. “I’ve never been more ready.”

  Cyane slipped her hand inside Theron’s and tugged him toward the Portal.

  “Wait, love.” He halted her, peering intently. “There’s something you should know about that cavern.”

  “What is it?” Nothing they would face could dissuade her from this determination to bond with Theron.

  “There’s no air.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. “It’s under water. Entirely. You’ll not be able to breathe, nor will I.” His intense stare fell across her. “One breath is all we’ll have. If we breach the surface before we’ve finished the mating…”

  One chance. They had to get this right, or they’d spend the rest of their lives not being bonded. She refused to accept that. Squeezing Theron’s hand, she nodded firmly. “You’ve stolen my breath since the moment I first met you, Theron. This won’t be any different.”

  A rumble vibrated in his throat and he towed her close. “I was hoping you’d declare as much. Shall we, nymph?”

  Climbing him, she wrapped her legs around his waist, positioning his length at her entrance. She flung her arms around his neck and pressed a heated kiss to his mouth. “Yes.”

  He growled once before wading toward the Portal. As he crossed through it, he thrust inside her. They both seized in deep inhalations and, on the other side, the water submerged them completely.

  The air strained in her lungs, but she clung to Theron, willing his shaft to pump inside her, bringing them both closer to ecstasy. The torrent of passions pulsed through her and, as her lungs burned, she sensed her climax claiming her. Cyane released her breath, bubbling, and cried out at the flash of heat capturing her. Theron’s release followed right behind hers and he roared into the water while his seed spilled into her.

  Cyane clung to him, his steel arms framing her against his broad chest. His hips stilled, no longer thrusting into her, and he kicked to the surface.

  She gasped and choked, crisp air spreading through her lungs. Draped around Theron, she hummed at his damp locks and flushed features.

  He was simply magnificent.

  He was her mate.

  Theron winked at her, but suddenly grimaced. “Argh.” He rubbed his upper left bicep, where a thin black band emerged around his flesh. Then he flashed her a wicked grin. “This means you’re mine, Cyane.”

  “No, my love.” She pressed a claiming kiss to his lips. “That means you’re mine.”

  His chest rumbled, his thickness hardening once more against her. “Do you think the elders will care if we don’t vacate this pool just yet?”

  She laughed, shaking her head at him. “Probably. You know how they are with their rules.”

  “Oh, aye. So rigid.”

  “Hmm, yes.” She nipped at his lips. “Especially their leader.”

  “Well, fortunately for him, I hear he’s bonded to a most wondrous female. Her fluidity will surely temper his rigidness.” He rubbed against her. “Well, most of it.”

  She laughed and tossed her head. “Unhand me, you beast.”

  “Nay,” he clutched her tighter. “I can never let you go.”

  She nuzzled her face against his neck. “Good, because I won’t ever let you go, either.”

  Epilogue

  Theron fastened the last button on his shirt, setting his shoulders and attempting to calm the crashing waves in his gut. This was the day he’d long awaited. His people were restored and his mate stood proudly at his side.

  Now, it was time to join their families.

  Cyane spoke often of her brothers, and he felt as though he’d already met them. In truth, they knew not a thing about him. Not that he’d soon unite his people with theirs, offering his support in their coming war.

  Nor that he’d soon occupy their lands.

  Certainly not that he’d mated their younger sister.

  He clenched his jaw, striving to calm his nerves.

  “Easy, love.” Cyane clapped him on the shoulder and they strode from the tunnel. “They’ll accept you. Eventually.”

  At her teasing tone, he spun around and scooped her into his arms. “Minx.”

  “Well,” she chimed a laugh, “unfortunately, it’s true. I warned you they were overbearing brutes. But then, you should have much in common.”

  “I’ll show you overbearing,” he growled, backing her against a tree trunk and skimming his hand inside her breeches. His fingers slid across her silky flesh; she moaned and arched her spine. “Just what I was hoping for.”

  Her slickness on his fingers, he withdrew from her, pressed his hand to his lips, and dipped his fingers in his mouth, savoring her taste.

  “That’s not fair.”

  “Nay, and neither is making me hard when I’m about to meet your brother for the first time.”

  “Ooooh, forgive me.” Her laugh rang in his ears and she twirled from his grasp, transforming from woman to liquid, to woman again, reappearing behind him. “Though I can’t say I regret it.”

  He whipped about, but she was already gone, her sparkling stream floating through the trees. Damn, when he caught her…

  Right. He shook his head and drained his arousal. Brother.

  Theron followed, drawing aside a leafy branch to peek into the meadow. Cyane transformed into her human shape once again, and another form condensed before her. The ethereal haze shone like the stars at night, twinkling in a midst of inky clouds. As it settled, the shape formed not into a man, but into an imposing centaur. His burnished mahogany hide glinted in the sunlight and, combined with his wild and unruly locks, lent him an air of both majesty and unpredictability. The enormous male closed Cyane in his brawny embrace.

  Theron cleared his throat and stepped from the trees. The male shifted in front of Cyane, but she pressed a hand to his arm and declared, “It’s all right, Rhoetus. He’s with me.”

  He angled his head toward her brother. “I am Theron, leader of the Karkinos, and I have come to offer you my army.”

  “Cyane?” Rhoetus twisted to her, one brow cocked. “You were supposed to be safely home, not recruiting questionable mercenaries.”

  “I can assure you my intentions are entirely honorable.” Theron strode forward, hand raised in peace.

  “Oh, don’t listen to
him. He’s definitely questionable.” Cyane smirked. “And he’s also my mate.”

  Rhoetus’s jaw dropped before a snarl formed on his lips and he lunged toward Theron.

  Cyane had anticipated him, and she erected a wall of water between them, which Rhoetus smacked straight into. He stumbled backward, hand to his jaw, wincing. “What in Hades, Cyane?” He thundered at her, casting Theron suspicious glowers with his mismatched eyes.

  “You’re not the only one with a stake in this, Rhoetus.” She propped her hands on her hips and glared at the formidable centaur towering above her. Theron couldn’t help chuckling. Nothing intimidated his mate.

  “Now, let’s try this again.” Cyane dismissed the wall and waved for Theron to step closer. Trusting her, he did. “Rhoetus, my brother, meet Theron, my mate.”

  Theron extended his hand to the male, and belligerently, Rhoetus seized his hand, clasping with a vice-like grip.

  Yet Theron was Karkinos, and no one had a firmer grasp than he. He squeezed right back, until the male scowled and released his hand, shaking it out at his side. “A pleasure. Cyane has often spoken about you and your brothers. I am very much looking forward to our alliance.”

  “Wish I could say the same,” Rhoetus grated.

  Theron set his shoulders with confidence. “One day, you will.” He winked at Cyane. “She’s too stubborn to accept otherwise.”

  “On that we can agree.” Rhoetus barked a laugh. “So, what’s this about an army?”

  “Karkinos warriors. A legion of them, at your service.” Theron bowed.

  “In exchange, I’m offering them my lands, as their home,” Cyane murmured, glancing to him. “As our home.”

  Theron cupped her chin and gazed into those lovely depths. “Aye, as our home.”

  “Well, little sister, I must say, I’m impressed.” Rhoetus scratched his jaw, his mismatched eyes narrowing in calculation. “A legion, you say?”

  “Aye,” Theron grinned, “and we’re ready to knock that false King right off his throne.”