by Ravyn Wilde
Carrying her still sleeping body into the bathing chamber, he laid her carefully out on a hastily summoned blanket. Mentally assembling an assortment of finger foods, he moaned. He had chosen fruits and sweets that could be eaten easily from Tala’s body. Looking around the room, he was delighted to find it was equipped with a small waterfall shower at one end of the pool. Perfect.
Taking his time, he used a Nui fruit to make a sweet sticky paste. The fruit was about the size of Tala’s fist. It was sweet and juicy, the pink flesh soft. It could be worked easily into an almost paint like substance. Stepping into the pool, his waist was even with where his mate lay sleeping. Rubbing the Nui fruit in his palms, he began to cover her from breast to knee with its aromatic substance.
Tala moaned in her sleep. Her body was burning with need. The links were throbbing gently but insistently. She felt slick hands, Mica’s hands, moving along her front, massaging her breasts and covering her nipples, fingers were twirling under the chains and lightly pinching. Oh, yes. His hands rubbed slowly across her ribs, seeming to cover every spot, and then drifted down across her stomach. She felt something cool being collected in her navel. She thought she should probably open her eyes, but this feeling was just so amazing she didn’t want to break the spell. He now moved his hands to spread something slick and moist over her hips, down her legs to her knees. She could smell the sweet fragrance of fruit—Nui fruit.
He gently inserted his hands between her knees and pushed. The message was clear. Open.
She was happy to comply. Pulling her feet together, she let her knees fall open to the sides. Now the hands were coating the inside of her thighs, moving up to cover her heat. She was panting. But still she kept her eyes tightly shut. Mica’s tormenting hands moved away for a minion, and then were back, riming her entrance, painting every surface. She hadn’t realized that she’d stopped breathing, her hands clutching the blankets beneath her. Slowly she opened her eyes and, looking down, she saw that her body had been covered in the pulp and juice of the pink Nui fruit. Gasping, she looked into Mica’s smoldering gaze as he bent to feast from her skin. She was breakfast.
Tala lost track of time as she writhed on the floor of the bathing chamber. Her mate was in no hurry to finish her off. He kept the links pulsing faintly, not enough to build anything to completion, yet too much to ignore. He lightly bound her with his thoughts, not enough to keep her completely still, but she couldn’t lift her arms or try to squeeze her legs together. And he worshipped her body with his mouth. Licking and sucking the fruit from her skin, he cleaned every morsel, except for those at her breast, her navel and between her spread thighs. “Please, Goddess,” she keened. If he didn’t touch her there she would die.
Mica gazed feverishly at his handiwork. Tala was incoherent, begging him to fill her. She lay there, completely open to him, plump breasts and weeping pussy painted in pink Nui fruit. His cock jumped every time she moaned. He fought to control the urge to impale her in one swift thrust. No…he was still hungry.
Bending over her again, he started licking the sweet fruit from her breasts. She responded immediately.
“Suck on me,” she pleaded with him.
He was happy to comply.
Ahhh…finally. She felt like screaming. His hot mouth settled over one nipple while his fingers pinched and pulled the chain at her other. He pulled her into his mouth, sucking hard and rolling the turgid bud between his teeth. “Harder. Bite me,” she demanded. And was rewarded with the pleasure-pain of his teeth biting down. She felt her inner muscles contract, and her juices mingle with the fruit on her cunt. It seemed to take him forever to be satisfied with cleaning the fruit from her chest. She was so close to her peak…
Finally he shifted lower, lapping the fruit’s juices from her navel, sucking on the skin of her stomach. He moved down, softly blowing against her labia, barely touching her with his tongue. Tala tried to shift her hips to bring her in closer contact with his mouth.
Grunting, all teasing control left Mica’s body. Moving up to settle on his knees between Tala’s legs he dug his fingers into her hips and lifted her to him. Moving to cover her mound with his lips, he feasted on her, ravenous for her taste. Mouth open wide, tongue and teeth worked to devour the mingled juices of the Nui fruit and Tala’s own making.
Tala screamed. His assault had sent her rocketing over the edge. She cried out for mercy. He didn’t listen. She was now begging him to stop. He didn’t listen this time either.
Opening their links, he fed his passion. Fed hers. And sent her shooting into the stars.
Mica watched intently as Tala stirred. He was painfully erect, fully and dangerously aroused. His fault. But he’d wanted to watch her peak and climax for him again and again. The bathing pool was steaming with hot water. He picked up his sated mate and carried her to the short waterfall. Sitting on the ledge, he positioned her on his lap. With her back to his chest he slowly filled her.
Tala arched into him, pushing herself down on his pulsating cock. She tried to move, but again he held her still.
“Wait. Let me show you something,” he said. And he turned them together, fused. Spread her legs wide with his knees so they were sitting on the bench, leaning back. Positioning their bodies so that the waterfall would pummel her clit and his balls, using the pounding water as a vibrator to beat against their joined bodies.
Tala hadn’t thought anything would get her attention. She’d had more orgasms in this bathing chamber than she could count. She’d been wrong.
Mica kept Tala completely still as the pounding water started to work its magic on her sated body, bringing them both to a sharp peak of awareness. He was buried deep within her, riding the waves of overwhelming sensation with her, feeling her hot sheath clenching tightly, milking him. It was too much. Quickly he stood with her and turned, never allowing their bodies to separate. Settling her feet to the floor of the pool, he bent her forward at the waist, pulling her ass snug against his cock and moving over her back to force her to drop to her hands against the bench they’d been sitting on.
He paused there, drew slowly back to stop, leaving just his tip in her wet heat. His strong hands moved on her ass, lifting her, spreading her as he speared forward in one long, relentless thrust. “Goddess, you are so wet, so tight,” he growled in her ear forcing the angle so he could press deeper into her hot passage. He moved his hands around her so his fingers could find her nipples. He plucked and pulled on them as he fucked her. Hard. And always the links were there, the sweet hum of their vibration adding to the pleasure.
Tala was insensate. Her body completely full, her pleasure points throbbing and building to a peak she thought she’d never reach.
His thrusts grew in intensity. Faster. Deeper. One hand released its nipple and moved to slip along her front, sliding over the place they were joined.
Tala convulsed violently. The pleasure kicking her into an undulating orgasm that continued to escalate every time Mica slammed into her.
He was ruthless, pushing himself farther and farther, then stiffening when he fell, his cry muffled against her neck. His wild release shot deep within her.
It took him time to recover enough to carry his now-sleeping mate back to bed. As he had done every time he’d made love to Tala, Mica took the time to heal any hurt he might have caused his once-virgin Life Companion. She was his. He could do no less than care for every pain he might cause her. Mica smiled, sleeping or having sex would be all they could manage for the foreseeable future. He was pleased that she was finally his to hold, his to claim. He hadn’t lost her.
He would be more pleased if he could stop thinking of the time she had spent being touched by the Nubes. He considered using his healing power to wipe the memory of the Nubes pleasuring his mate, from her memory. Knowing that another had pleasured her—several others—inflamed his sense of possession. Made him extremely jealous. He carefully measured the benefits to such action. Sighing, he realized that taking the memory from her mind wouldn’t
erase his knowledge of the event. And while he was fairly certain she would never know he had done so, someone could say something to her to bring the memory back, or with Tala’s new powers, she could be resistant to him. Not to mention it would be against all his training, his resolve to not use his powers for his own gain. Goddess, help him if she should ever discover he had played with her mind. She would make him pay. He already planned on needing to soothe her anger once she recovered from the initial linking. No. He’d leave her memories intact and work on replacing all her thoughts and all her carnal reminiscences with their pleasure. There would be no need for her to ever think of the Nubes, he would satisfy her every desire.
It would take another two bi-nons to sate their preliminary mating fever. He knew after this time had passed, when Tala could once again think, talk, and realize he had joined her to him forever…all hell would break loose. He grinned. He could hardly wait.
Chapter 12
Tala clobbered Mica with a pillow, ineffective she knew, but satisfying. He had been sleeping soundly beside her when she had come to her senses. Being bonked on the head had startled him awake and marginally made her feel better. It had taken her many bi-nons, but she could, finally, think of something other than Mica being inside her. Or at least she hoped she could!
“Problem, dear heart?” Mica asked her sardonically. He knew the time had come to pay for his sins; it was amazing that she had taken this long to attack him. He lay sprawled beside Tala with the sheet draped over his slim hips, trying in vain to keep the smile from his face.
“You!” Tala snarled, trying hard not to look at the seductive picture he made lying there and swiped at his head with the pillow a second time. She was crouched on her knees next to him, anger and irritation radiated from her in waves. “You idiot bastard, pond scum…Zylan male! I can’t think of anything bad enough to call you. Don’t you try and touch me.” She stilled his movement with a glare. “I am not done with you yet.”
“Of course you’re not done. You will never be done with me. I am your Link Mate,” he stated. Then winced. It was probably not a good idea to remind her of that.
“Link Mate,” she hissed. “I am your Link Mate and you have known that for how long?” She was seething. For as long as she could remember, she had been miserable: wanting Mica, needing Mica, and struggling to make a life for herself that didn’t include him. And he had known all along that she was his Link Mate? She would kill him!
Wham! The shot caught Mica on the side of the head as he tried to sit up. Laughing, he grabbed the pillow from her and threw it to the floor.
Tala sprang out of the bed and started ranting at him. Well, maybe not at him, but at the room in general. She wasn’t really talking to him, just working herself into a major hissy fit. Pacing and flinging her arms all about her while she raged on and on.
“Link Mate! I can’t believe I am your mate and you knew and didn’t tell me and let me suffer and plan my life without you. You are so stupid. Did you think I would just wait for you forever? Did you not think about how I was feeling? What I was going through? How long have you known, Mica?” Tala stopped and turned to glare at him. Not waiting for his answer she snarled, “Was the training of new Selven Goddesses fun for you, Mica?” This time she stopped and waited for his answer. The silence in the chamber was lethal.
Mica looked at his Life Companion. His long-awaited and anticipated mate. He could see the hurt in her flashing silver eyes. Frowning, not understanding this last question, he opted for the one he knew. “I have known since you were 12.”
Mica’s answer stopped Tala’s heart. That was sooo not the right response. “You knew when I was 12.” Tala responded flatly. She had really hoped he would tell her he had just recently come to the realization that they were Life Companions.
Mica missed the flash of fury in Tala’s eyes as she turned her back to him. Thinking she had burned herself out and was now ready to listen to reason, he continued, “Yes. You know that Zylan men often recognize their mates early. Even when they are children.”
Softly Tala asked, “And you didn’t let me know? I can maybe understand not telling me when I was a child, but later? Why did you wait?”
Mica shrugged. “It seemed like a good idea to let you have some time to yourself. To give you time to grow up without having to worry about being linked. I was still working on my new duties as High Priest.”
Tala’s back stiffened. “Duties. And those duties included the sexual education of all the priestesses-in-training. Didn’t it, Mica?” she demanded, whirling to face him.
He stepped back, confusion and anger warring on his chiseled face. “Who told you…well, it doesn’t matter. I did what was required of me,” he stated, refusing to justify his actions to her.
“What was required…” Tala sputtered. “Unbelievable.” Shaking her head she walked slowly across the room. Thinking. She needed to put some space between them. She couldn’t stand to be near him right now. She wanted to go home. He wouldn’t let her go alone. Chewing on her lower lip she considered…how could she leave him? She knew first hand that the links wouldn’t allow her to be parted from him for more than a few bi-nons. Watching her brother’s mate, Nyssa, go through the links’ torment when she was separated from Tar had been a quick lesson in togetherness. But she had to have some space, some time to come to grips with everything. She knew that—eventually—she would forgive and forget. Damn it! The links wouldn’t let her do anything but “kiss and make up”. But her options were limited on how long she could keep away from him. And he would always find her.
“Tala?” Mica queried.
“What,” she answered him without turning around.
“Are you hungry? I will go prepare us something to eat. I am starving,” he said.
The male satisfaction in Mica’s statement grated on Tala’s nerves. Gritting her teeth, she responded, “Yes.” If only to get him away from her for the few minons it would take him to go to the kitchens. She knew he could just summon the food from thin air. That was an ability learned almost as soon as a Zylan child could walk. But he had offered to go prepare something. She held her breath waiting for him to leave.
Mica waited for Tala to say something more or to turn and acknowledge his leaving. When she didn’t move, he shrugged and decided maybe she needed a moment to herself. He knew there would be problems. But, he was confident they would work them out. She had seen first hand what happened to mates that had been separated. With a last glance at her rigid back, he left the silent room.
* * * * *
Laden with the delicacies Mica hoped would put Tala in a better frame of mind, he entered her chamber with thoughts of eating most of what he had prepared off her delectable body…again. He had really enjoyed that. Maybe she would return the favor. Just thoughts of Tala’s tongue licking Nui fruit from his body sent his penis skyward. Moving quickly now, in a hurry to carry out the vivid picture he’d created in his mind, he set down the tray and looked around the chamber for his mate. Empty. A quick check of the bathing chamber confirmed his suspicions. Tala was gone.
Chapter 13
Mica swore. Gone. He had searched the entire gathering place of the Selven and found nothing. Both his mental probing and a physical search had not led him to her. His mate had completely disappeared. Tala knew better than this. Knew the links would make both of them suffer and would not allow them to be apart for long. After just a few bi-nons the separation would drive them both mad and could eventually cause their deaths. Already his links were starting to pull uncomfortably and he was beginning to crave her touch.
Why couldn’t he sense her? Had she gone so far in her training that she could shield from him? As link mates, without some kind of help, it should be…
Help. Shalan. By the Goddess, he would strangle her. Mica ran from the portal room. He had gone there thinking Tala might have been foolish enough to attempt to use it to return to Tanar and her brother. He should have known better; after his experience,
she wouldn’t have tried to use it. He would demand answers from the deceitful Goddess in the high chamber.
“Shalan,” he bellowed with both his voice and his mind. Summoning the Priestess to his bidding.
“You rang,” Shalan’s voice dripped with sarcasm as she walked around the corner and into the main chamber. “What are you bellowing about, Mica?”
“Tala has disappeared and I can’t reach her with my mind,” Mica cut right to the point. “What have you done to help her, Shalan?”
Shalan raised both eyebrows and glared at the High Priest, crossing her arms over her chest and tapping her foot impatiently as she sputtered, “What have I done? Could you possibly be the one at fault? Why would Tala need to be away from you so soon after your claiming her as Life Mate, Mica?” her voice again tinged with sarcasm. “Let’s see…oh…I remember now. You kept her waiting, not telling her for any of her life cycles, that she was your life mate. Even knowing you had a Life Mate, you continued to train and enjoy the sexual availability of the Selven. That availability is for unattached males. Unattached. When technically you knew, Mica, that you were linked. Gee, I wonder why she had a problem with that!” Shalan was close to shouting at him.
“She is my Link Mate, Shalan. It is for us to work our problems out. You shouldn’t have interfered.” Mica said furiously.
Shalan shrugged. “You used me, Mica. Used me to keep her in holding. You didn’t tell her what was going on and ask her to wait. You played an elaborate game to keep her guessing. Well, now it’s Tala’s turn. She realizes it can’t last for long but she needs this.”
“What? Needs what? To punish me? To put both of us through this torment?” he asked.
“Karma’s a bitch, Mica. Remember that. After all, it is one of the first tenants of a High Priest’s teachings.” Shalan called out over her shoulder. “I refuse to help you this time, Mica.” And she swept from the chamber with a grin that she was careful he didn’t see.
