“That’s it?” The man risked his life for her last night and now wouldn’t even give her five unforced words. Rhea held up her right hand as far as it would go. “I’m sorry. I just thought this was an indication that you didn’t want me running around until we had a chance to talk about this.”
Hagen eyed the makeshift handcuff and rope combination securing her to his headboard. “I didn’t think you’d remember.”
Rhea rolled her eyes at him. “Then why am I tied to your bed while you sit in a chair blocking the door?”
He clarified. “I hoped you wouldn’t remember.”
The mix of Hagen’s shame and guilt tugged at her, making it impossible not to be affected by how difficult this was for him. “How could you think I wouldn’t know it was you?”
She felt him last night, knew he was coming before he was there. The fear in him, the rage as he broke through the woods, ready to fight to protect her. And then she saw him and some of the dots came together. But not all.
“Who was in the woods the night I yelled for you?” Rhea tried to remember the way the energy felt. Familiar but different. Big. Dark. Dangerous.
“That was Magni. My uncle.”
His uncle. Did that mean... “Jerrik?”
Hagen nodded.
“Kari?”
“No. It’s only passed from father to son.” Hagen’s emotions pulled back.
Rhea studied him. Was she the first person he told? It certainly seemed that way considering how difficult of a process it was. There was so much more she wanted to know but he was at his limit. And her bladder was at its. She held up her hand. “Can you untie me now?”
Hagen hesitated. Finally he walked to the side of the bed and pulled a key from his pocket and used it to unlock the cuff around her wrist. His body went rigid.
He thought she would run away.
She probably should.
But his bathroom was the closest so...
“Can I use the bathroom?” Rhea was already off the bed and hobbling across the room. “Is it this door?” She didn’t wait for him to answer and pushed the door open. She’d never been so happy to see a bathroom in her life.
After finishing her primary reason for the visit, Rhea went to the sink and dared a peek in the mirror. Her hair was matted with specks of dirt. Crispy flakes of leaves were stuck in the strands like organic confetti. The tank top she wore last night was still on but the black leggings the bear shredded were gone, replaced by a pair of her sweatpants.
And different panties.
Rhea yanked the door open. “Did you see me naked?”
“What? No.” Hagen held his hands up. “Jerrik brought fresh clothes from your room and the nurse who lives in town came to check you out. You don’t remember?”
Rhea looked around the room, scanning her brain for the last memory she had of what happened. It was Hagen, the beast, wrapping her in his arms and holding her tight against his chest after the bear ran away. Rocking her.
She shook her head. “I only remember you. The way you held me after.”
“You were scared.”
Rhea let her mind go back to that moment. She shook her head. “No I wasn’t. Not once you were there. I knew everything would be okay.” She looked at the man who saved her life even though it meant exposing his darkest secret. “I knew you would protect me no matter what.”
It was never a question in her mind. Maybe that’s why she didn’t hesitate to run through the woods after unknown beings and take risks she might not normally have taken.
Because she knew he would be there if she needed him.
Rhea stepped toward Hagen, letting his feelings wash over her. Listening to what he wouldn’t say. Maybe couldn’t say.
She lifted one hand. Slowly she pressed it to his chest, letting her palm rest over his beating heart, just as she did last night. The same wash of warmth rushed up her arm, filling her body with more emotions than she could identify. Fear. Doubt. Uncertainty. Guilt.
Need.
“Would you hold me again?” Rhea looked up at him. “Please?”
Relief.
His arms were around her, pulling tight. She leaned into him, needing his strength more than she realized. “Can we lie down?”
Her feet were off the floor, her body scooped up as if she weighed nothing, then carefully set on the large bed. Hagen tried to step back. She held on.
“Lay with me.”
He stood over her, his hands braced on the mattress at either side of her shoulders. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
Hagen didn’t move away.
“I’m not the kind of woman who does things on a whim.” Rhea let her energy ease forward, pushing it to him, wondering if he could feel her the same way she felt him. “I know what I want.” She slid her hands up his neck to rest against his jaw line, holding Hagen’s gaze to hers. “Nothing has changed.”
That wasn’t true. Everything had changed. Knowing what he laid on the line for her and what he was willing to risk to protect her made it all but impossible not to do the same for him. If Hagen was willing to take the risk, so was she.
She pulled him to her, needing him close, wanting him closer. He was her protector. He was her savior.
He was hers.
His body pressed against her, his hips fitting between her thighs as his mouth found hers. Rhea laced her hands in his hair and opened for him, letting his tongue slide between her lips to stroke against hers.
She needed more.
“I want to touch you.” Rhea pushed her hands under the hem of his black t-shirt, letting them skate over the straight blonde hairs that collected at his navel.
Hagen looked down at her. “That didn’t work out well for us last time.”
For the first time today she saw the sparkle in his eyes most people missed. The teasing side he liked to hide.
She smiled, slowly lifting her arms over her head. “Then maybe you should touch me.”
His eyes went dark, the sparkle gone. He shook his head. “No one should touch anyone. You’re hurt.” He eased to her side. “Holding is all you get from me today.”
Rhea rolled to her side, ignoring the jab of pain in her ribcage. “It’s just a scratch.”
He raised an eyebrow. “From a bear.” Hagen rolled to his back, putting space between them again. “A large one.”
“It’s not that bad.” She scooted closer to him, missing his warmth, the way his energy soothed her.
He propped one arm behind his head, trying to look relaxed when she could feel he was anything but. “I’m sure it is that bad.”
“Is it?” Rhea gently ran her hand over her left side. It was a little tender but if it was that bad wouldn’t the nurse have had them take her to a hospital?
Hagen stared at the ceiling. “I don’t know. I didn’t look. I wanted to give you privacy.”
“Well then let’s check it out.” Rhea scooted off the bed and stood up, pushing her tank top up and her sweats down over the injured area, exposing the large, square bandage taped to her skin.
She grabbed one corner of the tape holding the thick gauze in place and pulled. An angry red scratch ran from just beside her belly button in an almost diagonal line over the swell of her left hip, stopping just above the outside of her joint.
Rhea smiled. It didn’t look bad at all actually. A few butterfly strips ran the length but probably just for good measure. It shouldn’t even leave too much of a scar.
She looked up, expecting Hagen to be as relieved as she was.
But he wasn’t relieved. Not at all.
He stared at her hip, his face pale. One whispered word barely made it out of his mouth.
“Shit.”
****
Hagen couldn’t look away from the thick red line dug into the smooth skin of Rhea’s hip.
“What’s wrong?” Rhea looked from him to her hip then back at him. “It doesn’t look that bad.” She gently pressed along the scratch. “It probably won’t even be too
noticeable of a scar.”
Hagen couldn’t blink, couldn’t say a word. His lungs were on fire, the burning in his chest reminded him to breathe while his brain focused on only one thing.
How could this be?
Rhea pulled the bandage back over the mark and smoothed down the tape. “Why are you upset?”
“I’m not upset.” His voice was scratchy. Hagen cleared his throat. “I’m not upset.”
She raised an eyebrow at him.
“I’m upset you got hurt.” It was the truth. He was upset that she was in pain.
But not as upset as he should be.
It should be killing him that she was suffering because he didn’t get to her soon enough. He should be wracked with guilt that he didn’t follow her like he should have. He should be lying beside her, holding her the way she asked.
But he didn’t feel bad. He wasn’t filled with guilt and he didn’t want to hold her gently.
He wanted to make her his. Completely.
“Come here.”
Rhea’s eyes widened at the command. It came out more rough than he intended but right now that was how he felt. Rough. Raw.
What Christine said all those years ago was happening. Playing out right in front of his eyes.
Hair red as flames from the fire burning within. A mark of salvation across her hip. Seer of what cannot be seen.
He needed to touch her. Know she was real.
And then he had to know she was his.
Rhea brought one knee onto the bed. Then the other. She leaned forward, resting her palms on his chest.
He pulled her down, rolling her soft body under his, careful not to hurt her as he let his body cover her. “I want you Red.”
“I know.” Her voice was low, almost a whisper. As if she was telling him a secret. And maybe she was. An admission of what she could do. What she was.
Hagen didn’t need her to tell him. He already knew.
She was everything.
And soon she would be his everything.
Rhea tugged at his shirt, trying to wrestle it free of his waistband. Hagen lifted up, his knees at either side of her perfectly curved hips. He carefully hooked his fingers under the waistband of the soft pants she wore, careful not to put pressure on her injured hip. Lifting the elastic band from her skin so it wouldn’t drag down he slowly slid them down, revealing her soft pale skin bit by perfect bit.
His knuckles brushed over her body as he went. She shivered under the touch.
“Are you cold Red?”
Rhea shook her head. “No.”
“Good.” He tossed her pants to the side of the bed. “Because I want to look at you.”
She shivered again, the reaction rose gooseflesh over her porcelain skin and tightened her breasts into firm peaks under the thin fabric of her tank top. He skimmed his fingers up her legs to catch the hem of her shirt, snagging it in his grip as he continued to move slowly up her body.
He pushed the garment up, past her ribs. Lines of bruising ran across her left side, peeking out above the bandage, spanning over her ribs to just under the swell of her breast. A low growl rumbled at the discovery.
Hagen softly ran his fingers over the marks. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
Rhea shook her head.
“I will make it up to you.” He eased the ribbed fabric of her shirt over her breasts. “I promise you that.” She raised her arms as he pulled the shirt free and tossed it to join her pants, leaving her bare except for a thin pair of panties and the bandage over her mark.
He ran one hand up the center of her chest, his fingers teasing one peachy pink nipple, his thumb rubbing across the other. “So perfect.”
He bent, pulling one pebbled tip into his mouth, swirling his tongue over the tight bud, then letting go. He ran his finger in a slow circle over the wet skin before rubbing across the stiffened point. Her back arched into his touch and a soft gasp slid from her lips.
The small sound was like gasoline on a fire. Pushing the bounds of his control. His beast was impatient. Fighting to have what he wanted. Urging Hagen to take her. Make her his, theirs. Now.
Hagen shoved the beast down. It would wait.
This time Hagen would have what he wanted and Rhea would have what she deserved.
Rhea’s hand tangled in his hair as Hagen moved to her other breast, taking it into his mouth as one hand tugged her panties down her legs. She sucked in a breath as his teeth raked over her flesh.
“You’re awfully quiet Red.” Hagen’s mouth moved against her body as he spoke. “I want to hear what I do to you.” He sucked her breast deep into his mouth as one knee eased between her legs, pushing them apart. His hand slid between them.
Rhea pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and bit down.
“You’re holding back.” Hagen cupped her mound, the bits of short red hair covering her hot skin were rough against his palm. “Don’t hold back with me.”
Her eyes squeezed shut as his fingers slipped between her folds.
He groaned as her wet heat coated his skin. It was torture not to bury himself in it. His body was aching to sink deep inside her. Fill her body with his. But he wouldn’t. Not yet. Not until she screamed for him.
Because Rhea would be his, but not until she knew how good belonging to him would be.
Hagen slid down her body, tasting as he went, skimming his lips over her skin. He settled between her legs, rubbing his lips across the smooth skin of her thighs.
When his mouth moved to her pussy the grip of her hand in his hair tightened. “That’s not what I want.” He licked up the seam of her labia. “I want to hear you.” His tongue pushed between the folds.
“Oh.” She bucked beneath him.
“That’s not good enough.” Hagen took her in his mouth, sucking at the swollen bit of flesh he knew would bring him what he wanted.
“Oh God.” Rhea gripped at the sheets with her free hand while the other pulled at him, almost to the point of pain.
“That’s better.” He swirled his tongue around her clit as one finger slipped inside her body. “But still not good enough.”
He tried not to be distracted by how good it felt to have part of his body inside her. Hagen pushed her legs further apart as he lapped at her slick flesh. “I want more.”
He curled the finger inside her, rubbing it over the soft tissue against the front wall of her channel as he sucked her clit. She would give him what he wanted, what he needed to hear, even if it killed him.
Rhea moaned. The sound made his straining dick jerk.
“You like that Red?”
She nodded her head.
“No.” He stopped.
She made a frustrated sound in her throat and tried to rub against him. He held her firmly, pinning her body in place.
“I want to hear it.”
“Yes.” She licked her lips, the tip of her tongue flicking across her skin. His cock twitched at the thought of pushing into her mouth as the same tongue licked at his skin.
It would happen, but not today.
Her eyes opened and locked on his, the pupils drowning out all but the barest ring of gold tinged chocolate. “Please don’t stop.”
The words brought a satisfied smile to his lips. “That’s better.” He rewarded them both with his mouth, clamping it back on her most sensitive of spots as his finger slipped back into her heat. “I want to hear when you come Red.”
He ate at her like he was starving. Because he was. Hungry for her taste, her smell, her cries as he tortured her swollen flesh with his tongue. With his teeth.
“Hagen!” The sound of his name as she clenched around his hand satisfied him in a way nothing ever had.
Rhea’s heart was still racing as he climbed over her, his body straining to finish what he started. She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him up to face her.
“Take your shirt off.”
He normally wasn’t the kind of man who liked to be told what to do, but the huskiness in her
voice could persuade him to jump off a bridge right now. Hagen pushed up to his knees. Rhea watched as he reached behind his neck and grabbed the shirt, pulling up until the full length was bunched in his hands then bringing it over his head, back to front and letting it slide off one arm first, then the other.
She reached between them and undid his pants, reaching in to wrap her fingers around him, gently moving them up and down, stroking him. He leaned forward and thrust his hips forward, fucking her hand as the tip of his cock rubbed against the soft skin of her belly.
She grabbed at his shoulders as her legs tucked against his sides letting his hips fall between her thighs. He pushed against her core, dragging his swollen length along her heat, imagining how she would feel wrapped around him.
Rhea gasped.
He slid the head of his dick along the wet seam of her swollen folds. All he wanted was to push into her. Feel her skin against his. But he couldn’t. Not yet. She needed to know he would always protect her whether there was a threat or not.
Hagen grabbed at his nightstand as Rhea pushed down his jeans, shoving them as far as she could reach before her hands found him again. He struggled to open the drawer, managing to grab a packet just at the drawer slid free and crashed to the ground.
She smiled up at him as one hand ran down his arm and snagged the condom.
He started to lean back down, but her hand pressed against his chest. Her eyes locked on his as she reached for him, slowly rolling on the thin bit of protection that would be the only thing separating his body from hers.
For now.
Hagen ran the tips of his fingers over the bandage taped to Rhea’s hip that covered the mark. If he chose to believe, it meant that she was his. And would be until the end of his days.
He never believed Christine was a seer, even when the things she foretold came to be. Maybe it was because it was easier not to believe and be right than it was to believe and be wrong.
Until now.
Now he wanted to believe more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life.
“Hagen?” Rhea reached for him.
He let her pull him down, catching his weight on his elbows as he let his body fall to hers. Her eyes searched his. Slowly one palm flattened over his chest. A feeling of warmth spread from her hand, filling his chest, pouring into his limbs. It was calm. It was quiet.
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