by Brenda Trim
Squeezing her thighs around him, she maneuvered her body, positioning him exactly where she wanted him. “You’re overdressed, warrior. Take off the pants.”
“Or what? You’ll shred them?” he asked, ripping the panties from her body before she could blink.
A moan escaped her throat as she luxuriated in the feel of her naked flesh rubbing against the soft fabric of his dress pants. He snaked his fingers from the flesh of her ass to the wet opening of her body. One long finger teased her with feather light touches. “Give me more. I need more,” she begged, not stilling her movements.
He stilled his finger and met her gaze. The ice in his eyes had melted completely and turned to a molten pool, glowing brightly. She wanted to bath in their warmth until the acid in her veins burned away. “So needy,” he murmured, unbuttoning his pants and letting them drop to his ankles. Mmmm, commando. It was such a turn on knowing he hadn’t had on underwear beneath his pants.
She felt a cool breeze before hot, hard steel was pushing inside her robbing her of reason. He was so big and thick that he stretched her tight and awakened every nerve ending in her body. It was a delicious sting and exactly what she needed. This was the pain she wanted.
Unable to wait, she began lifting herself up and slamming back down on him. His rhythm went from zero to sixty in a second flat and she was meeting his every thrust. He gripped her back and wrapped one hand in her long hair, pulling her close for kiss. His tongue danced in her mouth as his cock shuttled in and out of her core. She moaned into his mouth and took everything he had to give. She was panting when he broke the kiss and so close to orgasm she thought she’d die.
“Is this what you wanted?” he asked, his breath falling like knives against her lips, his hips never stopping. His primal nature was awake and he took her with a force that should have scared her, but instead set her afire.
“Yes, don’t stop,” she demanded. His answer was to wrap his arms up her back and pull her shoulders down with each of his upward strokes. The violence with which he took her told her he was exercising demons of his own. She had a fleeting thought that he didn’t want to want her as much as he did and hated her for it.
Those thoughts scattered as her body clenched around his hard length. He lowered his head and took a nipple into his mouth and bit down. She detonated in his arms and stars bursting behind her eyes, silencing the archdemon trying to take control.
He released her nipple and took her mouth in a kiss as his climax barreled through him. Rather than diminishing, her pleasure increased until a sudden excruciating pain had her crying out. At the same moment a deep groan left Gerrick’s lips and he dropped her to the deck of the boat. He lost his footing and fell next to her.
She grabbed her right leg and rocked back and forth as fire spread through her leg. She had experienced pain over the past few months, but nothing like this agony. Tears blurred her vision as she prayed it would end soon. It seemed like an eternity before the worst of it stopped and she was able to sit up. He was sitting before her with his knees bent, his pants pooled at his ankles and his shoes on his feet. It was a comical sight, but there was nothing funny about the look on his face. He was furious.
“What did you do to me?” he growled.
“I didn’t do anything. Azazel left my head a few minutes ago. He couldn’t stand up to the affect you had on me,” she said, unsure why she was defending herself.
“What spell did he teach you?”
“None. I can’t do magic, jackass.” She had no idea what he was talking about, but she wasn’t about to tolerate being accused of something she didn’t do.
“Then how do you explain this?” he asked, standing up to give her a view of the back of his right calf. There was a red brand in the shape of lightning surrounded by barbed vines.
“Is that what I think it is?” It couldn’t be a mating mark. He’d already been given and lost his Fated Mate and you didn’t get two in a lifetime. She had to be careful with what she said or he would distrust her even more. She turned her leg and the moon shone down on an identical mark on her right calf.
“It’s a mate mark,” he said confirming her suspicions. “And, what I want to know is how this happened.”
“You’re my Fated Mate,” she whispered, awed by the knowledge and completely flabbergasted.
“No, I’m not,” he denied, walking away from her. She watched him walk below deck and wanted to rip out his throat. Tears suddenly blinded her as reality sank in. Her mate had just rejected her. Her vision that had been stuck on infrared since her captivity suddenly turned black as night. She wasn’t sure what was worse at that moment, her pain or her anger. She ripped a seat from its mooring and threw it overboard. Several life preservers and seat cushions followed. She wasn’t going to be a victim ever again.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Gerrick stalked into the house pissed, and yet, hungry for more of Shae. He hadn’t intended on having sex with her, but hadn’t been able to resist her. What had started out a joyride on the lake took an unsurprising turn and had given him the most powerful orgasm of his life. Sorcerers didn’t ejaculate during climax until they had sex with their Fated Mate. When he’d been with Evanna those centuries ago, he’d experienced the sensation for the first time. It had been indescribable for him, but his memory paled in comparison now that it had happened again.
He’d cherished the few times he’d had with Evanna because after her death that pleasure disappeared along with his mating brand. Now, both were back with a vengeance. The gratification he’d felt with Shae had turned him inside out and was the reason he’d dropped her, not the pain from the brand reemerging. He wasn’t prepared for the buildup of pressure in his balls so his shields were completely down and the orgasm had blown through him before he could stop it. In fact, it nearly caused him to black out.
The entire experience made him want to hunt down the Goddess and tear her a new one. Piece by small piece he was losing the only thing he had of Evanna. The mating and ejaculation was something he’d only had with her. Every aspect of their mating had been his most treasured memories and now they were being impinged upon.
And now, the mating brand that had disappeared after her death was back and he’d ejaculated for the first time in four hundred years. To add insult to injury, the orgasm had been unlike anything that had come before. As was his connection to Shae. He was desperate for another taste of her, and, at the same time, he hated the sight of her. None of this should be happening and he wasn’t convinced it was Goddess-driven. Not after the hell she’d been put through. Not to mention the fact that no one knew what Dark magic was capable of replicating. His life hadn’t made any sense since he’d rescued Shae.
He needed answers and headed straight for the stairs as soon as he entered the house. He heard her following him, although they hadn’t spoken since he’d retrieved clothing for her on the boat.
“Are you just going to ignore me? I think we need to talk,” she finally said to him, breaking the silence. Her voice slid over him like a caress, making him hard as stone in his pants.
“I have a meeting in fifteen minutes,” he replied, opening his door. He shouldn’t leave her alone, but if he didn’t get away from her he would have her on her back, or all fours, in the next heartbeat. He hurried to the bathroom and went to shut the door, only to find his way blocked by her body. She looked too damn sexy for words standing there in the huge t-shirt that he kept on the boat. She was naked beneath the clothing, making it hard to think of anything but tearing it off and tasting her more fully. That had been a quickie, just enough to take off the barest edge of his need.
“That’s not going to work for me. You don’t get to have sex with me, learn we are mates and then shut me out,” she challenged.
“I’m not the mate you want, Shae. Undo the spell and save yourself the trouble of it backfiring later.” He pushed her back and shut the door in her shocked face. He was all kinds of a bastard, but his control hung by a thread and was lo
oking for any reason to snap. If he took her when he was so angry, he was afraid he’d inadvertently hurt her. He needed to learn more about what was happening first.
He took his cell phone from his pocket and sent a text to Zander and Evzen requesting a meeting then turned on the water. He took an ice cold shower, hoping it would diminish his arousal, but that was impossible with tendrils of Shae’s scent reaching him through the closed door. It was mixed with his the way it should be and the only dampener was the acrid scent of her hurt and anger.
He saw the shadow of her feet as they paced a circuit on the other side of the door. He dried off and slung a towel around his waist, unable to hide the erection tenting the terry cloth. She opened her mouth to scathe him, no doubt, but her words died as her eyes settled on his groin. He smiled, understanding exactly how she felt. She had him in knots and so aroused he thought he could pound nails with his cock. He sauntered slowly to his closet, teasing her.
Dropping the towel from his waist at the door, he relished her indrawn breath. Grabbing a black tee, he realized how much he enjoyed teasing, even when he was livid. She challenged him and he reveled in how much fun she brought to his life. His chest constricted and his soul cried out that she was his and his cock hardened in agreement.
Suddenly, he broke out in a cold sweat as he dressed. How could Dark magic replicate that type of reaction? He shoved his erection into his pants, refusing to think about the anguish he knew his behavior was causing her. There was a possibility this was Dark magic.
“I don’t know what you think I’ve become, but I don’t have any kind of power and those vile creatures left me with nothing but pain and suffering,” she told him when he walked out of the closet. He saw the torment in her familiar green eyes and knew he had wounded a part of her he hadn’t meant to. She had trusted him with part of herself that had been deeply violated and here he was twisting the knife.
He continued and paused at the door with his back to her. “You’ll be safe in here,” he promised, having no other words to make the situation better, before leaving and locking her inside. He expected to hear evidence of her anger, either her throwing things or hitting the door. The fact that he heard only silence made a boulder settle in his gut. There was nothing worse than silence. It was easier to deal with yelling, screaming and even hitting, but you couldn’t battle silence. There was nothing there.
Even as he denied that Shae was his mate, he prayed he hadn’t ruined his chances. His heavy boots pounded down the stairs and he went straight to the war room. Zander was there with Evzen. Neither looked over as he entered, but continued their discussion over Angelica’s actions. Gerrick understood Zander’s anger over her breach of his home, as well as, his demand that Evzen get control of her. As a sorceress, she fell under the Guild Master’s purview, but Evzen wasn’t ever going to be capable of governing Angelica.
Gerrick went to the bar and poured himself four fingers of Bhric’s favorite scotch. He took a healthy swallow, appreciating the smooth texture as he turned around. Zander was watching him with that raised eyebrow of his. “Tough night with Shae?”
“You have no idea,” Gerrick muttered, feeling the weight of the situation on his shoulders.
“Och, that doesna sound good. I assume that’s why you called us here, so what happened? Is she still alive?” Zander sat back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest.
Gerrick fell into a chair and scowled. “Of course she’s alive. What do you think I am?”
Zander looked straight at him. “I think you will do whatever is necessary to uphold your vow. You wouldna hesitate to eliminate any threat to humans and the Tehrex Realm and Shae is unpredictable.”
“You’re right. She’s a wild card. One that I think may be capable of doing Dark magic.” That grabbed the males’ attention as they sat up and leaned forward.
“Explain,” Zander barked at the same time Evzen said, “Vampires aren’t capable of performing magic.”
He gave them a rundown of what occurred on the boat as he stood and lifted his pant leg, showing them the brand on his leg.
“Is that what I think it is?” Evzen murmured as he touched the edge of the mark. Gerrick gritted his teeth against the pain and sat down.
“How did this happen?” Zander asked, echoing Gerrick’s thoughts.
“That’s why I called you two. This can’t be possible. I was given Evanna and then she was taken from me. We are only given one mate in our lifetime. Have you ever heard of it being any different?”
“Are you certain Evanna was yours?” Evzen asked, and Gerrick had to remind himself that he couldn’t punch his Guild Master in the face.
“Of course she was mine. You might not understand this, but you will never forget the feeling of being branded by your mate. Not to mention the sexual pleasure. I have no doubt that she was mine,” he bit out.
“Aye, he is right,” Zander added. “There was nothing like being branded by my Elsie. Was it the same with Shae as it was with Evanna?”
Gerrick took another drink then blew out a breath. “Fuck, that’s the problem. It was so much better than I remember which makes it so much worse. Nothing can be better than Evanna.” He heard the distress in his voice.
“What happened to cause her pain before this happened?” Evzen asked, placing his palms on the table before a large leather tome appeared.
“Shit. She never told me, just insisted that I kiss her and then I was so angry at her for trying to force this mating that I forgot to ask. Goddess, I’m a fucking idiot,” he cursed. The sinking feeling in his gut intensified, telling him he had fucked up more than he realized.
“Bluidy hell. Understand one thing, Gerrick. ‘Tis no’ possible for the archdemons to affect something created by the Goddess. Nor can they replicate a mating. Evil canna understand the reasons for, or the mechanics, that are necessary.” Gerrick shifted under Zander’s reprisal and scrutiny.
Evzen looked up from the book with a why-didn’t-I-think-of-that expression on his face. “Stand up again, Gerrick,” the Guild Master instructed. Gerrick obliged and the other male knelt next to him. He muttered the same spell they used to follow the trail of skirm. Gerrick wasn’t sure if the spell would reveal anything, but had to admit it was a clever way to try and detect any subterfuge. Designed to follow skirm, it should be able to detect any Dark magic created by archdemons. Holding his breath, he watched his leg for a reaction.
A yellow glow would outline the brand if Dark magic was used. When nothing happened after several minutes, Evzen sat back down, relief written all over his face. “I had to be sure Zander was correct. It wouldn’t due to ignore due diligence and assume that our most precious gifts can’t be altered. It seems Zeum has another reason to celebrate. Shae is your Fated Mate, Gerrick.”
“Aye, she is. And, if you want my opinion, you willna tell her of your doubts. That’ll just piss off a female,” Zander said, smiling. Too late for that, Gerrick thought. “That answers one question, but doesna tell us how this happened.”
“I lost Evanna and no one should be sent to replace her. That’s why I doubted it,” Gerrick said in defense, despite the fact that Shae wasn’t there to hear him. He needed to be saying that to Shae, but didn’t know if he ever could. Evanna was his Fated Mate, her soul was part of him. How could he carry two different souls? Shae carried his soul, but what if he didn’t have a part of hers?
“Tell me about your mating to Evanna,” Evzen muttered as he continued to turn pages in the ancient book. “Perhaps, there are answers in the grimoire.”
“There’s not much to tell. It was a short story of love at first sight. We discovered we were mates soon after meeting, but she was killed two weeks later. We hadn’t even told anyone that we were mates,” he explained, going back four centuries in his memory.
“So you didn’t complete the mating then,” Evzen observed.
Gerrick snapped to attention. He’d sat back down and was now sitting so stiffly it felt as if a rod of stee
l were in his back. “Are you saying this happened because Evanna and I didn’t complete the ceremony?”
“Aye, that has to be it,” Zander added. “The mating ceremony is detailed for a reason. Once everything is completed there is nothing on this world or any other that can dissolve that bond. That bond wasna cemented between you and Evanna, leaving room for another to fill that void.”
That was the problem, Gerrick mused. He didn’t want anyone or anything filling that void, yet he couldn’t stop thinking about Shae. She’d drawn him in from the moment he’d seen her. A connection snapped into place and had been growing stronger ever since. He admired her strength and courage, as well as her grace under pressure. She was a true treasure. And now, he’d treated her like shit before locking her into another cage. He could imagine her pacing and plotting his death, and, like it or not, he was going to have to face the music at some point.
“There is nothing here that can shed more light on this situation. Your explanation makes sense, Zander, but I don’t want this information being leaked into the population. We don’t want those that have lost their mate thinking there is hope of them finding another,” Evzen commented, closing the Mystik Grimoire.
“Shite, the last thing we need is to shatter existing families. Not to mention the heartbreak that false hope would bring to the individual. The Goddess, it seems, is breaking the mold all over the place,” Zander said, no doubt talking about how his Fated Mate, Elsie, had become the first human-turned-vampire.
“I can’t believe I’ve been given another Fated Mate. I’m not ready to accept it yet, but I know what you’re saying is true. This is supposed to be a blessing, so why does it feel like a punishment?” With that, he stalked out of the room.
*****
Shae understood Gerrick’s doubt, but that didn’t make his actions hurt any less. She had been floundering to find her footing since her rescue and instead of being the steadying force a mate should be, Gerrick made her so angry she feared she would snap and hurt someone. Like most of the realm, she had grown up not giving much thought to having a Fated Mate because it seemed the centuries-long mating curse would never be broken. The curse had been broken shortly before she’d been kidnapped so she really never gave the idea much thought. What consideration she had given it had been fleeting, but she had never imagined it would be like this.