by Candace Sams
Heather needed his reassurance what was done could not be undone. "I could never be angry with you for any reason, love. I just don't want you to ever have any regrets."
She shook her head in denial. "I wanted to be with you. And...and I like what I've become, Gryphon. The first time I flew, it was as if I could reach out and touch the stars. It was wonderful. I'm part of a world I've only dreamed about."
"And the Sorceress intends on letting others use the stones to come here?"
"No." She shook her head and gazed up into his dark eyes. "Unless your heart is right and you're absolutely sure about what you're doing, the stones can kill you. Or turn you into something horrible. She means for me to change people's minds about the outside world, so we'll be accepted without the use of magic. We're not all so frightening, you know."
He rubbed his nose against hers. "Not so frightening at all," he agreed.
"You know, the Sorceress thought I was dead the first time I changed."
"You were hurt?" He plunged his hands into her hair, and his gaze swept over her face and body.
"Only unconscious for a while." She mischievously grinned. "Shayla almost had an aneurysm when I woke up. I scared her half to death."
He laughed and hugged her harder. "Good for you." Maybe Shayla needed a little frightening. She'd meddled in others' lives far too much. But, if she hadn't, he wouldn't have Heather with him now. He wondered if that was what the Sorceress had wanted all along, and if he owed her an apology. Part of his heart softened toward the older woman.
"She told me she's going to put the rune stones where no one will ever find them," Heather explained, "And there are other objects that need to be retrieved. Some as powerful, some not. But they still don't need to be out in the world."
"Let me take a guess." He smiled and rocked her back and forth. "She wants us to find them and bring them back."
"I'm handfasted to a very smart man," she teased and held on to him tighter.
"Not smart enough, apparently. You're freezing." He chaffed her hands and rearranged the robe around her body. "We can talk about all this later. Right now, we need to get you warm. You aren't used to being outside in the night air."
She snuggled even closer as he picked her up and carried her farther into the woods. He finally stopped under a tremendous oak and lowered her next to it. "Stay here. I'll gather some wood."
Heather watched as he gathered small dead branches from the forest floor and quickly circled the pile of branches with stones.
He closed his eyes. "Duir, I thank you for the use of your branches. Peace be with you and on all nature." He opened his eyes, glanced at Heather and saw her smile brightly. There were many aspects about life in the Order which she'd have to learn. It helped that she had an extensive background in ancient Celtic ways.
"What are you thinking?" she asked.
"How wonderful it's going to be. Teaching you everything about the Order. Watching you learn and just...just being with you." He passed a hand over the dried wood, and a warm flame reached for the sky.
"I don't think you can teach me that" she grinned as his hand rose to strengthen the fire.
He moved toward her, pulled her back into his arms and softly murmured, "I can teach you how a man of the Order receives his new mate. I was so shocked at seeing you that I'm afraid you weren't properly welcomed. Forgive me?"
Before she could respond, his mouth closed over hers, and his hands pushed the robe away. Gryphon took one of her hands and gently placed it over that part of his body which was rapidly hardening. "Help me with my clothes," he breathed. "If I don't take you soon, I'm afraid I'll wake up and all this will have just been some wonderful dream."
Heather quickly undressed him as his hands caressed her body. He placed his own cloak beneath her to make a soft bed, then covered her body with his. She stroked the muscles of his bare chest with the tips of her fingers and placed a tiny kiss over his heart. Gryph moaned when her lips teased at his nipple and hardened it. He drew in a swift breath at the touch and felt even more blood rush into his groin. He grasped her shoulders and held her to him, letting her touch and taste where she would. The feelings were so sensuously erotic that the world around him began to dim and waver. Long, graceful fingers enticed his manhood, and every cell in his body ached for her.
Heather wanted to touch every part of him and to have him touch her. Every muscle in his body gleamed in the moonlight. He was as hard as iron and as ready for her as she was for him. A bronzed Celtic god for the taking.
He softly stroked between her thighs and saw her chest rise and fall as her breathing became heavier. He intended to love her until sanity left them both. Gryphon pushed her breasts together and circled each nipple with his hot tongue.
"I'm going to take you now," he huskily breathed. "Nothing and no one on Earth is ever going to come between us again. I swear it."
She opened her thighs for him and he quickly stroked forward. Heather cried out and clung to him, tangling her hands in his long, thick hair. Their moans of delight were the only sounds besides the small chirping of night insects. Gryphon felt her tighten convulsively around him.
"Not, yet, girl." He withdrew slightly wanting to make sure the moment was right for both of them.
"Yes, Gryphon. It's been too long. Please" she begged.
He smiled down at her, then moved slowly forward again. "All right, love. Here I am." And he knew he was ready. The look in her silver-blue gaze captured him.
She gripped his hips and began to moan with each stroke. This was what he'd been waiting for all his life. A woman with fire enough to love him no matter what. Gryphon plunged into her, and she cried out as her body and his fit together perfectly. He released, and his cry of complete ecstasy joined hers. He thrust all the way through his intense climax, and she held him until his senses returned.
She lay trembling in his embrace, and he cuddled her close. He'd never felt more wonderful and he wanted to know she felt it, too. "I love you, girl. Don't ever, ever doubt it."
"I love you, too, and missed you so much." She kissed his temple as he snuggled his head into her shoulder.
"We're together now. That's all that matters," he breathed. "And you're mine"
He covered her body with his to keep her warm, then pulled her robe over the lower half of them. It was the most perfect bed he'd ever enjoyed. "I had a fantasy about making love to you in the woods. In a soft bed with the stars out."
She looked up at him, and they softly kissed. "Love me again."
He chuckled softly. "My pleasure. Anything you want."
He took her more slowly, savoring every inch of her form, kissing her slim thighs, running his hands down the soft length of her and feeling her stroke the muscles of his back. When her fingers skimmed over the scars formed when he fought Niall Alexander, she frowned. But he quickly kissed the frown away.
"It's nothing," he told her. "There isn't any kind of wound that hurts like those inflicted on a heart."
Tears pooled in her eyes for him. "My poor darling."
"No, my love. Don't cry for me. You're very quickly mending every wound I've ever had."
She pulled him to her, and they made love until dawn.
***
Shayla and Gwyneth silently crept through the woods so the sleeping lovers wouldn't awaken. Gryphon's senses would alert him to danger, but as neither of the women posed such a threat, he slept on. Unconsciously, he pulled Heather more protectively into his embrace and placed a gentle kiss against her hair. Gwyneth watched with loving indulgence as her son held the sleeping woman in his arms. Her family had just increased by one.
"We'll leave the food here," Shayla pointed to a low, flat stone which could serve as a table. "I'll restart the fire for them."
Gwyneth nodded while carefully rearranging Heather's robe over them. She placed Gryphon's sword against a nearby stone, knowing that it was part of the ancient ritual that he emerge from the forest with it strapped to his side. As a finishi
ng touch, she placed a bottle of wine on the makeshift stone table. Shayla placed changes of clothing nearby so that Gryphon and Heather could take their time coming back to the castle.
"There now," Shayla whispered, "this is as cozy a spot as I've ever seen for a handfasting to be consummated."
Gwyneth agreed, looking around the small clearing at their handiwork. "Yes, they could easily stay until tomorrow night if they wanted. Everything they could need is here."
"Come, Gwyn. I know you're anxious to get back to James, and these two should be left to um, sort things out, so to speak."
Gwyn took one more look at her son and new daughter. Pride in them both filled her heart. "I was shocked to learn she'd given up so much to be with Gryphon. I mean...risking her life using those stones. She must really love him. Do you think he knows what she's done?"
"I'm sure she's told him. But I'll never let those cursed stones be used again. She could have been changed into something...well, there's no use going into it. Everything has turned out far better than I expected. The woman learns fast. My people in the States tell me she's nothing short of brilliant. They've been teaching her for weeks before she arrived here. And, depending upon how she behaves in front of the Order, it'll make things much easier for the rest of the outsiders who'll follow. Every other problem of a personal nature must be worked out between the two of them. Now, come along," Shayla advised. "Let's let them be."
Some time after the women left, Gryphon woke to a warm, brightly burning campfire. He smiled, knowing his mother had been present. Only Gwyneth would have thought to bring his sword. He glanced down, Heather snuggled closer to him to absorb some of his warmth. Resting on one elbow, Gryph began to trace a lazy finger down one of her smooth white shoulders.
That was when he noticed for the first time the Celtic marks on her arms. They exactly matched his except for being much smaller in size and more feminine. He touched them gently.
"Love," he whispered in awe, "that you would go through the pain it took to make these..."
"Mmmm, it wasn't that painful. Besides, I like them," she murmured sleepily. "Keep me warm, Gryph." Heather smiled as she moved even closer into his chest.
He immediately pulled her beneath him and rested his weight on his arms. "I have a way to keep you flaming," he grinned mischievously.
Heather opened her eyes, smiled and brought her arms up to encircle his neck. "Then quit talking and let's see a little action."
Gryph pushed her heavy, silken hair back from her face and kissed her slowly. Heather responded by rotating her hips against his sensitive erection.
"Woman, you awaken beautifully." He felt he could drown in the cool depths of her silver gaze.
She pushed him until their positions reversed. She was now on top and wanted to watch him as she slid onto his erection. "Ah Heather, you're more lovely than a spring day on the moors," he gasped, closing his eyes and letting her soft sheath surround him.
Her hands touched, caressed, and massaged his body, lingering on the Celtic designs on his arms and moving down to those on his inner thighs. He held her firmly on him by placing his hands around her waist and her back. She rocked back and forth, slowly bringing him close to release. Gryphon suddenly sat up and moved with her. Their gazes locked, and Heather felt a wonderful pressure begin deep within her womb. The feeling was so incredibly satisfying that she feared the intensity. Gryph's breathing deepened and matched hers.
"Gryph...I can't...it's...ooooooh," Heather cried out.
"Don't stop, love. Don't..." Gryph never finished as he lost himself within her. Heather fell against his shoulder, crying out when her own climax began and went on long enough to render her completely sated.
They clung to each other as their breathing began to slow and their pulses calmed. Gryphon lay back down into the soft leather cloak beneath them and pulled her robe back over them both. "It will always be this way between us, love. Hot and intense. I love you, Heather. With all my heart and soul."
Heather raised her head to look into eyes as dark as the night. "Gryphon, my sweet, sweet warrior. I can't believe all of this is real, that you're here with me and we're finally together. I've wanted you so badly. Some nights the hurt wouldn't stop. I love you so much."
"Ah, little one, there'll be no more hurting," Gryphon promised and pulled her back into his embrace, gently rocking her. "We've both done our share of that."
She let him hold her and watched the fire burn. The silence they shared was so peaceful, and Heather never wanted it to end. Her body tensed as she heard bushes rustle several yards away.
Gryphon reached for his sword, then stopped. What he sensed was small and defenseless. No threat at all. "Who's there?"
"Just me," a small voice answered.
Heather grabbed her robe and quickly made sure she and Gryphon were modestly covered. A small girl, probably about three years of age, walked out of the bushes. She had soft golden curls trailing down her back, and her dress was a shift made from some gauzy green fabric. It sparkled in the light. Heather smiled at the little figure. She was absolutely darling.
"I was just hunting berries," she explained.
"You're Lily, aren't you?" Gryphon smiled at her.
"Uh-huh. And you're the gryphon." Lily pointed at Heather. "Everyone says she's an outsider. Is that so?"
"She came from outside, but she's one of us now," Gryphon said.
"She's pretty."
"Yes. Yes, she is." He turned to look proudly at his new mate. "Her name is Heather, and she and I were handfasted last night."
There was a gentleness in his eyes that made Heather's heart fall into her stomach. He wasn't angry or upset with the child's interruption. Just patiently explaining. The girl had obviously used the berry hunting excuse to see the outsider. For the first time, she realized how closed off these people had been. Lily had probably never been allowed out of the Shire.
"Can I watch you fly sometimes?"
Gryphon chuckled. Lily had bounced to a completely different subject. "Of course you can. Heather is a gryphon, too. And she's much more beautiful than I. You could watch us both."
Lily smiled and nodded. "Goody! I get to be the first to see you both fly. I'm gonna tell Merrybelle. She said you'd say no."
The little girl ran off to find whoever Merrybelle was, and Gryphon smiled at her tiny, retreating figure. Heather watched him closely.
When he turned back, it was to see Heather's face with a particularly intense expression, and he immediately knew what she was thinking. His heart began to sink. So much happiness had been offered. So many things had happened in the last day. Now, the final challenge to their relationship would come, and he wasn't sure the newly formed, sweet alliance could withstand her questions. He turned away.
"You like children," she simply stated.
"Yes," he sighed. "But they're usually afraid to be near me."
"Lily wasn't."
"Her curiosity about you overcame that."
"Gryphon?" She placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't, Heather. Please don't ask."
"You don't want to have children of your own?"
He swiftly turned back. "Of course I do. But I don't want a child born like me. Not if it will have to go through...never mind."
"Gryphon, I want you to listen to me." She took a deep breath and continued. "In the future, there are going to be a lot of children born here who might or might not have the powers their parents have. They may even look different. But something tells me their parents won't care once they're holding them in their arms. It's going to happen. The Order will be extinct unless it does. What if we have children and they are gryphons? Or what if they don't have any powers at all? Would you love them any less?"
"I'd love my children no matter what," he replied with intensity. "And no one would ever hurt them. Never."
She sighed. "Then what's your problem with having them some day? Everyone else s will be different, too. And, even in the outside world,
there aren't any guarantees about how a baby will be born, what it will look like, or whether it's healthy. The best people can do is hope and pray. The Order doesn't have a monopoly on fears about their kids and what will happen to them, you know. But life goes on, and things usually work out pretty well."
He gazed into her eyes for a long moment. Something inside him finally tore away and flew free. The last of his fears. She'd broken down the final barrier, and the love he felt couldn't be more pure or strong.
"You're right," he whispered as a dozen scenarios came to mind. Sons and daughters to watch grow, and an Order full of children who tolerated each others' differences. Plans of a future he'd never thought possible flooded his brain and he smiled again. "And you'd love our children, too." It was a statement rather than a question. She'd make a wonderful mother.
"Yes, I'd love them. Just the way I love you. And, trust me on this, there's no limit to it, Gryphon. No limit and no strings attached."
In the deepest part of him, he knew she was speaking the absolute truth. Why would she have risked her life to be with him otherwise? He touched her cheek with his fingertips and softly kissed her. "I'm the luckiest man on Earth."
She moved into his embrace and held on tight. "I’m the lucky one. Now, hold me. Never let me go."
"Not even after a million lifetimes have passed, Heather.
I'll never, ever let you go."
***
"Forgive me for disturbing your work, Sorceress." The young girl curtsied as she entered the castle room where Shayla was preparing for her full moon prophecy.
Shayla looked up from the scrying bowl she had been preparing. "What is it, Lyla?"
"'The O'Connor is here to see you. He says it won't wait."
"Very well." Shayla waved a hand. "Show him in." She watched the girl walk into the hallway and heard her speak quietly to someone there.
Gryphon walked into the room and knelt before Shayla. Two of the most perfect weeks a man could ever imagine had just passed. But there were things that needed to be said, and his heart and conscience demanded that he leave Heather long enough to confront the Sorceress with his feelings.