Forbidden: an Adult Paranormal Witch Romance: Othala Witch Collection (Sector 12)

by Shannon Eckrich

  More than anything, I believed him. It wasn’t the eyes that made me aware of this, it was the energy. His energy and mine, entwining together, so perfectly, passionately, that I knew we were meant to be together.

  His mouth melted into mine, his tongue parting my lips, easing all the tension and replacing it with a yearning so deep warmth spread through my entirety. The tip of Seth’s hardness pressed up against my wetness, and his kiss grew in intensity. I had found myself floating on that cloud again, and with each taste, each touch, I flew higher and higher.

  When he entered my tightness, my body tensed in response to the sudden burst of pain. Seth held my head in his hands tightly, his forehead pressed against mine, before sliding all the way in. With his slow and gentle movements, it didn’t take long for my walls to adjust to his width or the shock of his length. The feeling inside me was surreal. A feeling I’d never knew existed. A feeling threatening to release the madness I’d fought so hard to contain.

  He rocked my body harder, his length going deeper with every thrust of his hips. But it still wasn’t deep enough. The energy inside and around us had me wanting more. The madness was begging to be set free.

  Seth’s hands slid away from my face, his arms hooking me behind the knees and drawing my legs up, opening my passage wider and diving deeper into my soul. My body arched, my fingers grasping desperately at the rings of fire encircling his arms as my eyes rolled in the back of my head. Another round of wetness unleashed inside of me, and I dug my nails into his skin as a growl escaped through my quivering lips.

  “God…Layna.” His breaths were rushed, and his voice trembled as he spoke. “You are so fucking beautiful.” He thrust into me again, his length growing, throbbing, as my walls pushed against him.

  I didn’t know how much more I could take before I finally went over the edge. The moans and groans flowed freely from our lips, our hips slamming into one another with a need like no other. Seth lifted my legs higher until my ankles rested on either side of his shoulders. His hands grasping my hips, forcing himself even deeper into my chamber. Wave after wave of moisture came over me. I stretched my arms out over my head, clawing, searching, for anything to grab, but there wasn’t anything for me to hold on to.

  The energy wrapped around me, absorbing into me, warming me with a heat I’d never known existed until now. I arched my back in response, another wave of ecstasy hitting me as Seth’s width expanded my walls. I fought to hold in the scream, but I couldn’t. I was losing it.

  Losing all control of keeping the madness contained. Losing all control of completely surrendering everything; my mind, body, and soul to this man.

  “Seth.” I managed to say his name through the soft moans and groans. I couldn’t think with the madness pounding on my doors, beckoning to be released.

  He shifted back, pulling me on top of him, not losing his rhythm as he pushed deeper and deeper inside of me. Wrapping his arms around me tightly, he guided me down on him faster. “Let it all go, Layna,” he whispered as I cried out, unable to stop my body from shaking in his grasp.

  Seth squeezed me to him, his throbbing length pausing inside of me as the madness rushed from me. My body quaked, a scream rushing from my lips, as an explosion ripped through my very core. Our foreheads fell against each other, and he held my shaking body in his arms. “I’m sorry it took so long for me to come for you.” His words were soft against my ear.

  “I forgive you,” I exhaled as I relaxed against him, knowing he had been well worth the wait.

  Chapter 15

  Seth held me in his arms as we lay on the cool stone behind the waterfall, my head resting on his shoulder. Acceptance never came easy for me. I’d struggled my entire life to find the one place I’d fit in, the one piece of my being that always seemed to be missing. Now I’d found it. It was if I had known him forever. Like the universe and all the stars had created this one man just for me.

  “Where have you been, Seth?” The words slipped through my lips. If he retained his memories, why didn’t he find me sooner? Sure, he told me it was forbidden we be together before our destinies decided it was time, but if he had found me after my parents died, my life would have been so much better. We could have run away together, escaped the sector and traveled somewhere nobody could ever find us.

  “Trying to forget you,” he mumbled into my cheek, his warm breath grazing my skin. “But I couldn’t.”

  “Why did you act so mean to me when I came to you in the Cell?”

  His chest shook with laughter. “Are you kidding? Do you realize how dangerous that was for you? I was angry that you even thought about taking that risk. They would have killed you if they caught you. Believe me, I didn’t plan to stay in there much longer. I was coming after you.”

  He had me there. It was a stupid idea, but his actions still weren’t adding up. “You told me I was the reason you got caught and said I should go back to my Residency. You acted the same way when I was following you through the desert. It was as if I was a burden to you.”

  “Oh, Layna.” He pressed his lips to my shoulder. “You could never be a burden to me. I wasn’t mad at you. I was angry at myself for giving into the pull. My emotions were conflicted at the time. I wanted more than anything to be with you, but I worried my own selfishness would cause you harm, or worse…get you killed.”

  That was something else that tugged at my mind. The memory of him slicing off the guard’s head with the sword made me wince. Sure, he saved my life and allowed me to get away, but still, it seemed so natural to him to take another person’s life. I twisted around in his arms until my eyes met his. “The stories I’d heard about you, were they true? Please tell me you didn’t kill women and children.”

  His body tensed as the blue in his eyes began to dim with sadness and remorse. “I never killed women and children, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t do things I regret. I have done some horrible things, Layna. Things that will haunt me for the rest of my life. You need to understand, I had to survive, blend in so I wouldn’t be discovered.”

  “You trained Zane’s army,” I pointed out, knowing firsthand how evil he could be.

  He let out a deep sigh. “Yes, I won’t deny it. I also led them into some of the villages under Zane’s orders, hunted guards from the Capital, but that is a piece of my past I want to forget. I’m no longer that person.”

  “Why did you do it?” I couldn’t understand the concept here. Even if he didn’t kill innocent people, he still took part in their deaths. How would being under Zane’s command, slaughtering innocent people, have anything to do with trying to forget me?

  “You said you remembered me because a memory came back to you.” His jaw tightened and he glanced away from me. “How much do you remember about the day you first saw me?”

  I closed my eyes briefly and shook my head. “There was so much going on around me. The ground was shaking, trees were falling, and it was like someone was attacking us.”

  “What else, Layna? Something else happened that day. You and your father saw it happen.” The angry oceans came back to me. “Think.”

  “Kali…” her name slipped from my lips as the memory of her lying in a pool of blood crashed into me. No, I didn’t want to remember that. I loved Kali, she was like a second mother to me.

  “She was my mother, Layna.” Seth’s voice hardened. “The Council initiated that attack, and your mother was unable to call them off. I joined Zane out of hatred for the Council. I wanted to destroy them and everyone who followed them. But not only that, after your sister became Regent, she took everything she could away from the humans. She deemed them completely worthless to her. You saw the village we were in. That is her doing, and I think she has a bigger plan for them, but I haven’t figured it out yet.”

  “Amun mentioned something about an erase spell, but I confronted Tiahna, and she denied it.”

  “I don’t know, Layna. I just know she’s up to something, and if we don’t stop her, she’ll end up destroy
ing the entire sector.”

  I shifted nervously in his arms. “Seth, listen to yourself. We are only two people. There’s no way we can go up against her. She has an entire army.”

  “And we do too.” A slight grin stretched across his face.

  “What are you talking about?” I squinted at the light now shimmering in his eyes.

  “You have an army of Naturals awaiting your arrival on the other side of the river. If we can manage to take down the Regent, you’re the only one who can replace her.”

  His words completely took my breath away. All of this was happening too fast. I knew my sister was a bitch, but before yesterday, I was blind to what she was actually doing to the humans in this sector. She was destroying them. But why? We needed them as much as they needed their Regent to protect them and keep the border in place. You’re the only one who can replace her, Seth’s words echoed loudly in my head. No. Oh, hell no. I didn’t know how to lead anyone. Why did he think I could take her place? Besides, she was my sister, my blood. She took me in when she could have plopped me outside the boundary with the ravagers. Sure, she treated me like shit, but I could never hurt her. Not intentionally.

  Seth placed his hands on either side of my face, his warm energy seeping into my skin. “Layna, I know this is a lot to take in on such a short period of time, but you won’t be alone in this. I’ll be right by your side.”

  Before I could respond, he leaned in and pressed his mouth against mine, parting my lips with his tongue. Everything around me disappeared except for Seth as I surrendered to his kiss. His tongue gently rolled around in my mouth, tasting me as if he were savoring his favorite dessert. He slid his hands down my body, his touch leaving a trail of tingles in their wake, causing the sudden heat to once again settle in between my thighs. The palms of his hands came to a rest on my hips, and I pressed my bareness against him and brought my hands up, raking my fingers through his dark hair. Our kiss deepened, but before the sparks could ignite, he pulled away, a slight grin parting his lips.

  “As much as I’d like to stay here all day with you wrapped in my arms, I can’t. We have much to do if we plan on leaving in the morning.”

  “We’re staying here tonight?” I gazed up at him from underneath my lashes as the heat in my cheeks began to cool.

  “Yes.” He placed a kiss on my forehead and slowly got up. “There isn’t enough time to make it across the river and to where we need to go before dark.”

  My gaze accessed his well-defined and totally hot body as he slipped his shorts back on. It was still difficult for me to believe this man was created for me. The heat in my cheeks returned when he looked down at me. I quickly glanced away, redirecting my attention to the waterfall to escape the awkwardness I felt for staring at him like that.

  “I’ll be out here waiting while you get dressed.” He smiled as he stepped through the waterfall. My heart pounded in my chest when he disappeared.

  I leaned my head back and stared up at the top of the stone cavern, wondering if it was even possible to fall in love with a guy in two days. Holding my hand over my chest, my rapid heartbeat and the warmth circulating inside of me answered my question. Yes. Yes, it was possible to fall in love with a guy in two days. Seth held not only my heart, but the future of Sector Twelve in his hands. The only question plaguing my mind was: am I ready for any of this?

  Chapter 16

  Stepping over the fallen branches on the oasis floor, I glanced around to see if I could locate anything edible for us to eat. It had been hard parting ways with Seth, but if we were to survive the ravagers tonight we needed to gather supplies. He put me in charge of foraging for food while he took off in the opposite direction, searching for things to make our night in the cavern a little more comfortable. With the water surrounding us, the ravagers wouldn’t be able to sense us. And Seth wouldn’t have to waste his energy keeping a shield going all night.

  Red berries in the foliage under the trees caught my attention. Walking over, I picked one of the berries and crushed it in between my fingers. I brought it up, sticking it just beneath my nose. The scent of strawberry. I lifted up the bottom of my shirt, creating a net with the fabric, and picked as many as my shirt would hold.

  On my way back to the lake I spied a couple of orange trees, all overflowing with fruit. I reached up, grasping a couple of them before continuing on. At least, I knew we had food here. The lake also provided us with plenty of cool water, unlike the hot water I had to drink while walking through the desert. I could stay here with Seth forever, but he was determined to get me across the river to the other Naturals, which both excited me and terrified me at the same time. As much as I would love to no longer hide my powers or what I was, I didn’t know what they would expect from me. It was true I was the former Regent’s daughter, a direct descendant of one of the original Sixteen, but because my parents hid me from the world, I hadn’t a clue about what I could and couldn’t do. Sure, I could make a shield, sometimes, and protect myself using the energy around me, which was also hit or miss, but I wasn’t strong enough to bring down Tiahna and her entire regiment. Then there was Zane and his rebellion. How many other Naturals were there? I didn’t understand how they had remained hidden all these years. Groups of them had been filed into the Temple to await execution. There couldn’t possibly be many left. The odds against us taking down Zane, the Regent, and the Council were slim. All three of them were powerful. Zane had his strength and ruthlessness. Tiahna had the incantations handed down from the original Sixteen. The only thing I could do was pray the Sixteen Seth knew what he was doing, because I sure didn’t.

  With my arms and shirt full of fruit, I rushed back through the oasis, confident the fruit would hold us over until we reached our destination tomorrow.

  As I walked through the trees, only a short distance away from the water, one of the oranges rolled out of my arms. Stopping, I bent down to retrieve it.

  “Layna,” a familiar voice sounded behind me.

  I drew in a deep breath and swallowed hard, my hand hovering over the orange on the ground. Slowly, I stood up, all the fruit falling from my arms and shirt this time. When I turned around, Amun stepped out of the cover of the trees, his dark eyes unreadable. He stood there, his staff in hand and sword in the scabbard attached to the side of his black pants. Seth had been right. They were still following us.

  “Layna, please.” He held out his free hand, but refusing to step forward. “Come back to the Capital with me. I know that savage kidnapped you. I’ll make the council understand it wasn’t your fault you came in contact with a Natural.”

  “No.” I shook my head as I backed away from him. “I can’t go back, Amun. The council hates me. They won’t show mercy on me this time. Besides, Seth isn’t a savage, and he didn’t kidnap me. I trust him.”

  “Please don’t make me do this.” His jaw tensed and he tapped the end of his staff on the ground.

  I glanced around, searching for an escape. I knew what he had to do. Amun was sent here on a mission. It wasn’t just to capture Seth. It was to eliminate me.

  “There’s nowhere to run, Layna.” He lifted his brows. “My men have you surrounded. This is your last chance. I won’t extend this offer again.” As soon as he said the words, guards emerged from the trees. He was right. I was completely surrounded.

  My heart skipped a beat while my mind screamed at me to think. A shield would do no good. Besides the fact I didn’t know how long I could hold it, they would just wait it out. I had no choice but to trust myself this time, be confident my abilities would work. I just wasn’t sure if I could take them all out with one shot. If I missed, they would kill me without a second thought.

  Sucking in every molecule of energy around me, I focused on Amun. He called all the shots, and his men wouldn’t move without the order to do so. “Fuck you! I’m not coming back!” This was it. The only chance I would get. Once I used my power, I would be left weak and unable to conjure any more magic until I rested. I threw my ha
nds out in front of me, the sounds of swords sliding out of scabbards echoed through the trees, as I released everything I had through the palms of my hand, and spun around, hoping to at least hit one of them. The world rushed around me until I completed a full circle. Once I stopped, all the men were on the ground. I did it! I fucking did it!

  Run, a voice screamed inside my head as the men began to stir. It didn’t take my feet long to comply. I ran through the oasis, away from the water. The last thing I needed was for them to realize Seth was here as well. I needed to protect him from them. Amun wouldn’t give him the chance to decide like he had me. He’d kill him without a second thought.

  “Spread out and find her!” Amun shouted in the distance. “Then bring her to me!”

  Oh, god! Oh, god! My weak legs carried me over the fallen branches and through the heavy vegetation, my head going in a million different directions. I had no idea where I was running to, had no destination in mind. I just had to keep going, get them as far away from the water as possible, and then I could swing back around.

  After a while, I wasn’t even sure which way I was going or where the water was anymore. Exhaustion was slowly creeping up on me as I tried to continue forward as fast as I could. I had to have lost them by now. Just as I made a left to try to circle back, Amun jumped out from behind a tree. His hands landed on my waist while my body continued forward, throwing me off balance. My knees hit the ground hard. Then my hands. The weight of his body pressed down on me, pinning me on the rough dirt.

  My heart crashed into my stomach as he flipped me over and stuck the tip of his sword to the bottom of my chin. “Don’t say a word, Layna, or I’ll slit your throat right now.” He lowered the blade and fumbled with the belt on his pants, his eyes no longer belonging to him. They were dark and emotionless. He wasn’t my friend from childhood anymore. He was a sick, twisted animal with a disease for lust.