by Nina, Tara
Several slices of bread along with a rather large smoked fish were included on her tray. Each pinch of the fish melted in her mouth and tasted like salmon. She spread what reminded her of raspberry preserves on a slice of the fresh-baked bread. She bet if she asked Nona, she’d teach her how to make the raspberry delicacy.
Deveney paused. When had her thoughts switched to learning more about this world? Did she truly care to know how to make preserves? She chewed slowly as she perused the situation by making a mental list.
One, she’d traveled through some sort of magical mirror and ended up in another universe. Two, she missed Tiara. They’d been through so much together and hadn’t been apart since they were twelve. She glanced at the mirror. Should she touch it? If she hadn’t been over-curious about the mirror, she’d still be home. Deveney blew a loose strand of hair from her face.
What about Tor? The image of him naked burned bright behind her eyes. The perfect reason to stay made her tingle from head to toe. In her old life, sex didn’t exist. Here, it saturated her every thought and happened repeatedly whenever Tor came near her. Tiny tremors cascaded down her inner thighs and moisture pooled in her sex. God, she only thought about him and he made her hot.
What was wrong with her? Nothing a good fucking by my man can’t cure. She shivered as the thought ran through her head. Sex with Tor commandeered her brainwaves and controlled her. If she went home, would this compulsion subside? Did she want it to?
The heavy ache between her thighs and the rigid points of her nipples led her to believe she didn’t want to end this sexual relationship with Tor. Every ounce of her sparked to life at the simple thought of him, making an unstoppable smile spread across her lips.
Maven did say she needed to find the bear to find the mate to her magic. Was Tor her bear? Hadn’t she seen the image of a golden bear in his eyes during sex? The phantom sensation of fur had her scratching her palms. The memory of his face taking on that of a bear’s shape when they were engaged in a rough sexual ride made her brows bunch and her head spin for a second. Rubbing her temples, she tried to stop the overflow of thought. Tor, bear, magically driven sex…what did all these things have to do with each other?
Deveney leaned back in the chair and hiked her feet up on the edge of the desk. This day started fine until her thoughts collided with the lingering sexual euphoria inside her brain. She groaned. The decision to stay or return home wouldn’t be made this morning. But was it still morning? She couldn’t be sure. She’d lost track of time since she’d walked through that mirror. Determined to learn more about the Isle of Avalonia, she stood, walked to the window and stepped up on the golden settee positioned underneath it. Her feet sank in the soft, plush cushions, but it didn’t hamper her ability to see out the window.
Her jaw dropped as she gasped. The room appeared to be situated high above ground. Deep-green grass covered a well-manicured yard, which contained odd-colored flowers, shrubs, trees and statues of what she thought were bears, but from this distance she couldn’t be totally sure. A forest of thick, wildly colored trees lined the outskirts of the property. And if she squinted, she thought she saw a large body of water just past the trees. Was Avalonia an actual island? She shrugged.
From what she saw, it appeared as if Eximius Mundus was in many ways similar to Earth. Except this place believed in magic. She needed more information.
The itch to explore filled her veins. Determination steeled her spine. She was in a different world without a clue about its people or way of life. Tor, Nona and Maven were the only beings she’d met. Turning from the window, Deveney hugged herself and smiled. Never had she felt so alive and confused at the same time. She glanced at the mirror. Should she chance contacting Maven to talk? No. This decision she needed to make for herself. There were so many unanswered questions flipping through her head and only one person she knew to ask. She needed to talk to Tor.
Lifting her eyes to the ceiling, she issued a silent prayer for strength to resist the overpowering sexual urges whenever he was around. Determination steeled her will. She’d talk with him even if she had to tie her legs together.
She marched into the bathroom and dove into the heated pool. Several laps around and she maneuvered to the tub’s edge and gathered the lavender-scented soap. Each touch invigorated her skin. Its scent calmed her nerves. Every ounce of her renewed in the healing properties of the bath and she wondered if it contained a special mineral in the water that truly did heal. Her aches and pains dissolved, leaving a renewed vigor in their place.
After lathering her hair, she scrubbed until it was clean, then dipped under the water to rinse. This bath didn’t compare to the sexually exciting one she’d taken with Tor. She sighed and her nipples pebbled at the thought of him. If he were here right now, she’d show him just how much she liked bathing with him.
No. They needed to talk, not fuck, she desperately reminded her libido.
Deveney got out of the tub, dried off and wrapped the towel around her. Its humongous size swallowed her in its softness. When she walked into the bedroom, she noted the bed was made. Nona must have been there while she bathed.
She searched the room for her clothes but didn’t find them. There had to be something she could wear. She opened a door and hoped it belonged to a closet. It did. Dozens of robes hung in an orderly fashion from shortest to longest, then by color and design.
Everything fit Tor. She bit the lower edge of her lip as she strolled from one end to the other. There had to be something. Her best option was to choose from the shortest garments. She grabbed a golden robe from its hanger, dropped the towel to the floor and stepped into the robe.
Material hung from her shoulders and the hem landed at her ankles. It looked as if she were draped in a curtain. Not to be defeated, Deveney walked to the mirror and stood in front of it. Methodically, she tied knots in the material. She stepped out of it, gathered the middle of the back and tied it in a knot. On top of both shoulders, she tied a knot and hoped it lifted the hem enough that she wouldn’t trip.
This time when she stepped into it, it fit somewhat better, but not great. The vee in the front dipped precariously low and if she leaned either way, she feared one of her boobs would pop out when the material shifted. Not finding a clip she could use, she decided she’d just have to be careful not to lean.
She gathered the hem, lifted it to mid-thigh and tied another knot off to one side. That made it easier to walk. In a last-ditch effort to keep her breasts in place, she returned to the closet and found a sash. It took wrapping it four times around her waist to make it short enough for her to tie and not have an unruly amount hanging down the front. With one last tug to pull the deep vee neckline together, she walked to the door.
She’d worn funky hand-me-downs for most of her life, so this one didn’t bother her. Being without underwear made her more self-conscious than the odd-looking outfit. Each step sent miniature chills up her spine. The brush of the soft fabric against her nipples made them spike and stick out noticeably. Deveney swallowed hard. What would Tor think of her dressed in his clothes? Would it turn him on to know she was panty- and braless? She fisted the low neckline and attempted to tamp down the rush of need through her system. She had to do this. She wanted to exit this room and greet the world outside. How else was she going to make the decision to stay or not on facts other than great sex? Her hand shook as it moved in slow motion toward the door.
One jiggle of the knob and her attitude dropped to zero. Locked. Deveney tried again but realized it wouldn’t budge. He held her captive in his bedroom with no chance at escape.
“Wow, that’s some get-up.”
Deveney whirled around to find Tor leaning against one of the tall bedposts at the foot of the bed. How long had he been there? She marched over to him. Heat rolled up her spine and her jaw tightened. When she was close enough, she poked him in the chest.
“How dare you lock me in? What’s the matter with you?”
The gentle giant
’s laughter vibrated the air around her, making her shiver. For the first time since they’d met, she didn’t have the urge to throw him down on the bed and fuck him raw.
She breathed in deep. The smell wasn’t the same. And when she met his gaze, it hit her. This wasn’t Tor. She couldn’t backtrack fast enough before he grabbed her wrist and halted her movements.
“I see you’ve come to realize that I am not Tor.” He grinned, licked his lips, and then continued. “From the looks of your beauty, I truly wish I was.”
He released her wrist, then bowed at the waist. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Svenbjorn Artur. Tor’s twin brother. You can call me Sven.” He captured her hand in his, lifted it to within millimeters of his lips and looked into her eyes. “I am at your service.” Then he planted a warm kiss to her knuckles.
Deveney couldn’t help but stare. It was hard to tell them apart. But somehow she knew. Their subtle differences stood out like a bulletin board of information to her. She breathed in deep. His essence was pleasant, but it wasn’t Tor.
Being near Sven didn’t make her hunger for sex. In fact, he seemed to wield an aura of calm to her nature. Glancing past him, she realized one thing. Her eyebrow arched as she planted her hands on her hips, stiffened her spine and tilted her chin. “How’d you get in here?”
“That’s something I can’t share with you at this time.” He straightened with her hand in his and guided her to the settee underneath the window.
Deveney settled onto the golden silk cushions and lifted her eyes to meet his smiling gaze. She couldn’t read him. Friend or foe?
“I mean you no harm, my new sister.” Sven cupped her chin in a brotherly gesture that warmed her heart. But his words confused her.
“Sister?” she questioned. Her brows bunched.
“I forgot.” He chuckled, then continued. “You’re not of our world and I’m sure Tor hasn’t explained our culture. Please ask me anything.”
“You called me sister, why?”
“Because you are. Deveney, your chakra blended with Tor’s the first time you mated and grows stronger with each…” He cleared his throat as if he searched for a word. “Let’s just say sexual encounter.”
Heat seeped into her cheeks and she knew without looking in a mirror she turned beet red. Sven brushed a strand of her hair from her eyes and smiled.
“You’re even more beautiful when you blush.” He inhaled deep. His eyes opened wide and his smile broadened. “My brother is a lucky man to have found such a gorgeous woman to take to his bed. I pray I too shall be so lucky.”
Deveney shifted nervously as she collected her thoughts. He’d said she could ask him anything. One word popped to the forefront. Nona used it earlier and now Sven said it.
“What’s a chakra?”
“It’s the magic within your soul, little one. Everyone is born with it. How one uses it is up to them.”
“Tor and I have combined our magic as one.” Though it didn’t make sense, Deveney tried to unravel the mystery of what he was telling her.
“Sort of,” Sven stated, tucking his hands behind his head. “It is the nature of the Morphionian to be drawn to the one who will intensify their inner magic through mating. Once they mate, the magic grows stronger and they never hunger sexually for anyone else. It’s my understanding the magic increases in strength each time the two mate.”
“It’s your understanding,” Deveney replied as something dawned on her. “You’re not married…” She stumbled, then added the word, “Mated?”
“No,” Sven’s face darkened and his tone saddened. “Women are few in Eximius Mundus. There are many clans near extinction, as is ours.”
“Why?” Deveney couldn’t help but scoot closer to him. She sensed his pain and cradled his hand in hers. “Why are there so few women here?”
“I wish I knew.” Sven released a heavy sigh. “It’s a problem we’ve sought an answer to for hundreds of years.”
So sad. Deveney couldn’t believe it. She’d landed in a place that suffered from a low female population. From the looks of the two men she’d met, the male species was hot. But were the others good-looking as well? That was something she didn’t know since she hadn’t left this room. An idea bloomed. If Tiara lived here as well, then her decision would be easy. One thing she did know…
“I made it here without a problem. Do you think other women could as well?”
“Maybe.” Sven shrugged. “But Tor will never allow it.”
Deveney stared at him. “What? I made it here unharmed. If all the men are as handsome as you and Tor, I think there are other women out there who might enjoy coming here.”
“Ah you flatter me. But we both know Tor won your charms because you were meant to be.” He winked at her. “My dear Deveney, you are a rarity. You see, the women must have a strong vein of magic within their souls such as the one I sense in you. Otherwise…” He paused, shaking his head.
“Otherwise what?” Deveney asked impatiently.
“Otherwise there would be no connection. When you and Tor mated,” he said, tugging her close to him, “didn’t you feel the energy around you, in you and running through you? Think, Deveney, think. It had to be memorable. I’ve heard the stories of strong chakras blending. It’s supposed to be the most exhilarating, powerful sex one could ever imagine. I know the magic within me is strong and it’s even stronger in my brother. There’s no way you didn’t feel it with him.”
Deveney squirmed beneath his avid scrutiny. The heat of his breath gave her chills. The weight of his words made her pause. Thinking back, she sifted through the imagery of their couplings. The water in the tub changed colors. A brilliant-blue bubble surrounded them each time they had intercourse. Raw energy surged through her veins and she swore their hearts had beat in sync to their sexual rhythm, but she couldn’t tell Sven. She’d be too embarrassed and besides, this wasn’t something she felt at ease discussing with someone other than Tor or Tiara.
God, she wished Tiara was here right now.
Magical sex. Blended chakras. And what did a bear have to do with anything? Everything whirled in her head. The more she heard the greater her level of confusion. If Tiara were here, they’d sort it out together. But she wasn’t. Tor’s image filled her head. Instantly, her blood ran hot. Her nipples pebbled and ached for his touch, his mouth and his teeth to tug and nip at them. Moisture built in her sex. God, this wasn’t normal. That much she knew.
Sven released her and stated with a smile. “You don’t have to answer. I see it in your face and smell it in your essence. You belong to Tor. You are his mate.”
He stood, turned and leaned down, placing a kiss to her forehead right before he added, “I pray for that same thing for me someday. I just hope it happens before I turn one hundred.”
Deveney shook her head, trying to ease the fog caused by Tor’s naked images. She giggled. “Sven, from the looks of you, you’ve got a long way to go before you reach the ripe old age of one hundred.”
“No, my sweet little sister. In our world, one hundred isn’t old. It’s just the beginning. My hundredth birthday arrives in six months. Wish me luck.”
Deveney stood, craning her neck to look him in the eye. “You’re kidding, right?”
“I wish.”
“You’re going to need more than a wish and luck when I’m through with you.” Tor’s anger reverberated in his words as he slammed the door shut behind him.
Deveney gasped. Was she hallucinating? Tor’s shape seemed to change. Sven stepped in front of her, attempting to block her view, but she didn’t let his massive size hinder her. She stood on the settee and rose onto her tiptoes to see across his shoulder.
Tor’s features blurred and shifted into that of a giant golden bear. Was he some sort of werewolf, but a bear instead? God. She swallowed hard. She should be scared, but she wasn’t. Instead, her heartbeat pounded, her breathing increased and every ounce of her tuned into him. His scent permeated the last remnants of reasonable th
ought. Man or beast she wanted him.
“Brother, you need to gather your calm,” Sven stated. He squared off as if preparing to defend himself against Tor.
Deveney’s gut clenched. Would they fight?
Tor lunged at Sven, who managed to clip him at the waist. Together they went down, tumbled head over heels and landed with a solid thump against the door. Fingers turned to claws as Tor took a wide swipe at Sven’s head, but missed when his brother ducked.
Quicker than she’d ever seen anyone move, Sven managed to roll them away from the door just far enough that he swung it open. He sprang to his feet and Tor followed. When he rose to his full stance, the giant golden bear of her dreams stood on hind legs, shot her a heated glare across his shoulder, then pounced on his brother. The two tumbled through the doorway.
Deveney jumped off the settee and ran, but wasn’t quick enough. Nona appeared out of nowhere, looked at her, and shook her head as she proclaimed in a rush, “This is not something you need to see.”
The door closed. Deveney grabbed the knob. Locked tight. Damn! She needed to reach him. Tor needed her! She felt it all the way to her bones. Heat swirled in the air around her as she tugged at the knob. Emotions flooded her—confusion, desire, anger and pure raw need. A strange blue glow emanated from her body. Her vision blurred.
Oh god, not again. Out-of-control magic rippled through her. Staring at her hands, she gasped. Never had she turned this deep shade of blue before. Fire controlled the temperature of her body, warming her from the inside out. Perspiration coated her skin. The knob heated into a crimson glow and she snapped her hand back against her stomach.
Frustrated, Deveney slammed both palms flat against the heavy wood grain. The scream that ripped from her throat scared even her. It didn’t sound human. She wanted out of that room and no door was going to stop her. When she pressed, the door disappeared and she fell through to land on the floor in the hall.
