by Sin
Cedric leaned over and put his head on my shoulder. His long auburn hair spilled down and over my bare breasts. I closed my eyes. I would not endanger him. If the Prince didn’t order his execution for escaping, he would most certainly order it for bedding his soon-to-be bride. Cedric had one more threat to his life, one that he wasn’t even aware of yet -- Rowan. I was sure Rowan would not take kindly to another man touching his soul-mate. No, I didn’t want to put Cedric in any more danger. He’d been through more than enough already.
“So tell me what has happened since I’ve been away.” His voice was deep and smooth as he leaned against me by the tree.
I told him about the events of the last year and a half. He was surprised to learn the war between the courts had ended right after his capture. Neither one of us could figure out the reason as to why he hadn’t been released. I told him that my mother and I had grown even more apart since his departure. He winked at me when I told him that and put his arm around me to hold me tight. When I got to the part of my mother’s idea for maintaining the peace between the courts, he grew quiet.
“What exactly did your mother do?” He sat up, staring directly into my eyes. He would know if I were to lie to him. He was the only one who could tell by just looking at me. Cedric didn’t need passion to get the truth from me and that was rare indeed.
“She thought it best I get married to insure peace lasted.”
He grabbed hold of my chin. “Mackenzie.”
The way he said my name assured me that he knew there was more to the story than I was revealing. “She … she’s arranged for me to marry Prince Elwyn of the Unblessed Court.”
Cedric jumped to his feet and stormed towards the river. His power rose. This was both good and bad. It was good because he’d spent so long in a bound cell we weren’t sure if he’d ever be able to do magik again, but bad in the sense that made him a threat to anyone around him. So much had changed since we’d last seen each other. He’d spent a year in Hell, no doubt having to harden himself while there. The only thing I couldn’t be sure of was how much being there might have changed him. Was he a threat to me now as well?
“Cedric, on a good note, I saw to it that a marriage contract was signed a few weeks back.” He turned and glared at me. Fury flew across his face. No part of him was the sweet lover I’d known. This behavior was foreign to me.
“You have no idea how serious this is, do you?” He glanced towards the skies, a look of disgust running over his face. “I knew your mother was power hungry, but giving her daughter away to a madman is too much, even for her. That maniac won’t honor a marriage contract. Mackenzie, you are a fool.”
I felt no need to defend my mother. Cedric was right, she was power hungry, but Rowan had tried to convince me the Prince wasn’t so bad. “I was informed the Prince is not the tyrant I thought him to be.”
Cedric came flying towards me quickly. “Take a good long look at me. You know the scars you were so curious about. He’s the reason I have them.”
I gasped. Surely, he was mistaken. How could my mother promise me to a man who would do that to someone? Reaching out, I ran my finger across the shiny scar tissue under his neck. His eyelids fluttered shut.
“Look at me,” I said softy.
His blue eyes opened and locked on me. “Mackenzie, Prince Elwyn is insane, and yes, he did this to me.” My gut tightened. He was telling me the truth. I couldn’t bear to see the hurt in his eyes any longer. I lifted my head to meet his and kissed his lips. I’d intended my kiss to be chaste, wanting to comfort him in his time of pain. When I felt his tongue deep within my mouth I knew I’d gone too far. Cedric had not known the touch of a woman in over a year. He was deprived and elated all at the same time. I wouldn’t push him away just yet, I couldn’t.
The warm sensation of his hand running up my thigh caused my body to lift towards his out of habit. He’d been my lover for many years. I could navigate around him with my eyes closed. Thoughts of the way things used to be came flooding into my head. I remembered all the ways our bodies had joined. How Cedric had left no hole undiscovered and how he’d seemed to cherish every moment of being with me.
Everything had been so simple, so pure, before Cedric went off to war. Everyone assumed we would one day marry. Whenever he heard these remarks he laughed. The idea of marrying his very dearest friend seemed absurd. He never stopped to ask if I thought it as silly as him, because I didn’t. The day I’d been informed of his death, I was devastated. At that very moment I wanted nothing more than to be holding him in my arms, I would have welcomed the chance to hear him laugh again about taking me as his wife. Now that I had him back, everything should have been right. It was far from it, now there were so many other factors to contend with. The Prince. My mother. Rowan.
I pushed on Cedric’s shoulders gently, signaling him to stop. A low throaty laugh came from him. It sent goose bumps all down my body. This new and aggressive Cedric was exciting and refreshing. His kisses came harder and I lost myself in them.
Cedric’s head snapped back. “What was that?”
All I could see were the edges of the river and the surrounding trees. It was hours until dawn would break. The forest was so thick that even then it would still be difficult to see. I was about to tell him that I heard nothing when the sound of snapping twigs echoed around me.
Cedric was crouched next to me in an instant. They would not be taking him back alive, that much was clear. He was a fool, and in no condition to take on the Unblessed Court’s guards. They would tear him to pieces before he knew what hit him. I wouldn’t watch him be slaughtered. I crawled around and positioned myself in front of him. He tried to push me out of the way, but I held my ground. I left him no choice but to use force to get me to move and I knew he’d never do that.
I stood slowly, listening for more evidence that someone was near. My skin tingled. It was a feeling I got when I was near something magikal. Cedric mirrored my every move. He had given up trying to get me to let him lead, which was a good sign that his mind wasn’t completely gone. I concentrated hard on the scent of the earth. The dampness of the forest floor and the smell of bark helped me to call upon the power I needed to help us. I was no warrior, so my hand-to-hand combat skills lacked severely. My magik on the other hand, went way beyond my years. Being royalty equaled being powerful. Calling on power gives the same sensation as when a limb falls asleep. It’s like that numbness followed by a prickling feeling that you cannot escape. My only exit from it is to release it, how it manifests itself is dependent upon my state of mind. I heard another noise off to my left and turned to face that direction. My hand instinctively rose up in the event that it would be needed. A quick sudden burst of movement came charging out at us. I was about to flay it when Cedric grabbed me by the waist and yanked me to the ground.
“What are you doing?” I tried to get back on my feet, but his grip was too tight.
“Look,” he whispered.
I followed his gaze to the edge of the river. There stood a large horse-like creature. Its skin was a medium green and its mane looked matted. I could make out tiny bumps that looked to be warts all over it. My eyes scanned down its massive legs. There was webbing between the v-shape of its hooves. I had no clue what it was. All I did know was that it had come very close to being incinerated. I looked at Cedric, who was still bear-hugging me.
“What is it?”
“I really thought you were paying attention when we studied the creatures from this side of the mountain. Were you too preoccupied by my presence to bother?” His voice was steady. He sounded like his old self again.
“Seriously, it looks like a horse, but I’m sure it’s not.”
“It’s a Kelpie. Remember, they haunt the riverbeds here.” His grip loosened on me as his hands slid down my arms. I shivered slightly. “Are you cold?”
I nodded as he snuggled in close to me. The heat from his naked body began to warm me. Cedric’s fingers danced along my ribcage, tickling me. I l
et out a small laugh, sending the Kelpie splashing out and into the water. It disappeared within seconds of breaking the surface.
I was happy I didn’t have to face the guards from the Unblessed Court. I’d lost my interest in finding the Prince. After talking with Cedric, I had no intention of honoring my end of the marriage agreement. No, I would not agree to be his wife. Cedric had opened my eyes to the cruelty the prince was capable of and I would not be part of it. My mother and all who plotted to find peace by means of forever tying me to a tyrant could rot in the belly of the underworld for all I cared. I would not make bed with the devil.
Letting my hand slide up, I ran it along the slick scar on Cedric’s neck. His jaw stiffened. He was still every bit as gorgeous to me, even with this minor imperfection. As we lay there, we began to discuss what our next move would be. I wanted to go back to the Blessed Court to have my mother straighten things out for us. Cedric balked at the idea of letting me walk back into my mother’s venomous reach. He did have a good point, she had basically made a deal with devil. I drifted off to sleep with Cedric’s arms enclosing my body. No decision had been reached as to where we were headed. The only thing we’d been able to agree on was that Cedric was right. My mother was not to be trusted.
Chapter Five
“You’re a hard one to find,” a deep male voice said, pulling me from my slumber.
My eyes opened quickly and I looked up to find that the sun was blocked by a figure standing directly above me. My stomach tightened and I turned to roll away. Strong hands grabbed me by the back of the arms.
“Hey, hold on. It’s me.”
I stopped trying to flee and turned around. The sun was still at his back, but now that I was not flat on the ground, I could clearly make out Rowan. Elation should have been my first reaction. It wasn’t. It was fear for Cedric. I turned and looked next to me. Cedric was gone. I scanned the edges of the river. He was nowhere to be seen.
“Well, I thought you would at least want to apologize after yesterday,” Rowan said, something slightly off in his voice. He put his hand out to me. Reaching up, I took it and allowed him to help me to my feet.
“I must say, I do like your choice of sleepwear.”
Cringing, I realized I was still completely nude. Rowan came closer to me. His hand brushed the side of my cheek. I waited for him to strike me. After all, I had knocked the man out cold the day before. Instead, he leaned forward and planted a kiss on my lips. “Please, do not feel the need to make such dramatic exits all the time.”
This made me laugh. Unable to help myself, I planted a chaste kiss on his cheek. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to try and stop me. I had to try to speak with the Prince myself.”
Rowan eased me back against the tree. “Well, I take it you were not successful in finding the castle.”
“No, I found it all right,” I said. He took a quick step towards me. Worry flashed over his face. “Actually, it sort of found me.”
“What happened?”
No part of me wanted to share the entire experience with him. Doing so would mean telling him about Cedric and I had little doubt Rowan could pose a threat to my old lover. “Something dark, like a moving shadow, jumped out at me. I tried to fight it, but it was too powerful for me.” Choosing my words carefully, I continued. “Then, I woke in a cell in the dungeon.”
Anger ripped through his chiseled features as he tightened his grip on my shoulder. Already pressed against the tree, I had nowhere else to go. “They put you in that rat infested filth hole?”
I nodded.
A straggled grunt fell forth from him. It was a cross between pain and outrage. Neither of which I wanted Rowan to go through. He took a very loud and hopefully calming breath. “Tell me they let you go when you announced who you are.”
I didn’t know what to say. Rowan looked as if he was ready to rip someone’s head off. Mine was the closest and that didn’t seem very appealing.
“Not exactly,” I said, my palms growing clammy as my breath seemed to catch. I didn’t need special powers to tell me Rowan was livid. I had only to look into his dark eyes and see the undercurrent of fury flowing there.
An enormous rising wave of his power pulsed against my skin. He was ready to blow. “What… happened?”
“I, umm, I sort of let myself out of the dungeon.” I tried to swallow but my throat was tight. His power continued to wash over me, thumping madly with rage. “I attacked Dermot, then Duane, and left.”
Rowan’s heated gaze flickered down my body. He snatched hold of my left arm. My wrist had a perfect, huge bruise, in the shape of Dermot’s hand on it. He looked at my other wrist -- it was identical. As his shoulders slumped and his head dropped slowly, I knew he’d reached his breaking point. I just wasn’t sure if it would be me who paid for it in the end or not. “By the looks of it, they attacked you first.”
My lack of a response must have spoke volumes because Rowan let out a howl that sounded like a pack of rabid hellhounds had been let loose. I cringed and he seemed to grow in stature, looming over me. “It was foolish to go off on your own! You’re lucky you’re still alive!”
Now I was the one getting angry. How dare he speak to me that way? “Foolish? I’m foolish? I was trying to save your life! You’re welcome. I can’t believe that….”
Rowan cut me off in mid-protest by shoving his tongue into my mouth. I didn’t fight back. No part of me wanted to harm him for loving me. Closing my eyes, I let his mouth pull at mine. Each kiss, each swipe of his tongue over mine, left my body bucking against his.
His thick fingers found their way to my silk binding and he plunged them into me, never stopping to ask my permission. He was one who took what he wanted, and now he wanted me. I clenched my opening around his fingers and felt myself creaming. He fingered me with a passion matched by his mouth. I cried out and swayed my hips against the tree. Rowan pulled his fingers from me and untied the front of his pants, freeing his ruddy cock.
Thinking I was going to get to take him in my mouth, I edged my way down. He grabbed hold of me and lifted me off the ground. He slammed my body against the tree, impaling me with his erect cock without notice. I screamed out and pulled at his long brown hair. It seemed only to encourage him.
Rowan crammed himself into my tight channel until full hilt and then stopped, leaving me pinned to the tree by his invasion. He looked me in the eye and moved his hand to my face. “I love you and you could have been killed by your foolish actions. Never do that again!” His lips came down on mine and the pain I was feeling subsided, giving way to the pleasure he was more than capable of inducing.
I bit at his lip while he moved himself in and out of me. Panting and unable to form any sort of words, I just clung tightly to him as he proved to me who was the dominant one in our relationship.
“Mackenzie, you’re so tight … you feel so good … ah!” he shouted, spilling his seed deep within me.
My pussy seized hold of him, milking him, as my orgasm coincided with his. Rowan slid out of me slowly, easing my feet to the ground, and putting his now sated cock back in his pants. He pressed himself against me and pulled my chin up, forcing me to meet his loving gaze.
“Never do anything that foolish again. Promise me.”
My chest tightened at his words and the emotion behind them.
“Let go of her!” Cedric’s voice came booming from my right.
Rowan and I turned quickly and saw Cedric standing about fifteen feet away from us. He held berries and fruits from the forest, and he was still very naked. Rowan’s energy surrounded me so much that I could barely breathe. He turned, glaring at me then back to Cedric. I could only guess what went through his mind, and I was positive that it wasn’t good. Normally, assuming I’d had sex with a naked man would have been on the mark. Now, it wasn’t.
Rowan’s energy actually caused sparks to flare from his fingertips. I gasped and grabbed for him. “It’s not what you think,” I said quickly.
Cedric took a
step closer to me, letting the fruit fall to the forest floor.
Mackenzie, get away from him.
I heard his deep voice in my head. I looked over at him and raised an eyebrow in question.
Rowan turned his attention back to me. His jaw was tight. He was enraged. “Please tell me what this is then, I am all ears.”
Run, Mackenzie! Go, I will hold him off. Go! Cedric’s voice crowded the thoughts in my head. I had to push out at him with all my might to block him.
“He’s my friend. I ran into him. He, umm, we had to clean up. Our clothes were soaked.” I pointed at the limb were my dress still hung. “We fell asleep. That’s all.”
Rowan stared at Cedric. “Do you often wander this far from the Blessed Court, friend of Mackenzie’s?”
Cedric’s blue eyes squinted slightly. I knew that look. It was one he’d always had right before he went off to fight a battle. He was close to his breaking point with Rowan too.
Cedric, no. It’s okay, I pushed this out at him without actually saying the words.
His tall frame and long auburn hair looked magnificent in the morning sunlight, but his eyes held not only anger but horror as well. I couldn’t worry about that right now. Rowan was a hell of a lot stronger than Cedric was at the moment. I was pretty sure that one strong strike of power on the part of Rowan would leave Cedric seriously injured or dead.
“Have we met before?” Rowan asked, shielding my nude body from Cedric as if he hadn’t seen it many times before.
Cedric took another step towards Rowan and I. The look on his face told me that he was a little shocked. His lips curved into a tiny smile. “No … no I don’t believe that we’ve met before. I’m James.”
