by Kinsella
“Anryn is coming for two reasons. One is that she is currently the most powerful Warder that we have. Two is because her husband will be hot on her heels, and he will probably give an entire werewolf clan a run for it’s money.” She smiled brightly at his stunned face. “Ready?”
“As I could ever be. Invite your cousin.” He sat still, watching carefully as her hand hovered over the surface of the glass once more.
“Here we go.” Ruana’s hand plunged into the glass, with only the briefest of hesitation. It rippled, and in the movement Zan could make out a figure, getting larger.
Seconds later, two hands plunged free of the mirror with the rest of the body soon following. The female figure tucked and rolled to a stop against the bed. “Close the mirror!”
Startled, Ruana began to pull her hand away from the rippled surface. It was stuck. She looked into the mirror and saw burning golden eyes glaring at her. They belonged to the clawed hand that was wrapped around her wrist, holding her in place.
“Ruana!” Zan was on his feet the second that Anryn had tumbled through, he grabbed the hand that was holding her, and wrenched it off. His arms swiftly wrapped around her and drew her
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from the mirror’s surface as the golden eyes faded away.
“Are you ok, Ruana? Sorry, he was really close behind me.” Anryn stood and stretched. Her olive skin pulling over her smooth muscles.
“Yeah, I’m fine. What is up with Decklyn?” Ruana relaxed into his grip and leaned against the strong wall of his chest. “He looked mad.”
“Well, we kind of had an argument about me coming here. He has gotten really paranoid lately about my safety.” She flipped her hair over one nude shoulder, and twisted.
“Why just lately?”
“Ah, something to do with the pregnancy. He thinks I might put myself in danger.” Anryn finished stretching. “Introductions please?” She wandered over to where Zan still had Ruana in his grip, still unabashedly naked after her trip through the mirror. The only thing she was wearing was a tattoo and a choker of dark blue opal. It pulsed gently, glowing from within.
“My name is Anryn Warder. You would be the werewolf who slept with my cousin?” Anryn’s brow arched over her bright green eyes. At first glance her skin appeared to be an olive tone, but upon closer inspection, she was actually green. A deep blue tattoo with an intricate pattern ran across her neck and collar bone. The tone set off her midnight hair which was he only thing she
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was wearing over her form.
He set Ruana off to the side and bowed. “Aleczander Masters, please to meet you. May I offer you some clothing?”
“Gentlemanly conduct. Oh, he’s a keeper. Yeah, a shirt or something would be great.” She crossed her arms over her breasts and waited while he rummaged through the closet behind the mirror.
She caught the white dress shirt that he threw at her. A delicate sniff told her that it had just come back from the cleaners. Great, one less thing for Decklyn to get upset over. The less she irritated her husband the better. The last time she had been grounded for a week. That was when he had discovered her ticklish spots.
“Thanks.” She shrugged into it and then straightened her shoulders. “Ok, shall we go downstairs and plan the defense, or do you want to have some private time together?”
Both of them looked longingly over at the bed, then at each other. Zan made the decision. “Downstairs. I think it’s time for lunch anyway.” He ushered them out of the room and down the stairway to the kitchen.
The ladies sat on the kitchen stools and watched him prepare a selection of sandwiches. There had been at least four minutes of silence when it finally clicked. Ruana jumped to her feet and shrieked in delight as she embraced her
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cousin. “You’re pregnant! Congratulations! How long? When are you due?”
“Enough, enough. I am just ending my first month. Hopefully, the little one will keep to mommy’s biology and not daddy’s.” She patted her softly curved belly gently. There was no hint of her pregnancy in her body yet, but the glow surrounding her proved it.
“Do you know if it’s a boy or girl?”
“It’s a boy. But I saw that one coming even before I met Decklyn, remember?” She was referring of course to a bunch of the cousins sneaking into Realm to go to the Vision Falls. It was to find out if they would fall for humans, or something else. Decklyn definitely qualified in the second category.
“Oh, of course. You know, I had forgotten all about that.” She looked over at Zan where he was still busy pursuing the last of the mayonnaise. A brilliant smile broke over her features.
She crouched down to whisper. “So, if Zan agrees, can you do it? The hand-fasting I mean.”
Anryn whispered back, “As soon as I get Albina and her Djinn here. Just let me have lunch first.”
“Lunch is ready. You might want to eat it now.” Zan’s whisper caused Anryn to blink then laugh out loud. He had leaned in over the table and was only inches from their hushed conversation.
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“Right, let’s eat.” Without further ado, she grabbed one of the sandwiches and began to devour it in a manner most disturbing to the couple watching her.
With a muffled “Sorry.” she kept stuffing her face until the sandwich, a plate of pickles, and half of a back of chips had been demolished.
Ruana carefully kept her food out of her cousin’s reach. She ate slowly, knowing that a second meal that day would not be likely. Zan followed her example, hoarding his food away from the remorseless eating machine that was sharing the table with them.
Finally, brushing crumbs and debris from her lips, Anryn faced them. “Ok. Now I need to know before we go any further, are you two willing to spend the rest of your lives together? Divorce won’t kill this bond. You will in effect become one soul.” She burped delicately. “Zan, I know that this is coming on you kinda fast, but you’re going to have to keep up.”
“You agreed to marry Ruana to protect her from the werewolf clans that are bidding on her. There is no need for that. Her clan can protect her and you for that matter. But if you truly want to have her in your care for the rest of your life, we can hand-fast you today. It is a legally binding ceremony, and will let you call on the Warder clan as you need it.”
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“You can think it over, but don’t take too long. There are delegations from three of the werewolf clans on their way here at this moment, and they will be here in three hours. Fortunately, my husband will arrive here in two.”
“Oh, and just so you are clear on this. The hand-fasting is only temporary. You’ll need to suffer through an official Realm wedding before you can get her pregnant. But have fun practicing.” She gave Zan a brilliant smile and he actually blushed in response to her frank appraisal.
She stopped to take a deep breath. “I’m going to set a few wards around your property. I’ll be back in about an hour and a half. Talk it over.” Giving Ruana a peck on the cheek, and Zan a clap on the shoulder, she left the farmhouse to give them some privacy.
Idly she walked through the yard and picked up pebbles. With a flick of her mind she charged them with warding power and then padded barefoot into the woods.
* * * *
Zan looked over at Ruana, “Whew. Your cousin is a little, hmm… focused. And green. She is definitely green.”
Ruana was tidying up the lunch dishes. “I told
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you that she was half dryad. Didn’t you believe me?”
“Well, she was more than I expected. What exactly is her husband? He didn’t look human either.” Zan moved to help her, drying and putting the dishes away as she washed them.
Amusement crossed her face. “Oh, I don’t want to spoil the surprise. Besides, you’ll meet him soon enough. He should be here this afternoon.” She paused for a moment. “I hope that he remembers to shield his pres
ence. He might scare your neighbors.”
With hands dripping with foam and water she turned to him, “Zan, are you sure about me? I mean, we only just met.”
“Yes, I am sure. I was prepared to fight the other wer clans to keep you, remember?” His hands gripped her hips and pulled her to him. He drew his head down to her neck and inhaled deeply. “Are you sure that your family will be able to convince them to leave you with me?”
Her head fell back, her wet hands grabbing his shoulders for support. “Trust me, they won’t be able to touch me once we’ve been hand-fasted.” Her actions exposed the bite marks on her neck. He snarled his approval at the marks of his possession on her body.
Ravenous, his eyes burning with heat, he took her mouth with his. Her fingers slid up to twine in
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his hair and hold his mouth against hers as he ravaged her. She lifted her legs to wrap around his waist and, using the counter at her back to brace herself, rubbed herself slowly against him.
The air came out of him in a shuddering groan. His hands held her hips against him, taking her weight, and began to walk to his bedroom with her twined around him.
Ruana began to shake in his grasp. Lust fired along every nerve. This was far different than the uncontrollable heat of the week before. This was deliberate arousal, surrendering to her desires for the first time by her own choice. As he took her to his bed, she hoped that she wasn’t making the biggest mistake of her life.
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Chapter Five
uana very swiftly found the difference between last week and now. Then it was sex, a violent drive to release and satisfaction. Now, it was making love. Forging a bond between them, as Zan slowly peeled her clothing from her to place it neatly on a nearby chair. Neat freak. As he uncovered each inch of delicate flesh, he tasted it. Pressing his mouth against her in a kiss that had her sighing in enjoyment. R
She tried to return the favor, reaching for the buttons on his shirt and undoing two of them before his hands drew hers aside.
“Next time, I promise. This time, let me.” His kiss found the sensitive spot on the side of her neck, and her head tilted to allow him to make use of his discovery.
As he progressed with his unveiling, she moaned, panted and whimpered in turn. At last she stood before him, clad only in quivering eagerness. This too, was far different from the last
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time. She had not been unclothed to his human eyes. Nor he to hers.
His eyes devoured her from head to toe. Pausing at her neck, breasts, hips and caressing her legs in a burning path that raised goose bumps on her. “I had no idea,” was all that he said.
They would be the last words spoken for an hour.
With impatient movements he pulled his own clothing off. Sparing none of the care that he had shown while undressing her. His shirt flew off in one direction, his pants in another. His shoes disappeared and his socks evaporated. When his hands began to draw off his briefs, Ruana flushed and looked away. She had not seen him nude before, only felt him.
With a smile and eager hands he reached for her, drawing her against him. She felt the hard length of his cock against her belly, and shifted her hips to rub her soft skin against him. He grunted in response to the caress and lifted her onto the bed. Laying her out on her back and hovering over her on raised arms. His body completely shielded hers from the daylight, and she could only make out the shadows of his face above her, surrounded as he was by the afternoon sun.
Deliberately, he lowered his body onto hers. Murmuring in pleasure at the contact of her soft flesh, the slide of her thighs parting to
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accommodate him. She felt the liquid heat leaking from her, wetting the curls at the juncture of her thighs. As his weight settled on her, her hips arched against him, seeking more thorough contact. Her thighs lifted high against his hips opening her body wide in invitation to the fiery shaft that waited just outside her reach.
He moved to lodge his cock within her entrance, then waited. Her body squirmed, unable to impale herself without his assistance. She met his eyes, finally opening her eyes after closing them to sensation. As her eyes locked with his, he slowly drove his flesh into hers. Every time she closed her eyes, he stopped until she opened them again.
She bit her lip and moaned as he was finally, fully within her. She kept her gaze on him as he began to thrust gently, and experimentally closed her eyes to have him stop once again.
She laughed gently, then focused on his face as he made love to her, her hands moving into his hair and stroking his shoulders. Time slowed. All to soon she felt the shivers of her release beginning within her. Breathy cries flew out of her throat, her hands turned to claws, digging into Zan’s flesh as he buried himself within hers.
She began to buck against him with every thrust, keeping her gaze on his face, though her eyes had gone blind with pleasure. A howl burst
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from her throat as she lifted them both off the bed with her orgasm. Her back arched, all of their weight borne on her shoulders as her channel pulsed around him, until she slumped with boneless exhaustion back onto the sheets.
He stopped again. She lifted heavy lashes to see the satisfaction and masculine pleasure on his face at her obvious exhaustion. Once she had opened her eyes, he began to thrust again. In less than a dozen strokes, she felt him shudder and his own howl of release rent the air. The sticky pearls of semen broadcasted into their new home. Zan’s eyes had gone blind during his orgasm as well, his body and mind focused on the divine release of pleasure. Her aftershocks milked him as he slowly collapsed against her, burying his face in the pillow, resting his weight on her warm, sated body.
Minutes passed, Ruana lay fighting to regain her breath. His weight on her was not helping. He seemed to figure it out though, and shifted to the side, pulling free of her body with a sigh of regret.
Still not speaking, he cuddled her against him, and breathed deeply of their combined scents. The silence stretched between them. Finally, he spoke again. “Yes, Ruana. I am sure.”
Tilting her head back, she saw the truth in his eyes. She moved and kissed his lips gently, “So am I, Zan. So am I.”
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Slow and rhythmic applause broke out. Zan flipped quickly to put himself between Ru and the intruder. Anryn stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame of the open door, her hands making a loud noise in the empty hallway.
“Very impressive cousin.” Anryn walked into the room, the borrowed shirt as pristine as when she had first put it on. It did not look at all like she had been wandering in the woods. Unless of course, one looked at her feet, which were stained with dirt and leaves.
“Is he as good as he looks?” Unabashed, she perched on the side of the bed and looked at her satisfied and blushing cousin.
“Anryn, could you give us some privacy. Please.” Ruana’s voice was husky from her screams, she tried to tug the sheets up to cover herself, but Zan was sitting on them.
“Already did, Ru. Two hours worth. Albina and Imaran are downstairs.” She got off the bed and sauntered to the door. “Decklyn is only ten minutes away, you might want to be dressed when he arrives.” With a short laugh, she disappeared. “It wouldn’t do to look like prey.”
Ruana looked over at Zan. “Two hours?” Her voice was weak.
“It only seemed like a few minutes to me as well.” He shook off his bemusement. By nature he was territorial, but now his territory was being
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invaded by his new mate’s family. The sacrifices he was willing to make. He rose to his feet and scooped her off the tangled sheets.
Moving swiftly, he herded her into the en suite bathroom and shoved them both into the shower. As his hands moved over her curves, he promised himself that the next time that they were together, they would take their time.
He soaped and rinsed them both, t
hen wrapped a towel around his hips, where a tent belied his interest in her naked form, and dried her swiftly with another.
She looked longingly at the erection that had so obviously been caused by the close contact in the shower. “You know, sometimes, I hate my family.”
Zan just laughed. A strained sound that echoed off of the bathroom tiles. “Let’s just get dressed, and get this over with.” He looked over at the devastation in the bedroom and shook his head. Wandering over to the dresser, he opened a drawer and pulled out some briefs for himself.
“I can’t wait to see how you get into those.” Ruana took a longing look once more at his erection as he attempted to wedge it behind the cotton fabric. Her own clothes were all located on the chair where he had put them. Her dressing was quick and painless, but she caught him grimacing out of the corner of her eye as he zipped
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his jeans up over his briefs.
“Am I decent?” She checked the mirror once more, to make sure that everything was tucked into it’s proper place. His arms wrapped around her and murmured into her ear. “I would say that you were fantastic. Not just decent.”
He had pulled on a shirt, but not done up the buttons. His skin radiated heat and she snuggled into his embrace, reveling in the contact. She inhaled deeply and the scent of their coupling was still hanging in the air.
“Do me a favor, Zan?”
“Sure Ruana. What do you need?”
“Don’t go too far, ok? I don‘t want Decklyn to eat you.” A tiny laugh escaped her lips, but he gave her a startled squeeze as her reflection told him that she wasn’t kidding.
Heavy wing beats filled the air. “He’s here. Stay close.”
“What the hell?” But he was talking to air as she slipped from his grasp to make her way to the door.
