Soren's Bondmate

by Mardi Maxwell

  Skye related the news she'd picked up from the other enchantresses over the past ten cycles. When she finished Lalyn smiled then asked the one question she'd hoped Lalyn wouldn't ask.

  "How on Krystali are you going to get along with Bellya?"

  "I'm not. She's already flirted with Soren even though she knows he's my mate."

  "Too bad you can't encase her in dark krystal."

  Skye laughed. "I'm sure someone would notice if I did that." She grimaced and shrugged. "I'm going to ignore her as much as possible. If that doesn't work I'll talk Soren into joining another group."

  "You could join us," Lalyn said. "I'd love that."

  "I would too," Skye said then saw Soren and her brother walk into the clearing with Magnys beside them. She and Lalyn joined them and she watched as Berit handed Magnys a copy of the map they carried then dug in his knapsack and pulled out a code book and a long distance communication device.

  "Use the code to communicate your needs and the enemies' movements. Make sure you have a female operate the device."

  Magnys sent him a questioning look then read a few of the codes and laughed. He handed the book to Lalyn and she read it and smiled.

  "I have the perfect female for the job." Lalyn slid the book into a hidden pocket in her cloak then hugged Skye. "Be well until we meet again."

  "You, too." Skye returned the hug then took Soren's hand and let him lead her out of the clearing to their ship. A few micro-units later they were on their way back to Kryscent.

  Chapter Thirteen

  "No," Soren yelled as he approached the villager. "Never turn your back on the enemy. If you do you're going to die." He demonstrated again how to strike the enemy with the spear then made the villager practice the move before he moved on.

  The air was filled with the sounds of spears hitting wooden dummies and arrows flying through the air and hitting targets. On the other side of the clearing several of Berit's warriors taught hand-to-hand combat to a group of villagers.

  Soren couldn't help but be impressed with the progress they'd made in the short time he and Skye had been gone. This was the second cycle they'd been back and he'd spent every spare moment he'd had working with the villagers. They would still need further training but at this point they could defend themselves long enough to get to the safety of the fortress.

  They'd also made progress in clearing the area since they'd been told that the warriors intended to build a safe fortress for all of them. Even the females and older children had helped to clear the area needed for their new home. Those who weren't able to work had cared for the younger children or taken care of the animals and gardens. Only one issue of contention had come up when the villagers insisted on keeping their animals and gardens. He'd finally decided to include a space for them at the far side of the fortress.

  He adjusted a villager's hold on a bow then saw Skye and a group of her friends walking across the training field.

  She waved at him while she and her friends dodged spears and arrows by creating invisible barriers as they chatted and laughed together. One by one they peeled off from the group and joined their mates until Skye walked alone. Out of nowhere a spear flew toward her. She waved her hand and it bounced off a barrier and fell to the ground.

  She didn’t flinch but Soren did. Every muscle and nerve in his body tensed as his heart stuttered several beats before it began pounding in his chest. He didn't realize he was holding his breath until he was forced to suck in a deep breath just as she reached him, slid her arms around his waist and hugged him.

  He threw his arms around her and squeezed so hard she squeaked. Realizing he was hurting her he released her then changed his mind and jerked her toward him and lifted her from the ground. When they were eye to eye he gritted out, "Make a shelter around us. Now."

  "I want you too but can't this wait until later," she asked, her voice a whisper.

  He gave her a little shake. "Look around you."

  Skye did and saw her friends frozen in place with angry warrior mates standing over them. The villagers watched them with frightened eyes while the trainers strode around yelling and grabbing spears and other weapons and throwing them to the ground.

  "You don't even realize how close you just now came to being killed, do you?" His voice rose with each word until he was yelling.

  Panicking at the anger in his voice she hugged him and wrapped her legs around his waist. "I don't know why you're so upset. I saw the spear coming and I protected myself." She ran her hand over his head in a soothing manner.

  His blood pounded through his veins and a hard rhythm shook his heart while his head felt as if it would explode. Her words pushed him over the edge and he knew if he didn't do something soon he would go completely berserk. "What if it had come from behind you?" He gave her a little shake. "What then?"

  "I would have dealt with it."

  His hands shook as he set her down, released her and walked away.

  She chased after him, grabbed his arm and tried to pull him to a stop. "I'm sorry. I didn't think."

  He shrugged her hand from his arm. "No, you didn't." He glared at her, his eyes burning with anger. "You're careless with your life. You're careless with our lives. I'm too angry to talk to you right now." With that he pulled away and stalked in the direction of the village tavern.

  # # #

  Skye watched him pass through the door then hurried after him. As soon as she entered she spotted him at a corner table with his back to the wall. The owner stood behind the long bar lifting a tray with a single tankard of ale on it. Soren glanced at her then motioned to the bartender to bring her a tankard of juice.

  She stayed where she was until the drinks were delivered then she joined Soren.

  He kicked a chair back from the table. It made a screeching sound as it slid across the rough stone floor.

  Skye pushed the hood of her cloak from her head and sat down across from him. "Your anger causes me pain."

  Soren took a sip of ale and set it down. "Look at me and say that again."

  She looked into his eyes and saw the pain there and tears filled her eyes. "Your pain causes me pain."

  He nodded and took another sip. "You're a very powerful warrior but you're not invincible." As the last word left his lips an image of a large starship appeared in his mind. A second later he stood on the bridge near a large warrior with long black hair and silvery gray eyes. He looked up, smiled then disappeared. Soren shook his head and tried to force the image to appear again.

  Skye reached out to him and laid her hand over his. "Soren? Another image?"

  He nodded, closed his eyes and went over the image of the warrior. He compared him to the image of the younger warrior he'd seen before and came to the conclusion that they were father and son. "I think I just had a memory of my father."

  Skye moved to the chair next to him and leaned against him. "That's wonderful. Soon you'll remember everything and we'll travel to your home to find your family."

  He ran his hand down her hair then rested it on her shoulder and sat her up away from him. "I'm still upset with you."

  "I know but I can't bear being away from you." She reached across the table and pulled the juice to a spot in front of her. "I'll just be quiet until you're ready to talk."

  "Have you decided on an alternative discipline?" he asked.

  She froze with the cup at her lips and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Not yet." The thick sides of the cup muffled the words.

  "Spanking still works for me," he said.

  A small smile curved her lips. "I liked the sexy one you gave me on Tundra." She sent him an invitation with her eyes to do it again.

  His eyes narrowed in refusal. He drained the ale and slammed the tankard down. "Your new discipline is loss of freedom." He stood and walked away then waited for her at the door. "Follow me and don't drag your feet."

  "Why would I do that?" She caught up to him. "It would leave an easy trial for our enemies to follow. It does
n't make sense."

  He lifted his hood into place then adjusted hers before he pushed through the door. "It means keep up. From now on no more running around with your friends. I expect you to be within reach at all times."

  She hid her pleasure with a deep, disgusted sounding sigh. "For how long?"

  "Until I get over the sight of a spear flying toward your beautiful head."

  She stepped in front of him and walked backwards, smiling up at him. "You think I'm beautiful?"

  "I think sooner or later you're going to push me too far and end up over my knee." He smiled down at her and kept walking until her back hit one of the dummy targets and she stumbled forward into him. He steadied her then stepped around her and kept going. "Didn't you see the target behind you?"

  "Of course not. You could have warned me." Skye caught up to him. "Okay, I get it. You're making a point about the spear coming from behind me. I thought we'd settled that."

  "A little reinforcement never hurt anyone." Soren grabbed her hand. "How many units before the moons line up?"

  "Five or so."

  "We'll eat, share sex, and then you will rest before you and Bellya create the fortress."

  "I'm not hungry," she said.

  He threw his head back and laughed. "Well, I am so you can eat or you can sit and watch me eat but either way you'll be within reach."

  # # #

  Soren held Skye on his lap while he ran his hands over her bare breasts. She wiggled and he lifted his hands. "No moving."

  "I don’t like this game. Let's play the spanking game instead."

  He shook his head. "No. Now be still." He placed his hands back on her breasts and slowly ran his fingertips over her breasts.

  She shivered and moaned but didn't wiggle this time.

  He kissed her lips then leaned down and kissed a velvety nipple then the other. He lingered, running his tongue over it and feeling it harden. He glanced up at her then closed his lips around it and sucked, gently at first, then harder. He kept his hands moving over her body. Up her silky back then down to her hips and slender legs where he clasped her ankles and held her prisoner for a moment before moving on. He pressed one hand on the center of her back holding her belly to his while he grasped her nape, tipped her head back and kissed her, tangling his tongue with hers. When she was silently begging for air he raised his head, smiled at the glazed look of desire in her eyes then kissed his way to her neck where he nibbled on her ear for a moment then moved on to her breasts again.

  The pulse in her neck quickened as her breaths came closer together.

  He palmed her breasts again then slid his hands down the center of her chest, over her belly button and between her legs. A finger circled her clit once then again before it slid down one side of her pussy then up the other.

  Skye froze and held her breath.

  He rewarded her by circling her clit again then sliding one finger into her. She clamped down on it then released it and he added a second finger.

  "Be still now, little heart."

  "Soren," she moaned his name as fine tremors ran through her body from head to toe.

  "That's my little warrior," he whispered. "Do you want a reward?"

  "Oh, yes."

  "Do you think you deserve a reward?"

  She grinned and shook her head. "No, but I promise to be good for the next two cycles."

  He twisted his fingers, making sure to run the tips over her G-spot before he withdrew them and pushed in again. "I'm not sure you know how to be good." He thrust his fingers in and out several times. "I'm going to ask some questions and if you give me the right answer then I'll reward you."

  "No, I want my reward now." She wiggled on his lap and her toes brushed the side of his leg.

  He looked down then laughed. She sat naked, straddling his lap and her feet hung several centimeters above the floor. "Are you trying to stomp your foot?" He laughed again then kissed her, hard. "Now, where were we?" He pretended to think for a nano-unit then said. "Oh, I remember. I was getting ready to ask you a question. So, here's the first one. When we're in a battle where do you stand?"

  Skye sighed. "Behind you."

  He rewarded her by running the fingers of his other hand over her clit. "And do you ever step out from behind me?"

  "No, never." She sent him a flirty grin and gasped when he ran his fingers over her clit then around the fingers thrusting inside her.

  He removed his fingers and licked them before he ran them over her clit several times and thrust them back into her. "When we're walking how close are you supposed to be to me?"

  Skye held her arms out on either side of her and wiggled her fingers. "Within reach."

  The move lifted her breasts and Soren found himself unable to resist her invitation. He leaned down, licked, kissed and sucked on each one before sitting up again and looking at her. "I promise to never take unnecessary risks and to always come for you no matter what happens." He kissed her. "Give me your hands." She did and he placed them on his cock. "Touch me."

  She stroked her hands over the head and up and down the shaft. "I'm always so surprised how smooth and soft it is and yet so hard." She smiled at him and squeezed the head before she ran a finger over the slit, gathered a drop of pre-cum on the tip of a finger and licked it.

  "What else surprises you?"

  She licked another drop then leaned forward and sniffed his neck before she answered. "Your scent and the way you taste. They're the same. Sweet and tangy. I'm addicted to you." She stroked his cock, slowly, up and down, lingering on the sensitive smooth flesh of the head.

  "Skye," he said her name as he withdrew his fingers, lifted her and held her above his cock. He let her weight carry her down until he was seated all the way inside her.

  "Oh, yes." She slung her arms around his shoulders and wiggled.

  "Feel good?"

  "Oh, yes." She placed her feet on the seat of the chair on either side of him and used the muscles in her legs to raise and lower herself. Her nipples scraped across his chest and hardened into dark red buds.

  Soren slid his hands beneath her butt and changed the rhythm of her movements. His thumbs dug into her hips but she was so caught up in the pleasure she didn't seem to care. He raised her until only the head of his cock remained inside her then let her drop. She caught her breath and wiggled so he did it again and she tightened around him.

  He held her down on him then pushed and pulled her hips back and forth. Her breath caught each time her clit rubbed over the base of his cock. She slid her hands to his shoulders and dug her fingers into the muscles while she stared into his eyes. Her lashes lowered and he felt her orgasm begin.

  "C-can I?" she asked.

  Soren linked his mind with hers. "Come with me, little heart." He let her feel the beginning of his orgasm. Her mouth opened in surprise but no sound came out. Instead she shuddered with pleasure that went on and on before gradually fading. He stroked his hands over her body and they both shuddered with the pleasure his touch gave her.

  She hugged him as his seed entered her womb and two small beings sparked to life. She knew instantly that she carried a son and a daughter but she blocked the knowledge from him. She'd follow Krystali tradition and tell him in four moon phases that she was carrying their children.

  Skye rested against him, her breath soft against her neck. He loosened her hair and ran his fingers through it, smoothing the golden strands down her back.

  "Sleep now. I'll braid your hair when you wake."

  Chapter Fourteen

  Six units later the two moons of Krystali illuminated the huge fortress Skye and Bellya had created. It also lit up the battle that was going on beyond the outer walls. Earlier, the Edyn warriors had gone out in small groups, engaged the enemy and lured them back toward the fortress. Once they'd gotten them in the clearing other Alliance warriors flanked them.

  Now, hundreds of over-confident Crimeryn warriors found themselves caught between the two groups and fighting for their lives. A
s the Edyn warriors advanced they rescued the kidnapped conjurers until the enemy had only two enchantresses left. Suddenly, without warning of any kind, first one and then the other enchantress dropped their barriers and stood alone and vulnerable on the field.

  Skye screamed a warning and managed to surround and protect one of the enchantresses with dark krystal. Bellya moved as quickly as she could but was a nano-second too late to save the second female. Her scream was one of horror as a Crimeryn warrior attacked and killed the helpless female.

  Skye wanted to comfort her. Before she could Bellya shrugged as if it didn’t matter and turned back to the battle. Angered by her attitude, Skye turned away and continued conjuring dark krystal for Soren and white krystal for Berit and the three brothers.

  Soren threw a shard of krystal into a group of Crimeryn warriors. It shattered and they fell, grasping at wounds on their lower legs.

  "Now that the enchantresses aren't helping them their protective clothing has disintegrated. They no longer have any weapons," Skye thought as she stood next to Soren. "We're winning."

  "When the last enemy falls then we've won." Soren threw another smaller shard. "We decided that none should be allowed to escape to fight another cycle."

  "In the past we always allowed them to retreat."

  His silence was his answer to what he thought about that.

  Skye snorted. "You can at least try to act like we weren't wrong to do that."

  "You wish me to lie to you?"

  "No, of course not. It's called being understanding and compassionate."

  He threw another shard, hit an enemy and held out his hand. "Understanding and agreeing are two different things. Compassion is for females and children." He threw the last shard. "Have the Crimeryn's ever shown mercy?"

  "No."

  "Then they've earned none." A moment later he threw the shard. "The last one has fallen. Time to walk the field of battle. You've got my six."

  "Six what?"

  He smiled. "It means I expect you to watch my back and warn me if you see an enemy move or try to sneak up on me."