They worked long past the sun coming up, but she never got the flipping move down.
When they finished, they were both sweaty and gasping for breath. "We'll keep trying," he said, gazing at her as she lay on the floor for the tenth time. "You're getting better, witch."
And she was. She'd grown in the ways of combat, but still she wasn't ready. The idea of her soft womanly body fighting a man, made him cringe inside, but he knew not to interfere. She was a warrior woman and would not let anyone fight her battles.
But he wouldn't be far. No matter what, the warlock would not kill her. Jaqarg would step in before Kaine had the chance.
"Thank you for helping me this morning. You taught me a lot," she said, staring into his eyes. Uncertainty reflected in her gaze and he remembered the mirror from the night before.
On his own planet, mating was for procreation. Some couples still practiced the ancient rhythms of marriage and forever, but he never met anyone he wanted to procreate with or spend forever with. Often he took advantage of one of the available merchants for a quick tumble in the sheets. Here on Earth, things were different.
Last night, he sat and observed the animated box for most of the night, seeing everything from a dating show, a wedding, even a divorce, where the lovers screamed at one another in front of a woman in a robe. These earthlings were a little on the crazy species spectrum.
Taking a step closer to him, her scent of some plant, pleasant and soothing, filled his lungs. Mesmerized, he stared at her breasts, her chest rising and falling, rising and falling, rising and falling. The urge to reach out and touch her overwhelmed him, but he resisted.
"You were upset last night. Why?" Did she not want to mate with him? Or was there more meaning to the joining of their bodies he didn't fathom. Truly he wanted to learn.
Glancing at him. "My grandmother sent me the mating mirror, telling me the time is here for me to meet my mate. I thought I had another year. I'm frightened of what I'll find."
Yanking her into his arms, he glanced down and wanted to taste her. Wanted to explore her body and savor her all over. There was something intoxicating about the witch, that made him want to protect and cherish her and not let anyone harm her.
"Don't be afraid," he whispered, his voice low and deep next to her ear. "Joining can be very pleasurable for both people."
Leaning back, she gazed at him. "Are you attracted to me?"
The question took him off guard. Didn't she realize with every breath he took, he wanted to join with her? He'd been trained not to express emotion. His enemies should never discern what he was thinking, so his facial expressions hid his true feelings whether good or bad.
She had no idea of the magnitude of desire he felt for her. Of the way he longed to make her his own.
There was only one thing to do.
Pulling her tightly, he lowered his mouth onto hers, his lips communicating with her what his face could not. Yes, he was captivated by her. Admired her strength, her devotion to her family, and her innocence with the children.
She was an enigma. Light and fluffy, yet tenacious and tough. And determined, which fed his interest like a piece of dessert after a fine meal.
If after this kiss she didn't know he wanted her, then she would never grasp the depth of his attraction. Though, the rational part of his brain told him he was leaving. Maybe today. Another part of him wanted to stay at least until after the skirmish. She needed a second and he would be by her side.
Her hands came up between them and she broke the kiss, her lungs gasping for breath, her eyes wide with amazement.
Lifting her chin, he stared into her emerald eyes. "Yes, Petunia, you make me harder than the granite mines on Bierilla. I'd like nothing more than to carry you into your bedroom and show you the potency of my ardor. But we have a room full of kids waiting to be taught the art of battle. We've got to go."
Licking her lips and stared at him. "I need to change my clothes."
"Hurry, or I'll be helping you," he said and let her go.
Petunia watched as he showed the children in her class the same defensive moves he taught her this morning. Since the day Jaqarg landed right outside Magic, he'd given selfishly of himself.
Even the very first meeting when she put a freeze spell on him to show her students the effects of their magic and how it could protect them. And he hadn't been angry when released.
He took the children, one by one, and practiced the punches and kicks with them, being gentle not to hurt them, promising that if they trained they would instinctively react when they met danger. Gazing at his muscles rippling with strength, she imagined her fingers trailing down his chest.
Warmhearted and kind, he was everything she wanted in a mate. So why did fear hold her in its grip?
Because he was planning on leaving this afternoon. If his new-fangled part worked in his space pod before the sun set, he would be on his way back to Bierilla. And she would never see him again.
If he left before she mated with him, soon the ugly cells in her DNA would begin their destructive nature.
"Miss Blanchet, join me in demonstrating to the students how your spells and the defensive moves work together."
She joined Jaqarg as they danced around each other blocking and sparring like two tango dancers fighting the attraction that united them. When they finished, she glanced around at the children and they stared at them in awe.
Jonah, one of the twins, gazed at them in amazement. "I want to do that."
"You can, once your powers are stronger and you've learned your spells," she said, realizing how her students now hungered for the knowledge they were here to learn.
"Practicing every day will train your instincts to automatically react when there is danger," he told the children.
"Practicing your witchcraft will make your magic strong, but you must only use it for good or to fight evil," she warned. "Pairing these two techniques will keep your enemies at bay and earn you respect in the community."
The bell rang and the students picked up their backpacks, lingering. Joseph walked up to him, his lizard peeking out of his hat. He asked, "Will you come back soon?"
Petunia glanced at Jaqarg and knew that once he left, he would never return.
"If I ever travel this way again, I will stop and check on your progress. Until then, remember to practice and grow strong in your craft."
The children wandered out the door, gazing back at them and she knew he'd made a favorable impression on their young minds.
"When I return home, I think I'm going to become involved with teaching defense to students. I've enjoyed this and they liked the simple moves we demonstrated to them."
She smiled at him, her heart breaking, knowing it was time for him to leave and she didn't want him to go.
"I'm glad you enjoyed working with the children and I know they liked everything you showed them."
How could her feelings be so intense? He'd been on earth, less than a week and yet her body responded to his voice, his touch, his gaze, his kiss. She wanted to become one with her alien, realizing if they had sex, that when he left, her heart would be in shambles.
What did she do?
"Is your part ready to install on your ship?"
"Yes, I think it is. I need to check one more thing. If I don't have to replace the translucer, then it will fly."
The woman in her wanted to throw herself at his feet and beg him to stay, but she wouldn't. He'd called her his warrior witch, and she didn't want to change his image of her. And she refused to be a sniveling, snot-nosed, crying, begging female.
It would hurt, but he would leave.
"Let's do this before it gets dark," she said, knowing it was the last thing on this planet she wanted to do.
Jaqarg was almost done fixing the pod. He only needed a few more parts and the spacecraft would be ready to fly again returning him home.
The thought, while once he wanted so badly to return he could taste the food from home, no longer seeme
d quite as appealing. Watching Petunia this afternoon, as they worked together to show the children the moves she had learned earlier, made him grasp how much he'd miss her smiling face, her goofiness, her sense of right and wrong.
She was a warrior witch. Though she'd yet to realize even with her feelings of peace and love, she was strong and determined, and he ached with the need to join their bodies. He longed to take her right here and now, if he thought they were safe.
But he needed to finish working on the ship that would take him light years from her.
"Did that fix the pod?" she asked, her voice tight and tense.
He could complete the repairs today, but for some reason he wanted one more night with Petunia. Another twelve hours and then he would depart in the morning.
"No, I still have another part to replace. I'm close. Maybe tomorrow," he said, wiping his hands on a rag and peered up at the sky. "It's getting late, we should head back to town."
A buzzing sound at his waist alerted him someone was contacting him. Glancing down, he saw Stryhn's face, dark and strained.
"What's up, ugly?" He teased his friend thinking soon they'd be back together.
"Where are you?" Stryhn demanded, not responding to Jaqarg's comment, his voice urgent. "Taqrok has discovered your pod landed somewhere on earth. If you're not flying, you've got to destroy the ship before he locates it. It's a matter of minutes, Jaqarg, not hours, minutes."
"But, but...I almost have it ready to fly. I'm leaving for home tomorrow."
After all the work of rebuilding the tyrochromaticon, Stryhn was urging him to extinguish his only way home?
"Too late. Destroy the pod or he'll attack the town of Magic. You're endangering the citizens there. Even now, they're trying to determine in what sector of the planet you touched down. Blow it now."
Petunia's emerald eyes grew wide with fright.
"Does the pod come with a self-destruct button?"
"No, this model is not equipped," Stryhn advised.
"I don't have a way to explode it."
"I can," Petunia said, stepping up beside him, her green eyes sympathetic as they gazed at him. "Are you ready for me to do this?"
Sighing, he stared at the craft that would take him back to Bierilla, his chest tightening with anger and frustration. So close to taking off and yet he knew for the safety of the people who had helped him, he had to let it go. "You promise to come for me?"
"Yes, now blow the damn thing."
Nodding at Petunia, they stepped away from the spacecraft behind a rock.
She chanted some words he didn't understand and pointed her hands at the vessel. An explosion lit the evening sky as a fire ring rose out and toward the atmosphere. Pieces of metal bounced on the ground not far from them and with an aching heart he realized his space ship was no more.
He spoke into his transmitter. "It's gone."
"Sorry, Jaqarg, but he can't find you now. I'm close to solving the case. I just need to find visual evidence showing this person was not in his cabin at the time," he said.
Pulling on all his strength and training as a warrior, he gazed into the telecommunicator. "Call me later and let me know if they located where I am."
"Will do," Stryhn said as he disconnected abruptly, the screen going black.
Standing side by side in silence, watching the craft burn, she laid her hand on his arm in a compassionate gesture. His heart felt heavy with the knowledge they still believed he was the killer. More than ever, he was certain of his innocence. And now he had no way to return and prove he hadn't killed the high priestess.
Chapter 6
Walking back to Magic, sadness radiated from Jaqarg while inside Petunia did the happy dance. But she couldn't be too excited because she knew he wanted to return home. Yet, his friend's voice had appeared strained.
Stryhn mentioned they were all in danger, and for the first time, she wondered if Jaqarg had really crash landed here? His explanation had been while flying to Bierilla he had to make an emergency stop. Why would his friend issue a warning to him? Why had he insisted that he blow his only way home unless Jaqarg was hiding something.
The tension and fear and the demand he destroy his pod made her question why Jaqarg was here. Could he be running from the law? As the head of security on his planet, why would he be fleeing? The conversation she'd overheard today had been laced with concern for his safety and the safety of Magic.
She wondered if it was a good idea he was stuck in her home. And yet this would also give them time to consummate the mating ritual. The binding of their bonds to one another, the sealing of her womb to anyone but him until death did they part.
Even then, she would have this connection with him for all time.
Would he understand the importance of this action? That they would be tied to each other for the rest of their living days?
The crunch of their boots against the gravel, the only sound as they made their way toward the small town. The sun slowly sank in the sky as she glanced around uneasily, not prepared to meet Kaine tonight. Only wanting to reach the shelter of her little house where she could ease Jaqarg's anguish.
"The children will be happy you didn't leave," she said in a soft voice, seeing the pain in his chiseled cheekbones, trying to give him something positive to hang on to.
Placing one foot in front of the other, he didn't say anything but continued walking.
"I'm glad you're still here," she said, her voice deepening.
Staring into her gaze, his eyes seemed to hold her hostage, and she wanted to be his captive.
"What if I'm here for weeks, months, maybe even years?"
Stopping, warmth filling her heart.
"Yes, I thought about that," she said, watching his eyes darken with desire. "In case you haven't noticed, I kind of like you, alien."
With a growl, he lifted her into his arms, and toted her up the stairs. Shock rippled along her spine and she gasped. "What are you doing?"
"What I should have done days ago. Tonight, we join, mate."
Heat filled her and she stared at him as he carried her through the door, kicking it closed with his foot. Did he understand he was her mate? Did he realize the meaning of that term here on earth? That he was the man she was destined to spend eternity with? Or did he just use the word as a reference?
Carrying her through the house, he took her into the bedroom. There he let her feet slide to the floor. Keeping her body tightly against his, she felt every hard inch of him, from his muscled abs all the way to his rocklike thighs.
Though still clothed, the feel of his body--solid like stone, only warm and flexible--slid against her, igniting a fire in her womanly parts in response to the touch of his rigid cock.
"Do you want to join with me?" he asked, his mouth close to her ear, his tongue tracing the lobe and running along her neck. "Do you want to quench this fire between us?"
Her lungs seized and she moaned, giving him access to her shoulder, loving the ripples of slithering fieriness that shimmered through her.
"What say you, witch?"
"I want you," she whispered, knowing they would skip the joining ceremony, but unable to care. The mating was happening at this moment.
His lips covered her own, claiming her, branding her, demanding a response. Whimpering, she sagged against him, overwhelmed with the passion raging inside her. Her body was warming, heating to a level never before experienced. With a tug, he pulled her shirt over her head, his hands reaching for the waist of her clothing.
She broke the kiss. "Wait, I must remove my boots first."
Leaning down, she yanked her shoes off her feet. Then pushed him down on the bed. While there, she took off his boots and socks. His clothing lay strewn on the floor and he was working on his belt.
Shucking her leggings, she reached up and unsnapped the hooks on her bra and let the garment fall. As he removed his pants, she ditched her panties and stood drinking in the sight of him.
A lean, muscled body, his
skin an even tone of brown, the alien had her breath stuttering. His manhood stood erect like a model rocket attached to his pelvis aimed and ready to fire.
Gasping at the strength that exuded from him, she crawled beside him. He grasped her arm and pulled her on top of him. For the first time, she felt his naked skin against hers, velvety smooth over rigid muscles.
"We fit together, well," he whispered in her ear. "Your breasts crushed against my chest, your womanly pelvis smashed against my penis make me want to take you hard and fast. You are my female and I'm your male. This time we will mate fast, but the next time, I will make you scream with pleasure."
Jaqarg's words were like an inferno to her ears, causing her to cling to him as his mouth once again covered hers. Flipping her onto her back, his lips trailed down her chest, his hands gripping her own, holding them down on either side of her as he descended to her nipples.
At the touch of his lips, she cried out as he drew the hardened kernel into his mouth, suckling, carrying ripples of need centering in her middle.
"Jaqarg," she sighed and he moved to the other breast, swirling his tongue around, lightly nipping her with his teeth.
"Oh," she moaned as her body came alive beneath his heated caresses.
When she thought she could experience nothing more, his fingers parted her legs and delved into her very center. With a guttural sound of satisfaction at the moisture he found there, he teased her with his fingertips as she ached for something more.
Dipping his fingers within her, she gasped. "Jaqarg."
"You're so hot. So ready for me, my mate. So ready for me to make you mine," he whispered, his voice deep and throaty.
She didn't know if he knew what he was saying to her, but at this moment, she really didn't care. Only the brush of his fingers, the skim of his caress, the glow from his gaze were all that mattered.
Rising over her, he spread her open with his muscular thighs, his powerful tool advancing against the opening that eagerly wanted him. Staring into the blue iridescent gleam of his eyes, she watched as with a groan, he thrust, pressing until he filled her. The sting of pain, nothing compared to the flames pulsing through her.
Magic, New Mexico: Touch of Deceit (Kindle Worlds Novella) (The Magic Mirror Book 2) Page 6