by Brenda Trim
Two men were shouting and Kyran was rushing toward them with her right on his heels. He attacked one of the men and she hurtled toward the other. Trying to keep sight of Kyran was difficult once she engaged the dragon on the narrow walkway at the top of a wall.
She ducked and tried to smash into his abdomen with her shoulder, but missed. She went sailing and nearly flew right off the wall, but caught the edge with her hands and stopped her momentum. Rolling to her back she kicked out without looking, knowing that the guy would come in for the attack. She landed a blow to his knee which he didn’t even register, yet she felt like she had kicked a wall.
She grunted and got to her feet and saw that Kyran had a bloody injury to his left temple. She needed to concentrate on the guy she was fighting.
“Leave us the fuck alone,” she growled. “We only want to get home. We don’t want anything to do with you guys.”
“That’s not possible. He is tied to this realm, now,” the Máahes replied cryptically.
“What the hell does that mean?” She swiped at him with her blade, slicing into his arm.
“It means he won’t be going anywhere except to the throne room.”
“Like hell. Not gonna happen, jackass.” She kicked her leg out and he grabbed it easily, leaving her to hop on one foot. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Kyran had his guy in a headlock. He brought the butt of his blade down on the back of his neck, knocking him out. The distraction was enough for her to find herself shackled in thick arms.
“Give yourself up or your mate dies.” Kyran didn’t even flinch at the threat. The man should play poker with how well he was able to hide the reaction she felt through their link.
She felt the Máahes’ feet shuffle and his grip tighten. She gasped against the pressure on her rib cage. She would curse, but she couldn’t suck in a full breath. “I mean it. I will crush her.”
What happened next occurred so rapidly that Mack couldn’t track movements. One moment, she was struggling to breathe, and the next, she was falling to her knees. She sucked in a lungful of air and gazed up. Kyran’s knife hilt was protruding from the Máahes’ shoulder. Kyran was in front of the guy in the blink of an eye and had his hand wrapped around his blade. He kept hold of his weapon as he kicked the Máahes off the wall.
Mack didn’t have time to process what happened as Kyran grabbed her arm and lifted her to her feet. “Stand up. We need to find the mountain. More will be here in seconds. All I need is a direction.”
Mack nodded her head and gazed around her. She turned around and saw a volcano. “I think that’s it.”
Kyran turned in a circle. “Aye, I believe you’re right. We are going there even if it’s not. I hear them coming. Grab your bag and hold on,” he ordered. Mack scrambled to get the bag she hadn’t realized she’d dropped. She prayed Pip was alright as she was enveloped in Kyran’s embrace. The second they disappeared, she saw several men running out doors and dragons flying their way.
The dizzying rush of sifting was a welcomed relief as opposed to what they faced with the dragons. “I look forward to being able to take a stroll with you. This running for our lives is bullshit,” Mack commented, trying to get her bearings.
“Och, and here I thought you were a warrioress. I’m disappointed. I had this whole fantasy built from when I watched you kill skirm so courageously.”
She laughed out loud at that. She could just imagine this formidable vampire’s fantasies. “Just because I’m fearless doesn’t mean I enjoy running. Give me a blade and point me at the enemy and I’ll kill anything in my path, just don’t make me run from it. One thing I’m not is a runner.” She tilted her chin defiantly, teasing him.
He grasped her chin between his thumb and forefinger and met her gaze. “You will be fun to break, my lovely little Firecracker.”
“You will be fun to break, my sexy blood-sucker,” she countered. No way was she breaking without taking him with her. She knew that he was commanding and demonstrative in sexual situations. He had shown her that he needed to be in charge of what happened, but she sensed there was a part of him that wanted to let go, even if just a little bit. She didn’t imagine he would ever be a soft lover, but she wasn’t a soft female.
As he tore down her opinions of vampires and believing they should all be killed, she was seeing the cracks in his armor, as well. His need for what she would call extreme BDSM hadn’t once been evident with her. Sure, he had tied her up and restricted her, but he’d enjoyed it without needing to go further.
“I know what you are thinking, mate,” he whispered against her ear before nibbling her neck. There was no way he knew what she was thinking…she hoped. “You havena seen me play because I doona have my toys.”
He did know what she was thinking and she cursed herself for forgetting that this bond they shared was betraying her and giving him all the information he needed to manipulate her. Aside from the memory she had seen, she wasn’t dialed into his every thought, but she had heard snippets while they were fighting.
She silently promised he would meet her halfway and smiled at him hoping he would hear that. “That may be, but you’ve done a great job of improvising so far. Keep your counsel, Kyran, but in the end, I know you better than anyone else. Tying me up is one thing, but trust me, you will never hit me with any object.”
Kyran’s confidence faltered for a second before he masked his reticence. “Little Firecracker, you misunderstand my desires. This isna aboot inflicting harm. ‘Tis aboot letting go of your inhibitions and discovering pleasure.”
She rolled her eyes at him. Perhaps that was how it was for most people, but Kyran used it as a shield to keep himself from true intimacy. He believed that he was warped and it was clear to her that he crossed his burgeoning sexuality with the brutality his mother suffered. She hoped that by remembering the life he had before that fateful night, he could find a way to embrace love, affection, vulnerability and so much more. More importantly, believe that he deserved it.
She started at her train of thought. She wasn’t a touchy-feely woman, far from it, yet here she was, thinking about how to comfort him. This was not who she was, she hunted the night killing creatures who preyed on weaker beings. She didn’t care about shit like intimacy…until Kyran.
“Where are we?” She changed the subject, leaving those thoughts in a dark corner of her mind.
His intent gaze bored into her and she mentally threw up walls around her mind hoping to keep him out. “I doona know, but not far enough from the city. Hold on.” It was the only warning she got before they were traveling once again.
This time she kept her eyes open and found it exhilarating. “Will I ever be able to do this?” she asked the moment they stopped.
He chuckled and looked down at her. “Aye, you will. Once our mating is completed you will share my powers.”
“Sweet. That will come in handy when I’m hunting skirm. So, what do we have to do to complete the mating?”
“You will be the death of me, yet,” he chastised as he shook his head. “There is a ceremony blessing our union under the full moon, followed by a blood exchange…while I’m buried deep inside you.” The fire blazing in his eyes threatened to burn her alive. It made her clench her legs together in an effort to stem the lust he never failed to incite.
“Blood exchange?” she squeaked.
“I will sink my fangs into the tender skin of your throat here,” he trailed his finger down the side of her neck. She closed her eyes and moaned in anticipation. “While you drink from me. Goddess, you are exquisite. Perfect in every way,” he admitted.
She opened her eyes and was caught in his gaze. “You say that now, but wait until you try and spank me with one of your canes and I take it from you and give you a dose of your own medicine.” She had been joking with him, trying to lessen the tension building between them, but it backfired on her. His eyes glowed brighter and she could see the idea excited him. She doubted that he wanted to be spanked with a cane, he was too
imperious for that, but he sure liked her grit.
“Ah, lass. I will enjoy your lessons immensely. The thought makes me hard in anticipation. Feel,” he demanded as he grabbed her wrist and placed her palm over his shaft. Her fingers closed around the thick, hard flesh as much as his leather pants would allow. He was the biggest man, in every way, she’d ever been with and she ached to have him fill her.
She squeezed her fingers and was rewarded with his groan. “I promise to be gentle with you, Kyran,” she teased.
“Bluidy hell, Mackendra,” he said through gritted teeth. He gave her no warning as he sifted to another location. She kept one arm wrapped around his waist and her hand still clutching his erection. She didn’t play coy. He had been torturing her for days and she wanted more of him.
They finally stopped and when everything came into focus, she noticed they were in the jungle. She wondered how close to the volcano they were, but couldn’t see anything. He placed his palm over hers where it clutched his shaft and then pried it away from his body. She tried to calm her pulse and desire as they walked silently through the brush. Before long, they came upon a cove of sorts.
The trees provided a thick canopy overhead and didn’t allow any light through. Ivy hung in curtains all around the area giving the impression of seclusion. Moss blanketed the ground and was soft and spongy under her boots. As they walked further into the cove, she noticed a small pool of water in the corner. She didn’t have time to admire it anymore as she was pulled into Kyran’s arms. “Time for a lesson, mate.”
She gazed up to him and nodded. “Yes, it is,” she confirmed, warning him.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Kyran’s feisty mate had laid down a declaration of her own. He admitted to himself that her bold confidence turned him on like nothing else. It was sexy as hell to see a female who knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to reach for it. He suspected he would enjoy her attempts to command him, even if she was unsuccessful. His cock throbbed where it was confined in his pants. His need for Mackendra threatened to tear him in two.
He set her backpack down and released the little kippie so he had her undivided attention. Obviously in tune with his surroundings, Pip scurried off to one of the trees. Kyran then wrapped his arms around Mackendra, enjoying the heat of her body as he pulled her close. He was new to the desire to taste a female’s mouth and was able to hold back until his mate wrapped her arms around his neck.
When she tugged him closer, he snarled and pressed his lips to hers. Something snapped inside him. Everything that had he had denied himself was suddenly fair game. His licked and nipped her lips and swallowed her gasp of pleasure. His tongue slid inside her mouth and danced with hers. The slide of her tongue was practiced and sure and led him in the erotic dance. The taste of her sent an explosive bolt of lightning throughout his body, searing him from head to toe.
The passion in her kiss and the way it sent pleasure straight to his cock, was wholly unexpected. Forgoing oxygen, he refused to break contact for even a second. When his breath burned in his lungs, he broke away, laboring to exchange it with the cooler air of the cove. He attempted to tamp down his ardor, lest he fall on her like the fiend that he was.
Her succulent citrus scent permeated the air, crashing against his attempt at restraint. Drawn to her like a magnet, his finger traveled down her clavicle and over her warm skin. Unerringly, he found the taut nerves of her waiting nipple. The fabric did little to mask her need.
“Are you afraid, Firecracker?” Her scent intensified with his slightest touch. He loved how responsive she was to him. He questioned if she would lose this if he pushed her further into his deviant world. The quiver in her flesh was more valuable than blood. His little mate was a wild horse that should never be tamed. But could he love her and leave her wild?
“I’ve never been this afraid,” she admitted. The way she looked up at him through her thick lashes openly exposed to him was humbling and a gift he only hoped he could honor.
“Fear is good for you, Mackendra. The unique way your heart races when you’re afraid is a sign that you’re getting into trouble. ‘Tis a warning to be careful. Do you want to be careful, Firecracker?” He cupped her cheek and ran his thumb across the silkiness of her skin. He wanted her to say no, that she wanted him, but he would never press her.
“No,” she sighed. “I have no desire to be safe or careful. I want one night of wild, uninhibited passion.” She arched into his embrace.
“Doona sell yourself short, Mackendra. You should demand lifetimes of such passion. You deserve it.”
Kyran was done working in increments. He’d had enough torture to last millennia. He was going to have his mate. He turned Mackendra around and cupped her breasts through the thin fabric. His hand left her breast and traveled down her torso and cupped her between her legs, drawing her back against his front, nestling her ass against his raging erection.
Her breathing was erratic as he forced her head to the side and scraped his teeth over the pulse in her neck. “Please don’t, Kyran. I’m not…the scars,” she stammered. Her fingers traced over her tattooed flesh and for the first time, he realized she used the ink to cover what she saw as defects and he wondered who put that thought in her head.
“Doona hide yourself,” he murmured. She had no idea how sexy she was and how much he desired her. “Never cover who you are or tell me that I willna like what I see. These are things a male must determine for himself. And, I have seen all of you and, as I said before, you are perfect.” He nipped and laved her neck and palmed her breasts again, pinching the turgid peaks.
“Oh God,” she cried out.
His moan matched hers as he rubbed himself against her. He couldn’t count the number of fantasies he’d had of her submitting to him over the past months. Reality was so much more powerful than his imagination, even if she wasn’t bowing to him like he hoped. Even at that moment, she wiggled, trying to gain the upper hand. He tightened his hold of her, stilling her movements.
“On your knees, Mackendra,” he demanded, without warning. His tone brooked no argument. He wasn’t asking permission.
“What?” she asked, clearly lost to the sensual haze.
“You will obey, mate,” he said, turning her to face him. He pushed down on her shoulder and felt her resistance. “Trust me,” he coaxed her, smiling ruefully as he realized she wasn’t wrong about her breaking him. Never before had he asked for trust or cared if he had it. He’d always given orders and made demands, but he held his breath, wanting her trust more than anything.
He cupped her breast and plucked at her nipple, reminding her body of what it wanted. He felt her heart pounding under his palm along with the way she trembled with anticipation. He increased his pressure on both her nipple and her shoulder, and found her complying with his request. He was relieved and thrilled with her acquiescence.
Her hands flew to his waist band and she fumbled with the button and zipper closure. He wanted her to take him into her mouth, but this wasn’t about his pleasure. This was about mutual discovery. “Stop. Take off your shirt, sweetheart. I need to see your beautiful body.”
He expected her to resist and fight him in her vulnerable position, but his brave mate surprised him when she didn’t hesitate to pull the black fabric over her head and toss it to the ground. He had purposely not given her a bra to wear and her ample bosom bounced as she moved. Her nipples puckered in the night air, making his mouth water. He wanted to taste her flesh in his mouth.
Forcing his mind back to her lesson before he lost himself in her, he allowed for a slight indulgence as he continued to touch her skin and play with her nipples. He pinched one taut peak hard and she threw her head back in pleasure. All his good intentions flew out the window at the sight and he grabbed her roughly into his embrace.
“If you could see what I am thinking, you’d be shaking in my arms from your release. Hell, ‘tis enough to make me cum in my trews like an untried lad,” he confessed.
He slid his caress down her abdomen and reached her button. He tucked one of his fingers into the hem and ran it the across her creamy skin. “I can’t imagine you letting go that much, but I hope to see it one day,” she murmured.
He shoved his hand into her underwear and was met by evidence of her arousal. His finger slid easily into her slick folds and was immediately engulfed by her wet heat. “You have already made me do things I’ve never dreamed of,” he admitted, kissing the side of her mouth.
“You’ve enjoyed every minute of it, too. You came pretty fucking hard,” she gasped and moved her hips, seeking relief. He denied her as he unzipped her pants and began tugging them down. “Speaking of which, do all vampires have long orgasms or do you just really like me?”
He smiled at her and stepped back to enjoy his view. A devious glint entered her whiskey eyes before she reached up to cup her own breasts. “We only have extended orgasms after we find our Fated Mate,” he husked, ready to have her completely naked.
He bent down to take her boots off and ran his nose along her inner thigh. “Don’t you dare tease me, Kyran. I need more and I need it now,” she warned.
He smiled and placed a kiss on her thigh before pulling back and looking up at her. “Let me enjoy my mate, Mackendra. I willna be with another in any way, not for blood or sex. And, there willna be another male for you,” he replied and held her gaze. He had the rest of her clothing off in the next instant.
“You are entirely too over-dressed,” Mackendra breathed. He swore he heard her relief in those few words.
“What are you going to do aboot it, mate?” he asked as he stood up, brushing his body against hers as he did.
“Kick off your boots,” she ordered as she pulled his shirt over his head. She dropped the fabric and ran her hands down his chest. She leaned in and kissed his mating brand, running her tongue over the flesh. The mark had been a constant nagging pain since the moment it appeared and her tongue soothed some of the discomfort while stoking his desire. Her tongue traveled over his nipple and he hurriedly removed his shoes and pants one-handed while holding her to his chest.
