She tipped her head back and looked imploringly at him. He removed his hand. “I didn’t know about the bodies.”
“Even if you did, you wouldn’t have believed.” He voiced the fact she didn’t state.
She offered him a small smile. “No, I wouldn’t have.”
“You believe now.”
She turned in his embrace and stood on her tip-toes. She linked her hands around his neck. “I believe.”
She could’ve declared her eternal love for him. That was how much her words meant to him. He buried his face in the soft, silky strands of her hair. “Cat.”
“I hate to interrupt, but we need to leave.” Jaron stepped close. He laid his hand on Rune’s shoulder. “Time is of the essence.”
Rune turned his head and met Jaron’s eyes. An apology hovered in them. Rune nodded in acceptance. “Cat must travel by human means and planes do not fly whenever we demand them.”
“Of course. I’ll speak with the innkeeper and have him arrange us transportation and a room for me in the meantime.” Jaron slipped past them and headed down the stairs.
“He scares me.”
Rune dropped his gaze to Cat. “But I don’t frighten you.” He voiced it as a statement and hoped it was true.
She sifted her fingers through his hair. “You touch me and it’s as if you’re a piece of me that’s been missing. When I’m with you, I trust you with my life. When I’m not, I wonder if I’m crazy.”
He swung her into his arms and strode back to her room. The move bought him some time. He wasn’t sure how to respond to her statement. In light of what he’d learned from her a few moments ago, he couldn’t help but wonder if there was another force at work in his attraction to her, beyond the mating drive. Fate and destiny were as real to him as the sun and moon. So too was the manipulation of the gods in their lives.
In times gone by, the fertility goddesses might have been to blame for the connection he shared with Cat. That wasn’t possible in the world he’d awoken into. They slept alongside the other gods.
What stirred his worry revolved around the alternate outcome of Ragnarok, the one the eldjötnar had insisted was real. He had always assumed it a feel-good myth, something to offer hope to people in case the gods died before the final battle. Never would he have thought it real. Yet, here they were facing the very outcome they’d fought to avoid.
He stopped walking. The enormity of their situation hit him. The children of the mist had not watched over the gods as they’d promised. Because of me. His decision to enter into death-sleep had landed them in the mess the world had succumbed to. Dammit, as the second eldest unmated Warden, he shouldn’t have made any of the difficult choices. Jaron, however, had been barraged with guilt.
Rune, Jaron and Lyal had been ordered to breed. They’d been assigned partners and had accepted them as consorts. Love had never factored into it. As the day of their respective matings approached, Jaron had grown more and more resentful. He’d planned to denounce his female and refuse the order. When she’d been staked with the others, he’d blamed himself for her death as if his words had caused it. Foolish, of course, but it broke him.
Rune took the place of leader.
And I led the world into hell.
Cat touched his jaw. The feather light stroke of her fingertips ignited his body and heart. It expanded in his chest. Not literally, but the emotion swamping him swelled it.
“What’s wrong, Rune?”
One simple question. It could’ve come from anyone. In Cat’s low husky drawl, it punched him in the gut. He felt her concern, both in her tone and the soft strokes of her fingers. She cared. Despite everything—her disbelief, fears and confusion—she cared about him.
He peered into her face. Her teal eyes held desire and compassion while her parted lips offered him welcome. He held her gaze and accepted a truth he’d never expected.
He was falling in love. Perhaps, he’d already fallen. No matter which, he welcomed it. His consort had captured him—body, heart and soul.
Her brows pinched. “Rune? Tell me. What’s wrong?”
He offered her a smile. “Nothing is wrong. I was just pondering your words.”
“About our…” She caught her lower lip between her teeth and gnawed on it. “Our connection.”
He entered her room and closed the door behind them with a soft click. “Yes, our connection.”
“I know you said you don’t know what’s going on between us but—”
“I understand it now.”
Her eyes widened.
He dangled an answer in front of her but didn’t expand on it. His beautiful scientist would want to know his reasoning. Yes, he was learning the inner workings of her mind. He had to admit, he liked how she thought, although he wished she didn’t react so easily to her fears. Even that made sense, however. She lived for facts. Anything that challenged them or didn’t follow what she could comprehend frightened her. She reacted to it in a very primal way. It was part of who she was, not good or bad. He accepted it, would be careful not to trigger it and ground her if it did.
“You do?”
He carried her to the bed and sat with her straddled over his groin. She made no move to get off. He settled his hands on her waist. “Yes, I do.”
She held his gaze for a long moment. He didn’t answer. A sigh escaped from her sweet mouth and her brow cocked. “Well?”
He looked into her expectant eyes and debated his words but could only come up with the truth. He gave it to her.
“I believe the mist has bestowed its favor upon you and I am the lucky male who saw you first.” He pressed his lips to hers before she could say anything. It made sense. The mist had always provided for them, whatever they needed. It seemed his element deemed Cat necessary. How? Why? He wasn’t sure yet. “And I am not a fool, Cat. You are a treasure, a find I never thought to possess and one I will never let go.”
“Rune.”
The longing twined into his name settled over him. He cupped her face between his hands and stared into her eyes. “I want you to mate me.”
Uncertainty scrunched her features. “I don’t—”
“Don’t say anything yet. The last step in our mating is more complicated than I hinted at and not one we can take tonight.” He brushed his lips over hers, took her breath into him and gave her his. Her soft sigh washed over him and settled in his heart. “I simply wanted you to know how I felt, how much you’ve changed the course of my existence, how much you matter to me. Does that make sense?”
Because he wasn’t sure it did. He’d never been in love and expressing it or any softer emotion wasn’t a skill he possessed.
She nodded quickly.
He grinned. “Good, then let me show you what being mine entails.”
She eased back. Calculating eyes locked on to his. “That sounds ominous, Rune.”
He chuckled. “Far from it.”
Hands around her waist, he lifted her and set her on the edge of the bed. Without looking at her, he walked into the bathroom where her open bag sat. He rifled through the contents and found what the items he sought. The lotion and brush he set on the counter along with nail clippers and a file. He needed one more thing. A search through the drawers in the vanity uncovered it.
He draped a towel over his shoulder and made his way back to his consort. She glanced from one hand to the other. Her eyebrow rose. “If you want me to cut your hair, you’re out of luck. I’m not a hairdresser.”
His lips curved. He liked that she could make him smile. He rarely had the last time he’d walked the earth.
“No, Cat, my hair no longer grows. The body you see before you is the one I had at maturity.” His hair, like all the other Wardens, did not reach past his jaw. For a warrior, any longer length required braiding. Otherwise, the loose strands offered their enemy a means to restrain them.
“Well, that’s cool.” She gave a nervous laugh. “Inexplicable but very neat.”
Her effort to accept the
unbelievable made the warm feeling in his chest spread. He swallowed hard and crossed the room.
He placed the towel on the floor and dropped the chair over it. Cat’s gaze bored into him the entire time. He ignored her for the moment. His female would distract him if he looked at her. Already the lust she stirred threatened to consume him. His dick pressed against the confines of his pants and his fangs ached to descend. He reined in his primal drives. There were more important things to attend to at the moment.
“Yes, it is amazing and once we finish our bond, your body will also be frozen as it is at the time of mating.”
She sucked in a breath. “Oh my God.”
Unable to resist the sign of her shock, he glanced over his shoulder to judge the reason behind it. Widened eyes met his. He couldn’t garner anything from them. “You will be my eternal consort, Cat. We will live and die together.”
Her breaths quickened, but she didn’t respond.
He pushed his doubt aside. He would win her over. No other outcome was acceptable. He motioned to the chair. “Come. Sit. Let me care for you.”
She held his gaze another long moment. Tension tightened his muscles. He waited, breath caught, for her to choose him. That was what it came down to. He hadn’t stated his purpose precisely, but he didn’t doubt his intelligent female’s astuteness to grasp the true reason for his pampering.
He was preparing her body for their mating.
Finally, she ran her trembling hand over her tangled, uneven hair. “You’re going to cut my hair?”
He gave a slow nod. “Unless you’d rather keep,” he paused a moment to search his mind for the right word, “that hairstyle.”
She laughed. The tinkling sound lightened the anxiety gripping him.
“Hairstyle?” She grabbed a hunk of hair. “This is called hacking it off with scissors when it gets too long. I haven’t been to a hairdresser in years.”
A grin spread on his face to match hers. He patted the seat. “Then let me attend to you.”
She dropped her gaze to her lap. “So my hair is even when you mate me?”
His pent-up air escaped in a rush. She hadn’t denied his plans. Not an acceptance, but he’d take it.
“Yes.”
She stood on shaky legs and made her way to him. Each step quickened her breaths. She panted by the time she stood in front of him. Her fear hung thick between them yet she’d come to him. He drew her against him and kissed her deeply and reverently, showing her what her trust meant to him. That was what it came down to, trust. He would treasure it and her.
He eased back before their passion could take over but couldn’t pull away completely. “We will take this slowly. There is no reason to rush.”
She nodded, no hesitation.
Again, not an acceptance, but it might as well have been. His female’s emotions shown in her eyes—hope, longing and desire. It was all there on display for him. The last of his unease faded. Love would come too and so would her agreement to his claim.
Hands on her shoulders, he urged her to sit. He dropped to his knees before her and lifted her leg. He was tempted to remove her jeans but resisted. Her legs were silky smooth. She didn’t need her hair removed. Besides, once he had her naked, they’d end up tangled in passion. He didn’t want to rush into it. His plans included more than pulling an orgasm from her. He would memorize every inch of her while showing her what life as his eternal consort would entail. He refused to settle for loveless bond. Cat would yearn for his touch.
With her small foot cradled in his hand, he traced its slight arch and marveled at the softness of her skin. Unlike the females of his time, Cat embodied a delicate strength that left him in awe. Malin hadn’t exhibited such qualities. She… Rune froze. What was he doing, thinking of a female long dead?
He peered into Cat’s face. She was his future. She was the female who’d captured his heart. Malin had no place in his relationship with Cat.
They were two different females, and so too were their situations. He had to stop comparing them. That was exactly what he was doing, looking for clues that Cat would fall into the same pattern Malin had taken. She’d accepted his touch out of duty, not because she favored him. Jaron had held that role in her eyes. Every time Rune noticed how Cat’s behavior differed, he made a mental note of it, almost as if he were keeping a tally. In a way, he supposed he was. It had to stop.
He brought Cat’s foot to his mouth and sucked on her big toe, then moved to the next. With each one he worshipped, he accepted his regrets of the past along with the disdain he harbored for Malin. He said goodbye to the female he never would have loved and forgave himself for not grieving her death.
The lack of emotion didn’t mean he hadn’t cared about her. He had. He’d wanted her healthy and safe. He just hadn’t loved her. There’d been no reason to cry over her loss. Death wasn’t an end but a new beginning and an opportunity for rebirth. Another chance at life meant hope of finding love. He prayed she had embraced it with a male worthy of her. God knew she wouldn’t have experienced it with him.
His brethren had called him cold. They’d known. He’d denied it, but they had been right. He hadn’t grieved because he’d been glad that she had died before he was saddled with her for all time. It had spared them both an eternity of resentment.
He was the cold one. No more. Cat had ignited a fire within him he hadn’t known he held. He burned…for her.
By the time he reached her little toe, a weight had lifted from his shoulders.
He set her foot on the ground and repeated the exploration on her other one.
Cat sifted her fingers through the short strands of his hair. “Do you plan to lick every inch of me?”
He raised his gaze to hers. “Yes.”
A sigh fell from her lips. She licked them, the bottom then the top. “Then I should consider myself lucky I’m not ticklish.”
He tilted her foot and dragged the tip of his tongue along her arch. She pushed it more firmly into his mouth. He chuckled. “I suppose.”
He released her and moved into the space between her legs. “Your toes are perfect.”
“I just trimmed my toenails.” A small smile played on her lips. “My fingers too.” She wiggled them in front of him.
He captured one hand and studied her delicate fingers. Short, rounded nails tipped each. He drew them, one by one, into his mouth. A shaky moan escaped her throat. He glanced at her. Her attention focused on his lips. After a moment, she lifted her gaze to his. Lust burned in the depths of her blue-green eyes.
He swirled his tongue around the finger he held between his teeth. Slowly, he dragged his mouth off it. “You’re right. Perfect. Matches the rest of you.”
“I’m not, you know.”
He grunted and shoved her shirt up to expose her belly. Her soft skin lured him. He bent close and kissed the slight swell. “Then I think your definition differs from mine.”
She skimmed her fingers over the spot he’d laved. “Maybe for women of your time this is acceptable, but today, this…” She pinched a tiny flap of skin. “This is called flab.”
She couldn’t be serious, but her wrinkled nose and scrunched brow told him she was.
“I need to hit the gym.” She sighed and slid her hand to her hips. She squeezed another small section of skin. “And go on a diet. Jesus, I knew I should’ve started packing a healthy lunch, but the snack machine is so handy and—”
“Cat?” He waited until she met his eyes. “Enough. You. Are. Perfect.”
“But if my body is going to be frozen, I want—”
He tugged her against him and captured her mouth on a fierce kiss. The confirmation he’d feared would take time to earn was tied in to her words. Unspoken, true. It didn’t change the elation. She was his gift, one he’d soon treasure for all time.
She remained passive in his arms for a moment before returning his passion. Deep strokes of their tongues built their lust. She shoved at his pants, tried to work the button free and fa
iled. A growl crawled up her throat. He slammed her against him and swallowed her gasp. The woman made him wild. He took control of their kiss, leading her into a crazed mating of their mouths that reflected his growing need for her.
The ache in his gums grew unbearable. He wanted to bite her, make her his, worship her for all time. The idea grew with the clawing of her blunt nails over his back.
Soon, dammit, soon.
He tore his mouth from hers and buried his face in the crook of her neck, not the best place to gather his strength. Temptation rested under his lips. The wild beat of her pulse called to him. He touched her skin with the tip of his tongue. Her flavor hit him, fruity and sweet. She’d be his ambrosia. He could almost taste her rich blood on his tongue.
As soon as they returned to her homeland, he would finish it. Jaron could continue the search for their missing gods and treasure while he made Cat his mate. He couldn’t wait any longer.
“Tell me you’ll—”
She yanked his head back and thrust her tongue roughly into his parted mouth, stopping his question. A hand on his shoulder and the other gripping his neck, she held him still for her consuming kiss. She explored him as invasively as he had her, licking his teeth and cheeks and tearing his control to shreds. The tips of his fangs slid down. He tensed and fought the release of them completely. She swiped her tongue over one and gasped but didn’t pull away. She shifted her hands to his cheeks and carefully explored them.
He trembled under the force it took to keep his instincts in check. He wrapped his honor around him and allowed his consort to familiarize herself with his body.
Finally, she eased back, gaze still on his fangs. “I want to feel them sinking into me.”
Her words shocked him. He put space between them. “Are you sure?”
Hell, he would send Jaron to her home to search alone. Two, three days at the most. That was all it would take until he finished replacing her blood with his. The gods had been lost for many years. A few more days wouldn’t matter.
Her eyes widened. She pressed against his chest as if she meant to hold him back. “I can’t believe I said that out loud.”
MistUnveiled Page 14