Her first sight of the campsite had astounded her. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting, but it wasn’t the skillfully camouflaged shelters that were crudely erected among the trees. At first she hadn’t even known what she was looking at, but then the occupants had started to emerge. Gradually, their group was surrounded and welcomed, and it was clear to her these intelligent, resourceful people cared about each other. She later found out that this was just a meeting place for Cormac’s people. In the coming days they would pack up, take down their shelters, and move on to their summer dwellings, further north into the mountains.
Toni had mixed feelings about that. She was confused at how quickly her feelings for Cormac had grown. Yes, he was different from any other man she’d ever met, but he came from a world totally alien to her, one she still had a hard time comprehending. Yet at the same time, the thought of returning to her old life seemed lonely without Cormac to share it with, and she’d had enough lonely to last her a lifetime.
“You are quiet,” Lila commented.
“I was just thinking,” Toni explained, watching Lila reach for a flower.
“About tonight?”
No, but since she asked, “What can I expect tonight?”
For the first time since knowing Lila, Toni heard a soft laugh come from her. “You are not a virgin.”
Toni smiled in response. “That’s not what I mean.” Dusk was fast approaching, it wouldn’t be long now.
“Once Cormac mates you in public, and the ceremony is over, you belong to him for life. You will bare his babies.”
Toni thought about that possibility for a moment, having convinced herself that she was only going along with the mating ritual so that she wouldn’t have to worry about the other males pursuing her. In truth, she’d always wanted a family, like Mary. She flattened her hand over her belly. It was highly possible that she was already carrying Cormac’s child, and if she weren’t, it wouldn’t be long before he’d impregnate her.
“Tonight you and Cormac will sit across the fire from each other. There will be music, and the mating dance. We will celebrate with the drink of life. Then he will take you as the tradition of Oh-Mah ancestors. Once the first mating is complete, Cormac will take you to his shelter.”
It all sounded very down-to-earth and primitive to Toni. “Tell me about the Oh-Mah so that I can better understand your people.”
There was a long pause, and then a sigh, as if Lila didn’t know where to begin. “I will tell you the story our elders tell us when we are children. The Oh-Mah has existed since the beginning of time. Outcasts, and misunderstood because we were different, we were driven away to live in the mountains. For centuries we remained there, existing in large family groups, making a living off the land. The world forgot about Oh-Mah, until one day when we came down from the mountains seeking help. Sickness was taking away our women; the ones who survived became barren.”
Toni met Lila’s eyes when she stepped in front of her. “What was the sickness?”
Lila shook her head. “No one knew. The town’s people were afraid of Oh-Mah, they thought we were monsters. Our language was still of the old world, while their language had changed as the world had changed. Communication between us was impossible, and Oh-Mah was once again driven back into the mountains. That is where they remained, until we started to die out, when no more babies were born.” Lila took a breath, tears clouding her eyes. “Oh-Mah began to take women from neighboring farms and towns, for breeding. What we are today is from many years of Oh-Mah mating with your kind.”
“What about the Oh-Mah you told me about, the ones who are full-blooded?”
“They will all be gone one day,” she said sadly. “The last baby born to them was fifty years ago. His mother, the last female Oh-Mah, died giving birth.
What, how could that be, something didn’t make sense to Toni. “How old do the Oh-Mah live?”
“We used to live long time. Full-blooded Oh-Mah, some are three hundred years old.”
Wow! Toni was aware that her jaw had dropped.
Lila smiled. “Now that we are more like your kind, we die younger.” She moved in front of Toni. “Stand.”
“Have you gone through the mating ritual?” She asked, looking up at Lila.
The older woman paused in what she was doing; her eyes became soft and glazed, as if she were thinking about a pleasant memory. A small smile spread across her wrinkled features, before being replaced with a look of deep sadness. She nodded. “Yes,” she replied in a whisper soft voice. “Many seasons ago, when I was young and beautiful like you, but our happiness was not to last.”
Toni’s heart ached for Lila, who seemed so kind and understanding. “What happened?”
The faraway look in Lila’s eyes cleared as she glanced down at Toni. “A grizzly took Juju from me.”
“Oh, Lila, I’m so sorry.” Toni meant it. Lila had been caring and accepting to her, even after she’d tried to escape, and in many ways she reminded Toni of Mary, who’d always been the mothering kind. How devastating it must have been for Lila.
“Stand,” Lila said again.
This time Toni rose to her feet, watching Lila reach for something at the bottom of the basket. It turned out to be strips of leather threaded with colorful beads. Wordlessly the older woman brought it around Toni’s waist and tied it loosely so that it hung low and adorned her hips. The excess leather and beads dangled in strips down the side of her hip, stopping at mid-thigh. Other than that, she was completely naked.
As if on cue, drumbeats sounded, along with other crude instruments Toni couldn’t identify. She looked at Lila, who motioned her outside. She was led to a pelt by the fire, where she sat down. Across the fire Cormac was also sitting. Their gazes met and clung, and she felt a telling heat envelop her that wasn’t caused by the blaze separating them. He looked very masculine and handsome, and from what she could see he was as naked as she was. A leather strap was wrapped around his upper arm, and his long hair was tied behind his neck.
Toni resisted looking around; deciding that the only way she was going to get through the mating ritual was to focus on Cormac. Pretending that they were the only ones there was futile once the music and dancing began. She couldn’t ignore what was right there in front of her, as several naked, twisting bodies moved around the fire in a primitive and extremely erotic dance. The way that they touched and brushed up against each other told Toni that what she was seeing was the mating dance Lila had mentioned.
It was designed to arouse, to fuel the soul with fire and wanton need. Hands caressed and probed, and as the music sped up so did their sensuous, thrashing movements. Others joined in until there was no more room around the fire and they were forced to dance in the shadows beyond. Toni became mesmerized by the erotic dance; her heart began to pound with the rhythm set by the drums. Her blood grew hot, and she realized that watching their slow, writhing bodies was arousing her. Some were all but making love, as they became one with fluid and graceful movement.
She glanced at Cormac. His expression looked raw and wild with passion. The fire danced in his eyes as he stared across the flames at her. Without warning, the music came to an abrupt end and the dancers stopped almost as sharply. Toni could tell by their expressions that they were stimulated, and some were barely able to remain on their feet. She could see their chests rise and fall as they fought to catch their breaths. Eyes were glazed with lust, cocks were hard. The eerie silence surrounding them was only interrupted by the crackling of the fire, as they all stood and waited.
Lila appeared at her side and motioned Toni to her feet. She led her around the fire to Cormac, who also rose. They were positioned so that they were facing one another. His cock was bone hard and twitching, and the sight of it made Toni melt inside. He was handed a small wooden bowl. Keeping his eyes on her, he brought it to his lips, drank from it, and then brought the bowl to her mouth. Toni took a cautious sip, praying that it wasn’t blood or something equally disgusting, but the li
quid turned out to be thick and sweet, and not unpleasant.
The bowl was taken away, and an elderly man stepped between them. The words he spoke were in their own primitive language. Toni had no idea what he was saying, yet his actions spoke volumes. His hand moved over her breast, and he touched the hair between her legs so fast that she didn’t have time to react. Then he moved on to touch Cormac’s cock just as indifferently, talking the whole time. Her guess was that it had something to do with fertility.
He moved away and Cormac reached forward, hooked his finger in the leather around Toni’s hips, and jerked her against his hard frame. She caught her breath at the feel of his cock pushing against her. Then she was lifted off her feet, and the moment his lips touched hers the music started up again. Louder and wilder this time. Caught up in his passionate kiss, she wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her mouth to his probing tongue.
Cormac’s touch was the match that ignited the flame inside Toni. She’d never met a man who could draw out the lustful side of her so quickly. Her body reacted to him as if they’d known each other intimately for a long time, and was comfortable in that knowledge. Toni couldn’t get enough of him, and she wasn’t totally ready to blame her fierce need to possess him on his semen. Her thudding heart told her it was so much more.
Cormac’s kiss went on for a long time. Toni wasn’t aware that he was moving until she felt him lower them to a bed of soft hides. He covered her body and continued to kiss her, smoothing his rough hands over her breasts and down her ribcage to the curve of her waist. He caressed her belly until he reached her sex. When a long finger entered her she moaned with pleasure, arching beneath his intimate caresses, forgetting everything but the moment, and him.
As before, the passion exploded like wildfire between them. They were caught up in a vortex of raw and basic passion that demanded to be fed and satisfied at the same time. Cormac’s hands moved roughly over her curves and with purpose, leaving a burning trail of pleasure along her flesh and causing her sex to throb with wild excitement. All the while the music surrounding them grew louder, wilder, and more exciting, and Toni was strangely comforted by the raw sounds of passion surrounding them.
She dug her nails into Cormac’s shoulders while he concentrated on her throbbing clit. Forgetting about everything but him, she moved her hips up and down, feeling the pressure build until she could barely stand it. He left a scorching path of kisses down her throat and chest, sucked and tongued her breasts until her nipples swelled with fiery pleasure. All the while he was shoving his finger deep inside her pussy, thumbing her clit along the way. Toni felt like she was about to go up in flames. She was at the very pinnacle of climaxing when Cormac rolled, and she found herself pulled on top of him.
He pulled her up so he could take her breasts into his mouth. After loving both of them until Toni was gasping and straining against him, he lifted her, bringing her down onto his stiff cock. She cried out with surprise and pleasure. Cormac arched up; forcing his shaft in as far as it would go. Toni threw herself back, putting her hands on his muscular thighs and clenching her muscles, squeezing his rigid flesh as hard as she could. He shuddered with a guttural groan as she began to ride him hard, urged by the hands caressing her swaying breasts.
“Cormac!” He may have been a descendent from some legendary beast, but there was nothing crude or lacking about his lovemaking skills. He was thorough and sophisticated, and knew how to find all of her hot spots.
Close to losing control, Toni closed her eyes and rode his cock with total abandon, with one goal in mind—to give them both pleasure. The drums and noises of other couples making love outside the light of the fire drowned out their mutual sounds of gratification. His hands left her breasts, gliding down to her hips, forcing Toni to pick up speed. Oh God! A kaleidoscope of sensations swept over her senses. She was on a roller coaster ride, about to plummet off the tracks.
A powerful orgasm ripped through Toni. She cried out, her body held captive by the sheer bliss surging through her. Cormac sat up at the same time, holding her close. His roar resonated through the camp. He buried his fingers in Toni’s hair and jerked her head back, covering her mouth with his. They convulsed out of control against each other. Toni crumpled against him, drained and out of breath while Cormac’s cock moved unrelentingly until his balls were empty. He finally jerked one last time, and the camp erupted joyously around them.
Toni opened her eyes to see that some of the people were dancing around the fire again, while others lay on the ground as if they’d collapsed. No one seemed to be paying them any mind. She buried her face against Cormac, assuming that the mating ritual was over. Sensing her unease, he untangled himself from her and got to his feet, pulling Toni up with him.
“You are my life-mate now,” he stated passionately, cupping her face. He began to lower his face, and Toni lifted hers for his kiss.
“Not for long, Cormac!” said an angry voice from behind Cormac.
Someone screamed a warning, and Cormac shoved Toni away, swinging around with the speed of a striking snake to face Malik. Toni landed on the ground, looking up at the two men with shock and fear, barely aware that Lila and Didi had made their way to her. She felt something go around her shoulders, and then she was being helped to her feet.
“Your woman will be in my bed tonight,” Malik continued, lunging at Cormac with a knife in his hands.
Toni’s scream turned Cormac’s attention to her, a mistake that worked in Malik’s favor. His knife sliced over the bulging muscle of Cormac’s arm, leaving a thin line of red that soon began to run down the rest of his arm. His second lunge sliced through air when Cormac jumped back at the last second.
“Come,” Lila said into Toni’s ear, trying to draw her away.
“No!” Toni cried out, unable to take her eyes off the scene.
“You must,” Didi insisted. “For Cormac’s sake. Your presence here will distract him.”
Toni shook her head, unable to comprehend what she was hearing. Her gaze was riveted on Cormac and Malik, as they were twisting and rolling on the ground. “Why isn’t someone helping Cormac?”
“That is not our way,” Didi explained. “Malik has challenged Cormac for you. They must fight.”
Toni wanted to ask why Malik waited until after the mating ritual to challenge Cormac, but it really didn’t matter now. The two men were going at it like wild, dangerous, animals, kicking up dirt, grunting, slamming each other against the ground. Malik was the only one brandishing a weapon, and there were several places weeping blood on Cormac’s upper torso.
Toni gasped when Malik raised his knife, aiming for Cormac’s heart. Tears burned her eyes at the same time that a breath of relief escaped her when he caught Malik’s wrist in mid-air. They twisted and slammed to the ground again, rolling. Malik wound up on top, but a second later Cormac rolled until he was on top.
“Come, Toni. Cormac will expect you to be waiting for him.” Lila said, urging her to go with them.
How could she be so sure that Cormac would win? Toni wanted to believe that he would, but real life didn’t always have happy endings or go the way that you wanted. She reluctantly let Lila and Didi drag her away. As they led her to one of the shelters, Toni’s gaze drifted back to Cormac and Malik more than once. If anything happens to him…
“The victor will come for you.”
“I don’t understand you people,” Toni said, fighting back tears. “How can you just stand around and do nothing while two men fight like animals?” She turned to face Lila.
Anger glinted in the older woman’s eyes. “Do you think Oh-Mah would follow a leader who can’t fight for and win what he wants?” Toni stubbornly remained silent. “Only the best, the strongest, lead Oh-Mah,” Lila said in a calm tone that contradicted her expression.
“Is not the first time Cormac has had to prove himself,” Didi added in a softer, more understanding tone.
Is that supposed to make me feel better? Toni took a broken breath a
nd wiped at her cheeks. She turned her back on the two women and moved further into the shelter. The first thing her gaze fell on was the bed of white furs stacked against one makeshift wall. The bridal bed? Other than a small fire pit in the center of the room there was a large wooden bowl of water and another filled with some kind of fruit or vegetables.
“And if Malik wins? I’m just supposed to submit to him?” Toni didn’t even want to think about Cormac not winning.
“It is how it has always been.” Lila’s tone was matter-of-fact. “It is our way.”
Speechless, Toni watched them leave. There was no way in hell she was going to let Malik touch her. Cormac was bigger and stronger, but Malik had attacked him right after they’d made love, when Cormac’s strength had been compromised. Malik had stacked the odds in his favor, the coward!
Toni fought the urge to run back out there and help Cormac in some way, even knowing there wasn’t much that she could do between two giants. She prayed Cormac was the one to walk through the crude doorway, and began to look around her, unsure what she was looking for. Then she saw it, a small primitive-type knife sitting in the bowl of food. Elated, she snatched it up. If Malik walked through the doorway, she wouldn’t hesitate to use it on him.
With nowhere else to go, Toni stationed herself right next to the doorway, raising the knife and preparing to strike if Malik came through. A surprise attack would be more in her favor. She heard something outside the shelter, then a hand pulled aside the soft fur hanging as the door, and Toni brought the knife down. Cormac turned, caught her wrist in mid-air, and hauled her against him.
“Must I fight you, too, little one?” His tone was slightly amused.
“Oh, thank God!” Toni cried, sinking against Cormac gratefully. “I was so scared you were Malik.” The knife fell from her hand. She heard his indrawn hiss and backed away. “Are you hurt?” She stepped back with concern, running her gaze over him. “You’re hurt!” she gasped. She took a quick inventory of his wounds, which all appeared to be superficial. “Did you… Is Malik…?” Toni wasn’t even sure she wanted to know what had happened to Malik.
The Mating Ritual Page 7
