He kept up his sensual assault while I wiggled and squirmed. When I couldn’t take any more, he moved to my other breast, giving it the same attention before painting a trail of heat down my body. Soft kisses and teasing nips were placed on my belly, along my hipbones, and then finally between my thighs.
Kneeling beside the bed, he leaned in and swept through my feminine folds with a long, slow lick of his tongue. The world dissolved and nothing existed but the warm glow that spread over me as he delved further into my soft pink flesh. He pushed my legs up, spreading me wide with my feet resting on his shoulders. His hands smoothed over my inner thighs, caressing and kneading while his talented mouth pushed me to the edge of sanity and beyond.
Tongue stroking, mouth sucking, teasing my clit, then backing off before I went critical. The rapid buildup of pressure had me gripping his hair with tight fists, holding on as the moment of my release drew closer and closer. Every cell in my body was singing with ecstatic delight. Then he added his fingers, plunging deep, massaging while the inner muscles of my slick channel contracted around them. Finally, he closed his lips over my swollen clitoris and sucked gently, swirling his tongue over the sensitive bundle of nerves. The chorus reached a crescendo and I went spiraling out of control, screaming and moaning with rapturous bliss.
The world came back into focus and Solomon was standing beside the bed removing his jeans. He tossed them aside and I scrambled back, further onto the bed while he crawled after me. He was already so long and hard and I could feel his desire raging out of control. I expected him to plunge in hard and fast like he had the night he marked me, but instead, he settled himself between my legs and kissed me tenderly.
The tip of his erection was nestled against my wet center, so temptingly close that a slight shift of my hips would have him inside me. But I waited for him, enjoying the languid strokes of his tongue against mine, the feel of his hard muscles beneath my hands. When he drew back from the kiss, our eyes locked and I knew he was seeing into my soul.
“You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved Renee. Just the thought of you takes my breath away, but to be here with you like this... It’s like a dream that I never imagined could come true.”
I reached up to brush his hair out of eyes. “If this is a dream, then I never want to wake up.”
“Neither do I,” he whispered, and eased forward to fill me with one long thrust of his hips.
I moaned for him as tiny spasms of pleasure rippled through my entire being.
“I will never grow tired of hearing that sound,” he promised, rotating his hips to elicit another moan from me.
He continued with the slow, sensual rhythm, caressing my hips and thighs while our mouths met for long, lingering kisses. Every touch heightened my pleasure, but more importantly, every second that passed strengthened our bond. I could feel him in my soul now, his love for me so warm and protective, never-ending.
As our passion grew, he drove his hard flesh deeper, penetrating much more than my wet depths. I clutched at him, trying to merge our bodies into one, but he only lifted himself higher until he was looking down into my eyes. I saw it then, our future. It was full of love and friendship and endless days and nights like this one.
When the ecstasy of orgasm eventually came for both of us, it wasn’t just a response to physical sensations. It was an emotional awakening that brought tears to my eyes and left me trembling in its wake.
“Shh...” Solomon soothed, rubbing my back as he held me close.
“I never thought it could be like this,” I whispered against his chest, barely hanging on to consciousness. I felt completely overwhelmed like I needed to check out and regroup.
“I always knew it could be like this, but only with you Renee, only with you.” He kissed the top of my head and I closed my eyes letting sleep claim me in the arms of my mate.
Chapter Twenty
~ Renee ~
It was the perfect picture, taken with Solomon’s phone while I was lying on my back in a moment of postcoital bliss. My right leg was bent with my knee standing straight up, and though you couldn’t see it, my left leg was draped over his body just below his right arm. He was on his side, facing me with his left arm wrapped around my right thigh and his head resting comfortably between that hand and my leg. He wasn’t looking directly at the camera, but rather at his right hand as it smoothed over my flat belly. His lips glistened with my latest orgasm, but the look on his face assured me there would be plenty more to come.
It was a look of wicked promise from a man who knew exactly how to take care of his woman.
Remembered sensations had me shivering as liquid heat pooled between my thighs.
“If you don’t stop looking at that picture we’re never going to leave this bedroom,” Solomon remarked from the bathroom doorway.
He rubbed his head with a towel, then he tossed it aside and strode into the bedroom. His chest was still bare and his black jeans had several chains and buckles giving them that gothic look we both loved. When he came up behind me, he wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. I was still holding his phone in my hand and I could feel his smile when he looked at the picture displayed on its screen.
“I still can’t believe you took that picture. It’s something anyone would expect me to do, but not you.”
“I still can’t believe I passed out on you,” I groaned, forwarding the picture to my number before locking the phone.
Solomon chuckled. “Don’t worry, that first time was a bit overwhelming for me too, but we more than made up for any lack of composure either of us might have shown - as evidenced by that picture.” He nodded his head towards the phone. “If you want to watch Katerina in the semifinals, we need to get going.”
He gave me a squeeze and kissed my cheek before strolling over to the bed where he’d left his shirt. I took a moment to admire his back and the vibrant colors of the mating mark. The bond was complete now and I couldn’t have been happier. There was something deeply satisfying about sharing my soul with Solomon. To feel his love, so warm and strong, steadier than the beating of my own heart, was to know true peace and belonging.
~ Solomon ~
When we arrived at the stadium, Grayson and Rook were chatting near the main entrance. Renee thanked Grayson for the gift of his blood, and he told her he was happy to help speed her recovery along. Then she headed down to the locker room. She’d left her cell phone and a few other personal belongings in a locker before her match with Sergio and this was her first opportunity to retrieve them. I stayed behind to hear all about Hannibal’s underwater experience the night before.
“I wish you could have been there Solomon,” Grayson lamented, standing beside me. “If you had, maybe you could tell me how he did it.”
“Explain it to me in detail. Maybe I’ll be able to figure it out.”
“Picture the dance floors as aquariums, but there wasn’t any glass keeping the water in place. You could walk right through the barrier, and when you did, you were transformed into a merperson; tail and all.”
I thought I knew exactly what he was describing and looked to Rook for confirmation.
Rook nodded from where he was leaning against the wall with his ankles crossed. He continued scanning the crowds of people walking by, but explained, “It was similar to what you did back in the eighties, but more elaborate, and he found a way to get around everyone’s complaint that merpeople couldn’t have sex. I didn’t try it myself, but Doyle said Rita might as well have been stroking his cock when she ran her hands up and down his tail. Most of the women seemed to enjoy having their tails rubbed as well. If you want to see it, I’ll take you back for a quick look.”
I smiled, imagining aquariums full of writhing merpeople wearing the faces of my friends. “Thanks for the offer, but I think I have a pretty clear picture of what it was like. Did anyone have difficulty breathing while they were underwater?”
“Not that I noticed,” Rook answered, then looked
at Grayson to see if he wanted to add anything.
Grayson was looking at Rook strangely but shook his head and focused on me. “Breathing wasn’t a problem.”
“We don’t know each other well Grayson, but I can tell something is bothering you now,” Rook said, coming right to the point. As one of their Elders, it was his job to watch out for all time demons, and to make sure none of them did anything to destabilize our timelines.
Grayson met Rook’s black gaze. I could tell he was nervous, but he stood tall when he faced the older, more experienced time demon. “I was surprised by your offer to take Solomon back in time. I can’t take anyone through time with me, but even if I could, I thought we weren’t allowed to. My father told me never to use my powers for frivolous reasons.”
Rook’s face softened, taking on a fatherly smile. “The old Elders who murdered your father have been banished or executed. We no longer follow their strict laws. You can manipulate time any way you like; we just ask that you pay attention to your instincts. The Goddess has a way of letting us know when something shouldn’t be changed. If you ever get a really sick feeling in your gut, stop what you’re doing and leave the timeline alone. If you don’t, I’ll know about it. As for taking people with you...”
Rook shrugged, then continued, “You may never be able to do that. It can’t be done with only your innate powers. You have to access the River of Time, and only a handful of us can do that. Even then, it takes great strength and a lot of practice to wield the power of the River.”
“Unless of course you’re mated to a conduit,” I added, smirking at Rook. “Then you’d be hard wired into the River and have that power flowing through your veins 24/7.”
“True,” Rook agreed, “but so far, I’m the only one lucky enough to fall in love with a conduit.”
Grayson considered everything Rook said then bowed to his Elder. “Thank you for the advice Sa’jon Ruk. I will do my best to follow my instincts and let the Goddess guide my way.”
Rook inclined his head to the other man while I reached into my pocket and pulled out my ring of runic stones. Selecting one of the older stones, I removed it from the ring and tossed it to Grayson. He caught the stone and examined the runes etched on both sides.
“Consider it homework,” I told him when he glanced my way. “That’s my underwater spell. I want you to figure out how to trigger it, then make improvements as you see fit.”
Grayson looked at the stone doubtfully, but I knew he was up to the task. When he slipped it into his pocket he asked, “How did you just happen to have this stone in your pocket?”
“I brought several options just in case one of the other sorcerers chose a theme that was too close to mine.”
Rook narrowed his eyes at something over my shoulder and frowned. When I turned to see what it was, Monica was strutting towards us wearing her most seductive smile. Thinking this needed to stop; I crossed my arms over my chest and gave her my least friendly face. She stumbled a bit, but then she added a little more sway to her hips and kept coming.
Some people just never learned.
“Congratulations Solomon, I see that you and Renee have finally completed your mating bond.” She seemed sincere when her gaze slid over my arms and the mating marks. Then her eyes took in the rest of my body and she stepped closer to me, purring like a kitten.
I was about to tell her to back off, but a spark of rage through the bond let me know it was already too late.
Monica was standing close enough to me that her breasts rubbed against my forearms when she said, “Maybe now Renee will be a little more reasonable. That psychotic breakdown she had before was completely uncalled for.”
I heard Rook stifle a laugh behind me, but I didn’t bother hiding my mirthless snort. “I’m starting to think you’re the one who might have had a psychotic breakdown Monica. You do remember that we’re shapeshifters - right? That was the second time you suggested Renee should share her mate with you and other women. What did you expect her to do? Personally I think she went easy on you because if it had been me, you’d be dead.”
“It’s different with Renee; she’s always shared you with us,” Monica insisted, pushing her lower lip out in a pout. She knew it was one of the things I found most difficult to resist, but things had changed, and Renee’s bottom lip was the only one I’d be nipping at from now on. Besides, Renee was coming up behind Monica now, and she was furious.
“It’s not different Monica, and I truly wish you could have understood that.”
Her brows drew together with the first signs of worry. “Why do you say that like it’s already too late?”
“Because this is your third strike Monica,” Renee answered for me.
Monica spun around to face my much smaller mate. If I hadn’t trained Renee myself, I would have been terrified to see her face off with the other woman. “You won’t get the jump on me again Renee. This time I’m prepared.”
Renee snorted. “And why you think that matters is beyond me.”
I knew Renee had been hoping Monica would back off after their last encounter. She’d never liked violence, but like me, she knew it was sometimes necessary in our world. As my mate, she was now the female clan leader for our group of fox shifters. If she let Monica slide again, she’d lose the respect of the entire clan. I could feel her resolve through the bond, but with it was a deep sense of loss for the life she was about to take.
There was a tense moment when I actually thought Monica might bow down and admit she’d been in the wrong. Renee still wouldn’t have let her live, but it would have been much harder for her to land the killing blow. Then Monica made it easy and proved just how deserving she was of her fate.
“If you won’t share him, then I’ll just have to kill you,” she announced. “Then your mating bond won’t mean shit.”
By the time Monica was finished speaking she was already lunging for Renee. My mate was quick on her feet as she ducked under Monica’s flying fist, then came up with a blow of her own. The women traded punches for a while; Monica’s wild and frenzied; Renee’s calculated and controlled. A crowd gathered and bets were made. I even threw a couple hundred into the mix just to show I wasn’t worried.
About two minutes into the fight, Renee landed a kick to the side of Monica’s head. Before Monica could shake it off, Renee stepped in and flipped the taller woman over her shoulder. Once Monica was on the ground, Renee grabbed a handful of her hair and slammed her face into the stone floor of the stadium entrance. She did it a few more times using every last ounce of her supernatural strength. The bones in Monica’s face shattered as she screamed and blood gurgled from her mouth. Through it all, the crowd cheered and Renee bared her teeth, hiding how much it pained her to know how this fight would end.
Finally, Renee’s claws slid out of her right hand - not the claws of her fox, but the thick talon-like claws of her vampire. They were razor sharp and strong enough to cut through steel. Renee’s hand came down, hard and fast, her claws slicing through Monica’s flesh and bones like they were made of butter. When she raised her arm into the air, she was holding Monica’s heart in her hand.
To the crowd gathered around the spectacle Renee was a savage beast, everything she was expected to be when defending her place by my side. Only I could feel the heartache she felt for having been backed into this corner.
Rook asked a couple of his security people to remove the body and I grabbed Renee before she could break down. It would all be for nothing if she let them see any weakness now. I captured her lips for a searing kiss before anyone could see her tears and backed her into a portal.
Once we were through the shimmering rainbow of colors, I closed the gateway and looked around. I’d taken us to the first place that popped into my mind and was thankful to see stars above the Statue of Liberty instead of sunlight. It was dangerous to travel through portals without planning ahead, but I hadn’t had time to think. Renee’s grief was so strong that I knew I had to get her out of there as fa
st as I possibly could. Now, I wrapped the shadows around us and held her close while she cried the last of her tears.
When she finally settled down she whispered, “I’ve never killed anyone before Solomon.”
“I hope you never have to again.” I brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her forehead.
She stepped back, away from me and wiped at her cheeks. “Why did you bring us here?”
I glanced around, admiring the beauty of the night sky and the majestic statue before us. “Honestly it was the first thing that popped into my head. Kind of like Dan Aykroyd and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man on Ghostbusters.”
That got a smile out of her. It was a little on the weak side, but it was enough. Even with her tear stained face, she was beautiful in the moonlight, here with the salty wind blowing through her hair. I suddenly wished we were back home at Myths and Legends. It felt like an eternity since we were there together. I missed our moonlight strolls on the beach, the nights we spent curled up in front of my fireplace, and a thousand other little things that were always better when I shared them with Renee.
I shook myself before I could dwell too long on home and the comforts I missed. We still had three more nights before the tournament would be over. “Anyway, when I think of this place, I always remember that first night I brought you here. You had a million questions, but I’ve never seen you happier.” I shrugged my shoulder. “I guess my subconscious just wanted you to be that happy again.”
“It wasn’t this place that made me happy Solomon,” she explained, circling my waist with her arms. Her emerald eyes were bright and clear when they looked into mine. “It was you that made me happy. Just being with you has always made me happy, from the very first day we met. I should have remembered that before I let everything get so twisted out of shape these past few months. Both of us have suffered so much because I couldn’t see what has always been right in front of my eyes. I know now that you have always loved me, and if I’d given you half a chance, we would have been together a long time ago.
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