Nathaniel had similar thoughts. He was very grateful that he was able to keep his oath. He promised himself if he were to bed Tianna, she WAS going to remember it. The thought of taking her now was somewhat frightening and he shivered at the idea.
They left the tent together. As they walked to find their fellow travelers, Nathaniel took her hand in his. They intertwined their fingers and she held on tight.
As they walked, they approached two ladies deep in conversation. They were smiling, laughing, and making large animated gestures with their hands as they talked. Behind them were two males, presumably their mates. Unlike the females, the men were leaning against a pile of wood. They were pale in color and had scratches on their arms. Nathaniel presumed they had injuries hidden under their clothes as well.
As they passed, Nathaniel turned and acknowledged the males. He had an excellent guess as to what they had been through last night. They stared at each other, and then gave a brief nod in shared understanding. Nathaniel stared down at Tianna and gave her another stern glare. She quickly looked away.
Within a few minutes, they found the members of their quest. They were packing up the last of the supplies and had already stowed Tianna’s and Nathaniel’s gear.
The newly arrived couple was examined from head to toe. Tianna looked great although sad, while Nathaniel still looked like he had been through a war. Although most of his wounds were covered by clothes, some were exposed. The wound on his neck was painfully obvious.
Before anyone got a chance to say a word, Nathaniel announced in a commanding voice, “Don’t ask. And Marcus, my oath hasn’t been broken.”
Tianna smiled and a giggle escaped that she didn’t intend. Everyone laughed, except for Nathaniel. He rolled his eyes and stomped over to his horse.
After they waved goodbye to those that came to see them off, Nathaniel said, “Let’s go. I want to get far away from Eden.”
“And away from me,” Tianna thought to herself as a sharp pain stabbed her in her chest.
Marcus leaned into Gabriel and whispered. “I think he played with fire and got burned.”
Gabriel snickered and nodded in agreement. Secretly he was envious of Nathaniel’s time with Tianna.
Marcus and Seth discussed briefly the path they would be taking and then mounted their horses. Everyone followed Nathaniel out of Eden and on to the next village.
Chapter 20 - Forgiveness
Throughout the day’s travels, Tianna continued to try and recall more of what happened the night before. Every once in a while, she would suddenly stop her horse and let out an “Oh my!” or a “Lord no!” and turn beet red. The memories were returning.
Tianna was feeling worse by the minute. She didn’t know how she could hurt a Draak of Nathaniel’s size and strength, but she knew she had. She didn’t know how to make it up to him and thought that maybe she just needed to give him some space. To avoid him, she made sure to ride as far away from him as she could.
While they traveled, Nathaniel rode straight ahead without saying a word to anyone. Thoughts of Tianna’s body on his made his lower regions react, which wasn’t a comfortable position to be in while sitting on a saddle. He kept shifting his body as if he was aching, but when his brothers asked if he wanted to stop and rest, it just made his mood worse. So, like Tianna, they ignored his actions.
It was a miserable day for everyone.
After a long day’s ride, they found a place to stop for the night and everyone helped set-up camp. Tianna did her protection spell to hide the campsite and continued to stay out of Nathaniel’s way. At evening meal when Marcus passed his Fire Wine around, Nathaniel grabbed the bottle. Normally a small swallow is all anyone would drink, but tonight, Nathaniel drank for a good minute before passing the bottle.
After the meal ended, Gabriel smiled at Seth and announced, “Time for your lessons. Tonight I think we’ll work on how to properly take a fall.” Given Tianna’s mood, he decided to give her the night off from training.
Seth’s shoulders slumped, but he got up and grumbled, “Yes, my lord.” He knew this was going to hurt.
Throughout the next hour the group heard a lot of thumps, moans, and “Let’s do that again.” Seth could be seen flipping through the air one way and then the other. Gabriel didn’t hold back in his training, so some of the landings made the onlookers cringe. Tianna wrote in her wizard book, staying close by to help heal any injuries. Nathaniel just sat on the sidelines and watched, still not interacting with anyone. Out of the corner of her eye Tianna did see him look at her several times, but she kept her eyes straight ahead.
When the training was done, everyone decided that this day had gone on long enough. As they headed to bed, Seth walked toward Tianna.
Before he could ask her anything, Tianna glanced between Seth and Nathaniel. She knew Seth was coming over to ask if he could practice braiding her hair, so she stopped him by putting up her hands and gave Seth the ‘not tonight’ look. He also peeked over at Nathaniel, who was glaring at him, so the younger Draak turned around and quickly retreated back to his bedroll.
Tianna had been sharing Nathaniel’s bed every night since he confessed both his feelings for her and his need for touch. When sleeping, she had always remained clothed, although he would sneak his hands under her shirt so he could wrap his arms around her bare stomach. She had no idea how he felt about her now and assumed that their nights together were over. Never again would she feel his arms pressed against her skin. She couldn’t blame him after what happened in Eden, but she cursed at herself, knowing that she should never have accepted the Eden drinks without knowing what was in them.
While she set up her bed directly opposite from Nathaniel, she watched him lay out his bedroll. He usually slept wearing pants on but tonight he stripped naked and crawled under the covers.
Tianna put on her normal night clothes and quickly buried herself underneath her blanket. She faced away from Nathaniel so that she didn’t have to see his glares.
From the other side of the fire, Tianna heard Nathaniel snarl, “Mate.”
Tianna rolled over and peeked at him through the flames of their campfire. His face was unreadable.
When she didn’t move he said, “Bed” and he thumped the ground beside him. She wasn’t sure what was going on, so she stayed right where she was.
He yelled, “NOW!”
She jumped. These one word barks scared her, so she rolled over, hiding back under her covers. Within seconds, she heard movement but didn’t dare look.
Suddenly her covers were yanked off. Nathaniel hooked his arm under and around her waist while picking her up like he was carrying a saddle. She was held up off the ground just enough so that her head, arms, and legs dangled about an inch off the dirt.
Everyone else in the group just watched the scene as it was unfolding, poised to jump at the first sign of Tianna’s distress. They knew Nathaniel would never hurt her but, after his actions of the day, they didn’t know what to think.
Nathaniel proceeded to carry her over to his side of the fire. He then plopped her down on his bed, pulled her roughly against him, and threw the covers over the two of them.
Everyone let out deep breaths and settled back into their beds.
Nathaniel leaned in and put his mouth right next to Tianna’s ear. Grabbing the material at the front of her shirt, he said in a whispered growl that only she could hear, “Strip”. He paused for a moment and followed with a more forceful whisper, “Now.” His body was trembling and he seemed unable to form full sentences.
Tianna wasn’t sure what exactly he had planned, but she vowed to herself to do whatever he needed, no matter the request.
Awkwardly, she took off her night clothes under the covers. The two of them were now naked together. He, with movements that said he longer had any problems touching any part of her body, flipped her around so that her body was tightly tucked into his. He snaked one arm under her head, encircling her, with his palm resting on her breast. His othe
r arm and leg were draped over her, pulling her in tight. She was completely surrounded by his body, and she loved having him hold her again. She had never been held so tight, at least not while she was coherent enough to remember it.
She heard him say in a softer, kinder whisper, “Sleep,” and he kissed her lightly on the top of her head.
The sound of his voice made a feeling of warmth pass through her body. Although she was prepared to offer anything he asked for, she sighed in relief when she realized that he was asking for her energy and nothing more. For the first time all day, she thought things might be okay. She didn’t know if he would feel the same way in the morning, but for now, she felt like she was his. No matter what, she knew that what happened between them had changed the course of their relationship forever.
Nathaniel’s hard arousal was pressed behind her, and she knew he was very uncomfortable, most likely in pain. She wiggled her arms out from under his. With one hand, she intertwined her fingers with his. Her other hand, she snaked behind her and wrapped her fingers gently around his erection.
Nathaniel gasped and his body stiffened, unsure what his bedmate was planning on doing. Given that he was barely able to maintain control, he was about to move her hand when he felt the tingle of her hot blue flame. To Nathaniel’s great surprise and relief, her touch caused all of his body parts to completely relax. Within minutes, both of their bodies were warm and content. Involuntarily to her, a low purring sound started, and her body gave off a slight glow.
Nathaniel, hearing the purr, chuckled and whispered into her ear, “Sleep, my sweet little kitten.”
Now that Nathaniel’s body was calm, she moved her hand to his hip and continued with her fire to keep him relaxed. In a shaky voice she whispered, “I’m sorry for what I did to you. If I could go back in time—“
He interrupted her. “Shhh. I wouldn’t change a thing.” He chuckled quietly. “But, look out mate. Someday, we’re going to repeat our night together when I can respond properly to your urges.” He growled playfully in her ear and kissed her neck.
Tianna trembled at the touch of his lips and arched her neck into him, wanting more.
Nathaniel felt her reaction and could taste her desire. “Have mercy on me, My Sweet. Give me at least one night to try to regain my strength. Although even at full strength, I’m no match for that Faye of yours. I don’t think I could survive another attack.”
She rolled over so she faced him and became very serious. “I never meant to cause you pain. I knew better and didn’t listen to my own mind warning me. The feeling was just so new and exhilarating, I got caught up in the dance.” She willed her blue fire back to rest and wiggled against him. “Use me to take away your pain. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to ease your discomfort.”
He felt the truth in her words and replied in an emphasized whisper so that his brothers wouldn’t hear, “No! I took an oath to not take advantage of our situation, and I won’t break that oath. When we mate, it won’t be when we’re hiding under covers in an unknown forest with my brothers watching.” He rubbed her cheek sweetly, “I do thank you for your offer, and I want you to know that I do want you more than words can express. But we’ll wait until the time is right for both of us. Don’t worry about me love, I’ll survive.”
Now that she had given him some energy, he called on his fire and said, “My Sweet. Let me help you calm that Faye weapon of yours.” He pressed her body against his and willed his fire. She followed his lead and they slept peacefully wrapped in each other’s arms.
It was an eventless night so everyone awoke feeling refreshed. When Tianna woke, Nathaniel was already out of bed. She found her bed clothes stacked in a neat pile next to her and put them on. While she dressed awkwardly under the covers, she realized that she was wrapped up in a beautiful new bedroll in the softest material she had ever felt. She assumed it had to be a gift from Nathaniel.
She quickly rose to join the others who were already up and preparing the morning meal. She wanted to find Nathaniel to thank him for his gift. As she neared the fire, everyone greeted her warmly. Nathaniel spotted her and walked over, giving her a kiss on her forehead. She stopped him before he could walk away and asked, “Did you give me the new bedroll?”
Nathaniel smiled. “It’s just a little something that I had made for you while we were in Eden. I thought you might appreciate sleeping in something nicer than the rough, horse-smelling blankets we’ve been using.”
“I love it. It’s beautiful.” She pulled him down and gave him a very nice thank you kiss. As he backed away, she could see that all of his wounds were gone, minus one. When she caught sight of her silver bite mark, she said, “I’m so sorry about the mark on your neck.”
He gave her a puzzled look while rubbing the mark. “It’s an odd one. I’ve tried everything but it won’t go away.”
“Well,” Tianna got a sheepish expression on her face. “That’s my fault. When I healed it, I put a spell on it so it wouldn’t fade.”
“Ahhh, so now you remember our night together?” He raised his eyebrows, looking a bit pleased.
She nodded. “I remember enough.” She blushed. “At the time I wanted you to have something to remember our night.” After she added this last statement, she regretted it.
Nathaniel burst out laughing. “My Sweet, not in a million years would I forget our night together!”
Gabriel came up to Nathaniel and took a closer look at the newest mark. “It isn’t that bad. You’re lucky it’s on your neck and not somewhere else.” He smirked but then quickly changed to a questioning expression saying, “Maybe you do have better ones in other more interesting locations?” He chuckled, but a pang of jealousy hit him as he continued to stare at the mark.
Nathaniel shook his head saying, “Oh, you have no idea.”
Tianna, trying to get the subject changed to a less embarrassing topic, asked what the plans were for the day.
Seth answered with a long discussion about the path they would be taking and what their next village would be. They were headed to the village of Semora.
Chapter 21 - Black Dragon Mark
They traveled without any major problems for over a week and were lulled into a sense that they had outsmarted the evil chasing them. It was a very warm night so Tianna slept about a foot away from Nathaniel, without touching. She slept restlessly.
*~*~*~*
Tianna was lying in a short silver night dress in the center of a large canopy bed, which was overflowing with black silk sheets. From this canopy, silver translucent mesh hung down in sweeping curves. She caressed the smooth material of her gown. Although she had never worn anything remotely like it before, she hated to admit that she liked the feel of the cool fabric caressing her skin.
As she breathed in, she caught a familiar scent. Recognizing it as Kai’s, she sat up abruptly and tried to scramble off the bed. She tried to move her legs, but they felt they were being held by something. In a panic she threw back the covers, expecting to see Dregg holding onto her ankles, but instead she found chains covered in soft silver fur.
She heard a voice close saying, “You’ve awoken, my mate.”
She searched the shadows nervously trying to find the face connected with the voice. Forcing her fear back, she responded in as calm and clear voice as she could muster, “Where am I?”
She could hear material shuffling and Kai stepped out from the shadows. “This is my inner sanctuary, and I’ve never shared this place with anyone before.” He could feel her unease so he added, “You have nothing to fear here. It’s just you and me. My Dregg warriors aren’t allowed.”
Kai slinked closer to her. He had tried fear and intimidation to get her to come to him. Now he was going to try a different weapon—himself.
Although she hated to admit it, his appearance took her breath away. He approached her in nothing but black silk pants. When he walked, the material seemed to swirl around him like he was walking in water. As he stared at her, warmth began to
bloom deep inside her body.
Her eyes wandered to his bare, muscular chest. She saw a dragon mark in a design she hadn’t seen before. She assumed it was the mark of a Black Dragon. It was full of extra detail and fire, similar to Gabriel’s mark, so she knew it was the mark of a Draaken.
Her staring was interrupted by a low chuckle. He had noticed her eyes wandering around his body.
Tianna asked with a shaky voice, “You were a Draaken?”
“Ah, my mate knows dragon marks. Good.” He glanced down at his chest and outlined his dragon with his finger. Tianna fought hard against the inner urge to reach out and help him.
“Yes, I’ve been the Draaken of the Wizard Sett for over 800 years. They didn’t appreciate my unique gifts, so I disbanded the Sett. Those that supported me came with me. Those that didn’t died.” He spoke without emotion.
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