by Jaime Marks
Demytria nodded silently. There was some rivalry between the two females over Cymeryn. It was strange to consider with the current state of things. Cymeryn loved only Reyana, and Demytria’s heart belonged only to Kato, yet she couldn’t seem to let the rivalry with Tatyna go.
The last of the Shadows fell and Cymeryn absorbed the last of the Darkness returning the dungeon to its previous brightened state. “We need to meet and prepare. Their next move will be drastic. Staryana will be awakened Gray, and his hold will be severely diminished, but there will always be Darkness in her. The hold will never be broken and he will not rest until he has her.”
“Demytria and Kato will begin preparations. We need to first get you back in balance my brother. Your rage is still coursing through you,” Marcus reasoned.
“I will be fine and your wounds are already healed from our joint efforts. There are more important things to see to,” he snapped in frustration.
“Perhaps, but I believe our Queen would disagree and need I remind you the state things are between you already.” It was a low blow but Cymeryn’s mood was toxic. He needed to get away and clear his head. “She would insist on seeing you and discussing this before it progresses.”
He shot him a glare knowing full well the extent of his thoughts but reluctantly nodded. “First we check to ensure there are no hidden surprises. Alayne is nothing if not artful.”
Chapter 12
He stared down into her beautiful, hazel eyes. They almost seemed to have taken on diamond flecks and they shimmered as she gazed at him with that seductive smile. Byryn had taken her over the edge several times, each time driving her higher. He wanted to wash away all the pain, all the nightmares she had about herself, and he fully intended to do so.
Each touch, each kiss, seemed to be strengthening the connection between he and Staryana and they hadn’t even joined yet. The pulses of essence were alternating between Light and Dark now and they were almost a steady flow. Once they reached that peak he would take her, allowing their essence to merge completely and irrevocably. She would be his.
He teased her, slowly sliding the length of his sex against her pressing the blunt tip of himself gently against her core on occasion as he relished in the way it caused her body to arc off the bed as she gasped and moaned. “You like that, baby?” He whispered in her ear.
“God Byryn,” she moaned urgently pushing up against him.
He chuckled as he kissed and bit at her throat. He wanted to drink from her, to taste her but the thought of marring her beautiful skin was too much. She pulled him down into a passionate kiss and her essence flowed passed his lips. Hearing his thoughts she had bit the inside of her lip open for him and he drew her lip gently into his mouth as he savored in the flavor of her. It nearly drove him over the edge and he had to hold himself back a moment as he realized the tip of him was pushing against her, slightly penetrating her.
It didn’t matter. He could feel the wave coming and he knew by the way it built in her it was time. He bit the inside of his own lip open allowing some of his blood to pool in his mouth and kissed her passionately as he pushed slowly into her. She moaned into their kiss, drinking him in, as the full length of his sex filled her core. He pulled back keeping them engaged as he bit back on his needs. This wasn’t about him, it was her first time and she was awakening. He needed to take care of her first.
“You ok, baby?” He whispered kissing her head.
“Please Byryn, don’t stop,” she urged in a plaintive demand.
The restraint in him snapped as the peak of her awakening drove both of them higher and he began to move inside her. It was slow and passionate at first but it quickly took on a hunger neither of them could control. Her legs wrapped around him as she met his thrusts and he drove her harder kissing her body randomly as he rocked into her. He took her breast into his mouth suckling as her nails drove into his back. The gentle quiver that ran through her took him over the edge and they went over together riding it and each other. He moaned out her name in sheer ecstasy.
Their essences merged and a profound connection formed allowing them to feel everything the other felt. The love, the passion, the pleasure and the joy overwhelmed him and he kissed her deeply as he began to move inside of her once more. This had been why he had made her wait. This moment of sheer perfection between them. He had never felt anything as sublime as her touch. There had never been anything that drove him higher. She was his eternally and nothing could change that now.
He leaned back and reached between them working her delicate folds as he thrust into her relishing in her moan and the echo it sent through him. He took her to that edge before lifting her hips so he could delve deeper into her as he took her over, the pleasure she felt nearly as overwhelming as her love. It took him with her and his head kicked back in a roar as she cried out in bliss.
He all but collapsed onto her, kissing her body as her hands ran over him. “I love you, Staryana. Always.”
She drew his face to hers, “I love you too, Byryn, now and forever.”
They kissed as the wave began to ebb off. She hadn’t gone through nearly the pain he had when her awakening peaked, and he was grateful. He wanted to see her fully, to know how her body had changed, but his muscles were as fatigued as hers were so he simply rolled onto his side taking her with him and drew the sheet up over them in case anyone decided to stop by unannounced.
“Byryn, baby? Will you look at me a sec?” She murmured running a hand through his hair.
“What is it, brightness?” He asked looking to her taking in the way her eyes almost seemed brighter with the diamond like flecks that remained in them.
She touched his face besides his eyes. “Your eyes, baby. They’re so beautiful,” she whispered.
He looked at her puzzled as he reached into her trying to see what she was. They were a deep blue with the same diamond flecks. Being with her like this, connected so intensely had changed him in some way. He kissed her deeply. “Nowhere near as beautiful as you, baby.”
She looked around in concern suddenly. “Byryn, is this room masked?”
He turned to study the walls taking note of the seals. What had happened? There hadn’t been any shielding in place when Cymeryn was here. “Yeah, baby. It is.” He reached down and pulled the quilt up and drew it closely around her neck. “I know you need to rest, but I think we need to know what’s going on and I don’t want to leave you.”
She nodded. “I’m covered, Byryn, it’s alright. I understand.”
Marcus and Cymeryn formed at the foot of her bed. Marcus scowled at him a moment but eased as he sensed her. Cymeryn on the other hand didn’t look to either of them. He appeared to be fighting rage within himself. They both looked battle worn. Their robes were frayed and singed in places, Marcus had obviously taken a hit to the thigh and the sludgy remnants of Shadows spotted Cymeryn’s robes giving off a putrid stench that Byryn would never mistake. It was the sickly, sweet smell of rotting flesh with a hint of sulfur that burned the nostrils. There was nothing else that stank like that.
“Oh my god, what is that smell?” Star gagged drawing the quilt over her nose.
“Shadows,” Byryn replied quietly watching the twins. “What happened? Why is the room masked?”
Cymeryn met his gaze with Darkness swirling in his eyes. Something had him on edge. Marcus rested a hand on his shoulder and shook his head as they seemed to reach some sort of agreement. It pissed him off because he needed to know what the threat to his mate was and his position as head of the Personal Guard meant he should be informed, but he already knew they wouldn’t tell him until later.
He turned to them with a warm smile. “Everything’s alright now. There was an issue, but you two should just remain here and enjoy one another. There will be time to deal with the rest after you have rested.”
Cymeryn nodded. “It pleases me greatly to see you have worked out your differences. Allow us to handle things, Byryn. It is our purpose. Everything is under cont
rol.”
Staryana blushed a moment and he couldn’t help but smile. As much as he felt like he should deal with this, she was his priority. As he kissed her he knew it didn’t matter if the rest of the castle fell around him, he wasn’t leaving this bed anytime soon.
“Alright,” he finally conceded running a hand through his hair. “What time is it though? I have no concept.” It embarrassed him to admit he’d been so completely distracted, but his brightness was perfection and her pleasure and love had been his only thought. Nothing else had mattered in those moments.
Marcus chuckled glancing at his watch. “It’s already six, but none of us have had meal yet. I will have Haylia ready the hall in about an hour.” He smirked glancing up at them, “We don’t necessarily expect you, of course. Haylia can always bring something to your chambers.”
Before they could say anything they were gone. Staryana shook her head but the peaceful smile remained on her lips. “I wonder if they realize how annoying that is.”
“Oh, I’m sure they do. It’s quickly becoming their way of ending conversations and arguments they don’t want to discuss further. It’s annoying as hell.” He nodded pulling her onto his chest as he lay back. “Do you want to go to dinner tonight, baby? I’m good either way.”
She gave him a devilish look. “I haven’t decided yet,” she murmured as she climbed onto him grinding against his sex. His head kick back in a groan as he reveled in the feel of her. She kissed his chest, her hands running over his body.
There were no more restrictions between them. She was his and he was hers. He didn’t have to stop her now and it was clear she was going to take full advantage of her new found freedom. He couldn’t wait.
Running a hand through her hair he pulled her into a kiss. “Take me, baby. I’m yours,” he whispered in her ear. “You can explore me any way you want.”
She bit his lip drawing in his essence and he restrained himself giving her complete control. It took everything he had not to take over but he knew she needed this. She took him into her core and he groaned in pleasure at the feel of her as she worked his sex. He watched her body rock, the gentle bounce of her breasts, the wave of her hips curving as she slowly moved on his hard length; it drove him right to the edge. He ran his hands up over her legs and hips and when he couldn’t take it anymore he gripped her hips thrusting up into her over and over until they both crested in a wave of sheer pleasure.
She collapsed onto his chest and he wrapped his arms around her kissing her head. “I don’t want to wait, baby. I want to complete the rituals as soon as we’re able.” As far as he was concerned she’d been his from the moment he’d met her and they’d waited long enough. No more wasting time.
She lifted her head to look at him and he pulled her up kissing her deeply before releasing her so she could speak. “I love you, Byryn. Whenever you want.” She kissed him back before laying her head back against him. “We can probably complete the ritual Friday if that’s not too soon.”
He chuckled, “Not nearly soon enough, but it’ll work.”
He knew when they left this room the chaos of their world was waiting. In this moment, however, everything was peaceful perfection. He couldn’t believe it was just a few hours ago that he felt as if his heart was ripping out. Now they were so strongly bound there was nothing that could come between them and he would spend the rest of his existence making sure nothing ever did.
Reyana roused slowly as the stead she lay against gently nudged her with its muzzle. They were here, both of them, watching her rest. They were both in an odd mixture of emotions but Cymeryn was suffering. The distance between them cut him like a knife, his heart bleeding from a wound only she could heal, but there was more. Something had happened and now that wound had amplified laced with the guilt and pain of failure and loss.
She sat up and looked at him. As angry as she was she couldn’t bear the pain that he was feeling, or that she was adding to it. She reached out her essence to him and saw his brow raise but he merely got up and came to her. Marcus nodded to her with a small smile, he hated the distance between she and Cymeryn. She had to laugh under her breathe at how odd a realization that was and the volumes that spoke of how much the connections between the three of them had strengthened over just the last few days.
“Not still angry with me, love?” Cymeryn asked carefully as he sat by her. He reached out tentatively and stroked the unicorn that still lay aside of her.
“Oh, I’m more than angry with you, Cymeryn, but I can’t bear the pain I feel in you or that I’ve caused part of it,” she replied.
He met her eyes. “I am sorry, Reyana. I knew you would be upset but I did not realize it would hurt you so much. I just wanted to avoid the argument I knew we would have when I came to see you before I left. You did not want me to take on that mission and it was something I very much needed to do.”
She looked away a moment. “You don’t even get it.” Not that it helped that she was purposefully blocking him, but this was something she expected him to understand on his own. It almost hurt worse that he didn’t. “You left me again, without saying a word. I realize you were just coming back in a few hours but anything can happen. What if Alayne had captured you and you were gone for years? Then to top it off you almost died, Cymeryn. Whatever actually happened out there, I almost lost you forever and you didn’t even say goodbye to me before you left.” Tears streamed down her face as sobs slowly wracked through her. She was trying to hold the tidal wave of emotion back but it was spilling over.
“Hey, hey…” He pulled her to him, holding her close in the strong arms of his embrace, his essence washing over her. “Reyana, I am alright. I am here, love. I promised you we would be bonded and I would never miss that. I would never miss the birth of our young. I am so sorry I hurt you this way, that I scared you.”
“It’s what you did last time, Cymeryn. You left without a word and it was years before I even knew if you were alright. You never said goodbye. I just thought you didn’t care.” It all spilled out; the pain and fear from today, the loss and pain from so long ago. A wound she thought she had long since moved on from torn wide open merging with the one he’d created today.
He pulled back meeting her eyes and kissed her head. “Oh Rey, I am so sorry. I did not even consider…” He trailed off shaking his head with tears brimming his eyes. “It will never happen again. I will not ever allow anything to keep me from you and if I do leave I promise you I will always come to you.”
She nodded unable to form words but she needed him, needed to feel him. He met her gaze with a coy smile drawing her face close to his. “You do not need words for that, my love. You never need to even ask. I am yours, always. I told you before, you have only to take what you want and I would never deny you.”
He kissed her roughly with a need and hunger that matched her own and she melted into him. She gripped his robes and ripped them open breaking the clasp and he growled into her as he took her to the ground. He had somehow untied the knot at her side, pulling her gown open and his hand ran over the sheathing she wore underneath, roughly massaging her as his sex pressed against her through his pants. He sat back his eyes raking over her a moment before he reached down and tore the sheathing from her body.
His mouth captured her breast as he kissed and suckled at her nipple before taking it between his teeth a moment and she arced against him. She knew he wouldn’t break the skin, wouldn’t drink from her no matter how much he wanted to. The pregnancy kept him restrained. He was so worried about the strain all this had put on her.
Suddenly she felt his length press against her folds sliding against her and she wrapped her legs around him. She could feel his pants and almost had to giggle. Cymeryn always completely disrobed before he took her. He was always in control of himself but he was so lost he had simply slid his silks off his ass enough to grant himself access to her.
He pulled back meeting her with a mischievous grin as he thrust the full length of his sex r
oughly into her relishing in her gasping moan. He rocked into her again and again taking her mouth passionately as they crested over. When he drew back from her he smirked. “Just because I do not fully disrobe, does not mean I do not have control my love. It just means my hunger for you surpasses my need to undress.” He rolled onto his back taking her with him.
Marcus’ hands ran over her back and sides, sliding the gown and fabric off of her and she gasped in surprise. She hadn’t felt him approach and Cymeryn chuckled at her reaction as he leaned up kissing and biting her neck, slowly making his way to her breast. Marcus kissed her neck and shoulder, one hand on her hip, the other gently caressing her other breast as he slid into her from behind and they thrust into her in unison. She moaned at the feel of them moving inside of her. She leaned back against Marcus, reaching up and pulling his head to her neck where he bit and suckled her. Cymeryn reached down working her delicate folds as they rocked into her, watching her raptly. It took her right to the edge.
Marcus murmured in her ear as their rhythm slowed. “Tell us, Reya. Let me hear you.”
“Please,” she moaned in plaintive need, “please Marcus, Cymeryn, god I need you.”
They both thrust roughly into her quickening their pace and driving her until the three of them crested over the edge together. She collapsed onto Cymeryn, panting as she caught her breath. He ran a hand through her hair as Marcus kissed over her back before withdrawing from her core.
They rolled her on her side cradling her between them. She laid back and they both leaned down kissing her stomach, running their hands over her belly as their essence flowed through her to their young inside. When Marcus sat back he brushed the hair from her face and kissed her softly.
“There are some things we should discuss, love,” he spoke softly as she looked up at him and Cymeryn rolled onto his side leaning on his elbow watching her.