by Mikayla Lane
The brilliant smile Rebecca gave him as she towel dried her hair in the doorway, made his knees weak. She looked adorable and sexy as hell at the same time. The sweatpants were rolled down at the waist, baring a strip of her flat stomach. The t-shirt molded to her full breasts and his mouth watered as her nipples hardened under his gaze.
Rebecca’s breath hitched in her throat as her body melted from the heated look in his eyes. She drifted towards him, like a moth to a flame and fingered the buttons on his shirt, the towel dropping to the floor unnoticed.
She looked up at him as she leaned towards his body, close but not touching. “I’ll keep watch while you shower,” she said huskily.
Rebecca smiled as Gracus just stood there, staring at her as his breathing increased and his fists clenched and unclenched. She could feel his arousal and need in his energy and knew that there was no way she could resist him any longer. Not only was her body and mind demanding it, but somehow along the way, she’d fallen in love with him. And she knew he’d fallen for her as well because he wasn’t even trying to hide his feelings for her in his energy.
With her mind made up, Rebecca pushed his hard, tight stomach, chuckling when he didn’t even move an inch. “Go get a shower! You stink,” she said dramatically, scrunching her nose up as if he was offensive. That snapped him out of it, she thought, as he stood straighter and shook his head slightly.
Gracus was glad that Rebecca had shook him from his thoughts and he grunted as he turned and headed back into the other bathroom to shower. He gave her one more heated look and disappeared into the bathroom.
Rebecca huffed out a heavy breath and held onto the wall for a moment while the knot of arousal in her stomach lessened. The man was so potent, he needed a damn warning label, she thought with a smile.
She headed back into the first bedroom Gracus had taken her into for clothes, assuming that was the one he was going to put her in. Rebecca knew by the way that Gracus and Gibly were so protective of her, that they would want her between them as she slept and this room was in the middle of the other two in the hallway.
She looked around the room and considered her options, which weren’t that many in this place. Rebecca decided that she was done wasting time and wasn’t going to leave room for doubt or error. Making up her mind, she slid her borrowed sweatpants off, pulled off her shirt and turned off the light. Without hesitation, she slid between the cool sheets and waited for Gracus to get out of the shower.
Gracus stood under the ice cold spray and was losing hope by the second that the frigid water would cool his desire for his mate. He leaned his head directly under the water and flexed his fingers against the wall of the shower in frustration.
His body was telling him to go to Rebecca and take her. He knew that she was receptive, he’d sensed her arousal for him many times and each time had almost brought him to his knees. But, this place…, he thought with a low growl.
Grai was right, you only get one chance to bond with your mate and completing it while captive in an unknown location, surrounded by people he didn’t know were friend or foe, was not his idea of a memorable bonding. Rebecca deserved better than this, he thought, thinking of how he’d rather take her to the cabin that Grai had loaned him. Or even under the stars, outside of this mountain. Anywhere but here.
Gracus sucked in a shuddering breath as his body heated all over again, thinking of all the places that he’d love to take his mate. He forced his mind to concentrate on his shower, and he scrubbed his body a little too roughly in order to keep his mind from wandering back to his beautiful mate. Who, he hoped like hell, was sleeping by now. He wasn’t sure his strength would hold out if she was still awake and he saw that sexy strip of her belly again.
He stepped out of the shower and dried off quickly, sending out his senses to see if Gibly had come back and if they were still alone in the house. Finding nothing, he dressed and stood at the door, detecting Rebecca’s energy in the room he’d wanted her to sleep in.
With a sigh of gratitude, he opened the door and headed quietly down the hall to make sure that she was ok and sleeping well before he camped by the back door to await Gibly’s return. He easily saw his way down the hallway to the darkened room and made out Rebecca’s form lying on the bed. It was her breathing that told him something was wrong. The cadence wasn’t right for when she slept.
“Hey, are you ok?” Gracus asked, struggling to remain in the doorway and not run to her. The last thing his control needed was to be close to her while she was in bed, he thought.
Rebecca sat up and his mouth went dry as the covers slipped from her upper body. He almost choked on his next breath as he saw her full breasts in the dim light of the moon coming through the window.
He gripped both sides of the doorframe so tightly he heard the wood cracking beneath his hands and looked at the floor to try and gain control of his desire. He panted slightly, counting to ten in his mind. In every one of the sixteen languages he knew.
He was so intent on trying to ignore her, to gain control that he flinched when she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her naked body to his. Instinctively, Gracus’s arms wrapped around her slight body and he growled in surrender as her arousal and need enveloped him.
A small, still functioning part of his brain forced him to ask, “Are you sure?”
Rebecca sighed as she rubbed her hands up his back. “I’ve never been more sure of anything,” she said, meaning every word.
It was strange, but comforting for Rebecca to feel the sexual attraction and need that she felt, mirrored in Gracus’s energy. In fact, knowing it only made the feeling more intense for her and she reached up to put her arms around his head to pull him towards her.
Gracus didn’t need any more of an invitation and his lips descended on hers in a possessive kiss that left them both panting. He easily picked her up and Rebecca wrapped her legs around his waist and she kissed him again as he carried her to the bed.
Gracus laid her gently on the bed and as he broke the kiss, he finished pulling off the t-shirt she’d been trying to take off of him. He leaned down to take her lips again, running his hands down her body, memorizing every dimple and curve and how her breath hitched when he touched certain places. Filing away the information for later, his lips traveled from her mouth to her neck as her hands frantically pushed on his sweatpants to remove them.
Knowing if they were gone, he’d lose all control, Gracus ignored her efforts and concentrated on learning the taste of her skin and the texture on his tongue, sucking and licking his way down her neck. Her increasing excitement was wreaking havoc on his body and senses and he sucked in a sharp breath as her questing fingers found the head of his manhood.
He began to pull away when Rebecca increased the pressure of her hand on him. “Please, let me touch you. We can go slow later,” she whispered hoarsely.
The need he felt in her touch and her energy, finally broke him. He growled as he yanked the sweatpants off and laid beside her on the bed, pulling her into his arms, his hands unable to get enough of touching his beautiful and naked mate.
Rebecca couldn’t believe how incredibly perfect his body felt against hers and she couldn’t stop rubbing herself against him, her feet and legs stroking his while her hands caressed his back and chest. He was all heat, muscle and strength and she’d never felt more protected, loved and alive in her life.
All of her thoughts fled when Rebecca felt the moist heat of his mouth on her breast and her back arched as she ran her fingers through his hair to pull him closer. By the time he moved to her other breast, she was panting in need and writhing under him, begging him to take her now.
But Gracus was determined to fight his own desire as long as he could and tried his best to ignore her soft skin sliding sensually against him and her moans and cries of pleasure. It was feeling her wet heat against his tongue that finally undid him and he drove in and out of her relentlessly until she exploded.
Unable to take any more of th
e intensity, far too sensitive after the most mind blowing orgasm she’d ever had, Rebecca pulled at his head, begging him to stop. She almost sighed in relief when he slid up her body, his hot hardness leaving goosebumps along her skin as it caressed her thighs before settling between her legs.
Gracus panted and clutched the bedsheets on either side of Rebecca’s head, trying to regain some control. But, her touch, taste and scent surrounding him was more than he could take. She had her legs wrapped around his waist and was sliding up and down his body when he felt himself slide inside of her. He wasn’t in very far, but it was enough to drive all sanity from him.
With a growl of possession, Gracus thrust deeply, finally taking his mate, fully and completely. He barely processed Rebecca’s gasp and moan, struggling to hold himself still while she tried to adapt to his size.
Within moments, her hips began thrusting tentatively against him, the slow slide in and out making Gracus desperately clutch the sheets to maintain control. It was Rebecca’s wild thrust and her gasped moan of, “Oh God,” that finally undid him.
He wrapped his arms around her, pulled out almost completely, and then pulled her towards him at the same time that he thrust deeply. Rebecca’s scream of pleasure ignited his primal instincts and he set a punishing pace designed to ensure that his mate had no doubts that he was the one who possessed her, body and soul. The way she possessed him.
Rebecca couldn’t seem to catch her breath and she couldn’t get away from the intensity. Each powerful thrust of Gracus’s hips and the way he held her body, sent her spiraling higher until the only thing that drowned out her scream was Gracus’s roar of completion. Neither saw the bright flash that occurred.
Rebecca struggled to catch her breath, grateful that Gracus was now holding his weight from her with his arms as he collapsed above her. She had expected the after part to be a little awkward, but the satisfied and happy energy surrounding them make her smile and chuckle softly.
Gracus grinned and lifted his head. “What’s so funny?” he asked as he slipped free of her and rolled to the side. He looked into her eyes as he pulled her close to him and smiled as he traced a finger over her shoulder.
Rebecca tried to look away, feeling a little embarrassed, but was so captivated by the look in his eyes that she couldn’t. Until she noticed the tattoo-like design on his shoulder.
“When did you get that?” she whispered wonderingly as she traced her finger over the intricate design.
Gracus smiled charmingly. “When you got yours. It means you belong to me, and I to you,” he said with shining eyes.
Rebecca looked down to her shoulder and gasped in surprise as she sat up to get a closer look. “What is it?” she asked, as she traced the design now covering her upper left arm and shoulder.
Gracus sat up beside her. “It’s called an Ator-Ma. It’s given to those who are blessed with a soul bond between them. It means we are perfect,” he said with a nervous smile, hoping Rebecca would be happy about it.
Rebecca noticed that the one on her arm matched the one on Gracus. The same intricate designs and swirls that he had, were only a little more delicate and feminine on her than it looked on him.
“I was just thinking, that I’ve never felt more content or happier than I am right now,” she admitted with a smile.
Gracus grinned broadly. “Location and circumstances aside, I have to agree,” he said as he pulled her in for a kiss. He leaned back and looked her in the eye. “I love you. You know that right?” he asked a little hoarsely, his emotions getting the best of him.
Rebecca’s eyes teared up and she nodded her head, unable to speak for a moment. “I love you too. Pothead,” she said with a teasing grin.
Gracus laughed and pulled her head down to his chest. “I have a feeling that no one is ever going to let me forget that mistake,” he said, gently running his hands through the soft strands of her hair.
Gracus felt the energy disturbance first and launched himself out of the bed, throwing Rebecca’s sweatpants and shirt she’d left by the side of the bed at her. “Get dressed! Hurry!” he said as he searched for his own and began pulling them on.
Rebecca had felt the energy seconds after Gracus and had caught her clothes and was dressed and out of the room on his heels as he stalked quietly down the hallway. They hit the living room as the door was thrust open and a large dog carrier placed in the center of the floor.
It was the hissing, spitting and angry cursing coming from inside that had Rebecca run around Gracus and rush to the cage. “Oh Gibly! What did they do to you?” she asked as she opened the door and let out the spitting mad cat. His fur was standing straight up along his spine.
Gracus looked at Tara and the two hybrids with her, narrowing his eyes in distrust when Tara snorted and thrust a hand on her hip. “Really? You’re going to pretend offense? Give me a break,” she said in exasperation.
Rebecca looked up at her with anger and demanded again, “What did you do to him?” She petted the cat tenderly, looked for any injuries and still hadn’t found one. Just some spiky fur.
Tara chuckled. “We didn’t hurt him at all. In fact, we didn’t even touch him. He’s just a little mad that he got caught. I’ll let him tell you how, if he wants to. Otherwise, it’ll be our little secret kitty,” she said with a charming grin at the cat before she turned to Gracus and Rebecca.
“How about you guys just sit tight and stop wasting our time. As I’m sure you’re aware, security gets tight when the bigwigs arrive and we’re already running thin. So be a buddy and give us a break and get some sleep,” Tara said with a grin before she and the other two women turned and walked out, shutting the door quietly behind them.
Gracus growled angrily and looked at the still spitting cat. “What happened? Are you alright?” he asked, not willing to believe that they didn’t touch the feisty and intelligent cat.
Gibly stomped around for a minute before looking up at Gracus. “They have several hybrids with extraordinary vision. Vision that exceeds my own… they saw me and lured me into a trap,” Gibly said the last with a nasty hiss that had Rebecca say, “whoa.”
Gracus said a few chosen curse words and started to pace when Rebecca grabbed his arm and pointed at the offensive cage. “Get that out of here, please,” she said, looking pointedly at the still pissed off cat.
Gracus nodded his head and picked it up in one hand while opening the front door with the other. He then unceremoniously threw it onto the sidewalk a few feet from the front door. Rebecca visibly cringed as the thing rolled and clattered loudly along the rock before finally coming to a stop.
He slammed the door and turned around to see Rebecca’s disapproving look. “What?” he asked, thinking they should be grateful that was the worst he’d done.
“There are children here too and they aren’t the ones keeping us here,” she said, hoping they hadn’t woken any of them.
Gracus growled slightly before nodding his head. He wasn’t a monster and didn’t want to frighten innocent children, but damn he was getting frustrated with the situation.
He turned to the still angry and stomping cat. “Were you able to get any information or idea of how deep we are in the mountain or how far from the cave we are?” he asked desperately, hoping the cat’s travels weren’t a total loss.
Gibly was still so angry he spat the first words. “They caught me right outside the farm areas, in the darkness beyond that we couldn’t see earlier. The only thing I saw were two guarded tunnels,” he said angrily.
Gracus tried to soothe the irate animal. “That’s more than we knew before, my friend. You did well,” he said, nodding in appreciation at the animal.
Rebecca shook her head. “No, Gibly, you did great. I want you to tell us every single detail of what you saw. Everything, even the smallest thing is a clue to how to get out of here. We just have to try,” she said, feeling hopeful. She’d just found the perfect man and she wasn’t giving up on a future with him.
Gracus
stopped pacing and folded his arms across his chest. “She’s right, Gibly. Think about it. What does the two tunnels tell us? That it could lead to the cave or even to another part of this place. Could you detect the air in the tunnels?” Gracus asked.
Gibly cocked his head to the side, thinking about it for a moment. “Yes, I did. It was no different than the air in here, so they cannot lead outside,” he said with a grin, understanding what Rebecca had meant. He did know more than he had first thought.
Gracus rubbed his hands together and sat down in the chair near Gibly and Rebecca. “Now, we’re getting somewhere. Close your eyes, Gibly, and think carefully of every sight, sound and smell since you left here earlier.”
*****
Scaden was just coming down the hallway when he saw Decano thrown into the opposite wall before a door slammed loudly. Using the Shengari’ he called for Grai and ran down the hall to check on Decano.
Decano was just getting to his feet when Scaden reached him and Grai rounded the corner. “What the hell happened?” Grai asked as Decano rushed to the door and tried turning the handle.
When the handle didn’t work Decano began throwing himself against the door. “True! Open the door! True!” he began yelling in between each hit against the door.
Realizing that something was wrong, Scaden added his own weight to the attempts to get the door open. To no avail. Grai finally pushed his way past the men to the door and placed his hands on it. Closing his eyes, he sent out his senses to see if he could find her, hoping it was only exhaustion keeping her from opening the door.
The silence stretched, with still no response to his calls for her through the Shengari’ and no sound from inside the room. Frustrated and worried, Grai turned to the now large crowd in the hallway.
“I don’t care what it takes. Get that damn door open!” he roared and everyone started to scramble to make it happen.