“You feel incredible,” he rumbled, inching forward, stretching her to a near painful limit.
Vaulcron pulled back slightly before easing back in, seating himself fully inside her. “You belong to me, Mallory. Now and forevermore.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Vaulcron shook with the force of holding back. A fine sheen of sweat covered his body as he fought the need to thrust into Mallory’s wet heat.
She felt better than he could have ever imagined. And he’d imagined quite often.
The sex they’d shared back in that lab remained on the outskirts of his memory. Bits and pieces would come and go, but nothing stuck long enough to get a lock on it.
The feeling of oneness he shared with her now outshone every fantasy he’d had of her before.
He began to slowly pump into her, basking in the feel of her tightly hugging his shaft.
His gaze lowered to the place their bodies connected, and his already painfully hard erection grew harder, if that was possible.
The sight of her small, sweet sex stretched around his much larger shaft, holding him as he thrust inside her, took his control.
Vaulcron backed up a step to prevent himself from penetrating her too deep. “Relax. I will take you there.”
Mallory’s eyes grew dark with passion. “Don’t hold back with me, Vaulcron. You’re not going to break me.”
Gritting his teeth, Vaulcron surrendered to the feeling inside him, demanding he give up control.
Stepping forward, he brought his knees up to the foot of the bed, bending her own knees up toward her chest, and thrust.
Mallory cried out, throwing her arms around his shoulders, holding him in a grip that surprised him for one so small.
She rose up to meet every downward stroke he gave her, giving him all of herself, demanding all of him.
“Vaulcron,” Mallory panted, her head thrown back. “Oh God, don’t stop.”
He couldn’t have stopped if he tried. Lifting up onto his elbows, he watched her through a seductive haze, fighting his own release to prolong hers.
“I love you, Mallory.”
Her back bowed off the bed, and a scream ripped from her throat with the orgasm that rocked her beneath him.
Her vaginal walls contracted around his thrusting shaft, slowing his movements, demanding his surrender.
A shout burst from him with the force of his seed being wrenched from his body. Still he drove into again and again, unable to control his movements, his thoughts, his feelings.
Rolling to the side to keep his weight off her, Vaulcron tugged her with him until she sat atop him.
A shudder passed through him as more of his seed expelled inside her. He stared up at her in wonder. “That was the most incredible experience of my life.”
Mallory rolled her hips, wringing a groan from him. “I’ve never experienced anything like it either, Vaulcron. I want to share this with you, every day for the rest of our lives.”
“Every day?” Vaulcron teased, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear. “You would become sore.”
Mallory grinned. “Are you sure you’re not worried about you becoming tender? Poor baby.”
The breath rushed from Vaulcron’s lungs as she lifted her hips and sank back down onto his still erect length.
She appeared wild and fierce with her eyes glittering, her dark hair falling around her face, and her lips swollen from his kisses.
Vaulcron had never thought her more beautiful than he did in that moment.
* * * *
Mallory emerged from the bathroom, wearing the same robe and her hair wrapped in a towel. She stopped short when her gaze landed on Abbigail Sutherland.
“Doctor Sutherland,” Mallory exclaimed, glancing from Abbie to Vaulcron.
Vaulcron tied the sash on his own robe and waved a hand toward his brother’s mate. “I asked Abbie here to make certain that you and the babe are all right.”
Mallory gripped the top of her robe and stepped forward with her hand extended. “I’m Mallory Cahill. It’s nice to finally meet you. You’re a legend back in the States.”
Abbie blushed, a soft smile on her face. “More like a fugitive.”
“Aren’t we all,” Mallory agreed in a quiet voice. “Won’t you sit down?”
Vaulcron watched in contentment as Mallory interacted with his brother’s mate.
He trailed over to where Mallory stood. “I need to speak with Zaureth. Will you be all right while I am gone?”
“Of course,” Mallory teased. “I’m the Great White Shark. Remember?”
Vaulcron bent and kissed her softly on the lips, his body reacting to the mere scent of her.
He snatched up his clothing and turned toward the door before he embarrassed himself in front of the females.
Once in the hall, Vaulcron strode toward Zaureth’s room and knocked on the door. When no answer came, he tried again before turning toward the stairwell.
Vaulcron changed into his sharkskin shorts and vest, tossing the robe over his shoulder as he jogged down the stairs to the lobby.
Oz sat in an overstuffed chair, sipping on a glass of wine as a dark-haired female stood behind him, massaging his shoulders.
“Have you seen Zaureth?” Vaulcron asked Oz, ignoring the female practically draped across his shoulders.
Oz nodded. “He left.”
“What do you mean he left?” Vaulcron persisted, moving to stand directly in front of the guy’s chair.
“Would you mind leaving us, Juanita?” Oz reached into his pocket and pulled a hundred-dollar bill free, handing it to the female.
She snatched it up and sashayed off with a wink at Vaulcron.
Oz stood. “Walk with me.”
Vaulcron fell into step next to Oz as they made their way toward the double doors. The two of them emerged outside and headed to the water without speaking.
“Zaureth is not like us, Vaulcron.”
Vaulcron nodded. “I am aware. You asked me out here to tell me this?”
Oz laughed. “My time is more precious than that, my friend. I brought you out to be sure we weren’t overheard.”
“I am listening.”
“Zaureth is battling something he fears he can’t win.”
Vaulcron stared out over the rolling waves of the gulf. “How is it that you have come to know this?”
Oz shrugged. “He told me.”
It pained Vaulcron that Zaureth hadn’t come to him. Though Vaulcron was older than Zaureth, he’d been close to the healer since they were children. They trusted each other. Or so Vaulcron had thought.
He turned to face Oz. “He told you what, exactly?”
“His energy has grown weak. Not even meditation seems to help.”
“But why?” Vaulcron had never known Zaureth to show or feel weakness. He was the strongest Bracadyte in Aukrabah. “It makes no sense.”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Oz replied. “I’m only telling you this because he asked me to.”
Vaulcron rested his palms on the back of his head. “Where did he go?”
“Home.”
Vaulcron’s stomach tightened. “To Aukrabah?”
Oz kept his gaze on the water as he spoke. “Look. The bombing has been stopped, and all divers have been pulled from the gulf. He’ll be okay.”
“But—”
“He needs this,” Oz insisted, cutting off whatever argument Vaulcron was about to give. “He wanted you to understand, not come after him.”
Vaulcron gritted his teeth in frustration. “He gave you no indication as to what he battles inside?”
Oz hesitated. “Not directly, no. But what I have gathered over the past week and a half, I’d say it has to do with a certain blind girl.”
“Amy?” Vaulcron growled in disbelief.
“Just my opinion.” Oz spun on his heel and strode back toward the hotel.
Vaulcron stood there for several minutes before stepping into the edge of the water and slowly closi
ng his eyes. “Zaureth?”
“Do not follow me, son of my king. This is a journey I must travel alone.”
“What troubles you, my friend?” Vaulcron sent back.
A long pause ensued. “I am not certain. But I must go back to where it first began for me. Hopefully there, I will find the answers that I seek.”
“When you first realized your gift of healing?”
“Among other things,” came Zaureth’s hesitant response.
“What other things?”
Silence.
Chapter Thirty-Six
“It’s too early to do a pregnancy test without blood work,” Abbie reluctantly informed Mallory. “But if Zaureth says you’re pregnant, you can bet the farm that you are.”
Mallory’s heart swelled with happiness. “How is it even possible to tell if someone is expecting by simply touching their hand?”
“Zaureth is special,” Abbie admitted. “He holds a power that is foreign to me. But it exists. I’ve seen it firsthand.”
“This is all just so incredible.” Mallory made her way over to sit in the chair across from Abbie. “Before this all started, I never would have dreamed that something this unbelievable truly existed. Yet here we are, mated to two of them. I keep thinking I’m going to wake up and find it was all a dream.”
“It is a dream, Mallory. The dream of a lifetime.” Abbie’s gaze suddenly flicked to the television. “Turn that up.”
Mallory snatched up the remote and pressed the volume button in time to hear Vice President Pratt announce his temporary seat as president of the United States.
“The trial is set to begin sometime in the next two weeks, to determine the fate of President Rueben Howell. Until then, I will be acting in his stead. Further investigation into the Incola cover-up is underway. The troops will be pulled from the gulf until we can secure a meeting with the Bracadyte king. It’s peace that I seek. There’s been enough bloodshed on both sides. It’s time to put an end to what I feel is an unnecessary war.”
“I don’t know how to thank you,” Abbie declared, tears filling her beautiful hazel eyes. “If not for you, none of this would be happening.”
Mallory grew uncomfortable with the praise. “Vaulcron deserves most of the credit. He’s the one that contacted me, insisting I interview him. This was his plan all along.”
A soft knock sounded on the door. Mallory stood and trailed over to open the door. “Hello?”
A young native girl wearing a maid’s uniform stood next to Amy. “I found her lost in the hall. She asked me to guide her to your room.”
“Thank you,” Mallory murmured, reaching out to take hold of Amy’s hand. “She’s my sister.”
“Has anyone seen Zaureth?” Amy immediately asked, allowing Mallory to guide her into the room.
Mallory led her to the closest chair and helped her sit. “I’m sure Vaulcron is with him. He left to go find Zaureth about an hour ago.”
A look of relief settled on Amy’s face.
Mallory knelt down next to her chair. “You’ve become quite close with Zaureth, haven’t you?”
“Yes. He’s the only one doesn’t pity me. Not to mention he has more patience than anyone I’ve ever known.”
“Amy, honey? Zaureth is a healer. He plays a very important role in the Bracadyte world. He can’t spend every waking hour with you. Do you understand?”
“Don’t treat me like a child, Mallory. If I’m smothering him, I’ll back off.”
Pride filled Mallory’s chest at how much her sister had matured over the past five years. She’d grown into a responsible young woman. “I didn’t say you were smothering him. I’m just giving you some sisterly advice.”
Amy smiled and tilted her head to the side. “Hello, Abbigail. How are you today?”
Mallory grinned at Abbie’s stunned expression.
“How did you know I was here?” Abbie asked in an awed tone.
“I recognized your scent. You always smell so clean with a hint of floral.”
Abbie laughed. “That was the best compliment I’ve had all day.”
The door opened, and a grim-faced Vaulcron slipped inside.
“What’s wrong?” Mallory questioned, reaching up to touch his face.
“Zaureth is gone.”
Amy turned her face toward Vaulcron. She remained perfectly still, no emotion evident in her voice. “What do you mean he is gone?”
Vaulcron recited the details of his talk with Oz, ending with his conversation with Zaureth and the healer’s need to be left alone.
Amy paled, but otherwise remained calm. She slowly got to her feet and felt her way to the door.
Mallory rushed to her side. “Where are you going?”
“To my room. I have the beginnings of a headache, and I’d like to lie down for a bit.”
“I’ll walk you there,” Mallory offered, opening the door.
Amy shook her head. “That won’t be necessary. I know my way back now. I’m six doors down on the left.”
Kissing Mallory on the cheek, Amy stepped out into the hall, dragging her hand down the wall as a guide.
Mallory waited until she safely entered her room before closing the door to find Vaulcron pacing along the foot of the bed.
Abbie stood and rounded the coffee table. “I’ll give you some privacy.”
“Talk to me,” Mallory beseeched him once the door shut behind Abbie.
Vaulcron paused and sat on the foot of the bed, pulling Mallory in between his knees. He was tall enough that their faces were level with each other. “This behavior Zaureth is exhibiting is not like him. I have known him since he was a babe.”
“I thought he was older than you?”
Vaulcron shook his head. “He was born during my tenth summer.”
Mallory ran a hand down his hair. “In human terms, please.”
“I am ten years his senior.”
Shocked, Mallory slowed her hand on its downward trek. “He’s only thirty?”
At Vaulcron’s nod, she continued stroking his long hair. “I would have never guessed him so young. His hair has white streaks along his temples.”
“The discoloration began once he came into his powers. Even I am not privy to what all he is capable of.”
“You mean his healing abilities?”
“Among other things,” Vaulcron revealed. “But to what extent, I do not know.”
“Wow,” Mallory breathed, sliding her hand down to cup his cheek. “I’m sure he’ll be back as soon as he works through his issues, Vaulcron. He doesn’t strike me as the type to abandon his people.”
“I hope you are right, my love,” he murmured, snaking a hand around her waist. “I will attempt to speak with him again on the morrow. In the meantime, I would very much like to be inside my mate.”
Mallory’s eyes grew heavy with desire. She pressed her body against him and rested her mouth next to his ear. “I want you to take me in every way possible. And then take me some more.”
The feel of his erection growing between their bodies was her undoing. She shrugged out of her robe and pushed him back onto the bed, following him down. “Vaulcron…”
Epilogue
Six Weeks Later
Mallory stumbled from the bathroom, holding a cool washcloth against her forehead, Vaulcron tight on her heels.
“What can I do, my love? It hurts my heart to see you like this.”
Another round of nausea seized her, but she breathed her way through it. “I just need to lie down. And maybe a small glass of ginger ale would help.”
Vaulcron helped her to the bed before rushing across the room to the refrigerator for her ginger ale.
He set the drink on the bedside table. “What else can I do?”
“Lie down beside me,” she whispered, taking a sip of the cool, bubbly liquid.
Vaulcron climbed into bed next to her, propped himself up against the headboard, and adjusted her body alongside his with her head resting on his shoulder. “I wish I co
uld remove your sick feeling. I would gladly take it into myself.”
“I know you would.” Mallory sighed, the ginger ale already working to calm her stomach. “Have you heard anything from Zaureth?”
“Still nothing. He has been gone too long without contacting anyone. I am worried that he will not return.”
Mallory snuggled up tighter against him. “Amy isn’t acting right either.”
“How do you mean?”
“She’s withdrawn and stays in her room more and more lately.”
“Perhaps she misses her home,” Vaulcron suggested, running his fingertips up and down Mallory’s arm.
“I’d thought of that. But she can’t go back yet. Not until President Howell has been officially impeached, and Pratt has his meeting with Klause.”
“And what of us? Are we returning to the States when your sister does?”
Mallory tilted her face up to look into his eyes. “If that’s what you want. I’d be content to stay here in Playa Pilar, frolicking on the beach with you and our child.”
“You are aware that I am to be king of Aukrabah once my father steps down.”
Mallory didn’t miss the hesitancy in his voice. “I know. And hopefully by that time, there will be peace between the humans and Bracadytes, and we can all live together in harmony.”
Vaulcron kissed the tip of her nose. “We shall see…”
Zaureth
Book Four of Enigma-Coming Soon
Ember-Book One in The Seeker Series
Chapter One
Ember Wells gazed around her new seventh-floor corner office. She’d been promoted to lead photojournalist at the Lakeland Hedger after eight years with the fast-paced newspaper company. All those late nights spent sucking down coffee and abusing her laptop had finally paid off.
“Eat your heart out, Lois Lane.” She grinned and strolled across the room to open the blinds. The morning sun bathed the city below in a golden glow. Horns could be heard from several cars and cabs in a hurry to reach their destinations. This was her home.
Ember had grown up in Lakeland, Florida, with no desire to relocate. Her busy schedule didn’t allow much time for a social life other than an occasional drink with her editor and dearest friend, Laura Donovan. The pretty blue-eyed blonde was the closest thing she had to a sister.
Vaulcron (Enigma Series Book 3) Page 15
