I must have dozed because the next thing I knew I was gasping in pain again. Chaos barked at my handlers to be careful as they lifted me onto a stretcher, hoisted it from the ground, and carted me into the woods behind the grandstands. It was a bizarre parade as people followed my stretcher to a clearing in the woods where a tent had been set up.
Chaos was still issuing orders as we entered the tent. “Leave them alone,” I weakly commanded but he ignored me. All I needed was a bath and a bed, not a freakin’ five-star resort set up in the woods. Stubborn man was determined to get his way. A couple of men transferred me to a large bed. Then Molly and Grace were there, making me as comfortable as possible. Frustration and anger warred in me. Stuck in my immobile body, I stared up at the canvas ceiling. This was a disaster.
“I need to be in the race tomorrow,” I said a little desperately. “Tell them I need to be in the race.”
Molly sat on one side of the bed while Grace dipped cloths into a basin on the other. Grace leaned over me to touch the cool cloth against my sweaty skin, wiping away layers of dirt. She turned to rinse the cloth out, and movement at the foot of the bed caught my attention.
Chaos stared at me with an indecipherable expression on his face. “You are unfit to participate in the Games, Potential Davies. One day or one month will not change the fact that you are too injured to compete any longer. Eros will forfeit your place.”
If I had been able to move, I would have thrown something at him. My voice came out as more of a whispered shout as I said, “No! Damn you, I’ve worked my butt off training for this. I won’t forfeit.”
Chaos’s gaze sharpened as he rounded my bed to stand over me. “Why? You mock our traditions. You show disdain for the Kyrion. Why would you choose to stay here?”
The miserable state of my life wasn’t up for public consumption. I didn’t need anyone’s pity. Especially from the man who had it all. He’d treated me like I was worthless since I’d arrived. How much more pathetic would he think I was if he knew why I was here. “None of your business.”
He briefly looked disappointed before blanking his expression. “There is no shame in forfeiting the Game due to injury. You were brave today. You fought hard to save Molly and yourself from much greater harm. Any Kyrion would be proud to have you as their champion. Rest for now, and we will discuss what may be done later.”
When Grace turned back, he shifted his gaze to her. They peered at each other for several moments, as if they were conducting a conversation that only the two of them could hear. He glanced back at me once more and then disappeared out the flap of the tent. Grace studied me carefully as she loomed over me once more. Her hand flexed, wringing drops of water onto the bed from the cloth clutched in her grip. She didn’t seem to notice.
“You’re the one. The prophecy is true,” Grace said in a stark voice.
Molly slapped her hand on the bed, making me jump and hiss in pain. “Oops sorry,” she said sheepishly. Then she looked at Grace. “Damn, I should have known. The odd things that kept happening around her. Chaos’s reaction. The statue. The healing. I just—wow. It’s happening.”
“What the what? No more riddle me this.” I demanded, my words slurring together as the painkillers took over. “What about the statue? I’m one what? What’s happening?”
Grace looked down at me with a blinding smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “That’s entirely up to you, dear. You are Chosen. Will you save us or doom us?”
18
I bolted upright in bed panting. These dreams were going to drive me crazy. I had been on an island this time. There were some similarities to Sotirìa, but this one was unlike anything this world has ever seen. I had been playing with the butterflies in the garden and hanging strands of jasmine flowers while waiting for my husband to join me. Someone had called my name. Someone I recognized. I turned to greet him with a smile when pain lanced through my back. Terror spiked through me as I grabbed my heavily pregnant belly before pitching forward. I woke up right before I hit the ground.
Rolling over, I buried my head in the pillow and let out an exasperated yell. Maybe I really was losing my mind.
“I often feel a good yell helps to calm the soul,” a husky voice said.
I lifted up onto my elbows feeling only minor aches from my injuries. The medicine they had here was amazing. Grayson walked closer to the bed, his boyish grin in place. “I am glad you are alive, Potential. I feared I had gained and lost a friend all in one day. You must not scare me so.”
“Yeah, well it wasn’t my idea of fun either,” I grumbled. “Uh, do you think you could get Molly or Grace? I’d like to get up.” I looked about the tent, expecting one of them to poke their head in. They definitely had some explaining to do after that conversation last night. Right now, though, there were some other pressing needs to take care of.
“Permit me.” Grayson scooped me up from the bed before I could protest.
“Whoa, slowly,” I admonished while gripping my spinning head. “Put me down, Boy Wonder.”
“I apologize, Potential Davies, if my excitement at your speedy recovery caused you harm.” His sad puppy-dog expression made me feel like I should be the one to apologize as he helped me stand. The sneaky little manipulator knew I couldn’t stay irritated with him when he gave me that face. I rumpled his hair, and he grinned. Then he wrapped his arm around my waist for support as I tested out my legs.
“Huh, I do feel pretty good for being dragged around behind the horses yesterday.” I took a tentative step and then another until my legs felt solid beneath me. My chest expanded with the first full pain-free breath in what felt like forever. My shoulders and wrists were a bit achy but there was no major pain to be found anywhere. The doctor was a miracle worker. “Was I out long?”
“Several hours as best I can tell.” Grayson kept pace with me as I stretched.
Now that I could move about on my own, the restroom was my next stop. Grayson wanted to carry me to the restroom at the grandstands, but I refused. That ended up being a poor decision on my part. By the time we made it there, I was shaky and covered in sweat. Grayson was practically dragging me as my feet stumbled over the ground the last few yards. At the door to the restrooms, I gathered my flagging strength and insisted that I go in alone. He hadn’t been happy about it but let me have my privacy.
When I exited, Molly was waiting at the edge of the woods. “How’re you feeling?”
“Surprisingly good. You guys could make a fortune on those painkillers,” I said as she hugged me.
“Painkillers?” She raised an eyebrow. “Oh, right.”
“Was anyone else hurt in the accident?”
“No, everyone is fine. I’m all bandaged up.” She held up her splinted fingers. “Kade won. He, ah, claimed his prize. If it makes you feel any better, she was the one who, uh, initiated things.”
“Great, I’m happy for him. There wasn’t anything between Kade and me.” That brief moment on the track when he had flirted with me seemed so long ago. And my interests seemed to be focused elsewhere on the broody and obstinate leader of the House of Chaos. “It makes sense that he would win. He was doing well in training and I heard him mention that he owns a ranch. He was certainly more comfortable with the horses than most of us.”
“Weird though that their sister would choose to be the prize. She’s never participated in the Games before. Eros wasn’t happy about it.” Molly looked off into the distance with a puzzled expression, then shook her head. “Who knows. They tell us guides only what we need to do our jobs, which isn’t much.”
“Who was the prize?” I asked. “Eros’s sister?”
Before Molly could answer, Grayson tugged my hand. “I would give you a massage now, Potential. Please come.”
He pulled me along toward the wide trail leading back to the tent. I glanced back at Molly, but she seemed to be grinning at something in the grandstands. “Bye. I’ll see you in a little bit,” I called.
Her gaze shifted
to me, and she looked as if she was having trouble holding back a laugh. “Oh, I’m not expecting to see you until tomorrow. Scratch that, maybe a few days from now. That look totally said someone was going to mark their territory soon. Almost makes me jealous.”
“What?” I tried to pull free so I could talk to Molly, but Grayson swept me up in his arms mumbling about taking care of me.
“Don’t worry,” Molly called out. “I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough. Have fun.”
I decided I would track Molly down and find out what she was babbling about later. Right now, I was tired and still in my dirty chariot clothes. It was pointless to fight Grayson when he was only looking out for me. He carried me past the tent onto another path but refused to tell me where we were going. Why is getting answers around here like trying to break into freakin’ Fort Knox?
Several minutes later we came to another small clearing. A ring of six trees formed a large rotunda in the center of the area. Their twisted trunks rose into the sky before they arched together to form a roof of interlocking branches. Pink and white blooms hung down from the limbs, creating a ceiling of fragrant flowers. A lush green carpet surrounded a large oval stone bath in the center of the structure.
Grayson let me down and we stood for a moment at the edge of the clearing admiring the view.
“Beautiful, yes?”
“It’s amazing,” I sighed, wishing again for my drawing supplies.
“Come.” He pulled me forward.
We entered the rotunda and I breathed in deeply letting the warm, fragrant air fill my lungs. Steam rose from the water, and I almost groaned in anticipation. Grayson led me to the side of the bath where a black robe and several bottles sat.
“Let me help you undress,” Grayson said as he reached for the leather ties that laced down the front of my tunic. “We can bathe, and then I will give you the massage.”
“Uhm, I think you’ve got the wrong idea. See—” His nimble fingers worked the laces on my tunic loose, and I smacked at his hands.
“Grayson, I believe the Potential prefers to bathe in private,” Chaos’s deep voice grated from behind us. “Perhaps you could assist Molly with the horses.” His tone implied this was not a suggestion.
Grayson’s jaw set in stubborn refusal, then relaxed as he smiled softly at me and ran the tip of his finger along my cheek. “I will see you soon, Potential Davies.”
“Grayson,” Chaos snapped.
Grayson gave me his boyish smile, then turned and walked away. Molly was right; something was weird here. Back home guys had paid attention to me, sure, but nothing like this level of sensual pursuit. First had been Eros. I had mostly written that off as him being a flirt, but maybe there was more to it. Hadn’t Chaos said he had broken a rule by being in my bedroom? Eros was a rule bender, but to blatantly break one of the rules he was held to didn’t sound like him.
Next was Kade. Now Grayson. None of this seemed to have started until after the pledges were made in the tower room. Kade hadn’t approached me until the next day, even though we’d shared a moment at dinner before our pledges. I had met Grayson days later. Chaos had hated me on sight. But then after the pledges, he couldn’t keep his hands off me. Did someone douse me in pheromones during the pledges?
Lost in thought, I’d forgotten that I wasn’t alone until a rough finger nudged my chin up. A brief flash of jealousy flared in the dark eyes assessing me. “Potential Davies, you are a danger,” Chaos said solemnly. I sputtered in protest, but his hand shifted to grip my throat. “To yourself. To my people. . . To me.”
His fingers tightened on my throat until I thought he was surely going to strangle me. Then his lips crashed down on mine, and he pulled me tight against him. He cupped my butt, pulling me into his arousal. A moan buzzed my lips at the feel of him against me. Then his tongue delved into my mouth. His hand tried to tunnel beneath my shirt, but the tunic was too tight. He growled in frustration and ripped his mouth from mine.
He impatiently yanked at the laces of my tunic. Moments later it lifted over my head. Kisses landed on the top curve of each breast as his hands deftly worked at my back to release the clasp of my bra. The world was tilting this way and that like I was once again being pulled behind that chariot. My body was caught up in a whirling vortex, but it was a different kind of agony that flared through my veins and pooled low in my belly. Chaos pulled my bra from me and tossed it to the ground. He cupped me gently, my breasts overflowing his hands as he leaned down to lick each nipple.
My pants and underwear were shoved down my legs as kisses trailed along my stomach. Chaos growled again when they became tangled around my tennis shoes, and I hurriedly kicked them off. He looked up at me as he kneeled on the ground to remove the last of my clothing. The fire that had smoldered for days was now raging out of control in his eyes. He must have seen the same in mine because he shot swiftly to his feet, yanking his clothes off.
A naked Chaos was a work of art. Every line of him was defined perfection. I watched as his muscles flexed beneath my touch, feeling like silk poured over granite. I traced the V-lines at his pelvis and his cock jumped in response.
The hard length of him curved up toward his belly button. I licked my lips as I imagined the taste of the drop of moisture seeping from the slit. He groaned but held still for my perusal. My eyes followed the path of that drop as it trickled down the shaft to the cleanly shaven sacs below. We both watched as my finger traced the path back along the throbbing veins and thickly engorged head.
Chaos groaned again, then lunged as if his lauded control had finally snapped. He claimed my lips once more. My arms went around his neck, and he gripped my butt to hoist me into his arms. His cock pushed against my core, and he hissed in a breath as my wetness coated him. The swollen head of his penis bumped against my clit, making me shudder with every step as he walked us around the bath and down the steps into the water.
His lips continued their assault as the warm water lapped at my thighs when we neared the center. Then he abruptly pulled away. My breath sawed heavily through kiss-swollen lips as we stared at each other.
“This is a mistake,” Chaos muttered.
Oh no, you’re not doing this to me again. I pushed against his chest and kicked my legs, trying to dislodge his hold. “You son of a bitch. Let me go.”
He swatted my ass. “Be still, Lia.” I was too shocked to do anything but gape at him. “You could have died today.” There was a haunted look in his eyes. Did he really care so much? His grip tightened, and he lifted me higher against him. “I cannot let you go. I have tried to stay away, but something about you draws me.” A tortured look crossed his face before his jaw tightened in grim determination. “You are mine. If only for tonight.”
Then he plunged me down upon his hard shaft. My head tipped back, my eyes closed as a pleasured squeal escaped. His wide girth stretched me to capacity as he pulled out and plunged back in, forcing me to take more of him.
“So tight. Take it all,” he said through gritted teeth.
My thighs trembled as we fought to move together. I slammed my hips down, forcing a gasp from both of us as I took him all the way to the hilt. Chaos dropped to his knees in the warm water, his rough hands keeping us joined. “Ride me, Lia.” Then his thumb found my clit and my hips jerked against him. “Ride. Show me how you take your pleasure.”
The water lapped against the sides of the bath as I began to move on him. His hands traveled up my spine as he laid me back in the water. My hair floated around me, and my breasts were pushed up toward the sky in offering. Chaos wasted no time taking what was offered, drawing first one nipple and then the other into the hot cavern of his mouth. He suckled and nipped as I worked myself upon him. Lightning bolts zapped through my body every time I sank down. Moans and whimpers escaped my lips as pleasure wracked me.
One hand delved between us to thrum my clit, and I screamed out his name as fireworks burst behind my eyelids. My walls tightened and contracted upon him as my orgasm p
owered on and on. When I opened my eyes, Chaos was smiling at me. “You are beautiful. I want to see you cum on my cock over and over again.”
He pulled from me and led me over to the ledge of the bath. He spun me quickly and pushed against my back until I leaned over the ledge. “Spread your legs.”
I braced my arms on the ledge and widened my stance. His firm tongue speared into me then lapped at me. I was too sensitive and tried to pull away. His strong hand landed on my ass with a smack that made me jump. “Stay still.”
Bastard.
His tongue played over me as I bit my lip to try to keep from squirming. Then he rose up behind me and coated himself in my wetness before he dived back inside. He felt impossibly larger in this position. “Deeper, Lia. Take me deeper.”
I wiggled my hips, trying to work myself over him. He pulled out and slammed back in, gaining more ground. Panted moans spilled from me as I struggled to take all of him. He ground his cock into me as his fingers worked me. He withdrew and slammed back into me, finally seating himself all the way inside. “Mine. So wet and tight. I’m going to take you now. Are you ready?”
“Y-Yes,” I stammered.
He wasted no time in setting a hard and fast rhythm that tore gasps of pleasure from my lips. He dropped kisses along my shoulders and back as he continued to pound into me. His hands roamed everywhere as if he was committing every part of me to memory.
He pulled from me and twirled me around. Then kissed me fiercely as he picked me up again and laid me back on the wide ledge. His eyes were pitch black as he stared down at me, hunger blazing in their depths. He nudged against my opening. “Look. See me as I take you.”
Rising up on my elbows, I watched as he took me. That thick shaft sank deeper and deeper. “Look how I fill you up. I like that I have to force my way in. It is like a victory when I am finally all the way inside you.”
It was my turn to groan. His words excited me almost as much as what he was doing. We both watched as he slid out slowly and then back in. It was erotic the way my glistening pink walls clung to him as he pulled out, then stretched wide for his entrance. “Is that the way it feels, Lia? Do I win something from you when you take me to your depths?”
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