“You’re right. It’s crazy to think that you have only been with us, what, three days?”
“It does seem like I’ve known you all much longer than that.”
Egan tugs my hand up to his chest and covers his heart. “Could be fate, you know. Technically, you could bond with anyone, but we do believe in fated mates.”
“The Fae believe in fate? Sorry—Fennin.”
“Absolutely. Some members of Zien House have powers of prophecy and the sight. What is that, if not fate?”
“That’s true. Just look at Yunez. If I believed anyone had the sight, it would be him. So, what’s your favorite color?”
He chuckles. “Getting right into the mundane, getting–to-know-you questions, huh? It has always been blue. Blue in all its different variations, but deep, sapphire blue is my new favorite. It’s calm and bottomless, very peaceful.” He pins me with his stare and traces a thumb under my eye.
“Mine is white. I like the fact that it represents a clean slate. You know, it can be turned into any color, made into anything. That has always been appealing to me.”
“Maybe you like that philosophy as it applies to people, or you wanted it to apply to you. That you could be whoever you wanted to be. No taint or preconceived notions to sway who you were.”
“Yeah, maybe. But I do believe our past experiences help shape who we are. In some cases, it turns people bitter, and some more empathetic and compassionate. I would like to think I’m the latter. What’s your favorite food?”
“Quick change of subject there.” The mirth is clear in his voice.
“Well, ya never know when we will get this much time together while the weight and expectations of being the Mazza hang over my head. I’m getting in as many questions as I can.”
“Chicken stuffed with haggis. My mom used to make it for me.” His tone grows more serious.
“What’s haggis?” I scoot toward him and lay my head on his shoulder. Something tells me he could use the closeness right now.
I see a flash of white teeth before he responds. “I don’t want to tell you yet. Let me just make it for you sometime. I’ll tell you after you try it.”
“Ohh-kaayy.” I draw out the word. “That’s not scary at all, but fine, I’m game. Where is your mom?”
“My mom died when I was a kid. She was taken in the Thirteenth Attack.” The sorrow clinging to his words settles over me. Another lost boy, like Sage. “I won’t tell you their stories, but you should know, all four of us lost one or multiple loved ones in the attacks. I was lucky, I only lost my mother. I still have my dad and two little sisters. I want you to meet them sometime.”
I cover his heart with my palm, tracing random shapes and patterns with my fingertips. “I would love to, Egan. I wish I had family for you to meet, but it’s just me.”
“We are your family now, Issy girl. All of us. Even Sage, whether he admits it now or not. And out of all of us, I think he needs you the most.”
“He told me he lost his whole family, and the story of how he met you and Nato.”
Egan stills my hand with his. “He told you that?” He sounds baffled but a little bit hopeful too.
“Yeah. I think he was trying to explain about Lucia the night before. Anyway, that was what we were talking about before everyone came out to the porch this morning.”
“Issy girl, I know you wanted to have strong feelings for the ones you bond with, but aren’t you experiencing that with me? There is a connection between us, and I swear I can almost see it like a visible string tying the two of us together, leading from my heart to yours. Don’t you feel it?” Egan rolls over half on top of me, cocking one leg over both of mine.
The look in his eyes slays me. He’s put all of his emotions on display for my taking. I see desire, hope, affection, maybe even love.
I raise both my hands to cup his face. “Yes, Egan. I feel it. I feel it with all of you, but I’ve been so confused. I don’t come from a world where a girl takes more than one partner long term. I didn’t grow up believing in other realms or magically gifted beings. I can’t help it if I have been questioning these feelings when I have never felt anything like them before.”
“I crave you, Issy. I crave the bond, the closeness. I know in my heart that it’s you. And you do come from our world, or else you wouldn’t be the Mazza. You just didn’t grow up in it. Don’t worry about all of us. We all knew what we would one day hope to have. We love each other already and want to see each other happy. I think that’s you. You are what we need to be truly happy.”
“I don’t understand how you know that. It seems to me that you’re hanging your hat on what you think I’ll be rather than what I am.”
Egan brings my fingertips to his mouth and kisses each tip. Then he slides his nose down my temple over my ear before nuzzling my neck. “Issy girl, I know just from sitting here with you this afternoon that you are the one for us. You are strong, compassionate, and caring, even if you are unsure and confused about it all. You are the blank canvas you love so much, with the potential to be anything. And I truly believe you will be whatever you set your sights on. Don’t you see that? What does your gut tell you?”
He pulls back to meet my gaze and cracks me open in the process.
I hesitate before answering. “My gut tells me I could meet every available Caen House member out there and they wouldn’t compare to you.”
He feathers his lips over each cheek, each eyelid, the tip of my nose. “Say you will accept my bond, Issy. Nothing would make me happier or give me more peace. I can make you happy, too. Say you want me the way I want you.”
He holds his breath, waiting for my answer. Can I do this? I feel the truth Egan tells me. I believe him when he says he knows I am the one for him, and I also believe he would make me happy.
My whole life, I have ruled by reason. Reason tells me that I cannot possibly feel this way about him because it’s only been three days. In that three days, though, so much has happened. So much has been uncovered in my life.
This time I am not going to let reason rule my decisions. If magic and soul mates are real, I cannot use the same logic I have relied on until now. And my instinct says Egan is my Caen mate.
“Yes, Egan. I would like nothing better than to bind myself to you.”
Warmth and happiness suffuse his eyes as they become moist with unshed tears. The emotion on his face humbles me. It’s really hard to believe that I’m the cause of such intense emotions in Egan. I savor it.
I am making the right decision. I feel it in my bones. I wonder what he sees in my eyes? Does my love shine for him as his does for me? I hope it does. I want to give him a piece of what he is giving me right now.
Unlike Nato’s love making, Egan is slow and sensual, and takes all the time in the world.
He seduces me slowly, kissing a trail down my neck and over my collarbone. He lifts me up to remove my shirt and traces a trail over my breast with his tongue before unsnapping the front clasp. Once my breasts are free, he catches the weight of one in his hand and squeezes ever so softly. He draws the other nipple in his mouth, lazily drawing circles with his tongue.
Tantalizingly slow, he removes all my clothing, all the while running his hands with gentle possessiveness over my curves. He stops to grab handfuls of breasts, ass, hips. I love the bite of his fingers digging into my skin.
Egan makes his way down between my legs and spreads my thighs as far as they can go. He kneels between my legs and runs his nose along my slit before nuzzling my clit.
“You smell so good.” He groans and licks a path around my opening before pulling the bud into his mouth, sucking and rolling his tongue in circles. I keep my knees spread wide with my feet anchored on the blanket. His hands are constantly running up and down the inside of my thighs. He lights my nerve endings on fire. I clutch at my hair as my whole body tingles and my legs quake.
Without any warning, waves of scalding pleasure wash over me. I let out a soft moan as I come. Egan st
icks two fingers inside me, rotating as he continues to suck on my clit, helping me ride out my orgasm.
While I am coming back down, he rises and loses his own clothes. He kneels before me completely naked. His cock stands proud, long and thick, curved upwards. It bobs a little as he notices me admiring him. My lips hitch at the sight, and he does the same. He flips me over onto my knees as he lines up behind me.
He groans as he pushes inside, stretching me to accommodate his size. One arm closes over my chest, grasping one breast and pulling me upright, plastering my back to his front. His other arm crosses my hips to rub circles around the sensitive nub.
Egan straightens with me in his arms, forcing me to lean back into him. There is no space between us. He starts to thrust in earnest, squeezing me as tight as he can to his body. Our bodies grow slick with sweat as we rub and grind against each other.
“Faster,” I gasp. “Egan, please, faster.”
He rams into me harder and faster with long, steady strokes.
“God, I love your pussy.” He bites my earlobe.
I can’t take much more. I start to mew. He moves faster as I quicken around him. He brings the hand that was over my chest to his face before shoving his finger in my mouth.
I taste his blood. At the exact moment I start to suck in long pulls from his finger, he drops his mouth to the crook of my neck and bites hard. It sets me off and I come, pulsing around his huge cock. He pounds upward so hard, I know both my pussy and my wound will be sore tomorrow.
Our grunts are loud in the little tent, and our cries ring through the surrounding hills as his movements become uneven. He jerks and trembles and then pulses inside me as he empties himself.
We fall sideways, still connected. Egan pillows my head on one of his arms as he pulls a blanket over us, leaving no part of me uncovered. He closes me tightly in his embrace and sighs into my hair, nuzzling my neck. He’s thinking hard right now; I can hear it. That was soul shattering, and a part of me wants to never leave our little tent. Life is simple here in this moment. I desperately want to know if this was everything he built it up to be in his head, and if that’s what he is thinking about.
“Sleep, Love. I’ll know if there is trouble.” He sounds as thoroughly wrung out as I feel. Closing my eyes, I fall asleep in Egan’s arms, still connected to him in the most intimate way.
LIGHT RAINDROPS PING against the tarp. I hear the rain pelting the leaves on the trees around us, the sound so soothing. I love the smell of rain when you are out in the storm. Reminds me of when I was a little girl, curled up on the porch swing with a blanket to experience the storms as they passed through. In the dim light, I can barely see the branches sway with the force of the rain. It will be dark soon.
Egan’s arms are still tight around me, his breathing deep and steady as it skates across the nape of my neck. I scoot backward and rock my hips into his while I lace our hands together, pulling him tighter against me.
Egan mumbles something unintelligible but flexes into me anyway. At some point while we were sleeping, we lost the intimate connection. As his growing erection slides between my butt cheeks, I can’t help but grin wickedly.
I think of everything we’ve done today, and I’m only at peace. No regrets.
“What are you doing, naughty girl?” Egan brushes kisses along my shoulder with light love bites.
“Just waking you up. You don’t like my methods?” I spin in his arms and throw one of my legs around his waist, hooking my foot behind his knee.
“I approve one hundred percent and give you permission anytime you want wake me up this way.” He rolls us until I’m on top, straddling him, and he guides himself into me. I sit back until I fully seat myself, our mutual sighs the only sound we make.
This time our coupling is much different. Egan sets a brutal pace as he bucks under me and squeezes my hips in a bruising grip. He bounces me on top of him and grinds his pelvis into mine.
By the time we each reach completion, he is sitting up. I lay my head on his shoulder, trying to catch my breath. What I end up doing is laughing quietly.
“What’s so funny, little one?” Egan rubs my back in long strokes.
“Nothing, really. Just thinking about how boring and lonely my existence has been until you all dropped into my life. And how much I really enjoy your company.” I snicker.
“Just my company?”
“Stop fishing for compliments. You know I enjoyed our time today, any way we spend time together.” I lean back and feel myself leaking on top of him. I grimace. That’s two rounds of our juices running out right now.
He gives a boisterous laugh. “What’s wrong, Issy girl? You aren’t a prude are you? I don’t mind getting a little wet. In fact, you should stay exactly where you are while we eat.”
He reaches back and drags the picnic basket over to us.
“I have sandwiches and fruit. I didn’t have a lot of time since I was trying to steal you away.”
We eat while we’re still joined, only I link my legs around his waist and he cradles me against his thighs. He wasn’t kidding. This intimacy makes him ecstatic, if the light in his eyes is anything to go by. You would think someone told him he would get his top wish granted every day for the rest of his life.
We talk about everything and nothing, as long as it has nothing to do with being Mazza and why one has appeared now. Keeping it light and easy, sharing laughs and profound moments in our life, makes this easily one of the best days in my life.
If I didn’t love him already, there is no way I wouldn’t have fallen for him during this time together.
It’s pretty late when we finally head back. I’m actually excited to get back to the house so I can inspect his mark. This one I have never seen on myself due to the location, and I didn’t think about it until it was too dark.
He swings our joined hands in wide arcs as we approach the cabin. It causes me to giggle again—he makes me feel like we’re teenagers who snuck out to grab some alone time. I see a flash of white as he smiles at me in the dark.
This right here, this is what I have been missing for most of my life. Where were they when I was a pimply teen with zero self confidence? I could definitely have benefited from having them in my life. Assuming they would have wanted me back then.
I stumble over the threshold of the cabin while still laughing. Egan’s pretty loud too, laughing while trying to catch me from falling over. If I saw us, I would think we were drunk. But nope, no alcohol, just drunk on our carefree time together. I feel much lighter than I have in a long time.
I pull up short at the sight of all three remaining guys silhouetted in the dark living room.
“Creepy much?” Egan says as he ushers me into the room. Someone flicks on the corner lamp, and it bathes the room in a warm yellow glow.
Nato has taken a position in the old leather chair. That doesn’t surprise me, as he is the unofficial leader. He appears pretty content with our state as we come in. Also unsurprising, as he is lobbying for the bond completion. It bothers him, I think, what Yunez said about me not gaining any powers until I have four complete bonds.
Jari is stretched out on the couch, arms crossed over his chest with one leg still on the floor. He also looks happy if a little eager. Strange.
Sage sits rigidly in the loveseat. He looks uncomfortable, with his hands gripping the edges of the cushion on either side of his legs. His expression, though, is completely blank.
I angle my head back to see Egan, and what I see there busts me up. Still high on my giggle-inducing endorphins, I belt out one loud guffaw. Egan looks sated, like the cat that got the cream and then some. He is sending out a beaming smile so bright, we don’t need the lamp anymore.
After my outburst, Egan sets the picnic basket down. He is so elated he just can’t help it. He scoops me up and spins me around, not letting me go until he devours me right there in the living room. He doesn’t just set me down afterward, either; he plops me down in Nato’s lap and then whips
off his shirt, showing his back to everyone.
They probably had their suspicions from the way he was carrying on, but this lays any questioning to rest. It’s not very bright in the room, but you can see the bright, teal-blue mark right above his shoulder blade. Maybe about the size of a dime and similar in shape to a paw print, except the little toe marks are all connected to the pad. He glances over his shoulder, eyes sparkling.
“Looks nice, right?” No way he can see it, but you would never know that from his comment.
“You lucky fucker. I’m so jealous.” Jari stands up to give Egan a hug with a man pat on the back before pointing at me. “Tomorrow is my day.” He waggles his eyebrows. He comes to me and kisses my temple before stopping at my ear. “Really though, congrats.”
Nato underneath me has snaked his arm around my middle and pulled me backward.
“Two down! Two more bonds to go.” This makes me stiffen and send a glare over my shoulder.
Damn. He knows how to kill a good mood.
“You make bonding sound as if it’s a chore list to be checked off.”
Nato gives me an indulgent twist of the lips as his eyes grow soft. “No, beautiful. It’s no chore, and I highly doubt Egan felt bonding to you was a chore either.” He presses his lips to mine.
“He’s totally right, sweets. This will be no chore for me if you accept my bond. The only one who might feel that way is Sage over there.” Jari ribs Sage with a sharp grin, lifting one eyebrow. “Right, Sage?”
Sage’s face turns red, and he fists his hands. I can tell from the shifting of his jaw that he’s gritting his teeth hella hard.
“You’re a jackass, man,” Sage spits out.
“What’s the deal? Why are you picking on Sage, Jari?” I lean forward, but I’m immediately pulled back into Nato again.
Nato lets out a deep frustrated sigh. “They have been at it ever since you left for your picnic. Jari can’t get over that Sage just left you there when he had you laid out like that.” He leans in to whisper for my ears only. “I think he is a little jealous, too.”
Marks of the Mazza: Reverse Harem (Mazza Series Book 1) Page 12