Aether's Mark
Page 9
Rhoetus.
She beamed at her handsome mate, dressed in a simple ivory shirt that accentuated his robust centaur form, and barely acknowledged the hundreds of attendants who’d gathered to witness their union. This moment was about them. About the long struggle they’d had in finally coming together and saving each other’s souls.
That they’d saved their world, too, only made this sweeter.
This marriage would begin a new era for Krete, with King and Queen ruling benevolently over the centaur race. And yes, not only centaurs. Many of the nymphs who’d been displaced by the vile King Philaeus had chosen to start new lives here on Krete.
A similar boundary ward to the one which stretched across centaur lands on Thessaly now fell across Krete, too. Queen Atalante had instructed Minthe on how to create one here, so all of Krete was protected. Minthe had joined together with the other mates and they’d employed their gifts, along with Queen Atalante’s, to fashion a ward sealing Krete from the outside world.
They were safe, protected, and free to live their happy endings.
Hers would begin now.
The intricate gold stitching of her billowing ivory skirts blazed in the starlight, this ornate gown making her feel like the Queen she was about to become. She strolled down the aisle and met Rhoetus, linking her arm through his. He stared down at her with every ounce of devotion she’d never dreamed to possess in another.
Her smile shot wider, and she returned the same adoration.
They were more than mates destined by the Fates to be together.
Indeed, they had the rest of their lives to discover exactly what that meant.
Rhoetus faced her, his vows rumbling proudly from his chest. “The Fates have brought us together. The gods have passed favor over us. From this moment, I join my life with yours. My body to honor you. My hearts to cherish you. My soul forever yours. I give myself to you.”
Smiling kindly, Cheiron placed a gleaming gold crown upon his head.
Then she repeated the vows, and Cheiron bestowed her with a delicate crown of gold, as well.
Rhoetus slipped his hands around the back of her neck and kissed her passionately, sealing their twined destinies as mates and sovereign rulers of Krete.
Rhoetus had enjoyed the wedding, and certainly the libations afterward were pleasant, but the second everyone’s stares had passed off him and his new bride, he stole her away, scooped her over his shoulder, and carted her off to their chamber.
“You wicked centaur.” She pounded a playful fist on his shoulder. “Our guests will miss us.”
“Nay, I believe we have at least three minutes before they’ll notice.”
“Three minutes.” She glared, scrunching her nose so endearingly. “You’d better hope you last longer than that.”
After shifting into his human form, he winked at her. “Well, you said you wanted to get back.”
“Not that badly,” she grated.
Grinning broadly, he plopped onto a chair and towed her to his lap. “I doubt we have time to undress, heh?”
She scoffed and patted a hand down the voluminous skirts of her wedding dress. “Do you have any idea how long it took to get me into this?”
“Nay,” he nipped at her shoulder, baring her skin, “but it should only take me a moment to get you out of it.”
“Don’t you dare.” She slapped aside his hand snaring around her back. “If you tear even one button, I swear—”
“What? Hmm? How will my nymph punish me?” He cocked his brow, enjoying this far too much. Ah, that blush of hers. He snaked his hand around her neck, crushing her mouth onto his.
“You have two and a half minutes left, centaur,” she intoned against his mouth, “and you’re wasting them.”
“Bloody hell,” he snarled and reached for his dagger. “If that’s all we have, I’m going to make you mine, mate.”
He placed the hilt in her grasp, closing his fist tightly over hers. “No need to worry. I’ll guide you every step.”
She smiled down upon him, but her hands were already freeing his thick erection from his breeches. Straddling atop him, she sank onto his length, making them both moan.
Swiftly, he drew their hands to his left arm, to the bonding mark begging to be freed.
“Ready, lass?”
“You know that I am.” She kissed him fervently and, together, they sliced the blade around, bonding them. For eternity.
He roared, pumping ferociously into her, and spilled his seed, inside his mate. Fulfillment crashed through him and he growled at the deep satisfaction. She cried out and bit his shoulder, riding him until the last panting breaths of ecstasy exhaled from her lungs.
Together, they swung their gazes to his arm, and she traced her fingertips along the thin black band marking their bonding. Above it rested her name in Old Centaurion, etched into his arm.
“Mine, love,” he purred. “Now that I have found and caught you, never will I let you go.”
“Oh,” she squeezed around him, making him irresistibly lustful for her again, “I think you mean, I’m never letting you go.”
“Didn’t you say our time was finished?” He winked, nipping at her lips.
“No, my sweet Rhoetus. When your love is written in the stars, time is as endless as the starlight.”
Epilogue
One month later
On his balcony, Rhoetus studied the rolling hills and pristine valleys forming his homeland.
At his side, Minthe bit her lip so seductively. “I fear I should have warned you. There are consequences, you know, to spilling your seed inside your lover.” She seized his hand and pressed it to her belly.
Rhoetus just gaped. Then stuttered. And gawked some more before swallowing. Hard. “Do you mean—”
“Yes. We’re going to finally start that family we’ve dreamed of. The pain of the past now rests easy in the hope of the future.” She caressed his cheek and he nuzzled her palm.
“Sweet Minthe, I never could have gotten here without your light to guide me. Without your loving heart to place your faith in me.”
“About that…” She slanted her gaze to him. “Do you want my mother to revoke her persuasion?”
“What?” He barked a laugh. “Nay, never. Though I don’t need her to convince me I must protect you—the most important thing in my life—never shall I let anyone prevent me from doing so again. You mean far too much to me, and I’ll never forget that. If your meddlesome mother’s voice helps knock sense into me should I ever require it,” he tapped the side of his head, “I’ll welcome it.”
“Good,” she murmured, “because I told her the same thing about you.”
“Saucy lass.” He tossed his head. “I don’t doubt you did.” Drawing her hand to his chest, he observed their lands. “Now, where should we start? Where does our future begin?”
She rushed into his embrace, melding against him as though she’d been fashioned to belong there. Or mayhap, he’d been fashioned to fit her.
Either way, there was rightness in this which could never be broken.
Minthe tilted her face to him, those blue pools dancing brightly. “We begin here.” She pressed her hand to his human heart, and to hers. “We move to here.” Then she slid their hands across her belly. “And everything else will fall into alignment.” She nodded toward the horizon. “After all, fates, destiny, the path of the stars, they’re what we choose them to be,” she hummed. “And I choose you.” Lifting onto her toes, she planted a kiss on his lips.
He growled low, shifting his hands to the back of her neck and kissing her deeply. “Aye, then, Asteri. You’d better be prepared for an adventurous future. Because I choose you, until the starlight dims upon our path together, until my hearts stop beating. Until…forever.”
Glossary
Olympian – the lingua franca (common tongue) of the gods and their descendants.
potamoi – a river demon
raptio – sexual slaves
Adrasteia – A
rsenius’s brigantine. Named after his half-sister, the goddess of revenge and balance.
morphos – a shift in form, whether permanent or temporary. E.g. when a centaur changes form from a centaur to a human, he undergoes the morphos.
chalkos, argyros, and chrysos – three passwords to the symposium, meaning “copper, silver, and gold”
asphodelus, eros, aionios – three passwords to Halcyon, meaning “daffodil, love, and eternal”
lyssa – a madness affecting centaurs, especially related to an incomplete bonding
melita – term of endearment meaning “honey-sweet”
quarter – pyrate term for “mercy”
Old Centaurion – an ancient centaur language
Meliae – honey nymphs
hubris – excessive pride toward or defiance of the gods
Pythia – Oracle sacred to Apollo
Acknowledgments
I hope you enjoyed the final tale in my Lords of Krete series. These wicked and wild centaurs were so much fun to write and I’m going to miss them.
Thank you to my wonderful beta readers, Ashley, Gina, Lyn, Robin, and Nicola, for helping to complete this story.
A big thanks to my review team and street team.
To Kelley, my keen-eyed copy editor, thank you!
Karie Deegan, my kickass ninja PA, couldn’t have done it without you <3
Hugs and kisses to my family. Love always.
For my readers, never fear. There’s always more to come :)
Meet Rachael
USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Rachael Slate resides on the West Coast of Canada with her husband, two children, cat, and dog. Plus hummingbirds, songbirds, mason bees, and the occasional butterfly in her garden. When not writing, she's probably thinking about food (cooking, baking, or watching cooking shows). She also adores the outdoors--running, hiking, canoeing, camping, swimming, etc--so that helps to offset her culinary obsession!
Rachael writes sizzling stories that blend the lines between mythology, reality, and fantasy. In her worlds, you'll encounter strong, sexy alpha males and the fierce, capable heroines who challenge them. And always, scorching hot romance.
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Look for these titles, available here.
CHINESE ZODIAC ROMANCE SERIES:
BOOK 1: TRANCING THE TIGER
BOOK 2: REMATCH
BOOK 3: BY THE HORNS
BOOK 4: MATCH ME LATER
BOOK 5: REINING HIM IN
BOOK 6: MATCHING DRAGONS
BOOK 7: NEVER MATCH A DRAGON
BOOK 8: IN WOLF’S CLOTHING
HALCYON ROMANCE BOOKS:
HALCYON ROMANCE SERIES:
BOOK 1: MOON BORNE
BOOK 2: EARTH BORNE
BOOK 3: WATER BORNE
LORDS OF THESSALY SERIES: (series now complete!)
BOOK 1: WICKED LORD OF THESSALY
BOOK 2: BRUTISH LORD OF THESSALY
BOOK 3: MASTERFUL LORD OF THESSALY
BOOK 4: UNTAMED LORD OF THESSALY
BOOK 5: LOST LADY OF THESSALY
LORDS OF KRETE SERIES: (series now complete!)
BOOK 1: WATER’S MARK (A ZODIAC SHIFTERS PARANORMAL ROMANCE: CANCER)
BOOK 2: EARTH’S MARK
BOOK 3: AIR’S MARK
BOOK 4: FIRE’S MARK
BOOK 5: AETHER’S MARK
CURSED IMMORTALS SERIES:
BOOK 1: SHADOW BORNE