by Tara Gill
In her? Did he mean he would put his tongue inside her body there? She didn’t know. But whatever Barghurr did, it was something her body liked very much. His licking and sniffing were doing something to her. Her womanly parts were now flushed a deep red. They also ached and spasmed, empty and needing something to fill it.
Preferably his thick male organ.
“Ah, you want me. Don’t you?” Barghurr’s rough hands clenched on her, and he growled. His hair seemed longer, thicker and her fingers ached to wind themselves through that luxurious mass.
“I think so. Please, is everything that happens here real?” she asked, her voice trembling. The need in her to be taken by him was so much that she was contemplating going all the way with him. Only one thing stopped her. If he made love to her, could she perhaps end up with child?
“In a way, love. I will explain it to you when we meet in your world.” Barghurr was now nuzzling along her inner thighs. She could see that he rubbed his chin and nose along her skin. In her esoteric reading from her father’s library, she had read that lions had scent glands there and used it to mark ownership of their bond mate.
Barghurr raised his head and met her gaze with serious eyes. His chin was wet with her juices. “I am marking you temporarily. Any magical creature will sense that you are taken when they take one whiff of you.”
“Oh. There is a permanent way of marking your mate then?” Mia was curious, filled with endless questions.
“You will know of that later.” With a kiss to her mons, he untied her, turned her to her side and curved around her back. His staff was long and stiff between them, but Barghurr only buried his face in her neck. “Sleep now, Mia mine. Know that you are beloved.”
Then he started purring. The purring vibrated through his entire body and hers. For some odd reason, it made her feel good. The lion chimera face also nuzzled into her. Its eyes were closed, and it seemed to be smiling.
While Barghurr seemed to be asleep, Mia took a while to get accustomed to his closeness, and the happenings of the night.
Barghurr had called her ‘beloved’. Perhaps the mate bond meant something else to him, but she was only still getting to know Barghurr. Perhaps at his estate, they could become better acquainted. At the least, she and her future husband were physically compatible. A small smile tugged at her mouth at that thought.
Perhaps this marriage would not turn out to be so bad after all.
His purring reverberated through her chest. A while later her lashes lowered, and she drifted off to sleep, held possessively in his arms.
Chapter 5
On a chilly, drizzling morning a few days later, Mia bade farewell to her parents as they set out for the docks. As soon as her parent’s carriage left, she heaved a sigh and moved to the small morning room, requesting Wilkins to bring her some tea.
Her parents had left early in order to board their ship, meet with Papa’s assistants and to check that they’d packed all the equipment they needed.
The streets were still quiet, and so was the household. Usually, Mia’s parents left early without waking her. They had said their goodbyes to her the night before. But something made Mia want to say goodbye in person today, and she had woken early to be there to wave them away. Not that it had moved her parents at all. She was more in their way than anything, and today she had been a distracted afterthought.
Papa had been so excited to set off on his expedition that her presence hadn’t even registered with him. She stifled another unhappy sigh as she stared out of the window at the grimy street which was now waking up.
One would have thought that her sleep would be disturbed what with the unusual direction of her life—suspicions of strange men following her around town, scandalous dreams that made her wonder at herself.
Her fingers brushed the stone pendant that she’d been unable to bring herself to remove.
Mia had never slept so well as she had the last few nights. Barghurr had come to her in her dreams without fail. As usual, he’d unclothed her, and rubbed his scent all over, marking her and had held her while she slept. A couple of times they’d even talked, usually about the Other Planes, about strange worlds and stranger people. He’d indulged her curiosity, which pleased her no end, but her favourite part was sleeping in his arms.
Sad as it sounded, she couldn’t recall anyone ever hugging her. Although someone must have held her as a baby, she had the idea that it must have been an equal share of impersonal servants who had cared for her rather than her parents, given that her parents had left for Ceylon not a year after she was born.
It was as if Barghurr subconsciously sensed her need for physical affection and addressed that need. He held her as if she was precious to him. No one had ever made her feel that way.
From the purring, it was evident that it made him happy just to hold her. It made her happy too—the unquestioning adoration from the lion, the apparent affection. She wondered at it, but she slept like a babe in his arms every night and woke up bright-eyed.
As for the intimacies…she blushed. His scent-marking always made her dizzy with desire. But he never presumed to do more than hold or caress her. Why he’d never even kissed Mia, whereas sophisticated flirts in Society tried getting her alone and coaxing her into a kiss when they had no intention of asking her hand in marriage.
Barghurr was a gentleman in many ways but not in other, naughty ways, and she found that she rather liked the juxtaposition. She found herself looking forward to the intimacies of marriage that he would introduce her to, but before that, she also had a concern that’d been troubling her for some time.
Fanny said that the Others were able to sense a lie, and Mia had a truth that she was not sure Barghurr would be able to live with. Her stomach clenched at the thought of baring her secret to the man. She was not sure what to hope for—would he accept her or deride her?
At a small noise, she glanced up from her perch on the window seat. It was not Wilkins, but the man in her thoughts who had appeared in the room out of thin air. His presence electrified the room and Mia’s eyes rounded as she took an involuntary step backward. Her heart pounded. “My Lord, what…how?!”
Dressed in an impeccable morning suit, hat and all, he reached his hand out to her, “Quick, come with me!”
She placed her small hand in his and looked at him, puzzled. “Weren’t we supposed to come to you tomorrow in your carriage?”
“That was only to allay your parent’s sentiments. You are coming with me now,” he informed her.
“Now? But I’m not dressed.” She glanced down in dismay at her housecoat. “And I haven’t finished packing yet. Nor has Fanny.”
“You won’t need these clothes. Everything you need is ready for you at your home.” He pulled her into his arms, her head barely reaching his chin. “Close your eyes. This may be a bit disorienting the first time or two.”
She hesitated a moment but decided to trust him. Besides she needed to talk to him and she preferred privacy for that conversation. Obediently, she closed her eyes. The earth rocked under her feet and then the weather changed, instantly feeling warmer, airier.
“You can look now.” When she opened her eyes, she was in a spacious low-ceilinged chamber. The floor was made of a creamy wood, and so were many of the furnishings. White furry rugs were everywhere, and the warm rays of the sun slanted into the room. The furniture was plush and built to a large scale. Wide open windows displayed large grassy plains as far as the eye could see. Distant forests were silhouetted against tall, white, mountain peaks.
Mia’s mouth dropped at the beauty, the sheer vastness of the land.
“Welcome to your new home.” Barghurr offered her a steaming cup. “Here, you wanted tea.”
She was glancing dazedly at everything, her head bobbing here and there, but she had enough presence of mind to take the cup from him. “Thank you, My Lord. Lionhaeme is lovely, I hope to explore more of it.” The tea tasted just the way she liked it. When she finished, she placed i
t back on the tray and looked for the bell. Finding none, she raised her brows at Barghurr.
He stood there, contemplating her with a pleased look. Seeing her in his home clearly satisfied him. “What is it?”
“You do not have a way to call servants?”
He frowned. “We do not have the concept of servants here.”
Mia cocked her head to the side. “Ah. What an enlightened attitude. How does one manage the household then?”
“Magic,” he said simply. With a nod, he filled her teacup again.
She stared at him with wide eyes. It felt like someone had lifted her and placed her upside down on her head—she was so disoriented! It had been a beyond strange morning. Barghurr had appeared and plucked her away from her house without concerning himself about societal constraints or etiquette.
Mia’s hands fisted in the folds of her housecoat. Her life was so out of her control that she had a good notion to scream. Taking a few deep breaths, she reminded herself that she had in fact agreed to come with Barghurr in hopes of having a discussion very pertinent to their future.
“Speechless?” he teased. “You seem to be taking all this rather well, if I may say so,” he said, walking around her in circles, coming closer and closer. Her heartbeat quickened, and her breaths became shallow as he closed on her.
She turned, keeping him in her sight. Somehow, she did not want him at her back. “I understand you did not intend to wait for the carriage to bring me and Fanny here. Why should you, when there is a more convenient way to convey us—me here and that too in a fraction of the time? But though I am without a chaperone now and Fanny will be worried when she finds me gone, this suits my purpose as I wanted to speak with you on a matter personal to me.”
Her head drooped, and she walked to a chair; she needed the solid support. Her fingers threaded, and she wrung her hands. She sat stiffly as if facing a guillotine and began, “Being as we are from different cultures, I am not sure what standard you hold your women to when it comes to their intimate lives.”
His eyes narrowed. “It is true that women here have a lot of freedom, but I would hold my mate to a higher standard.”
She went paler. “In that case it is best I confess this at the outset. I am not a virgin, Lord Barghurr. I am quite sure my parents led you to expect that I was virtuous, and I am sorry if you feel disappointed. Of course, you need not proceed with the marriage under these circumstances. Only allow me some time to arrange my situation as I will need to think of a way to support myself. I am afraid my parents may be quite disgusted at me and may cry off from having anything to do with me once they hear of this.” A hard lump rose at her throat. Was she actually disappointed at losing the opportunity to be with this strange, powerful and sensual man?
Barghurr’s lion chimera which had been following her with his adoring eyes was now growling continuously. Meanwhile, a hard-eyed Barghurr now glared at her. “Who is he?”
“No one that concerns you.” Mia got up and looked around blindly, her eyes full of tears that she dare not shed yet. She would cry later under her bedsheets, alone as always. “How do I get back to the City?”
Sinewy hands grasped her upper arms, the tips scratching her again. Irritated, she pulled away with no success. “Stop doing that. You keep tearing my sleeves and scratching my skin!” she snapped.
His eyes widened, and then he snicked his claws in. Mia hadn’t known he could do that. He shook her. “You will tell me who he was.” The lion was still growling.
“Why? So that you can claw him up as well?” Mia asked angrily.
“He deserves that and worse for touching my woman,” he growled menacingly.
“Well, you can’t because he’s dead!” Mia retorted.
There was a silence, then Barghurr abruptly pulled her into his arms. She was crushed against his chest, but she didn’t mind. She felt safe and protected there, just under his chin.
“Tell me about him,” Barghurr said. He sounded calmer now.
Her voice muffled, Mia began, “He was the vicar’s son. A neighbour. We had been playmates from when we were very young, and he was kind to me. Tom was motherless, and his father was a dour man who didn’t have much time for his only son. He was a sunny boy though and was always thinking of things for us to do. I think I would have gone mad without him.”
“He planned to be a doctor, invent medicines that would cure diseases. He dreamed of a world where people would live much longer. But when he was sixteen, he was diagnosed with consumption.” She swallowed hard, remembering that awful day. “The doctors gave him only months to live. Tom’s father didn’t even seem to care. I knew Tom wanted to explore intimacy with a girl. He didn’t love me, and I didn’t love him. Not like that, but we were best friends and so I gave him my body. We were kind to each other. He died a few months later, leaving me all alone.”
His arms tightened even more till Mia couldn’t breathe, but she didn’t care. Soon she was sobbing away all the loneliness of her life. Mourning the few wonderful moments of fun she and Tom had had, the moments he had tried to take care of her: bandaging her knee sloppily when she’d fallen and hurt herself, and giving her childish, handmade, birthday presents or candy when no one else had cared. He wasn’t her love, but he had been her best friend, and now he was gone.
It was the first time in living memory that someone had held Mia when she cried. When she came to herself, Barghurr was seated on a plush, creamy sofa, and she was on his lap.
She tried to pull away saying in a thick voice, “I’ve ruined your attire.” He disregarded her, giving her his monogrammed handkerchief. “Wipe your eyes and blow your nose.”
With a scandalised look, she did just that and tried to give back his handkerchief. With a gleam in his eyes, he took it and dropped it on the small table next to him. Then he took her chin and made her face him. “I’m very angry at one thing you said just now,”
Heart sinking, she braced herself. He had every right to be angry—Mia had been less than honest with him.
“You are not to consider yourself all alone in this world. You will never be alone again. You are mine, and you will always have me to love you, hold you and support you at all times. Is that clear?”
Wide-eyed, Mia slowly nodded. “So, you are all right with what I told you?” she stammered.
He sighed, “In truth, you were right. Here and in other Planes, women are held to be as sexual a creature as a male, and there are no double standards. People live much longer here and may meet their mate even after a century, so it is not likely that they remain untouched after all that time. Besides different species have different mating rituals.”
He adjusted her on his lap and pulled her closer. “I am not angry about you not being a virgin, Mia mine. It is true that a few minutes ago, I was feeling possessive and was jealous that someone should have touched my woman. I understand now. Whatever be your fears, trust that I will never let you go. From the time I set eyes on you, I was yours.”
“Truly?” A sob of relief escaped her. Barghurr sighed and patted her back. As each pat had enough force to make her cough for several seconds, he peered down in concern.
With a soft smile, she met his intense gaze that spoke of tenderness and affection and then suddenly, out of the blue she found herself kissing him. He tried to pull away, “You are emotional. You do not know what you are doing, maybe we should wait for you to think clearly.”
Mia was hurt at the suggestion that she did not know her own mind. But mayhap he did not want her touch. Feeling chastened, she pulled away and tried to get off him, hanging her head so he couldn’t see her stricken expression. “Please, let me up.”
He groaned. “Now I have hurt you.” He pulled her back and kissed her with tender touches of her lips to his. The tip of his tongue brushed against her mouth, and she jerked in shock. Then daringly, she touched her tongue to his.
That did it.
He tumbled her down on the sofa and came down on top of her heavily. As
she gasped, he took advantage of the opportunity to force his tongue into her mouth. The kiss turned passionate. He delved into her and explored every bit of her mouth as the thrusting of his hips into hers started to mimic the thrust of his tongue.
When they broke apart for breath, Mia felt odd. She was red like a tomato, and perspiring. She couldn’t bear the touch of clothing against her skin—it felt abrasive—and she was breathless.
Avid gaze lingering on her kiss-swollen mouth, he dipped his head to kiss her again.
“T-there is something wrong with me,” she wheezed.
He raised his torso and looked her over with hot, burning eyes—both lion eyes and his own—and he swore.
Chapter 6
Barghurr lifted Mia in his powerful arms. Another disorienting sensation passed through her and then she was in an expansive space under a high dome made of a reddish material which seemed strong as stone but also translucent like glass. Light from skylights fell on shimmering white floors and walls. Her belly twisted, and she blinked up at the ceiling in some distress, and she bit back another moan, trying not to embarrass herself in company. Passages in every direction led from below the central dome to rooms from where there came sounds of music, the laughter of children and melodious feminine voices.
It was getting worse. Mia buried her face in Barghurr’s chest, as a haze covered her eyesight and her head spun. A woman, a bronze-skinned beauty dressed all in white, hurried towards them.
“Barghurr, is that her? What is wrong, why are you carrying her?”
“Leona, get Mistress Faheme!” Barghurr barked.
“Oh!” There was a surprised exclamation, and the woman rushed away with a jingle of bracelets.
He laid Mia down on a settee and examined her face as other women entered the chamber and encircled them with concerned murmurs. “Her pupils are dilated,” he observed.
