by Biance D'Arc
He pulled her into his arms and made for the far side of the chamber where he’d secreted a bed and some camping necessities. He’d thought to use this cave as a refuge for himself—a place to get away from it all. He’d never counted on bringing his mate here.
But the time for recriminations was past. There was only one thing on his mind now. Only one thing that mattered.
Callie.
He had to have her. The need was primal and stronger than anything he’d ever experienced. Still, she was a virgin. He had to give her time to accept him. He was a big man, even among Alvians, and he didn’t want to hurt her. He’d rather die than hurt her!
His emotions weren’t too stable, his senses devolving into moments of madness, but still he knew he had to treat her carefully. He removed the rest of her clothing and then tore his own in his rush. He left the shreds on the floor next to the bed and came down on one knee next to her.
“I’ll do my best to make this good for you, Callie, but I’m afraid I waited too long.” His voice shook as he took her shoulders in his big, hot hands. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t hurt me.” She spoke softly, but with the firm conviction of love. “Nothing you could do when we make love could ever hurt me, but I’m prepared for some discomfort, Davin. From what I’ve heard, it’s unavoidable the first time.” Her crooked smile touched him deeply and gave him the strength to hold back.
He leaned down and kissed her, noting the glow of the crystal all around them. This was going to be an explosive joining in more ways than one, he realized absently. Maybe making love to her for the first time in the middle of a huge deposit of raw crystal wasn’t his best plan ever, but he had no choice now. He had to have her. He could delay no longer.
Their kiss built into an inferno as he moved over her, his skin sliding along hers. He felt hot, burning from within, the only ease he could find was her touch. Davin moved, twined his fingers with hers and coaxed her hands onto his shoulders, encouraging her with little tugs of her hands to stroke him. She caught on and he released her fingers to let her touch him at will. It felt so good to have her hands on his bare skin, her touch igniting the thrilling, pulsing Hum.
The sound bathed him in warmth, a low rumble of delight underpinning all the energy as it began to swirl between them and around the vast crystal chamber. The very Earth sang the song of their love as Davin pressed Callie’s soft body into the mattress. She went willingly, her touch encouraging him as she spread her legs for him to settle between. He broke the kiss, hanging on to sanity by a bare thread.
“It’s got to be fast this first time, my love. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, Davin. I don’t think I can wait either.”
Shards! This woman was perfect for him in every way. She’d been his friend for the past few years—a voice in the darkness when no one else could understand him at all—and now she would be his lover. His. Forevermore.
“I love you, Callie.” His voice broke as he began the slow entry into her tight body. She was wet and slippery, eager for him, but still, there was resistance. Davin eased out and then pushed back in, just a little farther than he’d been before. Callie squirmed, making little sounds of distress at the back of her throat, but Davin was lost. He only had enough presence of mind to ease his way inside. Other than that small concession to her virginity, her protests were lost on him.
The beast was in control now.
Davin rocked inward, easing his way, but pushing relentlessly forward. He had to claim her, to take her, to make her his own. It was the driving force behind his near-blind need, the thing creeping in to cloud his thoughts, the beast that might well drive him mad. The beast wanted only one thing—its mate.
Callie pushed at his shoulders as he slid past the barrier, tearing her maidenhead. She cried out and her eyes closed tight in a wince of pain, but he was beyond the ability to stop or slow down. Davin shoved home with one last mighty push until he was fully embedded within her tight sheath.
“You’re mine now, my love. Mine.”
Her hands gripped his shoulders as she opened her eyes and stared up at him. Pain glazed her expression, but beyond the pain was…love. Davin recognized it and it calmed him enough so he could give her the time to get used to his presence within her untried body. He lay over her, soaking in her love, reveling in the feel of her hot core around him as he waited for her discomfort to subside.
Davin wanted her to enjoy her first time. So far, he’d only been able to give her pain, but her love steadied him. It gave him the strength—the sanity—to wait for her to catch her breath.
“Better now, kitten?” He licked her throat as her shivers eased. The beast calmed momentarily, now that he was in full possession of his mate. “Can you feel how much I desire you?”
The pain in her eyes receded, to be replaced with wonder. “I feel it.” Her breath came in short pants. “Davin, I love you so much!”
He growled as the beast reared up, thrilling at the words of love from his mate. This would bind them. All he had to do was come inside her and bathe her in his possession.
“Hang on, Callie, my love.”
Davin truly lost control after that, pistoning into her with little finesse. She whimpered, but luckily they were sounds of enjoyment, not distress. He couldn’t have stopped for anything, but he didn’t have to. Callie was with him. For all he knew, she was feeding off his unrestrained emotions, his own mindless desire reflecting back at him from her soul.
She watched him as he rutted, his body claiming hers, their eyes locked and holding. That connection meant more to him than anything. That connection calmed him when he would have gone mad. That connection blinded him to all else while at the same time making him aware of every last-minute detail.
The drip of water on wild crystal, the harmonies reaching out to mesh with theirs, the way their two beings bonded and became one. No longer separate. Never again to part. This was resonance on the most profound scale. There was no Davin. No Callie. Only the two of them, together, as they joined fully for the first time.
Davin stiffened above her, crying out in a tone that could have deafened him, resonating against the crystal chamber, taunting the dormant energy of each shard and bending it to his will. Callie cried out as well, her human voice echoing in the cavern, blending with his and complimenting his tones as they, together, retuned an entire chamber of wild crystal. All without even trying.
Davin collapsed over her, his eyes shut against the glare of the glowing crystal. For all he cared, the cave could collapse over them right this minute. His life was complete. He had his mate and he was still part of her.
He had no idea how long they lay there, breathing hard as their bodies came down from the highest high Davin had ever experienced. He wasn’t sure about Callie, but he knew she’d experienced pleasure. He counted that as a miracle, considering just how out of control he’d been. Wearily, Davin opened his eyes and levered himself off of her as much as he could. He refused to leave her completely, but he wanted to see her reaction, watch the dawn of expression over her lovely face.
“Callie?” His question was barely a whisper, but it resonated through the chamber, reflecting off every facet of every crystal, a whisper of love from the Earth itself.
Callie’s expression held wonder as she smiled up at him, then looked past him, over his shoulder to the brilliance of the chamber itself. She caught her breath and squinted against the bright rainbows of light.
“Davin!” The awed tone of his name held many meanings and the crystal reflected and heightened every one, straight into Davin’s heart. Born to wrangle wild crystal, he knew its ways better than anyone else on this planet. He twisted his head to the side and noted the wonder all around them.
The crystal deposits were lit with nearly blinding intensity, but their power couldn’t hurt the two beings at the center of the storm. The energy of a thousand stars ran through the rich crystal deposits, and through the two lovers, entwined
within.
Davin chuckled as he imagined what this kind of energy must be doing all over the globe. The Earth would stand still—or at least its new inhabitants would—as the massive surge of wild energy flooded all nearby power sources, overwhelming the grid and causing spikes in Alvian cities and installations.
But Davin didn’t care.
No, for once in his life, he cared only about the woman in his arms who made him whole. Callie seemed to be reveling in the energy flow as much as he did, calming his fears for her safety and reassuring him that she really was meant for him. She was incredible, this small human woman of his, and he would never let her go. Not now. Not ever.
He opened his mouth to speak, but Callie covered his lips with one finger, her eyes alight with humor. “I know you love me. I can feel it with every fiber of my being. And I love you. But I have one question.”
He kissed her soft fingertip. “Ask me anything.”
“What did we do to this chamber?” Her tone reflected the awe in her wide eyes.
“Our love made the crystal shine, Callie. It resonated with us as we resonated with each other.” He began to realize what this could mean for their future and a smile lit his face. “I bet this entire chamber—perhaps the rest of this network of caves and crystal deposits is now tuned to us. We’ll have to do a bit of exploring to find out the extent of the effect.” He felt the twitch of her tight body around his cock and it roused in interest. “Later.” He leaned down and kissed her neck, nipping gently and sucking. “Right now, I have some loving to make up to you. This time I promise it’ll be better.”
“I don’t think it can get any better.”
“Watch and learn, sweetheart.” Davin began to move slowly, caressing her shoulders with his hands, her breasts with his chest. They were perfectly aligned in all ways. “I love the way you feel around me.”
Callie’s voice was pitched low with excitement. “I love the way you feel inside me.”
It was a slow, sensuous loving, now that Davin was fully bonded with his mate. He was sure of her, the beast inside him sated as he pleasured his woman. She was pure magic to him and he wanted to bring a little bit of that to her. He stroked into her slowly, with greater care than he could have managed before. He regretted his loss of control, but she didn’t complain. Her big heart encompassed all of him—his faults, his weaknesses, his humanity.
Davin had more in common with Callie’s people than his own. But for his looks and lack of psychic skills, except those used in crystallography, he could be one of the survivors of humanity. If they’d have him, he’d be happy to make his home among them. For certain, he’d be using all that remained of his skill and position—if anything—to champion their cause.
But those thoughts percolated deep in the recesses of his mind as he loved his woman. She was young, to be sure, but she would grow and mature at his side. He’d nurture her. He’d give her everything in his power to give. He’d do anything for her.
Callie moaned under him as he sped his strokes. Reaching down, he played with the little nubbin at the apex of her thighs, gratified when she cried out. She was close now, and he couldn’t hold back.
“Come for me now!” Davin’s voice echoed through the chamber, amplified and reflected back in a chorus of love and need.
A strangled moan tore from Callie’s lips as her body spasmed around him, drawing him over the edge. He spiraled over the cliff of pleasure with her, his body seizing as his seed splashed into her womb.
He had just enough energy to roll to his side, taking his weight off her softly curved body. He brought her with him, careful of her comfort, snuggling her into his body and wrapping her in his embrace.
“Rest now, my love.” He kissed the softness of her hair as he held her small body against his. She felt so right in his arms, so perfect as she settled to sleep in his loving embrace.
He woke her several times in the night to gently make love to her, bringing her to a higher climax each time. And each time, the crystal chamber glowed and tuned even more to their energies as it welcomed their resonance with matching vibrations. It was a miracle of grand proportions. Not only did Davin claim his resonance mate and save himself from insanity, but an entire chamber of wild crystal had been tamed—a feat that otherwise would have taken years, if not lifetimes.
Callie woke sometime later and noticed immediately she was alone in the big bed. The crystals of the chamber glowed white, rose, gold and purple, the white breaking into rainbows here and there, spilling a comforting, almost magical illumination throughout the vast chamber. Callie sat up and tucked the blanket around her like a toga. She went searching for her lover and found him not far away, deep in thought as he studied a huge crystal that stood several feet off the floor of the cave.
“Davin?”
He spun when she spoke his name, echoing around the chamber in a chorus. A broad smile lit his face as he walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. The kiss he bestowed spoke of love, possession and joy in a way that made her breathless. He let her go much too soon, but kept one arm around her shoulders as he brought her over to the crystal he’d been studying.
“Look at this.” He motioned to the giant crystal sticking up from the floor.
“What is it?”
“A near-perfect beacon. This single crystal could power an entire city. Maybe even act as the focal for an entire power grid. It’s a rare specimen, worth much to the Alvians. And it’s tuned to us.” His arm tightened as he sought her gaze.
“What does this mean?”
“It means we can pretty much write our own ticket.” Davin gave her a smacking kiss, grinning widely. “I hoped things would work out something like this. I mean, I hoped you’d have some crystal talent we could barter with, but I didn’t dare dream anything as big as this. For one thing, until we got here, I wasn’t entirely certain you’d be able to withstand this chamber. Wild crystal can be very unpredictable. When I realized you were comfortable here, I began to hope. I thought if we could work together to retune a little bit of this deposit, we might have some leverage in bargaining for your safety.”
“And your job,” she reminded him, but he shook his head.
“Personally, I don’t give a damn if I never see another Alvian ever again. I don’t belong with them, Callie. More than ever, I realize I belong with your people. The only reason I’d go back to the Alvians is to help humans. They don’t deserve the way they’re being treated. I didn’t have enough power before, but now, with you by my side, and this—” He gestured to the glowing crystal all around. “With this, our position has vastly improved. If they want these riches, they’ll have to keep us happy. Both of us.”
“This chamber is really that important?”
“It’s not the chamber itself. It’s the vast quantities of crystal—now tuned to us, Callie—and the power it represents. The Alvian race is expanding their hold on this planet. They need crystal to power all their technology. We’ve been having trouble meeting the increasing needs. There just aren’t enough crystallographers, for one thing, and those we do have are swamped and can only handle the smaller tasks. Up ’til now, I’ve been handling all the bigger jobs personally. All the major crystals are tuned to me, so they need to keep me around—at least until the crystals settle and new engineers can be trained to resonate with them and keep them in tune.”
“I didn’t realize.”
“Few people do. But the Council is well aware of how much they need me. I think that—” he looked pointedly at the beacon crystal, “—will point out how much they need you as well. Maybe now they’ll let me institute the plan I devised for training some of your people to work crystal.”
“That’s what I love about you, Davin.” She reached up to peck his cheek. “You’ve got a sharp mind and a warm heart.” She settled her head against his chest, snuggling in his arms. “Do you think they’ll let you train people? I mean, they have no reason to trust that their prisoners won’t turn around and sabotage the
crystals once they know how to use them.”
“True.” Davin stroked her hair. “But Alvians won’t realize that. They no longer understand the concept of holding a grudge or true anger and hatred. If they’re too blind to see it, and change their behavior toward humans, then they deserve whatever they get for their shortsightedness.”
She leaned back, looking up at him with concern in her expression. “Aren’t you worried your students might turn on you?”
“No. If they don’t realize pretty quick that I’m on their side, then I won’t have been doing my job. Plus, you’ll be with me. I can withstand anything, as long as you are by my side.”
“You say the sweetest things.” She sighed and rested her head under his chin. She fit so perfectly in his arms, he had little doubt she was made just for him.
Rick jumped when the lights flickered and went out. The entire city seemed to be without power. Was this his chance?
He’d planned for a situation like this for years, but still he hesitated. To escape with a large group, he’d need a few hours. He didn’t want to leave anybody behind. The power outage would have to be a massive one. That was the only way they’d be able to get everyone out. They’d tried a number of times before, but were always recaptured before they even got above ground. This time the power was out. That might make all the difference.
“Do you think this is it?” one of his cellmates asked.
“Could be. The forcefields are off. Let’s go out into the hall and see what’s going on.”
The scene in the common hallway connecting all the pens was chaotic. Emergency lighting gave the entire area an eerie golden glow, but the rest of the alien technology seemed nonfunctional.
When Rick stepped into the hall, people quieted, looking to him for leadership. It was a role he hadn’t sought, but one he’d come to accept.
