A warm vibration radiated from his palm, centering on her swollen nerve endings. The feeling rolled up her spine in a wave of current that wrenched a rapturous cry from her throat. “Rykaur!”
He removed his palm, his hooded gaze glowing with intensity before gripping her thighs and jerking her ass off the bed.
Slamming into her again and again, Rykaur controlled her, took from her, and owned her.
Mary rode the wave of bliss until she could no longer hold onto reality. Sweat dotted her upper lip, her eyes grew unfocused, and the indescribable orgasm that had been building slammed into her with the force of a hurricane.
She screamed out her release, her shoulders coming off the bed and her head thrown back in rapture.
Rykaur’s roar echoed around the room, barely audible over the thundering of her heart.
His hips continued to thrust in short, quick bursts long after he dropped onto his elbows above her.
Mary finally caught her breath enough to speak. “I never imagined in my wildest dreams that sex would be like this.”
“This is not sex,” Rykaur rumbled, leaning down to kiss her lips. “It is a mating.”
Her heart began to pound for a different reason. She couldn’t possibly mate with Rykaur. Not yet at any rate. What if something were to happen to her while she was on the surface?
Rykaur had told her of how the Bracadytes mated for life. If she died by Jefferies’s hand, Rykaur would be destined to live out the rest of his days in grief.
“You will not die by Jefferies’s hand,” Rykaur growled, obviously reading her thoughts. “I will take care of him on the morrow. You will never have to see him again. I vow it.”
She made a mental note to guard her thoughts more closely. “You can’t make promises that you’re not sure you can keep. None of us can foresee what Jefferies will do.”
“I know what I would do in his position. I only need you to trust me, Mary. Trust me to know what is right.”
She wanted to trust him. And if it were her life on the line, she would. But the children were another story altogether. She just couldn’t take the chance that the Bracadytes might be wrong. If the spy they’d captured in that camp was telling the truth, Jefferies would kill the children tonight. And Mary couldn’t allow that. “I do trust you, Rykaur.”
A look of relief settled on his face. “Good. Now, let us get you cleaned up so that I can see how badly you are hurt.”
The feel of him pulling from her body triggered a wince. Though it wasn’t overly painful, the small tear of his entry still smarted a little.
Mary lay completely still as Rykaur pushed from the bed and returned with a damp washcloth.
He pressed it against the junction of her thighs. “You are bleeding more than I think is normal. Perhaps I should send for Hauke’s mate.”
“No,” Mary blurted with a quick shake of her head. “It’s fine, Rykaur. I’ll be fine.”
“I should not have penetrated you as quickly as I did. You are much smaller than a Bracadyte female.”
Jealousy sliced through Mary. “Have you been with many females?”
He continued to carefully clean her. “I have coupled with a few. There is no need for you to feel jealousy. They were widows whose hearts belong to another. There were no emotions involved, only release.”
The thought of him pleasuring someone else still bothered Mary. Though, it shouldn’t. He’d had a life before she came along and would no doubt have one again when… She couldn’t finish the thought.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Rykaur stared down at the blood smeared on Mary’s thighs as he tenderly wiped it away.
She had given herself to him, opened up and accepted him into her small body. It humbled him.
“I love you, Mary. And if you cannot return that love, then I do not know what I will do. For I have offered you my heart, and I cannot take it back.”
She remained silent, her gaze downcast for long moments before she lifted it. “I have never loved anyone before, and no one has ever loved me. When the children came along, I felt a responsibility to keep them safe. They are the only true family I have ever known.”
Taking a deep breath, she continued. “The truth is, I don’t know if I’m capable of love. Not the kind of love you need. I care for you, Rykaur. I’m certainly attracted to you. But the thought of not being able to give you the love you deserve scares the hell out of me.”
Rykaur’s heart cracked. Pain welled up in his chest so great he found he couldn’t speak.
“We are ready.” Zaureth’s words slipping through his mind brought Rykaur up short.
He finished the task of cleaning Mary up and then got to his feet. “Zaureth has notified me they are ready to depart. I will give you some privacy to use the facilities. Once you have dressed, we must make haste to the catacombs.”
“Rykaur…” she began, her hand lifting for a moment before lowering to her side. “Can we just take things slowly and see where it goes? I can’t imagine hurting you in any way.”
Retrieving a fresh set of clothes, Rykaur nodded and moved toward the kitchen. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Mary, for fear she would see the pain in his eyes. No matter what he was or ever would be, Rykaur could never use guilt as a weapon. Not with Mary
He changed the subject. “Are you hungry?”
“I’m fine. Tell me, how you can hear Zaureth, but I can’t?”
The rustling of the sheets told Rykaur that she’d crawled out of bed. Though his heart ached from her earlier words, his body seemed to have its own agenda.
Rykaur glanced down at his fully erect sex. He wanted her again. Wanted her in every way imaginable. But most of all, he wanted her heart.
“All Bracadytes can feel the emotions of others. Some have the ability to read the thoughts of the ones they have not shared blood with. But most who are capable of communicating telepathically have shared blood for that purpose.”
“Then how come they aren’t mated?” Mary called out from the bathroom.
Rykaur pulled on his shorts. “A mating is more than the sharing of blood. It involves sharing the heart as well. Bracadytes do not take blood from the opposite sex of someone they are not mated with. Unless they are both already mated to another.”
“It sounds complicated,” Mary murmured, stepping around the corner dressed in jeans and a tank top. “So, you and I are not technically mated?”
Rykaur swallowed around the lump in his throat, careful to keep his expression blank. “In a sense. If that is the way you want it, then I will endeavor to abide by it.”
He didn’t tell her that it was too late for him, that he was her mate, whether she wanted him or not. “We must hurry. The warriors await us in the catacombs.”
Mary moved to grab her bag that sat near the bathroom doorway.
“You will not need that,” Rykaur interjected, nodding toward the bag. “Leave it where it lies. Fiona will be along shortly to gather the clothing you had on when you arrived in Aukrabah.”
Mary nodded and trailed over to stand next him. “I’m ready.”
Rykaur’s heart ached. She didn’t want him. No matter how much he wished it to be so, Mary Benson didn’t love him.
Turning toward the door, Rykaur waited for her to catch up before striding off in the direction of the catacombs.
It took enormous effort not to grab Mary up, carry her back to the bed, and love her until she could love him back. But it would do no good.
For the second time in Rykaur’s life, he’d found love, only to be rejected. And it would be his last, he silently vowed. Never again…
Chapter Twenty-Six
Mary walked alongside Rykaur, practically running to keep up. More than a little tender between her thighs, she wanted to grab on to his muscular arm and demand that he slow his pace.
She glanced up at him, noticing a muscle ticking along his jaw. “You’re angry with me.”
“I am not angry with you,” he rumbled, continuing his hurried pace.
“I simply do not trust myself where you are concerned. I want nothing more than to shred those clothes you are wearing, duck into a nearby vacant room, and take you again.”
Heat flew through Mary’s body. She wanted him to do that too.
Mary began to hum inside her mind in an effort to keep her thoughts clear.
Rykaur’s steps faltered. “What are you doing?”
“Making sure I’m alone in there. I don’t know if I can get used to someone sifting through my thoughts unawares. Growing up, my mind was the only place I had to escape to. The only place I could find peace. A place where I could be alone.”
He didn’t comment. He didn’t have to. Mary could feel pain radiating from him like a furnace.
She opened her mouth to apologize, but held her tongue when Gryke appeared in front of them.
“It is about time,” Gryke snapped, jerking his head toward the door to the catacombs. “We have been ready to go for the past half hour.”
Rykaur stopped and waited for Mary to precede him down the steps before following her inside.
Zaureth, Braum, Fiona, Melvin, and Amy stood next to the dining table. Braum spoke first. “We will leave by way of the gulf. Zaureth has retrieved what information is needed from the spy. Jefferies has a man posted near the land entrance to apprehend Mary as she emerges. Only, it will be Fiona instead of Mary. She will need the address where Jefferies held Mary and the children.”
“How do you know the spy is telling the truth?” Mary blurted, drawing everyone’s attention. “It’s most likely a trap.”
Rykaur stepped in close to her. “One cannot hide the truth from Zaureth. He need only to touch you to see into your mind.”
Mary’s gaze flew to the healer who stood passively by. He’d touched her on more than one occasion. Had he seen into her past? Seen the horrific details of her childhood?
A sadness entered Zaureth’s eyes, telling her that was exactly what he’d seen.
More than a little mortified by that realization, Mary turned her attention back to Braum, who had continued laying out their plan, and rattled off her home address.
“We will wait offshore until Fiona has been approached by the man sent to grab Mary. They will lead us to Jefferies.”
“But the children are there,” Mary cried. “What if this is all a con by Jefferies? He has to know your ability to pick up on deception, and would have been careful not to divulge his true plan to the spy you have in the dungeon.”
Melvin held up a hand. “It’s the only course of action we can take at this point. We know the kids are with him, and we’ll do everything in our power to see that they come to no harm. But we can’t risk letting Jefferies slip through our fingers again. There are too many lives at stake.”
“And what about the lives of the children? Are they not worth anything? Because they are to me. They mean everything to me!”
Rykaur visibly flinched.
“This is the best course of action to take,” Melvin assured her, his gaze softening. “Jefferies knows how you feel about those kids. He believes that you will do everything in your power to put his plan into action. He also knows that you’ll return to them no matter the outcome. Just let us do what we do. We’ll do our best to reunite you with the children.”
Mary’s gaze touched on everyone in the room, including Rykaur. He stood still as a statue, pain and determination radiating from him.
Seeing that it would do no good to argue with them, Mary took a deep breath, began humming inside her mind to keep Rykaur out, and moved to sit at the table. “I’ll be right here, waiting.”
Rykaur took a step toward her, only to stop before he reached her. “I will return as soon as possible."
Mary sent him a weak smile. “I’m counting on it.”
Gryke turned to face Melvin. “Do not let Fiona out of your sight. No matter what she says.”
“I’ll have her in my scope the entire time. One wrong move on the guy’s part, and I’ll send him to hell before he has time to shit on himself.”
“Fiona draped her wig over her shoulder, wrapped her arms around her mate, and kissed him on the lips. “I love you, my big warrior. Stay safe.”
“And I, you. Stick to the plan.”
Mary watched the group file out one by one, leaving her alone with Amy.
She cleared her throat and faced Zaureth’s beautiful mate, who had taken a seat across from her at the table. “I apologize for being dumped on you. Please don’t feel that you have to entertain me.”
Amy tilted her head, a soft smile on her lips. “There’s no need to apologize. I don’t mind at all. And I certainly don’t feel as if you’ve been dumped on me.”
Mary noticed Amy didn’t quite look at her when she spoke. In fact, she stared just beyond Mary’s right shoulder.
Turning in her seat, Mary glanced behind her, curious as to what Amy found so fascinating. “Is something wrong?”
Amy shook her head. “Not at all. Why do you ask?”
“No reason. I just noticed you were staring at something behind me. I thought maybe the group was coming back.”
A soft laugh rushed from Amy’s throat. “I see no one told you.”
“Told me what?”
“That I’m blind.”
Mary’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. “You’re— I mean— I—”
“It’s okay,” Amy responded, saving Mary from making a fool of herself. “You had no way of knowing. I’ve been blind since birth.”
“But when I first met you, you looked so sure of yourself. You fixed our plate without missing a beat.”
Amy continued to smile. “That’s because Zaureth was here. With our mental connection, I’m able to see through his eyes.”
Mary opened her mouth only to flounder around for words. She finally found them. “That’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever heard. Can you see through the eyes of others too?”
Shaking her head, Amy picked up a glass of water and took a drink. “Only my mate’s. Of course, he is the only one I’ve shared blood with.”
“When you say, shared blood, does that mean you drank some of his too? I’m trying to understand this whole mating thing and what all it entails.”
Amy blushed. “I have taken Zaureth’s blood during intimacy. It takes the act to a whole new level. I’m not sure how to describe it, but it’s almost otherworldly. It’s definitely the single most incredible feeling you’ll ever experience.”
It was Mary’s turn to blush. Thank God, Amy couldn’t see her face, or she’d realize that Mary had already experienced heaven at the hands of Rykaur.
A thought occurred to her the longer she sat and conversed with Amy. Mary could slip out past the woman and not be missed for quite some time. “Do you have an extra room where I can lie down for a while? I’m suddenly exhausted.”
“Of course,” Amy murmured, gaining her feet. “How rude of me. Right this way.”
Mary felt bad for lying to Zaureth’s sweet wife, but left without options, she had no choice.
She stood and followed Amy down a short corridor to a large-sized room down on the left. Though it wasn’t the size of Amy and Zaureth’s room, it was bigger than any Mary had ever had.
“The sheets are clean, and the bathroom is fully stocked. If you need anything or become hungry, I’ll just be in my room. I haven’t been feeling well lately.”
Mary nodded and then remembered Amy couldn’t see her. “Thank you.”
She waited for Amy to disappear from view before creeping quietly down the hall and up the steps. She had a little more than an hour to reach the surface and no time to waste.
Remembering the ATV’s parked outside the great hall, Mary hurried her steps, praying she wouldn’t be too late. If what Jefferies had told the spy was true, he would kill the children soon.
Mary ran.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Rykaur swam toward shore, thoughts of Mary plaguing him with every passing mile.
Something w
as wrong. He could feel it in his gut as surely as he could feel that she cared for him. Though she couldn’t admit it, he knew that she did.
He reached out to her mind. “Mary?”
A tune floated back to him in the sound of a hum. She had intentionally blocked him out.
More red flags went off inside his head. “Mary? Can you hear me?”
More humming was all the answer he received.
“Zaureth?” Rykaur mentally sent, glancing around to locate the healer.
“I am here.”
Spotting Zaureth swimming to his left, Rykaur hurried his pace. “Something is amiss. I can feel it. Mary has shut me out.”
“I will connect with Amy. Standby for a moment.
What reason could Mary possibly have for shutting Rykaur out? Unless…
Rykaur’s heart began to hammer in panic. She’d gone to the surface to rescue the children. That had to be it. Why else would she block him out?’
“She is gone,” Zaureth confirmed, meeting Rykaur’s gaze. “Amy informed me that she left Mary resting. Upon investigation, she found the bed still made and Mary nowhere to be found.”
Rykaur sped up, slicing through the water at a high rate of speed. “Mary?” he tried again. “Do not go to the surface. You have to trust me. Jefferies will be expecting you to show. He knows you will do anything for those children.”
He encountered that infuriating humming once more.
The group arrived near the shoreline twenty minutes later. They kept their heads down to prevent from being spotted.
Rykaur’s protective lenses slid back as he eased closer to the beach.
“What are you doing?” Gryke growled, popping up beside him.
Rykaur ignored his irritated tone. “I am looking for Mary. I have a feeling she returned to shore the moment we left her in the catacombs.”
Gryke pushed his wet hair back from his face. “She knows the plan. Why would she do something so foolish?”
“She thinks that Jefferies planned this entire scenario as a test to see if she truly poisoned us or if we would pop up on the third day, just as we have. She also thinks that he will dispose of the children tonight, and that he has spies watching the shoreline as well as the entrance.”
Rykaur: A SciFi Alien Romance (Enigma Series Book 8) Page 10
