In Rapture (Destined)

by Daye, Elissa

  Malinda clamped her legs together and looked at Grant with determination. “Enough. My turn.”

  Grant looked as if he were about to deny her request, but he sat back and gestured for her to make her way. She sat up and advanced at him so swiftly that she caught him off guard, and he fell back into the mossy bank below them. She wrapped her hand in his dark brown tunic, ran it slowly up the ripples of his abdomen, up over the taut nipples surrounded by dark blond hair, up over the sturdy shoulders, until he had no choice but to raise his arms in the air in surrender. She whipped the garment over his head and tossed it carelessly on the ground beside them. She ran her hands over every inch of his upper torso until they reached the waist of his dark breeches. She unlaced them and slipped a firm hand inside, reveling in the rush of air that left his lungs. She let her hand roam past the curls that fell just below his hips and bit her lip when they ran into the tip of his swollen member, the softest part of his body, sweet and soft mixed in with hot and heavy. Malinda grabbed onto him and squeezed the length as best as she could with her hand trapped in the confines of his breeches. She removed her hand slowly and began to tug the breeches from around his hips. Before she could get them all the way off she captured the head of his cock in her mouth, wrapped her tongue around the tip, and let her mouth kiss him as they had kissed earlier.

  Malinda felt as if a hole had opened up below her and she would suddenly be swallowed within its ecstasy as she continued to take his heat into her mouth. She wanted to cover every inch of him at once. She felt him push into her mouth, the heat of him intense.

  “Enough, Malinda.”

  “So you’ve had enough now? That was almost too easy, my love.” Removing her mouth from him, she reached down to remove the rest of his breeches and realized that she had not removed his boots. She stood there on her knees, her breasts high in the air, as she worked the boots off his feet. Malinda knew he was enamored of her chest, for her breasts had grown larger with each month of her pregnancy, and her nipples that were once a soft pink had turned a light brown hue. He reached up to grab her nipples in his hands, and she dropped his foot in reflex. The hot shards of longing that encompassed her the moment he touched her were more than she could take. She sat on top of him and straddled his hips so that he was just inches from her entrance. She leaned over to kiss him, half reticent of the small mound of her belly that rocked gently into his abdomen. She rose as if to remove her extra weight from his body and he enticed her deeper into him. Their kiss only intensified their need for each other. When Malinda sat back she sank onto his shaft and sat up astride him, her long black hair cascading down her back, her chest rocking in rhythm to the splay of their hips. The wildness that had been dormant within them both raised its weary head and took them over. When they both were satiated Grant pulled her down into his arms and cradled her into his body. Sudden exhaustion drifted through her and she soon found herself drifting into a peaceful slumber, her body held almost preciously against him.

  Chapter 34

  Malinda awoke to the wind tearing through the trees. She bolted upright, pushed her hand into Grant’s shoulder to wake him up, but he seemed to be in a deep sleep. She picked up her clothing, quickly jerked her shift over her, and soon followed it with her blue calico dress. She raised her nose in the air and closed her eyes. The winds rustled leaves from the ground and levitated them in small circles. Malinda walked over to them and let them swarm around her as the message whispered into her ears. They have her!

  “Grant!” The terror in her voice was hard to hide. She kneeled down beside him and pushed at his shoulders with all her might, rolling him over so that his face smashed into the ground. His head jolted upon impact and his eyes quickly opened.

  “What are you doing, Malinda?”

  “It’s Sophia, Grant. Something’s wrong. We have to go immediately!”

  Grant knew better than to question her intuition. He dressed as quickly as his hands would allow and reached for Malinda’s hand, but she would not take it. “Malinda?”

  “You will move faster without me. Go! There may still be time.” She gestured for him to leave and was happy to see him comply. She would follow after him as quickly as she could. As she walked through the orchard guilt ate at her soul. If she and Grant had left together, followed right after Desiree and Sophia, then she would never have been in danger. Grant had said the Lair was close to Wickford. They should have made sure everyone returned unharmed. Malinda knew she could sit there blaming herself until the moon fell out of the sky, but it really would not help the situation. She needed to focus on bringing Sophia back. She put her hand on her belly to support it as her feet moved as fast as they could over the terrain.

  When she made it to the manor the ladies directed her to Grant’s study. When she entered it, she saw Grant sitting at his desk, clutching a swatch of red fabric that looked old and faded. “Grant? What happened?”

  “Seamus has her. He ambushed Desiree and Sophia, right at our back door. Malinda, I’m sorry.”

  “What do you have to be sorry for, Grant? You did not make this happen.”

  “Desiree is a little shaken, but she will be fine. They were ambushed before they made it to the end of the orchard. Desiree was knocked unconscious. I can only assume they did that so someone would be able to inform me of Sophia’s abduction. It’s just like Seamus.” Grant looked down uncomfortably before continuing. “Malinda, they killed Mule.”

  Malinda felt emptiness slide into the pit of her stomach. Tears lined the rim of her eyes, but she was determined to stay focused on the things she could change. She had loved that dog, for he was so much more like a best friend than an animal. While his death pained her she was more concerned with the matter at hand. Sophia needed them. “He left the fabric?”

  “Yes. Did you hear me, Malinda?”

  Malinda nodded her head, but refused to meet his eyes. She did not want to show any form of weakness, not if she wanted to travel with her husband to save her daughter. “I heard you, Grant. There are more pressing matters at hand here. I’ll deal with Mule later. First, what is that from?” She picked up the swatch of material and ran it through her fingertips, hoping to get a vision from it. She sat it back down when nothing came through. “Neither one of them was wearing clothing made from that material.”

  Grant refused to meet her eyes. “It was Maria’s.”

  Suddenly, Malinda understood the dark shadows that had circled around her husband. This was more than just a kidnapping. This was a vendetta that, up until this point, had not seen a resolution. So be it. If Seamus Finnigan wanted a show down then he would have one. “Then she is alive, Grant. Did he leave anything else with it?”

  Grant gestured to the dagger on the desk. “It was stuck through it.”

  Malinda picked up the dagger and felt as if she had been stung with a hot poker. She saw Maria, a young woman, perhaps a Maria that had existed long before Grant. She was walking through a marketplace, a carefree look across her face. Maria snuck up behind a man who was checking on his horse that was saddled to a wooden pole. She wrapped her arms around him and covered his eyes with her hands. He turned to her and Malinda gasped when she heard Maria call him Seamus. It was Seamus Finnigan, she was sure of it. Malinda then saw the flashing image change before her. Suddenly Maria was in a chapel with Grant on their wedding day. As they departed the church she saw Maria break away for a moment. She was pulled into the arms of Seamus, but she pushed him away. She told him that he was not nearly as worthy as Lord Timberlin, for he had no wealth or riches to keep her with. Another flash and the same dagger being used to rip the red dress from her body. Hours of torture forced their way into Malinda’s brain too quickly and she dropped the dagger, but not before she saw the pouch that Seamus had filled with Maria’s teeth and hair.

  “Malinda?”

  “I get it now. It all makes sense. He’s behind ALL of it. We have to find, Sophia. I will contact Lysandra at once. She is good at locating people.”
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  “I can’t wait forever. I have to move, Malinda.”

  “Trust me, Grant. Stay put.” Without his notice she pocketed the dagger and took it with her. She went to her place of meditation and sent a desperate plea along the wind, hoping the message would make its way to Lysandra swiftly. She closed her eyes and prepared her soul to take flight, hoping that her wait in Lena would not be too long.

  The beauty of Lena was usually all it took to fill her with peace, but there would be no peace, not until she found Sophia. She paced back and forth in the fields hoping to see a familiar flash of light. She was not disappointed. Soon three orbs of light flickered before her, landed on the grass around her, and then took on their earthly shapes.

  “Malinda? What’s wrong?” Lysandra looked over at her with concerned eyes.

  “They took Sophia. We have to find them.”

  “When did this happen?”

  “A few hours ago.” Malinda looked down to the ground with a red guilt flushed face. “Grant and I were distracted. We never should have let them go back to the manor alone.”

  Lysandra reached out for Malinda and hugged her against her. “Hush now. Don’t worry. We’ll find her.”

  Malinda hugged Lysandra tightly before letting her go. “Here’s what I know. Seamus Finnigan has her. When I touched the dagger he left behind I saw more bits and pieces about his relationship with Maria. I don’t think Grant knows that Seamus and Maria were in a relationship before they got married. Seamus blames Grant for taking Maria away from him. He murdered Maria because she had turned him away. He took Sophia to get back at Grant.”

  “Then you must assume it is a trap,” interjected Brenda as her red hair bounced around her. She was visibly upset. “You cannot just rush into this unprepared.”

  “Aye. I know it is a trap and I don’t intend to be unprepared, but I do need to know what direction he traveled in.” She looked over at Lysandra, the desperation clear in her face. “Lysandra, that is my child out there, as true as if I had carried her under my own heart. Please help me find her.”

  Lysandra bit her lip and nodded her head. “Of course, but you are not doing this on your own. We’re only a day’s ride away from you.” Lysandra closed her eyes and let her mind’s eye travel on the Earthly plane below. She seemed lost to time and space as her hands waved in front of her, as if she reached out to touch the invisible lands before her. It took a few minutes before Lysandra opened her eyes. “We’re in luck. He’s headed in our direction, to the east. If you send your men to the east we will send ours to join you. I’ll send you a message on the wind when we are nearer. The fates tell me they will stop for the night. Leave now, travel through the night while they rest, and you should find them. I’ll inform Aiden right away.”

  “Thank you!”

  “I know I cannot stop you from going, but please take great care. Seamus will be expecting you. It is a trap.”

  “I will make sure Grant is aware of the trap, but I guarantee it will not make any difference.”

  “Go with love and light, Malinda.” April hugged Malinda and ran a hand along her belly. “All will be fine, my dear. Just take it one step at a time.”

  “Are you sure?” Malinda knew that April had great healing powers and keen intuition when it came to the unborn.

  “Just take care how fast you ride.”

  “I will. Thank you ladies. Your assistance is invaluable.” Malinda waved a fond farewell to the ladies before traveling back to her body.

  The instant she returned to her body, she raced into the manor. She found Grant pacing the study, his brows furrowed with the darkest thoughts. “We go east.”

  “I go east,” Grant corrected her.

  “You cannot expect me to stay here. You’ll need me.” Malinda saw the stress that made a chord pop out in his neck. She knew she was pressing her luck, but she would not rest until Sophia was brought home safely and she refused to lose her husband in the process. He may not realize it now, but he needed her help.

  “What I need is to know that you are safe, Malinda.” Grant started toward the door.

  “You cannot leave me here, Grant. I will find a way to follow. You can either go without me and worry about which means I use to follow you, or you can take me with you and know that I am safe with you every step of the way. No room will hold me, no chains will bind me. Besides, if you are so worried for my safety, how do you know they have not left more men hiding around here? I will be safest with you and your men, for they will do whatever they can to use those you love against you.”

  Grant grasped her arms tightly and shook his head in frustration. “You cannot travel in your condition, Malinda.”

  “Watch me!” She shrugged out of his grasp and stormed from the room. She made it to the stable well before her husband and was already saddling up a mount when he entered the stable.

  “Malinda, you can’t!”

  “I assure you that I can. If you care about me at all, you cannot expect me to stay here. I love you, Grant! I am not letting you march off to face the trap that we both know is waiting for you. I’ve communicated with Lysandra. She is sending Aiden and his men our way. If we go now, we will all meet up in the middle.”

  “Very well, Malinda, but this is the last time you are going to fight anyone until after our son is born.”

  Malinda could have wept with joy. After all these months, Grant had referred to the child growing in her belly as his own. She had not realized how much she needed to hear those words. She sniffed lightly as she blinked away fresh tears. “Agreed.”

  “We’ll need to travel to the men who are camping near the edge of Wickford then we can head east.” They gathered supplies in their saddlebags, rolled up a few blankets to tie to the horses, and filled water skins.

  Malinda let Grant assist her in mounting the swift palomino and held the horse in check while Grant mounted his own. When he took off in a fast trot she kicked her heels into the horse’s side and followed swiftly after him. She was a little fearful for the child within, but the rocking motion of the horse beneath her did not seem to interrupt the quiet peaceful slumber of the life nestled safely inside her. As soon as they found the little encampment Grant ordered them to pack up. After the men gathered their things they all headed to the east. Malinda prayed that her intuition was correct and that they would find that Sophia had not yet come to any harm.

  Chapter 35

  They traveled through most of the night, sleeping for just a few hours before the morning light dipped over the top of the trees. Malinda felt a little battered from their journey, but she made her best efforts to not let her condition slow her down. The baby had moved several times this morning before they had mounted back up. She knew that the child was fine and that she would make it through the last leg of the journey easily. When they had traveled for a few more hours, a blast of wind blew through her hair. She turned to Grant and caught his eyes on her. “Wait!”

  “Halt!” Grant’s command echoed across the woods, loud enough for every man to hear. They stopped their horses and kept them still when his hand went up to silence them.

  Malinda nodded her gratitude to Grant and closed her eyes to feel the wind across her face. She heard Lysandra’s voice travel across the air and echo around her head, warning her that the Lair was a mile ahead of them, to tread carefully with every step they made. Aiden’s men were about a mile ahead of the Lair, so if they timed their movements carefully, they would be able to surround them. Malinda sent a message back asking them to hurry and told her they would pick up their pace to catch up to them. She asked the winds to hide the sounds of their approach, and mask their scent from the strong noses of the werewolves of the Lair. Hopefully this would be a great advantage to Madigan’s Army.

  Malinda opened her eyes and turned to Grant. “Seamus is a mile ahead of us. Aiden’s men are about a mile ahead of them. If we push our pace we will be able to surround him.”

  A smirk tugged at the corners of Grant’s mouth.
He had definitely been right to suggest that Marshal consider the Women of Lena to be an asset to his army. He looked around to his men and raised his arm. “We ride!”

  Malinda spurred her horse forward, traveling at a pace she knew she could withstand. Her horse traveled slower than that of the men, but she knew Grant would be furious if she pushed herself too hard. She saw him turn to check on her and she nodded her head at him as if to tell him everything was fine. Soon Malinda found herself farther away from the rest of the men, but she could only travel so fast. She heard a loud fray ahead of her and knew that the men must have caught up to Seamus. She heard the familiar sounds of clashing metal and loud deadly howls that screamed almost like banshees through the air. When she approached the outskirts of the fight, she swung her legs swiftly over the side of the horse and cast a shield around herself as she landed on the ground.

  Her eyes scanned the melee before her looking for the only two people that mattered to her. She found Grant with his sword raised high into the air and knew he must have found Seamus. She looked around the mass of bodies before her, through the chaos of the battle, and let her mind clear as she tried to locate Sophia. She took a deep calming breath and looked around once more. There! Sophia was huddled under the wagon, being guarded by a large grey wolf as she looked out at the battle with terrified eyes. Malinda quickly cast another shield around her. When the child saw the glowing light around her she looked up and searched for Malinda. When she spied Malinda across the field she wiped the tears from her eyes.