by Riley Storm
Caught up in it, she struggled to strip, wiggling around on the bed, wishing her clothes could just be off.
Kasperi picked up on that, and with a muted growl simply tore everything, leaving her in a pile of her own clothing as he mounted her. Leaning over he kissed her hard, taking control, while one hand pushed her legs apart, playing gently with the pooling wetness between her legs.
She gasped into him, clutching at the back of his head as thick, strong fingers played over her, touching, teasing, tantalizing.
Amber was beyond herself, practically aching for him inside her. She couldn’t stand it, couldn’t wait any longer, but he was too strong, and Kasperi insisted on taking his time, edging her to a new level of anticipation.
When he finally pressed against her opening, she found herself trying to slide down onto him, unwilling to wait any longer. Kasperi noticed this and smiled, pulling his hips back just as he would start to push inside.
“No,” she whined. “Why are you doing this to me?”
Kasperi grabbed her hips and gently pushed her back up the bed. “Because it will make this all the more worthwhile,” he whispered delicately into her ear while simultaneously sliding deep within her.
Amber shuddered and cried out. Kasperi ran a hand up her leg and across her clit. Seconds later, she crashed through quite possibly the hardest climax of her life. The room went white, her body locked up and sheer painful ecstasy slammed into her, robbing her body of breath, mouth open in a silent scream.
Growling in primal heat, Kasperi buried his face in her neck as she came a second time right away, his teeth finding the sweet spot and clamping down, mixing a bit of pain with the nonstop pleasure.
“Fuck me,” she finally managed to gasp. “Now!”
Kasperi didn’t hold back. Not any longer. He stopped playing with her, took her legs and gently, but constantly thrust against her, building her up, getting her used to taking so much within her. It was nothing but mind-numbing bliss. Amber couldn’t talk, could barely remember to breathe.
She’d never been fucked senseless before, but Kasperi was leaving her brain little more than mush, overwhelmed by what was going on between her legs. Numbly, she followed his orders, using her own hand to batter her brain and body with yet another orgasm. Her fourth? Fifth? It didn’t matter, she couldn’t keep track.
Growling in that insanely sexy way men did when they really got in the zone, Kasperi flipped her over and started thrusting from behind while she lay on the bed, ass in the air, mouth buried in the sheets as she screamed out his name until her throat was raw.
Eventually, she found herself pushing back into him, telling him she wanted him to finish, to be done. Her body was bruised and sore, but in the best kind of way. When he tightened, Amber couldn’t help but smile as his seed splashed across her back, reaching up to her shoulder blades. Although she would have wished to be able to watch his face, to see the pleasure she felt reflected upon him, there was no way she was moving.
Kasperi gave that one last twitch and then collapsed on the bed next to her so heavily that she bounced up and then down, yelping and trying to find something to hold onto.
“Sorry,” he muttered, still taking deep breaths.
“I’ll forgive you. This time.” She twisted her head to look at him.
Kasperi chuckled. Then she giggled. A moment later, they both burst out into peals of laughter, Kasperi still struggling for breath and covered in sweat, Amber covered in…Kasperi. They were a mess, and neither of them cared. This was the way it was supposed to be, and that was the important part.
“Hey.”
She returned to the present, shivering in delight as Kasperi reached over and ran his fingers up the back of her neck, lifting her ponytail out of the way and dragging his fingernails along her skull underneath.
“Hi,” she said, fighting the urge to purr as he continued the motion.
“Wanna do that again?” Kasperi’s eyelids bounced up and down lewdly.
Amber couldn’t help but laugh at the display. Until something poked her leg, and she realized he was serious.
31
His relaxed snores didn’t change as she slipped from the bed, tiptoeing out of the room. Showering quickly in the guest bathroom Amber pulled on the boring brown sweatshirt and pants. It was comfortable clothing, but part of her was starting to long for a larger wardrobe. Another couple of pairs of underwear that weren’t straight from a plastic package of three would be wonderful.
I wonder if I can get Kasperi to let me order some stuff off Amazon?
Leaving the House wasn’t an option, not yet, but that’s why she was up so early. It was a goal she wanted to work toward. The freedom to move about, come and go as she pleased, without worrying about some shadowy figure slitting her throat for doing so.
If she wanted that, then Amber was going to need to get better with her magic. A lot better. So she woke up early and was off to the training area to practice. Stopping by Korred’s chambers along the way, she woke him up. At first, he didn’t seem interested, but when she mentioned Kasperi was still asleep, he reluctantly agreed to come supervise.
She was somewhat surprised, but then again, the man had also staked his reputation on being able to train the two of them, so perhaps it was in his best interest that she start making some serious progress.
“Alright, I’m here. What do you want to practice?” Korred asked, leaning against the wall just inside the door, tapping his fingers on the padded covering, indicating his boredom.
“Control,” she almost snapped, already frustrate with his attitude. He knew that, so why ask?
He’s testing you. Trying to get you agitated.
The collar was still on, so it didn’t matter, but she took it off now, only the slightest hesitation as her fingers undid the clasp.
It was getting easier every time to handle the initial surge of magic. She let her mind slide into it, wearing it like a glove, harnessing it, instead of being overwhelmed by it.
Lifting a hand, palm to the sky, she created a ball of flaming red energy in her hand, throwing it up slowly into the air and back down.
“Catch,” she said, lobbing it in his direction like a baseball.
The Magi raised his eyebrows, a finger moving lazily to cast a spell to intercept, but when she clasped her hands together and a thick shaft of red energy rose up from between them like a bat, he decided to play along.
A shape coalesced around his left hand, green lines stitching together a glove. He caught her spell, tossed it to his other hand—which she noticed was protected with a much thinner sheen of green—and threw it back.
Amber watched it come, lined up as best she could, and swung for the fences. The bat connected, and the ball of energy flew off to the left before exploding against the wall.
“Two spells at once. I’m impressed,” Korred said, taking her a little more seriously now.
“Thanks. I’ve been practicing hard. The right way,” she said with just a bit of irritation.
“The right way,” he repeated, mocking her in a high-pitched voice. “The world doesn’t give a shit about your ‘right’ way. It’ll chew you up and spit you out if you treat it so softly.”
Amber ignored the tirade, instead focusing on her next spell. The shield she’d chosen as her standard sizzled to life, almost as tall as her, and attached to her left forearm. Long, rectangular and curved. She fed energy into it, working it with her mind, always in control, never letting it get loose.
She was the master, not it.
“A shield. How cute. Is it strong?”
By way of answer, Amber banged it off the floor. In her right hand, she called up more red energy, shaping it into a knife. Hauling back, she flung it at Korred.
The magi easily smashed her spell apart with one hand. Then the one she’d sent right behind that. The third one split apart about a foot ahead of where he had countered the first two, surprising him. One went wide, but the other clipped his shoulder, spinn
ing him around.
He righted himself and smiled unpleasantly. “Very tricky. But not enough. This is going to hurt.”
Amber’s eyes went wide. She’d made a very big mistake. By managing to tag him with a spell, she’d expected praise. Instead, she’d embarrassed Korred, and now he was determined to ensure she didn’t do it again.
A stream of energy as wide as her wrist streamed from the palm of his hand. Amber brought her shield into position and crouched below it. Magic met magic and she was driven back a step. Then another.
Determination met irritation.
“No more,” she said to herself, planting her back foot and refusing to be budged. Feeding more energy into the shield, she strengthened it, turning it from bright crimson to a deep rusty ochre. It hardened and turned opaque. Amber stepped forward, feeling more in tune with her magic than she ever had before.
“Very good! You’re improving,” Korred called over the hiss and spark of his attack on her shield. “But not enough.”
Amber had a moment to panic as the magic hitting her shield turned rapidly from red to emerald green. Her forward advance stopped and she was pushed backward, forced to shuffle her feet so she didn’t get blown back. It was strong. Almost too strong.
Angrily, she imagined her shield turning green, countering the mage’s magic with her own. To her immense surprise, a few strands of green worked themselves through the shape, acting like reinforcement cables. It was working!
But Amber had opened herself up too far, too fast. Unprepared for the sudden surge of power, she lost control. Only for a second, but that was enough. Darkness rushed forth, sensing a chance to escape, as it always did. Crying out, she clamped down as hard as possible, trying desperately to hold it in, to be strong enough.
Can’t let Kasperi down. He believes in me.
Memories of the big lug of a shifter came boiling to the surface. Him standing over her in the forest. Him stepping between her and Kvoss. The first time they’d held hands and looked into one another’s eyes. Their first kiss. The warmth of his chest as she slept curled up into his tender embrace.
Light pierced the darkness. A battle inside her was taking place, even as she struggled to hold off the Magi who was laughing loudly, counting down the seconds until her defenses collapsed. It was like he could sense what she was dealing with internally.
She clung to thoughts of Kasperi, his booming laugh, or the gentle massage of his fingertips through her hair. The sheer belief that everyone was capable of good. His cute butt. All these things and more she latched onto. They were good thoughts. Reasons for her to come back.
And the darkness hated it. It recoiled and filled her mind with black, raging emotions. Anger. Fear. Sadness. Jealousy. Loathing. Greed. Each one streaked in against the ball of light, trying to douse it. Amber began to smile as each was shredded by the light, only giving it more strength.
There was Kasperi’s generous giving and thoughtful care. She remembered the wood that he wanted to become her staff, the first sign of his true belief in her. Then she remembered him letting her steal fries off his plate without grief. The way he looked past what she was, to see who she was. There was his complete trust in her, given without condition.
Screaming her defiance at the darkness and the Magi as one, Amber sucked in all her remaining fears and darkness and fed it to the ball of light, treating it like a meat grinder. She was beyond that now, beyond petty revenge with a power she didn’t understand. Beyond letting something else control her.
Something inside her burst, and suddenly she felt free. Practically weightless. Her eyes turned to the Magi through the haziness of her shield, the defense having lost some of its opaqueness as she turned inward.
“Not anymore.” Amber pushed magic into the shield. Once again, it turned solid rusty red. Not satisfied, she strengthened it again, focusing on pulling more from deeper within her, tapping a wellspring of strength she hadn’t known she possessed.
Thick green bands of energy criss-crossed her shield, and the pressure of the Magi’s attack lessened as she absorbed more of it. Amber took a step forward, shedding emerald green magic. Then another.
“Very good!” the Magi shouted, and abruptly his attack stopped. “Excellent work, Amber. You’ve broken through.”
She nodded, only then realizing how exhausted she was as the rectangular shield fizzled out of existence. Her brain hurt, and the only thing keeping the shadows from returning, was that she’d hurt it even worse. It wasn’t gone, it would never be entirely gone, but for now she was free from its constant pressure.
“You’re ready now,” the Magi said, coming over to her, taking a hand and helping her to her feet.
Amber looked up into the depths of his hood. Twin orbs of the brightest blue stared back at her. They caught her, pulling her in with gentle swirling motions. Amber frowned, trying to pull her defenses into place, but he waved them softly aside, urging her to relax.
“You don’t need those now that you’re ready,” he repeated, his voice soft and lulling.
“What am I ready for?”
“To truly learn about the power you possess.”
32
Yawning, Kasperi stood up and stretched. The magic textbook he was reading was utterly dry and he couldn’t do more than a few pages before his brain started to wander. Just then, it was wondering where Amber had gone. There was a note on the door that had said she’d be back in a bit.
Although he didn’t like letting her wander the Manor on her own, he knew she needed some level of independence. As long as she wore the collar, she would be safe. Maybe she was just in the library, trying to do some extra studying, like him.
The door to the main room opened.
“Hey cutie!” he called, marking his spot in the book and closing it. Adjusting his shirt and pants, he went to leave the study, eager to wrap his mate up in a hug and give her a kiss. “Amber?” he called, reaching the door and sliding it open, wondering why she was trying to be sneaky. Didn’t she realize he had far better hearing than that?
Stepping out of the study, Kasperi yelped and flung himself backward. Only his unnaturally quick reflexes saved his life as a solid blade of red magic sliced downward, ready to cleave him in half from front to back.
“What the fuck was that?” he howled, slamming the door closed. “What are you trying to do, kill me?”
The same blade sliced the door into ribbons, pieces of wood going everywhere. Amber stepped through as the last of it collapsed around her, left arm sizzling with magic from her elbow to the tip of the blade that extended nearly two feet from her fist.
“Amber? Darling? What are you doing?” he asked.
Her long hair hung free, each strand seemingly aflame with magic, floating and weaving a pattern of its own. Pale green eyes stared at him with a blankness he couldn’t ever recall seeing in her. Even when she’d lost control of her magic, they’d remained focused, turning dark fiery red. This was…
“Amber!” he barked as she walked calmly toward him, her body language seemingly perfectly relaxed, aside from the blazing magic sword she was trying to eviscerate him with. “Stop this. Right now!”
No response.
Irritated, he tried to call up some of his own magic, to counter her, but despite his best efforts, nothing happened. He still couldn’t figure out how to summon it on his own. Glancing past her into the open common area, he spied his swords, hung up on a rack outside the bedroom, like always.
She’d known he would go for them. That’s why she hadn’t let him exit the study.
“Why are you doing this?” he asked, backing toward his desk, reluctant to attack his mate. She might have magic, but she was no match for him physically. He risked killing her even with a weakened blow.
Amber didn’t say anything. Her short legs just brought her close, and without preamble, she swung her sword-arm at him, narrowly missing as he flung himself to the side. The blade cleaved his desk in half.
“Now that was
just unnecessary,” he snarled, kicking the chair at her.
It rolled across the hardwood floor. Amber’s arm came down and she sliced at it, but the chair still impacted her in the knees. Kasperi saw the way her face tightened in anger at the pain as she was driven to one knee, red blade stabbing deep into the floor and probably through to the floor below.
Wasting no time, he made a rush for the door, moving faster than Amber could ever hope to match. He raced for his swords. Reaching out, he grabbed one, just as a band of red energy wrapped around his torso and flung him violently away from his weapons. The one ripped free of the sheath, but Amber’s attack hurled him through the wall and into the hallway beyond.
Kasperi lay coughing amidst the drywall, struggling to breathe from the impact. It was like that first time training with the Magi all over again, except these walls weren’t padded. Why was it she kept kicking his ass with magic?
“Kasperi?”
He looked up to see a pair of House Ursa soldiers rushing toward him. Frantically, he waved them back, looking through the hole in the wall as Amber came toward him.
“Get back!” he shouted. “Go find the Magi, quick! He’s needed here as fast as possible.”
Looking around wildly for his sword, Kasperi spied it on the other side of the hole in the wall, buried in a pile of debris. Crawling forward, he made a lunge for it. Amber came through the wall first, cutting him off, and he quickly backpedaled to safety.
“Shit, shit, shit,” he muttered, standing up, shaking the debris loose and giving his mate a cold stare. “Amber. Get a hold of yourself. This isn’t you. Stop it. Now.”
She came on, swinging the blade-arm at him, its red hue slicing through wall and anything else in its way. Kasperi took another handful of steps backward, analyzing the strikes. Whatever was going on, it hadn’t given her any skill with the blade, just power. That was his advantage, that was how he would win.
“Well come on then!” he snapped, goading her on, letting her close, watching the way her body shifted, anticipating her moves. Nobody was better at the dance than he, and Kasperi put that knowledge to work.