Raw desire leaped in his eyes when she pushed his fingers between her hot folds. Jasynta's eyes fluttered as he began to explore her tentatively, his fingers grazing over her clit and pushing further to find the opening of her slit. When his hand stilled, she nodded at him, and ground down on his hand to give him the go-ahead.
Blake held himself so still he didn't seem to be breathing at all. Looking deeply into her eyes, he slowly pushed a finger into her. Her muscles immediately spasmed around his finger, clenching down on him.
“Jasynta,” he said raggedly. “You...”
“More, Blake,” she whispered breathlessly. “Please...”
He slid another finger into her, and her pleasure crested suddenly. She loved the way he touched her. Blake growled and began to thrust his fingers into her harder and deeper.
“Yes,” she panted. “Yes!”
Pushing her up to allow her to wrap her legs around his waist, he took a breast greedily into his mouth and suckled her furiously as his fingers pumped in and out of her. The shuddering pleasure he was giving her was so intense Jasynta felt as though she would shatter into a million screaming pieces.
Her pleasure kept climbing as his tongue and teeth found her throbbing, tight nipples. Mercilessly, relentlessly, he bit, sucked and tormented them. His mouth and fingers moved at a more frantic pace, making her channel tighten and convulse. When he rubbed his thumb over her swollen clit, she screamed and orgasmed violently under his mouth and hands.
Her head dropped onto his massive shoulder and she clung to him, trembling and blinking as he gradually eased his fingers out of her. She felt his lips on her shoulder and neck as she rolled her head dazedly.
He was murmuring her name as he kissed her. “You came for me so beautifully, Jasynta,” he whispered. “So...beautiful.”
She took a deep, steadying breath as she raised her head. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as she blinked the surroundings into focus. The forest looked very dark and very far behind them. They were more than halfway across the lake, and she stared down at the dark, calm waters.
“Are you...treading water?” she asked at last, her eyes widening.
He barked out a short, low laugh. “No. That would be too damn distracting. And I don't want to be distracted when I'm with you. To have to tread water and...do what I did with you, that would kill me.”
She blushed deeply and frowned. “Then...”
He hiked his broad shoulders in a shrug. “I'm standing on a large rock.”
“Oh.” Her lips curved in a lopsided smile. “And here I was thinking you must possess such great stamina.”
His eyes bore into hers, underscoring the truth and pride in his words. “I do have great stamina.”
Arrogant man.
A silvery glint on the water surface caught her eye. As she stared, she saw the clear reflection of the moon on the lake. Looking up slowly, she saw the clouds drift apart to reveal a large, round moon.
Her own eyes rounded until the entire moon filled her vision.
It would be the full moon—tomorrow.
She had less than twenty-four hours to get the Moon Flower, and get back home.
Jerkily, she unwound herself from Blake and pushed away from him. He frowned but he didn't stop her. He was too much of a gentleman to grab her naked body when she clearly wanted to put some distance between them. Despite what she had said in irritation earlier, he was no Captain Caveman. He was Captain Chivalry.
“Jasynta?”
She sucked in a deep breath and plunged into the water. She began to swim away from him, making for the shore.
What could she say?
I need to go, would be an understatement.
She needed to complete her mission, tonight. Get a petal, and make sure the Moon Flower remained in bloom, blooming fully tomorrow night when the moon was full and then waning together with the moon.
As she stroked determinedly through the water, she could hear Blake coming after her. With his speed and strength, he would reach the shore before her, and he would reach the Moon Flower before her.
As she propelled her arms and legs, driving herself like a maniac through the water, her resolve hardened. She had to do something.
Something to slow Blake down.
By the time she dragged herself out of the water, Blake was already standing at the water's edge, holding out a hand to help her out.
Water was dripping from his magnificent, half-naked body. She huffed when she realized that he had only removed his shirt and shoes, and even in his water sodden jeans, he could swim much faster than her.
She had stripped herself completely naked, to reduce water resistance and gain as much advantage as she could.
She blew out a breath and stared across the lake. She had dropped her haversack on the opposite shore, but she could retrieve what she needed. Mentally going through the contents of her bag, she zeroed in on a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Whispering a spell, she snapped her fingers, and immediately felt the weight of her dry clothes against her dripping, clammy skin.
At her back, she heard Blake whistle. “That's a handy way to get dressed.”
The volcano was a few hundred meters away. They'd reach it by running, but Blake would undoubtedly be faster.
She glanced back and saw him crunching barefoot across the gravel to her. His eyes were moving from her to the base of the volcano.
He reached for her. “Jasynta, don't do it.”
She ducked out of his grasp and shook her head. “You don't understand. I must have it.”
“I will stop you.” The fierce desire that she saw in his eyes was now replaced by a hard, grim light.
She winced. “I was hoping you wouldn't say that.”
“You're going to fight me?” he asked very quietly.
She gulped and squared her shoulders. “Not fight you.” She flexed her fingers slowly. “Freeze you.”
With that, she fired off a spell at him.
The potent energy sizzled from the tips of her fingers and hurtled towards him. Blake's eyes widened and he lurched forward to stop her, but the blinding, burning magick slammed into his legs and exploded all around him.
The spell wrapped around Blake's body instantly, enveloping his broad, tall frame in sizzling, crackling light. His bellow was cut off as the light reached his mouth and spiraled up to close over his blond head. Jasynta raised her arm to shield her eyes from the burst of blinding light that lit up the lake and the forest behind it.
When the light receded, she lowered her arm to see Blake standing by the edge of the lake, cocooned in a block of ice.
Jasynta scrambled forward and scooted round to the front of the gigantic ice block. Blake was staring out at her from within the ice block, his eyes and mouth wide open.
“Oh no!” Jasynta clapped her hand over her mouth. He probably couldn't breathe! Rubbing her clammy palms down her shorts, she aimed her fingers at the top of the ice block and started to chant. She saw Blake's eyes widen a fraction as he watched her helplessly from within his ice prison. She had no doubt that he was silently hollering at her to stop whatever she was doing.
But she couldn't let him suffocate to death. She had to blast the top of the ice block off, melt the ice on top to free his head so he could breathe. The rest of him would remain frozen in the ice block so he couldn't get to the Moon Flower before her. The thick, solid ice would take hours to melt. That would buy her some time.
She rubbed her hands together and blew into her palms. Now she just had to aim properly. She didn't want to blow his head off. Just melt the ice, not fry his head.
Chanting the spell quickly, she flicked a finger and directed the heat towards the tip of the ice block. Smoke rose from the melting ice as Jasynta carefully directed her shaking finger round the block, careful to avoid the emerging tuft of blond hair. Soon the ice receded from his forehead and his blue eyes blinked rapidly. The level of the ice soon reached his lips, and Jasynta pointed her finger away quickly. A
branch on a tree some distance away caught fire when a bolt of heat escaped her pointing finger. Birds screeched and took flight as the flaming branch came crashing down.
Jasynta shouted out a spell to extinguish the heat from her finger. She didn't want to set fire to anything else by accident.
Blake's neck was still encased in the ice block, so he couldn't really turn his head, but his eyes followed her every movement, and they looked furious. His mouth twitched and he worked his tongue to grate out three words.
“Melt. This. Thing.”
Jasynta stepped back. “No.”
“Do it! I swear...”
His words and tone grated. Was he commanding her and swearing at her? She had no time for this. “I think you forgot the magic word,” she snorted. “Anyway, this—thing, will melt on its own. In a few hours' time.”
“You—!” A muscle ticked in his jaw as he gnashed his teeth.
“You need to cool off,” she said over her shoulder as she scampered off. “Laterz.”
“You...hey, come back! You're not leaving me here, in this—thing!” When she increased her pace, he bellowed, “You wouldn't dare!”
Jasynta started. Then let out a short laugh. She must be getting to him. He was hollering her very words back at her.
“Witch, you will regret this! When I catch you...”
She shook her head at his growled threats and promises. He vowed to do terrible, wicked things to her when he got his hands on her. Ah, promises, promises.
She narrowed her gaze at the towering volcano ahead and her smile disappeared as quickly as if it had been wiped away.
The sides of the volcano were steep and rough. Retrieving her boots quickly with a spell, she laced them up and began her arduous climb to the top. She kept moving, ignoring the scratches and bruises on her hands and face. Far below her, she could still hear the echo of Blake's anger, but she no longer glanced back.
She had to move quickly. Blake would soon be coming after her.
And she had to make sure that he couldn't catch her.
CHAPTER NINE
This damn block of magickal ice was sure taking a freakin' long time to melt.
Blake drummed his claws against the ice, waiting for his legs to be freed. The ice had melted down to his waist, freeing his upper body but his lower body was still frozen. He had roared, slashed at the ice with his claws and pounded the ice with his massive fists. Anything else would have shattered under his vicious assault, but this was no ordinary ice. It wouldn't break and chip away. It would only release him when it melted, and Jasynta seemed to have put it on a slow timer.
That witch was wicked! He had grossly underestimated her. She could literally blow hot and cold, and when she gave him the cold shoulder, boy, her treatment was icy all right.
She had nearly frozen his nuts off.
If his crown jewels never worked again, that witch would pay dearly. She would regret it for the rest of her life. Did she not think before trying to freeze his balls off? He had tried to unleash his beast, to set his bear on this blasted ice block but his bear had become unusually silent, slumping into a corner, completely confounded. It seemed that the big bear could not, for the life of him, wrap his head around what his mate had just done. Why would that female do something that she would certainly regret? Why would she act against her own interests by damaging something that she would no doubt want to enjoy later? And the enjoyment would last a long, long, long time.
His bear groaned and Blake shared the sentiment. He would never understand women. Not that he wanted to understand all women. He just wanted to understand her!
Now, he wasn't even sure if every part of him was in working order.
He'd just have to test it out when he caught the perpetrator of this grievous crime. He would make her pay dearly for her crime. And he would take the payment in any way he pleased.
He glowered at the volcano in the distance. From her scent, he knew that she was midway up the volcano. He could make out her silhouette, doggedly working up the steep side of the volcano. His heart lurched when he saw her lose her footing and stumble. His entire body strained to reach her, to grab her before she fell. But the resilient little witch simply picked herself up and worked her way up again, not stopping, not resting. She was tough all right.
Directly above the volcano, he saw the moon sliding out slowly from behind the clouds, growing inexorably fuller and rounder. Tomorrow was the night of the full moon. The Moon Flower would bloom fully tomorrow night, unfurling the last of its innermost petals and unleashing its full power. The Gateway would be opened wide, allowing legions of demons to pour forth.
Blake attacked the ice with a vengeance. The ice had melted down to his knees, and thankfully the feeling had returned to his body. Nothing had been frozen off, and hopefully nothing would be malfunctioning.
The ice block around his feet was sweating profusely, melting swiftly away. Finally, the ice melted completely with a loud hiss, dissolving into a fast evaporating puddle at his feet.
Blake wasted no time in sprinting across the rocks towards the volcano. He charged full speed ahead, swiping a boulder out of his way and sending it sailing through the air over his shoulder. At the foot of the volcano, he raised his head and inhaled sharply. He scented Jasynta, her blood and sweat, and her rising frustration and panic. But there was a stronger, more powerful scent coming from the top of the volcano.
It was an alluring, heady, potent scent, a promise of power with the thrill of chaos and conflict.
Blake swayed slightly on his feet, and he shook his head hard to clear it.
Jasynta was so near the crater. The climb had been arduous and terrifying for her, but she had made it.
Blake's muscles bulged as his claws curved out. This volcano was an obstacle, but demolishing obstacles was what he did best. He might not be able to hammer and claw the volcano to dust, but he could conquer it and reach his mate. Digging his claws in, he anchored himself to the slope as he scaled the volcano. His powerful body rippled as he climbed swiftly and skilfully, dodging the tumbling rocks which had been loosened by Jasynta's frenzied scrambling.
Blake moved with a pounding sense of urgency and desperation. He had to reach Jasynta, and grab her before she did something stupid and suicidal.
Getting the Moon Flower was a suicide mission for her. She would kill herself trying to reach it. And if she got it, she would damn herself with that cursed flower. There was no use for that Moon Flower. It was only used for evil, and he would not stand by and watch his sweet, lovely Jasynta turn evil. He would not let her throw her life and her soul away.
He reached the top and moved towards the crater in silence. Jasynta was crouched near the rim of the yawning crater. Matted, tangled curls obscured her face, and he saw that her hands were dirty and bleeding. There was dirt and blood under her nails. She seemed to be transfixed by something inside the crater, staring down at it and whispering to herself.
Stealthily, he crept round the crater, and stole up behind her.
He tiptoed towards her, and was about to grab her and yank her back from the edge when he heard her whisper, “Don't.”
The plaintive plea in her voice made him stop short.
Slowly she stood up and turned around to face him.
He stared at her, holding himself completely still. He was scarcely even breathing. Jasynta was at the very edge, and Blake knew that he had to tread very lightly and very carefully. One wrong step, and she would go over.
The moonlight was reflected in her eyes, making her usually warm brown eyes cold and glassy.
“I know that you're here to stop me,” she said. “You want to destroy the Moon Flower. But I can't let you. I can't.”
“The Moon Flower will destroy you, Jasynta. I can't let it!” Blake gritted out.
“I know.”
“Then why...”
“Have you seen the Moon Flower?”
Blake's eyes darted to the crater and he saw something shimmering fr
om the depths of the gaping crater. Cautiously, he inched nearer towards the rim, his eyes moving back and forth between the crater and the witch. One was dangerous, one was in danger.
He literally found himself between a rock and a hard witch.
Peering gingerly past the rim, his breath caught when he saw a single silver flower growing on the inside of the deep crater. The Moon Flower was like nothing he had ever seen before. The petals were crescent shaped, and were moving and waving slowly as though the flower was growing underwater. Intricate patterns rippled and raced across each petal like wispy clouds scudding across the face of the moon. As he watched, he saw the innermost petals gradually unfurl, opening wider as they soaked up the moonlight.
His eyes were drawn deeper into the crater. Below the Moon Flower, shadows were swirling into a vortex, making the air shimmer and vibrate with an unearthly power and presence. He stumbled back at the acrid smell of fire and brimstone.
The Gateway was deep within this black, dormant volcano.
This was where the demons had taken those innocent, frightened witches. Blake's fingers moved to his watch. He had to contact the Council and let them know his location. If the vampire Enforcers could mist the rest here in time and rescue the witches...
Jasynta eyed him warily as he raised his arm. Without warning, she lurched towards the rim. Her hand stretched out towards the eerily beckoning Moon Flower.
“Jasynta! No!”
Blake moved to stop her, and his fingers just managed to curl around her wrist.
“Let...go!” Her voice no longer sounded like her own. Her scream when she twisted viciously out of his grasp and flung herself over the rim was ragged and harsh, sounding almost like a choked laugh.
“No! Jasynta!”
He shot forward, heedless of his own safety and his life. His mate was his life, and he would not let her go.
Hurtling over the edge after her, he caught her cold hand and grasped it tightly as they fell into the abyss.
Bear Mate: BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance Page 8
