by Larissa Ladd
“There, are you satisfied? I was right.” The elders were murmuring amongst themselves. “I rule that Oriel Dylans should be imprisoned, and her fate decided by the rulers for her crimes.” The elders looked briefly wary, but Aira stood before them, unflinching and ready for whatever they might say.
“You are not a ruler yet, Aira,” the spokesperson said. “But since you were able to get a confession out of her, we will sequester her until the situation is decided.” He gestured, and two guards came up—water elementals, both of them—and pulled the woman out of the enormous room. Aira’s heart was pounding. She still had one thing left to do. “Now you will proceed.”
Aira took a deep breath. Alex, looking much worse for the wear after his long confinement and the injuries inflicted on him by Aiden and Dylan—both mental and physical—stared at her defiantly.
Aira closed her eyes and began a low chant. She had not given much practical thought to the need to kill a person before—she had hoped never to be put in that situation. But here it was, and it was Alex or her. Aira began forming the image of a bow, carefully bringing it to life from the energy that she held inside of her. She made it strong—impossibly strong—almost manifesting it into a physical object of substance rather than a simple construction of energy. The spell was what was important about it, Aira knew. The intention behind her words, the focus of her mind. She started to form an arrow. She would only need one. Aira modified the spell, thinking of the quickest, surest way to kill a person with magic—a thought she had never entertained before and hoped she would never have to entertain again in her life.
The arrow was ready. Aira opened her eyes and brought the bow and arrow together, pulling back the bowstring while the entire room fell silent. She took aim, breathed in, and let the arrow fly as she exhaled, a cold, steely-feeling dread running down her spine as it vaulted the small distance between her and Alex. It hit him in the eye, driving back into his head, and Aira heard the collective gasp. Alex fell to the floor almost instantly, the arrow causing a crackling, an electric sound in the air, as its magic surged through him, killing him in the span of a few heartbeats. Aira dissolved the bow and arrow, shuddering as the energy from Alex’s body surged into her. She hadn’t known that it would do that—for a brief moment she felt the power surge sensation work through her and wondered if she would ever be able to feel like a normal person again in her life.
CHAPTER 8
AFTER A LONG, DEEP STILLNESS, the elders began to fidget, the shuffling sound of their clothing filling the air. Aira looked up at them. “Well?” she said harshly, feeling the tears burning her eyes. She knew she had to kill Alex—it was the only thing she could have done in that situation. But the fact of having killed someone gave her a sensation of pain in the depths of her being, an agony of guilt in spite of the fact that it was the best choice—the only choice. Alex was going to be put to death no matter what she did. She could only preserve her own life and end his as swiftly as possible.
“You have successfully completed the trial,” the elder spokesperson said gruffly. “We also note that you did so after being poisoned and that you appear to be stronger than ever.”
Aira nodded curtly, wanting more than anything to leave the building, to go home and stand under the shower for as long as the hot water held out and scrub herself clean of what she had done.
“Where does this leave us in the process?” Aira asked, feeling impatient. The elders murmured quietly amongst themselves.
“You are the first choice for the ruler of your element,” the elder spokesperson said. He looked at her firmly. “However, we are not confident that you have the stability to be an effective ruler. You must have a mate, or else you will be eliminated from consideration.” Aira stared at them, appalled.
“Haven’t I proven to you that I am the strongest of the air elementals? Haven’t I demonstrated that I can make life-or-death decisions and that I can follow through on them? What the hell more do you want from me?”
The elder shook his head.
“If you fail to find a mate, we will have to go with our secondary choice. You have a week.” Aira started to move towards them and stopped herself just in time. A week to find a mate. She took a deep breath to try and quell the rage she felt. “You are dismissed, Aira.” The elders filed out, and Aira stood in her spot for a long moment, seething with rage. They had put her through so much already; they had made her kill a person before their very eyes, and yet they were demanding still more from her. Aira stood where she was, hearing the observers filing out, talking amongst themselves. It was finally down to her instability, she thought bitterly. They just couldn’t let her live unfettered. They couldn’t stand the thought of giving her so much power without giving her an outside check on it. She was trembling with suppressed rage as Aiden and Dylan joined her on the floor.
“So, we’re back around to this,” Dylan said with a faint smile.
Aira groaned.
“How the hell am I going to find a mate in a week?”
CHAPTER 9
AIDEN WASN’T SURE WHICH EMOTION was stronger: his joy at the fact that Aira had managed to prove her worth to the elders, that she had overcome everything and not only managed to mete out Alex’s just fate, or his rage at what the elders were requiring from her in the wake of her display of incredible power. Aira refused to get into Saoirse’s car, instead going straight for the car that Aiden and Dylan had taken in following her and not even giving the other elemental the politeness of a comment.
“Get me the hell out of here,” she said harshly to Dylan, who took up the driver’s seat. Aiden understood her bitterness and anger well; she had been fighting for her right to live her own life, to do as she pleased. And now, in order to keep herself safe, after everything she had been through, she was being forced to take a mate—and in a time frame so ludicrously short that it was impossible for her to find someone she could remotely be happy with.
“It’s not the worst thing that could come out of this,” Dylan said as they made their way back to her house.
Aira made a disagreeable sound, and Aiden smiled in sympathy.
“No, the worst thing that could have come out of this would have been for them to decide to kill me on the spot for dragging Oriel out into the open,” Aira replied.
Aiden looked at her, sitting in the back with her arms folded tightly against her chest.
“Good job on that, by the way.”
Aira made a face, and Aiden thought to himself that if he wasn’t so attracted to her—intensely drawn to her by the bond they had forged, and the fact that she was objectively a beautiful woman—she would be entirely annoying, and it would make his life so much easier. A moment later, she sighed and met his gaze.
“Sorry, Aiden,” she said quietly. “I’m just… I’m so angry. I can’t even quite believe what they just pulled on me.”
Aiden looked at his brother. “You could go renegade,” Aiden suggested, for the sake of argument. “I mean, they’d send someone after you, of course, but based on what we just saw, I’m pretty sure you could take anyone they’d send.”
Aira snorted, a faint smile lighting up her tense features.
“Yeah, well, I’m sure they’ve done that math, too,” she replied. “Besides, it would put you and Dylan in a bad position if I did that. And annoying as you both are, I couldn’t do that to you.”
“Hey! Aiden’s the annoying one, not me—you and I get along great,” Dylan said in mock-offended tones.
Aira laughed and Aiden was relieved to see her anger dissolving, her arms relaxing.
“Yeah, you’re right. Aiden is the annoying one,” Aira agreed. “If only you and I had a shred of interest in each other, Dylan—things would just be grand.”
Aiden rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well, you and I have plenty of interest in each other, that’s not the problem.”
Aira’s eyes widened and Aiden realized—an instant too late—what he had said, and what it meant. “I mean… well, h
ell, you know what I mean. It’s not like I have sex with people I’m not interested in.”
Dylan laughed out loud. “Not since you turned twenty-five, maybe.”
Aiden groaned and turned back around to look through his window, taking himself out of the conversation in a huff.
*
Aiden was finally able to get Aira on her own, shortly after they had arrived back at her apartment. She and Dylan had been deep in a private conversation while Aiden made a few phone calls, confirming to his connections that it had been Oriel who had poisoned Aira; even if the elders didn’t decide against her, there would be repercussions among the fire elementals for a woman who had gotten herself enmeshed in such a situation as poisoning another elemental with the intent to kill her. There were certain standards of behavior that all elementals were supposed to abide by; killing each other in such an underhanded way was not one of them.
Aira was sitting by herself, staring out as she sipped beer on the balcony. Aiden had grabbed a beer of his own and moved to sit next to her, trying to decide how to bring up the subject he most wanted to discuss. “So, that was a very strong display of power back at the elders’,” Aiden said, taking a sip of his beer and chewing his lip.
Aira shrugged. “Honestly, I would rather avoid thinking about that particular incident as much as possible for the rest of my life,” she admitted.
Aiden recognized the fatigue in her voice.
“Have you ever… killed someone?” she asked, turning to look at him, her deep hazel eyes troubled.
Aiden nodded solemnly.
“I’ve had to do it a few times. Once rounding someone up who didn’t want to go down—they tried to kill me first, of course. Another time it was a little less life-or-death for me, at least immediately.” Aiden shook his head, feeling for Aira’s sense of conflict.
“Does it still bother you?” There was hope in Aira’s voice.
He nodded. “Sometimes. I mostly—like you’re doing right now—try not to think about it.”
Aira sighed.
Aiden took another sip of his beer and set the bottle down. “There’s something else I want to talk to you about,” he said, deciding it was as good a time as any to open up the topic on his mind. Aiden cleared his throat.
“Okay,” Aira said, looking briefly confused.
Aiden took a deep breath.
“I can’t stop thinking about you,” Aiden said all at once, the words tumbling out of his mouth. “When we had sex, we… bonded, connected—I know you felt it too—and I tried to give you space, because I knew you were going through a lot and it wasn’t the time. And the other night… we did something like that again.” Aiden took a deep breath again, trying to figure out what he was trying to say. “We have to make a decision. You have to have a mate and the bond between us is already so strong that I can barely keep myself away from you at any given time.”
Aira’s face went pale and then bright red in alternating waves, whenever Aiden dared to look at her.
“If you don’t think there’s any way for it to work between us, I need to leave. Because I don’t think I could watch you with anyone else.” Aiden finally looked at Aira completely, swallowing against the dryness in his throat.
Aira’s mouth opened, shut, opened again. She looked down at her hands.
“I…” she took a deep breath and a sip of her beer. “I can’t imagine being with anyone. I know there’s a bond between us, and I guess… I was scared. I don’t like the idea of being tied down. I want my freedom.”
Aiden nodded.
“But I don’t really have a choice.” Her face flooded with blood, going bright red. “I don’t want to make it sound like you’re a last resort.” She smiled. “I just don’t—didn’t—think that we would be a good match. We fight so much.”
Aiden smiled slowly. “Only because I don’t fall for your bullshit,” he said playfully.
“My bullshit? What about yours?”
Aiden chuckled and saw Aira realize that she had stepped into his verbal trap. He stood, setting his beer down and crossing the slight distance between them.
“You know you can feel it too,” he murmured lowly. “I will never, ever chain you down. I might tie you up.” His smile grew as the thought occurred to him. “But part of what I enjoy most about you is the fact that you infuriate me.”
Aira laughed, looking up at him, her eyes dancing with mischief.
“That’s hardly a good qualification for a wife—‘she pisses me off all the time! I’m so blessed!’”
Aiden leaned in and kissed her quickly on the lips, his hands moving to her shoulders.
“If you’d be my mate,” he whispered, barely breaking away from the kiss, “I would be blessed.” He met Aira’s gaze levelly. Her eyes clouded a moment and he felt her lick her lips unconsciously.
“I will be your mate,” she said finally. “I will.”
CHAPTER 10
AIRA FELT ODDLY SELF-CONSCIOUS as Aiden led her up the stairs to her bedroom, holding her hand tightly in his. “Let’s put some music on,” he suggested with a faint glimmer of a grin—reminding her of their first time together.
Aira blushed. “As if Dylan’s not going to know anyway,” she countered playfully, turning on her Bluetooth speakers and starting up the music in spite of her retort. Aiden pulled her into his arms, touching her everywhere, and Aira welcomed the tingling all over her body from the contact between them. He was right—everything felt so much better the more he touched her, the more he kissed her and caressed her. They had bonded and Aira was no longer interested in fighting that bond. Aiden’s hands moved along her body, finding the hem of her blouse and catching at it, pulling it up slowly. He broke away from her lips just long enough to get the shirt over her head, tossing it aside and wrapping his arms around her tightly. The heat of his body burned through his clothes, several degrees hotter than any normal human, burning from the inside with his elemental essence. His energy was calling to her, as she knew hers was calling to him. The wind howled outside even over the sound of the music, Aira heard a muffled clap of thunder.
Aira stirred herself out of her distraction and reached down, finding the hem of Aiden’s shirt and hauling it up along his body. She wanted him naked, wanted to feel his skin against hers—it was not even simple desire, it was an absolute, fundamental need. Aira’s desire for Aiden was as keen as hunger, as thirst. She pulled his shirt over his head and let it fall to the floor without paying attention to where it went, running her hands over the planes of his back, the subtle muscling of his shoulders and chest. Aiden guided her to her bed and pressed her onto her back, covering her body with his. Aira moaned softly as he unhooked her bra and guided it away from her skin, cupping her breasts and bringing them to his lips. She squirmed in impatient desire as he kissed every inch of the sensitive skin there, finding her nipples and claiming each one in turn, sucking and licking while she gasped and panted for breath.
The smell of smoke began to fill her senses and Aira felt her energy rushing out of her into Aiden, even as his energy flooded into her in return.
“Open up to me,” Aiden murmured, his bright eyes staring into hers. “Open up to me completely, Aira. Let me in.” Aira fought against the intrusion of his mind instinctively at first, but gradually—giving into the delicious feeling of his body against hers, his touch on her skin—she opened up her mind, her essential being. Aiden’s hands had moved down to her hips, finding the zipper on her skirt and pulling it down, slipping the fabric along her legs and bringing her underwear with it.
Somehow, without Aira knowing when it happened, they were both naked—touching and exploring each other’s bodies as if to memorize every detail, every feature. Aiden’s hand slipped between her legs and Aira cried out, writhing underneath him.
“Don’t let me hurt you,” Aiden said, his voice harsh and hoarse with a desire Aira could feel in him through the connection of their minds.
“If you stop, you’re going to be hurting
me,” Aira responded, her legs spreading wider as Aiden’s fingers played along her pleasure center.
Aiden chuckled lowly, pressing more firmly against her. Aira let out several sounds that graduated from yelps to moans and squeals as her eyes fell shut. She embraced the weight of him against her, the heat of him pressing against her leg as he pinned her down firmly, holding her in place.
“I will never, ever hurt you—not on purpose,” Aiden told her, and Aira nodded her understanding, not entirely certain she knew what she was agreeing to—only knowing that she had to make some response, in spite of the fact that the friction between them was driving her more and more out of her mind. She gripped him tightly to her, moving under the impulse of his touch as he stroked and rubbed, sending tingling jolts of pleasure through her body. Aiden’s lips connected with hers and he swallowed down her moans, nipping at her lips playfully with his teeth even as he kissed her deeply and hungrily.
The smell of smoke intensified, and Aira heard the crack of lightning, the distant booming of thunder as she reached climax, her muscles tensing and relaxing erratically, her body alive with the smoldering energy that flowed through her from Aiden. She opened her eyes and saw that Aiden was glowing, a bright orange-red aura around him as he continued stroking her through her pleasure, laying claim to her body with his lips dragging along her skin, his tongue following. Electric tingles crackled along her nerves, shot through her bones as she writhed, lost in pleasure so intense it might have been pain.
Aiden pulled back, bringing his fingers to his lips and licking them, giving her a satisfied, prideful grin as Aira struggled to remain conscious in spite of the deep, satisfying languor of orgasm. She smiled back at him, still aware of the arousal he was feeling, knowing that in order to complete the ritual of their bonding they would both have to reach orgasm together. She caught her breath as quickly as she could and grabbed for his body, pulling him against her and reaching down between their bodies.
