“Alone time?” Her lip quirked.
“That’s what I just said.” And wished he could take back.
“Hmm. Here? In the woods? With no invisibility blanket? Where anyone can see us?”
He shrugged, shifting the water bag so it no longer dripped on his boots.
“I think I need to get the water back to the campsite. Then we need to make sure Jamie gets under his blanket and stays put so we don’t have a repeat of this morning. Then we can see about alone time. All right?”
She didn’t move, remained kneeling by the stream, her words belaying her unease. Enar dropped his arms and tried his best not to look frightening.
“That is acceptable.” Why couldn’t he have just said he was worried about her? Because Watchers didn’t worry about their claims. “You go first.” He gestured for her to walk in front of him.
Where he could watch the sway of her hips as she stalked past him, grabbing the water bag from his hand as she went.
He needed to learn how to talk to her. How to tell her what he felt. How did he explain how worried he had been?
Lily placed the water bags with the rest of their things and walked to where Jamie sat on a log staring into the fire. Enar didn’t hear what she said to the boy, but Jamie crawled into his bedroll with a glance to Enar.
“Alone time,” the imp mouthed, grinning as he pulled the blanket over his head, disappearing from view.
Enar shook his head. Jamie was trouble as only a boy his age could be. Good thing flying meant they’d be home in the next day or so and Jamie would no longer be his responsibility.
Lily, though, would still be his. His. Enar grinned, watching his woman straighten her shoulders as if about to go into battle. Without meeting his gaze, she marched to the invisibility blanket and bedroll, spreading them on the ground. She sat down and pulled off her shoes.
Meeting his gaze, she shook the corner of the blanket. “You coming or what?”
A willing woman was all the encouragement he needed.
****
Lily watched Enar stalk toward her like a dog about to receive its favorite treat. Except in this case, she was the treat. What was she thinking to offer herself to him like she had? She knew the answer. She wanted more of his kisses and touch.
Even if he was lying to her.
Discovering what he hid was second on her to-do list. Right after seduce him witless. Did she just put that on her list?
Obviously.
Check her out. Going from scared of bedroll romping to wanting more of it in less than a day.
Must be some sort of record.
Heat licked through her veins as Enar sat beside her on the bedroll, pulling off his boots. Despite his secrets, she wanted him like she wanted her next meal. She wanted to be his lover. His friend. His companion of the heart.
And that scared her more than anything else she had experienced over the last day. That road led to heartache, to despair. So why did she have the feeling her feet pointed down that path?
Enar ran a finger down her cheek, turning her to face him. “Hello, lovely.”
“Hello, handsome.”
His thumb ran across her lips as his gaze met hers, drawing her in, the sounds of night fading until only the two of them remained. His lips replaced his thumb, pressing against hers as gentle as a butterfly resting on a flower.
She opened for him, touching her tongue against his, and then he took possession of her mouth. Tongue thrusting, tangling with hers in a dance as old as time, ravishing, possessing. Leaving no doubt she belonged to him.
His hands shoved her tunic up and she helped him remove it. He yanked his off and with one move had her lying on her back, the invisibility blanket covering them both. His lips returned to their possession, his hands stroking down her side to untie her trousers. She helped him pull them off, fumbling as she tried to untie the laces of his leathers. With a growl, he shoved her hands away, pulling on the strings until they gave way and his erection sprang free.
Propping himself up on his elbows, he thrust inside her, filling her, joining them together. Lily cried out at the invasion, but he caught the sound in his mouth. Last night was gentle, pleasant, but tonight as he pounded into her, he branded her his.
Possession.
Goddess help her, but that knowledge here, now, as he rode her hard, pushed her over the edge and she came screaming, joining her cries to his.
The weight of him collapsed upon her was like a blanket, warm and heavy. He lifted his head.
“Did I hurt you?”
“Not at all.”
“Good.” He nuzzled her neck as he rolled to his side, one arm draped across her waist. Possessive.
She liked being possessed by him. If only she knew what that possession meant for her future. Now was as good a time as any to ask.
“Enar?”
“Hmm?” He licked her lobe, drawing it into his mouth.
“What am I to you?”
His tongue stopped and he pulled back, looking at her, a crease between his brows deep enough to run a river through. “My claim?”
“Yes I know, but what else?”
“A very exquisite woman I’m happy to have as my claim. Why?”
No time like the present. “Because I think you’re hiding something about what my new life is going to be like and I want to know what it is.” Lily held her breath as she stared into the dark orbs of his face.
Enar blinked before schooling his face into a blank shield. “If you can still talk, I haven’t done a good enough job.” He bent to kiss her, his lips warm upon hers.
She should push him away, refuse his kisses, insist on having a discussion. But his lips felt good, as his touches stroked her blood into a fire.
As the melody he wrote into her skin drew them together in a frenzied passion, her questions, like her thoughts, faded into oblivion.
Chapter 8
Enar flinched, eyes popping open. Tree branches shifted against one another, their leaves sounding like shaken paper. Moonlight glittered through the leaves, dappling the ground. What noise woke him?
A quick glance showed Lily curled on her side, one hand against his chest, her ribcage rising and falling as she breathed. A small tendril of tension released, although his chest still felt constricted.
What had he heard?
Jamie lay under the invisibility blanket, oblivious to whatever mysterious sound awakened Enar. He turned his head to the last place he’d seen Fafnir, but the dragon remained absent. For whatever reason, once Thoren and Keara had disappeared into the woods, Fafnir took to the air, vanishing in a rush of wind.
If the mystery noise didn’t come from Lily, Jamie or Fafnir, what or who did it come from?
Thoren and Keara?
As if he was going to go traipsing into their little love nest.
The fine hairs stood up on his body, pulsing rhythmically, causing a sharp spear of sensation to lodge in his lower spine. Rolling out from Lily’s hand, he crouched beside her, listening with both his ears and his body.
Magic. Strong, primal magic flooded the clearing, tripping over his skin, prickling as it touched him. On a primal level, he recognized the source, recognized it as belonging to Thoren. But not solely Thoren’s.
With an almost audible pop, the magic drew back, leaving him alone with a flickering fire and a sense of unease. But what about magic made him uneasy? He’d grown up with Draconi, magic didn’t bother him at all. As a matter of fact, it made him relaxed, although he’d never admit that to anyone.
The sense of unease grew, pressing against him, insisting he seek the source of the magic. Great. Looked like he needed to intrude on Thoren’s love nest after all.
Standing, he yanked on his leathers and with one last glance at Lily, left the clearing in search of Thoren.
Branches scratched the skin of his arms and he slapped them aside. The scent of magic grew stronger and he inhaled deeply, following his nose to Thoren. A roar slammed through his ears. He cur
sed. That was Thoren and it did not sound good.
Enar broke into a run, following the dying echoes of an anguished roar.
“Thoren?” His friend knelt in front of Keara, head thrown back, magic rippling in waves around him. The smell of fear and anger hung in the air, along with the musk of sex. Keara lay motionless, bare legs spread on a blanket.
Thoren snarled and flipped the blanket to cover Keara’s naked form. Enar froze. Goddess’s teeth. Scared and pissed off Draconi. Smothering scent of magic overlaying the musk of sex. Unconscious female. He cursed. Some love nest. He’d unknowingly walked right into the beginnings of an unholy chaos. One wrong word and Thoren was liable to breathe fire.
“You Changed. I smell the magic.” The obvious seemed a good place to start. And less likely to cause a fireball lobbed his way than if he commented on Keara’s prone position.
The Change. The time in a male Draconi’s life when he came into his full powers. A ritual unknown to him had to occur or else the male Draconi would be locked in dragon form forever. Like Fafnir. Enar shivered. Sure, he’d love to turn into a dragon occasionally, but to be shaped like one forever? Not likely. Not even Thoren, who was a Draconi, wanted to be locked in dragon form forevermore.
The only thing he knew about the ritual was it involved a female and sex. Both of which Thoren seemed to have. Something though had clearly gone wrong. Not only did his gut scream it, but that anguished roar of Thoren’s was the clincher. But what?
As if he was going to ask a distraught Draconi.
“Keara’s injured.” Thoren’s eyes radiated fear.
“You hurt her?”
“Yes. No. She absorbed my magic.”
“And that’s bad?”
“She’s supposed to throw it away, not absorb it. It might kill her. I need to get her to the Temple so the priestesses can perform a healing. Where’s Fafnir? We need to leave now.”
“Um. About Fafnir. I don’t know where he is. He disappeared when you and Keara walked back here.”
Thoren cursed. “I can’t carry all of you and she needs help now.”
“You go. We’ll come later. It’ll take us awhile, but we’ll get there. Still have our feet.”
Not that he wanted to use them, but he had no choice. How long would the walk take? A week maybe? It was almost another day by air, which meant about a week or so walking. Would Lily be able to make it? She’d have to. Maybe if he kept the pace slow she wouldn’t tire out as much.
Aargh! What was it about the woman that made his mind dwell on her? What kind of Watcher thought of his claim all the time?
Enar watched Thoren wrap the blanket around Keara before picking her up, holding her close to his chest. Enar slapped a hand over his heart. Stupid thing got all erratic when he thought of Lily hurt like Keara was.
Thoren strode through the woods, Enar following, to the clearing where Lily and Jamie slept by the fire. He placed Keara down, took a couple of steps away from her and turned into a dragon. Scales rippled as skin disappeared, muscles elongating into a beast.
See you soon, friend.
“May your journey be quick.” Enar watched as Thoren gathered Keara into his talons, grasping her and the blanket. Two hops later and the wind caught his outstretched wings, lifting him into the air. With powerful strokes he headed toward the Temple, leaving them to follow on foot.
Enar ran both hands through his hair. Great jumping dragons. He was stuck with Jamie for a week. What was he supposed to do with a boy when all he wanted was some alone time with his claim?
There he went again, thinking of Lily. Good thing mind readers were non-existent among the Watchers, or he’d be teased without mercy.
What else was new? Since when had he gotten along with any of the Watchers? This time would be different. He had Lily, the Watchers’ perfect idea of a woman. Her alabaster skin and white hair would ensure the other men never made sport of him again. It might even go so far as to prove to his father he was worthy of the old man’s attentions.
Aargh. He did not want to think about the old bastard now. Turning on his heel, he strode to where Thoren and Keara had camped. Their bags and bedding lay spread across the ground and he gathered it up. Yet more things for him to carry. On foot. Great.
After stuffing the last item into Thoren’s bag, he tied the bag shut. A thought crossed his mind and he couldn’t stop the smile turning his lips. He might have to walk all the way to the Draconi Temple, but he’d have plenty of alone time with Lily.
Seemed like Thoren did him a favor after all.
Chapter 9
This must be a dream. The floating balls of color were a dead giveaway, but the woman with long black hair and green eyes wearing white robes trimmed in gold sealed the deal. Lily met those green eyes, so like her friend Keara’s, and tried not to flinch as the force of the woman’s stare bored into her being.
Black eyebrows rose over wide eyes. “Ah. And who might you be?”
Something grabbed Lily’s shoulder, shaking. Lily tried to shove it off, but it persisted.
The green-eyed woman smiled, a sadness pulling at the corners of her eyes. “We’ll meet again, I’m sure.”
“Lily! Wake up!” The shaking of her shoulder continued, the woman fading from view.
“Lily!”
With effort, Lily opened her eyes, looking into Enar’s blue ones.
“Finally, woman. You had me worried. You wouldn’t wake up.” His thumb stroked her shoulder, the weight of his hand a pleasant warmth.
“Was dreaming.” Although she suspected the woman in her dream was real. Alive and well.
Waiting for her.
Most visions came to her while awake. Not while she slept. And even if they did come to her when she was asleep, the people in the visions never spoke to her. In the past, her dreams had been a foretelling of things to come. Not a way of chatting with strangers.
Who was the woman? Why did she think she’d meet Lily? What kind of a dream did she just have?
“Lily?” Enar patted her shoulder, his big hand gentle. “Snap out of it, woman. We need to leave.”
“Oh, sorry.” What did he expect? He woke her from a dream. Of course she was introspective.
Lily looked around the campsite, smelled the burnt remnants of the fire, smoke blending in with the gray dawn as it rose from blackened ashes. Jamie sat on the ground across from her, Keara’s bag by his side.
“Where’re Keara and Thoren?”
Enar’s palm rubbed her shoulder. “Keara took a turn for the worse in the night.”
“What?” Shoving off his hand, Lily sprang to her feet, heading in the direction she last saw Keara. “Why didn’t anyone wake me? I could have helped.” Even if it was to hold Keara’s hand.
Enar grabbed her upper arm, pulling her to a stop. Lily whirled, eyes level with Enar’s chest. “Thoren turned and flew her to the Draconi Temple for healing. There was no use in waking you. There was nothing you could have done.”
“I could have said good-bye.” Jerking out of his grasp, she threw her hands up chest level, palms facing inward.
He shook his head. “She wouldn’t have heard you.”
And like mist over water her anger evaporated. “Oh no! I thought she was better. I thought she would be all right. Are you telling me she’s going to die?” Lily couldn’t get her mind to stop tripping over the fact Keara was injured. Only last night the two of them had sat together eating. She seemed fine then. What if she didn’t make it? What if she died?
Enar shrugged. “I don’t know. Come now, we need to leave.”
“We can’t leave. Fafnir isn’t back.” Jamie hopped to his feet, fists balled.
Judging by his expression, it looked like he already knew about Keara and was dealing with a lot of righteous anger.
“Fafnir knows how to find his way home. Pick up your bags.”
“No! You’re not in charge of me!” Jamie stamped his foot, eyes narrowed on Enar.
Enar crossed his arms and g
lared. Didn’t say a word. Lily felt the frost of his glare and she wasn’t even in its path. Poor Jamie. Although she had to give the normally shy apprentice credit. It took a full minute of frosty glaring before the boy’s gaze dropped. She shivered.
“Fine. I’ll pick up these bags. But you’re still not in charge of me.” With a huff, Jamie grabbed the bags and started to march off.
“Wrong direction. We head southeast, not west.” Enar pointed to a clump of trees. “Go that way.”
Jamie snarled, but switched directions.
“Don’t just stand there, woman. Grab your things and let’s go. Daylight is wasting.”
Lily ran a hand through her tangled hair. “Can’t I relieve myself?”
“As long as it doesn’t take all day.” He gestured to the woods as he turned in the direction Jamie went. “Jamie! Come back here!”
When Lily returned, the glaring continued with Jamie snarling at the edge of the camp ground. At least he hadn’t wandered off. While Enar occupied himself with Jamie’s attitude, she grabbed a comb from her pack and pulled it through her tangled hair.
Nothing like having smooth hair.
A quick braid followed by a tie and she stuffed the comb back into her pack, ready to leave. Ready to find her friend. Ready for Enar to tell her about her new life.
As if that would happen anytime soon.
Once she stood beside Enar, he started walking, Jamie running ahead, disappearing behind a strand of trees. At least they headed in the same direction as the boy.
“Are we going to get horses?” Her feet already hurt and they hadn’t even left the campsite.
A snort was her reply. “You have a sense of humor.”
“There is nothing humorous about wanting to ride. How far is Draconia anyway?”
“Maybe about a week from here. Give or take a few days.”
Warrior Lover (Draconia Tales) Page 9
