Forbidden 3: Sleeping With the Enemy

by Marteeka Karland

  “Later.” Sweat shone on Taber’s face and head. “I want more.”

  Akahana laughed as she slid her arms around Taber’s hips and grabbed his buttocks, pulling him to her. “Me, too. Love me, Taber. Show me how much you want my body.”

  “Not just your body, Dearheart.” He bent his head to kiss the tip of her nose. “I want all of you. You are the strongest woman I’ve ever met, and I want to know that woman better.”

  “I’m not that strong.” She wrapped her legs firmly around his waist, resting her heels on his ass. “You’re that gentle. You’re a very special man, Taber. Even if you weren’t my mate, I’d be glad to have known you.” She thrust her pelvis at him, causing him to groan. “Now, fuck me before I decide I don’t want you for my mate.”

  Her teasing smile turned into a gasp as he thrust into her. “Well, I can’t have that, now can I?”

  Taber shifted his position, coming up onto his knees. Prying her ankles apart, he placed her feet on his shoulders. She immediately hooked her feet around his neck and used the leverage to thrust herself at him again. Taber wrapped his hands around her thighs to find his own leverage, and it wasn’t long before they had their rhythm perfect.

  Taber slammed into her, but no harder than she slammed herself into him. Akahana was as much the aggressor as he was, and she had trouble believing this was actually her acting this way. And it felt so damned good! Nothing in her experience could have prepared her for this. She felt so out of control, and knew that Taber had no more control over his feelings than she did. Somehow, knowing that made all the difference.

  “Christ!” Taber ground out between clenched teeth. “I can’t hold out much longer, Akahana. Come with me! Now!”

  All she could do was hold on. His grip on her legs should have been bruising, but it fit the moment. As if he sensed her near discomfort, his grip eased and she felt him trying to hold back. Sweat slid down his skin because of his efforts, both at holding himself in check, and from the physical exertion. She could see his jaw working as he ground his teeth together.

  “Don’t hold back, my love. As your mate, my body is yours to take.”

  “No!” She could feel him try to hold off his impending orgasm, but he couldn’t. “I will not use your body for my pleasure only.”

  “My pleasure is insured, Taber. Come inside me. That would give me more pleasure than you can possibly imagine.” And she meant it with all her heart.

  For the briefest of moments, she wasn’t sure Taber would take her at her word. But a brief moment was all it was. Once he was sure she meant what she said, he didn’t try to rein in his passion. Adjusting his grip on her thighs, Taber threw his head back as he pounded into her pussy and roared his release. Arching his back in an effort to get inside her just a little deeper, he emptied himself into her grasping, pulsing cunt. Akahana’s own release followed seconds after Taber’s, and she gasped his name breathlessly as her body seized from her orgasm.

  When it was done, when they both lay in each other’s arms sated and very satisfied, Akahana turned to Taber and laid a gentle hand on his cheek. “I want to enter the Chamber with you, Taber. If our love can stop this nightmare I’ve been living, and your friends can keep you safe from Davin during this, I’d be a fool not to take that opportunity.”

  “You’re still looking out for me.”

  “Always. I know you can handle yourself.” She pushed him over and lay with her upper body covering his. “But I can’t imagine losing you.” She smiled at him as she drew lazy circles on his chest with a finger. “It’s funny. I always promised myself if I were ever able to get away from Gamin, I’d never again let a man have any influence over me.” She dipped her head to kiss the line of his jaw. “Now, I only feel fortunate to have finally found my true mate.”

  If he thought anything about the comment, he didn’t say anything. Which was probably a good thing. Akahana wasn’t sure she could explain. But she had no doubt in her mind that Gamin was not her true soul’s mate. How he had managed to be able to get inside her head and project his thoughts to her, she couldn’t even begin to imagine, but somehow he had. What she could communicate with Taber went deeper than simple thought. It was feelings, understanding of those feelings, and a blessed union that her soul rejoiced in.

  She crawled over Taber’s body, straddling his hips. His jaw clenched as he stared at her breasts. His arms rested lightly on her hips.

  “You are such a giving lover, Taber. You can’t imagine how big a difference that makes to me.” She reached between her legs to guide his semi-erect cock inside her pussy. “I never imagined pleasure such as this existed.”

  “You’re worth anything I’ve given you and more, Dearheart. And any man who would say otherwise is either a damned fool, or the biggest liar in the universe.”

  She moved slowly, rotating her hips in little circles, enjoying the slowness and deliberateness of her play. Taber didn’t hurry her, or encourage her to move faster. He simply rubbed her legs in feather light touches from hip to knee. Akahana used her link with him to gauge his reactions, and when she sensed he was close to coming, she sped up her motions slightly.

  It wasn’t long before her own orgasm started building. As Taber neared his release, Akahana pushed hers back so she could come with him, so they could take the fall together. She opened herself up to him completely, so he could feel her pleasure and her growing love for him.

  When he gripped her hips harder and thrust against her firmly twice, her body tensed with her own release. She shouted once and collapsed onto Taber’s chest, wrapping her arms around him as best she could. It was only a moment before she fell asleep.

  Sated, satisfied…

  And happy.

  Chapter Ten

  On the trip to Gothe’mar, Taber felt the nervousness he always associated with a coming battle. He paced the small cabin he and Akahana shared and finally left her to jog around the deck when the pent-up energy became too much. She had been a constant presence in his mind. Though she didn’t say anything, sensing he needed quiet, her presence, both physical and mental, comforted him as much as anything could.

  When they reached the spaceport orbiting the planet, Taber was a bundle of energy. The thought of the two-hour ride planet side in one of those ridiculously small shuttles was intolerable.

  “Can’t we use a transporter?” He sounded whiny. He was not whiny.

  “I’m sorry, my friend.” Taber could tell Khan was trying valiantly not to laugh at him. “Space around Gothe’mar is too crowded to risk it. You could end up in a different location altogether, or with another man’s legs.”

  “Or as a woman.” Mikkarn’s attempt at a joke was not amusing, and Taber gave him a scathing look. It didn’t faze the other man in the least.

  “If I didn’t need you on the planet, I’d have to kill you just for the tension release.”

  Mikkarn shrugged. “Mara might have something to say about that.”

  Kiril snorted. “Yeah, like ‘don’t look at me, you deserved it’.”

  Taber barked a laugh before he could stop himself. These three men, and their women, had come to mean a great deal to him. They had proven themselves invaluable in protecting Akahana, and in making things easier for him to handle in a culture and society he was unfamiliar with. He felt like he needed to say something, but he didn’t know what words to use.

  Khan simply grasped his shoulder and looked at him as if he were a commanding officer sending a soldier into battle. “All will be well. See to your mate. The priest and I will deal with Davin.” His softly spoken words gave Taber encouragement. Taking care of Akahana was his job, his part in the mission. Others would take care of the rest. As when he was in the field, he had to place his trust in the ability of other soldiers, and he could not think of a better soldier than Kahn the Merciless. It made the wait getting to the planet tolerable.

  Akahana remained silent, and, though for the most part her mind was closed to him, she was never far from his side
. Always close enough to touch if he wished. He could feel her fear of what was to come, but it was him she was worried about.

  When they disembarked, Kahn led them toward the Temple Beyond -- a great housing complex where the Chamber of Souls was located. Taber reached to his left, and he took Akahana’s hand without looking in her direction. Her grip was cool and firm. He knew there would be no emotion showing in her face, no hint of what she was really feeling.

  She was Gothe’maran. Part of a warrior race.

  The ideal companion in battle.

  As he looked at her then, she looked back.

  No fear, my love. Only desire. And love.

  Her words were a mere shadow in his mind, and he wasn’t sure he’d actually heard them, but she was right. If Khan was right, and there was no reason to believe he was wrong, there could be no room for fear or doubt.

  “Davin should already be inside the temple,” Khan said softly. “Should he challenge, as is expected, the arrangement is for an invisi-cell to confine him while inside the Chamber. The priest will set the timer as you enter so you and Akahana will have a chance to get deep inside the Chamber. Davin will only have a few seconds before the cell activates and stops him immediately. He will only be able to go a few steps before that happens. That should give you time to prepare.”

  “Prepare.” Taber grunted. “How does one prepare for this?”

  Khan smiled. “You don’t. Just do what the souls tell you. They will not harm you if you are true mates. It is Davin who should be worried.”

  The structure was the most imposing Taber had ever seen. Great pillars dominated the entrance, and there was a reverence about the place Taber had never before witnessed. This place was at the heart of this people’s most sacred beliefs. The imposing superstructure looked like it was encased in gold and diamonds as the sun’s light reflected from it, creating elegant shadows and sparkling reflections on the pool in front of it. Above all, there was an air of anticipation. If Taber didn’t know better, he’d swear the temple itself expected him.

  Inside, a thin, aging priest dressed from head to toe in shimmering gold robes met them in front of an ornate silver door that should have been gaudy. Instead it was the most beautiful piece of craftsmanship Taber had ever seen. It opened to reveal an immense Chamber surrounded by windows and shrouded in mists.

  Khan frowned. “The Chamber within has always been dark. Has something changed?”

  “The souls are showing their disgust for the human bastard.” Davin’s voice dripped contempt as he turned to address Akahana. “Gamin had plans for you. As his mate, it is your duty to honor him in death as he wished.”

  “Gamin was not my mate, Davin. I’m not sure how he managed to get inside my head, but having found my true soul’s mate, and feeling what a true mate’s link is like, it is simply not possible that the links could be that different.”

  “You lie!” Davin all but exploded, and Taber stepped between the warrior and Akahana. “Gamin cared for you, instructed you how the wife of a Gothe’maran warrior should be, and gave you a life of luxury, and you dare repay his kindness with lies against him?”

  “I only tell you the truth as I perceive it. Taber is my mate. There is no question.”

  “But there is.” Davin sneered. “I challenge your Claim of Mates, and further, I challenge your claim that Gamin was not your mate.” He turned to the priest. “Once she is proven to be dishonorable, I demand you turn her care over to me so that she can live as her mate intended and set forth in a private Document of Command.”

  “Gamin put in his will how he wanted Akahana cared for?” Taber was so shocked at Gamin’s attempt to control Akahana -- even from the grave -- that he spoke before he could stop himself.

  The priest frowned at him before he turned to Khan, clearly not knowing what to do. When the other man didn’t offer any guidance, the priest faced Akahana.

  “What is your wish, Ma’am?”

  “Her wishes are not the issue!” Davin was clearly about to lose control of his anger. Taber wasn’t at all sure this was going to work without a fight. Looking at Khan, Mikkarn, and Kiril, he could tell they had drawn the same conclusion. “She is to return to her home, here on Gothe’mar. It was the wish of her mate!”

  “She is a free person, my son,” the priest said reasonably. “She can make her life choices regardless of what her mate wants or wanted.”

  “It’s okay.” Akahana’s softly spoken words cut through the tension easily. “If he’s right, and I’m lying about Taber or Gamin, then I’ll go wherever he wishes.” She looked at Davin, squarely in the eye, crossing her arms under her breasts. “But if I’m right, and he manages to leave the Chamber of Souls alive, he and the rest of Gamin’s men must leave me, Taber, and our children alone as long as our souls exist.”

  Davin smiled viciously. “You will have no children.”

  She uncrossed her arms and took a swift, sure step forward, her head held high, a look of determination on her face. “Then we have something in common.”

  Taber felt a swelling of pride. When he’d found this woman, there was no way she would have stood her ground with Davin. The impression he’d gotten from her then had been that of a whipped dog. She had resigned herself to a life of no choices and constant pain.

  Now she was taking back control of her life.

  The priest stepped to Davin and readied a small device that would set the invisi-cell once he was inside the Chamber. Davin frowned at the priest. “I must protest again. This is an unnecessary waste of time and a slight to my honor.”

  “Not from what I’ve seen. General Khan has insisted on this security measure and I agree with him. There will be no violence in this temple I can prevent.” Davin merely grunted and allowed the device to be set.

  “The two of you should disrobe and enter the Chamber of Souls while I finish this. Once set, Davin will have thirty seconds before the timer activates, and he will not be able to move beyond a two foot diameter until it’s powered down.”

  Taber and Akahana did as requested and stepped to the Chamber entrance. Before they entered, Taber looked at Akahana. She was beautiful. Confident, just shy of stubborn in her stance. When she looked at him, his breath caught. He had been worried about being too keyed up to “perform,” but it didn’t look like that was going to be a problem, either. One glance from her, and he was randy as a goat.

  Together, the couple stepped inside.

  The mist inside was like a murky, amber fog. Taber could feel the mist clinging to his skin and the air was damp when he inhaled. After a second or two, his skin started to tingle, and he grasped Akahana’s hand more firmly.

  “It’s starting,” she whispered.

  They both turned toward the Chamber door. Davin made it four steps inside before the invisi-cell activated. The rolling autobot generating the cell shadowed Davin’s movements from a foot away. Once the cell was activated, his movement around the room was severely limited. With his presence inside the Chamber, the power struggle began.

  The tingling on Taber’s skin soon became an itching-burning sensation, and he realized he’d better get to “joining” with Akahana as soon as possible. But Akahana had frozen where she was, listening to something only she could hear.

  Then they were alone. The mists closed in on them, blocking out everything around them until all they could see was each other.

  “What’s happening? What do you hear?” Taber’s battle senses were screaming at him.

  “They’re trying to protect us.” Her whisper was a mere breath, as if any sudden noise might break whatever spell was being woven.

  “Protect us from what?” Taber backed them across the room in what he thought was the direction of the entrance. When his back hit something solid, he used his hands to feel on either side of him until he found the cool silver of the door.

  “Get us away from the door, Taber,” she whispered. “Davin was just inside the entrance.”

  “We need to get out of her
e.”

  “Not with Davin so close. Now get us away from the door!” Even as she whispered, she sounded -- and felt -- almost frantic. A moment later, all hell broke loose.

  A flash of white-hot light knocked Taber to the floor, followed by a deafening explosion. Somehow, he managed to wrap his arm around Akahana and pull her underneath him, but he knew she’d taken as much of the blast as he had. His skin burned -- was still burning -- and he crawled away from the heat source with Akahana beneath him, forcing her along with his body between her and the immediate danger.

  A second explosion rocked the temple, then a third and a fourth.

  “We’ve got to get out of here!” Taber shouted to be heard over the roaring, the wind from the blast blistering his bare skin. Damn everyone for making both of them go in unprotected!

  “We can’t.” Akahana had turned to her back and wrapped her arms around his neck. “It’s in the hands of our ancestors now.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding.” Placing his life in the hands of fellow soldiers as he did his part in the mission was one thing -- to cower in the corner while they bailed his ass out of trouble was something else.

  “There’s nothing else we can do. I don’t know how, but Davin managed to circumvent not only the security of the priesthood, but that of the souls in the Temple, as well.”

  “Khan said the souls within this place feed off of sexual energy,” Taber said, “that they normally demand sexual energy from mates or take it from any life force that enters.”

  “Yes. That’s correct,” Akahana confirmed.

  “So why haven’t they sucked all our energy away?”

  At one end of the Chamber, where smaller explosions still rocked the temple, an eerie green light started to grow and burn, and the waves of tremendous heat coming out of the light warped the wall behind it.

  “Move deeper into the Chamber, Akahana!” Taber stood and dragged Akahana to her feet, running into the mist as hard as he could.

  Help us!

  The voices speaking as one in Taber’s head broke his concentration, and he almost tripped as he ran.