The mating frenzy was upon them.
Leo was lost. He couldn't think of anything sexier than waking up and feeling a woman’s touch running along his body. Control was out the window as her moans spurred him on. His mind may not be sold completely on a mating, but his body was one hundred percent invested. He deepened their kiss, turning to place her body under his. Liliana's eyes were dark with lust, the green color deeper than an emerald. She wrapped her legs around his waist and lifted her hips, urging Leo to take what he wanted.
Oh Gods, did he want.
She was pliant beneath him, her breasts moving with her deep breaths. Unable to resist Leo leaned down and suckled, rolling the hard pebble around his tongue. It was the sweetest taste and he was greedy. His hands moved between them, testing her readiness, she was wet, tight, and hot enough to singe his fingers. He'd be lost if he didn't slow down, he knew that, but somehow couldn’t get his body to cooperate. Liliana arched into his hand.
"Just a taste, a small taste." Whether the promise was to himself or her, he didn’t know. Control was elusive. His teeth scraped against her breast, nature demanding, beating at him.
"Do it, Leo," she demanded hoarsely.
Leo nipped her skin lightly, his teeth elongated, crowding his mouth. He moved his mouth over her neck. He cursed as a hard knock sounded at his front door.
"Stay, right where you are," he growled. His voice was deep, fury and lust battling as he moved from Liliana's warm body. He rolled from the bed. "Don't move," he ordered again as he conjured a pair of jogging pants and slid them up his legs. He turned and she sighed, arching her back, her breasts an offering to him.
"I'll be right here." Her voice was sultry, taunting him.
His thoughts flashed to the other night, to the memory of the way she gripped his body and he cursed. His vision sharpened as his eyes changed. Lust momentarily beat out fury.
Leo knelt on the edge of the bed and crawled back to her. The kiss he took was raw, possessive, stealing his mind as their tongues dueled.
"Leo?" a husky voice called.
He stiffened at the voice in the living room.
Liliana slapped at his shoulders. "Who is that?"
"Fuck!" Leo scrambled from the bed and raced to the living room.
He cursed the Dziva's timing as well as the fact that she was in his apartment. He'd never given her the code to his room. Sneaky fucking Dzivas. He wondered who’d given up the codes to his room. The Dzivas were nothing if not resourceful, they manipulated and controlled those around them with the flick of their hair, or a twist of their hips. Any being with common sense knew to avoid them. The dumb male probably never saw it coming. Still, wouldn't stop Leo from kicking his ass when he found out who it was.
Verity stood in his living room her body posed, a sensual pout on her full lips. Tall and slender, the purple iridescent scales covering her body caught the light, dazzling the eye as they were designed to do. Of course, the short dress her boobs were near tumbling out of, could've accomplished that on its own. Her hair was long and the palest the color could get and still be called lavender, reaching her hips, some of the strands lit, twinkling beautifully. Her hair like everything else on the Dziva's body served the purpose of distracting their prey. By the time a Dziva's victim got pass the outside beauty, they were either dead, or screwed out of everything they owned.
Leo sighed. He didn't have time for this. "What do you want, Verity?"
The Dziva smiled, shaking her hair, the movement mesmerizing and catching his eye. "I only want to talk, Leo. I don't like the way things ended." She walked around his glass coffee table, and skirted his leather armchair to stand in front of him before he could regain his senses. She placed a hand on his shoulder.
The lust he felt moments ago for his mate dissipated at her touch, leaving only fury in its wake. "Well, I didn't like you screwing other males."
Verity pouted, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Don't be that way. It meant nothing. He had information, I needed it, and I did what I had to do to get it."
Ah, the logic of a faithless bitch. Was it any wonder he didn't trust women? The danger and excitement of screwing around with a Dziva had worn off the moment he caught her in bed, or should he say office desk with another male.
He didn't share…anything. "I told you when I broke it off, I don't share." He saw movement from the corner of his eye.
Liliana crept into the room her anger palpable, power making her hair glow. Lust returned twofold, pushing Verity far from his mind. His robe swallowed Liliana’s small frame, slipping down her shoulder in a way utterly provocative because she was so unaware of it.
"You can move your hands from around my mate, Dziva." Her haughty voice sounded every inch the Eshu noble.
He scrambled for a way to diffuse the rage swimming in Liliana's eyes. Verity hissed, her pale gold eyes narrowing in instant dislike. Liliana crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to back down from the stare.
The Dziva lifted Leo's wrist, shoving it back down as she saw the markings. "It's your loss. Call me when you get bored with your frigid noble."
Liliana charged, slamming into Leo's chest as he moved into her path.
"Don't, Liliana." Leo didn't release her until the front door closed.
Liliana shoved back from his chest. "Although I don't want to be, we’re mated. You will not disrespect me."
Leo watched the magic playing across her skin, lighting her hair and damned if it didn't make his dick hard. He watched the way her chest moved with her angry breaths, and he imagined all that passion focused on him. His own anger at her words rose, fueling the fury he already felt at being interrupted from their earlier play.
"Is that right?" he taunted her, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I won't tolerate you having other women." Liliana raised her chin in defiance, her eyes full of fire.
"I guess that means you'll need to keep your mate satisfied. If you want, I can call Verity back to give you lessons. Dzivas are known for their technique." It was nasty he knew it, but he couldn't stop the words.
She gasped, her eyes widening a moment before her hand snaked out and slapped his cheek. He smiled, the small lift of his lips bearing his teeth. Liliana met his stare head on, cocking her hips sideways in challenge. Oh, yeah, they would tangle now.
"See, Xavier. They're getting along great." Fallon's voice broke through the tense silence
Chapter 6
LILIANA PALED, withdrawing her magic immediately. Gods, she'd never lost her temper enough to strike someone. He damn well deserved it, but she hated that there were witnesses. Lust clouded her judgment from the moment she woke up sprawled on top of the infuriating male. Memories of their night the week prior, combined with the feel of his steely body under her was her undoing. How was she supposed to resist him? But wasn’t that the purpose of the mating frenzy? It kept the couple from outright rejecting the mating, without at least giving it a chance.
Xavier and Fallon stepped into the apartment, closing the door behind them.
Leo rounded on his brothers. "What?"
Xavier shook his head and walked into the room. "I just passed a pissed off Dziva murmuring about Eshu nobles on this side of the portal?" His voice made it a question.
Liliana raised her chin. "He's impossible." And sexy, with magic hands that made her body shudder. Gods, her emotions were all over the place.
"I've noticed that myself.” Xavier made himself comfortable on Leo's sofa. "You were supposed to be lying low."
"I'm not staying here a moment longer." Liliana clutched the robe to her chest. She turned to leave the room, but not before giving Leo another nasty look.
"On that we can agree. I’ve just informed the portal station at Legba of your impending arrival." Xavier announced as she reached the bedroom door.
She whirled around, her lips pinched, panic draining the blood from her face. He couldn’t mean what she thought he did. He wouldn’t send her home this soon. "What are
you talking about?" Her eyes darted between them.
"You're betrothed to the prince, Liliana, you thought you could run away days before your mating ceremony and no one would notice?" Fallon asked.
"I'm not going back." Anger took panic's place.
Xavier's power flooded the room. "You will go back and you’ll deal with the crap you created when you ran away. As it is, I'm stalling a cadre of the queen's soldiers asking to speak with me."
Liliana refused to back down. She couldn't go home, not yet. Not without what she came for. "Can’t we do the ceremony here? I’m not going back until I find out what happened to my sister."
"If what you say is true and your sister was last seen here, then I will look into it.”
Elation rushed to fill the places previously occupied by lust and anger. She barely restrained herself from shouting in victory.
Finally! Someone would help her search for her sister.
He raised his hand to stall the torrent of gratitude on the tip on her tongue. “I’m done dealing with Queen Kaylin, so no, the ceremony will not be held here. You’ll be mated, traditionally, so my brother is not further disrespected by this foolishness." The light glinted off of Xavier’s copper eyes, no mistaking his anger.
Liliana took a deep breath, joy leaving, replaced by confusion. She looked up and tried to see past Leo's stony expression to find out if Xavier was telling the truth. "Do you feel disrespected?"
His eyes betrayed him for only a second before the wall went back up. She saw the spark of hurt and was deeply ashamed. Her mother said she was selfish, but never before had she felt that way until now. Her only thought upon waking had been escaping a mating with the prince. She’d not once thought of how that would make Leo feel.
"You were promised to another. The longer we put off telling your parents, the shadier it will seem. As you’ve pointed out, the Cagyns are not exactly trusted. You mentioned pheromones and unsuspecting…how did you say? Innocents?"
She flushed in embarrassment. Her earlier words to him about his culture put a bad taste in her mouth. "I'll be ready after I shower."
She used the time in the shower to think. She stood under the overhead showering panel allowing the deluge of water to paste her hair to her back. The hot water steamed the glass doors and enclosed the stall in fog. She sat on the warm tiles, her back against the marble and went through her options. It made sense for them to finish the ritual in Legba, the royal family would fight the mating otherwise. She would not embarrass her family, least of all Kedric. She shuddered. No, she couldn't embarrass Prince Kedric, the punishment for that… It didn't bear thinking about.
Besides, Cagyns by nature were possessive, competitive. She didn't want to think about what Leo would do if his claim were challenged. Though he obviously didn't want a mate, she imagined he would make an example out of the first person to oppose their mating. It would be a nightmare. The gossip would be unbearable. As it was, her returning would stir up a hornets’ nest of chatter. Her stomach churned.
She could well imagine the mess she’d made when she left. Had her parents survived the fallout with their social status intact? She didn’t even want to think about it, let alone face it. Gods, she could barely think with the frenzy riding her. She stood and rinsed off, her mind in chaos, her body throbbing in need. After five days, she was near insane with want. It would only get worse as they waited to complete the ritual.
She stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. She was wrapping it around her body when she registered his presence.
His eyes devoured her. "It's a shame we were so rudely interrupted." He swallowed her gasp of surprise driving his tongue into her mouth.
She tasted his fury, felt the evidence of his need brushing against the apex of her thighs as he lifted her onto the double sink. He dropped her towel and lowered his head to her neck. Her head fell back and his fangs scraped along her skin. Lust poured off him in waves, dragging her under.
"Do it. Bind us." Desperation drove her.
Leo stared at her, his eyes burning a hole through her, turning her blood to lava. Liliana's breasts swelled, her stomach clenched with lust, her body painfully aroused. She wanted him with a ferocity that bordered on insanity. He pulled her legs around his waist burrowing his thick length tenting his pants against her center. Whimpering, she closed her eyes as his teeth nipped at her skin. He trailed kisses to her ear and a shudder racked her body.
"We will be bonded the traditional way or not at all." He growled.
Her eyes opened. She was panting with lust, her thoughts scattered. "Why?"
His eyes hardened. "I don't want to hear any shit about the Cagyn bespelling you into anything."
She nodded in understanding, knowing of the tales told about Cagyns. She wrestled her body back under control. Leo leaned over and wrapped her hair around his hands, tilting her head back. Tension stiffened his shoulders, and his eyes broadcasted his own battle with their passion. He kissed his way down her throat, she whispered his name, and arched her body forward. His teeth raked against the side of her breast, and she thought she would explode.
"Please, Leo, do something."
Madness, that's the only thing that could describe the lust tearing through her. Power moved along her bronze skin, and her hair glowed, painting prisms on the wall as her body prepared itself for its mate. They should stop, they really should, but judging by Leo's harsh pants, he too was having a hard time remembering why.
He kissed his way back up her neck and rested his head on her forehead. "Gods, I want nothing more than to bury myself in your body, but not until we speak with your father. I’ll not have one person saying I seduced you into this." He stole one last kiss before backing away from her completely.
He walked out of the bathroom leaving her shrouded in steam, seconds from orgasm. Liliana slid to the floor, her body burning, the now cold tile doing nothing to help. Would she survive the heat before they were completely mated? She blew out an impatient breath. It wouldn't be so bad if she had not already tasted him, if she hadn't known firsthand how well his body moved within her. Liliana touched her lips with trembling hands.
"Liliana?" Leo called from the next room.
"I'll be right out." She stood, grabbing the towel from the floor. She dried and dressed herself in the traditional gown. Twenty minutes later, satisfied with the intricate braids she’d conjured she left the safety of the bathroom.
She was a little self-conscious as she walked into Leo's bedroom. Her heart stopped, then slammed into a hard, fast rhythm as she spotted him in his uniform. The black shirt fit tight across his chest, showing off muscles she'd touched and ached to touch more. Rugaba, their God's symbol was on the chest and sleeve. The bright red patches had a gold sun in the middle surrounded by thorns. Black cargo pants were tucked into black boots giving him a dangerous air that made her body melt. He looked up from buttoning his sleeves and caught her staring. A wave of fierce pride moved through her.
Pride that she'd been chosen to bond with someone as powerful and gorgeous as him. Her earlier misgivings about being mated to him raced through her mind, but she pushed it aside. She would be tied to Leo for eternity, it would do her well to get to know him with no preconceived notions.
"I'm sorry if you felt disrespected," she blurted the words before she even realized what she would say "It was never my intention."
He looked taken aback. His eyebrows rose in question. They stared at each other for a moment and he sighed. Leo held out his hand and understanding the unspoken, she grabbed it relishing his touch as he pulled her into his chest. The patches on his uniform were scratchy against her face. Strange how she found that sensation comforting.
"I don't trust females as a rule." His voice was gruff, a deep rumble against her cheek. "I don't know what to do with a mate."
Liliana looked up into his eyes, the gray depths pulling emotions from her she was not ready to have. "What do you say we start over?"
Leo nodded and dro
pped a kiss to the tip of her nose. "I apologize for the Dziva interrupting us.” He looked a little sheepish as he lifted her chin. “She’s never been in the apartment before today. There has never been a woman in the place where my mate would rest.”
Her heart melted, surprised and touched.
He cleared his throat. “We need to go." He kept a hold on her hand and led her through the confusing catacombs.
Liliana's stomach gave a nervous lurch as they approached the portal room. The cavernous place resembled an airport, with people bustling through the area. Murmur of conversations in the different languages floated in the air as Demis waited in line to be checked in. Leo and she moved through the line, not bothering to check in with the soldier guarding the entrance to the main portal. He led her into the dark hallway away from the bustle of the cavern. She saw soldiers of the Amanda striding purposely down the hall, only slowing to salute Leo. In awe of the deference Leo received from the other soldiers, Liliana scrambled to keep up with his long strides. They reached the end of the hallway, stopping at a blank wall. The smooth stone held no trace of the portal that would carry them to her realm.
Leo reached out his palm, touched the wall and immediately a spell was activated, ancient symbols glowing in a grid. Leo's hand moved quickly through the grid, weaving the symbols together until the symbols for Legba glowed bright red. The grid disappeared moments later and the wall shimmered until Liliana could smell the sweet air of her homeland.
They stepped through the shimmering wall and for a moment there was nothing but bright white light. She closed her eyes and shook her head to shake out the fogginess traveling through the portal gave her.
Haven Page 5
