by Nina, Tara
He leaned his forehead against hers. “What am I to do with you, Deveney?” he begged quietly, even though he knew exactly what he planned to do with her.
“Make me yours,” she replied.
He kissed her and for the first time in many hours, a sense of peace washed over him. Her flavor filled his senses. Her touch soothed his aches. He closed his eyes and it seemed Deveney appeared everywhere at once, in him, on him and around him. Her essence flowed through his veins and captured his soul with her love.
White-hot shards shot through his heart the moment she seated herself fully on his cock. Energy surrounded them in a multitude of vibrant colors. He broke from their kiss and stared at the beautiful woman perched on his lap. She owned his heart. That fact couldn’t be denied. The slow glide of her on his cock shattered the last of his will. She calmed his inner beast.
Whispered words gifted his ears in between gentle kisses to his closed eyes. “We are one in body, in heart and in chakra. I love you, Torbjorn Artur.”
Tor captured her face in his hands and met the ardent glow of her eyes. Pure power sizzled in the air around them, flowed through them and was theirs to control. The mating magic chose them as lifemates. One by one, the fingers of the fist of fears embedded in his brain by his father loosened its grip and freed him for his future. Deveney belonged with him.
“Deveney, I’ve been a fool. I feared what I could not control.” He kissed her lightly upon her lips then held her gaze as he admitted with all his heart. “You are my lifemate.”
“Together, we shall rule your inner beast. And I know the perfect method to calm the bear.” She enunciated each word with a swirl of her hips, coating his cock in a flood of her juices.
The battle was lost.
Tor became hers. Forever mated. Forever loved.
Power surged through him as she stroked his cock with the inner muscles of her sex. Raw magical energy purged him of all doubt. Their mating bound their chakras eternally. Their lips collided in a crushing kiss. Tongue battled tongue in a passionate war of lust and love. Sparks flew in the air around them.
The image of the large golden bed in the other room filled his thoughts. Deveney’s arms and legs wrapped around him. Everything blurred into a second of darkness, then a flash of bright light occurred. An instant later, they landed in the softness of the bed with Tor on his back and Deveney still firmly seated on his lap. Breaking their kiss, Tor gasped.
“How—”
His question was stalled by Deveney’s fingertip pressed to his lips. “It’s simple.” She smiled as she spoke in a soothing voice. “You wished we were in our bed. With our combined magic, I simply made it so. At least that’s how I think it worked.”
Her innocent shrug made him smile. Tor couldn’t believe it. He’d heard of strong magical couples mating and being able to accomplish phenomenal feats. But this… He took a deep breath. Teleportation wasn’t heard of as one of them, at least not to his knowledge.
“Deveney…” He didn’t get to finish as she captured his mouth in a heated kiss. All thought left his brain and nosedived to his cock. His woman wanted loving and in this he refused to fail.
Tor wrapped an arm around her waist and in a strong move, repositioned them. Deveney flipped onto her back with Tor snuggled between her thighs. With his weight rested on his forearms, Tor stared down at the magical beauty in his bed. With long, deep strokes, he glided in and out of her.
The grip of her legs as she hooked her heels behind his knees urged him to continue. Each contented sigh she released was sensual music to his ears. Her gasp when he suckled her nipple made him smile against the tender flesh.
Slow and methodical, she met his every pump. Warm silken juices coated his cock, fueling his desire. The slow pace wreaked havoc on his stamina. The sensation of her heat gloved around him. The tremors of her inner muscles cascading up and down his shaft tortured him and tested his sexual control.
When she planted her feet on the bed next to his knees, he knew the dance ended and the race to the finish started. Deveney grasped his head in her hands and tugged him from the nipple he lavished with care. Fire filled her eyes with lust and fueled her hunger for Tor.
Raw emotion coated each word. “Fuck me, Tor.”
The feel of her heels digging into the bed as she pumped her hips upward, taking his cock in fully, reinforced her demand. He couldn’t help but smile. In a slow, deliberate manner, he stilled, except for the sensual slip of his tongue across his bottom lip. He watched her gaze follow its every move. She moistened her lips in response. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her.
He pulled out slowly, teasing his woman as well as himself. Every muscle quivered in his body and he struggled for control. A quick thrust reseated his cock and made Deveney gasp in ecstasy.
“Is this what you want, my lady?” his husky voice whispered across her face.
“No,” she growled in an erotic tone. In a feat of unimaginable strength, she flipped him off her. He landed on his back, laughing as she crawled over him.
Those sexy eyes penetrated his soul and pierced his heart. “I want you to fuck me in the proper Morphionian mating ritual way.” Pure desire laced her words.
When Deveney crawled over him and situated herself on all fours, dead center on the bed, pure heat cascaded over him. She lifted her chin and stared directly at him across her shoulder. “I want you right now, Tor. Right here, right now. Claim me as your mate. Make me yours.”
The ripe scent of her musky mating aroma filled his hypersensitive nose. He had to have her. The sight of her on her hands and knees with her legs parted waiting for him captured his heart and guided his cock home. He needed no other request. But he had to make sure she understood the gesture completely as he wrapped himself around her.
“You do understand this is eternal.” His cock hovered at the entrance to her sex. “There is no turning back. You can never return to Earth. Your magic is bonded to mine. You are mine and I am yours forever.”
She tilted her chin and met his gaze. An unstoppable smile split her lips. “I hold no regrets. I have no wish to return to Earth. Eximius Mundus is my home, now and forever. You are my love, my life and my soul.”
Tor’s restraint shattered. He plunged into her heat. Sparks shot in the air around them. Vibrant colors filled the bright-blue bubble that encased them as they succumbed to the magic within their chakras. The harder and faster they pumped, the wilder the magical colors swirled around them.
Heat sizzled with each stroke. In and out. Harder. Faster. The blue bubble grew. Deveney bucked against him, taking him in deep. Tor grasped her hips as he gained momentum. His inner beast roared inside him. His cock grew. But the beast never surfaced. Deveney’s mentally whispered words prevented the bear from escaping.
You are my man, my love and my soul. It is you I wish to make love to, Torbjorn. Not the beast. Back down, bear, and leave my man alone.
The beast disappeared, leaving Tor to finish the job. Joy spread through him. For the first time in many years, he felt in total control of the magic. His focus fell to the glorious back of the beautiful woman bucking on his cock. It was because of her. Her refusal to let him send her back and deny their mating existed. Deveney was his greatest strength.
There was one thing left to complete this ritual. One thing he’d refused to do each time they mated. Tor plowed his cock deep, leaned forward and brushed the hair from her neck as he wrapped himself around her. He kissed her ear, licked the salt from her skin. He hovered a breath away from the rapid throb of the life vein in her neck. “I take you, Deveney, as my lifemate. Now and forever,” he proclaimed the words that sealed the magical circle around their hearts, then captured her neck in a loving embrace with his lips.
The power of their unified orgasm fused their chakras. Every muscle spasmed from the tip of his toes to his scalp as Deveney shivered in his embrace. But he refused to release her neck. In a steady caress, he suckled, nipped and licked her lifeline. His ball
s tightened and her inner muscles tugged him in deep. The release of his seed filled her and soaked him in a heated mixture of their love. Visions filled his brain. Her and him, together.
They fell onto their sides with his arms wound around her. Tor still caressed her neck with the tip of his tongue. He held her exhausted body protectively. One hand cupped a breast while the other cradled her head. When the pounding of the magic slowed, another vision filtered to the forefront of his sated brain.
A cub, a child. He was going to be a father. Tor stiffened against her back and let his hand trail slowly down to her lower abdomen. Palm flat, he caressed the tender flesh.
Deveney’s hand covered his. Her tone hinted of sheer exhaustion as she whispered, “Yes, Tor.” She snuggled against him, keeping his cock cocooned within her sex. “I’m pregnant.”
Many questions poured into his head. Would it be human or Morphionian? Would it have the ability to shift? His heart skipped a beat as fear sliced through him at one solitary question that flashed through his brain. Looking down at the wonderful woman in his arms, he tried not to let the worst fog his happiness. But it did.
Would she survive the birth?
Deveney twisted in his arms and stared up at him. It astounded him that she knew his thoughts. “I don’t have all the answers and neither do you. In this case, no one does. You and I and our little one are the first of our kind.” She cupped his cheek in her hand. “Tor, I’m scared just like you. I’ve never given birth. Just the thought of another person depending on me for life…”
Tor cut her off with a tender kiss to her lips. In as reassuring a tone as he could muster, even though his insides swirled with concern, he said, “You will be a wonderful mother. We’ll get through this together.”
“Promise?”
“I promise,” Tor replied and placed a kiss to the tip of her nose. “Now get some sleep. I’ve exhausted you. You should’ve told me before we mated. I wouldn’t have been so rough.”
Deveney laughed, shifting into a more comfortable position in his arms. “I wouldn’t have had you any other way. Look around you, Tor. Our magic is strong.”
Tor lay against the pillows with Deveney in his arms. One look around the room and he understood her meaning. The energy of their lovemaking coated the entire room in a brilliant, blue glow. Items that were once on his desk were now scattered on the floor. Even the desk chair was knocked over. The only item not scathed by their magic was the Mirror of Azure. It stood boldly bathed in the light of their combined magic.
He knew the moment Deveney slept. The tight contraction of her inner muscles around his cock relaxed, but he didn’t pull out. Instead, he chose to linger, sheathed in her heat and love. The glow dimmed and slowly diminished as he watched. He smiled, holding her close. Their intertwined hands on her lower belly hovered over the child they created.
Pure joy filled him. He’d found his mate. Lifting his eyes to the mirror, he knew the truth and the path he needed to follow to save his people. Others must come to replenish the dying population.
If Deveney were any proof of the strength of the women from Earth, then this would work. Tor pressed a tender kiss to her hair and relaxed. Tomorrow, he’d send tabellaes to the clans and call for an emergency gathering and announce his decision at that time.
But for now, he needed to sleep. For in the morning, he knew his woman would wake with a voracious sexual appetite. And Tor knew he’d be breakfast. He sighed, snuggling even closer to Deveny.
* * * * *
Deveney woke to find Tor gone. A note lay in his place on the pillow. She shifted into an upright position, lifted it and read.
My love,
I hated leaving you this morning. But duty called. A pertinent issue with one of the clans needed my immediate attention. Please forgive my absence. Believe that I will make it up to you.
Tor
A thrill of anticipation shot through her core at his proclamation. Her imagination took flight with the many possible ways he’d make it up to her.
Sitting up, she saw a huge tray of food. Her stomach roared and she giggled. She slid from the bed and walked straight to the desk. Food became a priority at the moment. Finding Tor and making him pay for his absence was a little further down her list of things to do today. But she would make him pay.
Repeatedly.
Chapter Fourteen
“You’re sure of this?” Tor asked Gawyn Rapier, the leader of the Redtail Hawk clan.
In the early morning hours, Gawyn arrived with an urgent message for the ruler of the clans. It took great strength to pull himself from the warmth of Deveney’s arms, but he had no choice. Rapier didn’t demand council without cause.
When he learned the unexpected visit was in relation to the shield that divided Eximius Mundus from Dystopia, Tor immediately summoned Visuvius, Sven and Griswaldin as well to meet in his office.
Gawyn squared his shoulders, tilted his chin and leveled his dark-brown eyes on Tor. His steady gaze as he spoke gave Tor the reassurance his word was truth. Though in his recollection, he’d never known Gawyn to lie. It was one of the reasons Tor considered him to be a friend and trusted advisor.
They moved to a huge map on a wall in Tor’s office. It showed all of Eximius Mundus, including Dystopia. Every clan had a section of land they claimed as their own. Those were marked on the map by name and shaded the color of each clan. The Isle of Avalonia sat dead center on the map. The Diabhal River divided the map in half. The river split and its waters flowed around the Isle of Avalonia. Both sides of the river were touched by a portion of almost every clan’s property at some point along its length. The river and its tributaries gave the water of life to the lands and belonged to all. No one claimed ownership of the river.
Dystopia ran the perimeter of the entire scope of Eximius Mundus. It bordered the properties of almost every clan with the exception of the Isle of Avalonia. They were considered badlands, wild and untamed, perfect for the exile of uncontrollable men who were trapped within their inner beasts. Centuries prior, the Goddess Nirvana created a magical fence of sorts that separated and protected Eximius Mundus from Dystopia.
“Tor, I would not have believed it if I had not seen it with my own eyes.” Gawyn’s head shook. He tapped the spot on the map where the boundary shield was damaged. “I have stationed several of my best men on watch. If the opening spreads, we shall know immediately.”
“My concern isn’t if it spreads,” Tor stated in a sad tone. “It’s if any of the Proprius Bestia discover it and enter Eximius Mundus before it can be sealed.”
“That is a problem we’ve suffered through before. My men stand at the ready to fight and protect as always,” Gawyn replied in a cold tone as hatred colored his eyes. Tor understood. Gawyn lost several good men from his clan during the last Proprius Bestia attack. One had been his younger brother.
Several months had passed since the last weakness in the shield occurred. At that time, the Proprius Bestia slipped in through a similar tear in the magical force field. Why these rips took place, no one knew. Visuvius researched the reasoning behind these occurrences. So far, he’d found no definitive answer, just several hypotheses.
The new damaged spot bordered the Redtail Hawks’ land and Dystopia. Another attack and… Tor hated to think what might happen to the Redtail Hawk clan. His friend lost the last of his family members during that battle. And from the look in Gawyn’s eye, he hungered for revenge.
“At least you located the weakness in the shield before the Proprius Bestia found it. But it’s only a matter of time before one of them stumbles upon it and alerts the rest. Can you take me there?” Visuvius asked as he resituated his glasses. “I want to get a look at the tear in the shield. It would help if I could actually see what I’m dealing with.”
“Of course,” Gawyn answered with a curt nod. “We leave at your ready.”
“Thank you. I’ll gather my things and be back momentarily,” Visuvius replied, turned and walked out of the off
ice. The words he muttered under his breath Tor heard, though he knew he wasn’t meant to. “Wish Maven was here to help with this again.”
Tor wished the same. The shield was a magical force. Without the magi around, he doubted their abilities to fix it. At the sound of a throat clearing, he turned to face his Officer of the Guards, Griswaldin Grizzly. Though the oldest man in the room, he maintained a healthy size. He stood eye to eye with Tor and outweighed him by at least fifty pounds. Gray streaked his once jet-black hair and his black eyes hinted of wisdom. No one on the training court outmatched his fighting skills. He’d even taken down Tor on several occasions in practice bouts.
“At your command,” Griswaldin stated in his direct-to-the-point manner. “I readied the troops and placed them in strategic locations surrounding the area.”
“Together, we shall help protect our brother clan the Redtail Hawks,” Tor said as he took a seat on the edge of his desk. He had hoped to call a Gathering of the Clans to discuss the extinction problem, but this took precedence at the moment. “We need to notify the leaders of every clan. They should be on high alert. All clan troops shall be made ready in case of a Proprius Bestia attack. Security at every clan’s palace must be heightened and breeds living in the outer villages need to be temporarily relocated within their clan’s palace walls. This should be taken care of at once.”
“It will be done,” Griswaldin said with a nod. As he turned to leave, Tor caught his elbow and stalled his movements.
“Griswaldin,” Tor added as he held the older man’s stare. “I want the guards kept doubled here as well.”
Griswaldin had served his father and should have long retired. With the death of his mate, he claimed he had nothing better to do and stayed. Tor was thankful he did. No other matched the military experience of this man and he’d earned the Officer of the Guards, the highest rank given. Griswaldin commanded and trained the palace guards as well as their battle troops.
