Warrior Lover (Draconia Tales)

by Karilyn Bentley

  He couldn’t be certain in the dark, but he thought a blush crept across her cheeks.

  “They were nice. But you’ll crush me. You’re much bigger than I am.”

  Ah, the real problem. “Nonsense. I’ll fit you fine. Let me show you just how fine.”

  She stared into his eyes as if trying to discern whether or not he told the truth. After a moment, during which Enar thought he might pass out from holding his breath, she nodded. He smiled, running a hand down her cheek, feeling the smoothness of her skin.

  Making a woman so crazy with pleasure she forgot her surroundings was a lot of work. But someone had to do it and Enar felt up to the task.

  He kissed her lips, when they opened to him, he tangled his tongue with hers until the tension left her body. She turned toward him, clasping her fingers in his hair, holding his head. He recognized the feeling in his chest this time, pride. His woman wanted him.

  Probably not as much as he wanted her though. His staff ached, straining against the leather ties, wanting to find its home. If she had been anyone else, he would already be in her.

  But he wanted to savor his woman, not frighten her.

  Running his hand down her bare skin to her hip, he kissed down her throat, nipping the pulse point in her neck. A little moan left her lips as she tilted her head, allowing him better access to her throat. Ignoring her silent plea, he kissed up to her ear, swirling his tongue around the rim, nipping the lobe. She jumped, her exhale a sigh of pleasure.

  He’d have to remember her ears were so sensitive. Wonder what else was sensitive?

  Nothing for it but to find out.

  Tracing the path he took earlier, Enar kissed the silky skin of her chest, trailing his way to one nipple. Happy to note it met his questing lips all perky, he drew it into his mouth, flicking his tongue across the bud. Lily arched her back, clasping his head to her. He worked her other nipple with his fingers, rolling the tender nub, scraping lightly with his nail. Then he switched sides, caressing with his lips and tongue what his fingers had touched, while his fingers rolled her wet nipple, pinching lightly. He continued from one side to the other until she cried out, her hips arching, beckoning him in the age-old way of women.

  He took the offer.

  This time she made no protests when his hand snuck beneath the band of her trousers. Her springy curls were damp with her dew, the best welcome in the world. Unfortunately her trousers were in the way of her sweet core.

  It took a lot of willpower for him to remove his hand from her, but he managed, knowing he would be rewarded for it in a bit.

  “Please,” Lily tried to hold his hand against her. “I’m not scared anymore.”

  He was the man. “The trousers need off.”

  She hooked her fingers in the waistband and wiggled out of them, lying nude for his viewing pleasure. Shame he couldn’t see her clearly in the dark. Not that he needed to for what he had in mind. Tomorrow he would look at her, and the day after that. She was his forever, what was one night?

  “You are beautiful.” What he could see of her.

  He bent to her lips, feeling the press of her body against his clothing. His clothing? Why was that still on? Best get rid of the stupid things lest they get even more in the way. She helped him pull his shirt off, leaving him to his leathers. His staff sprang free of the confines, jutting away from his body.

  Enar rolled, pulling Lily against him, pressing his staff against her belly, kissing her deeply. He kissed his way down her body, over the smooth skin of her stomach, until he came to her damp curls. She stiffened. Before she could voice whatever censure she had in mind, he took her into his mouth, lapping at her folds. She tasted of honey and spice, a scent belonging to her alone.

  He circled her folds with his tongue, lapping up her cream, judging her desires by her sighs and soft moans. Sucking on her bud, he thrust a finger into her passage. Son of a goat, she was small. At least she was wet. A second finger joined the first, thrusting in, pulling out. His tongue flicked her clit as she clutched his hair.

  She peaked, crying out, spasming around his fingers. Crawling up her body, he entered slowly, pushing past her barrier, giving her time to stretch, to adjust to his size. Not that he was a braggart, but the Goddess had seen fit to endow him with a large staff. One he learned to use for a woman’s pleasure. One he slipped, inch by inch into Lily’s unused passage until he was seated to the hilt. Even in the dark he could see her eyes wide open as she stared at him, see the white of her teeth as she bit into her lip. He remained still, allowing her time to adjust to him. She took a deep breath and released her teeth’s grip on her lip.

  “Oh, my. You are huge.”

  Balancing on his elbows, he pecked her forehead, liking her words. “It is a gift. Do you hurt?”

  “A little, but not much. So this is it?” She wiggled a bit as if trying to get comfortable.

  Enar gave her another peck on the forehead as he began to move. “Not even close, woman.”

  He smiled as she blinked, mouth opening. “Oh. That feels good.”

  “It’ll feel better.”

  He thrust into her, loving the feel of her core sucking at him, of her ankles clasped around his waist. Close, so close to finishing, his balls pulled up tight, waiting to release his seed. Reaching between their bodies, he touched her clit, massaging it as he thrust into her. She moaned and he rubbed harder, quickening his pace. Her hips bucked against his as she cried out, raking her nails down his back, her core clenching around him, milking his seed, sending him into the biggest orgasm of his life.

  An orgasm that continued long past when it should have stopped.

  What was happening to him?

  With a final cry, he dropped his head to her shoulder, still shuddering in the aftermath. Her legs dropped from his waist, her hands pushing gently at his shoulder. He rolled to the side, taking her with him, still in her, his staff unwilling to move from her core.

  Maybe he should have spent more time listening to Watchers talk about the first time they took their claims. Until he saw Lily he hadn’t planned on claiming a woman. He carried the necklace because it had been given to him at the same time as Blood Seeker, when he was deemed a man. Enar preferred the Draconi way of bonding, not the Watcher’s way.

  Maybe that was because he had spent more of his childhood with Thoren’s family than his own.

  He’d have to ask someone about why he couldn’t pull free of her core. Lily obviously didn’t realize anything was wrong, she snuggled against him, her fingers raking lightly against the hair on his chest. He felt his staff stiffening with each touch of her hand despite his unease over the end of their joining.

  “That was nice. You didn’t crush me.”

  “Humph. Told you, woman.”

  “I’m sleepy...oh!” Her gaze flew to his as he twitched inside her. “Guess you’re not.”

  He kissed her, moving his hips, reaching his hand between them to rub her swollen clit. It took three strokes and she spasmed around his staff, the movement of her inner walls causing his release. This time, he was happy to note, he pulled free of her sweet core.

  “Mmm. Is it always like that?” Pleasure-drenched eyes turned to his.

  “Like what?” Perhaps she had noted the odd way his staff refused to pull free of her body.

  “That good.”

  Or not. “Only when you’re with me.” He arranged her head against his arm, stroking her back until she relaxed against him.

  Despite his tiredness, his mind raced, chasing away sleep. What had he been told about the necklace, about claiming women? Nothing odd he remembered. Put the necklace around the neck of the woman you wished to claim and she was yours. Many Watchers had more than one woman, ensuring multiple sons. Enar only wanted the woman lying in his arms. But he’d like to know why his staff wouldn’t pull free. Maybe he should just be happy he had tumbled a woman twice in a row and let it go at that.

  Enar shoved the niggling little voice telling him something spe
cial had occurred to the back of his mind and fell asleep, holding his woman against his side.

  Chapter 6

  Lily stood by Keara, watching as Enar and Thoren walked out of the warded campsite to find Jamie. Sunlight glittered off the dew coating the leaves and grass as bird song greeted the morning. Lily felt a chill lodge in her stomach. Alone, with only Thoren’s wards to protect them.

  As if those wards worked. No one in their group seemed affected by the wards, except for her. Everyone else walked through them like a curtain in a doorway. With her though, the curtain became an invisible wall blocking her path.

  Even Jamie could walk through the wards, as he proved by wandering off in the middle of the night. If he and the others could do it, what was stopping Lord Simon and his soldiers from walking through the wards? How safe were they if those wards didn’t work? They weren’t. At all. And yet, they continued to stand behind the wards.

  Alone.

  Before they could continue on their journey to who-knows-where, the men had to find Jamie. What was the boy thinking to wander off in the middle of the night and get lost? If not for his disappearing act, they would be far away from River’s Run instead of hanging out in the woods behind wards.

  “I can’t believe Jamie is a Halfling like me and can walk through Thoren’s wards.” Keara pushed a strand of wind-blown hair behind her ear.

  “Sorry, but I wasn’t paying attention earlier. Jamie’s a what?”

  “A Halfling. Half Draconi like Thoren and half human. Just like me.” Keara’s voice took on the high-pitched tone of complete excitement.

  Good thing one of them was excited.

  “Does that explain why he walked through those wards?”

  “Yes. That explains why you can’t. The wards are against non-magical beings. So you don’t have magic, unlike the rest of us. It’s odd to think I possess magic.”

  Wasn’t that the truth. “No offense, but I’ll let you keep the magic.” Seeing visions was bad enough. Compound the visions with magical powers and she would be one crazy woman.

  “Do you think they can find Jamie?”

  Two men against one small boy? “Yes.”

  Keara stared at the trees that swallowed Enar and Thoren. “I hope they do too. What about you?”

  “Of course. What do you take me for?” Lily turned and walked toward the invisibility blanket. Now that thing she trusted, much more so than the so-called wards.

  Keara grabbed her arm before she reached the blanket. “That’s not what I meant. I meant, how are you, love?”

  “Fine. Why?”

  Keara waved a hand. “Last night. I thought Enar might have hurt you. Did he?”

  Lily felt her lips curve as her thoughts turned to the night before. Hurt would not be the word that came to mind. “No. It was nothing like that. You? Did Thoren hurt you?”

  “No. We just talked.” Keara gave her a piercing stare and Lily felt her cheeks heat.

  Talking in detail about last night did not make it onto her to-do list.

  “That’s good. I’m glad he didn’t hurt you. Do you think it will be onerous to be his wife?”

  “He doesn’t think I am his wife. Something about rituals and whatnot and since we had no ritual, therefore no marriage. You?”

  Lily shrugged. “Don’t know what he wants. Well, that’s not right.” Heat poured back into her cheeks. “I mean, I know some of what he wants, but I’m not sure what all being his claim involves.” She suspected last night’s activities made up most of her claim duties. But she refused to voice the thought. Keara might be her best friend, but even friends had their limits.

  “I’m sure it will be all right. If not, you can stay with us.” Keara’s brows knitted. “Wherever that might be. Draconia. Have you heard of it?”

  Lily shook her head as she pulled the invisibility blanket around her shoulders. “Enar only said we’re going there. Where is it?”

  “Thoren said about two weeks from here. On foot. Are they crazy?”

  “Two weeks?”

  “Yes.”

  “Definitely crazy. Maybe they’ll bring back the horses while they’re out looking for Jamie.”

  Keara ran a hand over her head and started pacing. Lily watched in silence as her friend tromped one way and then the other, wearing a path in the grass. Keara finally stopped and looked toward the town. As if she spoke, Lily knew what Keara planned. Knew it for the bad idea it was, knew she could do nothing to stop her friend.

  Keara headed her way and Lily pulled the blanket off her head. “Don’t even think about leaving me here alone.”

  “You have the blanket. No one can see you. Jamie needs me. The men don’t know their way around these woods. What if they get lost?”

  Keara had gone daft. As if she could do a better job of searching for Jamie than the men could. “They won’t get lost. You on the other hand...”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I grew up around here. Grandmother used to take me to these woods for herbs. I’m going to find Jamie. He needs me.”

  “And I don’t?”

  “You have the blanket. And you’re sitting in the wards. Jamie’s by himself in the woods. What if something happened to him? I can’t leave him alone out there!” Keara gestured to the woods.

  “Are you sure nothing can get to me?”

  “Thoren said nothing non-Draconi can get through those wards. You can’t get out can you?”

  “No.”

  “Then nothing can get in to you. You’re safe. Jamie needs me.”

  “Thoren won’t be happy about it.” Maybe that would persuade her. As Lily’s doubts about the security of the wards didn’t seem to be doing much good.

  Keara sighed. “I know. But I have to. You understand, don’t you?”

  “I understand.” If Enar wandered off, she would go search for him, and she had just met the man. Jamie was Keara’s apprentice, whom she thought of as her child. Of course she’d want to look for him, no matter how dangerous. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll hide under this invisibility blanket.” She pulled the blanket over her head, disappearing from view. “Be safe.”

  “Thanks, love. I won’t be long.”

  Like the men before her, Keara walked through the wards, disappearing into the woods. Although she understood her friend, she disagreed with Keara leaving. Lily knew without a doubt Lord Simon still looked for Keara. Once the lord had an idea or obsession nothing got in his way until he saw it through.

  And despite their social statuses, Keara was his current obsession.

  Oddities were gaining the upper ground in her life.

  Lily leaned back against the tree, feeling the scratch of the bark through the blanket and her tunic. Unlike the wards, she knew the tree existed and it grounded her in the moment. She watched as the sun skipped across the sky like stones thrown across the still waters of a pond. If only she had paints, canvas and an easel, she could escape reality.

  Being by herself gave her time to think about the preceding night’s events. Who was she fooling? Being alone gave her time to think of Enar and the things he’d done to her body. Things she refused to discuss with her best friend. Things that caused a whole host of problems, which she also refused to discuss with Keara.

  For instance, her self-talk about remaining aloof being thrown into the woods when his lips touched hers. Or maybe it was when his hands traced down her side. Or touched her core. Lily shook her head, trying to gather up the pieces of her scattered-to-the-winds barrier and rebuild it around her heart.

  Which was a little hard to do when the reasons for her heart to tumble for him stood in his favor. She definitely liked Enar’s kisses and what his tongue, hands and various body parts made her feel. And he took her away from River’s Run. If only she knew what her new life would be like. He seemed to be hiding something about where he was from.

  And with that realization the mortar between her bricks began to harden.

  His lack of forthcoming presented a problem. If he lied a
bout her new life, then she couldn’t trust him.

  And she wanted to trust him.

  Well, the part of her heart that was clearly having issues with the remain-aloof plan wanted to trust him. The rest of her chinked another metaphorical brick into place.

  Sudden pain shot through her skull, catching her off-guard as she clenched her eyes shut. Lily dropped the blanket, grasping her head with both hands in a vain attempt to stop what felt like shooting arrows from piercing further. Oh no, please Goddess no. Don’t let it be about Keara.

  Her vision grayed and despite her plea she saw Keara surrounded by Lord Simon and his soldiers. They bound her friend’s hands and feet, threw her over a soldier’s shoulder and slapped her face. The lot of them walked through a door in the wall of the town, carrying Keara into the inky blackness. Lily screamed but the door slammed in her face, sealing off entrance.

  The pain stopped shooting through her skull, her vision returning in increments. Lily curled into a ball on the grass, hands clutching her head.

  Stupid visions. Why couldn’t she have seen this before Keara walked out of the wards? Her visions were fickle things, coming as they wanted, leaving her either puzzled at the scenes, or frustrated as she saw, but could not help.

  What good were visions if she couldn’t act on them? Or if no one believed her when she told them about the scenes? Lily smacked the grass with her palm.

  How could she help her friend when she remained stuck behind invisible walls?

  Lily shook. Lord Simon had Keara in his clutches and the only ones who could get her out were off chasing a small boy around the woods. Lily jumped up and ran full force into the barrier, beating her hands against it, hoping it would break. Her hands turned red, stinging, her voice grew hoarse and still no one heard her screams.

  She sank against the invisible wall, tears rimming her eyes. Her friend was lost, as good as dead.

  And she could do nothing about it.

  ****

  Enar grasped Jamie’s shoulder, holding the little imp in place as they walked back to their campsite.

  “You know, you don’t have to hold me. I won’t run off.”