Chosen: Book 1 in the Ancients of Light series

by Heather Fleener

  Her relieved and thankful glance upwards let Lorcan gauge her reaction when he outlined his terms with a wicked grin, “But I will be taking you to my chambers tonight and claiming you as my Mate the way that we do in the Vampire culture. You may ask your grandfather if he is agreeable to these conditions.” Lorcan was vastly amused by the level of her discomfort when he concluded.

  A brilliant red claimed her cheeks; she knew full well her grandfather had heard the proposal. She also knew he understood what Lorcan was insinuating with his ‘claiming’ remark. Kaitriana could not form a response other than to stare at Lorcan, horror-struck that he would mention that in the presence of Myrrdyn.

  The Ancient looked as though he might choke on his tongue before he rejoined tersely, “That is not acceptable Kaitriana.” He meaningfully set his hand atop their joined ones. Wasting no more time, Myrrdyn began droning on in a ceremonious tone with the words to begin the formalized ceremony of the Witch joining.

  Kaitriana’s blood was pounding in her ears, drowning out the bulk of it. She was further troubled now, she had not thought of what would occur after the vows until Lorcan had raised the subject. Now her worry was twofold; the paleness of her face along with the deathgrip her teeth held on her lip told as much.

  Wanting to alleviate her anxiety before she turned full panic and balked, Lorcan soothingly rubbed his thumb over her palm. Myrrdyn eased into his role of officiant with an incredibly long speech regarding the sacred union and the beginning of the prophetic joining of two. Lorcan leaned down and gained her attention with hushed words, “Look at me, Kaitriana.” When she leveled her gaze on his, she could see a heated longing in his eyes that matched his words, “You were made to be mine, lass. You must know I treasure you most among all things in the Realm.”

  She gave him a hesitant smile and he witnessed the panic beginning to lessen in her as she nodded to him. Squeezing her hand, he smiled in return, “You like my kisses?” Another nod. “My touch?” Another. “My bites?” An emphatic nod accompanied the bit of sparkle that entered her gaze with the last question. Tender amusement was on his face and he gave her a cocky grin, “Then, sweet little witch, you will like tonight so much more. You do trust me, do you not?”

  Her smile said as much and he gave her hand a light squeeze while Myrrdyn wrapped up his spiel on the sanctity of vows in the Light. He whispered for her ears only, “I will bring you happiness beyond measure, Kaitriana. I love you, Witch – that is all that matters, nothing more.”

  Those icy blues were twinkling at him and when Myrrdyn asked for her words to join her to Lorcan, she gave them with no hesitation. She added her own words to the last, “And I love you, Warrior of Light. You are more than my destiny, you are my very heart.”

  Lorcan winked at her and she was surprised that he did not refuse when Myrrdyn took him through the vow language and rites of the Witch. Instead, Lorcan said them easily without pause. When he was finished, she whispered, “You did not have to do that.”

  He gave her a quizzical look, “They are important to you, are they not?” She answered affirmatively. He said it plainly, as though she should know as much, “Then they are important to me, lass. You will be participating in the Vampire ritual tonight with the bonding. My breed’s practices are no more important than yours.” Lorcan found her to be truly beguiling when she just stared at him with blatant adoration in her eyes.

  Her attention was drawn away at the roar from the crowd. Kaitriana had forgotten all about them. Myrrdyn had finished his pronouncement of the union and a grand depiction of the symbol of Light appeared in glowing color in the sky above Breslein.

  Lorcan encircled her waist in the fold of his arm and moved to exchange low words with Myrrdyn while the Elite began making their way up to the landing. They were smiling at her as though she was their very most favorite person in the Realm in spite of her earlier missteps. She could not help but respond in kind as each paused to offer congratulations. Lorcan broke from Myrrdyn and accepted the same from his men before they moved into the protective shadow of Breslein’s interior.

  Myrrdyn paused next to her, gazing down with pride. Leaning in, he dropped a kiss to her cheek and spoke low for her ears alone, “The Prophecy is beginning, lass. Heed the wisdom of your warrior and together you will bring all that has been foretold for the Light. Love him unconditionally and he will reveal to you all that he is. Remember always that you are his key.”

  Her dear Grandpapa stepped away before she could question the hidden meaning within his words. There was always hidden meaning in Myrrdyn’s words, but Kaitriana had no time to ponder them at the moment as Lilly was bounding up the steps in her enthusiasm. Jortha trailed a bit more sedately in her wake. Her vampire friend did not care that she had inserted herself ahead of every elder that had been waiting to pay their regards to the newly paired leaders.

  Laughing, she ignored Lorcan completely as well when she grabbed Kaitriana’s hands and tugged her into a hug. All the while, the dazzling female was rambling on incessantly, spilling her congratulations along with her excitement over having Kaitriana home once again. By the time she was finished, Kaitriana was bubbling with laughter and could only manage to pull her friend into another hug.

  When she released Lilly, Kaitriana glanced over at Jortha. He had just moved a step from Lorcan and was looking her over thoughtfully. She did the same to him. The smile she gave him was warm and her lecture teasing, “You are a tattletale, Jortha. I am a witch, you are a witch…there should be some measure of loyalty, you understand? You did not have to tell Lorcan I was at Laverock…he is threatening to lock me up for centuries over this.”

  Jortha looked unconcerned, “If you did not cause so much trouble Kaitriana there would be nothing to tell. Do you think I have nothing better to do than try to figure out what you are up to?”

  Lorcan knew the banter between them was playful, so he interjected, “Yes, Kaitriana. I believe the solution is that you should simply behave. Try the obedience hat on for a while…else I will lock you up for centuries.” Lorcan winked at her in affection, but Jortha and Lilly took themselves off before Kaitriana could kick the male witch. Her expression gave the impression she meant to do just that.

  Next followed Cade. Private words were exchanged between him and Lorcan also. Cade was laughing when he delivered a hearty slap to his friend’s back and swept up the collection of Witch swords.

  Kaitriana could only assume that Lorcan had instructed that they be returned to the Castes. Cade was casually swinging the bundle as he gave her his attention. She gazed at him with an artificial look of haughtiness and taunted, “No slippers in the mouth, Cade. It appears your assistance was not required after all.”

  Cade gave her a piercing look, “Was it not?” He allowed her to squirm under his stare; both knew full well she would never have taken those steps had he not been there when she fled. Finally she rolled her eyes at him, conceding the unspoken point. With a chuckle he leaned down and kissed her brow before patting her head. Offhandedly he addressed Lorcan over his shoulder, “I would have challenged any but you for the rights to this one, friend.”

  Lorcan nodded his understanding with a smirk, “And she would have had you catering to her every whim, Cade.”

  Cade shot him a look that suggested otherwise and then tousled her curls playfully in farewell. Turning to face the pressing crowd, he announced, “It is time that we take our leave. A full celebration of the returned unity of the Light will hold until tonight.”

  There was a good natured grumbling in the crowd but they began to disperse readily. The Vampire really had no choice as the sun would make it rather uncomfortable for them soon. Cade gave Lorcan a nod and took himself away as well. When Kaitriana glanced back, Myrrdyn was already gone. She pressed closer into the hold of her male and watched the pink beginning to paint the sky. As the last few exited the gates, she proposed, “We could linger here to watch the sunrise, Lorcan.”

  He glanced down at her thoughtful
ly, surprise tinged his voice, “You are immune to the sun? Are you certain?” Lorcan could tell her eyes were holding secrets that she wished to share. He would let them wait; he wanted no conflict to ruin these next hours with her.

  Kaitriana nodded, murmuring, “Myrrdyn told me and I dared to test it myself to make certain.”

  Lorcan was pleased with the news that he would be able to spend his days as well as the nights with her. He was not certain he could ever have too much time with the Witch. He guessed at the cause, “I expect that the ability was fostered in you because of the strength of your magic, as it was in me when I was transitioned.”

  She only smiled sweetly and leaned in to nuzzle his neck. Lorcan knew quite well that she was evading the topic with her show of affection. He would allow it for now and he drew her more firmly against him with the wrap of his other arm, “Tomorrow, love. If it is that important to you now, the shutters in our rooms can remain open; no one will be entering unexpectedly this day. You can enjoy the sunrise from the warmth of our bed…if you can keep your attention focused on it.” He witnessed the blush creeping over her skin before he tightened his hold and shadowed them both inside the manse.

  CHAPTER 29

  Lorcan deposited her in the middle of the room and strode in the opposite direction to the armoire on the far wall. Shirking his tunic, he tossed it aside to one of the nearby chairs. Noticing that Kaitriana had begun to shuffle her feet as she watched him, he leaned back against the wall. Crossing his arms over his bared chest, his eyes roamed her leisurely.

  He let her simmer in her unease for a few moments before he stated plainly, “I am trying to decide whether to throttle you now or later.” Her gaze shot from his exposed skin straight to his eyes, her own widening. Lorcan managed not to laugh at her reaction, having assumed the best way to pull her from her thoughts was to rattle her.

  Pushing away from the wall with a lazy motion, his stride was deliberate and slow as he closed the distance between them. His voice was silky, deep, and rumbled through her, “Would you care to know what I’ve decided?” Her eyes seemed to grower larger, if possible, with each step. She did not dare answer. When he stopped before her, he palmed her face with both hands and lifted it upwards. Lorcan leaned down and delivered a sharp tug to her lush lower lip with his teeth.

  Murmuring, he pulled back, “If I give you the punishment your behavior warrants, your aching backside will interfere with your enjoyment of the next few hours…” Lorcan could tell that the mind behind those sparkling blues was dissecting each word, and searching for an appropriate response. He winked, “I suppose you may have a reprieve…for now.” He could not decide what was more fetching, the obvious relief in her eyes or the brilliant red stain on her cheeks when she took full meaning of his words.

  In an anxious tone, she tried to begin negotiations, “I really think we should discuss…”

  His laughter interrupted, “Of course you do, Kaitriana.” Certain that the minx could think of any number of topics that needed to be settled between them in order to delay this, he would not permit it. She would not be dictating the course of events for this night. Her expectant look told him that she was waiting for the conversation to continue. Instead, Lorcan turned her to begin pulling at the closures of her gown.

  He shushed her when she began to protest. Tugging her back until she was flush against him, Lorcan bent her forward slightly for better access and brushed her curls to one side. He eyed her nape and the slim column of her neck while he continued to unfasten the dress. Kaitriana flinched in surprise when the warmth of his breath spread over her skin.

  His hands continued to work but Lorcan had leaned forward to whisper against the sensitive spot where neck met shoulder, “Do you recall what tonight entails, little witch?” At her shaky nod, he hushed, “Good…” With a possessive growl, he wrenched the last closure open and followed immediately with a hard bite into the flesh of that tender area.

  One arm encircled her waist to lend support when her knees buckled, simultaneous with the faint gasp that reflected only her pleasure. His other hand smoothed the material off the curve of her hips. Lorcan pulled his fangs free of the wound and lifted her from the volume of skirts to settle her into the cradle of his arms. Her gaze was already hazy with need. When his eyes skimmed downward he was unable to hide his surprise, realizing that save for the tiny piece of lace the stretched tautly over her hips, she had been bare beneath the gown.

  His gawking was enough to shake her free of her pleasure-induced stupor. A blush washed over her skin as she shifted position to fold an arm over her bare chest. He chuckled and then outright laughed when she shot him a glare and hissed, “I told you I was not dressed for this.”

  Catching her gaze his laughter ended abruptly, eyes heating with his message, “You do not need to be dressed for this, Kaitriana. Quite the opposite. I would say that you were more than prepared.” He tapped on the arm she used to hide herself, “That is a wasted effort. I am going to know every bare inch of you before I am done.” His last comment had her averting her eyes shyly, “In a very short time you are going to be begging for my touch, oblivious to all else.”

  Her serious doubt of that showed in her expression. It would take her no less than two centuries to get accustomed to the intimacies that he was suggesting. Viewing the hardpacked muscle of his torso when he had turned to her had nearly caused her to salivate; she might never gain control of the reactions his nearness caused. Turning her face into him, her tongue darted out to dampen her lips.

  Though she had been this close and he this bare before now, knowing there would be more than teasing play to follow had her flustered. When she finally gained the courage to glance upwards again, he was studying her face. His eyes narrowed when her tongue swept her lips again. She distracted herself from the sinful heat in his expression by playing with the medallion that hung around his neck.

  Lorcan moved towards the bed, still clasping her tightly to his chest. Stopping at the edge, he waited for Kaitriana to take notice and give him her gaze. His voice was roughened with his desire for the little witch and his eyes flickered darkly when he explained, “After I show you just how delicious this is going to be between us, I think I will spend hours making you beg for more.” His voice had a dire edge of certainty to it, “A few hours of toying with you may be sufficient punishment for your recent misbehavior.”

  Kaitriana could tell by the set of his face that he had every intention of doing that which he had just spelled out. Dread and excitement were warring within her, so she could barely form the words for her counter offer, “Your simple forgiveness would be an appropriate gift to your new mate.” A single look was all that was needed to convey his disagreement. It mattered not. Her body was already heating for him, enticed by his taunting rather than dissuaded. His want for her was clear and she was reacting to it.

  She offered Lorcan a coy smile. Her own eyes flickered when she released the arm that covered her to curl it up around the side of his neck, murmuring, “I do not think you will make it as bad as that, love. After all, torture for me will be torture for you.” Tilting her head, she rubbed her cheek against the warmth of his bare chest, her move making a deliberate offering by opening the line of her throat.

  With a growl, his hand settled on her bared breast. Cupping it, he shifted her higher in his arms to accept the other invitation. His fingertips began to work at the soft mound when his teeth broke her skin. Her shuddering groan echoed. Withdrawing the press of fangs, he lapped at the injury. Thumb and forefinger settled over the tightening bud in his palm and rolled the sensitized flesh. Lorcan delivered a sharp little pinch before biting into her neck again.

  She arched up; her own fangs extending in response. While he settled in to drink, he continued the teasing pluck with his fingers. He was taking more than in times past, draining her. Kaitriana growled against his chest, her need rapidly building in response to his carnal play. Her nails marred the skin below his shoulder and her fangs
scraped at the flesh beneath his collarbone.

  His hand tangled in her hair and Lorcan released his bite. Using his hold to pull her mouth away from his skin, he took Kat in a hard kiss. Her mouth opened eagerly, her tongue flicking sensuously over his fangs to return in kind some of the pleasurable torment his bite had given. Lorcan knew her game. Kaitriana sought to push him to the same level of mindless lust that he intended for her. It was the witch’s way of seeking control over the situation, and he was having none of it.

  Lorcan offered the same treatment to hers, knowing that since part of her was fully Vampire, her instinctive response to the mating - her need to bite - would make her fangs so much more sensitive. The brush against the aching points caused Kaitriana to squirm. Continuing until she was almost delirious with longing, he finally eased his tongue away and began thrusting into the recesses of her mouth. Her riled state had her aggressively meeting each stroke, her needful whimpers captured by his mouth.

  Lorcan pulled back to view the murky darkness that had settled in her eyes. Arrogantly, he smiled down at her. He had barely touched her yet and her little body was already fevered for him. She flashed her fangs and made move towards the skin of his chest. His tightened grip in her hair stopped her and he gazed down at her steadily, tender reprimand given, “No Kat. I will drink of you many more times before I allow you to partake of my blood and the bonding that comes with it.”

  Surprisingly his stubborn witch did not even balk, instead she kept her eyes locked on his and tilted her head in invitation. She was an impatient lass and again trying to force his hand. Rather than move, he stilled and smiled cryptically at her. He maintained hold on her gaze while his fingertips slipped over her breast. Her groan melted into a heated gasp when he delivered a sharp tug to the rosy tip.