by Lisa Andel
Slanting a grin in my direction, he handed me one of the meat rolls. “I love this bag."
We ate in silence, the rolls inflating in our stomachs when we drank the water. All the men rumbled in surprise. I'd known it would happen.
Comfortably full, we fell back to the pattern of travel we'd used to get to New Hayden. Five of his men disappeared into the surrounding countryside, while three stayed closer by.
Rainth led the way with a brisk stride. At least I'd remembered to change my footwear when we were eating, and I found myself having hardly any trouble at all keeping up with the taller, fitter man.
Just before dark, Rainth led me into a copse of trees. There wasn't a cave this time, but his men had found a thick growth of shrubs that had a narrow opening on one side. There was a clear patch in the center, where Rainth laid out our bedroll, then proceeded to strip.
I tugged off my clothes, and joined him on the ground. A secure feeling washed over me when he took me in his arms. There was tension vibrating in his body, though.
I looked up into his eyes, and asked him about it. “What's wrong?"
His lips pressed together in a thin line. “We were attacked today. Fortunately nobody was hurt, but I think things are only going to get worse."
"I don't want anyone to get injured on my account,” I told him, meaning it.
"We accepted responsibility for you.” I started to say something to that, but he cut me off. “It's what we do. We enjoy the risk that comes with the job.” He smiled, his expression darkening as desire flared to life in his eyes.
Pressing me onto my back, he moved over me. “Danger always makes me horny,” he said, just before he captured my mouth in a fierce kiss.
I traced up his legs with my feet, anchoring them around his back, urging him to enter me.
He worked one hand under my hips, the other angled behind my shoulders and head, holding me tight as he ate at my mouth, bracing the weight of his upper body. I dragged my fingers down his back, my nails biting into his flesh. With a surge of his hips, he drove himself into my core.
He stroked me hard and deep, effortlessly powering his cock through my inner muscles. I thrust back at him, consumed with the pleasure his shaft was giving me. He broke away from my lips, moving his mouth to my neck, where he grasped a section of flesh between his teeth, and sucked.
I exploded, shouting my release as my body bucked against his. He moved to the other side of my neck, working his way lower, suckling lightly. Digging harder into me, he increased his pace, adding a roll to his hips that drove me wild.
I ground back at him, my groin tightening, tensing. He sucked hard on the flesh he had trapped in his mouth, and sped up yet again.
My body jolted, a rush of fluids flooded out of my vagina, then I was drawn under as hard waves of pleasure shuddered through my core. I was still writhing through my orgasm when Rainth raised his head, his features tight, the muscles corded in his neck. Then thick jets of cum pumped out of his cock, filling me with his warmth.
Dropping his head beside mine, his breath rasped in my ear.
We stayed like that for several minutes, before he slowly pulled out and moved to my side. Tucking me against his chest, I listened to the beating of his heart as I fell asleep.
* * * *
What was he doing?
Rainth held the delicate woman to his chest, wanting her close. He'd never felt like this before, and he didn't want to feel like it now. Hell, he'd started marking her.
His men would undoubtedly give him shit about it in the morning. He'd have to communicate with them first thing, to keep them from saying anything that would alert the woman to the significance of the marks.
Part of him was thankful that she knew so little of other races. But the part that was set on claiming her was already pressing him to take the next step.
He thought about putting some distance between them. If he stopped fucking her, it would be easier to resist. Oh, who was he kidding? He could no more stop having sex with her than he could stop breathing.
Turning his thoughts away from his love life, he reviewed the explosion. The enemy knew how to locate Allie. He was also able to strike at them from a distance. None of the men on his team had the kind of magic that could protect them from that kind of assault. He'd discuss that with his team first off. Well, after he'd talked about the other matter.
Willing his mind blank, he listened to the rhythm of the woman's breathing, and drifted off to sleep.
* * * *
"Heads up, men." Rainth laughed as his men grouched back at him. "First order of business. Seems I marked Allie last night. More than once. Under no circumstances are any of you going to allude to the significance of this action. As far as any of us are concerned, they're just love bites. Understand?"
He heard the expected rude comments, but every one of them agreed to keep his secret.
"Next, we need to add a mage to the team, one who is strong enough to protect us from remote strikes. Anyone have any suggestions?"
Allie stirred in his arms, her eyes fluttering open, a smile blooming on her face as she looked at him.
"Hold on the suggestions. Allie's awake, and I think I'm going to say good morning to her."
He threw up a block, but not before a couple of their raunchy comments made it through to him.
"Good morning,” he said to the elf, as he rolled her over onto her stomach. He helped her lever her ass into the air, then he leaned over her back, and whispered in her ear. “Brace yourself."
He laughed, feeling great as he slammed his cock home.
* * * *
I crawled around the clearing searching for my bag. Rainth had thrown on his clothes and trotted off for some kind of meeting with his team, and I couldn't find anything.
I had the little stretchy shirt, and my booties, but I couldn't find the skirt. Or my bag. What I really needed was a bath. I swear Rainth had filled me with a gallon of his cum, much of which was now coating my legs and my ass. Even my breasts felt sticky.
Wearing only my booties, with my shirt in my hand, I headed out of the shrubs in search of Rainth.
I found him standing in front of the team, his back to me, the men loosely arranged in front of him. Martain saw me first, and nudged Derek, who then nudged the guy next to him, who I thought might be Biggs.
Rainth spun around, his eyes widening as he saw me standing there. Then he scanned my body, lighting a fire in my groin.
"I can't find anything but my shirt.” I waved it at him. “Do you know where my bag is?"
He stepped up to me, placing an arm around my waist. “You have leaves stuck to your ass."
"Pasted there, no doubt, with that gallon of cum you left in me. I think it's even in my hair,” I grumbled. Then froze when I heard his men laughing.
He brushed the debris off my butt. “There's a stream a little ways from here. I'll take you, if you'll just wait a minute."
It was the best offer I was likely to get, so I agreed.
Hand in hand, I went with him over to the group, then he planted me in front of him, his arms crossing possessively over my stomach.
"All right then, we're heading to Hampton, and we're going to try to get Reese's mage to join the team. Everyone agreed?"
"Isn't Dark closer?” one of the men asked.
"He is, but he doesn't do field work. Reese's guy was Special Services.” Rainth gave them a minute to respond. None did. “We'll be ready to head out just as soon as,” he looked down at me, his lips twisting in an amused smile, “I de-cum my woman."
I rolled my eyes at him.
"You need a hand with that?” Derek called out.
Rainth glared at the man, and started herding me away from them.
"This could take a while, guys, who's up for some practice?” Biggs said with a straight face.
* * * *
I was clean, and wearing a comfortable pair of breeches and a loose cotton shirt. What's more, I wasn't struggling as hard to keep up
with Rainth. He'd told me that we would reach Hampton around mid-afternoon. Until then, his men were staying closer to us in case the enemy chose to attack again.
"Do you have any idea who would wish you harm?” Rainth asked.
I thought about it for a moment. “Everybody?"
"Not possible,” he said. “Think about it."
"Rainth, after my parents were killed, the only one who cared for me was Terethial. In fact, if he wasn't a prince, I would probably not have been spared. But T felt sorry for me, so he appointed himself my best friend."
"Was there no one else who cared for you?” Rainth's voice reflected the pain he felt on my behalf.
"No, Rainth. No one else cared. Even T's mother, who got stuck raising me, wanted nothing to do with me. They all considered me ergrath, an evil charm, if you will. That associating with me would bring evil down upon their heads, as it had my parents."
"Were they blind to the fact that Terethial thrived in your presence?"
"People see what they want to see,” I said. I wasn't bitter, or mad. I'd lived with it too long. It was just—life.
One of the men cried out, and fell to the ground.
Rainth grabbed me, and threw me down, covering me with his body.
"Spitfire,” somebody yelled.
I heard the zitz of the lethal little fireballs as they shot past overhead.
This was an attack that I might be able to do something about. If my magic would cooperate. Taking a breath, I concentrated, calling to the power that resided within me. It stirred, sluggishly. I desperately added more pull, and was rewarded with a slight warming glow. Working quickly, I wove the spell that would protect us from the spitfire. Since I had barely enough power to blanket the group, I whispered to Rainth to have them move closer.
I sensed, through the spell, when all of his men were under its protection. Then I nudged Rainth, telling him he could get off of me.
Sitting up, he quickly assessed the situation, noting the flashes of power wherever the missiles were deflected.
"You're doing this?” he asked me.
"Yeah.” I grinned at him. “Though I'm kind of confused about why he's not using something more powerful to attack with."
Rainth started to agree, when we all felt the ground beneath us tremble. “I think we're about to find out."
The group tightened into a huddle with me in the center. I sat on the ground, and reached out with my limited senses, trying to determine the nature of this new threat. Heat bloomed across my chest, and grew to a burning pain. I reached under my shirt and gasped as my fingers brushed over the pendant that Terethial had given me.
Pulling it out, I held it up in front of me, light glinting off its surface. A surface that was now swirling and sparking.
"Rainth,” I called excitedly, as I jumped to my feet.
"What?"
I showed him the charm. “T's given me a link to his power.” Wrapping my hand around the stone, I let myself fall through the link. A gasp issued from me when I felt his magic rush into me. I looked up at Rainth, and saw him the way the other elves would see him.
He took my breath away. Raw masculinity and lethal power. Not the kind of power that coursed through my veins right now, but a primal power so potent my heart almost stopped.
"By Mith,” I whispered, unable to look away from him. His eyes met mine, and our powers surged together.
I was suddenly in his arms, kissing him as if my life depended on it. Maybe it did.
The two magics locked together, then blasted out of us, directly at the unknown threat.
Rainth's hands tore my shirt off then worked frantically at my breeches, shoving them off of me, kicking them away. He dragged his own shirt off, and quickly freed himself, knocking me down to the ground, and burying his cock with one brutal thrust.
We cried out at the joining, our senses stretched between the magic rushing through us and the energy that closed on its target.
We fucked each other with a wildness and abandon unlike anything I'd ever known. I felt his fangs sink into my shoulder, and I bit his chest. We came, the power detonating inside of us, keeping us shaking with surge after surge of release.
Lost in the ultimate pleasure of it all, we felt our magic find its goal. The two forces clashed, the earth bucked, and the air roared.
Still we came, feeding on the energy created by the two storms battling several yards away.
Our bodies jolted off the ground as a final, incredible burst of pleasure raged through us. We collapsed, together, as another wave of magic shot from our joined bodies to join the fight.
Breathing heavily, but feeling energized, I stared into my lover's eyes, as he stared into mine. Something clicked and I felt our magics separating, retreating into our own bodies.
He crushed his mouth to mine for a devastating kiss.
A tremendous explosion knocked the men to the ground around us. Rent the air like a clap of thunder. Then all grew calm.
Rainth broke the kiss, glanced lazily around, then smiled at me. “Now that was fucking incredible."
I laughed. Feeling T's power returning to the charm, flowing away from me, back to its rightful home.
* * * *
Rainth couldn't believe he'd had the most out-of-this-world sex in front of his entire team. Now that he was in control of himself again, he couldn't think of any discreet way to pull out of his woman. With no other options, he just did it, as smoothly as he could. Standing and tucking himself in, before helping her off the ground and giving her a hand back into her shirt and breeches. He then noticed the bite mark on her shoulder.
He'd pierced her flesh.
Martain handed him his shirt, grinning, flicking his eyes to his chest. Rainth followed the man's gaze and saw that he sported a bite mark above his left nipple.
He'd have to be more careful now, or he would end up mating the two of them.
Allie sidled up to him, her face flushed with embarrassment. “I didn't know,” she said.
"Know what?"
"That we'd—uh..."
"Be thrown into wild, unbridled lust? That we'd ravish each other on the ground in front of my entire team?” he suggested.
"Well, that too,” she said, obviously not having thought of that before. “But I meant the way our magic merged.” She looked at him like he should know what she was talking about.
"I'm not following you,” he said.
"Oh.” She turned a brighter shade of red. “Among magic users it's referred to as a weld. You and I welded.” She swallowed, and he could scent fear on her.
"What does this welding mean?” he asked.
"We'relinkedtogetherforalleternity,” she said in a rush.
"We're linked together for all eternity?” He narrowed his eyes at her.
She nodded. “It's not like mating or anything, we don't even have to be friends for it to happen. But yeah, we're linked."
Not nearly as bad as what I did, he thought.
"What do you mean, what you did?" He suddenly heard Allie's voice in his head.
"You can talk to me now?"
"Yes, we are linked, you know."
He threw up a block and then asked her a question in his mind. She didn't respond, for which he was grateful.
"So what was that thing that we fought?” he asked out loud.
"Heck if I know,” she said, then fell in next to him when he started walking.
"Let's head out, men. Stay close."
* * * *
"Sorry, Rainth. Nobody's seen him for over a week,” Reese told us as he sat down at the table we'd gotten at the local pub.
"Guess we'll just have to head straight to Dark's and see what we can do about the curse,” Rainth said.
I took a sip of my beer. All I wanted was a nice hot shower, and a clean, soft bed. The energy that had been coursing through me had worn off. Now I was having trouble keeping my eyes open.
"Come on, little one,” Rainth whispered in my ear as he helped me to my feet. H
e led me down the street, and into another hostelry.
Once inside our room, he helped me undress, then guided me to the bathroom. He bathed me with a tenderness that almost made me cry. Then he dried me with a big fluffy towel.
I got my second wind while he was drying my hair. He bent to pick me up, intending on carrying me to the bed. I winked at him, reached forward, and wrapped my fingers around his cock.
He straightened up, a smile breaking across his face when I sank to my knees in front of him.
Licking my lips, I eagerly eyed his growing erection. Then I ran my tongue over and around his shaft, slicking it up, before I took him into my mouth.
I plunged down on his cock, taking him all the way into my throat. My lips stretched tight around his impressive girth. Sucking and swirling my tongue on my retreat, then driving down on him again. I was just getting into the rhythm when he shouted, and started shooting his cum into my mouth.
I swallowed all of him down, not releasing him until he pressed on my shoulder.
He helped me stand, then kissed me before snatching me off the floor and carrying me to bed.
* * * *
His men were surprisingly grumpy at breakfast the next morning. I figured I'd ask Rainth about it later, when they wouldn't be able to hear me.
"If you two are going to keep fucking each other's brains out, then you're going to have to give us some leave,” Derek growled, his eyes hot on me, like it was my fault.
"Can you wait until after we've seen Dark?” Rainth asked.
"Honestly, I'm about to climb over the table and take your woman right now,” Derek replied.
The way he was looking at me, I thought he just might.
Several of the others murmured agreement, and when I scanned their faces I couldn't help but slide closer to Rainth. They all wanted to fuck me. Right here, right now.
"Okay. Consider yourselves on leave as of right now,” Rainth said, and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. “Plan on meeting here tomorrow at noon to head out."
The men fled. All but Derek, who still stared at me with smoldering eyes.
"Let me have her, Rainth,” he said, his voice low, controlled. “Let me have her for one night."
