Her Mates’ Embrace Rebecca Airies Part of the Primal Attractions series. Cami’s hunted by two vicious men from her past. It’s the only reason she follows her newfound visions to the two powerful Santir shapeshifters, Linc and Colm. Intense attraction and uncontrolled magic draw her closer to them despite reservations. As much as she wants to fall into their arms and bed, she knows her past and Colm’s beliefs make any kind of relationship impossible. The desire to get closer to Cami surprises Linc and Colm. It’s different than anything they’ve ever felt. Their need to uncover her secrets is only surpassed by their hunger for her kiss and touch. They soon realize their feelings are far more than sexual attraction. She’s their mate. To claim and keep Cami, they’ll have to earn her trust and protect her, or the danger stalking her will steal their chance at happiness.
HER MATES’ EMBRACE Rebecca Airies
Rebecca Airies
Chapter One 869 Neshan Calendar “They won’t hurt you.” Cami didn’t even glance over at Avan. She recognized the unspoken message, but was a little surprised he didn’t just come out and say it. They wouldn’t hurt her like Laed and Kynar had. The auburn-haired man seemed to think that if he kept telling her that, it would make her believe it. Not going to happen. She didn’t doubt that Ardin Linc Arinin and Ardin Colm Tarvis were as honorable as men with the power to rule over others could be, but they were men with power. These two men had more power than most. Ardin ruled a group of Santir shapeshifters. Sometimes it was a small number of people, but from what she knew, Linc and Colm led a large group of Santir. The sun streamed through a gap in the clouds above, giving a glimpse of the yellowish sky. Cami thought she was doing great in trusting them enough to stop Laed and Kynar. She couldn’t trust completely. For merely irritating them, she’d been beaten with their fists and a large leather strap. Before Laed and Kynar had finished, they’d cut her face and her leg to provide a visual warning to others who thought to defy them. Even coming to find these two Ardin hadn’t been easy. Laed and Kynar had been the Ardin of Scali Thent, but not true Ardin with real magic. No one realized that until it was too late to stop the two men from taking control. They had ruled with cruelty and fear. No solid reason was needed to draw their fury. Cami was one of many victims of their vicious behavior. She didn’t know if she’d ever be able to trust anyone completely again. “You’ll find safety at Tobai Thent.” Avan’s voice softened. As if she’d believe that tale. She knew what Thent was supposed to be. Thent was often used to refer to a specific clan or group of Santir, but could also be used to indicate the buildings that made up the clan’s home. In the old stories, being part of a Thent meant safety and protection from enemies. Home, family and prosperity. What everyone wanted. Not in this case. Cami had been far safer alone and on the run than she’d ever been under Laed and Kynar’s rule. “Cami, try to give them a chance,” Avan said with a little bit of annoyance. She raised a brow, but kept walking. Avan didn’t seem to have any problem putting his faith in Linc and Colm. She remembered too much from Scali Thent to believe in Ardin without proof. Still, she trusted him. If she didn’t know Avan would be with them, she doubted she’d be here. Avan was a good man and had lived through Laed and Kynar’s reign at Scali Thent just as she had.
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It took much too long to discover how Laed and Kynar acquired their magic. When she had realized a crystal gave the men power, she’d grabbed it and run. Not long after she’d left, she’d broken the crystal. She had wanted to make sure they could never use it again, but had succeeded in creating an entirely different situation. Magic escaped from the gem and had flowed into her. It wasn’t stable and it grew almost every day. She needed help managing her newfound power. The energy from that crystal had done more than give her magic. Only a day later, she’d begun having dreams and visions. That was how she knew about Colm and Linc. At first, it had been visions of Avan with them and then a vision of them fighting Kynar. More scenes of Linc and Colm had followed. She’d learned things about them she was certain they never would have shared with her. At first, she hadn’t realized why she was getting so much intimate information about two strangers. She knew about their love life at their Thent and their problems. Eventually, she’d realized they were connected to her. Admittedly, it had taken seeing herself with them in a few dreams to solidify the knowledge. With the sometimes erotic turn of the dreams, it didn’t take long to guess just how they were linked together. That connection to two powerful men terrified her. She followed the visions to Linc and Colm only because Laed and Kynar wouldn’t stop hurting others. The opportunity to control the magic was simply a benefit. One she knew she needed. She anxiously waited to start learning to control the magic welling up inside her. Especially since it seemed to be growing more every day. The magic building within her scared her. She didn’t know anything about using or even suppressing the power. The fight to keep it contained exhausted her. Fear of what the unrestrained energy would do to anyone near her if it was released kept her on edge. She didn’t know how long it would be until the power escaped her hold. It had happened once before. The magic had exploded out of her. Luckily, she’d been in the middle of the forest. No people had been affected, although the animals hadn’t fared so well. She’d come across the animals after the wave of minor dizziness and weakness had faded. They’d been alive, but unconscious. She didn’t want to see what disaster would happen in a city, even a small one. Conflicting feelings kept her from approaching Colm and Linc about her fears, but she knew time was running short. “Cami, don’t be stubborn. You hardly talk to them and you keep as much distance between you and them as possible. How are they supposed to help that way?” Avan’s voice was pitched low as they strolled down the street of yet another village. Keeping a distance between her and them was the sane decision. She’d told them about the magic when she’d met up with them, but they didn’t seem to be in any rush to teach her to handle it. Maybe when they did, the dreams would stop or decrease. The magic and those strange vision dreams had to be connected somehow. She never had them before she broke that crystal.
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The dreams. She didn’t mind the ones that gave her warning of danger so much. Sometimes, she didn’t understand what they meant until some event clicked into place. At least they served a purpose other than tormenting her. She could live without the dreams of Linc and Colm. She hated seeing them with other women even if she felt they were images from the past. They didn’t want a mate. She heard it in those dreams almost every night. Knowing that, dreaming of them making love to her became even more of a torment. She knew it couldn’t come true. If it did, they’d only resent her. The two men were close as brothers, although she knew they weren’t related. If one of them was miserable, the other man would be unhappy as well. “I’m not being stubborn.” She looked over at him and met his eyes briefly. It was caution, fear and experience, not simply a desire to do things her way. Getting close to them only increased the pull of the mate bond. All of the herbal teas and lotions she used to mask her scent couldn’t change that, even if it did keep them from recognizing her as their mate. That didn’t stop the attraction and the connection from growing. Nothing except staying away from them would do that. He raised an eyebrow in clear doubt. She looked back up the street. The houses and streets all seemed to look alike now. The travel-gates made moving to other worlds easy, but every planet had more than one gate and each led to different worlds. Sometimes, they had to travel overland to the gate that would lead them to the right place. Simply traveling with Colm and Linc’s men, they’d passed through five worlds. That was nothing compared to the number she’d gone through when she ran away from Scali Thent. She was tired and wanted a real bed for more than a night. At least, the journey would end soon. They were getting close to the world where Colm and Linc held their Thent, although they still had a little traveling to do. “I know they haven’t even raised their voices to you. You need to talk with them if you’re ever going to trust them. You’ll see they’ll keep you safe. We’re making sure you’re seen. Laed and Kynar will be able to find you and Linc and Colm will catch them.” Avan leaned in close so that his voice would carry only to her. “They were after Laed and Kynar before I joined you. My being here only makes it easier for them to do that.” She shook her head. The reassuring litany wasn’t going to work. Although she didn’t know the full reason why, they were following her. Without a doubt, Laed and Kynar hated her. She’d suffered enough abuse at their hands to realize that. She took their crystal, but they couldn’t know that for certain. They were coming. Knowledge of their pursuit thrummed through her. It wasn’t only the visions. She felt hunted and had almost since she’d left Scali Thent. “Are you still afraid of them?” Avan’s hand clasped her arm and pulled her to the side of the street. She stared at his green shirt for a moment before lifting her eyes to his. He wouldn’t have tried to stop her physically even days earlier. Her calm reaction to it surprised her 6
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a little. After the beating by Laed and Kynar, she hadn’t wanted to let anyone close, but slowly that was changing. “Laed and Kynar? No.” She frowned, but not only over the question. She wasn’t so sure the change was a good one. Being aware kept her safe. They were a threat to anyone weaker, but this time they faced men who knew real magic. She’d feared Laed and Kynar when she was under their power. After they’d beaten her, even the fear changed. She didn’t want to die, but she wanted to hurt them. She didn’t know what she’d feel when they found her again. “No, Colm and Linc, the Ardin.” Avan glared at her as if she should have realized that was who he was talking about without clarification. “If I thought I had reason to be scared of them, I wouldn’t be here. I’m cautious of them. They’re big and they have power. Men with power like wielding it and that’s not always the best thing for people near them. And I didn’t know you’d decided that your place was with them, because they’re definitely not my Ardin. I doubt I’ll ever stay under the rule of Ardin again. This is temporary and will only last until we manage to stop Laed and Kynar.” She slid a glance at him. She didn’t know how he could so easily follow their orders. He’d seen what had happened in the Thent, even if he hadn’t felt the worst of it. “They won’t turn on you as Laed and Kynar did. You’re safe.” Avan’s voice remained low as he began guiding her down the street again. “They won’t because I’m not giving them the chance. After everything, I can’t do Thent life on the long term. Just being around the people with us is enough to make me want to find somewhere I can be alone. And that’s not even taking into account the fact that I won’t ever be able to trust Ardin as most expect their people to do.” She stared at the people walking toward them. Cities and towns weren’t her favorite places either. Too many people and buildings crowding around her. She’d spent too much time alone before she found them. Not that she regretted it. The time moving through forests and running in her animal form helped ground her when so much else was spinning out of control. “That’s how you feel now, but when you’ve had some time to see that these men aren’t power-hungry and vicious, you’ll see that you can live with others. You have to give it a chance. You’ve been alone since you ran from those two. It’s going to take a little time for you to adjust to being near people again.” Avan smiled and patted her shoulder. She glared at him and stepped away from what she knew was supposed to be a comforting gesture. “Do you seriously think that this is the first time that I’ve seen and experienced the betrayal of someone who was supposed to know and do what was best for everyone? It happened before, not as severely, but still essentially the same. People in power lose sight of the fact that others matter. I won’t put myself in that position again.”
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“Those men, the false Ardin and the other, that’s not the way most men with power act. They’re extreme examples of how not to act.” Avan’s voice rose and he stopped, but hurried to catch up when she didn’t stop. “Look, I don’t know why you’ve given them all your trust, but that’s you. I’ve got permanent scars as proof that those with power can’t be trusted.” She knew he couldn’t understand her problem. She couldn’t see how he gave them his loyalty and complete confidence so easily. “You’re not going be able to persuade me that I can count on them for anything more than help catching Laed and Kynar.” “All right, we’ll talk about this some other time. Maybe after you’ve had a chance to learn more about them.” Avan’s hand lifted in a gesture of acceptance. At that, her eyes narrowed. She had a feeling he’d been sent to discover just what her feelings were about life in a clan, living within a Thent and about Colm and Linc. It was beyond her why it was necessary. Of course, she didn’t trust them. The answer should be obvious to anyone who thought about what had happened. She’d been beaten badly for no reason other than Laed and Kynar were mean tamaurgi. She’d like to come up with a few words other than bastard, but couldn’t think of anything bad enough to really describe them. “Shouldn’t we get what they asked us to get? The cloth?” She looked pointedly at the market ahead of them. “We’re going. The cloth is for you, you know. They saw that you only have that small bag and wanted to make sure that you have extra clothes and all the comforts you need.” Avan edged closer to her as they walked into the market area. “Let me guess. You’re supposed to guard me in case someone attacks while we’re here.” She slid a glance over at him. “I’m supposed to make sure that you’re safe while you’re away from the main group because you’re more at ease with me. You won’t immediately try to move away if I have to get closer.” Avan shrugged. She gave them credit for noticing that. She did trust Avan more and she knew he wouldn’t hurt her. He was one of the few males she felt completely comfortable being near for any length of time. She didn’t think that Linc and Colm would physically hurt her. The two men were a threat in an entirely different way. She didn’t like the speculation she’d seen in their eyes lately. She’d caught them staring a few times. By the expressions on their faces, it wasn’t because of her scar. “We should probably get started with this, then. I don’t want to hold them up.” She looked at the stalls. There weren’t all that many. It shouldn’t take long to find some serviceable cloth and buy it. “Hold them up? They’re not in a hurry. We’re staying the night here. They’re arranging for accommodations. Apparently, they stop here often enough to be friendly with the locals.” Avan stayed close to her as they strolled into the market. It wasn’t too crowded.
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She walked past the stalls selling fruit and vegetables and one offering cooked pastries. There were a couple of stalls selling cloth, but she didn’t see anything suitable on the first table. Moving on to the second, she found a few bolts that would work. She particularly liked the vivid green, the yellow and a deep blue. When she began to take out the coins for the cloth, Avan stepped forward and handed the amount to the woman behind the wooden table. “They gave it to me to pay for the cloth,” Avan said without her doing more than looking at him. “I don’t need their help to provide for my needs. I’m capable of doing it on my own.” She straightened and glared at him. “It wasn’t my decision. That’s something you’re going to have to argue about with them.” He held up his hands. Oh, she would and she knew it probably would be an argument. They weren’t accustomed to people questioning them, especially for something such as this. But she wasn’t part of their Thent. They had no right to pay for what she would wear. She wasn’t their responsibility. “Let’s go. I assume since you know so much that you know where we’re supposed to meet them.” Her anger built with every breath, and more frightening than that, the magic rose with the emotion. She tried to push the anger down and get control of her feelings. It didn’t work. Fear spiked through her. She couldn’t let the magic escape her control here. There were too many people who could be hurt. “We’re supposed to meet them at the inn. You’ll have a room of your own. They assured me of that, just in case you were worried.” Avan urged her back down the same street they’d taken to get to the market. “I take it from your remark that some people will be doubling up.” She drew in a deep breath and focused on calming her emotions. “Yes, doubling and some sleeping in rooms in people’s homes.” Avan shrugged. “It’s just the way it’s done in these smaller towns if the group that comes through is too big for the inn. They’re willing as long as they’re paid.” She didn’t reply. Calming down wasn’t working. The magic churned even without the emotion behind it. Nothing she did tamped it back down. This was bad. She didn’t know what she should do. Linc, Colm and their chatar were at the inn. A chatar served as their advisor, wise man and seer. She frowned as she thought about that man. The dark-haired chatar and his knowledge of her worried her. Before she’d met him, she’d suspected that all chatar were fakes as the one at Scali Thent had been. That fake hadn’t been wise at all and he definitely had no ability to see the future. Definitely not true of the chatar with Colm and Linc. She couldn’t do anything about the chatar. She needed to stay focused on the main issue. The magic. If Colm and Linc helped, that would be great and no one would have anything to worry about today, but if not… She hesitated. This could be a disaster. If
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she went into the forest, as long as she was far enough away from the city, no one would be hurt. “Is something wrong? If you need to talk with the Ardin, I’d suggest you do it now. They were talking about getting a few more supplies and that could take a while if they have to haggle.” Avan took her arm. She didn’t have time to think, much less force the words past the panic boiling inside of her. Avan led her to a good-sized wooden building near the town’s east edge. Her heartbeat sounded loud in her ears. Her chest ached and she felt as if she couldn’t pull in enough air. Indecision made the choice for her. She didn’t resist as he pulled her up the stairs onto a porch that ran along the front of the hotel. Dread filled her. Something bad was going to happen. Her heart raced and her mind seemed to lock. She couldn’t think of a way to make him understand that he had to let her go. He’d chase after her if she just took off. She doubted he’d consider her power a problem. None of them had seemed too concerned since she’d told them about the magic inside of her and that it was building. If she didn’t find some way to suppress it, they were going to get a firsthand demonstration of why it was a problem. “I can’t go in there, Avan. I need to calm down, maybe go for a long walk or run.” Her voice quivered with stress. She winced at the sign. She tried to get him to understand. “The magic—” “They’ll teach you everything you need to know about your magic, you just need to be patient. They can’t teach while we’re traveling. And as long as Laed and Kynar are still out there, going for a run or walk with just one person isn’t a good idea.” Avan opened the thick wooden door and switched his hand to the small of her back before she could even think about making a run for it. She found herself being urged into the inn. The main door opened into a dining and drinking area with a long, scarred dark-brown bar and several tables. She didn’t take a step more once the forward pressure had stopped. His attitude and insistence as well as the fact that there were at least ten other people in the short distance between her and the first table were making her feel trapped. She wanted out and she wanted to be away from everyone. “Linc, Colm, Cami needs to talk with you.” Avan stepped forward. Her mind automatically locked onto the fact that there was a clear path behind her. She didn’t get a chance to think about it too much before she noticed that both men were coming toward her. Unable to stop herself, she let her eyes wander as they approached. Colm’s golden eyes fixed on her and his face set in aggressive lines. She’d never seen them soften and sometimes wondered if he looked as if a predator lurked ready to pounce even when he slept. His skin was a dark-brown and the trika, the spots along his jawline and ribs, only a little darker. Those markings identified him as Santir, a shapeshifter, and they were also sensitive to touch. Grabbing and pinching there could 10
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be very painful, but a caress… She shivered at the thought of the pleasure it could bring or that could be given. His long black hair hung in a straight fall to just below his shoulders. A cream-colored shirt stretched across his muscled chest drawing her eyes and many appreciative female stares, but not as many as his black leather pants. Linc followed a little behind as they wove their way between the tables. His long golden hair was clubbed back with a leather thong, but she knew it reached more than halfway down his back. Glittering green eyes seemed to take in everything. Light golden skin stretched over his cheekbones. She let her gaze drift over the dark trika along his square jaw as she continued her perusal. He was a little shorter than Colm, but every bit as broad and muscled. His dark-blue shirt wasn’t as tight as Colm’s, but those leather pants emphasized every flex of his thighs. Ogling them didn’t help lessen the magic, but she loved the view. It was as close as she could let herself get to them. Everything she knew about them and what they wanted only told her she’d be setting herself up for a lot of pain if she wasn’t careful. “No, I don’t need to talk to them right now. I need some time alone.” She slanted a narrow-eyed look toward Avan. He was lucky she didn’t have something heavy in her hands. “What’s wrong?” Linc stepped in front of her. “Nothing’s wrong. I just want to go to my room if it’s ready.” The words came out from between clenched teeth. It gave obvious proof of the lie, but she couldn’t do this now and hold onto her control. Colm laughed softly. “I think we do need to talk about something. I’m also sure that time alone isn’t going to make it go away.” She took a deep breath to try to control the immediate surge of frustration. Her nerves stretched taut with the strain. She didn’t need her feelings ramping up the magic any more than they already were. “No, we don’t. I need some peace and quiet away from everyone else.” “It’s not ready. None of them are. That gives us time to discover just what it is you don’t need to talk about.” Linc gently clasped her arm. “Let me go. I’m tired of being led, herded and told where to go and what to do. I don’t want to talk right now.” She jerked at her arm, but she might as well have been trying to move a rock wall. His hand didn’t budge. Her heart began racing. Panic began to push away everything else, but the fear that she’d lose control right here. “No, take a few breaths and calm down. We’re going to talk about whatever is bothering you, and don’t lie to us again. There is something bothering you.” Linc’s voice was smooth and utterly calm. “Why won’t anyone listen to me?” Her voice rose and her throat felt tight. The magic was rising. She could feel it swelling, but didn’t know how to make them understand without blurting it out, which could be disastrous in such a public place. She tried, but she couldn’t push it back. “Please.”
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“No, now we’re going to go sit down. You’re going to tell us what’s behind all of this argument.” Linc began leading her over to the tables. “No!” She reached for his hands, intending to use her claws to get him to release her. She’d be even more surrounded, more trapped there. Cami felt a snap of magic go through her as soon as she touched him. He flew back away from her. She stared, horrified, for only a moment before she spun and ran out of the room. She’d thrown him across the room with her magic and she hadn’t even intended to do it. Gods, she was a menace to anyone around her. She ran through the streets toward the forest. The streets seemed to close in around her, making her feel caged and hunted. Her vision narrowed. A low roar sounded in her ears and her heart raced. She hit the grassy field at the edge of town and kept going. Her pace didn’t slow until the sparse trees and bushes thickened and the light was partially blocked by the thick canopy of leaves of the surrounding trees. The sharp tang of the sap and leaves of the trees hit her first, calming her a little. She looked around and saw the dark bark of a stand of manoga trees. The sweet scent of minsi drifted to her, but she couldn’t see any of the vines anywhere or a hint of their yellow and orange bell-shaped flowers. She drew in a deep breath and walked a little deeper into the forest. Stopping when she got to a stand of conical vetin trees, she dropped down to sit against one of the thick trunks. The grass and leaf-covered ground was soft and cushioned her. The tree at her back felt solid. She put her hands over her face and simply breathed, letting the chitter of small animals and the feel of the slightly moist breeze ground her. That had been a disaster. Doubts began to crowd her mind. She’d thought she could be around people safely as long as she had someone near to teach her control of the magic. It hadn’t been a priority for them. She hadn’t pressed them on it. Maybe she should have, but she wasn’t certain that it would have made a difference to what happened. She would have felt pressured. She doubted she would have learned enough to stop that slip. She drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Resting her chin on her knee, she closed her eyes and tried to think about what she should do next. She wanted to stop Laed and Kynar, but that wouldn’t happen if she was a danger to everyone who was with her. That was all too likely if she couldn’t somehow get control of the magic. Alternatively, she couldn’t simply let Laed and Kynar continue to hurt others and she was certain that they would. Either way someone could get hurt. At least Linc, Colm and their men had been warned. Laed and Kynar’s potential victims wouldn’t have that advantage. On top of that, the men could take care of themselves. Laed and Kynar would go after the weakest targets they could find. The only question was would she be welcome to stay with them any longer?
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Chapter Two Colm followed the muddled scent through the streets. No way to mistake that strange smell. He hadn’t been able to grab her before she dashed out of the inn. He’d been stunned when Linc had flown backward. Then before they could go find her, one of the patrons at the inn’s bar, filled with courage and too much alcohol, had decided that since a woman could throw one of them, they were obviously weak. The resulting bar fight had lost them their rooms for the night. He growled. Frustrated and irritated, he searched for any sign of her. In spite of her panic, he didn’t think she’d go too far. She wasn’t trying to leave. The woman was smart. She’d slip out at night if she wanted to go. No, fear of what she’d done and what happened had ruled her thoughts. It had been a long time since he’d lost control, but he remembered how it felt. She’d told them that the magic scared her and that it was growing. He hadn’t realized that it was that bad. Part of that was their fault for not taking the matter more seriously. Still, he wasn’t taking all the blame. She should have pressed them for more attention instead of keeping them at a distance as she’d done since she’d found them. She was healing emotionally. She’d been fragile when she’d met them outside a gatehouse not too long ago. Every time they’d approach, she’d step back. The fear in her eyes was obvious. It wasn’t simply because they were Ardin, as the two men who’d hurt her had been. Slowly, she’d stopped retreating from them, but more than fear held her back. There was a caution in her eyes he was sure had nothing to do with physical fear. He looked over at his bond brother. Linc had noticed that she’d grown accustomed to the other men with them and didn’t seem to be so cautious around them. When he’d pointed it out, Colm hadn’t put much credence to it. If he’d gone through what she had, he wasn’t sure he’d be here, much less chance putting himself under the control of anyone ever again. Her reaction to them hadn’t changed much. With them, there was always a distance and deliberate avoidance of spending any time with them. On top of that, there was the way Vin, their chatar, looked at her. Speculation simmered in the wise man’s eyes. Colm knew that Vin had known she’d be waiting for them. The seer knew more of her than they did, but he hadn’t told them much about her. Vin had pushed to keep her with them, even when it would keep her in possible danger. Colm didn’t buy that the only way they were going to catch the false Ardin, Laed and Kynar, was if she was with them. There had to be more to it, but his mind shied away from the most likely possibilities. He didn’t want to think about that. It couldn’t be. He wouldn’t make himself vulnerable in that way. 13
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As they left the city, he looked at the trees. He should have realized she’d head straight for the forest. She’d wanted to be alone and have time to calm down before all this happened. The forest offered a haven away from the people and buildings. Colm spotted her. She sat on the ground, scrunched up with her chin on her knees and her eyes closed. She must be lost in thought, because she hadn’t heard them approach. Her black hair hung over her arms. The ends fluttered around her calves in the light breeze. It partially covered the minor scar on her cheek, although he knew the mark wasn’t so insignificant to her. Her position hid her curvy form. A cream-colored shirt covered lushly full breasts that made him want to reach out and cup them. Not that she’d given any indication that she’d stand still for that. He took a deep breath and focused. Time to see what conclusions she’d come to while she was thinking, but she had better realize they weren’t letting her disappear. The woman deserved safety and security and she’d get it even if she didn’t realize she needed it. “Whenever you feel like talking, we’re waiting.” Linc’s voice silenced the animals in the forest. Cami gasped and her eyes popped open. Her head snapped up and smacked into the tree behind her. The thud made him wince even as her hands rose to cradle her head. Her eyes clenched shut. She moaned a little before opening her eyes and blinking furiously. He’d guess she was having a little trouble focusing. She drew back against the tree and her eyes widened. He frowned. Was she afraid of them? It took him only a moment to realize that given her history, she probably expected some kind of retaliation. Not to mention they probably looked larger than normal given her position on the ground. Her eyes moved to Linc. After studying him a moment, she relaxed a little. “Are you all right? That sounded as though it hurt.” Colm took a step closer. She reached up and rubbed a hand over the back of her head. A grimace crossed her face, but when she pulled her hand back, he didn’t see any blood. “It hurts. I’m not going to try to stand just yet, but it should be fine. What did you want to start with?” She took a deep breath. Her hands loosely looped around her legs. He didn’t want her afraid of them. How were they going to get past the distrust she now had for anyone in a leader position? “Let’s start with how this all started. Maybe it will help us understand how this happened.” Linc stood with his feet braced apart. Colm waited. She licked her lips and her hands clenched. “I was frustrated. First my power was already a little high, but it’s been staying that way. So until it began feeding on my emotions, I wasn’t too worried. Then I became angry when Avan paid for the cloth on your orders.” She narrowed her eyes at him specifically as if she thought he was behind it.
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She was right. Linc had mentioned her not having much with her, but he hadn’t been going to press it until they reached the Thent. Colm saw no reason to delay. He’d arranged for Avan to take her to get some cloth. He hadn’t guessed how that would end. “You’ll need more clothes when we reach the Thent. Go on with your explanation.” Colm smiled and hooked his thumb on his belt. “I was going to take it up with you, but by the time we got to the inn, the magic was too high. I knew it and there was the chance that I couldn’t control it. I told him that I needed some time and that I wanted to wait. He ignored everything I said, just as you did.” She shook her head, but then groaned. Her hand cupped the back of her head. “We weren’t ignoring what you were saying. We were going to talk to you about it.” Linc’s voice softened. “No one has been listening to me. And then the room was so crowded and you wanted to take me to a place where I’d be surrounded.” She sighed heavily and brushed her hair away from her face. She had a point there. They knew she didn’t like crowds. Part of it was being trapped and surrounded. That was understandable after what the two false Ardin had done to her. Colm suspected the other part was simply that she’d been alone and on the run for so long that too many people made her nervous. “One word about how much you were worried about your magic would have gotten results.” Linc raised an eyebrow. “And I might not have suddenly hit the wall.” “That’s just the type of thing that I’d say out in public with strangers around.” She rose slowly to her feet. Colm laughed shortly. Some people feared those with magic. He could understand her not saying it in public. “I’ll grant that you couldn’t have said anything outright and we hadn’t prepared for such a situation. You bear a little of the responsibility in this too. You could have told us before how high the magic had become and that you were afraid you might lose control.” “I’m just feeling my way around in this situation. I told you about it growing and not knowing how to control it the first time we talked of it. You didn’t seem too concerned about teaching me any techniques. I didn’t know what you planned.” She shrugged. “We didn’t realize exactly how risky the situation had become. If we had, we wouldn’t have waited to begin teaching you to drain off power. You come to us if you feel as though you’re going to lose control. We can help.” Linc stepped forward. “You’re not alone in this anymore. You’re going to have to start trusting us.” Colm knew they were asking a lot from her. Still, it had to start somewhere. She grimaced and looked at them as if judging how serious they were. “You’re going to have to try, at least in regards to the magic.” Colm took another step closer to her, but since he didn’t want her to feel crowded, he also edged to the side a little. 15
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“I’ll try, but I can’t give you any promises. I’m not sure what to expect from you even now.” She licked her lips. “You expect some kind of retaliation for what happened, don’t you?” Linc’s head tipped to the side and he frowned. “That’s not our way. We don’t wait and come at someone when they’ve had a chance to relax. If we have a problem with something you’ve done, we’ll tell you.” “I’m really sorry about… Even though I didn’t do it intentionally, you did go flying back into a wall.” She shrugged, but kept her eyes on him. It was easy to see that she didn’t believe what they’d said. “Accidents happen, especially when someone’s just learning to control their magic.” Linc smiled. “I’ve taken harder falls in practice, so don’t worry about it. We should get moving. It’s going to take us some time to get to a spot to camp and it’s already getting dark.” Her mouth dropped open and she shook her head. “I caused you to lose your rooms at the inn. I shouldn’t have ever tried to contact you. I knew it could bring trouble to you, but I never thought that I would cause so much of it.” Colm held up his hands. He wasn’t going to let her take the blame for that. “It wasn’t you. Sure, people were stunned when Linc flew through the air, but most of the men there chalked it up to you pushing him and him tripping. Now, if one of the men at the bar hadn’t started mouthing off and took a swing at me, we’d still have a room.” “He’s shortening the tale a lot, but in essence, after you left, a fight broke out and the innkeeper threw us out because the other people involved were locals.” Linc smiled. “Still—” Cami began. “Still nothing. This was our doing. You caused a scene. We can handle that and the fight was our doing.” Colm frowned. It bothered him that she didn’t believe him. Not in an irritated way, but in a this-isn’t-right-and-I-need-to-change-it way. “The men are probably waiting with the mican. We need to be on our way.” Saddling and preparing the large, powerfully muscled riding animals as well as the pack animals and wagons wouldn’t take much time at all. Every man with them had done it hundreds of times. “We’d better get moving, then.” Her eyes moved from one of them to the other and then settled on him. He didn’t need to see how she stayed out of striking distance to know that she considered him a bigger threat than Linc. “You’ll know when he’s angry. He doesn’t hide it well.” Linc smiled, stepped to the side and gave her room to start back. She nodded and stepped forward, but he could tell that she still was wary. Her eyes kept moving and her body tensed as if she needed to be ready to move at the slightest notice. That had to change. He didn’t know how they were going to manage it, but somehow they needed to gain her trust.
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Chapter Three Cami blinked, aware that she was dreaming, but she couldn’t do anything to change what she was seeing. She looked down and saw Colm and Linc. Colm kissed someone and his hand swept around and disappeared as if he were lifting the woman. Linc ran his hands up a rounded thigh. Cami frowned. Gods, she didn’t want to watch them make love to another woman. Colm drew back and dipped down. She found herself staring at her own face. She felt a tugging in her core. The next instant, she was looking up at Colm. She blinked. Sensation pounded through her. Soft strokes of calloused fingers across her nipples and warm lips moving over hers. Desire thrummed through her with every beat of her heart. Slick moisture coated her pussy and inner thighs. Her eyes widened as she felt a hand on her thigh. Her eyes flew down her body. Linc’s hand eased over her thigh again and then smoothed inward, tipping her thigh outward. “I remember that look.” Colm laughed softly. His lips brushed along her shoulder. “It’s almost the same as the first times we were all together. You never seemed to expect another set of hands or lips touching you.” “It’s been a while since we’ve seen it, though. Is something wrong, nari?” Linc’s hand cupped her cheek. He looked concerned and his voice rumbled through her as though it was a rolling bolt of thunder. She swallowed hard and shook her head. They couldn’t be calling her mate. This couldn’t be real. It couldn’t be the future. They didn’t want a mate. Colm didn’t want a real mate. It had to be a dream, a simple dream. Shock and disbelief did little to cool the hunger building inside her. Even though she knew it was impossible, she wanted to touch them, hold them and make them hers. “Seems as if it’s something to me, but if you want to pretend for a little while, we can try to go back to what we were doing before you got startled.” Linc traced his finger over her upper lip. Anything, she’d try anything to change the subject, because she wasn’t going to try to explain this, even to a dream Linc and Colm. “Just kiss me.” “I love kissing you.” Colm nibbled his way along her jaw and cheek to her lips. She turned her head and fastened her mouth to his. Her tongue slid against his. His big hand cupped the back of her head and gentled the kiss. Hands drew up her outer thighs and spread them wide. She drew in a breath and stiffened, but Colm didn’t release her. “It’s just Linc, nari,” Colm whispered the words against her lips. He turned his head and looked at Linc. She didn’t have to see his expression to know that he wondered what was wrong with her. Linc drew his fingers over her clit. She gasped and a shiver ripped over her body. The sweet, intense sensation rippled through her, spreading until she ached for more of it. “Do it again.” She met Linc’s eyes.
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He smiled and deliberately trailed his fingers over the glistening lips of her pussy. Just when she thought he’d flick across the hood of her clit, Colm pressed her back against the mattress. Her eyes caught on the expanse of broad chest so near to her and she couldn’t stop running her hands across the warm flesh. She enjoyed the feel of his muscles beneath her fingers for a time before letting them wander to the dark, flat nipples. She scraped her nails across them before pinching one. Colm captured her hands and smiled down at her with wicked intent. “Maybe I’d like to play with you too.” “Kiss me again.” She licked her lips as nervousness fluttered through her. She tugged a little against his hold. Being trapped or secured made her nervous. He looked down at her and released one of her hands before nuzzling her neck. “I’m going to kiss you my way.” His mouth trailed over her shoulder. She wriggled at the slight, tickling sensation. All of her senses seemed to heighten. She didn’t know what he was going to do. Her skin tingled with each touch. His tongue swirled across her shoulder and then he kissed his way down her chest. Her fingers threaded into his hair. She wanted his mouth on her breast. He blew a hot puff of air over the taut nipple. She shivered and arched her back. His tongue flicked over the tip in a teasing little lash. She tightened her hand on his hair, trying to get his mouth on that aching point. He didn’t budge. A fingertip brushed her clit. Her hips bucked up in demand. Linc’s hands pressed her thighs wider. He moved between them and caught her eyes. “I’m going to get a taste of you.” Her eyes widened, but before she could do more than draw in a breath, his tongue swiped from her entrance up over her clit. Her hand tightened in Colm’s hair and her body bowed as a slice of raw pleasure slammed through her. Linc didn’t hesitate. His tongue swept across her clit again and again. Colm’s hand cupped her breast just as his mouth closed over the peak of the other. The combined sensation washed over her and she couldn’t think. Two fingers pushed into her pussy and began a slow counter to the flick of Linc’s tongue. Her hips lifted into the stroke of his tongue and fingers. The slight scrape of Colm’s teeth over her nipple drew a moan from her. Her head tossed from side to side as they drove her desire higher. Two tongues swirled over her flesh. Linc’s tongue lashed her clit and his fingers fucked into her. Colm’s teeth scraped across her nipple. The sizzling heat tightened. Linc’s fingers stroked deep and he sucked her clit into his mouth. She licked her lips. She couldn’t take much more. Her body bowed as raw heat exploded within her. Cami shook with the force of the orgasm. She rolled onto her side and curled up a bit. The hard ground beneath her mat seemed even more unforgiving as the pleasure slowly faded. That had been so intense. She had felt the wet heat of their mouths against her skin, felt the pressure of their fingers against her. So real. As much as she hated the dreams where she was an observer, she’d rather watch than be drawn into another dream similar to that one. Even now, she couldn’t help wondering if that was a vision of the
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future. She didn’t need the hope. She wiped at a tear. There wouldn’t ever be anything as good as that between her and them. The dreams only added to the problem. Part of her wanted nothing more than to grab onto any slight chance of happiness. She had to remember the facts. She had problems trusting men in power and those two ruled a Thent, an entire clan of Santir. On top of that, they didn’t want a mate, Colm especially. In the dreams, she’d heard him say he’d never take a true mate. She didn’t know why, but after seeing him fuck so many other women in those visions, she knew it was better they never know of the link between them.
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Chapter Four Linc watched the chatar usher Cami to her room at the inn where they’d stopped for the night. His eyes dropped to the enticing sway of her hips even as he studied the two people. Vin kept up a steady flow of talk. Most of it didn’t require any reply by her, but occasionally he’d ask her a question or try to draw her out a little. Cami listened and for once seemed almost comfortable around the other man. Vin really made an effort with her. He sat with her and Avan whenever they stopped to eat. When they were traveling, he stayed near her. That made Linc even more curious about her than ever. What made her so important? Not that he hadn’t been more than curious from the first. The pull to get closer to her was enough on its own to get his attention. He’d felt attraction to women before and he was attracted to her, but he felt drawn to her. He wanted to know everything about her. Although she masked her scent and kept her distance from them, he didn’t think that it was simply that mystery. The feeling was too intense. He wanted her with them. “Vin still trying to get her to talk?” Colm came up the stairs behind him. “Yes. Still not sure exactly what he’s trying to get her to tell him or to see. I asked, but he didn’t tell me anything.” Linc frowned. “He’s protective of her, though.” “Maybe he’s trying to get her to see that we’re not the false Ardin. You can tell by the look in her eyes that she doesn’t trust us.” Colm’s hand flattened against his back, urging him down the inn’s hallway. “If I’d gone through what she’s gone through, I’d probably still be in the forest. I would have tried to kill them first. I don’t think I’d ever be able to trust someone else having any power over me again. She’s stronger than she thinks.” Linc exhaled heavily, but continued to their room two doors down from Cami’s. Fully gaining her trust wasn’t going to be easy. “But there’s something more to it.” “Vin always has a reason. If it was important to the Thent, he’d tell us.” Colm shrugged. “If it was danger or could lead to danger, he would, but you know him, he’s not the type to hint or give us clues if he thinks it something we should already know or see. If he thinks it’s obvious, then we’re missing something.” Linc shook his head and opened the door to their room. It was very plain. Everything was brown from floor to the walls and the furniture didn’t look as though it would take much activity. The bed appeared in even worse condition than the rickety dresser. It rested at a slight angle even without weight on it. The blanket spread across the mattress appeared thin, but he’d seen worse.
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“Something obvious that involves her and keeping her with us.” Colm shook his head. “Maybe we’re supposed to help her learn to trust Ardin or simply someone in authority.” “I don’t think it’s anything that simple. I think that it might be directly related to us. You’ve seen the way she’s acted. She’s relaxed around some of the other men, but with us, she’s still wary.” Linc frowned as he sat on the bed. It sagged and groaned, but didn’t collapse beneath him. “She was beaten and cut by men who called themselves the Ardin of her old Thent. That probably has more than a little to do with it.” Colm shut the door and leaned against the wall next to it. He pulled the leather tie from his black hair and tossed it onto the dresser. Linc shook his head. Colm was trying to avoid thinking deeper about this. Linc knew why, but he couldn’t let him hide from it. Colm needed to begin to see the truth, because getting through to her wasn’t going to be easy. “That’s not the only reason. If it was, she’s seen enough of our behavior to relax a little. She watches us, though, and keeps a careful distance between us.” Linc met Colm’s golden eyes. “We both know she has things she’s holding back from us.” “She wants to keep her distance. She doesn’t want any ties with a Thent. You know that.” Colm came away from the wall and paced over to the bed, but the glare he slashed over at Linc spoke of his agitation even more than the movement. Linc could feel Colm’s frustration and knew it had to be high. Their bond as tierna, bond brothers tied with magic and blood, was extraordinarily strong, but only occasionally were they able to sense feelings from each other. Most often, it was focused thoughts. When they did feel something, it was sure to be intense. “Colm, her behavior and Vin’s attention to her both point to something different. She doesn’t want to be close to us and I’m certain that it’s not only because we’re Ardin.” Linc scowled, but remained seated as his remark had Colm swinging around to pace the length of the room again. “You know the list of what she could be to us isn’t that long. The question is, do we let her keep the secrets or work to strip them away and reveal it? Are we prepared to face the truth?” Colm gave Linc a long, hard look. Linc knew that list and he knew exactly why Colm didn’t want to give it much thought. She could be a mate to one of their men or someone they knew and they were supposed to keep her safe. There was also the possibility that she was their mate. As well as one or two others that were much less likely to apply considering the circumstances and that Vin had said nothing to hint that it would be something beyond what would be obvious. “No, that isn’t the question. Regardless of what we do, she won’t be able to keep those secrets for long. Maybe if it doesn’t take long, she’d be able to make it through the time to bring these men to justice. Do you really intend to let her walk away and disappear as you know she means to do? It’s obvious she doesn’t want to be with a 21
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Thent. Who would? But that fear isn’t going to resolve on its own.” Linc rose and paced over to the rickety dresser the inn provided for its patrons. It would probably break apart if he leaned against it. She’d fight having her defenses stripped away and the truth revealed. Doing it could destroy any trust she had in them. It wasn’t that damn easy and his bond brother was part of the reason that it wasn’t simply about revealing her secrets. “You’re right. She wants to walk away from everything to do with life in a Thent and especially anything to do with Ardin.” Colm looked down at his boots. The muscles along his shoulders bunched, stretching the white material of his shirt. “Colm, I know you don’t want to lose a mate, but you’re more likely to lose me than you are a female mate. She’ll have the haven we create for her as protection. Anyone coming after her will have to go through our men and us. I’ll be out there fighting right beside you.” Linc knew logic wasn’t going to make him suddenly see that a mate could be a good thing. Colm had seen firsthand the torment the loss of a mate could cause when it happened to his brother. Colm’s brother had fallen apart at his mate’s death. “I know that.” Colm’s voice roughened. Linc knew Colm was trying to think everything out and come up with the best solution for everyone. He was trying to work it out rationally and that was last thing that Linc wanted. Colm needed to trust his instincts on this, not his head. “Colm, don’t shut down on me here.” Linc walked over and grabbed Colm by the arms. With a sharp shake, he drew Colm’s focus back to him. He knew it would get a reaction out of the other man and would prevent cold logic from ruling. “You’ve made your decision. Why are you making an issue of this? You know I’ll go along with you on this.” Colm stalked over to the window and looked out at the city beyond. Linc was fairly sure he didn’t see anything though. “Do you want to have to pay for every piece of furniture in this room? Don’t give me that ‘I don’t care’ attitude. It’s your decision too and I’m not going to make it for you so you can resent both me and her.” Linc stalked over and stood beside him. “Do you think that would be good for any of us? Not to mention the fact that she’s gone through enough without having to deal with your foul moods and being treated as if she’s anything but what you want.” “So what do you suggest, Linc? We have to make a decision. And she’ll have to deal with my foul moods regardless. Do you really think that I can be nice the entire time she’s with us, even if it’s only a short time? Someone’s going to make me angry.” Colm turned his head and narrowed his eyes at Linc. Linc ruefully acknowledged that that was true. While Colm was even-tempered for the most part, when he did get angry, there was no hiding it. She’d see it at some point. “I suggest that we get to know her. We don’t have to decide what we’re going to do about her just yet, but we watch and learn. You aren’t the only one with issues here. She’s hiding, Colm, from everyone and everything. She has scars that need to heal and
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I’m not talking about the marks on her body.” Linc put a hand on Colm’s shoulder and tugged him around to face him. “And you have no problems of your own?” Colm brushed Linc’s hand on his shoulder aside and took a step forward. “Not with trusting or the mate bond.” Linc shrugged, but Colm was right. They all had their own particular troubles. “But gaining her trust isn’t going to be easy. It will probably be impossible if we don’t both want it. So we take it slow with her.” “Why is this so important to you?” Colm laced his fingers into Linc’s hair and tugged lightly. “Because if we’re right, she’s meant to be with us. You know I’m possessive and the thought of my mate in another man’s arms makes me angry enough to kill. Regardless of your feelings about true mates, how would you feel if you saw the woman you suspected of being your mate in the arms of someone other than me?” Linc watched as that penetrated Colm’s thoughts. “She doesn’t want to be near anyone though.” Colm shook his head. “She doesn’t trust anyone.” “Eventually she’ll want to get close to someone if for no other reason than sex. You know how highly sexual our kind is. Just let your mind play out those images for a while and tell me how you feel about it.” Linc felt his heartbeat increase and his muscles tightening simply from thinking about it. Colm’s eyes hardened and his jaw clenched. “Fuck, why did you have to put that in my head? Now, I can practically see her and some other man. It makes me want to rip the other man apart. And the only thing I really know about her is that she might be my mate. It makes no sense.” “Yes, it does. For all the trouble you have thinking about mates up here.” Linc tapped his head. “There’s part of you that wouldn’t settle for anything less. Why do you think you hadn’t picked one of the women from our Thent when they were willing and well-suited for the position tempermentally? They’d fit perfectly with your plan, but you never even broached the subject.” “You knew I was looking at some of the women from our Thent as possible wives, but you never said anything.” Colm frowned and his hand slid from Linc’s hair to cup the back of his neck. “I looked at them, but none of them ever seemed right, even though I couldn’t find anything outwardly wrong. You’re right. They would have suited the position.” “They weren’t right because they weren’t your mate.” Linc didn’t see the need to add any more to that. Colm had looked, but inside he’d known that he wouldn’t find what he wanted in any of the women at their Thent. “You think so. I couldn’t have just wanted something more than what I’d found?” Colm shook his head. “Do you think that I wouldn’t find a suitable woman ever?” “I don’t know. Maybe you’d have found a woman to settle on, but do you think she wouldn’t know that she was second best to you and me, just as we would be to her.” 23
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Linc knew he wouldn’t be happy with that. He had a feeling that Colm wouldn’t have been happy for long in spite of his doubts and concerns over finding a true mate. “Second best. Well, the woman would always have to wonder and think about something such as that, because the bond with you is so solid.” Colm leaned in and nipped at Linc’s lip. Linc inhaled sharply at the stinging bite. The move sent a sharp spike of hunger through him as well as a surge of aggression in return. He moved forward and pushed Colm back against the wall. His lips crushed against Colm’s in a hungry kiss. Colm’s laugh rolled over his lips. Linc knew he’d just been goaded, but it didn’t matter. Now that he had his hands on Colm, he wasn’t letting go until they were hot, sweaty and sated. He gripped Colm’s shirt and steered him around and to the bed. They tumbled onto the slightly lumpy mattress and began rolling and wrestling for dominance. Linc couldn’t keep the smile off his face. He loved the struggle. Colm gave a heave and sent him sprawling onto his back at the edge of the bed. Colm didn’t waste any time. He lunged at him. Linc grabbed Colm’s shirt and shoulder. He used the other man’s momentum to carry them both to the floor and ended up on top of his bond brother. He smiled in satisfaction as he pinned the man’s shoulders to the floor. “This time is mine.” Linc began unbuttoning Colm’s shirt. He wanted to see and feel everything. “And next time is mine.” Colm growled. He threaded his hand into Linc’s hair and kissed him hard. “Are we doing this on the floor?” “Do you think the bed would survive much more?” Linc looked at the bed. “I think if it breaks, it will give some poor patron a sturdier option and be well worth the cost of replacing it.” Colm glanced at the bed beside them significantly. “Want to give it a try?” Linc looked at the bed and then grinned. Colm was right. It would be worth it for the pleasure and time together. Aside from that, it survived their tussle, so there was hope. He rose from the floor, but he didn’t take his eyes off Colm. He didn’t want to stop looking at him. “You grab what we’ll need and I’ll get ready.” Colm let his eyes sweep over Linc’s body and he definitely looked hungry. “Now don’t go getting any ideas. This time’s mine.” Linc pointed a finger at his friend, but did go get the bottle of lube from their bag. “You can have this time, but no one said how long it would be before next time.” Colm’s voice held laughter and anticipation. Linc turned and watched as Colm stripped out of his shirt and stepped out of his black leather pants. Linc tossed the bottle onto the covers and quickly tugged at his own clothing. He couldn’t get out of them fast enough. He wanted to be skin to skin with his lover now.
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“How do you want me, Linc?” Colm stood on the side of the bed and eyed Linc speculatively. “On your back. I want to see your face as I fuck you.” Linc climbed onto the bed and waited as Colm lay down on his back in the middle. “I like that. I get to see your face as well.” Colm brought a hand up to stroke along Linc’s jaw. “Then I can picture just how you’ll look as I take you.” Linc laughed and reached down to circle Colm’s cock with his fingers. “You’re not focused enough on me. I’ll have to see what I can do about that.” He leaned down and kissed Colm aggressively. Colm didn’t let him lead long. Their tongues dueled and played. All the while, Linc drew his hand up and down Colm’s cock. They were both breathing hard when he drew back. Linc drew in a ragged breath and tried to concentrate, but the ache in his balls was pushing away all rational thought beyond the need to fuck. He grabbed the bottle of lube, lifted one of Colm’s legs onto his shoulder and began preparing his lover. He worked one of his oil-slick fingers between the taut cheeks of Colm’s buttocks and drew his fingers around the muscular ring. Even though his body burned with the need to drive deep, he took his time working the oil into the tight channel. While he spread the lubricant, his hand trailed occasionally up to Colm’s balls and cock, teasing and tormenting to keep the heat high. “You are so going to pay when it’s my turn.” Colm gritted through clenched teeth. His hips lifted as Linc’s hand pumped his cock. “That’s supposed to make me stop? All it does is encourage me to enjoy this even more.” Linc smiled wickedly and drew his thumb over the head of Colm’s shaft, smoothing the bead of pre-cum there into the skin. He looked up and saw the strain on his friend’s face. He knew that he needed to stop teasing so much if he didn’t want Colm to come before he was inside him. Linc moved between Colm’s thighs. He hooked his lover’s knees over his shoulders. He drew in a slow breath when his cock brushed against Colm’s buttocks. Linc was close to coming and didn’t know how long he’d be able to hold on to his control. The head of his shaft pressed at the tight ring. He clenched his jaw as Colm’s muscles slowly stretched, giving him access. The clenching heat surrounding him felt so good. He began pumping slowly into Colm. Colm’s hips lifted into the strokes. Colm’s fingers gripped a handful of his hair and pulled him down. Sharp teeth nipped along his shoulder, drawing a hissing breath from Linc. Linc’s hips slammed down involuntarily, driving deep. Colm drew Linc closer for a fierce kiss. His tongue drove deep and Linc felt his control slipping away with every breath. Colm used his teeth and tongue to pull away every shred of restraint. The stinging little nips along his lips and jaw sent sharp pulses straight to his balls. Colm didn’t give him a chance to even take a deep breath. His hips punched up and the flexing muscles pushed Linc right over the edge. 25
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Linc pulled almost completely out and then drove deep. His mouth claimed Colm’s as his hips thrust forward. Colm met each stroke. His grip tightened and his body lifted. Linc could tell Colm was close. Colm stiffened and groaned. His body shook and Linc barely felt the warm semen hit his stomach. He continued to grind into Colm. His balls pulled tight, aching with the need to release. A sharp nip on his shoulder threw him over the edge. His hips ground hard against Colm as he came. The aching tightness exploded, rushing over him in a blinding rush of tingling pleasure. He pulled back and let Colm’s legs fall to the bed before he lay down on the bed beside his lover. He let his hand rest on Colm’s stomach and just enjoyed the lingering pleasure. “We’ll go slowly. I’m not saying I agree to your whole plan, but we’ll get to know her and see if we can help her. She does need some training for the magic inside of her now. While we’re doing that, we’ll see. Even though I don’t want to see her in someone else’s arms, I don’t know if I can get past my own problems about true mates.” Colm’s fingers tangled in Linc’s hair. “I’m not asking you to instantly agree. Even if you did, we’d still have the problem of unmasking her without losing any trust she’s given us. That’s not going to be an easy problem to solve if we decide to do it.” Linc grimaced. Getting Colm’s cooperation was the least of his worries. In spite of his fears, Colm would realize that it was the way it was supposed to be. Eventually. “Not easy, it will be nearly impossible.” Colm shook his head. “I think we’re up to the challenge. If nothing else comes to us, we can try bargaining it away piece by piece.” Linc grimaced. Not that he could see that working. They didn’t have anything that she wanted that much or if they did, they didn’t know about it at this point. They would find some way through her barriers. He wasn’t prepared to accept anything else. Once Colm stopped letting fear push at him, Colm wouldn’t tolerate it, either. The mating attraction would help them a little. He’d felt it before with Colm and knew the pull was too strong to be ignored. She might fight it, but would be drawn closer to them with each passing day. Hopefully, with that closeness, she’d learn to trust them.
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Chapter Five Looking back on the last few days, Cami was amazed that everything had been so normal. She’d received a few strange looks from the men. It hadn’t been as bad as she’d thought. She could tell they didn’t see her in the same way as before, though. In truth, the change in how they looked at her was a little worrying. Before, she’d noticed sympathy and protectiveness. Now overall, the men didn’t seem to see her as a victim or fragile. Not necessarily a bad thing, but she wished Colm and Linc still saw her that way. After losing control, she knew they didn’t retaliate. Still, she wasn’t ready to give them her complete trust. On the other hand, they seemed determined to close the distance she’d put between them. They were more attentive now. It wasn’t just because they knew she was having trouble with the magic inside her. She wished it was that simple. She could deal with them focusing on her to keep her from having another accidental magic release. They began teaching her a few techniques to control the power inside of her. She couldn’t control it when it was at its highest, but if she caught it before it went too high, she could handle it. Most of the methods had nothing to do with applying the magic, which frustrated her a little. She wanted to learn to use it as well as have the ability to impose her will on the power within her. Linc and Colm had taken an interest in her. The magic seemed to be the least of their focus when they were near her. Speculation burned in their eyes as well as curiosity whenever she looked at them. Today, it seemed even worse. One of the michkal, the huge shaggy-haired beasts that pulled the wagons, had been hurt when it had stepped in a hole along the side of the washed-out road. They managed to get to the next town on the way to the travel-gate, but wouldn’t be going anywhere until they found another to pull the heavy wagon. The tall mican were powerful and great for riding, but couldn’t pull the same load as one michkal. That left them waiting until a suitable animal was found. In the meantime, Cami decided to get a good look at the market. The little town didn’t appear much different from the others they’d passed through on the way to Colm and Linc’s world, but something about it caught her attention. Maybe it was the cheerful colors of the houses around the square or the flower boxes filled with gorgeous summer blooms that seemed to be everywhere. She walked into the cobbled square and stopped. The scent of roasting meat swirled on the warm air and mixed with that of spices sold in a nearby stall. Her eyes swept over the stalls, stopping on a stall covered with mounds of colorful, ripe fruit before
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moving on to other wares. The large area was a maze of stalls offering almost anything imaginable. Only a few people wandered among the maze of stalls. She smiled. Now this, she could enjoy. She strolled along one row, content for the moment to merely look. Avan was close. He’d followed her as soon as she’d stepped away from the main group near the entrance to the market. He stayed back, but in a way, she was glad he was close. She could relax a little. If anyone even looked as if they might come after her, she’d get a good warning. Not that she expected that here. Nothing felt off here. She’d learned to trust the freaky dreams and feelings coming to her since she’d broken the crystal. She wandered through the stalls idly, but stopped when she found herself in a section filled with cloth and metal wares. She admired the cloth for a short time. Turning and strolling to the next stall, she found herself drawn to a table covered with buckles, ornamental metal belts, bangles and buttons, as well as a few nice knives. As she walked up to the table, the young, dark-haired man behind it smiled at her. His eyes didn’t cut to her cheek or shy away as others had. She smiled back. As she looked at one of the bracelets, he came around the table. “It’s nice work, yes? My brother makes these.” The man picked up the bracelet to display the dangling charms better. “It’s very pretty. Your brother is very good at what he does.” She fingered one of the charms and glanced up at him through her lashes. He didn’t seem disgusted by her scar at all. “There are—” The man’s words cut off abruptly as a large body suddenly stepped between them. She looked up past the black shirt and broad shoulders to the black hair and aggressive lines of Colm’s face. He scowled at the vendor. The man scurried behind the table. She glared at him. What was his problem and why was he even here? “It’s time to go. They’re getting the michkal and will have it ready soon.” Colm’s voice was hard. He didn’t take his eyes off the man behind the table. She frowned at his back, but wasn’t going to argue with him in front of the stranger. Nodding, she muttered a quiet thank-you before turning away from the table. She didn’t get far before Colm was right beside her. They walked back to the main group of Santir. She didn’t know if something had delayed the others or if Colm hadn’t been telling the complete truth. They had to wait a while longer before the michkal arrived and they could begin their journey again. Colm didn’t leave her side the entire time. She wondered what caused that. He couldn’t feel possessive about her. They were curious and there was something else in his eyes, but she didn’t know what. Cami watched him as they rode to the next town, but couldn’t come up with any reason for his behavior. She focused her eyes ahead and her thoughts on the next few days. Tomorrow, they’d reach the travel-gate and go to the world where their Thent was located. From what she understood, the Thent wasn’t near the gate. They maintained an 28
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armed presence at the gate for security. The journey wasn’t quite over, but an end was in sight. The thought of being surrounded by more people made her a little nervous, even if it was only for a short time. On the other hand, getting off the mican for more than a night was a dream of hers. She hoped that Laed and Kynar weren’t too long in following them. An extended stay would be hard on more than her nerves. She didn’t know how long she’d be able to resist the temptation to get close to Colm and Linc. The pull to them hadn’t lessened even a little. Once they reached the inn, Cami retreated to her room for privacy before she had to join the others for a meal. She took a bath, but had to keep it short. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself by arriving too late. She dressed in a black skirt and a clean, cream shirt because she needed a change from travel clothes even if it was only for a short time before she went to bed. With her hair hanging free down her back, she almost felt normal. At least, she did until she walked into the inn’s dining room and caught the expression of a woman at a table near the door. The woman’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. Cami almost turned on her heel and headed for her room, but she straightened her shoulders and concentrated on getting to the table where Avan, the chatar and the healer sat. Forcing herself to focus on the room and not who might be looking at her, she kept moving. Decorative lamps hung from beams across the ceiling over the tables, creating pools of light and shadow. She made her way through the tables and chose one of the empty seats. Sitting down, she nodded to the healer and the chatar before smiling at Avan. Cami took a deep breath as she settled into the seat. Their food was delivered almost immediately. She began eating without really noticing what was on her plate. Her focus remained on what had happened and her reaction. She wasn’t going to let someone staring send her into hiding. The staring made her angry, but she didn’t want to run. Well, not too much. There was still the desire to pull in on herself, to take shelter, but she didn’t think she’d have stayed only days ago. Something had changed, though. She’d grown comfortable around these men. That was true and might be part of the new confidence. It wasn’t all of it. Some part of her had faded after the beating and especially when she discovered the damage to her leg. She hadn’t felt as though she was the same person since Kynar and Laed had attacked her. Maybe she was getting a little of her spirit back. Her mind circled on the discovery that she might not be such a wimp after all. She hadn’t cared what people thought of her looks before, but when she’d realized how much damage Laed and Kynar had done, she’d been knocked off balance. Coupled with the reactions of the first few people to see her wounds after she’d begun walking around Scali Thent again and those damn dreams of Colm and Linc, she’d been unsure of herself for a long time.
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Not that she was all of a sudden ready to walk around with her hair up and show off all of her scars. She wasn’t even comfortable with anyone other than the healer seeing her thigh. The few marks on her back bothered her, but that was more because of those dreams and what they said in them. She didn’t know if she’d ever be that relaxed, but the stares of strangers, while uncomfortable, wasn’t going to make her walk the other way. She could sit here and eat without feeling overly self-conscious. It wasn’t the ease and acceptance of her scars that she hoped to have one day, but it was encouraging. She felt happier and a little lighter now. She finished eating and looked around to find herself sitting only with Avan. She hadn’t realized that the healer and the chatar had left the table. She realized that she’d been lost in thought, but hadn’t believed that she’d been that absorbed. “Yes, he’s gone. The healer ate and then went to talk with a healer he knows here. The chatar didn’t say where he was going. You were so involved with whatever you were thinking that you didn’t respond to any questions, much less notice that they’d left.” Avan laughed softly. “By the small smile and the look in your eyes, whatever you were thinking about helped you.” “I think a few things have finally worked themselves out.” She shrugged. She wasn’t going to elaborate any yet. “It surprised me a little.” “Well, you’re not giving much information about it, but I’m glad you’re happy.” He turned to face her a little more. “I’m not going to ask what it was, because I’m sure you would have said it if you wanted to talk about it.” “You’re right. I don’t want to talk about it. At least not right now.” She licked her lips and looked down at the table. She wanted to be certain of the change and that she could make it permanent. Gods, she hated feeling so cowardly that the mere stare of people made her leave the room. She wasn’t that woman. Not any more. She wouldn’t act that way. “This is one of the most hopeful signs I’ve seen from you. I—” Avan’s voice cut off and he frowned as his eyes focused beyond her. Cami turned and saw a blonde woman standing beside her. She was looking at Cami, biting her lip. The woman was slim, sleekly built and very pretty. Perfect. Cami fought to hide a wince at the thought. She had to stop thinking about those dreams of them with the other women. The stranger seemed a little hesitant, but determined. Cami tilted her head as she watched the woman. “Is there something you want?” Cami spoke when the woman just kept staring at her. “Do you know those men over there at the other table?” The woman gestured to the table where Linc and Colm sat. The two men were talking with some of their men and were totally oblivious of Cami glancing over at them. “Yes.” Cami nodded.
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“Are you involved with them? They’ve been looking at you, but you’re sitting at another table. I didn’t want to approach another woman’s men.” The woman’s tongue slicked over her lips as she glanced at Linc and Colm. Cami let her eyes stray to the two men in question again. Colm had angled his chair so he could look at the men gathered near their table. The top buttons of his white shirt had been undone and offered a view of his dark-brown skin. His leg stretched out and showed the same dark pants he’d worn while they were traveling. She grimaced. It wasn’t as though anyone had a wide range of choices while they were traveling. Linc sat next to Colm and faced the men. His black shirt looked a little rumpled. He listened as one of the men talked, but Cami couldn’t hear what was said. The urge to walk over and sit down next to them pushed at her, but she fought it. If she ever gave in to it, sitting wouldn’t be all she’d do. Instinct pushed at her to connect with her mates, to touch, kiss and solidify the bond. “No, I’m not involved with them and they’re not my men.” Cami clamped down on the desire to tell the woman to go away and that Linc and Colm were taken. This could work in her favor if the woman could distract them. “You’re just their type, so you have a pretty good chance with them.” The woman smiled and walked toward the table where Linc and Colm sat. She didn’t approach them immediately, but waited a small distance away as they continued to talk to the other men. “She’s their type? How would you know that?” Avan scowled at her. “Isn’t she almost any man’s type? She’s pretty.” Cami lowered her lashes over her eyes to hide the wicked glint she knew was there. “Don’t play innocent. You knew their names when you met us at the travel-gate and she is the type of woman they usually favor.” He shook his head and eyed the woman. “I don’t think whatever you’re trying is going to work. They’ve been watching you and it’s not just in a protective way.” “It’s just part of what happened, Avan. They’ve been too protective. I don’t need someone to scare off any man who gets near me. I’m not going to fall apart. I might like a little male attention if I can get it without someone busting in and running the man off.” She grimaced as she remembered the incident in the market again. “You might try telling them that instead of trying to arrange for some woman to distract them.” “She approached me. I just told her the truth.” Cami grinned. “And they’re going to approach you when they realize you directed her over there.” Avan looked at her as if she should have realized that without him having to spell it out to her. “How would they know that? She doesn’t look stupid enough to tell them. Bringing up another woman is the last thing a woman should do if she wants the attention of a man or men. Very stupid. You want their attention on you, not anyone else. That’s why she’s waiting. She doesn’t want to have to vie for their attention.” She wasn’t too 31
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worried about that. The woman knew what she wanted and seemed as if she was the type to get it any way she could. “She’s not going to have their attention for long. I’d lay you a wager on that.” Avan looked over to the table where Colm and Linc sat. She risked a glance, but she didn’t want them to know she was watching them. That might give them clue that the woman had help approaching them. The men around them were leaving and the woman’s interest was sharpening. Cami didn’t blame her. Their sheer muscularity drew women’s eyes in addition to the fact that they were both attractive. She gritted her teeth and turned her gaze back to the tables and people in front of her. The thought of that woman’s hands on them made her want to hit something, but she took a deep breath. This was a good idea. She needed them interested in someone else because too much of their undivided attention was bad for her plans. Even though she’d love to luxuriate in their concern, it would draw them closer. That could be a disaster. Especially since she had no indication that Colm would ever want to find his mate. “I knew it.” Avan’s voice held satisfaction. Cami didn’t bother looking over to the table. She could tell from the tone of Avan’s voice that what he’d expected to happen finally had. She didn’t know what had gone wrong, but apparently the woman had failed in her aim. Avan didn’t have to sound so thrilled about it. He didn’t have any wager on it. “Better prepare yourself. They don’t look happy and they’re bringing her with them.” Avan’s voice dropped to a whisper. Cami’s head whipped around even as she pushed back from the table, thinking that retreat might be a good idea about now. Avan was right. They looked furious and they were striding straight toward them. Time to head up to the room. She started to rise from her chair. “Don’t move.” Linc’s voice rumbled through the dining room and silence fell after that too-loud order. Caught half sitting and half standing, Cami knew she couldn’t hold the position forever, so she sank back down onto her seat. He’d have to be satisfied with her not leaving the room as she’d planned. She took a deep breath to brace herself before she realized she wasn’t flinching and fearing that he was going to backhand her for sending the woman over to them. Somehow, she’d come to trust them enough to push. She suddenly recognized that she’d known that before she’d talked to the woman. “Do you think this is funny?” Colm’s deep voice lowered and sounded distinctly gravelly as he stopped beside the table. “Do I think what’s funny?” Cami licked her lips and stalled as she tried to think of an answer that wouldn’t make them even angrier.
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“Our orders, the woman, this situation. What put the smile on your face? I don’t think anything about this is in the least bit humorous.” Colm leaned over the table until his face was almost level with hers. She forced her lips down into a straight line now that she realized they’d curved into a smile. There wasn’t anything that would induce her to tell him that his expression and tone only made it harder to keep her face in the serious pose. “No, something else just popped into my head while you were walking over here.” A low growl rumbled from Colm’s chest as if he suspected he was the cause of some of those thoughts. “Well, focus, because I don’t want to have to go through this again.” “Did you send her over to us?” Linc’s voice was deceptively quiet, but she heard the intensity behind the words. “She asked if I was involved with you because she didn’t want to take another woman’s man. I told her that you weren’t my men.” She kept it to the bare facts. They could make of it what they would. “Did you add something about her being our type or perfect for us?” Colm raised a brow. “I might have said something about her being your type. I don’t think I threw in perfect.” She was fairly sure she hadn’t added on perfect. The word still made her want to grit her teeth. Although she had to admit the woman probably fit that description. At least from what she could tell now. She had no idea if the woman was as perfect as she looked. “Our type. I’m not even going to ask why you think she’d be the type of woman we’d want.” Colm’s narrow-eyed stare had her easing back on the chair. “We don’t need you to find women for us.” “I didn’t find her for you.” She put her hands on the table and leaned forward as her anger began to push past her caution. “I told you, she came to me. I didn’t go out and search for a woman for you. All I did was tell her you weren’t my men and she went over to you on her own. Simple truth.” She didn’t add that the woman was exactly the type of woman they favored. In spite of the building emotion, she knew when to keep her mouth shut. They hadn’t questioned her knowledge of them too much and she’d like to keep it that way. She didn’t want to tell them just how much she knew of them and in what context. Judging by the way they looked at her, they already had some interest in her. She didn’t need them thinking about why she’d seen facets of their life and not other men’s. Linc growled. “Don’t do this again. On top of that, you lied to her or yourself. You’re interested in us, but you’re scared.” “Are you finished? Can I get up now?” She wasn’t touching that last bit. Denying it would practically be a dare to them and agreeing would be an invitation. It was a losing game from the start. Even not commenting on it would probably provoke them.
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“We’re finished and she’s leaving. We’re not that easily distracted, Cami. Especially when we have what we want within sight.” Colm’s voice smoothed and rolled over her, leaving tingling skin in its wake. His eyes were locked on her and left her in no doubt about exactly whom they intended to pursue. She should correct that attitude straightaway, but had a feeling that it would only push them into a physical demonstration of what they wanted. She needed to avoid that. With that thought, she headed for the stairs. She climbed them as fast as she could. “Don’t close and bar that door to us.” Linc’s voice rang in the narrow hallway. Cami tensed and spun to look back the way she’d come. Linc stood at the top of the stairway and she could see Colm just behind him. She hadn’t even heard the stairs creak behind her, much less the sound of a footstep. They had to have started up not long after she had. “I was just going to rest. Is there something you want?” She took a deep breath and waited for them to walk down the hallway to meet her. She wasn’t going to act as though she was some frightened little animal and run and cower when faced with a predator. The dreams had given her a little information about them and she’d use that to her advantage. Of course, there was no real guarantee that this was about their interest in her. They might not even feel the same level of attraction to her as she did to them. She could be misreading the look in their eyes, but she wasn’t going to count on it. “You were going to hide, but that isn’t possible tonight. You have things to do.” Colm’s voice sounded cheerful and his expression showed not a bit of regret. They stopped just outside her door and Linc pushed it open. She folded her arms across her chest and braced her feet apart. Narrowing her eyes, she gave them her best menacing glare. She wasn’t budging and simply leading them into her room as if she was some kind of tame pet was out of the question. She wanted answers. “What do I have to do? I don’t have any plans. This is the last night before we go to your world. I assumed everyone would relax a little.” She looked from one man to the other. With silent, stalking steps, they closed the distance. She swallowed as she took in the hard, predatory lines of their faces. Linc looked intensely masculine in all black, but Colm was just as imposing. Two male animals on the hunt. “Well, you might have wanted to talk to us. While it’s not going to be too strenuous, you need to practice with your magic a little. Since we’re both available, we can make sure there are no accidents. We also want to talk to you a little about what happened in the dining room.” Colm put a hand on her shoulder and slowly stepped forward. She stepped back and dipped her shoulder, sliding out of his loose hold. What more did they want from her? “What’s to talk about? I already said I wouldn’t send any women your way even if they asked if you were free.” 34
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“We’re going to talk about this in your room, not out in the hall.” Linc pushed a hand through his hair and his jaw flexed. He looked as if he wanted to yell, but she could tell that it wasn’t the anger of before. She sighed and looked into the room. A dark-blue blanket spread across the small bed. There wasn’t a closet or bureau. A simple table and a single straight-backed wooden chair sat near it. All in all, she was glad there weren’t more furnishings. The room wasn’t that big in the first place. With those two in there, it was going to feel even smaller. She really didn’t want to feel trapped and crowded right now. On top of that, she needed to think of a way to turn their interest to someone else without throwing women at them, since that was now out. “This can wait, can’t it? We’re closer to your home and I know to come to you if things get out of hand again.” She glanced down the hall and then back into the room again. “No, it can’t wait. You know we’re not going to hurt you.” Linc’s voice hardened a little. She really was tired of having to give in to their orders because they were the Ardin. Idly, she wondered what they would do if she suddenly screamed “no” and ran down the hallway. She knew they’d stop her, but beyond that she didn’t have a clue. It wasn’t fear that stopped her from doing it, although the thought did send a thrill of nervousness down her spine. No, it wasn’t time and she knew it. If she was going to make a big scene and blatantly disobey them, it would be over more than this. She simply didn’t know what that more would be. “I know you’re probably not going to hurt me, but that’s about all I know. Take into account the fact that I don’t like to be crowded and that’s not the biggest room and maybe you’ll understand a little.” She exhaled loudly and stepped into the room. “Our room isn’t any bigger than this, so we can’t offer you a choice there and we have to have privacy. As for the first part of your statement, we’ll take probably. It’s a step up over the open suspicion in your eyes when we first met you.” Linc’s lips kicked into a small, brief smile. She could almost see the good humor and confidence roll off him. Her shoulders slumped and she gave in to the inevitable. “If we have to do this, then let’s get started. I do want to get some rest.”
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Chapter Six She led the way into her room. They followed and Colm shut the door. She looked at it, but wasn’t going to argue about it. She didn’t fear that they would hurt her physically. It was only that it was really the first time that she’d been alone with both of them. It made her nervous and she had to focus to keep her breathing slow and even. She didn’t want them to know how much they affected her. They weren’t stupid. Eventually, they’d realize that it wasn’t only fear. “You take the chair. We’ll sit on the bed. We don’t want to crowd you and you need to be as relaxed as possible.” Colm gestured to the wooden chair in the corner. She looked at it. It wasn’t going to be the most comfortable seat, but it would keep her from feeling confined if she could sit across from them. It was also better than her sitting and them looming over her. Much better. Their consideration and willingness to compromise surprised her a bit, even though for the most part they’d given her space on this journey. Walking over, she settled on the seat and stretched her legs out in front of her. She couldn’t pretend to be relaxed. There was no way she could hook even one leg on the stool. It would help her appear calm, but she knew it wouldn’t last long enough to give even the appearance of casualness. She had to have freedom of movement. She looked down at her feet and waited for them to start. She wasn’t giving them any hints about where to start the discussion. They wanted to talk and teach her more about control. They could decide which was more important. She didn’t hold much hope that they’d put the discussion about the scene earlier off for long. First, because she wasn’t that lucky. Second, they were just too stubborn to forget about it. Not that she had a clue what they could want to discuss. They’d said it all already and she’d promised not to do it again, although the temptation was definitely there. “We’ll get the heavy stuff out of the way first and then get on to teaching you how to control your magic.” Linc sat on the bed and his eyes lasered in on her. She raised an eyebrow at the way he phrased it, but nodded. It sounded as if he expected more trouble from her with the discussion of what had happened earlier than with teaching her magic. She grimaced. He might be right, depending on what they decided needed to be discussed. Neither one of them made any move to speak. She stared at them for a moment before she moved restlessly on the seat. Being the focus of both men’s gaze made her a little nervous. She felt as though she was a particularly juicy bit of prey and she didn’t enjoy the sensation. It reminded her too much of living under Laed and Kynar and the time just after she’d run from the Thent. 36
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“What more is there to say about it and what do you think I’m going to have a problem with?” She licked her lips and hesitantly broached the subject. This sitting silently and waiting for them to make the move wasn’t helping her relax in spite of them being across the room. “We’ll get to what you’re going to have a problem with, but first I want to know what you think you know about our type. What is our type of woman?” Linc’s eyes narrowed as he leaned forward and braced his arms on his thighs. His voice lowered and roughened. She blinked and exhaled slowly. They hadn’t forgotten about that or decided to let it drop as she’d hoped. She really shouldn’t have expected them to ignore the comment. They were too observant and they’d been watching her closely for the last few days. That they’d put significance on that word shouldn’t be a surprise, but it was. They hadn’t immediately pounced on it. She’d taken that as a good sign. Her throat felt tight and her mouth worked for a moment without a sound coming out of it. “Um, yes, that. I know you like small women. Most of them are very slim and…” Her voice trailed off as she searched for a word other than perfect. There was too much chance that they’d connect it to what they said to the women as they made love to them. It was bad enough feeling as though she was an intruder and seeing those things. She didn’t want them to realize exactly how intimately she’d seen them. Also if they knew, they could realize that she might be their mate because of the strength of the connection to them. “And what?” Colm crossed one of his booted feet over his knee. She wished she could be as relaxed and in control as they both seemed to be. “And of course, they have to be beautiful and graceful. I’m sure you had your pick at your Thent.” Linc’s gaze narrowed on her for a moment and his jaw tightened. “That’s a good description of some of our last lovers. Where did you get it?” She bit her lip. That was a question she hadn’t wanted to hear, but she decided to try a bluff. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Look at you. It’s obvious. Big, powerful men such as you always go for the tiny, reed-thin women who make them feel even bigger than they are.” “Obvious? Then you should know very few men are so blind that they can’t appreciate other types of women. When we find a special woman, type has no meaning. Only finding a way to get that woman’s attention does.” Colm tilted his head and his eyes trailed significantly down her body. “Yes, and some women can’t seem to see what’s right in front of them. Things have to be explained explicitly to them.” Linc’s voice lowered in a rumbling warning. “If we didn’t know for certain that you had problems with being crowded, we’d be holding you between us as we did this. I’d love to stroke my hands over your curves.” Cami shook her head. A special woman. He couldn’t mean what her mind automatically jumped to insert in place of that. To a shifter male, there wasn’t a woman 37
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as special as their mate. They shouldn’t have any clue what she was to them without being able to smell her scent. She’d been careful to wear the lotion to prevent that. “We’re drawn to you, Cami, and you came to us. I don’t think whatever led you to us was simply random. You were sent to us because you are meant to be here. I also believe you know a lot more about us than you’re willing to admit right now.” Linc’s eyes smoldered as he watched her. “I ask myself why whatever power you have would give you more information about us than where you’d find us and that we could help you. I come up with some very interesting answers.” Colm’s voice drew her attention to him. “It only reinforces the need to get closer to you.” “It’s only proximity and the fact that there’s not very many of your type of women here. Maybe it’s also a little of the mystery, because I won’t tell you everything you think you need to know.” She tried to hide the panic inside her and fought the urge to run out of the room. They weren’t threatening her life, just her peace of mind. She could handle this, but right now, she had no idea how to do that. “We’re not going to ignore the attraction to you. We’re not going to let you do it either. We’ll try to take it slowly since we know you have some fears of men, and men in power specifically. With time, hopefully, you’ll see that you can trust us and will drop the methods you’re hiding behind.” Colm eyes locked with hers and she could see the determination practically burning there. “And what are you going to do if I don’t?” Her mouth felt dry as desert sand, but she had to ask. “We’re giving you time, but we won’t wait years for you to reveal yourself. If you don’t do it, we will. We want to be as gentle and considerate of your fears as possible, but we can’t give you more than this. We want to hold and touch you. We don’t want you to look at us with fear or panic if we hold you between us. We’ll want to do that.” Linc smiled. “We’ll try to remember to approach you one on one for now.” “I don’t want—” Cami began, only to be cut short by Colm. They seemed so confident and determined. She felt pushed into a corner. How could they seem so unaware that they were ripping everything away from her? “We’ve seen the interest in your eyes and smelled your arousal, even if it is tinged with some other strange scent. We might not be able to tell if you’re our mate, but we know you want us. Don’t try to deny that. Forcing you to acknowledge that doesn’t go along with our plans.” Colm glared. She knew they could do it too. It wouldn’t take more than a kiss. Her body came alive around them, although she had no idea why. They were all wrong for her. It was bad enough that they were part of a Thent, but those two led it. “Don’t panic right now, Cami. As we said, we’re not going to rush you. Let’s move onto the lesson and you can worry about what’s going to happen later.” Linc raised his hands as if he could see that she was about to start arguing or denying everything they said. 38
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“What are we doing tonight? More breathing and relaxation methods similar to the other times?” She took a deep breath and focused on the lesson. It would get them out of the room. Then she could think and panic until she came up with another plan to keep them at a distance, because something had gone wrong with the first one. She didn’t know how they’d come to their conclusions. Their chatar hadn’t told them anything. From what she’d seen, he was more of the hint and let them figure it out type of person. There wouldn’t be any guessing or uncertainty if he told them even a little of what he knew about her. “A little more of the relaxation and control methods and a way for you to actually get rid of some power, even if it is a little unconventional.” Linc rose from the bed to stand, but he didn’t make any move to come closer to her. “Start with the breathing and focus inward.” She got as comfortable as she could on the hard chair and took a deep breath before she closed her eyes. For a few moments, she concentrated only on her breathing and her heartbeat. She focused on slowing both rhythms until she felt almost sleepy. Then she turned her attention to the magic. The power responded to her will, decreasing in intensity as long as she was calm and focused, but that wasn’t going to help her if she was excited or panicked or in a situation where calm wasn’t a possibility. That was when she needed the ability the most. With Linc and Colm deciding they were attracted to her, there would be times when her emotions were too high to do this. She knew by now that they would want her to keep at it for more than a few moments before she opened her eyes and asked for feedback. She pushed the power down and then coaxed it into rising before repeating the process. When she thought she’d gone on long enough, she finally opened her eyes and met the gazes of the two men watching her. The intensity in their eyes threw her a little. That wasn’t the way a teacher looked at a student. Normally, she didn’t mind them watching her, but the look in their eyes was far from the detached watchfulness she’d come to expect. “Is that enough for tonight before we move on to what you’re going to teach me. And why is it unconventional?” She stretched her legs out in front of her. She wanted to get up and start walking around, but didn’t want to delay whatever lesson they were going to try. “Yes, if you practice that at least two times a day, you’ll be able to get more control even when you’re not as calm as you are now.” Linc nodded. “This is going to be a little different for you and one or both of us are going to have to be near you, although any of the Santir warriors here would work. For now, only one of us will approach you. Do you have any preference which one of us approaches you?” She blinked. That was definitely a different approach than they’d used with any other lesson. Were they just trying to get her to let her defenses down and trust them or did they really need to be close to her? She thought about that for only the space of a
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few breaths before she realized that they wouldn’t lie or try anything such as that during her lessons. As to which of them came close to her, that didn’t really matter. Colm was the more intense of them, but both men drew her. Regardless, she’d have to keep her focus on the lesson and not the muscled man near her. If her attention strayed even a little, she’d reveal just how right they were. “No, I don’t have a preference. Either one of you will do, but I still don’t know what you want me to do. Or why it wouldn’t be something that would normally be done.” She looked from one man to the other. She wasn’t fond of the mystery or the way they seemed to be ignoring her question about why it was so unusual. They couldn’t throw something that interesting out there and expect her not to wonder about why it wasn’t done. They looked at each other and then Linc slowly rose to his feet. He walked over to her and stood in front of her. She watched him warily. His hand lifted and brushed lightly over her arm. “Stand up. I don’t want you frightened or to feel that I’m looming over you while we do this. It’s not going to be possible if you can’t concentrate on anything except your fear.” He slowly drew her to her feet. She stood and swallowed. She wasn’t frightened of him standing so close to her. Her fingers tingled as her eyes lingered on the breadth of his chest, the muscles in his arms and thighs. Would his skin be as warm as she’d dreamed? She wanted to touch him, but she knew she’d better keep her hands to herself. It wouldn’t stop at one touch. She’d want more. “This is a little unusual because a warrior wouldn’t use it. Normally, women don’t need it. Their power level is relatively stable after they reach adulthood and they’re taught from an early age to use and control their power. You know almost nothing of your natural magic. The additional magic from the crystal doesn’t make things easier. I don’t know all of your history, but Avan said that very few women were taught anything about magic. The men didn’t get much more training and none after Laed and Kynar took over.” Linc’s eyes were solemn and watchful. She couldn’t deny that. Her mother had been forced out of Cami’s father’s Thent while Cami was still very young. All Cami remembered was it had happened sometime after her father had died. Her mother had only said that they weren’t welcome there anymore. Cami had gotten the feeling it had something to do with her father’s family. Her mother hadn’t been born Santir. She’d been turned and didn’t know magic. So much had been hidden and Cami didn’t know why. Her brothers had gone looking for their father’s family shortly after they’d found shelter in Scali Thent, but she hadn’t seen any of them since. Her mother hadn’t ever explained why when she’d asked. Of course, Laed and Kynar hadn’t cared enough to send anyone after them when they were long overdue for return.
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“What do I need to do? I want to know how to handle this thing, and until I can control it myself, I do need help.” She took a deep breath. While she may wish she could control the power inside of her, it was too dangerous to take chances simply because of her fear of discovery. “I want you to push the power inside you higher. You’ve learned how to lessen it. You can make it stronger. It’s the same principle. Focus, will and intent.” Linc stood in front of her. “And what do I do when I get it higher?” She licked her lips. That definitely wasn’t something she’d even thought of too much outside of the control exercises. “You push it through your body to your hand. You’re going to let it flow out of you there. When you’re ready, take my hand. We can’t absorb it, but we can use it and get rid of it for you. You see why no warrior would do it. He wouldn’t give power to someone else that they might be able to use against him. I’d trust Colm in that way, but not many others.” Linc looked back at the large man sitting on the bed. She saw the closeness and trust in that shared look. Intellectually, she’d known their relationship was more than friendship, but seeing that look, she knew that these two had an unbreakable bond. A woman would have to fight to make a place with them and be willing to accept that she might never have as close a tie to either one of them as they had with each other. She’d never thought about it from that angle. It was yet another reason to keep them at a distance. “Yes, I can see that a man wouldn’t want to give someone a weapon. I’m not so comfortable with it myself, but until I can handle this power on my own, I know I’ll need some help.” She sighed. “We should probably get started.” “Take as much time as you need.” Colm remained unmoving on the bed, but she knew he was watching everything. She didn’t want to take any more time than was necessary. Focusing inward again, she tried to prod the magic higher, but it didn’t come easily. She knew she should be able to make the magic rise at will, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to make it higher when all it had ever caused was trouble. She closed her eyes and blocked out everything except the magic and making it respond to her will. It rose slowly. She forced away the doubts about how she was going to control it or direct it as they wanted. This was her power. She could control it. Finally, it rose to a sufficient level and she began trying to direct to her palm. It wasn’t as easy as he’d made it sound. The magic flowed, but it moved all through her body and not simply to her arm. If it was this hard now, when the power wasn’t pushing at her and fear that it would escape her grasp wasn’t tearing through her mind, how was she supposed to do it when it was? Clenching her teeth together, she pushed away the doubts. Finally, the power began to flow down her arm and into her hand. She could feel her skin warming. Reaching out, she took his hand. “Now, just let it flow out of you.” Linc’s fingers tightened around hers.
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She tried, but couldn’t get it to release. She licked her lips and tried to force it out of her. Nothing. She frowned and tried again. The longer she couldn’t get it to respond as she wanted, the more frustrated she became. Linc’s hand tightened on hers, drawing her attention to him. “Take a few deep breaths and relax. You’re trying too hard. On top of that, you’ve been so worried about keeping the magic from getting out that it’s become a habit to keep a tight grip on it. You have to relax and let the energy flow. As we teach you, you are actually going to be using it, so this is something you’re going to have to learn to do.” His free hand came up and brushed her hair off the side of her face. “Your magic isn’t bad. It’s just a little out of control now. Trust us to help you with this. Close your eyes and let the magic move out of you.” Colm’s voice was calm and rolled over her. She flicked a glance over at him. His black hair hung loose around his shoulders. She wanted to run her fingers through it to see if it was as soft as it looked. It gleamed and tempted her to get closer to him. She bit her lips nervously and nodded. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus only on her breathing for a time. Maybe he was right and she needed to relax. It didn’t come easily. She had to deliberately blank out every thought and focus only on pulling in the next breath and exhaling. She didn’t think about Colm or the fact that Linc still held her hand. The tension began leaving her body. When she thought she was relaxed enough, she opened her eyes and pushed the power out of her body. Her hand became almost uncomfortably hot. She looked down and saw a purple haze blossom between her palm and his. Linc raised his hand and a shower of white and purple petals fell from the ceiling. Her mouth hung open and she gawked as the colorful rain continued. A sweet scent swirled around the room and she inhaled greedily. It reminded her of one of her favorite spots on Taubus. She hadn’t thought of it since before she’d fled the dubious safety of Scali Thent. Maybe she’d been afraid that the memories of what had been done to her had tainted the beauty, but it hadn’t. Right now, thinking of that place, all she could remember about it were the lush flowers and reeds lining the bank of the small, clear pool and the slight chill of the water as she waded slowly into it. The blossoms’ heavy scent had perfumed the air. Sometimes even heavier than the scent around her now. “I only did it this way to show you that magic was being used. Most of the time, it won’t be obvious. Depending on how much time we have to prepare for the discharge and the conditions, we’ll probably simply discharge the power in a way no one could get hurt by it. Nothing created, nothing destroyed.” Linc released her hand. “Thank you. I probably would have wondered if you were trying simply to reassure me or give me a little confidence if I hadn’t seen something,” she admitted with a small smile.
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“We wouldn’t lie to you about this. You have to know we won’t lie to you about this if you’re going to be able to trust us enough to come to us with a problem.” Colm stood. “Now, I’m going to walk over there because the lesson’s over and it’s time for us to leave you to your rest.” She didn’t understand why he had to come over here since the lesson was over, but his approach didn’t panic her. He walked over and stood beside Linc and looked at her for a moment. It wasn’t the predatory appraisal of earlier. This was softer. It almost seemed as if he was trying to discover what she was thinking and feeling just by watching her. “The lesson tonight has relieved a few of my worries, and in spite of the fact that I really didn’t want to do it, I needed this.” She looked from one to the other expecting one of them to say good night or goodbye. “That’s good. You’ve been worrying too much.” Colm brushed his fingers along her jaw. “I’d kiss you, but it would probably send you running. I will do it soon, though. I want you to think about that and try to see past whatever fears are holding you back from what you want, because we know what we want.” Cami stared at him wide-eyed. Her skin seemed hypersensitive. That simple touch radiated over her body. Such a light touch shouldn’t have that effect. She licked her lips, unsure of what to say or how to respond. The man was too confident and she felt lost. “Good night, Cami. We’ll see you in the morning.” Linc’s fingers touched her hand again and then he turned and went to the door. Colm’s eyes ran over her face for a long moment before he followed. She trailed after him and locked the door. She needed to rest, but with everything they’d said tonight, she was fairly sure she wouldn’t get much sleep.
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Chapter Seven Cami looked around the square outside of the gatehouse on Katori, the homeworld of Tobai Thent. The village here was bigger than she’d actually expected. It was all more than she’d imagined. Santir warriors guarded the gatehouse. Cream-colored buildings trimmed with dark-brown wood surrounded the cobbled area. As far as she could tell, the cobbled streets continued throughout the town. A stall selling fruits offered their wares beside another stand selling bread. The heady scent of the fresh bread combined with the luscious sweet smell of fruit made her hungry even though she’d recently eaten. She knew from a few comments that this wasn’t the main market. The booths here offered the wares of a few enterprising people in an effort to take advantage of the hunger of those who came to the gatehouse, but didn’t wander far from it. The young, brown-haired woman behind the fruit stall smiled suddenly and ran out from behind it. She sprinted across the square and dashed through the group of Santir. Cami turned in time to see her jump into the arms of one of Linc and Colm’s men. She thought his name was Anton, but she wasn’t sure. The woman kissed him soundly and her arms tightened in a fierce hug. One of his large arms banded around her waist, holding her to him, and his free hand cupped the back of her head. Cami looked away, feeling as if she was intruding. She moved to the side and stayed out of the way as the men led the mican and michkal from the travel-gate house. She was relieved to have some time relatively alone, although she knew there were those who kept a discreet eye on her. Her prediction last night had proved true. She hadn’t gotten much sleep. The feeling of being hunted and trapped had kept her on edge. She didn’t have a plan to deal with their pursuit. Until Laed and Kynar had been stopped, she couldn’t leave, although she wanted to run. Cami saw the young woman return to her stall, holding hands with the warrior. She smiled at the gesture. From the way the warrior looked down at her, Cami knew the woman was more than just a willing bed partner. Cami would like to wander around the village a little and explore. She was restless and would have liked to stretch her legs after riding to the gate, but Colm and Linc had told her to stay in the square. She wasn’t happy about it, but it wasn’t something she was going to defy them over. Especially not since she was still a little unsure of them. That made her feel a little bit cowardly. The thought shot through her. She straightened. She wasn’t a coward. She’d been hurt, but that shouldn’t take away who she was. They weren’t her Ardin. She was here by her own choice. If she wanted to explore, then she’d explore. Aside from that, this
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was a good time to test them. They were in a public place and there would be others around to help if they did turn out to be the kind of men she shouldn’t trust. She didn’t hesitate any longer. The men set to watch her might stop her before she left the square, but being cautious wasn’t going to get her anywhere. She wanted to give it a try before she decided it was impossible. Without glancing around to see who was watching, she simply began walking for one of the exits to the square. When she reached it, she fully expected to be stopped and questioned. She held her breath. Her tension grew with each step she took. When she managed to get down the street and around a corner, she exhaled and looked back over her shoulder just to see if they were following her. She didn’t recognize any people along the lane. Shrugging, she turned and began walking down the narrow street again. If they wanted her to stop, they were going to have to come after her. She wasn’t going to go back. This might be the one time she could wander free without too much worry. Laed and Kynar would follow eventually, but she thought she was safe for now. Well, aside from having to deal with Colm and Linc’s anger. That was something she knew she’d have to face soon, but she was going to enjoy herself in the meantime. She enjoyed looking at the houses as she tried to find the market. Although the color of the buildings changed, the style and the dark-brown trim remained the same. She wandered through the streets until she finally came to the market. Brightly colored awnings hung over the tables and stalls lining the market street. People moved slowly down the street or perused the wares available. A smile curved her lips as she moved into the bustling area. Inhaling, she took in the exotic smells. The scent of spices and flowers filled her senses. She moved from one stall to the other, mainly looking because she really didn’t need anything. A stall of necklaces and bracelets did draw her back more than once. She admired the beautiful jewelry on display. “There you are. You’re supposed to be back there in the square. Colm and Linc have definitely noticed you’re missing.” Avan’s hand turned her as he came up beside her. “So they’ve noticed I’m missing.” She shrugged and shot Avan a look. She didn’t know why he was worried about it. “I technically don’t have to follow their orders. They aren’t my Ardin.” Avan shook his head and she heard him groan. “This isn’t the time for you to start getting your spirit back. And you know they consider you more than some guest who’s free to come and go as she pleases. I’ve seen the way they watch you.” “And when is the time for me to get my spirit back?” She smiled because he was right. She was slowly returning to normal and that was something that she hadn’t expected to happen, especially not while she was with any sort of Thent. “Don’t try to ignore the rest of what I said. You’re just lucky I heard them asking about you as I was coming around the corner. They didn’t see me. Let’s go back to the square before someone else finds you.” Avan took her arm and tugged gently. 45
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“Avan, I don’t need you protecting me from them,” she sighed. Although it was nice of him to try, in a way, she needed to know what they would do if she made them really angry. “I don’t think you mean it the way I want you to, do you?” Avan smiled. “You’re a long way from trusting them enough to know that they’d never hurt you as you fear. I know you don’t need me to protect you, but let me make this time easier. You can test them later once you know more about them.” “Why shouldn’t I test them now? What’s going to change between now and whenever I know more about them?” She began walking with him, but wasn’t agreeing to let him help her. Whatever that entailed. “When you know more of them, you’ll know that you’re not in the same kind of danger you lived through with Laed and Kynar. Colm and Linc aren’t vicious. They can control their tempers.” Avan began leading her back through the narrow streets to the square. “I’m supposed to learn all of that without ever seeing them angry and making them that way myself. How will I truly know that they’re not going to suddenly slap me across the room if I don’t push the control you say they have?” She tilted her head and looked over at Avan. He didn’t understand how bad it had been and how hard it was for her to give her trust to someone. She needed proof, not just assurances. “And I’d rather find out what they’ll do in public where I have a real chance of getting some help if I need it.” Avan sighed. “You won’t need it, but I’ll let you do it your way.” “Thank you.” She kept her lips in straight line and didn’t comment on his letting her do it her way. “Hey, if you’d rather feel the sharp edge of their tongue and see just how they react when you test them instead of letting me take the pressure off you, that’s your choice, although it’s not the smartest thing you’ve done.” Avan shrugged. “Let’s get back so we can get this over with.” She laughed softly. “You’re acting as if it’s you who’s going to be in trouble.” “I just think you should move more cautiously. You’re only now getting to a point where you’re not cringing every time they come near you. I know they won’t hit you as you fear, but they could get too close to you and scare you with their intensity.” Avan didn’t look back at her as they approached the square. She wanted to protest the cringing every time Colm and Linc came near her, but she couldn’t do that honestly. She was honest enough to admit that she’d cringed a few times when any man drew close. Maybe he was exaggerating a little, but she knew she was wary around them especially. She hadn’t realized that it had been so obvious to everyone else. She was tempted to ask Avan if he’d seen it because he knew her, but right now, that wasn’t important. “This is something I have to know before I find myself trapped within the walls of their Thent. People say so many things. Some are lies, but it’s how they behave when 46
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stressed that reveals the proof. I need to know that I’ll be safe with them until we catch Laed and Kynar.” She kept her voice low. She didn’t want anyone close to them to overhear her reasons. It was bad enough admitting to the fear, having everyone know the details would be even worse. “You already know it, Cami. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t. You wouldn’t have even tried to find them if part of you wasn’t absolutely sure that you could trust them with your life.” Avan shook his head, but kept his voice as low as she had. She shrugged. Even if that were true, there was part of her that didn’t know it. The doubts floated around in her head and she couldn’t get them to stop. How was she supposed to know who could be trusted? Cami didn’t have time to think of a reply. They walked into the square and Cami felt her breath lock in her throat at what she saw across the market. It wasn’t the Ardin. She hadn’t spotted them yet. It was a man in a long white and black robe. She hadn’t seen one of them for years, but fear surged through her. That robe had haunted her nightmares after her brief brush with one of the monks. He’d only grabbed her arm. No lasting damage. Even now she could hear her mother’s voice telling her what would happen if they ever succeeded in taking her. She hoped they didn’t have a monastery on this planet. After the initial surge of fear faded, she realized they couldn’t be after her, but they were talking to an older woman as well as the young woman she’d seen hug Anton earlier. That concerned her. “Cami, there you are. Where were you?” Colm strode across the square and met them as they entered it. “I went for a walk. I was restless.” She shrugged as if it should have been fairly obvious. It was her first tactic in dealing with them. If feigning confident unconcern didn’t work, she’d try something else. “You were told to stay in the square. Was something about that unclear?” Linc’s brows drew down over his green eyes. She drew in slow breath before answering. “No, I understood that you wanted me here. I wanted to explore a little.” She kept her eyes on both of them. Laed and Kynar had taught her that she couldn’t focus only on the man who was talking. When it came to men who ruled together, a woman also had to be aware of the silent one. Sometimes, the one who was just standing there glaring needed watching even more than the one who was raging. Colm’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t say a word. His muscles tensed and his arms hung at his sides, but at least his hands weren’t clenched. In a way, that worried her more than the clear anger she could hear in Linc’s voice. She wished he would say something so she could get a gauge on exactly what he was feeling and what he’d do. “You wanted to explore. And our order to you meant nothing to you?” Linc took a step forward.
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“I’m here to help stop Laed and Kynar, not join a Thent. When it comes to that, I’ll heed your word, and if there was some danger, I’d probably follow it there too, but a walk through the streets here isn’t in any way dangerous.” She shot Linc a tight smile and shifted her feet a little. She wanted to be able to move as fast as possible if Linc came any closer. She saw Colm’s eyes narrow and then he relaxed suddenly. He shook his head. “You’re pushing. Are you afraid that we’ll get too close? That you won’t want to keep us at a distance?” One of Linc’s hands braced on his hip as he leaned even closer. “She’s testing us and you’re making her nervous.” Colm put his hand on Linc’s shoulder. Linc’s eyes widened and he stared at her, but he did step back. “What were you hoping to accomplish by that? We told you we wouldn’t hurt you.” “People say things and mean them at the time, but I couldn’t really know without proof. I still don’t know.” She frowned and shook her head. She really hadn’t expected them to figure it out that quickly. It had been a failure. She’d wanted to see their reactions and wouldn’t know now. At least, not until it was too late. Linc’s hand thrust through his hair. “Argh, you’re going to have to trust us sometime, Cami. I know your past makes you wary of men.” “Yet she pushed and tested.” Colm’s voice held a little satisfaction. Cami couldn’t work out what about that would make him happy. They’d both been angry that she hadn’t followed their orders until he’d worked out that she was trying to get a reaction. She’d thought he’d be angry simply because she’d done it and see it as another sign of distrust. Linc blinked and he slowly relaxed. “Yes, she did. You pushed when you knew that it would make us angry.” She had no idea which way their minds were going, but it apparently didn’t follow the line of her thinking or reality. “I wanted to do it when there were people around in case I needed help.” “That was probably part of your thinking. But would you have done it when you first met us?” Colm’s head tilted and his hair fell over his shoulder. Her lips tightened as she began to see where their thinking had led them. No, she wouldn’t have taken the chance of making them angry, even surrounded by a group of people. She’d have done what they asked and kept as quiet and unobtrusive as possible. There wasn’t anything that would induce her to tell them that, though. They were already too confident. “We will argue and probably loudly as you get your spirit back. I’ll admit I’ll probably lean in and get into your space. It’s just one of the things I do. Add to that that I like being close to you even when we’re both angry. I’m going to be nearby.” Linc reached out and brushed his hand lightly over her arm.
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She could barely feel the touch through the fabric of her shirt, but a shiver ran up her spine. It wasn’t fear. It was hot lust and she couldn’t understand how she could feel that way when she was still unsure of them. “I’ve already told you I don’t like being cornered.” She picked the one thing that irritated her most about his statement just to make a point that she was not going to fall in so easily with their plans. “And we’ll try to work around your fears until they gradually fade away.” Linc’s voice was soft and as soothing as his voice could get. A shout ripped through the square. Linc turned and Cami caught sight of the priest’s robe again. She saw the older woman tugging on the younger woman’s arm and the younger woman pulling back, resisting. Damn, she couldn’t believe she’d entirely forgotten about that. “If that woman is important to your man, you’d better stop her mother and that priest from taking her from the square. He’s not likely to see her again if they get out of sight.” Cami’s voice was firm and drew Linc and Colm’s attention back to her. “What?” Linc’s body immediately tensed. “What do you mean and how would that happen?” “He’s a Tareshi monk. There are people who will pay them to take away others, be it a relative or a rival. Those people are hardly ever seen or heard from again. If they are found, they’re never the same.” Cami looked up into his intense green eyes. “How do you know this?” Colm asked. “I was almost taken by one of them when I was younger and I’ve seen them a couple of times after that. My mother made sure I knew what to look for and what would happen if they ever did get me.” Cami licked her lips. Her mother had made sure she remembered those priests, but Cami never had found out why she thought they’d come back. “You think her parents would rather send her with these priests than have her be with a shifter.” Linc frowned and looked back at where the women were still tussling and arguing. “I don’t know their reasons and maybe they don’t know what happens after the priest takes her. If she’s a mate, it would be better to get her now, because if you find her after he takes her, she won’t even remember that she is his mate. She’ll probably be afraid of men by that time.” Cami searched for the words to get them to see her point, but still let them remain ignorant of what actually would happen. They didn’t need that picture in their head. She didn’t want it there, but it wouldn’t go away. “Ardin.” A tense voice came from behind the two men and although she couldn’t see him, she suspected it was Anton. “Go get her,” Linc said without turning. “You’re going to have to tell us exactly what they’d do to her. We don’t need you to protect us from the worst of it. We’re hardened warriors. It won’t be anything new to us.”
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“It might be the first time you’ve associated it with someone you know. You don’t need that picture in your head about someone you see every day.” Cami shrugged. “It’s that bad?” Colm asked softly. “That bad and worse, depending on the group. I’ve learned a bit about them. They might not all be brutal, but even if they don’t physically hurt her, she won’t be the same woman.” Cami nodded. “Now, are you going to lecture me or can I get back to the market because there was a bracelet that really caught my eye at one of those stalls?” Linc laughed. “We’re not going to lecture you, but you won’t be visiting the market right now. We’ll be leaving soon, especially since we’ll be causing a little disruption.” “You don’t think he’ll be able to get her to go with him without a fight?” Cami arched a brow. From what she’d seen, the woman would go with him without an argument. “It’s not her we’re worried about. It’s the mother. The woman isn’t going to simply let her daughter walk off, especially not if she arranged for her to be taken to some other place to protect her from us.” Colm looked at her as if she should have known that without it being pointed out to her. “We don’t generally get involved with the village itself. We protect it because the travel-gate is here, but otherwise we’re just visitors.” “Do you think the villagers would get involved and fight to keep her here?” She hadn’t thought of that. She’d assumed they controlled the village. “No, we do things differently here since the village is on our homeworld. We don’t usually carry a woman off from here. It hasn’t been necessary. We’ve put any man who’s found a mate among these women on duty to guard the gate. Usually by the time he’s called home, the woman’s ready to come with him.” Linc turned and glanced over to where the woman and the priest were. Cami couldn’t see past them. She moved to the side and saw Anton leading the woman back over to them. The older woman was being held back by the priest and he was saying something to her. That made Cami more nervous than if the woman had been screaming and clawing at Anton. She knew without a doubt that the priest wasn’t going to walk away and forget taking her. He’d come after her and try to take her regardless of the fact that she had a mate. She looked at Linc and Colm and saw that they were watching the priest with narrowed eyes. Good, at least she didn’t have to tell them to be careful of that man.
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Chapter Eight The early summer sun shone from a light blue sky and Cami felt a little thrill of excitement as they drew closer to Tobai Thent. She didn’t understand the anticipation. She strained to get a glimpse of the large building. Maybe a little of it was anxiety, but not all of it. She wanted to see this place they were all so eager to return to. Was it the same as Scali Thent? Most of the men broke off and began riding to their homes as they approached the walls. She almost couldn’t believe what she was seeing as they approached Colm and Linc’s Thent. It sat atop a hill and houses, forest and fields spread out around it. She didn’t doubt that it was secure and would be able to protect the members of the clan should they have need to retreat to it, but she’d expected it to be a strong, defensible building. She hadn’t expected it to look inviting. The walls were a pale blue. As they rode through the outer gate and then the second gate on the inner wall, she wanted to reach out and touch the thick stone just to see if it was rough, or as smooth as it looked. She’d never seen rock that color. The interior of the fortress surprised her just as much as the walls. A garden growing food and herbs as well as fruit trees dominated an area to the side of the main building. That was definitely different. She recognized the area set aside for training on the other side of the building. The space within the walls of Scali Thent had been abandoned almost completely. What training was done happened outside of the Thent walls. There had been no garden. Not even a small patch of herbs for the cooks. Everything had to be brought to the fortress from the fields. Now only Avan, the Ardin, the chatar, the healer and two other warriors who’d ridden out to meet them remained on the mican. They rode over to a large stone and wood building. From the wide doors and the sounds she heard from inside as well as the smell, she could tell it was a stable. They pulled to a halt just outside of it and dismounted. Cami followed suit. She wasn’t waiting around for Colm and Linc to help her down from the animal. One of them would do it if she wasn’t fast enough. Since they’d helped her with her magic that night, they’d been more attentive. Most of the time, they were close to her and seemed aware of what she was doing. They’d been careful about not pressuring her too much and approaching her one on one. Not that it had made much difference. Tension thrummed through her. Those dreams drove her insane. Her mind seemed determined to show her exactly what she was missing. Hot sex, cuddling with them and low, intimate conversations. She wanted 51
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it too much. She hadn’t even kissed either one of them, but in her dreams they touched her in almost every way possible. The pursuit would probably intensify now that they’d reached the relative safety of their Thent. The constant travel had kept a little distance between them. That was gone now. One of the only good things she could think of about this was that there would be more time for her to learn about her magic. Well, that and she wouldn’t have to ride that mican anymore for a while. She wanted to walk and maybe even take a day simply to rest. That hadn’t been an option, but maybe now. Colm tossed his reins to Linc and came around the mican. He stopped in front of her and held out his hand. “Let’s go inside and I can show you around a little. We can also get someone started on getting your room ready. We’ll take you on the full tour later.” She looked at his hand and looked up at him. Dressed in black from his scuffed boots to the slightly dusty shirt, he looked hard and a little weary. She had the insane urge to hold him and coddle him. She shook her head and glanced at Linc. He looked a little livelier and definitely more approachable in his white shirt, brown pants and boots. Returning her attention to Colm, she eyed the outstretched hand. She’d love to slip her palm in his and walk along with him as if she didn’t have a worry, but she couldn’t stop thinking. He was the one who would be most resistant to the idea of a true mate. He wanted someone who wouldn’t have any hold over them. “You don’t want to show me around.” The words slipped out before she could stop them. His head cocked to one side as he looked at her. His jaw tensed and she thought for a moment he was going to get angry, but then one eyebrow rose in imperious demand. “I don’t know where you get your information from, sweet Cami, but you’re going to have to stop believing that crap. It’s wrong. We’ve already told you that we want you and we don’t play that kind of game. If you want to know what we think, you come to us.” She took a deep breath. It wasn’t crap. He didn’t want a female mate who’d have a hold on him, but she couldn’t shout that out no matter how much she wanted to do it. She just wished she could have controlled her tongue before. He might want to get her alone, but only because he was attracted to her right now. Not because he actually wanted to be with her as a mate. That still hurt. Even now, she didn’t know the full answer of why he was so resistant to the idea. She had to stop thinking about things such as that, because they were going to keep tripping her up around them. “All right, let’s go inside and you can show me some of your home.” Cami slipped her hand into his. She wasn’t going to comment on going to them when she wanted to know what they thought or felt. It wasn’t that she thought they wouldn’t tell the truth. Both men
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sometimes were amazingly oblivious about how little they revealed about themselves and how unapproachable they seemed. “I’m serious about the talking to us part, Cami. I’m getting tired of having you making these assumptions when you don’t know much about us.” Colm’s fingers tightened around hers and he stared down at her intently. “Two assumptions. I was right the first time.” She glared up at him. It sounded as if he thought she’d been wrong or had no basis in her beliefs both times. She wasn’t so sure that she was completely wrong about him wanting to be with her either, but he did seem determined to take her on a tour. “I’m not going to start an argument with you about that now.” He shook his head and scowled. “Come on. If we take much longer, we won’t even get to the door before Linc’s caught up with us.” She nodded and went along with him when he tugged her hand. She didn’t know if that was supposed to be some kind of prod to get her moving or a statement of fact. Given the fact that he seemed to be the one who was more controlled and unemotional, she thought it was probably what he believed to be fact. He might want her to go with him, but provoking barbs didn’t seem to be his style. The main building was made of the same stone as the wall. The blue was even more startling up close. While he opened the large black door, she reached out and ran her hand over the wall. It was smooth and cool to the touch. He stepped back as the door swung open. She stepped into the building. Lamps hung on hooks on the wall, giving off a soft glow in the entry hallway. She knew that this relatively narrow entryway was meant to funnel any intruders to the men who’d be waiting to meet them, but it made her feel a little caged. The hallway opened into a rectangular room. Golden stands holding pretty lamps sat in the corners. Long, padded benches flanked a set of double doors. When Colm noticed her looking that way, he led her over to them. He pushed against the wood and the panels swung inward revealing a large, square space with two chairs at the end of it. Tapestries hung on the wall behind the two chairs. Large hearths with elaborately carved mantles occupied two walls and were flanked by elaborately stitched black, gold and red hangings. The ceilings were covered with scenes from the forest. She recognized the room, although she was coming to realize that this one probably wasn’t the place of fear the one in Scali Thent had been. Laed and Kynar had used the gathering room to reinforce their intimidation and deal out punishments. Even she knew that wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Normally, this room served as a place where the Ardin passed judgment and made announcements to their chosen men when they didn’t want to make a mass announcement. “This isn’t supposed to be a scary place.” Colm’s voice was quiet and his tone utterly serious. 53
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Her head snapped up and she simply looked at him. How had he known what she was thinking? “I could see it on your face, but don’t get overly concerned, that hasn’t happened very often. Most of the time I can’t tell much but your basic emotions from your expressions.” He shrugged. Most of the time. He’d just done it again and that was far from reassuring. She needed to keep her thoughts to herself. Even though they might suspect she was somehow linked to them, thinking about having a mate and being confronted by the reality were two different things. His feelings wouldn’t change, not if he was as adamant as he’d seemed in her visions. “I hadn’t thought that it could be anything else until I saw this place. It feels different than the gathering hall at Scali Thent.” She bit her lip. Admitting that was unexpectedly hard. She didn’t know what frightened her more. That they would read something into that small trust or that there might be more to that trust than an intellectual decision. “It’s just a place where we talk and announce decisions. Some of them not so pleasant, I’ll admit. We’re not them.” His eyes roamed over the room one more time before returning to her. “Are you ready to move onto other rooms? We have to find someone to start preparing your room and show you where you’ll be staying.” “I’m ready.” She drew in a deep breath. Well, she couldn’t really expect him to start listing all the ways he and Linc were different, even if she would like to hear it. He’d spoken more to her today than ever before. He held out his hand and waited until she put her hand in his palm. The insistence did surprise her. She wondered what he was planning. There had to be a reason he was determined to hold her hand. She liked the warmth of his skin against hers even if she knew she shouldn’t be enjoying it and that it wasn’t helping her maintain emotional distance between them. Leading her back out of the room, he walked to another door. They stepped into a hallway which led to the left and right. He turned to the right. “That door leads to the chatar’s work room. You’ll find him there at almost any time of the day if you need to talk to him.” Colm gestured to the door directly across the hall from the door they’d entered. His fingers tightened on hers as he led her down the hallway. “Where are we going?” She looked down the hallway. She could see a door at the very end as well as two more along the right side of the hallway. A delicious aroma drifted down the hallway. She knew there was a kitchen somewhere in the area. The air smelled of roasting meat and also something sweet, but she couldn’t identify it. The scent made her mouth water. “Toward the kitchen. There will be people in there. I’m just surprised that we haven’t seen anyone before now. It’s not usually this deserted.” Colm turned his head a little and caught her eyes. 54
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They didn’t see anyone before he pushed the door open to the kitchen. She stepped in behind him, her hand still clutched in his. She moved out from behind him and saw a young blonde woman’s eyes round with suprise. “Ardin, we hadn’t heard that you’d arrived yet. I mean, we expected you today, but…” Her voice trailed off into silence and her pale cheeks turned bright red. “We just arrived. I brought Cami inside so I can show her around and a room can be readied for her.” Colm looked over at Cami and smiled. “The place seems to be a little deserted today.” “I think Cera, Darla and Deanne are doing the laundry right now. I’ll send someone to get one of them and ready a room. Where did you want her put, Ardin?” An older woman stepped away from a large table where she’d been peeling a dark-purple vegetable. Cami’s attention swung from the unidentifiable chunks of vegetable to Colm. That was something she was interested in hearing herself. She’d wondered about it as he led her through the fortress, but hadn’t asked him before now because she’d become interested in the tour. “Have them ready one of the rooms near my room.” He shrugged. That answer came quickly. He’d been prepared for it. He and Linc must have discussed it some time. She didn’t have to be near them. As long as she was in the same building as them, she would be protected and near enough to someone who could help her. They weren’t being protective. They were just trying to make certain that she was aware of them and couldn’t ignore them. Those two were far from subtle. “I—” She began. “No arguing.” Colm’s voice cut over hers and then he turned and tugged her after him as he left the kitchen. “You’re going to be near us. We’re not having you in another section of the Thent where we’d have trouble getting to you if you need help or where we might not hear you if you call. This place is large. We’re not leaving you alone.” “Since you’ve been teaching me control, I don’t have as much problem with my magic anymore,” Cami offered, but she really didn’t expect it to sway him. “What if you get hurt? What if you’re attacked? You could be hurt or killed before anyone gets to you. That’s not going to happen. You’ll be right down the hall so we can be there if you need anything, but we also don’t want you trying to avoid us.” Colm’s fingers tightened. “We’re not backing away from our attraction to you.” “You two don’t seem concerned that I might not be attracted to one of you, much less want to deal with you both.” She stopped abruptly. He stopped when he felt the tug of her hand against his and turned his head. A smile curved his lips. “We know that you want us, at least physically. You’ve got a few wrong ideas in your head about us. Once we deal with those, you’ll discover what you want.”
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“You don’t have a sister, do you?” Cami glowered at him. He was lucky there wasn’t anything in the hall that she could hit him with, because the urge was irresistible right now. “No, why?” He looked mildly interested, but a little confused. “You would know better than to say that and I’m not explaining what you said wrong. You wouldn’t get it. It’s obvious that you and Linc both aren’t accustomed to dealing with females.” Cami tapped her foot on the stone floor. “What do you mean it’s obvious? We have dealt with females. Very well.” Colm’s brows drew down and he put his free hand on his hip. Cami realized she’d offended him a little. She sighed. It probably couldn’t be helped. She was bound to say something such as this sooner or later. “I don’t mean as a bed partner for a few days. You’re rough, gruff and you tend to throw orders at me as if I was one of your men.” That last bit was getting on her nerves. She narrowed her eyes and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Just so you know I like men who know the difference between me and the men they order around all day and can treat me accordingly.” “I know just how to treat you, but if you want sweet words, you’re going to have to tell us what you want. We’re not the type of men who’ll let you do anything you want or order us around. Why don’t you try testing us and see if we’re your type of man.” Colm arched an eyebrow, apparently challenging her. “I knew you wouldn’t understand.” She shook her head and stared straight ahead. “Where are you taking me now?” “I’ll take you upstairs now so you can see the part of the Thent where your room will be. I’ll point out our room so you’ll be aware of where we are when you need us.” He gave her a slow look and she thought he’d press for more information, but he began leading her down the hall again and this time she went with him without balking. It wasn’t sweet words or poetic phrases she was wanting as he seemed to think. She wanted soft touches and tenderness. If they were going to hold her hand or put an arm around her, she didn’t want it to be because they wanted to be sure she went where they wished.
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Chapter Nine Colm looked over at Cami and frowned. She was angry again and he couldn’t understand what he’d said to cause it. He also couldn’t figure out what she wanted from them. He knew she wasn’t one of their men. A slow smile curved his lips as he thought about her sweet curves. Although hidden underneath the loose cream-colored shirt, he knew she had nice breasts. Those full hips and rounded ass filling out those black pants definitely didn’t belong to a man. He’d hoped Linc was wrong with his guess that she was their mate. That was becoming less and less likely. Colm could feel the pull to get closer to her. He wanted to know everything about her, protect her, hold her and pull away every mask she was hiding behind. Ruthlessly ripping them away wasn’t an option. He’d like to think that was because he knew she’d already been hurt, but it wasn’t that simple. He led her down the hallway, past the door where they’d entered and finally to the staircase. He let her lead the way up the stairs to the second level. He took the time to admire the taut curve of her buttocks as she moved ahead of him. He knew it was perfectly safe for her inside the Thent. It was the only reason that he let her go in front of him. He needed the time to think. What did she want from them? He assumed that it wasn’t to lead them around, since she’d shut down after he’d implied that. That didn’t give him a clue what would make her happy. “The chatar and healer have rooms up here as well, but they’re in a different section from ours.” Colm once again stepped up beside her when they were at the top of the stairs. He gestured to the right. “They both chose rooms along that hallway.” “Is there anyone in the rooms along this hallway?” She gestured to the hallway right in front of them. “No, there hasn’t been anyone along that hall since we last had guests.” Colm looked down the hallway. All of the doors were shut, but he didn’t doubt that the rooms were immaculate, almost ready to be used. “And that’s too far from you and Linc?” She tilted her head and looked at him. He watched her peek at him through her lashes. She was trying to see how much space they were going to give her. The thought that she was a little wary of them in this way didn’t bother him. He wanted her aware of them as men, not just as leaders. She was interested. He wanted her to burn with it. “Yes. We’re not going to make you sleep in the same room, but we want you within screaming distance. No one would hear you here unless they chanced to be walking by. That’s not acceptable. Think you can handle being that close to us or will the temptation
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be too much for you?” Colm decided she needed a little prodding. He could see the caution in her eyes and he didn’t want it to turn to fear. “The only temptation I might give in to around you and Linc is to grab something and hit you with it. Neither of you know when to stop. Your room is down the hall with the door on it?” Her eyes narrowed and he was relieved to see the caution swept away in a tide of anger. “Yes, the door is only closed when Linc and I aren’t here. Most other times, it’s left open.” His hand tightened on hers and he let his smile slowly widen. “I’ve never heard of a door separating the Ardin’s portion of the fortress from the rest of the building. Well, not a metal door, maybe a wooden door.” She frowned as she looked at the large metal door. “That door was put in a few generations ago when the Ardin’s Lady was attacked and nearly killed in her own rooms. To prevent that happening again, they put in a door to ensure that when she was in her rooms and private, she was as safe as she should be.” Colm led her past the solid door. They shouldn’t need it now. The threat was from outside their Thent. Of course, he wouldn’t mind being locked into this part of the fortress with her. “You know a lot about this place. Were you born here or were you chosen to rule here?” She licked her lips and turned her head to look at him. It was the first personal question she’d asked of him and it did surprise him. He could tell that she hadn’t meant to ask that. “No, I heard that story from Linc. He was born here and we took over when the old Ardin died. They’d never found their mate and had no children from their marriage to one of the widowed Santir female.” “Where’s your room?” The words were slower and more controlled now. He could tell she was choosing every word. “Down here.” He led her past several doors and around the corner. About halfway up the hall, he stopped and pushed a door on the right side open. He saw her glance in and wondered what she thought of the room. It never mattered before, but now he decided there needed to be a little more color in the room. As she slowly relaxed around them, she reminded him of a flower opening up to catch the light. She needed somewhere pretty and everything was brown or black in there. “Will my room have a bath or is there one along the hall somewhere?” She looked pointedly down the hall at the other closed doors. “There are two along the hallway, one back near the metal door and the other here.” He opened a door near the middle of the hall. “If you want, you can use the bath in our room. It’s much bigger than the one here.” “This will work. The bath in my home was smaller than this.” She looked into the room and a smile curved her lips. “I expected to find you two wandering around on the lower levels showing her all of the rooms.” Linc strode up the hallway.
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“I thought that could wait. She’ll be here long enough to explore.” Colm shrugged. “I also thought that it would be better to show her around outside together. Inside, it could get a little tight and I didn’t want to put too much stress on her.” Linc looked at her and nodded. “You might have a point. Cera and Darla are coming up the stairs now to get the room ready. Do you have a preference of which room they ready?” She moved away and looked into a couple of rooms. “They seem to be much the same, so it doesn’t matter. Are we going to take that tour of the outside now?” “As soon as the women get here, we’ll go. I don’t want them putting you in one of the rooms around the corner.” Colm gave her a direct look. He knew she wouldn’t mind the extra distance, but it would make him tense. Especially when he knew that she might be in pain one night and need help. “You like to know everything that’s going on in this place? And I’d bet you know who’s doing what most of the time, don’t you?” She tilted her head and her eyes narrowed a little as she looked up at him. Linc laughed. “You pegged him. He likes to know everything that’s happening and surprises can make him tense.” Colm scowled at his bond brother. He didn’t have to agree so readily, but Colm admitted that he did tend to know what was happening around the Thent. Cera and Darla came around the corner at that moment. “Ardin, we’re here to prepare a room for the woman, but we didn’t know where you wanted her. We thought maybe the first room on the center hall would be good for her.” Cera smiled as she walked up the hall. Her eyes slid quickly over Cami and then lingered on Linc’s thighs. “No, she’ll stay in our section. Pick one of the rooms at this end of the hall and ready it for her.” Colm met the woman’s stare. Linc had been right. Looking for a woman in their Thent had been a mistake. He could see the possessiveness in Cera’s eyes. “This is Cami. She’s going to be staying here.” Linc introduced the women in the silence that followed. “I’ll be staying here for a while,” Cami added. She shot Linc a sizzling look and turned to Colm. “Are we ready now?” “Yes, we’re ready.” Colm wasn’t going to get into an argument with her about how long she’d be staying here. She wasn’t going to be swayed by words. The woman was convinced that she wouldn’t be able to live within a Thent. They had time to let her see that wasn’t true and they needed to find a way to reveal her secrets without making her run. They showed her a little of the area within the walls of the fortress, but knew that most of that would be familiar to her. Aside from that, he wanted her to see the beauty of the land outside of the thick stone barriers. She wouldn’t get many chances to
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wander for the moment and when she did go somewhere, she would have an escort because of the threat of Laed and Kynar. In a way, he would be more comfortable if they were facing a large force of men instead of simply two. Two men could slip onto the planet without notice fairly easily. They could hide in the surrounding area without drawing too much attention if they knew what they were doing. According to Avan, the two men had the skills to do it. He’d make sure that the men at the gates watched and stopped every stranger even if they didn’t seem to be a shifter. Laed and Kynar could disguise themselves just as easily as Cami could. “There are more houses around than I expected and the fields look huge.” Her eyes swept over the fields of crops and the grazing animals almost as if it was something she hadn’t seen before. She seemed more relaxed now and not as wary. “Scali Thent isn’t like this?” Linc asked. “There aren’t this many people at Scali Thent and a lot of the houses are in the surrounding forest. It’s just safer that way. Well, it was. Everyone knew that haven wouldn’t be offered to all by Laed and Kynar.” Cami frowned and took a deep breath. “There would be a price for that protection.” “I know we’ve said this before, but it looks as if it’s going to be something that we’ll say again and again. That isn’t how a Thent is supposed to be. The fortress is so large because we know we’ll need the space. We keep it stocked and are prepared for an attack, although the only time it’s been used in that way is when I was small. That was just for a few days.” Linc’s voice was calm, but Colm could tell from the tense posture that he wasn’t as patient and unemotional as he seemed. “How about we keep walking and we can go into the forest for a while?” Colm didn’t give her time to respond to what Linc said. She could think about how this place was different from what she knew later. He didn’t want her mulling over sad or frightening times right now. “That sounds good. A run sounds even better.” She glanced at the trees and then back to them. “No running tonight, I’m too tired to keep up with you after riding all day. How does early tomorrow sound to you for your run through the forest? You can enjoy the cool of the morning.” He wasn’t afraid that the false Ardin were anywhere near the Thent. No, he wanted to have a little time to prepare. Regardless of the fact that the men chasing her probably weren’t even on the planet yet, she needed to realize right from the first that they wouldn’t be taking chances with her safety. “You’re not tired and you’re not afraid that I’ll get attacked,” she said slowly. “So why wait?” “Ardin!” The voice caught them as they reached the edge of one of the fields. Colm looked back and saw Conn running up the path between the fields toward them.
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“That man’s name is Conn. He, along with his bond brother Eric, are two of our most trusted men. If you need help of any kind and we’re not around, they’ll help you.” Linc’s voice drew Colm’s attention back to the two people with him. Both of them had turned around to see who was coming and he saw Linc leaning toward her. Colm smiled at the fact that he might have been leaning toward her, but he also gave her plenty of room. They were both being so careful of giving her all the space she needed and not crowding her. He was beginning to wonder if they might be giving her a little too much space. He didn’t want her scared, but he certainly didn’t want her ignoring them or using their caution to keep her distance. Conn stopped in front of them and drew in a deep breath. Strands of his black hair hung around his face, having slipped free from the tie at the back of his neck. “You’re needed back at the Thent.” “I’ll handle this.” Colm looked over at Linc and Cami. Linc would have a better chance of getting Cami to relax and talk than he would. “There’s no need for all of us to go back. Go on with the walk.” “I could do it.” Linc frowned at him. What are you doing? Just give him directions on what to do. She already thinks you don’t really want to be around her. She’ll relax more around only one of us. You have the words that I don’t. You’ll be able to get closer to her without me around. When she’s a little calmer and not so likely to panic, I’ll show her that I want to be around her. Colm had a feeling they were going to talk about this later. You might try just being around her. Time and closeness is the only way she’s going to come to trust us. Linc glared, but his hand cupped Cami’s elbow. “Are you ready to continue on?” Cami looked from Linc to Colm. She looked a little confused as if she thought she was missing something. “I’m ready. What are we going to see on this walk? And don’t think I’m going to forget about you two saying we could run in the morning.” “We’re not going to change our minds about that. We’re going to walk along a trail that will take us to a small lake in the woods and then make our way back.” Linc’s voice reached Colm as he began to walk back toward the Thent. Cami didn’t know what to think about Colm leaving. It hadn’t sounded as if it was something that important, but she had no idea how they ruled their people. Laed and Kynar had been content to thrust the more onerous chores onto anyone they could. It didn’t matter that it was something they should do. Maybe Colm and Linc were actively involved in every part of the running of their clan. Still, she couldn’t be sure, especially after the long look that had passed between those two men. It was as if they were communicating without speaking. She had a feeling that there was something she was missing. She wasn’t even going to try to figure out what it was. Without a doubt, she’d end up driving herself crazy. Her thoughts would go in circles and circles and there was no 61
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way to know what happened. Not without one of them actually telling her what they were thinking and she knew that was improbable. “Can I hold your hand?” Linc’s voice broke into her thoughts. Cami held back her grimace. She’d been determined not to brood, yet she was already doing it. Without hesitating, she lifted her hand and held it out to him. “Yes.” “How are you feeling about finally being here?” He glanced over at her and began leading her toward the trees. Now that was a change in subject, but she was willing to go along with it. “I’m ready to stop those two. It wouldn’t have mattered to me where it happened as long as we finally met up with Laed and Kynar and put an end to their threat.” “Not satisfied with merely making sure that they can never hold the sort of power they once did?” Linc glanced over and she saw his brow arch. “It wouldn’t be enough, not with them. You don’t know them. Even without the magic, they’ll still hurt and kill. I can’t let that happen.” She shook her head. She didn’t need the visions or the magic she’d absorbed to know that. “I believe you. And you’re right, they will be a danger until they’re dead.” Linc’s fingers tightened around hers. “We’ll keep you safe and teach you how to deal with the magic you now have. You have my word on that.” “I can take care of myself. I didn’t have any trouble finding you, did I? And I know you’ll teach me about the magic. It’s already more manageable than it’s ever been.” She nodded, simply to assure him that she was being truthful. She didn’t know if he thought she had doubts about that since she wasn’t sure of their interest. Trying to decipher what they were thinking didn’t get her anywhere. “How about we stretch our legs a bit and run.” He tilted his head. “In human form. I know you’re anxious to get into these woods and play a little, but for today, we’ll run as we are now.” A shot of disappointment burst through her. He was right. She did want to change forms and charge through the forest, maybe even hunt a little. It had been a while since she’d simply enjoyed being in her other form, but she could wait a day. Running did sound good. Maybe it would help clear away the problems circling in her mind. She was confident in the lotions and drinks she was using. The lotion wouldn’t sweat off on a run, and if it did, the herbal teas changed her scent enough to mask it on its own. The only problem was she might pay for her enjoyment of this tonight with cramps along her thigh. She couldn’t be sure what would set them off. Sometimes it was exertion and sometimes stress and other times she didn’t know what caused the spasms in her leg. “A run sounds wonderful. Why don’t you lead the way if you have a plan on where to go?” She smiled and relaxed, deciding to just let go and enjoy the day.
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“We’ll keep to the plan Colm had. If I go too fast or you need to stop, just call out.” Linc turned to face her before he smiled and released her hand. He turned away and she let her eyes trail over his taut buttocks before following him. She wanted to reach out and touch that taut curve, but balled her fists and started after him. The forest lured her with the chittering calls of animals and the variety of colors and smells she could see as they approached it. The scents seemed off, but she knew it was because of the drink that she used every night. Still, she could easily smell the tangy, sharp scent of sap and leaves even if she couldn’t identify the trees. One of her favorite things had always been walking or running through the forest. She could get lost in savoring the colors or simply enjoying a good run. When they hit the tree line, he picked up the pace, but she knew he was holding back because of her. She easily kept up with him. That began to get on her nerves as they jogged through the forest. If they were going to run, she wanted to run. “Go faster,” she yelled as they ran. He quickly glanced back over his shoulder as if to check to see if she’d been keeping up with him before increasing his speed. She smiled. The path was relatively straight and smooth. She knew that was the only reason he’d chanced doing that here. They moved faster through the trees, but she still enjoyed seeing the flowers and berry bushes as they passed by them. All thoughts other than the run and following Linc flowed out of her mind. She didn’t know how long they ran, but when Linc disappeared around a corner and behind some trees, she hurried after him, not wanting to lose him if the trail became winding or suddenly forked. She rounded the corner at top speed and ran right past Linc. By the time she saw the drop-off, it was too late. Her feet slipped and tangled with a limb as she crashed through a bush. A twinge of pain stabbed her ankle, throwing her even more off balance. A hand closed around her wrist as she fell over the edge. The fingers tightened. He tugged and tried to pull her back. A raw, growling curse sounded as momentum pulled him over the edge along with her. She hit the water and barely managed to close her mouth before it closed over her head. Kicking to the surface, she coughed a little and looked around. Linc had fallen in after her. Poor man. All because he’d tried to save her from a dunking. She’d heard the splash following hers, but he hadn’t surfaced. She looked up at the wall of rock and dirt to the spot where she’d fallen. Her sense of humor kicked in. She grinned as she pushed back her hair. That hadn’t been one of her more graceful moments. How was she to know when she rounded that corner there’d be a sheer drop-off into the lake not four steps beyond the turn? Linc popped up about an arm’s length away from her. She laughed as his golden hair fell across his eyes. He pushed the strands away from his eyes and his lips spread 63
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into a wide smile. She stroked forward, but stopped right in front of him. Before she could think about it, she laced her arms around his neck. His eyes widened, but one of his hands brushed along her arm. Her fingers threaded through his hair. Being this close to him felt so right. His lashes lowered and his head descended. Almost too softly, his lips brushed over hers. Her eyes drifted closed. Contentment and happiness swirled through her. She relaxed against him, her mouth opening beneath his. His lips were slightly cool from the water, but warmed as they rubbed against hers. She wanted more than that teasing pressure. Her arms tightened, bringing him closer. His tongue stroked into her mouth and his hands loosely settled on her hips. She didn’t even think about resisting. She’d wanted to kiss him for a long time. Her fingers clenched in his hair and she thrust her tongue against his. The water flowed sensuously over her hypersensitive skin. His hands left a tingling path as they moved up and rested just under her breasts. She was almost ready to beg for him to move his hands higher. Her nipples had hardened and tightened to nearly painful peaks and her clothes felt heavy and abrasive. She could feel the brush of his thighs against hers as his feet kicked, keeping them both afloat. A low groan rumbled from his lips as he tore his mouth away from hers. Raw hunger burned in his eyes as he looked down at her. She knew he wanted to tear away the barriers between them as much as she did. Her heart raced even faster than when she’d been running and she panted, trying to catch her breath. “Definitely the right idea, but this is the wrong place for this.” He slowly pulled back from her. “Let’s swim to the shore.” He slowly released her and the haze of desire began to fade as they swam to the shore. By the time she waded out of the water, sanity had returned and she couldn’t believe what she’d done. Her impulsiveness hadn’t gotten her into this much trouble in years. Then again, since her brothers had left and Laed and Kynar had come to power, she’d been too tense and too cautious. Drawing any kind of attention when those two were around was a bad idea. She saw his eyes narrow as she reached the shore. “The wariness is back in your eyes, I see.” Linc tilted his head and watched as she wrung a little of the water out of her shirt. “That shouldn’t have happened.” She looked at the trees, down at her feet or fussed with her clothes, anything not to have to focus on him. She hadn’t meant to start that. That wasn’t anywhere near her goal of keeping her distance from him. He leaned in close and sniffed. “I suppose it was a little wishful to think that you’d given up fighting the attraction so suddenly. You still don’t smell right.” “The attraction might be there, but I know what I want and don’t want. I don’t want to get involved. And as to me not smelling right, if it came off as easily as taking a quick dunk in the water, the stuff would have come off with sweat as we traveled.” She shrugged. Her clothes clung to her and the clinging material was beginning to irritate her. 64
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“You’re right. Are you ready to go back to the Thent or would you like to see some more of the area?” He held out his hand to her. Her palm slid over his as she accepted the gesture, but with her free hand, she tugged at her shirt. “I want to go back and get out of these clothes. I don’t think these were really meant to swim in. They’re bunching and uncomfortable.” “Then we’ll go. I take it we’re not running back?” He glanced over at her with a smile as he led the way to a path. “You can be funny when you want to be.” She couldn’t help responding to that smile. “How long will it take to get back?” “Not too long. We’ll take a path that’s a relatively straight line to the Thent. It definitely won’t take as long as if we worked our way back up to the path we were on and back the way we came.” Linc pointed to a very small gap in the bushes as he tugged on her hand urging her to move. This path wasn’t as wide as the last or as well traveled. Branches and bushes dipped across the narrow trail at times, catching and tugging at clothing. Dappled light danced across the grasses and wild flowers near the edge of the track. Birds flitted overhead, jumping from branch to branch and chirping noisily. Even though they couldn’t walk side by side most of the time, Linc kept hold of her hand as they walked. She inhaled the moist air, savoring the smell of earth and the tangy scent of plants all around her. They came out of the forest near a small group of houses. She saw women at work outside of the house. The women worked at various chores around their homes, tending herb gardens, gathering eggs or hanging clothes to dry in the sun. They all called greetings to Linc and he greeted them by name. He kept moving, but from the way they responded to him, they trusted and liked him. They walked straight to the gates of the fortress. Cami found herself searching for Colm as they walked. As much as she’d like not to care, the emotional pull to them was too strong. She wanted to be with them. Colm was at the stables as they passed on their way toward the doors of the fortress. His eyes widened and he dropped the piece of leather he’d been holding to rush over to them. “What happened to you two?” Colm’s eyes swept over both of them. He frowned and she could hear the beginnings of a growl in his words. “We fell in the lake,” Linc said easily and kept walking. Since he kept moving, she couldn’t very well stop. She really didn’t want to be dragged by the arm across the yard. Linc nearly reached the door by the time Colm caught up with them. She guessed he’d been stunned that Linc had given him such a short answer and walked away without another word. “How did you both fall in the lake? One I can understand. If she can’t swim, I can see you going in after her, but you both falling into the lake makes no sense.” Colm drew even with them and then stepped in front of Linc.
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Linc laughed. “You’d know if you were with us. We were running. In this form, so don’t start anything. I know how you are about your plans. I was leading the way and I went around the corner that overlooks the lake and stopped so she could see it from there. She came around the corner too fast. I grabbed for her, but couldn’t stop her in time and we both tumbled in.” “I can see you were dressed when you fell in. You’re both still damp.” Colm shook his head. “Yes, and we both want to change into something dry. You can save any more questions until later.” Linc went around Colm and tugged Cami after him. Cami glanced back and saw the frustration on Colm’s face. A grin spread across her face, but she managed not to laugh. The man was obviously used to getting his way and she knew Linc had deliberately baited him. They obviously had a very close relationship. Linc smiled as he watched the door close behind Cami. They’d found the door to the room two down from the room he shared with Colm open and waiting for her. She’d gone in and found her bag on the bed. She’d smiled and shut the door so she could get dressed. He continued down the hallway, a little surprised that Colm wasn’t already here. Linc knew Colm was curious and wanted answers. Colm was very observant and he couldn’t miss the fact that Linc was in a good mood after that unexpected dunking. He opened the door and strolled into his room, unbuttoning his shirt as he moved forward. Pushing the door closed, he dropped the sodden shirt to the floor and reached for the buckle of his pants. “All right. What happened out there and why were you smiling so widely?” Colm came into the room and closed the door behind him. “And don’t give me that you would have known if you were there again. I’m not in the mood for your sense of humor.” “She’s softening, Colm. It may take a little time, but she’s relaxing around us.” Linc tossed his pants on the floor. They hit with a wet plop even as he strode into the closet for more. “How do you know she’s softening? Is it just because she didn’t get upset over an unexpected dunk in the water? And she still doesn’t smell right. What’s it going to take to get that stuff off her?” Colm asked and frowned severely. “I’d bet a good scrubbing and maybe taking her bag away from her. I don’t think it’s simply one thing, but hopefully we won’t have to do that. And no, it’s not because she didn’t get upset about ending up in the lake instead of looking at it, although that does reassure me. I like that she has a sense of humor.” Linc came out of the closet wearing brown pants and carrying a white shirt. “Well, why are you smiling so much?” Colm folded his arms across his chest.
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Linc could tell he was nearing the end of his patience. Linc leaned back against the door jamb and savored the memory of her arms around him. “After we fell into the water, she hugged me and didn’t pull away when I kissed her. She only seemed to realize that she wanted to keep her distance after we swam back to shore.” “She just hugged you for no reason? You didn’t pull her up when she was floundering?” Colm frowned. “No, I didn’t save her. I came up and she started laughing. A moment later, she’d put her arms around me. I couldn’t resist the temptation to kiss her.” Linc walked over to him and put an arm around him. “Do you think she’d do it again?” Colm asked as he hooked an arm around Linc, bringing him flush against his body. “I think she could, in the right situation. From what I’ve seen, she can be impulsive. I’d say if she’s relaxed around us, it will happen more and more often.” Linc leaned in and nipped Colm’s neck. “We’ll have to work on it then. I want to see some of this impulsiveness.” Colm gripped Linc’s hair and pulled his head up. His mouth captured Linc’s in an aggressive kiss.
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Chapter Ten Cami woke with a smile on her face. Today, they were going on a run. She wasn’t going to dwell on what had happened yesterday. She’d only get tense and it would probably ruin her entire day. She wasn’t going to let that happen. It had been too long since she’d run for the enjoyment of it. She wanted to feel the wind ruffling her fur, the earth beneath her paws and the thrill of the chase. She’d expected a knock at the door from Linc or Colm to jerk her out of sleep, but apparently she’d woken before them. She dressed in a light blue shirt and darker blue skirt. After brushing her hair, she went out into the hallway. Their door was still closed and she wasn’t going to go knock on it. It was still early. She left hers open so that they’d know she was awake. With a light step, she walked down the hallway. She thought about doing some serious exploring, but decided to wait until later. She’d have at least a few days to poke around in most of the rooms in this fortress. Laed and Kynar weren’t here yet, and when they did get here, it could take days to catch the tamaurgi. She was curious to see everything in this Thent. Not that she expected it to be too different from Scali Thent simply because this was part of Linc and Colm. Deciding to go down to the kitchen for an early morning cup of hot dorin, she rounded the corner and headed for the stairs. The more she thought about it, the better that fragrant brewed drink sounded. It was also past time she introduced herself to some of the women. She might not be staying here, but she wasn’t going to act as though she was better than them or that they didn’t matter. It would be good to have someone to talk to other than those two men. Descending the stairs, delicious aromas drifted around her. They were already cooking. She knew there would be more than the Ardin, the chatar and healer in the building. If this building was comparable to the one at Scali Thent, there would also be barracks for some of the men who were on guard duty. The women would be preparing breakfast for them as well. The walk down the long hallway to the kitchen was almost torture. Her mouth was watering and her stomach growled. She pushed the door open and found herself the center of attention. Four women were in the kitchen and work stopped as they stared. Beyond them, she could see meat already roasting on a spit over glowing coals. Nearby, she could see a glow from a brick oven. Something in two pots bubbled. She’d bet one of them was the dorin she craved. “Hello, I’m Cami.” She smiled. Her eyes swept over the women and stopped on a short willowy redhead at a scarred worktable with her hands in a pile of dough. She 68
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recognized the woman from the dreams of Colm and Linc. From the hostile look on the woman’s face, she wouldn’t be welcoming Cami anywhere but out the door. “They told us your name,” an older woman with silvering black hair said as she turned back to the stove in blatant dismissal. Well, that was rude. Anger bubbled up in Cami as the other women followed the woman’s example. She looked over her shoulder and made sure there wasn’t anyone in the hallway before she went into the kitchen completely. No one anywhere in sight. She wasn’t paying for someone else’s actions. “They may have told you my name, but obviously no one taught you any manners. I know why she would have a problem with me being here in a way.” Cami nodded her head toward the redhead. “I also know that you may feel some loyalty to her or one of the other women in this Thent Linc and Colm have fucked in the past. Considering how large that number is, you should know better than to start taking sides.” The older woman turned around and glared at Cami. “The Ardin sought them out. You don’t belong here.” “They were a convenience. If the women here aren’t idiots, they should have seen it. If Colm and Linc had wanted any of those women, really wanted them, those two men would have chosen and claimed. Their relationships before have nothing to do with me. I’m not sleeping with them, and even if I was, that’s between them and me. It would be their choice. I didn’t take anything.” Cami’s lips tightened. As good as her mood was, she wasn’t going soften the truth. It would cause trouble later. “It wasn’t that way.” The redhead shook her head. “Did they make promises of a future? From what I know of those two men, they wouldn’t promise one woman something and then move on and promise another the same. If you’re going to burn someone’s food, burn theirs. I have nothing to do with their choices.” Cami braced her hands on the work table and leaned forward. “There were no promises.” The redhead shook her head. “I don’t even see why you’d be so angry unless you were only after the power of being their Lady. Why should you settle for less when your true mate might be out there?” Cami knew it was a little hypocritical when she wanted to keep her mates at a distance. “That’s an interesting opinion coming from you.” The voice of the chatar came from directly behind her. “Especially considering your plans.” She spun and gaped at the man. How had she not heard the door open or a single footstep when he entered? The other women hadn’t even given an indication he was there. “My situation is different and I suspect you know much of how it’s different.” She narrowed her eyes on the black-haired man. What surprised her was that he hadn’t told Linc and Colm exactly what she was to them.
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“I’ll admit you have reason for your fears, but not for letting it rule you. Do you think your reasons are going to stop the Ardin’s pursuit? They know there’s something special about you.” He smiled slowly. The predatory expression surprised her. Every time she’d seen him, he’d looked serene and utterly at ease. Not that he’d ever appeared to be a man who spent most of his time with books. He was almost as muscled as the warriors. She didn’t doubt that he was as intense as any other male Santir, but was surprised that the controlled man showed it. She clamped her lips shut on any reply to that taunt. No way was she getting into an argument about what they did or didn’t know. It was bad enough she’d said what she had in front of the other women. She blamed it on already being angry, but knew that was no excuse. If she wanted to keep Linc and Colm unaware of exactly what she was to them, she needed to keep herself under control. She couldn’t expect the women not to talk about what they’d witnessed. When they did, it would eventually get back to Colm and Linc. “What did you come in here for?” The chatar asked as he moved over to the table. “A cup of dorin, for the most part.” Cami shrugged. It appeared the second part of her goal wasn’t going to happen, at least not immediately. Maybe they’d get over their anger at her taking what they considered their place soon enough when they realized she didn’t intend to take it. The chatar walked over to the large hearth and pulled a kettle off the hook. He poured two mugs of the dark brew and handed her one. “It’s some of the best you’ll ever taste.” “Thank you.” Cami brought the steaming drink to her lips and took a small sip. It was stronger and richer than she’d had it before. She wondered what they did differently to make it taste that delicious. “It’s good.” The clearing of a throat brought Cami’s head around to the women again. She found the redhead staring at her. “Did they tell you about me or the other women here? Is that how you know they were with me?” Her voice was hesitant and a blush colored her cheeks. “No.” Cami didn’t elaborate on the curt answer. “We didn’t need to. She apparently knows a lot about us.” Colm’s deep voice rumbled just behind her. “Those visions that led you to us were much more specific than you want us to believe, weren’t they?” Didn’t anyone in this place say “hello” when they entered a room? Not to mention make a sound when they opened a door or stepped on the floor. She was getting tired of people sneaking up behind her and not only because they seemed to come at the very worst time. Although she had to admit, that was annoying and a huge part of it. She shot him a narrow-eyed look, but didn’t bother to say a word. He could speculate all he wanted. He didn’t have any proof of that. Walking in on the tail end of
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a conversation wouldn’t be enough. He didn’t know the specifics of what had come before. She could have gotten enough from what they said and their attitudes to come to her conclusions. “We were looking for you. Actually, I didn’t expect you to be awake yet.” Colm came into the kitchen, walked around her and leaned a hip against the table as he watched her. “I usually wake up early,”she admitted. On the journey here, they’d always been up and busy before she’d woken, so it had been a little strange to her. “Colm, is she down there?” Linc’s voice carried into the room. It was surprising since that door was rather thick. Colm pushed open the door. “She’s in the kitchen.” “Where did you think I went? Laed and Kynar haven’t been stopped yet. I’m not going anywhere.” Her brows drew down. She could feel the anger rising in her. “We didn’t think you’d tried to leave. Not in the sense that you were running for the travel-gate. We thought you might have decided to go running on your own.” Colm shrugged as if it was nothing to worry about at all. Her jaw tightened and she felt her teeth grind. Magic began to rise inside of her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to find a place of calm inside of her. She couldn’t let it get out of control. The last thing she wanted was to grab one of their hands and give them some of the power when they were the ones who’d caused it. When the deep breaths and concentration had taken the power down to a more manageable level, she focused on Colm and saw Linc walk into the room. The kitchen was getting a little crowded. “What would be so bad about that?” “I believe Linc’s mentioned something about how I like to get my way.” Colm’s eyes swept over her in a heated pass. “You going off on your own wasn’t the plan.” She could almost feel that look as it ran down her body and then upward again. Lifting her chin, she tapped her foot. “The plan as I understood it was for me to see the forest and get a chance to run. I don’t see much changed about it.” “With us.” Linc walked over and poured himself a mug of the fragrant brew. “That’s what would be different and that’s what would make him angry and me as well. I’m looking forward to the run today.” “But you could run on your own.” She didn’t understand what the problem would be unless they were concerned for her safety. “Laed and Kynar aren’t anywhere near here yet, so there’s no need to shadow me.” “We’re not afraid that you’ll be attacked while you’re out. We want to be with you.” Linc shook his head. “I know you’re fighting the attraction hard, but try to remember that we aren’t.” She blushed, because she hadn’t thought about their perspective. Admittedly, she was still angry, so that could be part of the reason she hadn’t been at her most perceptive.
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“Now I haven’t seen that before.” The chatar came closer and stared at her face. He leaned closer. She leaned back because he was getting in her space. She wasn’t so comfortable with that. “What?” Colm’s gaze sharpened and he stepped closer. “Oh, I don’t think that’s happened before. At least I didn’t notice it if it had. I don’t think I would have missed it. Linc?” “No, I definitely haven’t seen that.” Linc stepped close and now she had three men around her, staring at her face. “What?” Her hands balled into fists and her voice rose. Colm blinked. Almost before she saw his hand move, she felt his fingers close around her wrist. “Calm down. Take some deep breaths.” She narrowed her eyes, unwilling to let them sidestep the issue. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing’s wrong. At least, I don’t think it is. We’ve just never seen anything such as this before.” Linc frowned. “Haven’t seen what before? You’re all looking at me as if I was some strange new creature.” She pulled back, trying to get Colm to release her wrist. She wasn’t out of control. He didn’t need to be ready to take some of the excess. “Well, you’re not strange, but what’s happening with your eyes is. They’re glowing gold right now. By glowing, I mean if it was dark, I wouldn’t have any problem finding you. Have you ever seen them do that?” Linc’s hand settled on her shoulder. “Relax, he just wants to make sure that he’s there for you should you need it.” “But I don’t need it. I’m angry and a little nervous because I’m being crowded again, but so far the levels are manageable.” She met his eyes and hoped he could see that she was sincere. “And no, I’ve never seen or been told before that my eyes glow. I’m sure someone would have mentioned it before. Look at your reactions.” “That’s good.” Linc smiled and his hand tightened in what was probably meant to be a reassuring squeeze. “Can you take this discussion out of my kitchen?” The older woman turned with a spoon in her hand and pointedly looked at all four of them. “We’re trying to get food ready in here and you’re in the way. It will never get done with all of you here.” Cami saw Colm’s lips twitch. “As soon as I get my dorin, we’ll go somewhere else to work through this.” The woman poured a mug of dorin and handed it to Colm. Her eyes went to the door in a pointed reminder. Cami bit her lip to keep the laughter inside. Colm took the cup and smiled at the woman. Those two might rule the Thent, but this kitchen was hers. “Come with me. We’ll see if we can find any mention of this thing happening before.” The chatar led the way out of the kitchen. Cami scowled. She didn’t want to sit around and search through books and scrolls looking for any mention of glowing eyes. She wanted to be outside, to climb, run, hunt 72
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and chase. It wouldn’t be a short search either. If the chatar didn’t know about it right off, she’d bet it was pretty obscure if there was any information at all. The man seemed to know almost everything. Him not knowing anything about it was a little scary. “Don’t worry. We’re not going to stay too long. We’re looking forward to that run as much as you are.” Linc paced beside her, but simply kept even with her. Colm was in front of her and still held her hand. She thought that Linc might not want to make her feel any more confined than she already did. “Is he worried about what this is? Is it dangerous?” She nodded to the chatar who led them down the hallway to his workroom. She saw a wall of shelves, a long table, lanterns and another smaller table in the corner loaded with books. “I don’t know what it is, and yes, that draws a little concern from me.” The chatar went to the tall bookcase and began pulling books off the shelf. He had a huge stack of books when he turned around. “We’ll start with these. As to the question about danger, I don’t know, but since you were totally unaware of it, I’d guess that it’s not going to cause you any problems.” Which still left the threat to others. Her shoulders slumped. She looked down at the floor. This was just what she didn’t need. She’d begun to feel comfortable with the magic within her only recently and now there was something new to learn to control or have it hurt someone completely innocent. Was it ever going to be safe to be around people again without someone there to make sure she didn’t get too angry or have the magic flare out of control? “Don’t worry. We don’t know what it is, but so far the manifestation is rather benign. We’ll deal with whatever this brings.” Colm stepped up just in front of her and put his hand on her shoulder. The weight felt reassuring and he didn’t get any closer, although from the look in his eyes, he wanted to do more than that. He released her and turned to the table. Cami looked at the chatar. Why couldn’t he be all-knowing now? He seemed so aware and knowledgeable about everything else. Why should he have to go hunting through books to find out what was happening with her eyes? “You seem to be aware of almost everything that goes on around here and you know things about me that I certainly didn’t tell you. Why don’t you have an answer for this?” Cami stalked over to the table and dropped into one of the chairs. She scowled at the chatar as he carried his load of books. “It doesn’t work that way. I don’t know everything. I get flashes about the important things and I have to consciously delve for information about that, but if it’s not important or a threat, then I might not even know about it. So I’d guess that you’re not going to pose a threat to the Thent.” The chatar dropped the books on the table. They made a loud thud, but stayed in the neat stack. That could be taken one or two ways. Either she wasn’t going to be around to be a threat or the power wasn’t the type that would cause hurt. Cami grimaced. She had to admit that leaving after they caught Laed and Kynar was looking as if it was one of the
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only options, but not because she thought they’d reject her. From their attitudes, it was exactly the opposite. If her powers kept growing, she might have to leave for other people’s safety. “Let’s see if we can find anything in these books and then we’ll go for that run.” Linc took the seat beside her. “What are we looking for?” She took one of the thick tomes from the stack and pulled it in front of her. “There are subject headings in the books, but you’ll have to do a quick look through to see if they might mention something about glowing eyes in the passage.” The chatar sat down on the other side of the table. Colm took the seat on the other side, but his seat and Linc’s were far enough away that she didn’t feel trapped. That didn’t mean that she was unaware of them. The mere fact that they were close enough to touch was a temptation that she almost couldn’t resist. She wanted to reach out and put her hands on their legs as she’d dreamed. This was going to take an eternity. She didn’t fool herself. Once they got started, they’d probably lose track of time and she wouldn’t get to go for a run today. She gave herself a mental shake. This wasn’t the time to be griping or whining about the small things. The glowing eyes thing was new and might be an important change. She needed to know about it. If that meant reading through a book or two, then she’d have to do it. She opened the book and gently turned the pages to the first section. She looked for anything about eyes, but didn’t find anything. She remained focused and kept turning the pages. A hand on her shoulder startled her. She tensed and whirled in her chair. Her eyes widened and she felt her claws burst from the tips of her fingers. She relaxed when she realized that it wasn’t danger. It was Colm. She’d been so focused on the book that she hadn’t even noticed that he got to his feet. His lips twitched, but he didn’t fully smile. Which was a good thing, because if he had, she might have had to kick him. “It’s time to go run.” He tilted his head toward the door and held out his hand. “This will wait. He might get through more without us here than we are currently, because, I have to be honest, there was a point when all of the information seemed to blur together.” She rose without argument, even though she wasn’t so sure that the chatar would get through it faster. The urge to get outside and into her fur was too strong to ignore. She could always come back to help. She slipped her hand into his. It was beginning to feel almost natural to hold their hands. She still didn’t know completely what was behind it. They knew she wasn’t going to run off and they didn’t seem to be the openly affectionate type. Linc stood and walked over to join them. “I’m ready to see how you look in your tiron form.” Linc smiled down at her. To tell the truth, she was a little curious about how they looked in animal form as well. A normal tiron had a broad head, pointed ears and visible canines as well as the 74
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powerful, large feline body. Were they bigger than a normal Santir since they were larger in human form? She knew that it sometimes worked that way. She also wondered about their fur. Was it the same color as their hair? She knew her fur had more brown than her hair did.
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Chapter Eleven Linc led the way out of the fortress and into the forest. Cami inhaled deeply and savored the scent. It pulled at her wild side and she was more than ready to let it out. The scent of the earth filled her and she wanted to go investigate the scurrying sounds coming from nearby bushes. “We’ll let you change here and we’ll go change somewhere else.” Colm squeezed her hand and released it. “Don’t go charging off without us. We want to see you. We’ll be back.” “I’ll wait for you.” She smiled and waited for them to disappear into the trees before starting on the buttons of her shirt. Cami wanted to rip the clothes away, but knew she couldn’t. She’d need the clothes to wear back to the fortress. Even though nudity before and after shifting wasn’t a big deal among shifters in general, she didn’t feel comfortable right now doing it. She was still all too conscious of her scars on her thigh. The scars on her face didn’t bother her so much anymore, but her leg was a different matter. It wasn’t the look of the marks that bothered her. The limitations she now had because of them upset her. Running any distance at first had sent the muscles into seizing cramps. Now, that happened only after strenuous activity or when she pulled the muscle. Sometimes, she still limped at the end of the day. She hated that, but she’d take that over not being able to run at all. She folded her clothes and put them in the bend of two branches to keep them off the ground. Shifting, she stretched. Her claws flexed and dug into the grass and dirt beneath her four fur-covered paws. It felt so good to be in this form. Her back arched and she turned to the tree where she’d put her clothes. Rising onto her back legs, she raked her claws down the trunk. She looked around the area. She wanted to move, to go deeper into the forest, but remembered her promise to Colm. Waiting wasn’t easy. She sat, but couldn’t stay still for very long and began to pace the small area as she waited. As she turned to make the few steps back to the tree, she saw two tiron waiting just inside the bushes. One male’s coat was so black that the sheen almost seemed blue. That had to be Colm. The other’s fur was a gold blond with brown spots. She paced forward and tilted her head as she looked at them. In this form, she had no fears about her scars or limitations. The two men were gorgeous tiron. She’d been right when she thought they might be larger than the tiron she’d seen before. They were both bigger than most male tiron, with Colm being the larger of the two beasts. She gave a rolling grunt and pulled her chin down and in, a friendly nonthreatening gesture as she took a few steps toward them. She wanted to meet their 76
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animals. Their muscles relaxed and they stared at her. Most tiron would mimic her gesture in a friendly “come on over” response, but not these two alphas. “Come.” The rolling grunt came from Colm in feline form. Even though they were from entirely different worlds, she had no problem understanding him. The language was ingrained in a Santir at birth or transformation. It was more of an order than an invitation, but Cami ignored her irritation in favor of satisfying her curiosity. She moved slowly forward, but stopped when they made a space between them so she could greet them both at the same time. Fear shot through her and her ears went back. She couldn’t put herself between the two large cats, not when they were so close together. Stepping to the side, she approached Colm and rubbed her face against his, taking a deep breath and drawing his scent into her. The scents were wrong. It was because of the herbs she’d taken, but it didn’t stop her annoyance. The cat part of her wanted to know how he really smelled. “You still smell different than a Santir.” Colm growled. His tail swished sharply and she saw him stiffen. “That’s not going to change anytime soon.” Cami kept the tone of the mewls and grunts even, but she wasn’t backing down from this. Their alpha tendencies were going to have to adjust to the fact that everything wasn’t going to go their way. She eased back and approached Linc. Rubbing her muzzle along his, she inhaled as she greeted him. She purred and her tail twitched in a friendly greeting. She turned and walked away, looking back over her shoulder to see what they were doing. Greetings were done. She was ready to run. “He’s right.” Linc’s lips pulled back, baring his teeth. “Your scent is wrong. Better adjust fast. I don’t know how long we’ll be able to play nice and not throw you into a tub and scrub until it’s off you.” “I can tell you two aren’t at your most diplomatic when you’re in this form. I’m going for a run. If you want to come, you can, but no more growling or threats. I want to enjoy this.” She narrowed her eyes on the two males and then stalked forward, her gait stiff. Linc strolled over to her in a graceful glide of feline muscles. “Don’t be angry. You have to realize that our patience isn’t inexhaustible. There will come a time when we can’t wait any longer. Hopefully by then, you’ll know you can trust us even if you don’t like our decision. We don’t want to take your things and push you too far, but we can only deny our instincts so long.” Colm joined them, but he didn’t come up on her other side. He strode up beside Linc. Linc’s words made her nervous, but their actions reassured her. It was hard to see them as a threat when they were doing everything possible to make sure that she was comfortable with them. Arguing with them wasn’t going to solve anything. There were no easy answers. She really wanted to run and explore, so decided to let the comment
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pass without a reply. As to trusting them, in some instances she did, but this was her life they were trying to run as they did their Thent. “For now, don’t brood about it. Everything will work out as it should. Are you ready to run?” Colm’s suggestion sounded more akin to an order, but the last part was really all that she needed to hear. She nodded and trotted forward, looking over her shoulder to see if they’d follow. She didn’t mind running alone, but they’d said that they wanted to run with her. They bounded forward and Colm dashed in front of her. She followed, but after a while she got tired of simply tagging along with them. The urge to hunt and chase pounded through her. Linc moved up beside her, but didn’t stop. He raced up to match Colm stride for stride. That was more than enough of merely following the leader. She slowed and stopped. Looking around, she thought about calling to them to let them know she’d decided to take a different direction. They kept going and didn’t seem to notice she’d left them. The two tiron were gone before she could decide what to do. Looking around the area, she tried to decide where to go. A run through the forest didn’t ease her tiron. The animal within needed the hunt and chase. She didn’t see anything that she could chase right off, but what she heard was interesting. The faint sound of something moving slowly through the forest drew her attention. Her ears pricked up and swiveled as her anticipation surged. She crouched and crept off the path. She moved slowly and silently as she edged closer to the sound. As the noise of hooves grew louder, she crouched near the base of a flowering bush. Peering between the dark-green leaves, she spotted an arilla. The long-legged, hooved animal grazed on grasses and flowers growing in patches of sunlight. Its short, black fur rippled with each move. Cami’s muscles bunched and her vision narrowed to the animal eating so peacefully. She knew the animal had more endurance than she did, but if she could catch it by surprise and take it down before it bolted out of reach, she had a good chance. Her claws dug into the ground and her lips pulled back from her teeth as she leapt forward.
***** Linc glanced in back of them, curious to see if Cami was having fun. He hadn’t heard anything from her since he’d run up to join Colm. He skidded to a stop and growled to get Colm’s attention. She was gone. At first, it seemed unreal. She’d been following them. “Where is she?” Colm trotted up beside him. “Would I be standing here staring at the trees and bushes if I knew? I don’t even know when she left.” Linc’s lips pulled back in a snarl.
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“We’ll find her and don’t get snappy with me. I didn’t know she’d go wandering off the first time our attention wasn’t on her either.” Colm slashed a narrow-eyed look at Linc. “Let’s start backtracking and find the point where she left us. There’s no mistaking that muddled scent of hers. It shouldn’t be too hard to find her.” Linc had to agree with Colm about her scent. It wasn’t similar to anything he’d ever smelled. They had to go back farther than he expected. He wondered why she hadn’t simply called out if she wanted to go some other way or do something more than run. That was something he’d be asking her when he caught up with her. Just because they were sure that Laed and Kynar weren’t on the planet yet didn’t mean that it was safe for her to go running around alone. On top of that, he wanted to be with her. They found the spot where she’d left the trail and followed the scent into the forest. Soon they found the spot where she’d crouched beneath a bush and the mixed scent of her and an arilla. It didn’t take long to discover why she’d left the trail. She’d wanted to hunt. He remembered her saying something about hunting last night, but she hadn’t mentioned anything this morning. As they followed, they found the arilla had managed to outrun her. She’d turned in another direction when the animal escaped. They tracked her toward the river. Linc thought they’d be tracking her for a long time until he spotted the brown fur among the tall grasses near the side of the river. She crept slowly toward a small herd of animals drinking from the river. No way was she making that kill when she’d pulled the disappearing stunt. Linc roared. The animals tensed and bolted. Cami came to her feet, and even from this distance, he saw her eyes narrow and heard the rumble of a growl. He didn’t want her furious at him. Still, it was better than letting her believe it was perfectly acceptable to ditch them and go hunting on her own without even a “do you want to come”. She stalked up to them and looked from one to the other. “What did you do that for?” “You didn’t invite us.” Colm grunted and padded over to her. He rubbed along her body and then stepped back. “We like to hunt too.” “You seemed more intent on running when I left.” She purred and her tail flicked. Just from that movement, he knew she still wasn’t happy. Linc moved forward and greeted her, rubbing his cheek along hers. “Because we thought that’s what you wanted to do. We thought you wanted to run and let your tiron play for a bit. All you had to do was say that you needed more than that.” “I like to run, but running along a trail gets boring. I wanted to hunt and chase.” She sat down on her haunches and tilted her head at him. “I don’t mind playing, but we weren’t playing.” “You’ve done both. It’s time to go back. Next time, tell us and we’ll all enjoy it. We might not be expecting danger right now, but you need to take precautions and that means at least one male needs to be with you when you’re outside of the walls.” Colm
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stared at her and then headed in the direction that would get them to a trail leading back to the fortress. She rose to her feet and followed Colm, but her tail flicked back and forth in short, agitated strokes.
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Chapter Twelve Cami walked beside Colm as he led her back inside the walls of the fortress. A scowl curved his lips. The expression seemed etched on his face. It was the first thing she’d seen when she’d opened her door this morning and it hadn’t changed the entire time she’d been with him. She didn’t know why he was here if he didn’t want to be near her. Supposedly, he’d wanted to introduce her to a woman named Tori, but Tori hadn’t been home. Colm hadn’t been prepared to look or wait for the woman. He hadn’t said more than a few words to her the entire morning. It was getting on her nerves. If he really wanted to be doing something else or be with someone else, she wasn’t holding him back. She glared at him as his hand settled on the small of her back and guided her up the stairs to the main doors. He slanted a look at her, but it was the only sign that he realized she wasn’t happy. His hand firmed and he guided her down the entry hallway and to a part of the Thent that she hadn’t explored yet. He pushed open a door. Ushering her into the room, he followed and shut the door. She continued to walk forward, but he stayed where he was and leaned his shoulder against the frame. “What’s this place?” She looked around the room. There was an ornately carved table and behind that two large chairs. A couple of lantern stands had been placed to the side of the table, but this didn’t seem to be the kind of room where someone would stay for a long time, even though it was rather large. An ornate rug ran up the floor straight to the table. “A private audience chamber. Sometimes we use it if we want to look at documents or maps or talk to someone privately.” Colm’s shoulders lifted in a negligent shrug. “What are we doing in here?” She looked around as she waited for him to reply. There weren’t any shelves or extra chairs. “We’re going to talk.” His voice was calm, but the way his feet braced apart said that he wasn’t moving until they had fully discussed whatever was on his mind. “What do you want to talk about?” She walked over to the edge of the table and leaned a hip against it. “Why are you so angry?” he asked. “Why do you think I’m angry?” She tilted her head and simply watched him. It wasn’t precisely true. She’d been a little frustrated and definitely confused, but she wasn’t furious. “It could be the glares and the simmering looks, but I think it’s the attitude you’re projecting with your body language.” He shook his head. “Remember that I’m not stupid.” 81
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She wasn’t sure exactly what he meant by the attitude she was projecting, since she couldn’t see what he saw. Maybe she had been a little stiff, but he hadn’t been talkative or nice. “And your distant attitude was so encouraging.” She crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes. “Distant?” His eyes narrowed. “Yes, it’s obvious that you’d rather be anywhere but taking me to see Tori. If you didn’t want to do it, you didn’t have to. You could have told me where she lived and I could have asked one of the other warriors to walk me over there.” She straightened away from the table. Her hands bunched at her sides. Thinking about it was making her angry again. He straightened and was halfway across the room almost before she realized he’d started moving. His hands settled on her hips and lifted her off her feet. He sat her on the table and stepped forward until her knees brushed against his thighs. Her eyes widened and she stiffened. A little fear rose. He leaned down until they were almost nose to nose. “What did we tell you about jumping to conclusions?” His voice grated out between clenched teeth. “I didn’t jump to conclusions. You weren’t happy about walking with me. You didn’t say more than a few words to me while we were walking over there and you were frowning and barely even touched my hand. That doesn’t seem as if you want to be anywhere near me.” She pushed against his chest. He didn’t move backward, but he didn’t advance any closer either. “I wasn’t happy? You decided that because I wasn’t talking to you every step of the way that I was angry and didn’t want to be with you? You didn’t ask me if anything was wrong. You didn’t pause to think that you’re dealing with different men here. I’m not Linc.” His hand tipped up her chin. “That sounds as though you jumped to conclusions to me.” Well, put that way, it did. There wasn’t much she could say to defend herself, but she’d try. “I only went on what I could see.” “We told you to come to us before you started making assumptions from what you think or what you’ve seen. I know you think you know more about us than what you’ve learned from being with us. I don’t know what that is or if any of it is true. Maybe you’ll tell me about it sometime, but I wanted to be with you.” His thumb stroked along her jawline. “Then why did you seem so angry?” She wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not, but he seemed serious. “I wasn’t angry. My lips might have been in a straight line, but that didn’t mean that I was angry.” Colm shook his head. “You did make an assumption. I think you owe me an apology for that.” She licked her lips and saw his eyes lock on that movement. 82
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“Are you afraid of me?” His brows arched up in a direct challenge. “No,” she said the words quickly. She wasn’t going to let him think that she was scared of him. She wasn’t. A little cautious, well, she definitely felt that. She couldn’t let that challenge go unanswered. Some perverse part of her had to prove that she wasn’t some flinching little cub he could intimidate into backing down. She knew it wasn’t a good idea, but did it anyway. Cami straightened and let her hands rest against his chest. She felt the muscles shift beneath her palms. The warmth radiated through his shirt and drew her closer. She leaned in closer and brushed her lips over his jaw. The soft buss wasn’t enough. She wanted a taste of him. He remained still beneath her hands and that only frustrated and spurred her to push more. She wanted to feel his hands on her skin and his mouth moving against hers. Nipping at his lips, she sought to incite him to kiss and touch. He wouldn’t remain as unresponsive as a stone to her. The big man might be aloof, but she’d seen the hard ridge of his cock. He did want her. His mouth opened and she took full advantage. Her right hand stole up behind his neck and cupped the back of his head as she angled her lips over his. She ate at his lips. Colm moaned and leaned into the pressure. His tongue drove into her mouth. Desire erupted as his response became more intense. His teeth nipped at her lips before he sucked at the full lower curve. She squirmed on the table and tried to tug him closer. She needed to feel more than his mouth against her. Her thighs widened making a place for him. She ran her fingers over his chest and found his nipples. She plucked at one of the hard little nubs before trailing her hand around to his back. He groaned and his hands clasped her hips. One hand reached down to tug the end of the skirt above her knees. He stepped forward as he pulled her to the edge of the table. Her skirt rucked up to her hips with his advance. The hard ridge of his cock brushed against her pussy. She shivered. A ball of desire began tightening in her stomach and she tightened her legs around his hips. Her juices gathered and she knew they were probably moistening the bottom of her skirt. His hand slipped between their bodies and cupped her pussy through her skirt. He pressed and one of his fingers slipped between the folds and stroked against her clit. The feel of the fabric rubbing against that sensitive skin sent bolts of heat streaking through her. The pounding beat of her heart echoed in her ears. “You’re wet already.” His hand ground against her, pushing her arousal higher. She held on to him, almost panting for more. She kissed along his jaw until her lips brushed over his. The moment his lips opened, she kissed him hungrily. Her hips lifted into his hand, but he pulled his hand back. She wanted to ride those fingers until she screamed. He didn’t give her the chance. Her inner muscles clenched and the emptiness left her aching.
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Tearing her mouth away from his, she pressed her face to his neck to resist the urge to kiss him again. “Give me more.” He chuckled and began unbuttoning her shirt. “Not yet, Cami. Touch me. I want to feel your hands on me.” She began working on the buttons of his shirt. One caught and hung, frustrating her. Tugging at the shirt and pushing at the button, she tried to get it through the hole, but it popped off and flew across the room. She lost interest in it as soon as his shirt gaped open. Smoothing her hands over his chest, she took her time and explored his broad chest. The heat and rippling muscles beneath the skin fascinated her. If she didn’t burn for him, she could spend the day exploring his hard body. But she did and she wasn’t denying herself this taste. She scraped her nails across his nipples. Flicking at the hard beads, she hoped that the teasing touch sent shards of pleasure through him as it did her. He grasped one of her hands and drew it down to the hardened ridge pushing against his pants. “I want your fingers on my cock.” She untied the laces with fumbling fingers. The normal task seemed harder than it should be. The leather string finally fell free and his cock pressed the flaps outward even as she reached for his thick length. The moment her fingers curled around his shaft, he drew in a hissing breath. She dropped kisses over his chest as her hand began stroking. He groaned and his hips rocked forward into her hand. “That feels good.” His voice sounded even rougher than normal and the rumble seemed to roll over her body just as if it were a physical caress. “Tighten your fingers a little.” She did as he said. Her thumb circled the rounded head and then she drew her hand back down to the base. She licked and nipped at the skin just above the darkened skin around his nipple. He tensed and his hips bucked. Reaching down, he gripped her hand and slowly drew it away from his cock. His chest heaved as he pulled in a harsh breath and she felt his chin rest atop her head for a moment before he straightened. Her hands grabbed at him as he stepped back. He clasped her wrists and pushed them down to the tabletop. She sat there stunned for a moment as he unfastened her skirt. He lifted her and tugged the garment until it slid down her thighs. Almost before she knew what had happened, her buttocks were back on the table. The wood felt cool against her skin and a shiver skittered up her spine. He unbuttoned her shirt and pushed it over her shoulders. She pulled her hands free. She wanted to touch him. His hands glided up her thighs as he slowly knelt between her thighs. She stiffened when his fingers brushed over the scar on her thigh, but he didn’t flinch or react in any way other than to keep stroking her legs. She drew in a slow breath and slid her hands over his shoulders. Anticipation built. Her mind locked on the thought of his mouth on her pussy. Oh yes. 84
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She felt his breath on her thigh and closed her eyes as tingles skimmed across her flesh from that moist puff. His mouth brushed against the outer lips and she tensed. His lips were soft and warm, tempting her with thoughts of what he could do with that mouth. She wanted to feel his tongue gliding over her skin. Almost groaning, she struggled to keep from reaching for him. She’d love that. She’d love it even more if that tongue flicked across her clit. His hands tightened on her thighs, pushing them a little farther apart. His hands smoothed over her inner and outer thighs in long, sweeping strokes that sent tingles radiating through her instead of soothing or calming her. Her stomach muscles clenched and she felt an answering spasm of the muscles in her pussy. One of his hands drifted up her thigh and parted her folds. The puff of his breath against the sensitive inner skin seared across her pussy in a stinging brand. She tensed and nearly lifted right off the table. The move only served to lift her closer to his mouth. His tongue swiped over the plump lips. She trembled and settled back onto the table. His other hand stroked over her inner thigh. She looked down and saw a predatory smile on his lips just before his head dipped. At that look, she realized he could see how strongly he affected her. His tongue stroked over her clit. Her eyes closed and her head tipped back. Her thighs tightened, but his shoulders kept them just where he wanted them. Sharp pleasure slammed through her, pushing away the last of her ability to think. Her hands tightened on his shoulders and she dragged in a ragged breath. He lapped at her and she felt the rumble of a purr against her clit. The vibrations added to the slightly rough feel of his tongue and nearly sent her right over the edge. It felt unbelievably good and she’d never experienced anything similar to it. He’d barely started and she was ready to claw and scream. “Please, Colm.” She whispered the words, but almost didn’t recognize her own voice. It sounded strained and hoarse. His lips closed over her clit and he drew the bud into his mouth and sucked. The building sensation coiled and grew until she was trembling and gasping. His teeth scraped over the hood and she jerked. A sharp cry burst from her throat and she dug her nails fiercely into his shoulders. So close. She could feel the edge looming right in front of her. He hummed and his tongue drifted down. He lapped at her juices. Her hips rocked into his touch. She couldn’t focus. His tongue seemed to be everywhere at once, flickering over her clit with a featherlight tormenting touch and stabbing into her entrance. It could easily have been his fingers, but she didn’t care. Her breath caught in her throat. Boiling pleasure rolled up her spine and she clung to him. A low moan rolled from her as the waves rolled through her body, leaving her shaking and pleasure-drugged. His tongue moved over her clit in a long, slow swipe and she felt his fingers stroke inside her. Her inner muscles clenched on the two large fingers and she closed her eyes.
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It should be impossible after that deluge of sensation, but a spike of desire shot straight to her core. After a final lick, his head lifted. She wanted to grab his head and push it back between her thighs, but when she saw his eyes, she froze. The pupils of his golden eyes had gone focused and the color had intensified. His gaze was blatantly possessive and his lips pulled back, showing the sharp points of his fangs. It was as if she stared into the eyes of a conqueror who finally had his hands on the treasure he’d fought to possess. She drew in a startled breath, but she didn’t have time to think or panic. He straightened and stepped forward. His cock brushed over the folds of her pussy. She groaned and grabbed his shoulders. Not to hold him off, but to pull him closer. She wanted that thick length inside of her. Her legs hooked around his waist, trying to pull him closer. His lips took hers in a blatant claiming. She got caught up in the intensity of the kiss. Her tongue matched his stroke for stroke, dancing and inciting them both. His teeth nipped at her lips just as he guided his cock into her pussy. She shivered as her tissues stretched around his shaft. It felt so good. Her arms slid down his chest and around his waist. Her hands settled over his buttocks. Her mouth sought his as hunger rushed through her. His fingers glided over her thighs and back up to her hips. They tightened, pulling her closer to him as he pulled back. She moaned as he retreated. She didn’t want to lose the full feeling. Not yet. His lips and teeth grazed over her jaw. His breath rasped against her cheek. Her breasts ached and she rubbed them against his chest. As if he realized what she needed or maybe he just wanted to touch her more, his hand rose from her hip. When his fingers brushed over the spots of her trika at her ribs, she shivered. His fingers feathered back and forth across the sensitive spot for a few moments. She clutched at him, panting and aching all over again. His palm cupped beneath the full weight of her breast and lifted as his thumb flicked at the hardened peak of her nipple. The tantalizingly light contact only heightened the burning need clawing through her body. His hips drove forward in a quickening rhythm. She met each stroke, her body straining against his. His lips closed over hers as his fingers plucked at her nipple. Her body arched into his as a fierce bolt slammed through her, triggering an explosion of pleasure. She moaned into his mouth as she pulled him tight against her. His hips punched forward and she felt his entire body shake as he found his release. His hand swept up her back in slow, rhythmic strokes. She knew he felt the lines of the scars there, but his lack of response allowed her to relax and simply enjoy his touch. His head lifted, but lowered again and brushed a kiss over her lips. “I didn’t hurt you?” His eyes locked with hers as if he thought she might try to lie to him about it.
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“No.” He hadn’t hurt her, but now that the pleasure was fading, she was beginning to wonder about her own sanity. Why had she let herself get so sucked into the passion of the moment? He’d dared her, but she’d kissed him and apparently lost every bit of common sense she’d ever possessed. She should have pulled away when he started kissing her back and definitely before the clothes started to come off. But she hadn’t, and she really couldn’t blame anyone other than herself for the entire thing. Now she had more problems than merely crossing the line from fantasy to actually having sex with one of them. How are they going to act toward me now? She didn’t know what had happened with his eyes, but she guessed it wasn’t going to be a good thing for her. Not the way he’d looked at her and the way he was watching her. She could still see the possessiveness there. As far as she knew, the only way to recognize a mate was through scent. Taste shouldn’t come into it. The brew she drank every night muddled her scent. Was the potion failing for some reason? She was already at the maximum dosage for the potion and she had to make it last. Making more was possible, but she’d have to find a few herbs. That wasn’t going to be easy. She couldn’t increase the amount she took without risking her health. She hoped that look faded with time. If it didn’t, she’d have to take the chance and strengthen the drink. Not that it would solve anything if it did, but at least it might keep the recognition and possessive attitude from intensifying. “There at the end I wasn’t exactly gentle and I don’t want to hurt you.” His eyes moved over her face and she could see questions there, but he didn’t say anything else. “I’m not small and fragile. You can’t break me by holding me too close.” She couldn’t help but grin at his worry. He hadn’t held her that tightly. “Maybe not small, but I am stronger and larger than you. Come on. I’ll walk with you upstairs and you can clean up.” He helped her down from the table. She put her shirt on first. The scars would fade with time, but she wasn’t confident enough flaunt them yet. She went along with him, but she didn’t really care where they were going. Time alone was what she wanted and bathing would give it to her. Her mind was churning with questions. She had to discover what to do and how to go from this point. Colm walked at her side, but he could tell that her mind was already running. She was pulling away mentally even more than physically. He wished he knew what to say. Linc would know the words to reassure her. He wouldn’t be standing here wondering if he’d made things so much worse. Colm shook his head. That was the worst of his worries. He wondered if she was going to try to run from them now. He hadn’t expected the kiss to burst out of out of control the way it had or his own intense desire for her. He’d been just as out of control as her. In a way, that didn’t sit well. He didn’t like the thought that he might have pushed her too far with that dare. She’d been nervous around them before. This probably made 87
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her even more so, but hopefully, it wouldn’t send her into a full panic. He didn’t regret it happening. Not ever, but especially after tasting her. At his first lick, a jolt shot through him and only one thought filled his head. Mine. The taste set off something primitive and possessive inside of him. It pushed beyond all his doubts about true mates and he’d only thought of fucking her. He’d wanted to mark her and claim her as his, but his fangs hadn’t descended fully. Now that he had time to think about it, the fact that that hadn’t happened didn’t worry him too much. She was their mate. Scent was a huge part of finding a mate. Since she didn’t smell right, it was logical that his body wouldn’t fully react to her until he could smell her. The depth of the feelings that surged up at that taste amazed him. He hadn’t thought it would be that immediate or that strong. Even with his doubts about mating, he knew he couldn’t let her continue to hide and deny what he now knew for a fact. She was their mate. He wasn’t walking away from this connection. She’d have to face her doubts just as he would. He knew he was going to have to work through his fears of losing a mate. One thing had been clear in an instant. Now that he’d found his mate, he couldn’t turn away from her. He left her at her room and went to the room he shared with Linc. He dropped onto the bed and ran his hands through his hair. He immediately rose and began pacing. He didn’t want to be in the room. He wanted to do something. Specifically, move everything of hers into this room. She wasn’t ready for that. It would send her into a panic. He was going to have to curb his desire to haul her into their lives even if part of him did fear her running away while she wasn’t with them. She was too nervous and cautious around them already. Gods, he needed to talk to Linc. Colm walked to the door and went out into the hall. He waited outside the door to the bathing room. Not so much because he thought that she’d run if he wasn’t there to meet her, but because now that he had a plan, he wanted to get to it right away. He’d leave her with the chatar and then go find Linc. The wise man was still hunting for what made her eyes glow. There was so much to tell his bond brother and he wanted Linc’s opinion. She finally came out of the room. Her hair was braided, but he could still see the gleam of moisture on it and she wore a pretty purple shirt and black pants. He held out his hand and waited. In a way, he half expected her to refuse, but she slid her palm over his after only a moment’s hesitation. He tightened his fingers around hers. Maybe he hadn’t messed things up too badly.
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Chapter Thirteen Cami frowned at Colm as he walked out of the room and left her with the chatar. He could have left her with almost anyone else and she wouldn’t have had a problem with it, but that man made her nervous. As soon as the door closed behind Colm, she turned to face the man and the table stacked with books. She did not look forward to digging through those books for mention of glowing eyes or glowing anything, for that matter. “Your secrets are slowly escaping your grasp, I see.” The chatar’s voice sounded much too smug. Cami held back a growl. That was precisely the reason that she didn’t like to be near him. The chatar knew too much and he seemed to enjoy it when Colm and Linc learned something she’d rather remain hidden. She didn’t know why he didn’t come right out and tell them if he was so determined they know her secrets. “And? I thought it was your job to guide them? If you wanted to do it, you could have guided them to my secrets long ago.” She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. “Did you need me to help you search through those books or not?” “What do you know of your ancestors?” The chatar sat down in a chair and seemed prepared to ignore her question. “I know a bit about the people on my mother’s side. They were human. As for my father’s ancestors, I wasn’t told much. My mother never talked about them. If she knew anything about them, and I suspect she and my brothers did know something, she never said anything. At least they knew something about why we had to leave so suddenly, but that’s also something that they never told me.” She shrugged. “The reason you had to leave would be because of who your ancestors were and the power they held. The same power runs in your brothers and you. The magic from the crystal is still in you, but I’m not so sure that it simply didn’t tap into your latent talent.” The chatar gestured to the chair across from him. She took a seat. Although she wasn’t really in the mood for any more of his remarks, she stayed. The lure of finding out what drove her family so far away from everything they knew kept her in the room. He might say something that would make her furious, but she’d wanted answers to these questions for years. “What do you mean the power runs through my brothers and me? As far as I know, they weren’t extraordinarily powerful.” She frowned and folded her arms on the table. “They hid their power level. It’s probably also the reason you weren’t trained when you finally settled. They had no one they could trust to do it. If anyone noticed the level of power, it could lead their enemies straight to you.” He lifted some of the books and put them into stacks on the table.
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It was weird to be hearing about this from a man who didn’t know any of her family. He seemed very confident, and somehow, she didn’t doubt he was right. It explained why she hadn’t learned magic and why her mother had never talked about her father when she was young. It didn’t explain why her mother hadn’t said anything when she was older. There had to come a point where her mother knew she wouldn’t simply blurt out the truth and risk the safety of everyone involved. “Why were we hunted? I didn’t see it that way when I was younger, but I realize that that’s why we moved twice before finally settling at Scali Thent. There was someone after us and they had to be sure that no one was following. What was so bad about my ancestors and the power they held? Did they misuse it?” She shook her head and rubbed at her temples. “They didn’t misuse it. They were merely powerful. Some were Ardin and some very talented chatar. I suspect your family was hunted because of the prophecy. It has nothing to do with you specifically. It was your brothers that they most wanted out of the way, but I’m sure they didn’t want you living either, since your children would be just as powerful.” He leaned forward and his palms flattened to the table. “But why? So they would be powerful. There are many powerful lines among us. Usually they don’t get hunted down.” She narrowed her eyes on him. They also wouldn’t be the first Santir to be part of some prophecy. “No, normally high power doesn’t lead to someone being hunted down. I can’t tell you the why. That’s something that your brothers will discover. I pieced a lot of what I know together from the texts,” he said and gave her a regretful look. “Then how do you know my family is even linked to this line of people?” She sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “Because when I found the reference to that family line and the glowing eyes, I did get a flash of you. I know it’s hard to believe, but they’re your ancestors. I’m certain of it.” He leaned forward, his hands braced on the table. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. “How many other references to glowing eyes did you find?” “It’s a rare ability,” he said, but didn’t explain any further. She waited for him to continue, but he simply looked at her. “How rare?” “There are only two other families that have been mentioned having the ability. One line is presumed lost and the other is well established and well known. I’m pretty sure you’re not from the last one, and as I said, when I read about that family I got an image of you.” His raised eyebrow dared her to challenge him on that. She’d love to try, but she had her own strange visions of the future and past. “So I’m related to a powerful family line whose eyes glow freakishly.” The chatar smiled and shook his head. “The eyes glow because of the power within you. In your line, the only thing strange about that is that you’re female. There’s no record of a female possessing the ability, but that doesn’t mean it’s unheard of. That
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kind of thing wouldn’t have been discussed among outsiders and might even have been kept completely secret.” “Is this going to be dangerous to other people? Will it be safe to be around others?” She had to know how much danger she’d be putting the other people in by being near them. Aside from the danger posed by Laed and Kynar, that is. No matter what, she wouldn’t stay if she posed a serious threat. She’d find some other way of stopping those two men. “I tried to tell you earlier that it was probably benign. You’re not suddenly going to start shooting flashes of magic out of your eyes. It’s merely an outward sign that your magic is getting higher, maybe even a little out of control. Nothing else. Eventually, you’ll be able to control even that.” He stressed each word as if he knew how much doubt she had about staying here. “Sparks shooting out of my eyes wouldn’t surprise me. Nothing has gone as I’d planned since I picked up that crystal.” She sighed and propped her chin on her hand. “Are you going to stop fighting what you know is between the three of you now?” he asked. Cami blinked and slowly looked up at him. That question had come out of nowhere, but considering his penchant for uncomfortable announcements and questions when it came to her, she should have expected something such as that. “I have doubts about what would be best in this situation. Mainly because of the magic, but also because I’m not sure that staying with them would be a good decision.” She shook her head. “You know Colm. In spite of what he might know, it’s not going to be that easy for him.” Colm might feel possessive now because of what he’d learned. She still wasn’t sure exactly what that was. He couldn’t smell that she was their mate, but he’d done more than smell. The way his eyes focused on her and that possessive look had the intensity she’d heard about in a mate recognition. She’d never thought about the sense of taste and she’d been satisfied after kissing Linc that she was safe. Obviously, he’d tasted something, but she’d never thought of taste as a way that someone could recognize a mate. Why didn’t Linc taste something? Linc had kissed her. What had happened with Colm? He hadn’t declared that he was her mate or bitten her. The possessiveness in his eyes left her in little doubt that he’d tasted something that gave him more than a clue. She really didn’t think talking was going to change his mind about what he’d discovered, but she’d give it a try. “I know him,” the chatar agreed with a nod. “His doubts aren’t going to pose as big a problem as you think. He won’t let you leave them. Of course, that wasn’t going to happen anyway. He might always be on the overprotective side, but they planned to make sure you had a place in a secure Thent from the start.” She rolled her eyes. They obviously hadn’t taken into account that she hadn’t planned on staying. She might not be a male with muscles, but she knew she could slip 91
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away if she needed to do it. Although she still didn’t know what Colm’s issues with mating were, she had to be realistic. They wouldn’t simply fade away as the chatar was implying. He hadn’t simply avoided finding a mate. He’d gone so far as to look for women to bond with so that he wouldn’t chance finding her. “I think you’re wrong about how he’ll handle it, but arguing about it won’t get us anywhere. We’ll have to wait and see.” She shifted restlessly in her seat. She didn’t want to be trapped here in a room. All right, so it didn’t help that the chatar had an annoying habit of asking questions she didn’t want to answer. She still wanted to be moving, preferably outside, but that wasn’t an option. “We’ll see. I’m not saying that he won’t have a few problems. You will fight, but it’s not going to be a huge stumbling block as you expect. Colm isn’t going to let it stand in his way long. He’s not the type of man who’ll allow it to hold him back from what he really wants.” The chatar took a book from the top of one of the piles near him and pushed it across to her. “If you want to read about your ancestors and the glowing in your eyes, it’s all in here. I have a thin piece of string marking where it begins.” She bit her lip. Her fingers almost itched to pick up that book and open it. She wanted to know everything, especially since she’d known nothing up until this point, but she didn’t want to sit and read now. “Could you keep that separate for me? I’ll be back for it. I want to explore a little.” She stood and smoothed her hands down her pants. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the chatar. “If they come here looking for me, tell them I’m just walking around their home. I’m not going outside. I know that they don’t want me to go out alone, but I do want to see more of this place, even if it is simply the inside.” “They’ll look for you.” He smiled and put the book to the side. “This will be waiting for you when you’re ready to read it.” She nodded. “Thank you, chatar.” “You can call me Vin.” He laughed. “I don’t stand on formality.” “You’re a real chatar. I think that should merit some respect.” She shook her head. She didn’t know if he realized just how many people faked the abilities he used so easily. “Respect doesn’t mean you can’t relax around me and call me by my name.” His smile widened. “I’ll convince you eventually.” She didn’t know why it was important to him. Surely most people called him by his title. “Maybe. I’ll be back for the book.” “It will be waiting here for you.” She nodded and left the room. At first, she simply walked down the hall. She had a lot on her mind. It wasn’t so much what she’d learned from the chatar. Even learning that she was probably descended from a powerful line of Santir magic didn’t hold her attention long. No, what had happened with Colm was still at the forefront of her thoughts. She didn’t know what she was going to do.
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The sex had been great. She couldn’t deny that. Going back to the way things were before was impossible. He wouldn’t forget what had happened or what he’d felt. She had to decide how she was going to handle their pursuit. It would happen. They’d circled around her, trying to find a way to get her to reveal any of her secrets since they’d met her. Now she had. The predators in both men would take that slip and grab for more. They weren’t about to let her step back and act as if nothing had happened. She didn’t know if she could simply shut her eyes and pretend, even if Colm would keep what had happened secret. Things had changed.
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Chapter Fourteen Cami headed up the stairs. She knew there was a third level to this place and she wanted to see it. At the end of the hall on the second floor, she found the steps leading to the third floor and grabbed a lamp as she climbed the stone staircase. There was no light up here other than the flickering glow of her lantern. She explored. More because she needed something to occupy her thoughts right now than from sheer curiosity. If she didn’t do something, her mind would be running in more directions than it already was. Dust coated the floor and covered the top of the sconces along the wall. She looked back over her shoulder and could see her footprints along the hallway. This area hadn’t been used or given a good sweep in a long time. In a way, that was kind of comforting. This level would only be used if there was a siege and those who lived outside of the walls needed to take shelter inside of the fortress. On the other hand, she hadn’t expected to see so much dust here. A noise caught her attention and she turned to find a woman at the top of the stairs. She had straight black hair, very dark-golden-brown skin and seemed to be the type of woman she knew Linc and Colm favored. Her body was slim and sleek and she was almost a full head shorter than Cami. Even compared to her, the woman appeared to be small. Cami glanced at the doors along the hallway, wanting to take a peek inside of them, but good manners insisted she acknowledge the woman with more than a glance. Just from the determined look on the woman’s face, Cami knew it wasn’t curiosity or concern that had brought her up here. No, the woman wanted to confront the person she saw as encroaching on her territory. Damn Colm and Linc anyway. Didn’t they know that it wasn’t a good idea to mess with people in their own Thent? It was bound to lead to some messy situations. “Hello.” Cami smiled. Although it was an awkward situation, Cami didn’t blame the woman. She laid it all on Linc and Colm. It was stupid and cruel to play around with the hearts of women in their Thent. “Hello,” the woman said, but she eyed Cami warily. “What are you doing up here? Did you see the light and think something was wrong?” Cami gave the woman an easy way to back away from a direct confrontation. The woman seemed to be losing her nerve now that they stood face to face. The woman took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “No, I followed you up from the first level.” “I’m Cami. What’s your name?” Cami leaned a shoulder against the hallway wall and relaxed a little. She knew she sounded a little ditzy asking the woman’s name when 94
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she’d just admitted to following her up to this level, but she didn’t want to keep thinking of her as that woman. “I’m Zinnia.” Her head tilted and she looked at Cami as if she couldn’t understand what she was doing. “Why did you follow me up the stairs? Was there something you wanted?” Cami tried to keep the amusement out of her voice. Letting the other woman know she found this funny wouldn’t help the situation. Zinnia would probably take it the wrong way. “Yes, there was something I wanted.” Zinnia frowned. “What do you think you’re doing?” “Here? Exploring.” Cami wasn’t going to make it easier and steer the conversation to Linc or Colm, even though she knew that was what the woman intended. “Not at this moment.” Zinnia voice roughened and she leaned forward. “I meant with the Ardin.” “Let’s see. They’re helping me stop the old, false Ardin who ruled my Thent and I’m waiting for that to happen.” Cami shrugged and watched the woman’s face turn red. “You know I don’t mean anything to do with their mission to get those men. I mean what are you doing with them? Do you think you can simply come in here and grab their attention? Do you think it’s going to be that easy?” Zinnia scowled and swung away only to turn back almost immediately. “You’re under a few mistaken impressions. Now if I hadn’t made a promise not to send another woman at them as a distraction, I’d tell you to go ahead and do your best to take them. You’re also missing one important factor. They make their own decisions. What you or I think about it is pretty much irrelevant.” Cami resisted the urge to roll her eyes and laugh. The woman acted as if all Cami had had to do was beckon to those men and they’d come to her. She hadn’t done anything to attract them. She’d pushed them away and generally tried her best to keep them at a distance. None of it worked. Zinnia’s mouth dropped open. “You don’t want their attention?” “They’re Ardin. For you, that may be a draw. For me, it’s one of their greatest faults. On top of that, I don’t really know much about them so I’d just as soon keep my distance while I’m here.” Cami took a deep breath. In spite of how strongly attracted she was to both of them, that was the best choice. The only problem was it might not be possible. Not only because they wanted her, but because that pull to them seemed to increase every moment she was with them. “Yet they are interested in you.” She swept her eyes down and then back up and her eyes lingered on the right side of Cami’s face. “Yeah, I know, not their usual fare. Definitely not small and slender.” Cami turned and began walking down the hallway. No reason not to explore since this conversation didn’t seem to be going anywhere. Zinnia wasn’t a physical threat. “Where are you going?” The woman’s voice rose in indignation.
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“Just walking. We’re not going to agree on anything with this, because there’s nothing either of us can do. There’s no use talking about it. Although you might not like it and I might try to dissuade them, they’re going to do what they want to do.” “They won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do.” The woman hurried to catch up with her. “No, they won’t, but I never said that I wasn’t attracted to them. I said that I wanted to keep my distance and that there were reasons why I’d rather do that.” Cami pushed open a door and looked into the room. It was a bedroom, but the bed wasn’t covered with a drape and all of the flat surfaces had a fine layer of dust. “Even knowing that it would be better to stay away from them, I still want them.” “You’re right. You’re not what they usually look for in a woman. Which means they either see something other than the physical or that they want you in spite of the fact that…” Zinnia’s voice trailed off and she shot a glance over at Cami. “In spite of the fact that my looks leave a lot to be desired.” Cami slid a glance over at the woman. As if she wasn’t fully aware of the fact that compared to Zinnia, she faded into the background at the very least and looked hideous at the worst. “I didn’t mean that. It’s just that you’re different from me and the others they’ve favored.” Zinnia shook her head. She looked a little horrified. “I can’t understand it either. I’m not petite, and if they ever call me perfect, I’ll know they’re lying. My body and face is so far from that, even I wonder about it. Maybe now that they’re back among the type of women they favor, they’ll see that they want something different.” Cami gave a small shrug, but she really didn’t see that happening. Agitation rose in her. She didn’t want that to happen. “They won’t.” Zinnia shook her head and grimaced. “What happened to you?” Cami slid a glance over at Zinnia. She couldn’t understand what the woman was doing now. First, she’d been confrontational and now she seemed curious. She wondered for a moment if she should tell the woman and then sighed. It’s not as if it was a secret that Linc and Colm were after the Ardin and others had heard parts of her story, so they would probably find out some of it anyway. “The Ardin, well, men claiming to be Ardin, of my Thent beat me and then cut me,” Cami said flatly. It was getting a little easier to talk about it, but she wasn’t entirely sure that was a good thing. Talking about that time kept it present and at the front of her thoughts. She wanted to put it behind her. “What did you do?” Zinnia’s head cocked to the side. “If you mean to earn some kind of punishment, nothing. I brought their meal. They wanted someone else and decided to take it out on me. They became angry at the smallest things and when they were angry, someone paid. That day, it was me.” Cami exhaled and moved down the hallway and pushed open another door. The room seemed to be in the same state as the others, but she decided to go inside and look at it a little more closely. The carvings on the mantle of the fireplace caught her eyes. 96
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“What kind of things made them angry?” Zinnia’s eyes rounded and her face paled. “Almost anything could set them off.” Cami ran her fingers over the carved head of a tiron on one side of the fireplace. It was gorgeous. The white stone was smooth and cold. These rooms would be fabulous cleaned and decorated. “What things would do it, though?” Zinnia pressed. Cami didn’t know if it was curiosity or if the woman thought Colm and Linc might harbor some of that behavior. “Your Ardin are different than them. I’ve tested them. Everything had to be done Laed and Kynar’s way. They liked to control all aspects of life in the Thent, including the cleaning schedule. There were a group of women who were beaten for not getting to the upper level rooms on time. One of them backhanded the cook when she told him that there wasn’t enough of a specific herb to make a dish he wanted.” “I know they’re not the same as them. I just wondered if there were other Ardin as bad as those two, since I’ll probably find a mate outside the Thent now.” Zinnia licked her lips. “According to the men, no. If the chatars in most Thents are comparable to the one here, then there will be true Ardin rulers, not the false ones we had to endure.” Cami grimaced. As much as Vin, the chatar here, got on her nerves, she had to admit she wished that there had been someone with his abilities at her Thent. It wouldn’t have gotten as bad as it did. This conversation had gotten a little bizarre. “There are good and bad people everywhere.” “You’re not what I expected when I heard that the Ardin had brought a woman back with them. It’s not anything to do with your appearance. I didn’t expect the conversation to go this way.” Zinnia shook her head and looked bewildered. “Well, I expected it to be a little more confrontational and a little louder. I also didn’t expect you to be so calm about it after only a few sentences.” Cami glanced over at the woman, even as she moved over to the bed and knelt to look at the scenes carved into the wood of the footboard. The panel at the end of her bed was nothing compared to this one. It was simply a polished wooden board with carved posts at the end. “I wasn’t really angry. I was surprised when they told me that there was a woman who the Ardin had brought with them and that the Ardin couldn’t take their eyes off her. That they followed you and searched for you. They never did that with any of us. Not even at the first. Not really. They talked to us when we came to them to bring them food or some other chore that brought us close to them,” Zinnia said. “To tell you the truth, I was a little jealous of that.” “I can understand why you’d be surprised. After all, they had seemed focused on finding someone among you.” Cami stood and dusted her hands off on her pants. “That doesn’t explain why you weren’t looking for your real mate. Before…” She lifted her hand to her face and traced her fingers over her cheek. “Before this happened, I wasn’t about to accept anything less. I didn’t want to wake up one day and find I was second
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best because my man had found his mate even if he was honorable enough to keep his commitment to me.” “I never thought of it in that way. I think I wanted to stay with the familiar. I know everyone here.” She shrugged. Cami nodded. She could understand wanting to stay with the known rather than the unknown. “Do you think there will be others such as you who want to confront me for taking the Ardin away?” She felt silly even saying it that way, but she knew that was how some of the women saw it. Those men didn’t do anything they didn’t want to do and she had no hope of leading them around with a crook of her finger as the women seemed to think. “I don’t know. Maybe.” Zinnia shrugged. “What were you really doing up here? You don’t seem as if you’re all that interested and yet you’re still here.” “I needed some time away from my thoughts. Walking and looking, while not entirely effective, works enough to keep my mind from circling and making me feel trapped.” Cami shrugged. “That’s something I try to stay away from.” “Feeling trapped?” Zinnia frowned. “Yeah, I never did like being crowded, but now, it’s worse. I panic and overreact to any situation where I feel trapped. I feel silly and embarrassed afterward, but I can’t seem to stop it.” She wasn’t even going to go into how the feeling made the magic in her rise and the trouble that caused. “How do you deal with Colm and Linc then? There are two of them and you can’t choose one or the other.” Zinnia’s head tilted and she straightened. “They’ve been good about giving me time and space. Most of the time, they’re on one side of me or they keep a step or two away so that I don’t get panicked.” Cami really appreciated that and until this moment, she hadn’t thought about how much they made allowances for her fears and her needs. Zinnia’s eyes widened. “They’re serious about you. More serious than I’d thought even from hearing they chased after you. I guess you’ve learned enough about Colm to realize that that’s a very significant thing.” She knew they were serious, but she hadn’t thought much about what Colm’s reactions would be if he wasn’t. She’d been so focused on the fact that she knew he was reluctant to find and mate with his true mate. As to the significance of them making allowances for her issues with being crowded, she wasn’t so sure of that. Colm might be brash, but he also had a protective streak. She thought it was part of the reason why he was Ardin. He’d be concerned and considerate of anyone who he considered weak or hurt. It irked, but she was almost certain that they did see her as at least fragile, if only emotionally. In the end, though, she couldn’t blame them for that. She did have some problems and was still trying to get her feet under her in ways. “I know they’re focused, but I think that’s more of a character trait for them.” She shrugged.
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“You think that our focus on you isn’t significant?” Colm’s voice came from the doorway. Cami jumped and her heart raced. Her head snapped around to the bedroom doorway. Colm leaned against the frame of the door and Linc stood just in the hall. Her eyes narrowed and she fought not to grit her teeth or growl. That habit of theirs of popping up when she was talking about them made her want to scream. “You two need a bell. I’m getting sick of you creeping up on me and startling me.” She put a hand on her hip even as she tried to keep the growl out of her voice. It wasn’t only them, but they happened to be the focus of her current aggravation. “We wouldn’t hear so many interesting things. I think a bell tinkling would be annoying. I’d definitely have to take it off.” Linc smiled and hooked a thumb in his belt. “Even if you are Ardin of this Thent, eavesdropping is still impolite.” She didn’t expect some kind of behavioral change from this argument. They were who they were, but she wanted them aware of how she felt about it. Colm shrugged. “We were coming to get you. Listening to what you had to say just happened to be one of the good things that came out of doing that.” “Came to get me for what? We don’t have anything planned.” She folded her arms across her chest. “Well, we didn’t, but we’re going to talk.” Linc held out his hand. “Now.” “I don’t want to talk now.” She threw the words out there and she knew it was a challenge in a way. She didn’t know what they’d do, but she was ready to find out. If she was lucky, they might not want to push her because they didn’t want her afraid of them. “You are in a mood, aren’t you? You can walk beside us or one of us can pick you up and carry you. Do you want to find out now how you’ll handle being hauled through the fortress when you normally don’t like being confined at all?” Colm straightened. “You two can’t even think about compromise. It’s no wonder that I detest men with power.” Her jaw ached and she wondered if she was going to grind her back teeth to nothing with those two around. He’d do what he threatened. She knew it by the look in his eyes. She definitely didn’t want to be hauled through the halls. Not so much because she thought she’d panic if he held her, although she did wonder if she would. She knew that being in his arms would only make the attraction to him worse. She’d want to touch and put her arms around him. She needed to stay angry at him and keep both of them at a distance to keep her head clear. It was bad enough she couldn’t stop thinking about them or the emotional attraction that came with the mating, even if she’d stopped most of the sexual pull with the drug. Linc blinked a little and his eyes narrowed, but that was the only sign that the words had affected him. Colm didn’t seem to react.
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“Make your decision.” Linc’s voice was quiet. “I’ll go with you. It’s not as though you’re giving me much choice anyway.” She narrowed her eyes and held back a hiss. As attracted as she was to them, she didn’t like their orders or the situation she found herself in even if she did have a hand in creating it. “Good. We’re going down to our room. We definitely want privacy for this discussion. Walk in front of us,” Colm ordered. She exhaled slowly. No getting out of this now. Oh she could run down the stairs. If she managed the corner out of the stairwell perfectly, she could put some distance between them. Getting to the first floor and out of the building was pretty near impossible without them catching up to her. They were faster than her, knew the building better and anyone in front of her or in her way would try to stop her if they saw her running from the Ardin. She led the way down the stairs and through the halls to their room. They followed and she could feel their eyes locked on her. They weren’t letting her out of their sight. She’d made them angry, but they were focused on talking and most likely getting the answers to a few questions. She should have kept her mouth shut until she had some time to think. Why hadn’t she just gone down to the room with them without an argument? It would have seemed as if she had nothing to hide from them. After they’d startled her, everything had been a defensive reaction. She’d wanted space and time. She grimaced. Those were the two things her reaction had pretty much guaranteed she wouldn’t get. At the door, she paused. She didn’t know whether she should open it or wait for them to open it simply to make the point that only their orders and threats had gotten her this far. She didn’t have time to decide. Colm reached past her and pushed the door inward before urging her inside the room. She walked into the room and strode to the opposite side of the room. She ignored the bed and the two chairs near a table. She didn’t want them towering over her while she sat. In their present mood, she knew they weren’t going to calmly take a seat. They could also start any conversation since she wasn’t going to volunteer any information. The two men stopped at the edge of the bed, leaving ample space between them, and simply stared at her. She appreciated the space, especially since she knew what they suspected. They stood side by side. Colm had his arms crossed over his chest and Linc had his thumb hooked into his belt. She lifted her head and kept her mouth closed, although she did have the rash urge to throw out a challenging “what.” “You’ve been hiding a lot from us. Did you think we wouldn’t find out even if you chose to try to keep it from us forever?” Linc frowned. His deep voice emerged in a low rumble, but the words were slow and controlled. “Yes, I’ve hidden things, but I always knew there was a chance that it could be discovered. I had my reasons and most of them still apply.” She narrowed her eyes at his censuring tone. 100
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“Most of them still apply. I’m sure we’ll get into the reasons you think you have, but first, on to the latest discovery. You’re our mate. Did you think we wouldn’t want to know? That we didn’t have a right to know?” Linc arched an eyebrow in imperious demand. “A right? You don’t want a mate. Neither one of you do really. He was deliberately looking for a woman who wouldn’t be tied to either one of you by anything more than sex and maybe a little emotion.” She gestured to Colm and shook her head. “I may be that person or I may not be. Knowing what I do about you two, I didn’t give your rights much thought. I deserve a chance to be happy. I’m still not sure that will ever happen if I’m with you.” “You are our mate. Whatever you’re using doesn’t completely disguise your taste.” Colm leaned in close and his eyes narrowed. She shrugged. Well, that cleared up any doubt about what he’d felt when he tasted her. “That really doesn’t matter. I won’t stop using these tools until I’m certain that it’s the best choice. If you take it from me, I’ll be gone before you wake up the next morning. I won’t be resented or simply tolerated because you think mating with me is the only thing you can do now. We have options and I’m not going to let you take them away from us.” “You have options? I can really only see two of them for you. Accept us and the mating or try running until we catch you. We’re not giving you up now that we know.” Colm took a slow step forward. “We don’t give up what’s ours.” “Goddess, you’re being stubborn and deliberately blind. The feelings from the taste will fade eventually and you know it. The instincts won’t truly kick in until you smell me or I smell you clearly.” She shook her head. “Until then, we can walk away from this. That might be the best option for all of us. I’m not what you want.” “You say things such as that and you really expect us not to want to strip you and scrub you until whatever is on you is finally off?” She sighed and looked at the wall for a moment as she tried to push down her mounting frustration. “A lot of this isn’t about you two, although I do have my doubts about if I could ever be anything more than just a mate to you. I don’t want you to accept me simply because of that. I deserve more than that. I’m not sure I can deal with Thent life and then there’s my magic. Maybe it won’t be dangerous, but it’s always going to be there. Something that makes me more of a burden at times, because you’re going to have to teach me even the basics.” “I still don’t know how you know some of the things you know, but I’m beginning to believe that it’s more than the crystal. I think it’s also because of your lineage. Yes, the chatar told us.” Linc’s head tilted as he caught her sharp look at him. “Your doubts will fade with time. We’ll make sure of that. You are and will be a priority for us. You seem to be dealing fairly well with life in a Thent.” She definitely didn’t like the gleam in his eyes. “It’s temporary. That’s how I’m coping.”
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“Some coping. You’re relaxed and comfortable, not tense.” Colm took a step to the side and eased closer to her. “Damn it, why don’t you two listen? It’s not as though I’m such a prize. I’m not beautiful or perfect and definitely not your type. Don’t you think you deserve someone better? Someone who’ll be able to trust you easily. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to have that kind of simple belief in anyone again.” She nearly choked on the word perfect. “I think she’s hit every one of them.” Linc looked over at Colm. “Every one of what?” She narrowed her eyes. “Every excuse. I think there might be a couple that you missed. You left out not being able to cope with being with us both sexually.” Colm smiled, but the predatory intent pushed it far beyond comforting. “Probably because it would be such an obvious lie.” Linc exhaled slowly. “We’re not going to forget that you’re our mate. That’s not going to change, but we’re not going to strip away your defenses. You’re going to do that.” “No.” She stared at him. Had he gone crazy? Why would she want to do that? Colm nodded. “You won’t settle for second best and now neither will we. We want you.” “Physically, you want me. You don’t know me.” She felt cornered and frustrated by their insistence that there wasn’t any way but their way. She was also a little afraid that they were right. Her doubts burned inside her, but the natural attraction to her mates pulled her to them. Her body ached to know their touch, but she also wanted to know them as men. What scared her most was Linc and Colm might simply tolerate her. She might not be able to walk away from them even knowing that. “Then we’ll have to get to know you and you will learn about us at the same time. We’ll be talking and spending time together. Don’t expect us not to treat you as our Lady when we know what you are.” Colm took a step forward and his eyes swept over her. “But I’m not your Lady. Not formally. If you treat me that way, your people are going to expect some kind of declaration at the least.” Her eyes widened and shock rolled through her. That was a step beyond what she’d thought they’d take even when she imagined the worst scenarios. Well, other than taking her bag and dragging her to the bath as they had warned her they wanted to do. Not that the bath would work. “That’s something you’re going to have to bear. We’re not backing away from this. You are our mate and we won’t be hiding that fact. I know what I tasted even if it wasn’t reinforced by your smell. I want to feel everything. Do you think I can know this without wanting to have it all?” Colm took another step forward and his hand lifted and cupped the side of her cheek. She didn’t back away from him. She was too stunned. The man who’d searched for a woman who wasn’t his mate was determined to claim her now because she was his mate. It made no sense. Acknowledging it and accepting it were the last things she 102
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thought he’d ever do if he found out. At least, not for a long time and after a lot of struggle. It seemed too easy. She was almost positive that she was going to feel the backlash of it. “And what about the women you led on with your dogged search through the females of your own Thent? Are you going to deal with them? I don’t think they’re all going to accept it easily.” She scowled at him and tried to ignore the warmth of his hand. It felt right to have him touching her, even though the possessiveness in his eyes made her want to kick him. “Words from him aren’t going to make them back off. They’re going to have to see that we’re serious about you. I don’t think they’ll believe it’s real until the ceremony is completed.” Linc shook his head, drawing her attention. He was probably right and that irritated her. She was the one who’d be getting all of the attitude and dealing with any problems that arose because of it. So not fair. She wasn’t the one who’d practically spat on the idea of mating and now wasn’t willing to consider any other option. Not that she had any clue why he’d been so adamant about it. She simply knew that he hadn’t been willing to consider it before.
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Chapter Fifteen Cami opened her eyes. She saw the light blue floor moving slowly below her, but her feet never touched the stone. A tingling flutter moved through her belly as she turned the corner. She felt light and weightless, almost as if she floated through water. She knew she was dreaming, but not a normal dream. The detached sensation and an inability to control any part of it told her that this was a vision. She needed to see something, but she had no idea why. She drifted through the lower part of the fortress. Her eyes moved over the halls and doors, trying to spot whatever was drawing her away from normal sleep. She didn’t know where she was going. A feeling pulled at her, tugging her through the building. Alarm coursed through her as she approached the thick entrance doors. Were Laed and Kynar here? Before she could do more than wonder, the panels swung open wide. Cool, moist night air brushed against her skin and a soft breeze caught her hair and flicked it up around her face. Clouds filled the sky, but she could see without any problem. Even better than she should be able to without the moon or stars shining overhead. The feel of the wind and even the scents around her seemed almost as real as if she’d walked outside. It was so strange. The first drops of a light mist began falling and she’d swear she felt the drops hit her arms. She looked down, but her body wasn’t there. It never was in these visions. She floated across the darkened ground, drawn past the stables and arms area within the walls of the Thent. As she approached the thick defensive walls, the drawing pull lessened. Whatever she needed to see was nearby. What had drawn her out of normal sleep and to this spot of all places? She looked around trying to see what was here. Inky dark shadows covered this corner of the wall. Nothing moved. She saw no one pacing the walk at the top of the wall or any sign of trouble. It was darker here than anywhere else along the wall, though. A small pulling sensation along her spine gave her the only warning. She soared upward, yanked as if by an invisible string. Her stomach tightened and she clamped her mouth closed on a scream. The fields and houses spread out beyond the wall, but movement near the base of the wall caught her attention. She narrowed her eyes as she saw someone climbing the wall. At first, she didn’t know how the person was doing it, but then she saw the rope attached to a hook. Now. The word echoed through her mind as she flew backward, jerked back into her body. Cami woke gasping for air and her arms flailed for something to grab. Sitting up, she grimaced. She hated that. Her heartbeat began to slow, but she knew she couldn’t go back to sleep.
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She’d felt the immediacy in that dream. It wasn’t meant for a day from now or two days. That was happening right at this moment. Swinging her feet out of bed, she felt almost the exact same pull as in the vision to go to Linc and Colm’s room. It was important. She had to warn them and make them believe that there was trouble or someone was going to get hurt or killed. Almost before she realized she was moving, she rushed out the door and headed down the hallway to their room. The driving urgency almost pushed her to fling open the door and rush into the room. Common sense stopped her short of that. Both men were armed and warriors accustomed to battle. They’d perceive a threat in a person bursting into their room and react accordingly. She didn’t want to get stabbed or cut by one of their swords or knives due to sheer stupidity. Knocking on the door, she waited outside, shifting nervously from foot to foot as the time lengthened. Colm woke to pounding on their door. He didn’t need to look outside. It was still fucking night time. A growl rumbled in his throat. When he was home and not out fighting, he liked to enjoy the chances he got for an uninterrupted sleep. This better be important. Rolling out of bed, he grabbed the knife off the small stand on the side of the bed and walked over to the door. He knew Linc was awake. He heard him reach for his weapon. Opening the door, he looked out and was stunned to see Cami. She stood out in the hallway. Her hands were clasped tightly together and she stared at him with wide eyes. She looked a little pale, although that could havebeen the dim lighting. “Cami, are you okay?” His first thought was that maybe her thigh was cramping again. She looked a little tense, but didn’t seem to be in any pain. It was too soon for her to come to them because she realized she belonged with them. She shook her head. “It’s not me. Something’s wrong.” Colm heard the stress in her voice and put his hands on her shoulders. “What’s wrong?” “There are two men coming over the wall. It’s not Laed and Kynar.” Her words tumbled out in a rush so fast that he almost didn’t understand her. She couldn’t have seen anyone. There wasn’t a window in her room. He could tell she was agitated. She shifted from foot to foot. Her shoulders twitched beneath his palms as if she wanted to slip from his hold and move. Her eyes glowed golden, showing her heightened anxiety. “What do you mean there are two men coming over the wall? How do you know they’re coming over the wall? How did you see them?” He tightened his hands to get her attention. Her eyes locked on him and she swallowed. She paled a little and then seemed to come to some decision. “The same way I know you don’t want a true mate. I saw it.”
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He narrowed his eyes at her answer. She’d seen it. “Were you still awake?” “No, I was asleep.” Her eyes narrowed and her hand lifted. He opened his mouth to reassure her that it was only a dream and that nothing was wrong, but she must have seen something on his face. He had a feeling that she wanted to grab onto something, but he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Instead her finger poked into his chest and she took a step forward. Her head tipped back and her lips tightened into a straight line. From the tightness in her body, that might be because she was trying not to yell at him. “It wasn’t only a dream. It’s the exact same way I knew how to find you and that I know I’m most definitely not your usual type.” Her lips curled and a growl rumbled in her voice. “I know because I’ve seen it. Believe me, there are times I wish I’d never had any of them and there are definitely things that I wish I didn’t see or know. It’s true. If you don’t go out there or send someone out there to check on it, I will go. They’re not here to say hello and then climb back over the wall.” “What are they after?” Colm turned to find Linc standing behind him. He’d pulled on a pair of pants, but was barefoot and bare-chested. “I don’t know. That’s the frustrating part. I can never tell unless something’s said. It mainly only gives me scenes and what’s said. I can’t hear thoughts. I don’t know what’s intended. There’s not some all-knowing voice that tells me what everything means. I just see it.” She glared up at him. “They’re coming over the wall. Do you know where?” Linc asked the question slowly and calmly. “Past the stables, across the practice field and it’s near a corner of the wall. I didn’t see anyone moving on that section of the wall, but once I saw those men, I wasn’t really looking.” She closed her eyes as if she was visualizing the area. “It’s cloudy and dark out there. If you don’t want them to see you before you spot them, you’re going to have to go without lamps and torches.” “I know the spot you’re talking about.” Colm did know where she was talking about, the exact area. It was a spot that was supposed to be patrolled regularly. “I’ll go see if there’s someone there, but how do you know that the danger’s immediate and not in a couple days?” “I don’t get a lot of clues, but occasionally there’s a sensation or a word that pops into my head. When I was trying to find help and it led me to Dovosh, I got the feeling that I needed to hurry or I could miss you. This time it was ‘now’. I don’t think there’s much room for interpretation there.” “Doesn’t sound difficult to decipher to me.” Colm looked at Linc. He didn’t know how much of her visions he could trust. “Stay here with Linc until I get back.” The visions were still new to her. She hadn’t told them enough to know if they were always right, but he did know that she’d been rushing to get to the city. She’d been waiting for them for days. He hoped that while he was gone, Linc could calm her down. Her eyes flared with light. He didn’t want her to lose control of her power again. She 106
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already doubted her ability to control it. If she really began to believe she was a danger to people, she’d leave. Or try to, at least. She nodded. “But my magic isn’t a problem right now.” “How did you know? Are you starting to be able to tell when your eyes are glowing?” Colm frowned. “No, it was the way you looked at me. You kept staring at my face and frowning. Well, when you weren’t looking as if you doubted my sanity, that is.” She shrugged. “Still, stay here. I want to know that you have someone close by in case someone did get over the wall and past me while I’m looking.” Colm smiled and pulled on a shirt and boots. He grabbed his sword and walked out the door. “Take some men with you.” Linc called after him. “I was planning to.” Colm called back. If he had to go out tonight, he was dragging a few men along with him. And if there wasn’t someone patrolling that wall regularly, there was going to be trouble for those on sentry duty. Colm headed out into the hallway. He didn’t know what to believe. She seemed certain. Anxious and a little stressed, but confident that what she dreamed was the truth. By the time he made it downstairs, he was almost certain that this was going to be a simple walk around the walls to make sure the walls hadn’t been breached. A small part of him warned him not to dismiss her premonition, but he needed proof before he began to trust her visions. Even though he was skeptical of her dream, he wasn’t going back to bed. He was too experienced to take chances and head back to the room without even a cursory check. He gathered a few men from those on night duty within the Thent and went out to investigate. The moment he stepped outside, a shiver raced up his spine. The chill in the air had nothing to do with it. Clouds blocked most of the moonlight making the courtyard dark. Just as Cami had warned. He still had his doubts, but he headed for the stables. Just after he passed it, an unfamiliar scent teased his nose. Human. He raised his head and inhaled deeply. Two of them. He couldn’t locate them exactly, but the scent was much too strong to have drifted on the wind from the forest. He stiffened. There was someone trying to get into the Thent. He growled, but inside he was stunned to find that she’d been right. It did make him wonder exactly what she’d seen or heard in her dreams to enforce her belief that he didn’t want a true mate. Not that she was wrong in that belief. He hadn’t wanted to chance finding a real mate. The connection with Linc left him open enough to the pain. They were warriors. It was possible one of them could be killed. He’d been a coward by trying to avoid possible pain in the future and admitted it now. With a grimace, he focused on the strange scent on the wind. He looked over at the three men with him and saw that they’d also picked up the smell of the intruders. He nodded to them. They silently began to move through the shadows toward the wall.
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He took little satisfaction in the fact that his eyesight would be better than any human’s on this dark night. They had breached the walls of his home and meant to harm someone here. His fingers clenched around the hilt of his sword. Anger pulsed through him. Part of him wanted simply to cut them down where he found them. He couldn’t do that as much as it would satisfy the territorial part of him. They needed to know what the men were after. Colm could think of at least two groups who’d want inside access to the Thent. The most recent and most probable would be the family of the woman they’d taken from the gate town. They wouldn’t know that she’d live in a house outside the walls. Of course, if it had been him, he would have watched for at least a day to know where exactly his target was. Of course, it could be the other group or someone entirely different. Colm clung to the dense shadows as they crossed the practice field. His eyes scanned for any sign of movement along the wall. The intruders were there somewhere. If he could smell them, they were already within the Thent. He wanted to get them before they had a chance to harm anyone. It wasn’t often they had notice before something such as this happened. Movement along the base of the wall caught his eyes. It was hard to tell if it was wishful thinking since the shadows were especially deep there. As he watched, he saw it again. The two shadowy forms hugged the stone wall and stuck to the darkest areas. Moving in spurts the two men moved one at a time across the open spaces. Colm sent two men to secure the man in back while he and the other guard approached the man leading. The man in back called out and took off running. He must have seen some hint of movement. Colm didn’t watch him. He drew his sword and rushed for the first invader as he too began running. Colm followed and the other guard ran almost beside him. They intercepted the man as he tried to slip around the stables. Colm didn’t know where the man thought he could go within the walls. There wasn’t anywhere he could hide that he wouldn’t be found. The rogue drew a knife from his belt. Faced with the sharp end of two swords, he didn’t seem to be intimidated. The man exploded into movement. He caught the end of one sword on the tip of his blade, pushing it to the side as he used his other hand to grab and twist the other sword. Colm wrenched his blade free of the man’s grip. He smelled blood and knew the blade had cut his foe. The man’s foot flashed up and struck the guard in the groin. Out of the corner of his eye, Colm saw his guard crumple to a knee, but he focused on the opponent in front of him. The wiry man glided and darted with amazing agility and cunning. This wasn’t some young fool as he’d first thought. The enemy showed no fear or doubt even as more men with torches and lamps ran toward them. The scream of warning had drawn the attention of the guards on the wall. Finally.
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Colm drew his knife to use as a guard. Colm saw the man’s eyes fasten on him. Even as the man advanced, he knew the man had decided to do as much damage as possible. Colm wasn’t going to let that happen. Colm swung his sword and the man jumped back to avoid the waist-high swipe of the blade. As men approached, the man’s eyes became more frantic. He dove in under a sweeping swing, his dagger lunging for Colm’s midsection. Colm twisted out of the way and drove his knife deep into the man’s chest. The man dropped to the ground at Colm’s feet, his breathing shallow and his life fading. Colm inwardly cursed, but hoped that the other man had been taken alive. He watched the man as others began to crowd around the dying man. Bending while the man still drew breath could be dangerous so he waited to search for some clue why he was here. He didn’t recognize the man or the tattoo at his neck. There might be a mark somewhere on him to designate a sect or mercenary group. He didn’t hold much hope for anything as clear as written orders. Even knowing what they were after would help narrow who sent them. There were men inside the walls. One’s dead, the other I don’t know yet. Colm focused his thoughts on his bond brother. Damn. Any idea why they’re here? Linc asked. No, but hopefully we can find something to at least give us a place to start our search. Is Cami still with you? I don’t want her on her own until the entire building is swept to make certain we didn’t miss anyone. Colm exhaled slowly. They wouldn’t have known the men were here without her help. At least not until someone had been hurt. He believed that. Her dream had been right and it left him wondering what exactly she’d seen that had her so cautious of them. Had she heard him say something in one of those dreams about wanting a woman who wasn’t his mate? He was pretty sure she’d had at least glimpses of the other women from some of her comments. She’s still here. Tired and a little unhappy about having to stay, but right now she’s cooperating. Linc assured him. Have her go sleep in the bed if she’s tired. Colm frowned. It was where she belonged. He was tempted to ensure she slept there every night, but they were still trying to do this the slow way. I tried. She says she’s not sleeping there, emphasis on there. She’s not explaining what she means and she’s not budging on it. Linc’s thoughts carried his frustration easily. Again Colm wondered what she’d seen. It’s those dreams. She saw something. But she’s not saying what it is that’s got her upset. She knows we’re lovers. Linc hesitated at the last. I’m certain she knows. I’m fairly sure it’s not about you and me being lovers. It’s probably something we said or did with the other women. Colm wished he knew the specific thing that was causing all her doubts and anger. If he knew, he could explain or at least find some way to battle it. Now he could only guess at the cause.
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If she gets too tired, I’ll take her to one of the other rooms and stay with her as she sleeps. We’re going to have to find out what is behind all this. I have a feeling it’s something she’s told us before, but we didn’t put any special meaning on it, Linc replied. Keep me informed. Good. I’ll be busy here. I need to find out how they got over that wall without being seen. There shouldn’t have been a long enough opportunity for anyone to climb the wall and get down to the ground between sentry walks. Colm looked at the wall. The men were supposed to be on alert because of the threat of Laed and Kynar. If two humans could get in, shifters might have made it all the way into the main Thent before they were discovered.
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Chapter Sixteen Linc felt the disconnect of the connection with Colm and looked back at Cami. She sat in a chair with one of her legs curled underneath her and the other swinging slightly as she watched him. She looked a little slumberous, but he could see the curiosity in her eyes. The nightshirt she wore ended just above her knees. He’d like to see that gone as well as the distance she kept from them both physically and emotionally. “So Colm did find someone out there?” She tilted her head and a small smile curved her lips. Simply from that smile, he knew that she didn’t have any doubt that Colm had found the men she’d told them about. She was a smug little cat and he was surprised that she wasn’t purring. Or more specifically stated that she had told them there was danger. “Yes, he found the men you told us about. He’s investigating how they got in. If the second man survived, he’ll question him.” Linc walked over to sit on the bed. Maybe he could use this time. She was too tired for any type of practice, so he planned on asking her a few questions. Maybe he might manage to surprise a few answers out of her if he kept her off balance. They’d been very gentle with the questions so far and backed off when she’d gotten angry or stressed. Now that she was beginning to control her magic, they could put more pressure on her. She needed to learn to deal with the rise of her magic when her emotions were high. “Well, at least now you know I wasn’t simply dreaming.” She narrowed her eyes and then looked away from him. “How long am I going to have to stay in here? I told you there were only two of them. There’s no reason that I can’t go back to my own room now.” She started to rise to her feet. “Stay where you are. You’re not going anywhere until I get word that the building has been cleared. You saw two. There might be more. Why don’t you tell me why you’re not surprised that I can speak to Colm when he’s not anywhere near?” Linc didn’t get up to stop her. If she started for the door, he’d simply seal it to keep her inside the room. “Laed and Kynar may have been fakes, but I knew that Ardin were supposed to be able to do more than what they could. When you and Colm became so persistent, I also looked at a few of the books your chatar has. Just so that I’d know facts and not the rumors and mere stories.” She settled back into her seat, but frowned at him. “If you were more cooperative, I’d consider that a good sign, but since you’ve been particularly obstructionist lately, it’s probably more along the lines of knowing your
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enemy.” Linc actually took any kind of interest from her as a positive sign, but right now he wanted to push her a little. “Look, if you’re upset because I woke you, that’s fine. You can go back to bed. I’m not the one insisting on staying here.” She surged to her feet and her hands landed on her hips. “You act as if you’re not getting almost everything as you want it. Well, you are and you’re not getting any more from me. You can count yourself lucky that I’m still even here.” Linc’s eyebrows rose at that. The little cat was feeling a little aggressive right now. “You’re here because your desire for revenge is greater than your fear of mating with us.” “I’m not scared of either of you.” She took a step forward. “Do you think I’d be in the same room with you if I thought you were dangerous?” “Well, there’s dangerous to your health and then there’s dangerous to your selfcontrol. Laed and Kynar are a threat, if not to you, then other people. Colm and I, we’re a threat to your self-control. You want to be with us. You’re pulled to be with us. There’s a part of you even now, when you’re angry with me, that wants to come over here and curl up in my lap.” Linc didn’t get up and go to her. He wanted her to feel the truth of his words and know that he wasn’t going to let her pretend any longer. She snarled. “Be with you, not really. At times hurt you, yes.” “You’re such a little liar.” He smiled and rose to his feet. He held his arms out from his body in invitation. “I can see the hunger in your eyes right now. You want nothing more than to come over here and wrap your arms around me. I’m right here and I’m not going to turn you away.” She looked at him and then her eyes slid to the bed behind him. Those pretty eyes hardened. “No.” He grimaced. He’d forgotten her thing with the bed. “It’s just a bed, you know.” She didn’t say a word. He tilted his head. Definitely a stubborn cat. She wasn’t going to admit anything without some encouragement, but first, he needed to get her a little angrier. She was still too tense and too aware. She’d watch what she said unless he managed to break through her composure. Once she’d admitted it aloud, it would be real to both of them. Now she was hiding. He intended to take that option away from her. He took the two steps forward that closed the distance between them. “We’ll have all of you soon.” “No.” Her eyes widened and the words slid from her lips in a low hiss. “Oh, yes,” he whispered as he slowly began to circle her. “You already want our touch and want to know more of us. You’ll take the next step on your own.” “Not until I’m sure.” She shook her head vehemently. She turned her head and her eyes followed him as he came around to her front. Linc trailed his fingers across her stomach. She drew in a hitching breath. Her eyes sparkled 112
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with a combination of excitement and near panic. He felt a little bad for pushing her, but he knew that she had to know the truth. Until she was sleeping in the same room with them, she was vulnerable. That fact had been driven home to him. After that shock, he wasn’t inclined to back off or let the sympathy rule him. “How can you be sure when you’re hiding behind your fears and the fucking herbs and lotions or whatever you’re using? You avoid us. You don’t try to learn about us. You don’t want to take a chance. You’d rather run away than take a risk.” Linc let his frustration flow and stopped right in front of her to glare down at her. Did she think he liked the fact that his mate feared the thought of completing the bond between them? It wasn’t something he could accept. “I’m not running away!” She grabbed his shirt in both hands. “I need time. I know—” “You know what?” He raised a brow and as much as he wanted to hold her, he kept his hands hanging at his side. The moment his skin touched hers, he’d begin to comfort her. He knew it without a doubt. He wouldn’t be able to stop himself from stroking her shoulders and arms. “I know you didn’t want me or any woman who was your mate,” she said through gritted teeth. That wasn’t really new information, but he’d take it. “That’s Colm.” “No, it’s you too. Do you think I didn’t realize quickly that if you’d wanted to find your real mate, really wanted it, that he wouldn’t have denied you that? You’re the most important thing in his life. It wasn’t important to you. You’d have let him choose some woman simply because you didn’t care. One woman was as good as the next, because he’s the most important thing in your life.” She released his shirt and then shoved against his chest. “And that’s what makes you want to run from us if you didn’t have your own reasons for being here?” He frowned, but tried to put enough arrogance in his voice to annoy her. He didn’t know if she was right about that. He hadn’t thought about it from that perspective, but he did acknowledge that he hadn’t pushed Colm. “I know you’re not stupid.” She shook her head and swung away from him. “No, not stupid. Just a man and I get that you don’t like the fact that Colm wanted to be with a woman who wasn’t his true mate rather than searching for her. As I said, he had his reasons and I was giving him time, just so you know. I wasn’t going to accept any of his choices.” Linc paced another circle around her to keep the pressure high. She shot a look back over her shoulder at him. “Gods, you’re an idiot. Even more reason to stay away from you and him. I wouldn’t want the next generation to have to suffer from the trait.” “Now that hurts.” He smiled. “Look, I’m tired. Can’t this wait?” He saw her hands fist at her sides as he once again stopped in front of her. She definitely wasn’t calm. 113
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“No, it can’t. We haven’t pushed. We’ve protected and given you the space you needed. You’ve lied and hidden important truths from us. I think it’s gone on long enough. Why aren’t we important enough to you to fight for?” He took a step forward, deliberately getting into her space. “Why don’t you think we’re worthy of claiming? We’re as much your mates as you are ours.” Her mouth dropped open and she looked stunned. “Because I’m not sure of you and because I need more than mates in the physical sense. As far as I know, that’s all you can give me.” He smiled, but resisted the urge to let his fingers trail over her lips. “The emotions will come. You have to give them time. The pull is already drawing us together even with all of the things you’ve done to keep us apart.” She scowled and drew in a deep breath. Her fingers flexed and he saw her eyes begin to glow. Apparently assuring her that the emotions would grow wasn’t what she’d wanted. “I can’t forget everything I know! It all tells me that you couldn’t possibly really want me, not beyond the physical draw of a mate. I’m not the kind of woman you’d ever choose.” Her hands lifted and she brushed them wearily over her face. Her shoulders shook as she took in a deep breath. “And now my damn powers are high. Are you happy?” “Whatever you saw doesn’t matter. It won’t matter in the end. You are our mate and we’re not giving up on you. Now take some deep breaths and focus on what we’ve taught you to control your magic.” Linc put his hands on her shoulders. He wanted to be close just in case she needed to give him the power. “Goddess, you like giving orders, don’t you?” She exhaled slowly, but she leaned closer to him. “It comes with the position of Ardin.” He wasn’t really paying attention to what he said. Finally, giving in to the urge, he slid one of his hands down her back and began stroking. He wanted to soothe her. He’d pushed her as much as he could stand tonight. “Now, you’re being nice to me.” Her head touched his chest and her breath seared his chest. “I thought you were angry with me. Can you stick with one emotion?” “I was angry because you never tell us anything willingly. Now I’m concerned about my mate.” He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “How is the magic feeling now?” She swallowed and seemed to be focusing inward a little. “It’s better. It’s not easy for me, you know.” At first, he thought she was talking about the magic, but then he saw her looking up at him with an almost waiting expression and realized that she’d meant something else. “What’s not easy?” “Talking, everything.” She exhaled and put her hand on his chest. “Everything seems harder than it was before.”
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He didn’t need her to explain before what and he didn’t want to remind her of one of the worst moments of her life. Before Laed and Kynar had beaten her so badly, before she’d lost complete faith in anyone with the title of Ardin. He didn’t like paying for the sins of someone else, but he understood that trusting wasn’t going to come easily for her. Somehow, when she was pushing and fighting against them, he kept forgetting that. She was recovering from the attack, but the emotional wounds still had some hold on her and probably would for some time. Hopefully, with some luck, they could help her overcome the past scars. “It will get easier for you. I’ve seen changes in you in the short time you’ve been with us. They may have hurt you, but it isn’t anything that’s going to change who you are. I’ve seen the strength in you.” His hand cupped the back of her head before stroking down her back in a long, smooth sweep. She looked up at him. “That’s sweet, but they did change me.” He didn’t know exactly what she meant. The only thing he could think of was the physical way they changed her. He wasn’t bringing up the scars if she didn’t do it. Those marks had been a source of pain and insecurity for her from the first. “How?” “You and Colm should be experts on some of the ways they’ve changed me. I can’t trust and now I’m even more afraid to take risks.” She closed her eyes. “It’s as if they took part of me when they attacked me.” “You’re cautious now. That’s to be expected. If we don’t learn from our experiences, we could repeat them. That doesn’t mean that it’s all bad. Although I wouldn’t mind if you were able to trust us completely. Even if you came to us open and accepting, I doubt that it would be that simple anyway. As you’ve seen, any way it happened, bringing a new woman here was bound to cause some disturbance.” Linc shrugged. “If you’re really tired, I’ll take you to another room and you can sleep there, but I’ll stay in the room with you. You’re not going to be alone until the building has been searched and secured.” “I’m sure that it’s safe now.” She sighed. “I’m staying with you until I receive word. Are you tired?” “Yes.” She sighed and glared at him briefly before nodding. “This is totally unnecessary and a waste of time.” “Well, I don’t mind since I get to be with you.” He smiled and gestured to the bed. “Let’s go, but grab one of those blankets. The bed won’t be made. You’ll need something to cover yourself with.” Cami grabbed one of the blankets from the bed and followed him out of the room. The fact that he had his sword seemed a little overdramatic to her, but she didn’t remark on it. He’d only point out that they couldn’t be certain that there were only two men. She knew there were only two men. They wouldn’t take that as fact, though. She
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had a feeling that Colm and Linc wouldn’t be satisfied until the entire Thent was searched at least once. He led them to the room next door to the one he and Linc shared, opened the door and then looked over at her. “Is this room good? Do you have any objections to this bed?” She looked at him for a moment before answering. Not even bothering to glance into the bedroom, she shrugged. “No, I don’t have any objections to this room. But why not just go to my room?” “Because if you invite me in there, I want it to be your choice and at a time we can both enjoy it. I don’t want you to be forced in any way to do that.” Linc checked the room as he spoke. He opened the large wardrobe and even looked under the bed. She knew he didn’t understand her problem with the bed in their room. That wasn’t something she was going to explain. Too many revelations in that simple, short explanation. They might be beginning to suspect exactly what she’d seen, but she didn’t want to confirm it. It was hard enough to keep them at a distance, even when they were being deliberately arrogant. “Good.” He stayed as he was as she walked past him and then followed her into the room and shut the door. “Why don’t you go ahead and get some sleep? I’ll sit in the chair and wait for word of the search.” She looked at the bed and then at him. She took a deep breath and tried to think rationally. Not too long ago, she’d been ready to kick and hit him. Dragging him into that bed was a bad idea. He already believed she was his mate. She needed to keep her distance. Thinking of that didn’t help her much. The pull to be with him was strong and being in the same room with him when she was so tired wasn’t helping. Even though she was drowsy, her body tingled with awareness. Desire flared to a low burn simply from his presence. She wanted to sleep, but she didn’t want him all the way across the room watching her. She wanted him beside her. The attraction and draw to him surged through her. So strong, it was almost a physical urge. “We both know that there is no danger. The people searching aren’t going to find anything. I know you’re as tired as I am. Why don’t you lie beside me? You can keep your sword nearby as long as you don’t accidentally cut me.” The words were out of her mouth almost before she realized what she was going to say. Her hands twisted the blanket in her grip. “Are you sure? You know what happened between us the last few times we got close. I don’t think either of us is so tired that we’re going to be able to ignore it.” He raised a brow and didn’t move from where he stood. She took a deep breath and tossed the blanket onto the foot of the bed just to get it out of her hands. Conflicting desires warred inside her. She wanted him close and she needed to keep him at a distance. Fear of change battled with the mate attraction.
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Honesty forced her to admit that the current situation was the one she’d always feared. It couldn’t become worse. Not anymore. They already knew the truth. She couldn’t persuade them that they were wrong. The thought of his arms around her and the feel of his body next to hers only made doing the smart thing harder. Knowing that denying herself wouldn’t alter his beliefs, she came to a decision. She wasn’t going to deny herself the pleasure she knew he could offer. “I’m sure. I want you beside me and what happens will happen. It would probably happen anyway. I want to be near you.” She shrugged and smiled slightly. He nodded and she saw a slow smile curve his lips. “You’re probably right. I’ve wanted to hold you since the moment I saw you near the door. I don’t want you to regret this later. The only thing holding me back was the fear of losing the trust you’ve given us.” “I won’t regret it. I sometimes wish we could do things differently at times, but this won’t be one of them.” She held out her hand in invitation. He nodded and started over to her. “I’ve thought that myself over the last few days.” He walked over to join her beside the bed and placed his sword on a small chest within reach. Clasping her wrist, he drew it to his chest. “I’m not certain exactly what you fear, but we’re not going to change our minds. We’re men, not boys. We know what we want.” “You knew what you wanted before.” She wanted to take the words back the moment they slipped from her lips, but she couldn’t. She saw him flinch a little and felt bad about throwing that remark at him. “We were searching, even Colm, although he wouldn’t have been able to say exactly what he was looking for. He was trying to find something special.” Linc shook his head. “At the time, we were satisfied with what we had.” She believed him. At least about his own way of looking at it, and she wasn’t going to say anything more. She really didn’t want to get into an argument with him about it. What she’d said wasn’t really fair. She was coming to see that, although she wasn’t sure why she felt that way. It was going to take time to go through everything that had been said and what she felt to discover what had started the change of mind. “Let’s lie down.” She tugged his hand and drew him onto the bed. “I want to kiss you.” “I’ll give you a kiss any time you want. All you have to do is tell me.” He slid onto the mattress beside her and drew his fingers across her shoulder. “Give me a kiss now.” She took him at his word and she enjoyed the opportunity to give him an order for a change. He scooted closer and brushed his lips across hers. The caress wasn’t tentative, but it was soft and patient. It drew her into thrusting her tongue against his and nipping his
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lips. She needed to know he hungered as much as she did. Her hand slipped around the back of his neck and pulled him closer. She seized control of the kiss, claiming his lips and pushing him onto his back. Now that she had the opportunity, she indulged in the urge to touch. Her hands spread across his bare chest savoring the warm skin there. She scraped her nails over the wide, muscled plane and smiled as the move drew a groan from him. His hands fastened at her waist and pulled her over him. She straddled him, but wished she’d thought to ask him to undress before she pulled him into bed with her. The ridge of his cock pressed against her, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted to feel his cock pushing deep inside her and the heat of his body as they moved against each other. His hands swept up her thighs, gathering her nightgown along the way. He drew the fabric up revealing her stomach and higher until she lifted her arms so he could pull it free. The moment he flung the gown away, his hands went straight to her breasts. He lifted and squeezed the mounds. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the firm touch of his calloused fingers. Her hips jerked when his fingers plucked at her nipples. The sensation streaked down her body. The fiery heat seemed connected to her clit and the tightening feeling low in her stomach. Her thighs tightened around his hips and she ground down against him. She wanted to come, but she wanted his cock deep inside her when she did. She needed to feel him thrusting into her and know that he’d find as much satisfaction as she did. It was a struggle, but she had to force something other than moans and pleas past her lips. “Your pants.” Even though she ached to feel his cock inside her, she couldn’t stay still. Her hips rocked forward, riding the ridge of his shaft through his pants. The texture of the fabric against her sensitive clit nearly had her eyes rolling up in the back of her head. His hands clasped her hips and he guided her movements for a moment before he grimaced and rolled them until her back pressed against the mattress. “Give me a moment and we’ll get right back to this.” He rolled off the bed and then tore at the laces on his pants. She muffled a giggle as he muttered curses when the strings knotted. As soon as the ties loosened, he pushed them down. Muscle rippled beneath the light golden skin of his thighs. Her eyes locked on the thick length of his cock. She wanted that. He stripped out of those pants in the space of a breath. She smiled as he left the pants where they fell and then crawled back onto the bed. Licking her lips, she reached for him. His arm slid under her shoulders and he pulled her close as his head lowered in a fierce kiss. The scrape of his teeth over her lips sent a shot of hunger through her. She didn’t want to resist, much less try to pull away from the growing pleasure. The way he and Colm made her feel was amazing. She didn’t even remember her scars
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when they were looking at her at times such as these. All that mattered was the touch of their hands and the hunger that rose higher with each breath. When his lips brushed over her jaw, she groaned at the loss of his lips on hers. Her hands clutched at his shoulders. Even though they were pressed almost completely body to body, she wanted him closer. She wriggled and strained against him. His breath hissed through his lips as her nails sunk into his skin. He turned her until her back pressed against the mattress and he loomed over her. His hands shackled hers, the grip loose, but still holding her as he drew her sharp fingernails away from his shoulders. He pressed her hands down to the bed beside her head. She arched, pulling at her arms to free them. She wanted to touch and stroke and make him crazy with desire. His eyes bored into hers and she could see the tension in his face now. He seemed to come to some decision and before she could work out why he was suddenly serious, his mouth fastened over one of her nipples. His teeth scraped and his tongue flicked driving her insane. He freed one of her hands, but growled when she tried to lift it from the bed. “Leave it there.” His voice rumbled against her skin as he licked and nipped teasingly all around the swollen mound. She shivered, willing to do anything for him as long as he continued the delicious attention to her breast. He hummed in satisfaction when her hand fell back to the bare mattress. The sound ricocheted straight to her core. The muscles in her pussy tightened and moisture seeped onto her thighs. “I want…” She didn’t finish her sentence as his hand trailed downward from her breast. Her breath hitched as his hand rubbed over her stomach before moving down to cup her pussy. Her hips arched off the bed in demand. He chuckled before drawing her nipple into his mouth. It felt almost too good. He gave a long, slow lick over the stiff peak as he lifted his head and their gazes locked. His eyes burned with hunger. He rose over her. Looking down, she saw the hard shaft of his cock. Her breath caught and anticipation drew her muscles taut. She almost purred with satisfaction as he moved between her thighs. Her inner muscles clenched in anticipation. That was what she needed. She lifted her head and her lips pressed against his, pouring all of the hunger and anticipation she could into the kiss. He responded with a fierce possession. Her fingers clenched against her palms and her nails dug into palms. Even the slight sting of pain did nothing to dull the need writhing and clawing inside her. As his shaft nudged at her entrance, her hips arched off the bed, lifting against his and taking his shaft deep. “I can’t get enough of touching you, Cami.” He nuzzled at her neck, kissing her on the shoulder.
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His lips trailed kisses up her throat and across her cheek. His mouth crushed hers as he drove into her, pressing her back into the bed. She moaned. He pushed the hand he still held down into the mattress, but she couldn’t stay still. Her free hand clutched at him and stroked over his back. He froze when he’d pushed as deep as he could. His teeth clenched and his head went back. “One day, I’m going to sit you astride me and suck and nibble on those gorgeous breasts until you scream.” Oh Gods, the idea sent a bolt of pleasure straight through her. She could see it and wanted it. Her hips rocked against him. She needed him to move. Her body burned. The press of his chest against her breasts made her ache for more. Her nails scraped over his back. He hissed and his hips jerked. It seemed to break his control. He growled and he withdrew, only to thrust deep. She dug her nails into his back, holding on with that free hand. Her body rose to meet his every stroke as the need built. “More. Please, Linc.” She didn’t care that the words came out on a breathy plea. Her body trembled, so close that the need to come was almost painful. Linc kissed her. His tongue drove deep as he thrust into her. She groaned. Her body tightened even more. She strained against him, rubbing her breasts against his chest in a desperate bid to take that last step to pleasure. He nipped her lip. The sting threw her over the edge. She trembled and screamed as the wave of pleasure slammed over her. Linc continued thrusting into her. He groaned and stiffened as he came. She held onto him as his weight came down on top of her. She breathed in his scent, content to simply hold him for the moment. She knew that it might not last if they allowed their hands to wander. He withdrew and moved to her side. She wanted to grab him and pull him back to her. When he curled an arm around her and pulled her next to him, she relaxed and settled in with her head nestled next to his chest. She needed a little nap.
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Chapter Seventeen Cami strolled down the hallway. She looked over her shoulder. She had a feeling she should get out of sight, find some place to hide and stay there for a while. Her skin tingled and she felt a little lightheaded. Flashes of Colm and Linc’s faces filled her mind. She didn’t doubt the sensation was some kind of premonition. She simply didn’t know what she was supposed to do about it. Running away was not an option. Hiding, well if there was physical danger and she couldn’t escape or fight her way out, maybe. This wasn’t physical. Colm and Linc wouldn’t hit her. She trusted them that much. She sensed a turning point, but she wasn’t going to walk quietly into it. The worst thing about this was that she didn’t even know when it would happen. It could be today or days from now. How was she supposed to plan or find a way to stop it if she didn’t know when it was going to happen? That feeling told her nothing, much less what it would change. Sometimes these feelings and images were more of a curse than a blessing. Really, what kind of help were they if they didn’t give her some kind of edge to control the chaos in her life? The help with Laed and Kynar was great and all, but Linc and Colm were causing so much more trouble for her than those two men right now. Other than this vague warning, the abilities hadn’t been much help to her in that regard. She decided to head up to her room. Maybe if she sat quietly, closed her eyes and simply breathed, something more would come to her. It was a takeoff of one of the techniques Colm and Linc had taught her to control her power, but she hoped it would help get a little clarification here. She wasn’t going to be pushing or trying to shove the ability back down as she did when she practiced, but she didn’t think it could hurt. Worrying as she moved around sure hadn’t helped. If she wasn’t as attracted to those two men, finding more information wouldn’t be an issue. She grimaced as she started up the steps. If she was going to think about situations where it wouldn’t matter, she might as well go for the big one. If those two men weren’t her mates, she wouldn’t care what was going to happen. She’d have nothing to fear from them. “Cami!” The shout came from the bottom of the stairs. Cami winced. She had no problem recognizing that deep voice. Colm. Could he sound more demanding? Looking over her shoulder, she glanced down and saw him at the base of the staircase. One hand rested on his hip and the other hung loosely at his side. His eyes narrowed into slits and he looked tensed to chase, as if he expected her to run. That expression almost had her sprinting up the steps. Maybe she should have found a place to hide after all. She had a bad feeling about this. “What?” She knew the word carried enough attitude to be considered a challenge. 121
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She saw the muscle along his jaw flex. He took a deep breath and then held out his hand. That wasn’t good. He was too controlled and focused. He had a clear goal in mind and that meant trouble. “Come. We have somewhere to go.” He didn’t move, merely kept his eyes on her. “Where? Why?” She turned to face him, but didn’t budge as she stared suspiciously down at him. No way was she going down the stairs. Once she got close enough for him to grab, he wouldn’t need her cooperation. “Get down here or I’ll come up and get you. You know you obey your Ardin.” He growled. “You’re not my Ardin. The last—” She stumbled back and her heartbeat accelerated when he leaped up the stairs between them. His hand closed around her arm before she could dart up the stairs. He snarled down at her. She snarled back. It hadn’t been the wisest thing she’d ever said, but it was almost automatic. He knew she wasn’t ready to make any kind of commitment. She didn’t know why her saying that had such an effect. It wasn’t the first time she’d told him that. She wondered what had happened to draw this reaction. This was the cause of the unease she’d felt. She had no doubts, but she’d like to know what had set this in motion. He didn’t decide this on a whim. Why did he want her to go with him and what was so important? “Let go. If this doesn’t have anything to do with catching Laed and Kynar, then I don’t have any interest.” She jerked on her arm, trying to get him to release it. “You know, I don’t really care if you’re interested or not. We’ve given you space and you continue to try to push for more distance. This is the end of it. Everyone will know what you are to us.” Colm leaned in, his face so close she could feel his breath. His lips pulled back in a fierce, determined snarl. She kicked. Her boot smacked into his thigh, but he didn’t even falter. If he kept this up, they were going to end up tumbling down the stairs. It might not be a long fall, but still someone could get hurt. She sunk her nails into his arms and twisted her body in an effort to get free. “What happened? You were simply supposed to come get her.” Linc’s voice broke into their struggle. “She decided that she didn’t have to obey a simple order to come with me because we’re not her Ardin.” Colm glared down at her. The anger and frustration building in her sparked the magic inside her. She didn’t stop trying to slip away from them, even though she knew she was outmatched. If possible, she’d like to blast them down the staircase. Her hands warmed. Wrenching herself to the side, she managed to pull Colm off balance. His hold didn’t even loosen. “What’s wrong, Cami?” Linc put his hand on her shoulder, his hold effectively stilling her.
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“This is going to change something.” She glared at him. It galled her that all he had to do was use one hand to control her. “Yes, it is, but it’s not the ultimate claim that we want. All it will do is make sure that everyone knows exactly how we see you,” Linc said calmly. “No more denials that you’re only here to catch the false Ardin or that you have no claim on us.” “What does it matter what I say? The way you’ve been acting around me pretty much announces it.” She shook her head and glared at them. The magic burned in her at a higher level than her anger now. “And you deny it whenever you’re asked. The mixed messages are going to cause problems.” Linc growled. He hooked an arm around her waist and lifted her off her feet. Fear had her free hand slapping onto his shoulder for balance. He drew in a hissing breath. His eyes locked with hers. He looked concerned suddenly instead of angry and determined. “Grab her hand, Colm. It’s hot and you’d better switch your grip to the other one before the anger makes her control slip.” Linc lowered her to the step, ducked and hoisted her over his shoulder. The silent coordination amazed her. As soon as Linc bent, Colm released her so that the other man could easily lift her to his shoulder. She smacked his back as she hung down his back. She only managed to do it once before Colm grabbed her hands. He drew in a hissing breath. “Stinging hot. Damn, I had no clue. Her eyes aren’t even glowing yet.” “I think it’s focused power and I’d guess she’s having some pretty violent thoughts. Our little Lady is angry. She just doesn’t know how to release it as a weapon yet. Luckily for her. I would have put her over my knee if she managed to use it against us.” Linc growled and walked down the stairs. Stretched out as she was with Colm holding her hands, she couldn’t even twist around and bite him. Both men were out of reach and her legs were anchored. They didn’t hesitate as they walked through the hallways of the first floor. They obviously had planned before they came to get her, but she still had no clue about where they were going. They turned onto the main hall that led to the outer door, but didn’t go that far. Linc opened a door. Only as they passed through it did she realize it was one of the double doors to the gathering judgment room. She drew in a startled breath. She hadn’t done anything to be brought before them here. Her mind kicked in and she realized that if she’d been the one meant to be judged that they wouldn’t have gone to get her themselves. What kind of game were they playing? Colm released her hands and circled around her. Cami felt something pass through the air. She knew it was magic, but since it didn’t settle over her, she had no idea what it was supposed to do. Looking around the room, she didn’t see any change.
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“What do you want that it’s so important that you can’t accept the word ‘no’? I don’t want to take whatever step you’re ready to take. You promised you wouldn’t take anything away from me.” Her hands landed on her hips and she glared at them. “We’re not going to take any of your tricks away from you.” Linc’s voice rolled through the room, so calm that she had to look at him to make sure it was the same person. He was still frowning at her and she could see the tenseness of anger there. “What are you going to do, then?” Linc took a single step forward, but halted when Colm put his hand on his arm. “Watch your tone, Cami.” “Why should I? You’re going to do something that you think is going to help claim me.” Her lips curled and she wanted to be able to use the magic against them as Linc thought she would. “We’re your Ardin. You will respect us.” Linc’s eyes narrowed. She had a feeling he was a breath or one unwise taunt away from hauling her over his knee. He’d threatened something such as that before, but right now he was closer than he’d ever been. The thought was a little intimidating. She took a few deep breaths and tried to calm herself. They obviously weren’t backing down. “What are you going to do? What are you planning?” She managed to keep the anger out of her words. A growing feeling of being cornered made her angrier. The magic inside her rose even higher. She began pacing, but the closed doors and the windowless room made the caged feeling even worse. “We’re going to show people just what you are to us. The only effect it will have on you is how they perceive your position.” Colm stayed where he was in front of the chair. “How do you expect to do that? There are those who haven’t believed you with the way you’ve acted so far.” Her jaw ached. They kept pushing and pushing as if they could wear down any resistance to their plans through sheer determination. Linc stepped back and waved his hand at the two chairs and the tapestries behind them. Pillows had been placed on the floor in front of the two chairs. Her eyes widened. She stopped abruptly and slowly shook her head. Panic welled in her. There was nothing subtle about what they wanted to do. “You can’t make me sit there.” She took a step back. She wanted to run out of the room. The only way they could have made a more blatant claim was with the mating bite. Colm laughed, supremely confident. The arrogant man didn’t even tense to chase. She knew he’d seen and noted her taking a step back. Did he expect her simply to walk over there and sit down docilely? “You’ll sit where you belong. It’s time to stop denying what you know. We’re not backing down. You will accept us. We haven’t taken away your ability to hide your scent, but you will play this our way from this point on. We know what you are to us
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and we’re not going to let you pretend anymore.” Linc raised an eyebrow in open challenge. “Accept you? How can I do that if you’re forcing me to do something I’m not ready to do?” She threw up her hands and stalked the length of the room again. She didn’t understand how they thought this was going to change anything. It certainly wasn’t going to make her decide to stop using the lotions and tea. “Once you start actually taking the position that’s yours, hopefully it will help you realize that you do belong with us,” Linc answered bluntly. “Now get over here and sit down. We have work to do today.” “No. If you’re going to do any judging, you’ll do it without me. I won’t pretend to claim a position I’m not ready to take.” She folded her arms across her chest and smiled. They might say that they were going to make her do this, but they’d made demands before. While they might not have completely backed down from their wishes at that time, they’d stopped. Sometimes it had been because of her magic and others it had been because she was too agitated. They’d given her space when she needed it. She definitely needed it now. “I don’t like that look in your eyes.” Colm tilted his head and studied her as if he was trying to see inside her head. She didn’t respond to that observation. It wouldn’t aid her cause and she really wanted to get out of this room before they thought she was agreeing to it. As if she didn’t already have enough trouble with some of the women in this Thent. She didn’t mind the glares and dirty looks so much. If she sat there while Colm and Linc passed judgment, it would get so much worse. That was a claim more blatant than any they’d made before. They’d only allow the woman they’d chosen to claim to sit there. It was a position meant only for their mate. “I’m tired and my magic’s doing strange things. The emotional upheaval because of your demands isn’t helping.” She played on the fact that they always seemed concerned about her magic. It wasn’t honest, but she focused on getting out of this without more direct confrontation. That would only make them more determined to keep her here. Running for the door would do the same, although the urge to do that was strong. “You’re handling your magic. Don’t think we haven’t begun to recognize the signs when you’re distressed. Although the way you focused it today is new. We’ll teach you ways to use that soon.” Colm shook his head and a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “That excuse isn’t going to work. You are going to sit there.” “How are you going to make me?” She threw the words out there without thinking because his smirk made her angry. Why hadn’t that worked as it always did? “This way.” Colm took three long steps to her, picked her up and started walking back across the room. Cami stiffened momentarily when his hands touched her waist, but after that surprised instant, she exploded. Her feet slammed into his legs and she struggled in his hold. She didn’t think. It was all reaction to the panic churning inside her. Colm 125
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grunted once as her foot struck his knee, but otherwise gave no indication it affected him. She didn’t have much time to calm down or even tell him to let her go before he put her down so close to the pillows that the heels of her slippers touched the edge of one of fluffy cushions. He didn’t release her, though. “You’re going to settle down now.” Colm frowned down at her and held her when she tried to step out of his loosened grip. “Let go of me. You know I don’t like feeling trapped.” She wriggled in his grip. “I told you we’ve been too easy on her. She thinks that we’ll back off.” Colm looked over at Linc. “Well, we have backed off before when the magic was high or she was afraid.” Linc nodded. “So I can understand why she thinks it might work.” “Stop talking around me.” She looked from one man to the other. It was fast becoming clear that this wasn’t going to be the same as the other times. They weren’t going to give her any space. “Sit down. I know you felt the magic when we brought you into the room. That ensures you stay in here while we complete our duties. Now put your ass on those pillows, because we can and will make you, even if it’s not what we want to do.” Linc narrowed his eyes. “And behave as you know you should. This is one fight you’re not going to win. After we finish with the judgment, we’ll give you a few lessons for your magic to teach you how to use that focused magic. Just remember, we will be extremely angry if you use it against us. We’ll consider it more than enough reason to put an end to all the distance and tricks you use to keep us separate.” Colm’s lips tilted up into a smile. She knew few things would make him happier than that. Maybe she was simply reacting. She honestly hadn’t thought about closing the distance between them. She’d been more focused on keeping things from changing. There had been nothing in their behavior to worry her. She hadn’t seen any evidence to back up her fears about men in power. They didn’t misuse the trust their people gave them. On top of that, Colm, the man who actively hunted for a woman who wasn’t his mate, seemed to be intent on making her admit she belonged with them. The soft, slow approach had come to an end. Now, they were making demands. She didn’t know what to do about it and would have to think about it. In the meantime, she wasn’t going to give in without at least one more protest. “No.” She took a step back and lifted her chin. “I don’t want to do it.” Linc’s fingers clasped around her arm. Usually the most reasonable of the two men, his eyes burned with stubborn determination. He shook his head at her. “Don’t make us force you to sit and then use a spell to keep you in place. You know how being kept there will make you feel. We don’t want to cause you any panic, but you will sit in your rightful spot. We don’t expect you to be happy about it, though.”
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She glared at him as she weighed his words. The thought of being held in place by magic sent chills of fear down her back. No, she couldn’t let that happen. She’d break down in front of them and they’d seen enough of her fear and emotion. That wasn’t happening this time. Especially since they’d forced this situation on her. She might not be able to get out of this, but she could control the way she handled it. Baring her fangs at them in a low hiss, she turned and sank down onto the pillows with her back against the padded legs of the two chairs. A wicked idea for revenge floated through her mind. They were making her stay here and they’d pay for that demand. They deserved it. Colm gave her an assessing look as if he suspected she was up to something. She didn’t bother to hide her anticipatory expression. There wasn’t anything they could do about it as long as they insisted she stay in the room with them. He walked over and claimed the right chair while Linc went to the door and opened it. Someone was obviously waiting out in the hallway because he said a few words and then walked over to take the chair on the left. Cami didn’t do anything yet. She didn’t want to give them any warning. It would be so much better if it was done when there were other people around and they had to keep their focus on the proceedings. In spite of the mockery Laed and Kynar had made of it, she knew there was supposed to be some ceremony to it. That would offer her the chance to pay them back for doing this. Not that she thought it would teach them anything other than that she wouldn’t let them force her to do this without making them pay. She had no idea what they had to do today. She didn’t think it was the men who’d gotten into Thent. She’d heard they were assassins and knew that letting the surviving hired killer leave would be a mistake. He’d come back and try to get to his target again.That man probably wouldn’t be dealt with in this way. Was it simply time for them to handle grievances or something such as that? Had someone come to try to negotiate with them? Leaning back against the chairs as she was, she was in perfect position for her plan. Their legs brushed against her shoulders. She kept her smile subdued as a group of men filed into the room. A man at the back of the group shut the doors behind them. These were all Santir men. They looked sober. One of them seemed even more so than the others. One of the men near the back made his way around the others and stood to the side. Cami watched with interest as he took a deep breath. The man at the side of the room called out at least eight names and instructed them to step forward. He waited until the men had walked forward leaving one man waiting near the doors. “You’ve been called in to account the details of the night when two humans managed to get over the wall and explain how there came to be a gap in the defenses.” She saw the men shift nervously from foot to foot. One man’s hands clasped in front of him tensely. She’d guess that he wanted to rub his hands up and down his
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pants, but didn’t want to reveal his anxiety that clearly. Considering the trouble he might be in, he had reason to be nervous. She straightened as she realized she was getting too caught up in what was happening around her and needed to focus on her plan. Waiting until they began to speak probably wouldn’t be a bad idea. Colm and Linc would be less likely to interrupt if they were paying attention to the men’s story. “Ardin, if I may speak,” one of the older men said as he stepped forward from the group. “You may speak.” Colm’s voice sounded deeper and slower than normal. The man began talking about the routine of the guard house. She knew he was trying to explain how they hadn’t noticed that someone wasn’t where they were supposed to be for a significant amount of time. After a little while, she tuned his voice out. It was time to give those two men something to think about the next time they wanted to press her into something she didn’t want to do. She turned a little and leaned against the chairs behind her. She wanted better access than she had at the moment. The angle would allow her to reach more of Linc, the man on her left. She chanced a glance up at his face and saw that he was focused on the man still trying to gain the sympathy and understanding of his Ardin. He wasn’t even the man in huge trouble, but he seemed ready to explain away everything. Cami was determined to use this. They wanted her here. They were going to have to deal with her little change in plans. She ran her hand slowly up his leg, but stopped at the knee. Nothing too expansive yet. She wasn’t going to be too blatant. Well, not unless she got a really good opportunity. Linc tried moving his leg a little to the side. As if she’d be that easily discouraged. She’d teach them that plans have a tendency to go awry if there was another person involved. If she was lucky, they’d get tired of trying to ignore or avoid her touch and kick her out of here. Not that she expected that to happen. She couldn’t really interfere with their ability to listen to the people before them. She couldn’t distract both of them at the same time so one of them would always be listening. Drawing her fingers in circles up the inside of his calves, she barely noticed when another man stepped up to add to the tale. Her focus was entirely on what she could do to Linc at this moment. She knew she could reach up and cup his cock, but he’d grab her hand and her foray into temptation and distraction would be over. She sneaked a glance up at him to see how he was reacting. His eyes locked with hers and his lips pulled back in a silent, warning snarl. She smiled brilliantly at him and glanced pointedly toward the door. If he wanted her to stop, he’d let her out of the room. He shook his head and raised a brow. She took that as a challenge that he didn’t think she could do much in her position. Slipping her palm behind his calf, she used her nails as she stroked up and down in a slow, meandering pattern. Following the taut muscles all the way to the back of his knee, she drew her thumb back and forth. 128
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Cami could probably do much better at distracting him if she tried touching herself. The audience in front of them held her back from doing that. She wasn’t going to provide that much of a show for those trying to give their report. With a little luck, she could show him how it could have been if they had waited to do this until she was ready. She leaned her head against his leg and slowly leaned close. Resting her cheek against his outer thigh, she nuzzled back and forth for a few moments in a deliberate mimicry of scent marking. She turned her head catching his eyes before nipping his thigh, hard. He jerked and gasped, automatically reaching for her, but she’d already straightened and swiveled to start on Colm. She’d started with Linc because of his temperament. He was the more relaxed and easy-going of the two men. She’d known he most likely wouldn’t cause a scene and stop everything simply because she was baiting him. Now, though, she had to try it on Colm. It required a little more courage. She wasn’t sure what the gruff man would do when she started or if her game would have any effect on him. She didn’t glance up at him to see what he was thinking. Not yet. He would have noticed what she was doing to Linc. He was wearing some shorter, sturdy boots today, not the nearly knee-high boots she’d grown accustomed to seeing when they’d been traveling. She had room to play. Now she just had to work up the nerve to do it. Taking a deep breath, she put her hand on his calf, but decided if she was going to do this, she was going to do it right. She began stroking the skin just above his boot. Sitting here sucked. It didn’t take her long to come to that conclusion. She was on display. She’d definitely hold a grudge about that for a long time. There had to be easier ways they could have found to proclaim her status in their life other than this. She knew most of them probably would make her just as furious as this one did, but still, it should have been her choice. On top of that, the position was limiting and irritating. Maybe part of that was her attitude right now. She knew it was supposed to be an honor to sit there, and traditionally, the Ardin’s Lady had her own power in times of judgment. She felt fingers tangle in her hair and tug her head back gently. She lifted her eyes and met gold eyes burning with intensity. His mouth had firmed into a straight slash. He didn’t say a word, merely shook his head slowly back and forth. She’d have to be an idiot to miss the meaning of the gesture. It was a clear warning. Don’t push anymore. She wasn’t about to heed it, even if her stomach did tighten a little as she wondered just what he’d do. She wouldn’t back down. It was time they saw that she didn’t fear them, even if she did still have a few doubts about the wisdom of being with them even temporarily. She gave a small smile and let her hand slip up his pants a little. She felt the muscle of his calf flex and tighten. Touching his leg instead of his pants felt a lot better than caressing through cloth.
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Chapter Eighteen Colm gritted his teeth as he felt her warm fingers on his calf. It shouldn’t have had much of an effect. After all, those soft fingers were far away from his cock. He should have known, though. Sometimes, her smile could send a strong surge of lust slamming through him. The simple feel of her hands on him seemed to send an amazing wave of heat through him. Even though he knew she was doing this to get revenge, his body reacted. Maybe it was because she was initiating the contact. It was one of the few times she’d chosen to touch him, even if it wasn’t in passion. He tried his best to ignore the effect she was having on his body. He didn’t have much success. His cock pushed against his suddenly too-tight pants and his mind focused on her touch. Paying attention during judgment had never been a problem before, but now she made it near impossible. A little help here. Losing the thread of the excuses. Colm sent the thought to Linc, but kept his eyes on the men in front of them. What was it you said when I needed a little distraction from her touch? Oh, yes, “It’s not as if she’s stroking your cock. Just ignore it.” Does that help? Linc sounded too amused, even through the mind link. Okay, I was wrong, but what could I do? We can’t pick her up and put her over a knee without disrupting the proceedings. There is a ceremony to these things. Much as I’d like to haul her into my lap and wrap her up so she can’t play anymore, we have to do this as it normally is. Colm shot a frustrated glare at the head of the woman currently leaning into his leg. Letting her out of this would only make her think she can wriggle out of completing the mating with us. Catch her hand if she strays too high. That’s what I was going to do, Linc offered. I’ll pay attention to the explanations now. If she turns back to me, you’ll be back on duty. She’s definitely going to hear about this one when we get finished with this. And then I’m going to do some touching of my own. Colm stifled the low growl that was building. I’ll be right there helping and participating, my friend. Want to wrestle to see who goes first? Linc’s suggestion was delivered with a hint of humor. Colm smiled a little in spite of the fact that he couldn’t do anything to stop her at the moment. He knew that they wouldn’t be doing anything but focusing on their stubborn Lady when this ceremony finished. If she strayed above his knee, that hand was his. He wasn’t letting go until the judgment was over and everyone had left. It was good that they already knew most of what would be said.
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She kept her touches confined to his lower leg mostly. Her fingers would tease as she scraped her nails across his skin and then she would retreat and almost pet him through the cloth of his pants. It was driving him insane. He wanted more than those innocent touches. What really sent desire spiking through him was when she rested her head against his thigh. She’d nuzzle against him as if she’d found a really comfortable place to rest. He knew it wasn’t because she was tired. She’d occasionally glance at him from the corner of her eyes. He saw sheer determination and wicked intent in those beautiful gold eyes. Her plan was to provoke. She’d definitely drawn a reaction and his teasing wasn’t going to be as subtle as hers. He took heart in the fact that she was pushing them when they were in such close quarters. She knew they could order everyone out at a moment’s notice even if she thought they probably wouldn’t. Her trust in them had grown. She wouldn’t have done this before. She’d have fumed and waited until they were in public again before chancing angering them. At one point, her palm slipped up to his knee. Her fingers traced the seam of his pants. He didn’t take the time to wonder if she’d decide to get bolder. He took the opportunity to snag her wrist. He pulled her arm, forcing her to straighten. Once she did sit up against the chairs again, he didn’t take the chance of even loosening his hold. She leaned over and nipped at him, obviously trying to startle him into releasing her hand, but the thick cloth of his pants blunted the sting. He gave a soft growl just to let her know he’d felt it and that he didn’t want it happening again. She turned her head and met his eyes. Her lips pulled back in a snarl. He bit back a smile. She showed her anger openly. She was definitely moving past the fear that had ruled her at first. That thrilled and aroused him. She’d never be able to accept them if she feared them. As the last man stepped up to tell his side of the story, Colm stroked his finger over the back of her hand. He kept his eyes on the man in front of them, but also kept his attention on the woman sitting in front of them. She hadn’t given up her mission to torment them. She simply couldn’t do it effectively while he had her hand. It was the major reason he wasn’t releasing her until this was over and they could talk without interruption. To the man’s credit, he didn’t make excuses. He simply told the story, nodded to them and then stepped back among the other men to wait for their decision. If they hadn’t found out that this was almost a regular practice, it might have given them some cause to mitigate the punishment. Unfortunately, the man had been using his nightly duty on the wall as a time to have sex with a woman for weeks. “It’s obvious that the failure of our defenses that night was not only from the absence of one man on the wall. If any of the other men present had stepped forward and said something or even told him that they would, it would have stopped.” Linc stood from his chair.
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Colm rose as well, but he kept his hold on Cami’s hand. He expected her to do something, but surprisingly, she stayed still between them. Her hand was relaxed in his now, when before she’d constantly tried to pull it free. Colm turned his eyes to the man who had been in charge of the night guard duty on the wall. “Two humans got into the Thent. There are two Santir out there who would love such an opportunity. You had a responsibility to lead these men and you didn’t do it. Before you are given such a position again, you’re going to have to prove you can handle it.” “The entire group of you will be broken up and will not be working together,” Linc said with a hard look at all of the men. “As for you, Densel, you will work your way up again through the ranks. You have to prove that we can rely on you. It’s not going to be easy to earn back the trust that’s been lost.” “You may go.” Colm dismissed them all and waited until the last of the men left the room. Finally, they were alone with Cami. Releasing her arm, Colm stepped forward and then turned to face her. She rose to her feet. Her hands landed on her hips and her chin lifted to a proud, stubborn angle. The way she’d thinned her lips only made him want to kiss her. Now that was his woman. “What part of ‘behave’ did you not understand?” Colm leaned forward, deliberately getting into her space to see how she’d react. He suspected that the shell of fear around her had cracked and might even be falling away. She smiled and put her finger against his chest. “What part of ‘I don’t want to be here’ did you not get? I didn’t choose to be in here. If you didn’t like the way I sat there, maybe you should have sent me out of the room.” “We don’t give in to bad behavior. It just encourages more.” Linc moved up beside Colm and shook his head. “Next time, we’ll temporarily clear the room and put you over a knee. Since you’re ready to challenge us and push, we’re going to start treating you as a woman who can handle what we have to offer.” Colm smiled. He was more than ready to start doing that, but knew that even now, they’d need to move with a little more caution and gauge her reaction. As much as he’d like to throw off all restraint, he didn’t want to see the fear in her eyes again. Her mouth worked and he knew she was trying to come up with some kind of response to his statement, something that would hold him back. She clearly hadn’t thought they would push right back. “I won’t play nice if you try this again.” She bared her teeth at him. The fact that she answered with a threat made him smile and sent a surge of lust through him. This was his mate. The sight of her eyes bright with emotion and the scent of both anger and desire lured him closer to her. He took a slow step forward. She stood her ground. “Don’t even think about it.” She poked a finger against his chest. 132
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“Nari, how can I resist when you’re daring me with every word and with the delicious scent of your arousal.” He let his hands slide over her arms. He kept his touch light. She could pull away if she tried, but she didn’t so much as shrug. His fingers glided down her arms and circled her wrists. He lifted them and looped her hands over his shoulders. Her nails sank into his neck. He knew it was supposed to be a warning, but it excited him. “Come on, Cami. You don’t want me? Step back and walk away.” He drew his palms down her sides, giving her every opportunity to do as he suggested. “Show me what you want.” He saw Linc circle around to the side. Linc was close, but seemed to be careful about leaving her space if she wanted to step back from them. Cami’s eyes cut to the side. Emotions flickered across her face and through the gold of her eyes. He couldn’t catch all of them, but he definitely saw speculation and desire among the caution. “Are you ready to show us what kind of woman we’ve got on our hands? Is that what today was about?” Linc drew his fingers across her cheek in a soft caress. Her eyes flickered closed briefly, but then she seemed to gather herself. She glared at both of them. “That’s not what today was about. Are you blind? I wanted to show you that you can’t simply push me into this position and not expect me to push back.” “That’s your way of putting it. Me, I see a strong woman finally ready to show us the real person she’s been hiding. You didn’t want to be here and you made us more than aware of it. You wouldn’t have done it before.” Colm smiled and let his hands smooth inward over her stomach. She stared at him wide-eyed. “I liked it. Under any other circumstances, I would have let you explore as much as you liked, but your effect on my body was intense, even if your touch was rather tame. You want to try it again?” Linc’s head cocked to the side and arched a brow at her. “Do you want to touch and be touched with both of us here this time?” It was the first time they’d been together with her and pressed her sexually. Colm thought it was past time that they did. She needed to know with everything in her that she belonged with both of them. It wasn’t just one of them. She licked her lips. His eyes followed the slick path of her tongue. He didn’t know if she was nervous, but the move was flat-out riveting and sexy. Sweeping his glance down her body, he noticed her hands clenching and flexing at her side. His eyebrow raised, but he wouldn’t even begin to guess what was on her mind. Did she want to touch them or was she panicked? Even with that, he wasn’t going to back off before he had a chance to find out what she was thinking. “I thought you were going to teach me to use focused magic.” Her eyes drifted lower to his chest. Colm smiled as he realized she was interested in touching them. “We will, but we can do it after.”
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“We won’t press you further than you’re prepared to go this time, Cami.” Linc combed his fingers through the hair along the side of her face. “Are you brave enough to take the chance?” She took a deep breath as if she actually was gathering her courage. Colm flicked his eyes to the pulse point at her neck and saw it fluttering. Whatever she used to mask her scent messed up his ability to identify her emotions through scent, but he’d guess that it was nervousness. She slowly nodded. “I want to touch too, not just be touched.” She swallowed heavily after making that admission. “Feel free, nari. Touch anywhere you want. I’d love to have your hands on me.” Colm smiled. He’d love to have her touching him any way she wanted. Hands, mouth, body. She lifted her head. “Both of you?” “Yes, both of us.” Linc nodded and lifted his arms wide. “Feel free. I want you to feel free to come up and curl an arm around us or kiss us any time you want. You’re our mate.” She opened her mouth, probably to deny it, but closed it again without saying anything. Colm let out a slow breath. He didn’t know how he would have reacted if she’d again denied their connection. Every time she did, the urge to prove just how strong the tie between them was grew more intense. She looked back at the door. “No one will need you?” “No one will come through that door without knocking. There’s nothing going on today that won’t wait.” Linc held out his hand. “We’re waiting. Are you going to take the chance?” That chin lifted and her shoulders straightened. She narrowed her eyes and slowly took a step toward them. Apparently challenging her got a response almost every time. It was a good thing to know. She hesitated and seemed to be trying to decide which one to touch. Her hands brushed up the front of Linc’s shirt. Colm simply watched, although he’d have loved to move in behind her and fill his hands with her breasts. He didn’t want to panic her when she was taking the first steps of being with both of them. She needs to get accustomed to both of us touching her. Linc’s eyes met his. Colm acknowledged that Linc was right about that, but still he wasn’t going to press her between them. I don’t want to panic her. She needs time to get accustomed to both of us. What happened to maybe we were going too easy on her? Linc’s hand cupped the back of her head as he pulled her up for a kiss. Different situation. If we panic her here, she’ll back away. It’ll take even longer to help her relax and accept us. Colm sidestepped and then approached from the side so that she’d have plenty of room to move if she needed. She needed to relax and accept them. He
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didn’t know why it was suddenly so important, but it had become one of his top priorities Well, I wasn’t thinking about pushing too much. Not even fucking her. But you may be right about pressing her between us being too much. I can’t wait until we can hold her that way. Linc brushed kisses over her cheeks and down her neck. Cami wasn’t making it easy for his bond brother to maintain a conversation, Colm realized. She’d unfastened the buttons on his shirt and had pushed it wide. He saw her nails scrape over both of Linc’s nipples before sweeping around and flicking at the tips. “I think giving her entirely free rein might be a mistake.” Linc gritted through clenched teeth. “We haven’t really touched her yet though.” Colm smiled as Cami glanced over at him. He could see the sultry heat in her eyes. He wanted to watch that gaze turn molten with desire. She didn’t seem to be nervous or uncomfortable. She looked as if she was enjoying what she was doing. “Why don’t you see how she likes your touch?” Linc grinned over him. Colm knew the only reason he said it out loud was so that Cami would know that he was going to touch her. She turned her head a little and watched him, but she didn’t let up on running her hands over Linc’s chest and stomach. Each time her hand seemed to go lower. Linc’s hips rocked forward as if trying to urge her hands down to where he needed them. She seemed determined to tease. That was probably a good thing for the moment. They needed to touch her and let her be at ease with both of them before she managed to strip away the last of his control. Colm wasn’t sure how she’d react. She’d only become accustomed to being with the two of them if they moved slowly and showed her the pleasure they could give her. Colm let his hand lightly rest against her back to see how she reacted to having them both touch her. She didn’t even tense. His hand swept up her back and down again. He wasn’t going to take the time to work out why she seemed so at ease with him. Now that he had his hands on her, he wanted to feel the heat of her skin and hear how much she enjoyed his touch. He stepped a little farther to the side so that he’d have more access to her shirt. He wanted to push it aside at the least, but he planned to try to get it totally out of the way. He brushed his fingers across her face. Her eyes widened a little, but she turned her head into his touch. A soft moan fell from her lips. He was good, but he knew a simple touch on the cheek couldn’t inspire that response. Glancing down, he saw Linc’s fingers tugging at her nipples through the fabric of her shirt. He smiled. “Want to see those gorgeous mounds, Linc?” Colm asked on a growl, but didn’t wait for his bond brother to answer him. His fingers went to the top fastenings of her shirt. “Oh, yeah, I think it’s only fair. She has my shirt open. Those little nails are killers.” Linc grinned and gave another tweak of her nipples. 135
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She shivered, but apparently she decided on a little payback. The fingers of one hand found Linc’s nipple and plucked as the other dived down to cup the ridge of his cock. Linc groaned. His hips rocked forward in a silent demand. Colm was more than a little envious. He wanted her hands on him, but he also wanted to make her crazy and see the passion take away any thought of teasing. He intended to wrap her up in the feeling. The only thoughts in her head should be of the next moment and the feel of their hands and mouths on her. When he pushed her shirt wide, he stared for a moment at the firm mounds. They were gorgeous. The dark tips were already tight and stiff. His mouth watered at the thought of sucking on them. “Beautiful.” Linc’s voice rumbled with a growl. Colm looked over and saw Linc’s eyes locked onto those lush curves. Colm could easily imagine the thoughts running through his bond brother’s head. He could spend hours enjoying those luscious mounds. Sucking and licking were just the beginning. He wanted to press them together and slide his cock between them as Linc drove deep into her pussy. The ache in his cock brought his attention back to reality. He had to focus on the present, because he knew they couldn’t go that far this time. Getting her at ease with the two of them was too important. He looked to Linc and his bond brother nodded and stepped a little closer to the chair. Linc sent him a focused image of Cami sprawled across his lap as Colm knelt beside her. The idea sizzled through him, but he didn’t know if they’d be able to get her to go along with it. She might feel too trapped by the position. Still, he thought it would be better to ask than to simply do it when she became too wrapped up in her passion. If she panicked and bolted then, it would set them back even more than if the idea stopped her now. Colm cupped the side of her cheek. “Do you think you could sit across Linc’s lap while we touch you without feeling trapped?” She looked at Linc and then bit her lip. Colm was almost kicking himself for breaking the mood while she silently debated the request. Her eyes were big and he could see the desire slowly fading. Her hand smoothed over Linc’s chest and then she reached out to touch Colm’s jaw. Colm closed his eyes at the featherlight touch. “I’ll try.” The two words came out slowly and in a voice so quiet that he wondered if he’d imagined them. When she looked at him expectantly, he finally realized that it wasn’t wishful thinking. Linc eased back into the chair and held out his arms. She eased onto his lap and her gaze was locked on Linc’s face as if looking for something there. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight for a moment before loosening his hold and resting one hand behind her back, to brace her and letting the other drape over her skirt-covered leg. Kiss her. I don’t want her to get too nervous about what’s going to happen. Linc let his hand slowly trail down to the bottom of the dark-blue skirt.
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Colm knelt beside the chair. He gently cupped her chin and turned her face to his. He kept his touch light for a few moments giving her time to react to the touch. Her lips opened under his immediately and her tongue thrust against his lips in demand. He met the eager response without questioning her motives. He kissed her hard, letting her feel the possessiveness and urgency pumping through his veins. Her fingers clenched in his hair, tugging him closer. She moaned under his lips and the sound shot through him. He let his fingers move up to her breast and cupped the full mound. Her back arched, pressing the lush flesh into his palm. He didn’t need any more encouragement. He swept his thumb over the stiff peak. “Can I have a kiss now?” Linc’s voice jolted Colm. He’d almost forgotten his bond brother was there. Colm lifted his head reluctantly and let her turn her head to Linc. He focused on the delicious curves of her breasts. He watched as his thumb flicked across her nipple. Her skin wasn’t quite as dark as his and he liked the contrast. Her darkened nipple tightened. He wanted to put his mouth over that crest. His mouth watered. Lowering his head, he took the taut bud between his lips. His hand smoothed over her stomach. The muscles beneath his hand quivered and jerked as she lifted into his touch. He loved that responsiveness and looked forward to a time when she wasn’t held back by fear. He knew there would probably always be a moment or two when she was taken by surprise. There were moments for him and he hadn’t gone through anything similar to what she had. Not wanting her to get too accustomed to one touch, he let his hand fall away from her breast and smoothed it over her belly. He felt her breath hitch. Scraping his teeth over her flesh, he drew his mouth up until the tip of her nipple barely touched his lips. He blew warm air across it and watched it tighten again. She shivered and then moaned long and low. Colm lifted his head. He knew he hadn’t gotten her that revved up so quickly. Her teeth nibbled on her lip and her head arched back over Linc’s arm as she moaned again. He swept his eyes down her body and found that Linc had pushed her skirt up to her waist and slipped his hand between her thighs. Because of the cloth, Colm couldn’t see exactly what his bond brother was doing, but knew he was probably flicking at her clit or working his fingers into her tight pussy. Her legs widened a little in blatant invitation. He wanted to watch and savor the sight of Linc making her crazy with desire, but he also wanted to push her hunger higher himself. Her fingers smoothed over his arm and swept up to his shoulder. The sound of her panting breaths and the feel of her hand as she clenched his shirt in her fist thrilled him. She was touching and responding to both of them. It almost didn’t seem real. He lowered his head and licked around the bud before lapping at that nipple. He played with it. His tongue licked around the sensitive tip before grazing it with his teeth. He savored the heat and softeness of her skin. His hand swept in teasing forays
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back to the other taut globe and then retreated just as she pressed up into his touch. Her taste was intoxicating. He knew that stepping back from her when she came was going to cost him. His cock already throbbed with the need to drive into her. He wanted to feel those inner muscles squeezing his cock again. “Don’t you love those sounds?” Linc asked. Colm looked up and didn’t try to hide his smile when another of those low, sexy moans rolled from her throat. The sound reminded him of a purr. He promised himself he’d hear that sound one day. They’d satisfy her so much that she wouldn’t be able to stop that contented rumble as she snuggled in their arms. “Oh, yeah, but I want to hear her come.” He leaned over and took her lips in a swift, hungry kiss that only spiked his own need. She whimpered when he pulled away and returned his lips to her breast. He drew the nipple into his mouth and sucked. His other hand squeezed the neglected breast. He flicked the hardened nipple with his thumb as his tongue swiped at her other taut peak. He’d liked to have given that one equal time with his lips, but knew the risk was too great. It would mean leaning over her. He didn’t want to make her feel trapped now. Her back arched, pressing the peak deeper into his mouth. He scraped his teeth over it and plucked at the other nipple simultaneously. He felt her muscles tense as her climax rippled through her body. She tensed and a broken cry flowed from her lips. Shivers racked her body. He kept licking and sucking even as the pleasure washed over her, wanting to extend the bliss for as long as he could. His hands stroked over her belly in a slow, soothing motion. When her breathing finally slowed and her heartbeat calmed, he lifted his lips and looked up at her. She blinked. Her gold eyes still held the slumberous heaviness of desire. Gods, she was beautiful. He wanted to stroke his hand over her face. That would have to wait until she was a little more relaxed around them. He didn’t want to press her too much after the progress they’d made. She’d been very conscious of that scar on her cheek, he didn’t want to make her think about it now when she was so relaxed. Linc helped her to sit and she swung her legs off the arm of the chair. Colm moved a little to the side so that she had a way out of their embrace if she wanted. Now that her desire had faded, her fear might return. Linc’s hand ran over her shoulder and he pulled her against him in a quick hug. Colm wished she could be at ease with them all the time. The cautious distance she put between them at most times frustrated him. He wanted his mate at his side. Part of him wanted to drag her into their bed every night, but she had to realize that it was where she belonged. She had to claim them as much as they claimed her. She looked up at him and a blush flared over her cheeks. He liked the rush of color and the shy smile she gave him. Rising to his full height, he backed away to give her room. She stood and smoothed her skirt down. Her eyes skittered away from his and
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she fidgeted a little. The nervousness was cute, but he didn’t want her embarrassed with them. He planned to have her flushed and aroused as often as possible. “Now, are you ready to learn what to do with that focused energy you had earlier?” Colm asked with a smile. He was trying to keep her relaxed and at ease with them. He suspected that if he waited for her to say something, she’d try to put some distance between them. She looked a little surprised and her eyes drifted down his body. He knew she was looking at the ridge of his cock. That look caused the throbbing ache to build. The temptation to stroke his palm over the bulge as she watched pushed at him. He knew doing that would cause more pain, but he wanted her to be comfortable with them as well as know the effect she had on them. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather wait?” Her eyes rose to meet his before skittering away as her cheeks darkened again. “This is normal. Do you think we can pleasure you without becoming aroused ourselves? Impossible. I simply look at you and I want to take your clothes off and feast.” Colm shook his head. Even before he’d thought of her as his mate, he’d wanted her fiercely, but the intensity of the feelings had kept him from pursuing it. She was right. He hadn’t wanted to chance a true mating with a female. Somehow, he must have realized that the strength of his attraction to her was beyond normal lust. “And it will become more intense once we finally manage to talk you out of the tools you’re using to hide your scent. We always want you and know you feel the same. The magic lesson is necessary. You’re focusing your power now without meaning to do it. We don’t want an accident to cause any setbacks to the confidence you’ve gained.” Linc rose easily from the chair, but stayed where he was. “You mean that I might hurt someone if I get angry.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “That’s a possibility, but it’s not going to happen. We’re going to work with you and you’ll control it just as you do the rising power now.” Linc’s tone was firm and assured. She looked between them for a moment and didn’t seem certain of what they’d said, but nodded. “What do I do?” “It’s not too different from what you’ve been doing up to this point.” Colm stepped back, giving her room. As much as he’d like to be close to her, she’d need the space when she worked on this. He didn’t want anything to go wrong simply because he was too concentrated on her. She needed to learn this, not only to control her magic, but it would increase her ability to protect herself from Laed and Kynar. “Focus is the first element. What were you thinking of when your hands became hot out there on the stairs?” Linc joined Colm, but his eyes never left Cami. She tilted her head and Colm saw her straighten as a little of her earlier anger returned. He hadn’t wanted to remind her of that. It had been necessary to make her
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realize how she had done it. Aside from that, he knew that making her come wasn’t going to take away her anger. “I wanted to blast you down the staircase.” She bit her lip as she made the admission. “Doesn’t surprise me. We were being demanding and you didn’t want to follow orders. We knew you’d be furious.” Linc shrugged. “So I’m supposed to become angry again?” She frowned and her hands flexed at her side. “I still am, but I don’t think I can get it up to that level again.” “No, you don’t need to be angry. You won’t need any emotion fueling this and we’ll go with something that doesn’t involve bodily harm to either of us. We have plans for you. Injuries would interfere.” Colm raised an eyebrow wanting to see if she’d respond to his words. “Can’t have anything interfere with your plans.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Now, how do I do this and what’s my target?” Colm looked around and his eyes locked on the pillows on the floor. He went and picked a few. Taking them over to the wall near the doors, he lined them up. Looking back, he saw her smiling. It didn’t take much thought to know why she liked the idea of destroying those cushions. “There are more pillows in the castle, you know.” He didn’t fight the grin curving his lips. “If we want you here again, you will sit in front of us.” “We’ll see. Tell me what to do. I focus. I know there’s more than that. I want to be able to do this and more. I want to do everything.” She tilted her head and stared at him. “Well, we need to teach you some basics before you can do everything, because what we’re going to do is relatively simple. Now focus on the pillows. I want you to visualize a circle of power in your palm. Concentrate, because the magic isn’t going to naturally form a ball,” Linc instructed quietly. “Focus, visualize and mold it to your will.” It took her a little while. Colm watched as the energy formed in her palm, golden and glowing. It pooled and wavered in her hand. The details were important in building shields and more complex constructs. “Cami, you’re not concentrating. Push it into a ball. It’s your magic. Make it do what you want it to do.” Linc’s voice was firm but encouraging. She shot a glare at Linc before looking down at her palm. Colm pressed his lips tightly together to keep from chuckling at her expression. She was so damn cute with that determined frown and the narrowed eyes. The magic pulsed in her hand and tightened into a pulsating oval. She growled as it collapsed into a blob again in her palm. “You’re trying too hard. It’s not what you see with your eyes. Picture a ball in your mind and then fill the ball with the magic,” Colm suggested.
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She took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a moment then straightened her shoulders. When her eyes flickered open again, she looked down at her palm. This time the power pulsed and jumped only once before flowing upward into a tight ball. A smile curved her lips. He thought she was going to lose her focus with the success, but she managed to keep control. The glowing ball of magic remained in her palm. “Now what do I do with this? Throw it?” She looked over at him and then Linc. “Throwing it isn’t necessary. Visualize and then will it to do what you want. It’s much easier and more accurate than physically hurling the ball. Concentrate.” Linc nodded toward the pillows. “Now, show us what you can do.” “The reason I’m here is because I don’t know what to do,” she muttered. “Will it to do what I want, I know…” She continued muttering beneath her breath. Colm didn’t catch the rest of what she said, but knew it was probably something a little violent. Her temper was definitely showing lately. He didn’t mind it. That emotion heralded healing and deeper feelings. Both very good things. The ball hovered over her hand for a moment and then slammed into the pillow. Colm nodded. She’d picked it up fairly fast. It didn’t surprise him. She was serious and determined to master something once they introduced it to her. With practice, he knew she’d be able to strengthen it and make it into a formidable weapon. Without waiting for them to tell her, she formed another orb and slung it at another pillow. “I think you have the idea now. We’ll practice and teach you more, later.” Colm walked over and brushed his fingers across her cheek. “Ready to go out and get back to hiding from us?” “I wasn’t hiding from you.” She frowned and put a hand on his chest. “Just trying to get a little time away from something I felt was going to cause a change that I might not want.” “Same thing.” Colm smiled, simply to see the flush of temper rise on her cheeks. “It’s not. If I wanted to hide from you, I could have.” Her finger poked right above his nipple as if emphasizing her words. “Now open the door and remove whatever you did to keep me in here. I think I’ve had enough alone time with you two.” “You know, I think I might have to make you eat those words one day.” Linc brushed his hand over her hair. “The shielding spell is gone. You’ll be able to get out the door now.” “We’ll talk and more again after we eat tonight.” Colm reluctantly stepped away from her. “Maybe.” She grinned and began to walk toward the doors. Colm watched the sway of her hips. They’d definitely spend some time with her, maybe even convince her to spend the night with them.
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Chapter Nineteen Cami still felt a little stunned even after a night to sleep and think about things. She headed for the stairs. Gods, she needed to get outside. It had been a long day already and she’d just finished the midday meal. She hadn’t expected Colm and Linc to push her into that kind of position when they’d seemed prepared to wait for her to take the next step for so long. Things had changed. Colm and Linc had taken their pursuit public and were in full hunt. Shaking her head, she focused on what she needed. Sturdy shoes, because the slippers on her feet wouldn’t do even for a sojourn within the walls of the Thent. The tan skirt could stay. She didn’t expect to get to go outside of the defense walls, but even the thought of feeling the sun on her face was enough to lighten her mood from the heavy thoughts and anxiety that had plagued her since she’d woken. It didn’t help that she couldn’t stop thinking of last night. Colm and Linc hadn’t pressed beyond asking if she’d sleep with them, but she knew they were impatient to tug her fully into their lives. The little touches on the way up the stairs last night definitely had her thinking of them and sex. Small brushes of fingers over her arm or down her back sent sparks sizzling over her skin. It hadn’t been easy to say no when she wanted those touches all over her body without clothes getting in the way. Today, she hadn’t done more than walk through the main building yet, but she could already tell there was a distinct change in the way people viewed her. She felt a growl building low in her throat. There was a respect in the gazes of most of the men now. Not that there had ever been any disrespect. It was simply that they saw her as Linc and Colm’s Lady now. It was a higher position than guest or even member of the Thent. She shook her head. It wasn’t so much the men that irritated her though. They wouldn’t cause her trouble. It was the females. So far she’d only seen a few women. They had looked at her with a little confusion as if they didn’t understand the sudden change. She expected to be confronted with more than that. She’d received some icy stares from a few women before Linc and Colm had decided to take this step. Those women wouldn’t be merely stunned. She knew that their reactions could be much worse than the confrontations she’d had before. The women who’d confronted her before had been a little angry at her sudden appearance in Linc and Colm’s life, but after the initial confrontation, had seemed to move on to other things. Cami expected anger had been simmering in one or two women. It was going to explode now.
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Today, one woman in particular glared at her. As long as she kept it to mere stares, Cami didn’t care about that. Judging by the intense anger in that gaze, Cami suspected that the woman wouldn’t be content to hate her from afar. She didn’t think she’d have long to wait either. In one of life’s unfair twists, she was going to have deal with it. The men who caused this entire mess wouldn’t have to deal with anything except the aftermath. Well, and her anger, because if there was more drama with the women, she was going to be pissed. She shook her head. Just as she turned to start up the stairs, someone barreled into her, shoving her against the wall. The force was too great and the impact too direct to be anything other than intentional. The impact into the wall stunned Cami, but it also knocked the woman back a step. Claws sprang from the tips of her fingers and her teeth lengthened at the unexpected attack. Even though she’d expected something to happen, she hadn’t thought anyone would attack her this way. Cami spun in the small space available. When hands tried to grab for her, she dug the sharp tips of her nails into the slender forearms. The black-haired woman yowled as Cami’s claws sunk deep. The woman jumped back. Cami slipped out of the corner and put a little distance between them. Cami eyed the petite female with distaste. She recognized her as the one who’d glared at her from across the room earlier. Cowardly bitch. Cami didn’t linger too long in thoughts of the attack from the back. Her eyes narrowed. The woman wanted to make things physical, Cami would definitely oblige her. “Well, you’ve got my attention now and you’re going to pay for it.” Cami’s lips pulled back in a snarl. She wasn’t going to back away and try to talk this woman out of any further violence. This type of woman would only see it as weakness. The woman growled and if she’d been in tiron form, her hackles would have raised. “You don’t belong here.” Cami shook her head at the woman’s words. She could practically hear the burning jealousy there. “Funny. I didn’t know you had any say in that.” Shock and fury flashed over the woman’s face. She jumped forward with a scream of rage. Her fingers flexed as if to slash and claw at Cami. Cami moved out of the way. Her hand caught the woman’s shoulder, propelling her into the opposite wall. Since she didn’t have a good grip on the woman’s arm, she backed away and waited. She didn’t hold out much hope that her opponent would see that this was stupid. Cami was a little surprised at the woman’s quick reaction. She hadn’t expected one comment to make her lose control, but was astounded that she didn’t feel more fear. Even though she’d known she was slowly recovering from the attack, she’d thought that a situation such as this might give her trouble. Maybe it was the fact that she was facing a woman. All she felt was determination and a slow, building anger over the 143
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woman’s initial attack. What did astound her was that men weren’t here already in response to the scream. “What’s the matter? Can’t decide what to do now that your craven sneak attack failed?” Cami didn’t try to hold back the disdain in her voice or expression. The woman swung her claws at Cami’s face. Cami jumped back from the swipe, but immediately glided forward and sliced a punch up toward the woman’s jaw. The blow glanced off the woman’s jaw as the black-haired woman instinctively flinched back. She saw a little surprise in the other female’s eyes. “I’m not so easily intimidated.” Cami shook her head, but never took her eyes off the woman. She knew she couldn’t afford to let her guard down a moment. “I’m going to make you afraid. I’ll hurt you and keep doing it until you leave this Thent. They’re mine,” the woman snarled. “Yours?” Cami shook her head and bit off a laugh. “I doubt you were even under consideration. I dreamed of them with more than a few of the women in this Thent, some more than one time. I never saw you. I didn’t even know they touched you.” “They want me now!” The woman rushed at Cami. Cami twisted out of the way of the furious woman. She grabbed the petite woman’s shoulder and then slammed her head into the wall before she could spin around to come at her again. She was getting tired of dealing with Colm and Linc’s angry past lovers. “More and more I begin to doubt their level of intelligence and taste when it comes to women.” She shook her head and then stripped off the woman’s belt to tie her hands. She didn’t know what she was going to do with the woman, but leaving the other female’s hands free for another attack seemed careless. “I’ll take her,” a male voice announced. Cami jumped. Where did he come from? He certainly hadn’t been there more than a moment or two. “I just got past the women in the hall set to distract us.” He smiled and stepped forward when she backed away from the woman sprawled on the floor near the base of the stairs. “The Ardin will probably be inside shortly.” The question must have been plain to see on her face, because she knew she hadn’t said that out loud. As for the Ardin, she was angry enough right now to try to disappear on them. However, if she did that, she wouldn’t get to yell at them. Right now she really wanted to yell at them. “No questions about what happened?” She raised a brow. It didn’t seem right that he just walked into the middle of this and calmly took the other woman without hearing either side of the story. “I heard enough even before getting past the other women to know she wanted to hurt you. The sound carries rather well along these hallways. On top of that, you
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couldn’t have gotten those women to run interference.” He nodded and hauled the woman to her feet. “I’m going to my room. If they get here before I get back, that’s where I’ll be.” She started up the stairs. She was going to need a few minutes to calm down. Not only because of the power flowing through her, but because she didn’t want to lose control and go at those two men. She had to admit he was right about the other women. She hadn’t made many friends here yet. Most of the females here only tolerated her. When she closed the door to her room behind her, she began pacing. Shivers raced over her body. Anger boiled through her. She whipped around and stalked back to the other end of the room. Colm and Linc were responsible for part of this and she heaped a lot of the blame their way, but she knew it wasn’t only them. The women in this damn Thent played a part and so did she. The women were trying to grab onto something safe and known as well as the power of being their Lady. Cami stopped and clenched her fists. In a way, she was taking the easy way the same as them. She was so afraid to take the chance that Linc and Colm would turn away from her at some point that she’d been trying to hide from the truth. In doing so, she almost encouraged this. She hadn’t acknowledged their claim on her or hers on them, even verbally. She growled and scowled over at her bag. She had the almost insane desire to dig the bottles out and throw them at the wall. She wasn’t sure about the future. Even with her growing abilities and those dreams, she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to stay here. It was time to stop cowering in a corner. If nothing else, the last few days had shown her that. She was strong and she was a survivor. If she had to leave, she’d do it if they’d claimed her or not. She knew they’d chase her regardless. She’d keep the bottles, just in case she couldn’t stay. It might help her gain a little distance on them. The decision was almost a relief. While she brushed her hair and straightened her clothes, she thought about what she was going to do. Is it really such a great idea? Was her anger leading her to take a step that she’d regret later? She exhaled slowly as she thought about it. It might not be the smartest idea she’d ever had, but the time to hide from the truth had passed. Colm and Linc knew that she was their mate. She’d never be able to convince them otherwise. And the women of this Thent weren’t taking the hint from Colm and Linc’s behavior. She was really tired of dealing with drama from their past relationships. In that sense, doing this could only be helpful and not hurt much at all. The most stubborn of the women might still be a problem. At least they’d know for certain that Linc and Colm weren’t free. She might regret it in some ways. Colm and Linc were sure to think of this as some sort of surrender. That gave her a few qualms, even though it wasn’t how she saw the decision.
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She nodded and turned to leave the room. Time to do this before she managed to talk herself out of it. No more hiding behind her fear or waiting to see what was going to happen. She headed down the hallway, but stopped at the top of the stairs as she saw Linc and Colm mounting the steps. Each man wore a fierce, determined look. Both men looked even more intimidating than normal, since both of them wore stark black from shoulder to toes. She didn’t know why they were in a bad mood. They hadn’t been attacked. “Are you all right?” Linc walked up the last of the steps and curved his arm around her waist. She leaned into him briefly. “I was attacked from behind, Linc. What I am is tired of this. I want to talk to the other women now.” “We’ll take care of it.” Colm hadn’t moved from where he stood on the steps. “No, we tried your way, if you’ll remember. The blatant demonstration didn’t work with these women. They won’t believe anything you say and they’ll come at me again.” She took a deep breath and struggled to keep her voice as even as possible. “And you think they’ll believe you.” Colm raised a brow. “I don’t care if they believe me, but they’re going to know what’s going to happen if they attack me again.” She met Colm’s eyes and then turned her head to Linc. She hoped they saw her determination and recognized that she’d made her decision. They always seemed so certain. She hadn’t seen any type of doubt on anything other than Colm’s doubt about wanting to search for his true mate. She still didn’t know what had held him back from it. She knew they wanted to protect her. That hadn’t changed. She wasn’t going to let the women think she was hiding behind the Ardin’s protection. She didn’t need their strength in this instance. She did wonder how they’d react to her claim of them, but it wasn’t at the top of her worries. Linc met her eyes. He was silent so long that she couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking. Was he going to say no and do it on his own? She knew there wouldn’t be an end to trouble that way, even if they made a blatant claim. She was almost holding her breath when he slowly nodded. “Do you want all of the women or only the single women?” Colm leaned a shoulder against the wall. He seemed a little more relaxed than he was before. “Only the unmated women. They’re the ones who can’t seem to see the obvious. The men haven’t had that problem. After you two decided you wanted me, the other men never even approached me.” She hadn’t thought about that at the time. She’d been too busy trying to think of a way to keep them at a distance. Now that she had, she wondered why none of them had seemed to see her as an available woman. “Of course they didn’t. We told them that you were ours. They know that we wouldn’t tolerate that.” Colm smiled.
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A shiver raced down her spine at the predatorial baring of teeth. If that’s the attitude they’d taken with their men, she could so understand no one coming near her. Too bad she couldn’t do that. It wasn’t that simple with the women. She didn’t have the intimidation factor that he had. On top of that, they had years of the men’s behavior to influence them. From her dreams and what she could gather, Colm and Linc had fucked and courted many of the single women in this Thent as Colm tried to find someone to fit his expectations. “I’ll gather them together. We’ll meet you at the bottom of the steps near the entrance.” Linc nodded and the look he shot Colm was significant. Cami would have to be blind to miss it. She knew they were probably talking through the bond they shared. Linc’s gentle hold guided her to the step where Colm waited. Linc squeezed past and then looked back over his shoulder. Colm gave a slight nod before his hand cupped her elbow. With a gentle pressure, he urged to walk with him to the hallway and down to the library where they’d met with the chatar. Once they were inside the room, he released her. She took a few steps back, but noticed he stayed exactly where he was and simply watched her. Cami frowned. Nervousness clawed through her. Her stomach tightened into a knot and her palms became slick from sweat. She had no idea what this was about or why he’d pulled her into the room. This day had sucked so far. She didn’t know if she could handle too many more surprises. “Are you sure about whatever you’re going to do?” Colm leaned against the door. One of his thumbs hooked onto his belt. His head cocked to one side and he appeared to be trying to judge her determination. “Yes, why would you think I wasn’t certain?” She narrowed her eyes and straightened. Did he think that she was so weak that she couldn’t make a decision and stick to it? “We’ve seen some impulsiveness from you. While we love it, we don’t want you to do something that you’ll regret before the night is over because you’re angry and frustrated.” He straightened and took the three steps necessary to close the distance between them. “It’s not hard to think of what you might do here, but if you remove any of the barriers between us, we’re not going to let you put them back up. I want you too much. Already it feels as if we’ve been waiting years for you.” “This isn’t an impulse. Yes, I came to a decision, but it’s not anything I haven’t been thinking about for days and weeks. While I may have a few worries, I’m not going to change my mind. And seriously, years? You’re the one who didn’t want to have a true mate. You wanted any other woman except me.” She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. He looked concerned, but he made it sound as if she jumped from one thing to another without thought. “I did have a reason for wanting that. I know I haven’t told you about it yet.” He came away from the door. His fingers brushed the side of her cheek as he stopped directly in front of her.
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“You keep saying that, but you never get around to explaining. Now isn’t the time either. It’s not going to take much time for Linc to get everyone together.” She took a deep breath. He kept delaying and avoiding that explanation and sometimes she wondered if there was an actual reason or if he’d simply had some kind of idea of what type of woman he wanted. “Tonight, we’ll have that talk.” Colm curved an arm around her. “Just so you know, if you do this and then regret it, I’ll turn you over my knee.” “Go ahead and threaten. It just means that I keep my own room a lot longer. From the way you’re trying to talk me out of it, I don’t think you’re ready for the big step anyway.” She grinned at him and enjoyed the way his eyes narrowed. “I told you, no going back. If you do this, you’ll be lucky to keep some clothes in that room.” Colm looked down at her and his arm tightened just a little. “I’m still not sleeping on that bed.” She pulled out of his arms and glared up at him. He and Linc still didn’t seem to understand why she wouldn’t sit on that bed, even after everything they’d learned about her. “What is it with that bed? It’s big and you’d know it’s comfortable if you’d ever touch it. You wouldn’t have to worry about being cold. Between the two of us, you’d hardly ever need a blanket.” Colm edged closer as his voice dropped to a low, sexy growl. “That would be great if it was any other bed except that one.” She clamped her jaw closed and fought to keep from grabbing him and trying to shake some sense into him. Not that it would work. He was too big and muscled for her to move even with all of her strength. “So if the bed was different, you’d stay with us all night?” He raised his eyebrows and a smile spread across his face. “Yes, but I can’t believe you’re focusing on that when a few minutes ago you were trying to talk me out of doing anything.” She shook her head, but couldn’t muster up any true anger over it. She was still a little frustrated that he didn’t understand her reluctance to get into the same bed that he’d shared with nearly every woman in this Thent. “You’ve made your decision so I’m focusing on what’s really important.” His fingers circled her wrist and he tugged her into his arms. “Well, do you think he’s got them all there yet? Or did he wait for you to try to talk me out of it?” She tilted her head to the side a little and glanced up at him. She knew exactly what game he’d been playing and she wanted him to know that. In some ways, she knew them very well. They were occasionally overprotective of her. She liked that they felt that strongly about her, but they had to realize she wouldn’t let them lock her away from all harm. Not only was it impossible, but it would drive her insane. Colm merely raised an eyebrow at her last question. “He’ll be there.”
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“I wouldn’t want to keep the ladies waiting too long. I’m sure some of them have other duties.” She started to the door. Her hand slipped out of Colm’s. She wanted to step back and grab his hand again, but didn’t. This had to be done. They already doubted that it was what she truly wanted to do. She wasn’t going to let them think she needed their strength or support to get through this. Now that it was only a few moments away, her gut churned and her palms dampened. “If you want, you can change your mind about this. Linc will tell them something to explain the gathering.” Colm put his hand on her shoulder, drawing her to a stop before she opened the door. “No, this is what I need to do.” She stared straight ahead. It would be so easy to put the decision in his hands and back away to give it some more time. That was the safest choice. She couldn’t do safe this time. “All right, let’s go and you can say what you must.” Colm reached past her and opened the door. “You’re acting as if this is going to end badly for you.” She shook her head. They’d wanted her to acknowledge that she was their mate since they’d first discovered it. She didn’t know what they were thinking. Were they suddenly getting nervous and wondering if they should be with her or was it really all about giving her a choice? “No, it’s not that I think anything’s going to go wrong. I’d love to be able to smell your real scent and be able to fully claim you. I don’t want you rushed into this because of someone else’s actions.” His arm wrapped around her and pulled her against him in a quick hug. “We’d give you almost anything, Cami, but once we’ve claimed you, we won’t let you put the distance between us again. We’re not that strong.” She’d like to disagree with him, but she knew that backing away would be a struggle for her too. Her stomach churned and sank to the floor at the thought of it. She straightened her shoulders. That was part of the reason she’d tried to keep space between them. Regardless of the pain, she’d do what needed to be done. “There’s a chance I might not even want to put any distance between us.” She bit her lip and looked at him through her lashes. Panic shot through her. Doubts roiled through her, but the draw to them pushed beyond even that. If she hadn’t been recovering from the attack by Laed and Kynar, she wouldn’t have kept away from them this long. It simply wouldn’t be possible. The anger and blatant distrust allowed her to keep some emotional and physical distance between them. “A chance? Before we go out these doors, I want to know if you’re still certain that this is the choice you want.” He put his hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him and smiled. Such a good man. The desire for the full bond shown in his eyes, yet he gave her the opportunity to back away from something that made her anxious. “I’m not changing my mind, but if you’re still wondering if it’s the right decision, the powder will take some time to leave my system. Until it does, I still won’t smell 149
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completely right. If you need time to be sure it’s what you want, you’ll have a little time. The separate rooms will ensure you have plenty of space to think and to be certain.” She didn’t think the time would be necessary. While the offer of time was sweet, he needed to see that doubt could sting. He frowned and she heard a low growl. She hid a smile. Maybe he finally understood this time. He shoved open the door and stalked out onto the steps. She walked at his side, a smile curving her lips and her step a little lighter. She kept her lips tilted upward as she surveyed the assembled group of women waiting at the base of the stairs. Her stomach did flips, but she merely took in a long, slow breath. Those women had given her enough trouble. Weakness would only cause more problems from that area. Considering the tenacity of their beliefs, they didn’t need any more encouragement. “Good, I’m glad that everyone’s here.” Colm’s voice was smooth, but she saw that he hadn’t suddenly completely calmed down. He was still upset over what she’d said. She swept her gaze over the women. She saw no overt hatred or tension. A few them looked curious and others seemed to be impatient. No clue who might attack her in the future there. She hadn’t expected to walk out and be able to see who would be a danger to her, but she thought she might get some clue from their immediate reaction of what their feelings were. Stepping forward, she separated herself from Colm, simply to show the women that this was her choice. She deliberately looked at them all for a long moment. They were complete idiots if they didn’t see she was serious. “I can understand in some ways the confusion that happened when I first arrived, especially with the way Colm and Linc had behaved before I arrived. My own attitude toward them, that was something that should have been worked out between those two men and myself. What baffles me is the continued behavior of some of you. Colm and Linc have made their position clear in a way that even a child should understand what I am to them.” She tilted her head as if she was giving the idea more thought. Not happening. There were never any answers and it made her head hurt. Colm stepped up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. She took a deep breath. Tension eased slowly out of her shoulders at that light touch. The reaction surprised her almost as much as him seeing that her nerves were becoming taut. She didn’t let herself lean back into his touch. She wanted to turn or cuddle back against him, but knew that now wasn’t the right time. “Since that hasn’t worked and I’m tired of being attacked, I’m going to spell it out for you. They’re mine. From this point on, you attack me and I’ll make sure you have a long recuperation period to think things over. And if I’m attacked from the back again, I’ll gut you.” She put her hands on her hips and swept her eyes over the group of women. “If you think you have a claim on them, confront me, but they’re my mates and I’m not giving them up.”
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“It sounds pretty clear to me.” Linc strode up the steps and stood beside her. He leaned in to her and his voice lowered. “Never thought I’d hear those words voluntarily from you.” Her lips trembled, but she fought the smile trying to curve her lips. Didn’t the man know any better than this? She couldn’t show weakness now. Those women knew what they wanted. Firming her lips, she lifted her chin. So did she. Too bad for them. “You can go back to what you were doing now.” Cami swung her gaze from one end of the group of women to the other. She hadn’t realized there were so many unmarried women here. Nodding, she turned and walked back into the Thent. She exhaled slowly as she closed the door behind her. Her muscles relaxed for the first time since she’d stepped out onto those steps. She’d claimed them and she hadn’t panicked and run for the gate. A combination of relief and joy hit her. No more hiding.
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Chapter Twenty The door opened behind her. Cami glanced over her shoulder to find Linc and Colm entering the hallway. She still wasn’t so happy with either of them. The surge of jubilation faded as they stared at her. A rush of anger and desire swept through her. They had wanted her to think. She knew it hadn’t been only Colm who had wanted her to wait to do this. Even after a little time to think, she wasn’t certain what their real aim had been. Did they need the extra time? The anger built as hurt gave it fuel and she did her best to ignore the desire and its effects on her body. They wore determined expressions. She didn’t want to get into it right now. With her luck, they wanted to talk. Walking down the hall, she had no idea where she was going. It didn’t really matter as long as it was away from them. Anger surged through her. She didn’t care if it was a reaction to the scene out there or an irrational, emotional swing. She was furious with those two men. Before Cami had even reached the connecting passage, a hand landed on her shoulder hauling her to a stop. She swung on them, her hands landing on her hips. Her jaw clenched and she swept her eyes over both men. “What?” She didn’t try to temper her tone. They could take it any way they chose, but she hoped it irritated them. Colm shook his head. “You’re definitely not the shy woman we first met. Is your blood still running a little hot from the confrontation out there?” “Do you have something to say other than a comment on my mood?” Her foot tapped impatiently. They stared at her. Did they always have to do things their way? Linc’s head cocked to the right and his eyes swept over her. The heat in those green orbs sizzled over her skin in an almost physical caress. “Do you really think that we’re going to let you storm off now?” “I think you have better things to do than argue with me. I’m already angry. I don’t want to do this right now.” Cami scowled. Did they expect her to be in the mood for a long discussion after confronting those women? While she’d had a moment of relief at finally acknowledging the truth out loud, she knew it wouldn’t end her problems. It might make them worse, at least for a little while. “We’ll help you with the anger, rah’ki. And the only thing we have to do right now is get you to a bed.” Colm reached out and caught her hand before she could move away from them. Kitten? He called her kitten and expected her to docilely go to bed with him. She gaped at them. “No, I just had to publicly take a stand because of a situation you
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created. I’m not in the mood to spend time with you. I definitely don’t want you right now.” Well, she did want to hit them. Had they suddenly gone blind and deaf? Colm’s fingers tightened pulling her closer in spite of what she’d said. She leaned back, resisting the slow, unrelenting pull. They could pick her up and carry her easily. Gritting her teeth, she kicked at Colm’s leg. They were playing with her. She didn’t know what they were hoping to accomplish. She’d thought they’d be satisfied with a verbal claim. After all, they’d been pressing for one since they’d discovered she was their mate. “I’d bet that a few kisses and touches could help get you out of your bad mood.” Linc strolled up behind her. His hand trailed over her hip and cupped her buttocks. Once he said the words, her mind latched onto it. Her lips tingled and she swept her tongue over them. Linc pulled her hair over her shoulder. His breath feathered over her neck, just below her ear. Her breath hitched and all of her attention focused on him. When would his lips touch her neck? Would he kiss, nip or suck? “I think it’s already working.” Colm laughed softly as he stepped in closer to her. The words broke her free from the images and anticipation swirling through her. She straightened away from Linc to get away from those tempting lips. If he started, she didn’t know how long she’d be able to resist him. She wanted that touch in spite of the anger boiling through her. “I’m not that easily swayed. Go scout or something. For all you know, Laed and Kynar could be right outside the gates.” She yanked on her arm. If she could get free, she could put some distance between her and them. She needed that distance. There was no other way to resist them. She wasn’t that strong. Being near them stripped away everything except hunger. It didn’t help that she longed to be near them, to relax in their arms and let everything else float away. She shook her head at the thought. Nothing got solved that way. They needed to work through the problems, not ignore them. “They’re not right outside the gate. One of the men would have spotted them. We have people patrolling regularly. If they get close, they’ll be spotted.” Linc’s voice came from behind her, but didn’t seem to have stepped closer to her. At least, she couldn’t feel his breath on her neck or his body heat radiating against her back. She gave another tug on her arm as she kicked out at Colm again. Colm’s hand released and the force of her tug sent her falling back. Linc’s arms closed around her and swept her high against his chest. She squealed as her feet left the floor and her fingers clutched at his arms. Linc didn’t hesitate. He turned on his heel and carried her up the steps. The way he held her sent her head spinning and had her reaching back for something to grab. Intellectually, she knew that he wouldn’t drop her, but that didn’t seem to matter when he was climbing stairs. Midstride, he turned her in his arms.
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Her fingers dug into his shoulders and her legs wrapped around his hips. She felt more secure, but now she was in trouble. His scent wrapped around her. Her head nestled against his shoulder and she inhaled. So close to him, she couldn’t resist the urge to get closer. The desire to be near them grew stronger with each breath. A tingling ache built in her pussy. And this wasn’t even the full force of the mating attraction. She closed her eyes and groaned. How was she supposed to resist them when her own body turned against her? Hell, he hadn’t ground her against him or even kissed her, yet her body slowly came alive in anticipation of what he and Colm would do to her once they got into a room. The room! Her mind immediately snapped to their room and that bed that she didn’t want to touch no matter how much her body burned for them. Her head turned and she looked over her shoulder, trying to see where they were taking her. She stiffened and arched back as she realized that their bedroom was only a few doors away. “Relax. We’re not taking you to our room. It has finally sunk in that you won’t sleep or do anything else on the bed there.” Colm walked past them and opened the door before their room. “We’ll make do with this room until we can get a new bed into our room.” The tension went out of her at his words. She could have used the emotion to try to put a little more distance between them if they ever let her out of their arms. Not that she thought that would happen. Those two predators had what they wanted within their grasp and they weren’t letting go. In a moment of honesty, she admitted that she didn’t want them to let her go at all. As high as her anger had spiked, she craved being close to them. She wanted her mates. Knowing that they weren’t going to let her anger or attitude get in their way sent a thrill sizzling over her body. “And that will be before night falls, rah’ki. I’m not spending another night with you in another room. We’ll fall asleep in each other’s arms tonight and wake you with kisses.” Linc nuzzled her neck. She blinked at him. A low growl rumbled against her skin as his teeth scraped over her pulse point. Possessiveness laced his voice and she could feel it in his tightening hold. Definitely no going back. He and Colm would grab everything now that she’d given them confirmation. She’d wanted to do the same thing when she met them, but fear and uncertainty held her back. Still, it wouldn’t be good to simply fall in with their plans. They were arrogant enough and needed someone to push back occasionally. “Put me down and let me go. I’m not going to let you manipulate me with sex.” She worked hard to scowl at Linc as she arched back. Not that easy when she wanted to feel his lips against hers. “Oh, we’re not going to manipulate you. You want us and we can scent it even with your altered smell. You know that. Tell me that you don’t want to take my clothes off or
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have Colm suck those gorgeous nipples.” He stopped at the bottom of the bed and his brow rose in challenge. She couldn’t do that without lying and the bastard knew it. Her nipples tightened just thinking about Colm’s mouth there and she could feel slick moisture gathering between her legs. By the smile on his face, he knew exactly what effect his words would have. The door behind them shut firmly and she heard the distinctive click of a latch falling into place. Turning her head, she saw Colm leaning against the door. He smiled and pulled off his shirt. With a flick of his hand, he sailed the garment into a corner. Her eyes widened, but strayed down to his chest. Her hands itched to run over those firm muscles and feel the heat as she drew her fingers down to his pants and the cock concealed within them. She gulped. They didn’t play fair. Temptation battered at her determination to resist for a little while longer. Linc lowered her to her feet and his hand cupped her cheek. “Tell me you want this more than you want to yell at us.” His lips swept across hers, once and then again. She leaned into his touch and her mouth opened slightly. He didn’t kiss her, just kept brushing his mouth against hers in that tantalizingly soft caress. She groaned and lifted her hand to cup the back of his neck. The tease. She couldn’t take it anymore. Her lips pressed over his and her tongue thrust into his mouth. She nipped at his lips as she pulled back a little. He stiffened. Her aggressiveness drew a growl from him. When she began kissing him again, his tongue stroked against hers, claiming and teasing just as she did. His lips slid away from hers and then his hands clamped on her arms, holding her body back from his. “You never answered my question.” Linc raised a brow and a wicked smile curved his lips. “Come on. Tell the truth. If you do, we’ll let you practice throwing your magic at us later.” Colm came away from the door. As he walked, he worked on the laces of his pants. She licked her lips. She didn’t need the added incentive of magic practice, but she wasn’t going to let it pass. Her lips tingled with the need to kiss him again. She didn’t want to talk. She strained forward, trying to kiss him again. His finger tightened, holding her exactly where she was. “Yeah, but you won’t let me hit you with it,” she grumbled and sighed. No use lying about it. She couldn’t hide her arousal any more than they could. “I do want my clothes off and Colm can put his mouth anywhere he wants.” “If I let you hit me with the blast, I might not be in any shape to enjoy our first night in the same room. I definitely don’t want to miss that. We’ve waited too long to have you where you belong. Nothing’s going to delay that now.” Colm smiled and sat down on the bed to take off his boots.
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Linc set her on her feet at the foot of the bed. His hand roamed over her ass, cupping the curve and pulling her against him for a breath before he stepped back. She slid her hands over his sides and up his chest. His heat warmed her palms even through the fabric of his shirt. He clasped her wrists in a firm grip and drew her hands to her side. “Why don’t you get undressed and crawl onto the bed? We’ll join you there.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead. “All right, but if I’m alone too long, I might just change my mind again.” She grinned and started unbuttoning her shirt. “It won’t take us that long to join you.” Colm shook his head. “You’re lagging, woman. Get to it. We can’t join you if you’re not on the bed.” She laughed. They were so strange sometimes. What did it matter who got onto the bed first? Just from their expressions, she knew they wouldn’t budge on this. Her shirt hit the ground and she worked at the catches on her skirt for a moment before they opened. The skirt pooled at her feet and she toed off her slippers. She climbed onto the bed and began crawling toward the headboard. Heat ran over her skin as well as a tingling pressure that seemed to surround her. Her magic rose and pulsed. She only then realized that the feeling was caused by some kind of spell. She turned back to face them. What was that? She wasn’t afraid. It didn’t seem to have much of an effect. It had to have come from them. She doubted that they wouldn’t have felt something from that magic. Colm frowned and his eyes flicked from her to Linc and then back. Linc scowled and his arms crossed over his chest. He stared at Colm. Both men seemed to have forgotten what they were doing before the magic hadn’t worked. She eased back on the bed and braced her shoulders against the headboard as she watched them. “Have you decided what went wrong yet? You’re obviously having a conversation that I can’t hear.” She tilted her head. Her hands shook with nervousness. To hide the movement, she looped her arms over her knees. She hoped the calm, poised appearance fooled them. Confusion and anger began to sweep over her. What had they been trying to do? Colm straightened and his eyes locked on her. Maybe her tone had given him some hint that she wasn’t as unaffected as she appeared. They could have warned her if they were going to be doing something with magic to her. She was still adjusting to what the magic in that crystal had begun. Who knows what more would do? “I don’t think anything went wrong. Not as you mean. I think we’re going to have to adjust for the strong magic you possess.” Colm shrugged. “But that can wait until another time.” Her chin lifted and she narrowed her eyes. “What were you trying to do?” Linc climbed onto the bed. He put his arms around her and drew her into a hug. With a little work, he unwrapped her arms and put them around his neck. Once she
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was so close to him, it was impossible to maintain the distance. Leaning back, she gave him a fierce frown. “What was the spell for, Linc?” She stiffened her arms to keep him from pulling her close. The bed dipped in back of her. Tossing a quick look over her shoulder, Cami saw Colm moving in behind her. Damn. She hadn’t forgotten about Colm, but she forgot that when she dealt with one, the other was likely to get involved too. Colm’s hands settled on her shoulders, massaging gently. “That’s a surprise for you when it happens.” Colm rubbed his cheek against her hair. “You actually expect that answer to satisfy me.” She shook her head. He wasn’t that stupid. “No, I expect to satisfy you.” Colm’s hands slipped around her and cupped both of her breasts. He pulled her back against his chest. “The questions can wait.” “I’ll make sure that you’re sighing in pleasure by the time we’re finished.” Linc leaned in and brushed his lips across hers in a soft invitation. She opened her mouth. Before she could get a word out, his tongue thrust against hers. Colm’s hands worked gently at her shoulders. She wanted to know what they were trying to hide from her. Moaning, she tore her mouth away from Linc’s. “Tell me.” “You’re beautiful. As to the other, you’ll find out when it’s time. Now what do you want me to do to you? If you leave it up to me, you might find yourself tied to the headboard and pleasured for hours.” Linc’s teeth grazed over her lip. She growled, even as the mental image sent a surge of slick moisture straight to her pussy. She’d love to try that, but she didn’t think she was ready for it now. Not with both of them with her. She was still new to being with both of them. “Maybe we can try that after I’ve adjusted. Both of you even in the room at the same time is strange to me.” She felt her smile waver a little. They didn’t scare her, but the situation definitely worked her nerves. Colm turned her in his arms and gently lowered her to the bed. “If you get scared, tell us. We’ll stop and try something you’re more comfortable with. We’re not going to push you too fast now that you’ve admitted you’re ours.”
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Chapter Twenty-One Too fast. Cami closed her eyes. Suddenly, it hit her. That was it. That was the reason behind the flash of anger and some of the resistance. She’d been sure of the decision and she still was. But their reaction and the whole situation had thrown her off balance. They wouldn’t hold back. She knew it, but she hadn’t thought about what was going to happen that night much less right after her declaration. Gods, I’m an idiot. She sat up, slipping out from under Colm’s hand. “How about you two lay down on the bed for a little bit and let me lead for a little while? Give me a little time to adjust to both of you and then you can make me scream my pleasure.” “So you want to scream your pleasure. How many times?” Linc flopped over onto his back. Cami smiled. Warmth bloomed inside her at his acceptance. He could be so easygoing sometimes and at other times, a consummate alpha. She didn’t know what to expect from him. She glanced at Colm, who looked at her consideringly. Him, the predator in him almost always reared its head. No mistaking what she was dealing with at any time. His eyes burned with desire even as he eased back onto the bed. His eyes locked onto her. If anyone took over from her, it would be him. “How many times do you think you can give me before you come?” She leaned over Linc and whispered the words against his lips. “I don’t think you’re ready for that many times yet.” He nipped her lips and laughed the words against her lips. “Maybe we’ll have to test out your stamina sometime just to see if it measures up to your bragging, but for now, give me a kiss. Colm, can you touch me and let me get accustomed to both of you together?” She turned her head and looked at the man who now sprawled on his side next to her. “I was going to do it anyway.” He ran his hand over her back. “I know you’re going to love it. Don’t forget I want a kiss too before you get too involved in tormenting Linc.” “How do you know I wasn’t planning on tormenting you?” She turned a little more to face him. She cupped her breasts in her hands. “Don’t you think you’d enjoy it? Wouldn’t you like to get your lips on these?” “I’d love to and I definitely will before the night’s over. You know which one of us you can push more.” Colm’s fingers trailed over her hip. She drew in a hissing breath as she felt more than a hint of claws in the touch. The slight sting sent a bolt of hunger streaking through her. Her pussy clenched. He was right. Linc would let her play longer and give her a little more freedom than Colm. Already she felt more relaxed.
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“Come here and give me a kiss. Show him what he’s missing out on because he can’t take the heat.” Linc cupped the side of her face turning her back to him. “Let’s show him that fortitude has its rewards.” “Does it require so much fortitude?” She crawled over him and straddled his hips. She leaned down and brushed a soft kiss over his lips. Linc laughed. “The most I’ve ever had to use. I want to feel your body under me or over me as Colm fucks you as well.” “I’m sure that will happen. Not tonight, but it’s something I’ve been thinking about myself. I want to know how it feels to have both of you inside of me at once.” She leaned down and licked his lips. His hand cupped the back of her neck, holding her close. His lips opened over hers, aggressively claiming. Her tongue thrust against his. She claimed as he did. Her fingers clenched in his hair. As she drew back, she scraped her teeth over his lip. A low growl rumbled through his chest. She almost purred at the proof of her effect on him. His eyes narrowed. Was he going to be able to wait as he said he would? The thought thrilled her even more than the hard press of his warm cock against her ass. She wanted to press that fierce hunger burning in his eyes until it flared and erupted out of control. Hands pulled her up and away from Linc’s mouth until she was sitting astride him. Linc’s hands clasped her hips as if to make sure she didn’t go anywhere. A hand on her cheek turned her. She gasped at finding Colm kneeling next to her. She hadn’t even felt him move across the bed. His arm curved around her waist and pulled her against his chest. “My turn for a kiss,” Colm growled the word against her lips. He kissed her hungrily. His teeth scraped over hers. She felt the prick of his fangs and that slight scrape gave her the only hint of how wild he really was. His tongue forged into her mouth, dominating and possessing. For a stunned moment, she remained quiet beneath his claim before she groaned and threaded her fingers into his hair to kiss him back. His kiss gentled slowly. She leaned into him, savoring his taste and the feel of his hard muscles beneath her fingers. “Do you know how long we’ve waited to see this? Or how hot it is to watch you kissing my bond brother and know that you’re finally ready to admit that this is where you belong?” Linc’s hand stroked up and down her side, his fingers brushing the curve of breast in a slow, deliberate tease. “I don’t know, but I’ve thought about you two together.” She licked her lips. Colm nibbled along her jaw. She drew in a quavering breath. He couldn’t know how good that felt. Tingles followed the path of his lips and teeth and rushed down her body. Her nipples ached for their touch and she’d barely had a chance to kiss them, much less explore or tempt. “Did it make you wet?” Colm’s breath puffed against her skin and the vibrations from the words sent tingles radiating outward. 159
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“Gods, yes. I wondered if it would be as intense as what I imagined.” She tilted her head to the side to give Colm more access as his mouth drifted down her neck. “You know what I wondered?” Linc’s voice dropped to a low growl. He waited until she looked at him. “I wondered how your mouth would feel on my body. Why don’t you show me before Colm distracts you any more?” Colm growled a little and she saw him glaring at Linc. She fought a smile. He’d definitely been working on a plan of his own and doing a good job of making her forget hers. A little frustration would be good for the indulged alpha in him, although hearing them bantering and bickering did reassure her. Although a frown curved his lips, his eyes held a hint of laughter. Colm wasn’t truly angry at Linc or jealous. She didn’t need more prompting. She smoothed her hands over his chest. The muscles rippled beneath her fingertips. She wriggled back a bit. Her breath caught in her throat when Linc’s cock brushed against her folds and rubbed against her clit. Rocking her hips, she deliberately stroked the head of his cock again. “Are you trying to rip away every shred of control I have?” Linc groaned and closed his eyes. His hands gripped her hips. His fingers flexed, but he didn’t move her away from him. “No, just enjoying myself. It felt good, didn’t it?” She flashed a smile at him before she lowered her lips to his shoulder. Playing with him felt so right. “Too good. I want to feel your mouth on me before I’m so excited that I need to drive inside you. Now either move farther back or forward. Either is good. I’d love to suck on one of your nipples and then move to the other.” Linc’s fingers swept back and forth across her buttocks. She scraped her teeth across the skin above his heart. “I want to get my mouth on you. I haven’t had a chance to really explore either of you. Lucky you, you’re the one who gets to experience it.” “Very lucky. Now show me and be sure to tease Colm a little so he doesn’t feel so left out.” Linc gently urged her backward. She skimmed her hands over his chest, but then traced a return path using her nails. He hissed and his body tightened underneath her. She licked at the skin above his heart and then swirled her tongue down to his dark, flat nipple. Linc’s fingers slid up her ribs. “No, I’m supposed to be exploring you.” She grabbed his hands and pushed them down near his side. “I won’t get to do much if you start playing.” “Teasing the big cat will get you fucked.” Linc raised a brow and stared at her with open challenge. “But what if I want to fuck you? Do you think you’d like me riding you? You could suck my nipples or play with my breasts as you want while I do all the work.” She grinned before kissing his taut nipple.
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“I think I can deal with that if you don’t torture me too much.” Linc’s arms relaxed underneath her hands. “I thought you were the strong one. Are you already whining about torture when she just started touching you?” Colm asked and ran a hand down her back. “Even I can do better than that.” Linc laughed. “You’re not the one with her hands on you and whose cock is coated with her juices from her teasing a few moments ago.” “No, I got to watch her do that to you. It made me want to ease up behind her and thrust deep.” Colm’s fingernails scraped over her back. Again she wondered if those were claws, but didn’t look. She focused on Linc. She scraped the taut bud with her teeth before taking it between her teeth. He hissed. Sure that he’d keep his hands to himself for at least a little while, she released his wrists. Smoothing her hands over his abdomen, she savored the clench of muscles beneath her fingertips. “How about I help you, Linc? Maybe she needs some incentive to hurry.” Colm’s voice held laughter and she felt his hands slide over her back again. “Aren’t you supposed to be watching and letting me tease you a little?” She turned her head just as Colm’s palms swept around and cupped her breasts. “I don’t really follow instructions that well. I’m good at giving them though.” Colm laughed and his fingers tightened, squeezing the full mounds. She moaned. “I’m supposed to have time to relax around you.” “You’re relaxed. You just like to be in control. Better get to playing with him before I get too involved. As delicious as watching you ride him sounds, riding you appeals far more. I might decide to do more exploring.” His right hand slid over her abdomen and dipped close to her thighs. Her breath hissed from her. His touch hadn’t become more intimate. Anticipation and imagination sent a bolt of desire straight to her pussy. Her muscles clenched. She ached to have something thrusting deep into her. She squirmed, but fought back the urge to guide his hand to where she needed it. Pushing her mind back to Linc, she swiped her tongue across his nipple. Colm hadn’t taken away all her options, but his touch did mean she’d need to move her plans forward a little. She couldn’t linger as much as she’d planned to at first. “And I had such plans. I thought you’d want to watch me suck Linc’s cock.” She slid a coy look at Colm and licked her lips. He groaned and his hand moved to grip his shaft. She hid a smile at his reaction by turning to place her mouth against Linc’s muscled abdomen, just below his ribs. Linc’s hips lifted in silent demand. His hands were clenched at his side and she knew he was trying to resist grabbing her. She lapped at the taut muscles and nuzzled his bellybutton before glancing to the side to see what Colm was doing.
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His hand moved over his cock in long, slow strokes. The sight mesmerized her and she licked her lips. “Better hurry up and get to it or Linc will have to wait. He might be a little cranky if that happens after cooperating while you kissed and rubbed all over him.” Colm’s dark voice had a definite growl to it that told her just as surely as the heat in his eyes that he was serious. Damn, okay, she’d definitely have to work on learning how to tease them at the same time without one getting so quickly to the edge of control. She eased down to Linc’s pelvis, kissing one muscled thigh and then another. She had no intention of sucking him to orgasm. She wanted to tease just a little more before she rode him. “You’re going to need some help if you plan to ride him after you get that mouth on him. The thought of it nearly makes me lose my head,” Colm said just before his hand slipped between her thighs. Her eyes widened as his fingers slipped through her slick folds. Oh Gods, she really didn’t need any help. She already ached for them. His fingers circled her entrance before sweeping up to her clit. Torn between a groan and a chant for him to press a little harder on her clit, she lowered her head against Linc’s thigh. Shivers rippled over her body and his fingers had no more than grazed her clit. She took a deep breath and focused on Linc. She drew her hand up his thigh as she let her breath puff over the head of Linc’s cock. She wanted to get a little tasting and licking done before Colm drove her out of her mind. Her inner muscles clenched and a pang of frustration shot through her when there was nothing to fill her. “Do it, i’ma. I’ve dreamed of feeling your mouth sucking at me.” Linc’s fingers threaded through her hair. He’d called her “baby”. She liked that. She swirled her tongue over the rounded head. His fingers tightened in her hair, but he didn’t push down. She smiled a little at the restraint. She wanted to rip that away from him. Opening her mouth wide, she took in just the head. Her tongue swirled over and around in teasing swipes. She stiffened as recognition slammed into her. Mate. Oh fuck. She hadn’t thought about this, but she should have. Desire pushed the worry aside. She wanted to taste more. His groan filled her ears and sent a curl of excitement through her. She wriggled in anticipation. Her mouth firmed over the head and she sucked. His fingers tightened urging her head down. She wanted it just as much as he did. Her head dipped and she took him to the back of her throat before backing off a little when her throat tightened. Colm’s fingers brushed around her clit, barely touching it, before drawing back to her slick entrance. The frustrating cycle repeated and drove her fever higher. He never touched her clit with enough force to send her spiraling out of control. She groaned. “Suck me a little more, rah’ki. I want to feel you take me as deep as you can before you ride me.” His hips rolled upward again in encouragement.
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If she didn’t want something inside of her so much, she’d enjoy bringing him to the edge and taking him over. Colm would eagerly step into Linc’s place, but sheer spite at his teasing kept her from doing it. She’d fuck Linc. Colm would watch this time. Sucking as she worked her mouth lower, she took him as deep as she could before pulling back and trying again. Using her teeth and tongue, she strove to give him as much pleasure as she could before he stopped her. “Now.” Linc pulled her head up and off his cock. Her mouth left with a slight smacking sound. Cami didn’t argue. Colm released her hips and removed his fingers from between her legs. She wanted it back. She almost leaned back into him, but the thought of sinking down onto Linc’s thick cock lured her even more. Crawling back up his body, she braced one hand on the bed near his shoulder and reached between her legs to grip his cock. Guiding it to her entrance, she slowly lowered her hips to take his shaft inside her. She stopped to swirl her hips a little. Linc’s fingers clamped at her waist and pulled her down. She gasped at the sudden fullness. Her head tilted back. It was almost too much. His lips pulled tight and his chest heaved. “You’ve got me trembling on the edge. No more teasing, woman. Ride me.” His hands left her hips and rose to her breasts. His fingers plucked at her nipples. She felt the tugs straight to her core. Shivers rolled over her. She didn’t know if it was because he was one of her mates or if it was simply a very strong lust. She hadn’t felt anything this intense, ever. She began a slow, rolling pace. He groaned. His hands cupped and squeezed the full globes of her breasts. His hands moved over them and his thumbs flicked at the tight nipples. “Faster, and I want to taste your breasts.” Linc’s voice hardened and there was no doubt that it was an order. She leaned down and closed her eyes as the position caused a piercing sensation to shoot straight through her. She froze for a moment. Before she could prepare or get her mind away from the sharp pleasure, his mouth closed over her nipple. His teeth scraped over the tip and then closed over just tight enough to sting. She gasped and her back arched, pushing her breast harder against his mouth. She shivered and ground her hips against his. Gods, so damn close. She could feel her muscles clenching. A little more and she’d explode. He growled against her. The vibration sent waves of delight rippling over her, pushing her closer to her climax. She didn’t doubt he knew how close she was. His hips lifted against her, urging her to move faster. Her hips rose and rolled down in a quickening pace. She felt hands smooth across her back, but the sensations simply added to the building urgency inside her. Linc’s mouth fell away from her breast and she almost whimpered at the loss, but he feathered kisses across to the other full mound. His tongue swiped at her nipple before he drew the nipple deep and started sucking hard. His hands clasped around her hips and began guiding her movements, grinding her hips against his with every stroke.
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“Someday soon, we’re going to mark you as we fuck you.” Colm’s voice rasped against her ear and a hand insinuated itself between her and Linc. His finger circled her clit and then stroked over it. “Our teeth locking onto your shoulder as we pound into you. I can’t wait.” The image flashed through her head and sent her right over the top. Pleasure rushed over her body. Her head fell back and a groan tore from her throat. His hands continued to guide her hips when she froze atop him. Her body shook as the heat and intense sensation pulsed through her. Linc’s hips lifted against her as he strove to grab the pleasure. She could feel the tension beneath her fingertips. He arched and a harsh growl escaped as he came. She felt the hot splash as he came. His hands tightened and pulled her upper body down against his chest. His arms swept around her back, holding her to him as tremors coursed through him. He nuzzled her hair and his breathing slowed gradually. “I can’t wait to claim you fully. Knowing that you belong with us and not being able to mark you so that you and everyone else will see it has been torture. I don’t know how much longer I would have been able to hold back from going to your room and taking every little jar and bottle you had,” Linc muttered the words against her hair. “He wouldn’t have been able to hold me much longer at all. Your time had almost run out anyway.” Colm’s hands smoothed over her buttocks and up her lower back. “What happened to you wanting me to be sure?” She smiled and turned her head to get a glimpse of him. His gaze burned over her skin and his jaw clenched. Even without the jut of his hard cock, she could tell that hunger rode him. The expression on his face told her he was beyond teasing. She licked her lips, anticipating a hard, fast ride. His eyes locked on that movement. She deliberately did it again. “That was for you making the decision. While we tried to give you the time to do that, we knew it was going to happen, probably sooner rather than later.” Linc’s fingers trailing over her forehead. “We’ll talk more after. Now, you should stop teasing the wild man behind you.” “He’s too intense sometimes. He needs to relax.” She turned her head to wink at Linc. “A little patience and time would do wonders.” “I’ll relax once I work my tensions out on your sweet little pussy.” Colm’s hands grasped her hips and lifted her off Linc cock. Her muscles clenched in regret as Linc’s shaft slid free from her. She didn’t want to lose that wonderful fullness. He positioned her on her knees, but didn’t lift her off Linc. She stared down into Linc’s eyes. What was he doing? She’d imagined Colm would plop her onto the mattress, spread her legs and plunge deep. Her inner muscles clenched at the thought. She wanted that. Linc’s thighs widened, pushing hers even farther apart.
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She looked over her shoulder in time to see Colm moving behind her. His hands smoothed over her ass and up over her hips. One of his hands swirled back down to the curve of her buttocks again, circling over both cheeks. “Look at Linc. I don’t want you to look away from him.” Colm’s fingers traced the divide between the rounded globes of her ass slowly. She didn’t turn her gaze away from him. He looked so engrossed in what he was doing. Even more than the feel of his hand wandering over her skin, that intensity aroused her. His hand lifted and she didn’t have time to gasp before his hand landed on her right cheek and then her left. The sharp sting flared, but even more than that her desire spiked. “Look at Linc and know that teasing this tiron will have consequences.” Colm’s hand stayed on her ass. She stared at him. He wouldn’t back down and he’d probably find a way to make that spanking he threatened feel way too good. A shiver raced down her spine and her nipples hardened. Even though he’d watched her and Linc, she’d break before he would. “We’ll save the teasing for another time, but don’t think I wouldn’t enjoy every moment of a spanking. I’ll want to see just what you can do.” She turned and smiled down at Linc. “He’s bossy. Want to help me do something about that later?” “He’ll always be tossing out orders, i’ma, but I think we can play with him later.” Linc laughed. “Don’t look away from Linc.” Colm’s hands came around and squeezed her breasts. “I want you to know with your whole soul that this is where you belong, right between us.” She pressed her breasts into his palms. “Are you going to fuck me or simply talk at me until I’m ready to come? That last option could take a while.” Colm’s palm landed on her hip in a swat. She grinned and bit her lip. Baiting the tiron sometimes had its rewards. His cock nudged against her folds. She held back from pushing back into him. “She just goaded you into that.” Linc smiled up at her. “She’s fighting a smug little grin right now.” “I realize that.” Colm’s cock pushed slowly into her. His fingers tightened, pulling her back against him. “We’ll have to watch that in the future, but this time, since she’s pushing, so will I.” His hand landed high on her buttocks and hip. She yelped and turned to look at him. His hand smacked again, a little sharper. “What did he tell you?” Linc asked. Hands cupped her breasts. Since Colm’s palm landed against her butt again, it had to be Linc. The fingers pinched the nipples before the palms smoothed around and
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palmed the full weight again. She moaned and bit her lip. How did they expect her to think? “What did I tell you?” Colm’s palm landed in another stinging swat. She frowned and wriggled in his hold. Finally, the words came back to her. “Look at Linc.” “Do it.” Colm eased into her a little more. She turned back to look at Linc. Her eyes locked with his. He grinned up at her, his amusement obvious. She narrowed her eyes at him. His hands tightened around her breasts. Colm hadn’t even begun to fuck her, yet her desire spiked. Her eyes locked with Linc’s. Delicious heat spiraled through her body as Colm’s cock slowly pushed deep into her cunt. With her eyes locked with Linc’s, she could see how excited it made him from the glitter in his eyes. That fed her hunger. “He loves giving orders. That would mean nothing if he didn’t ensure those instructions are followed. He’s going to enjoy teaching you discipline.” Linc’s hands released her breasts, but his fingers returned to flick at the hardened tips of her nipples. “I will too.” Maybe she hadn’t known what she was getting into here. At the moment, she couldn’t get too worried. Colm began to slowly withdraw and Linc plucked at her nipples. Everything felt too good. She wriggled and watched Linc. His lips looked so inviting. She started to lower her head to kiss him when she felt Colm’s hand brush against her thigh. She stopped. “Give her a kiss, Linc, but I want her to stay just as she is.” Colm’s hand smoothed back up her thigh and then slipped under her. The palm flattened against her belly. Her breath hitched. The heat of his palm drew her attention. As his hand moved, his arm brushed against the trika along her ribs. She shivered and the hunger spiked. She’d have liked to guide his hand down a little farther, but she also liked the dominant attitude Colm now exuded. Because she couldn’t let him think she was so easily controlled, she balanced on one arm and tried to grip his wrist. Her fingers only brushed against his skin before he grabbed her arm and once again guided it to the bed. Linc’s lips brushed over hers. His teeth scraped over the plump curve of her lower lip before his tongue thrust aggressively for entrance. Her mouth opened for him. His tongue swept in, claiming the territory aggressively. She responded hungrily and their tongues tangled. The fierce thrust of Linc’s tongue into her mouth contrasted with the smooth, slow roll of Colm’s hips. She moaned and pushed back into Colm. She needed more than slow and easy. Her lips slid away from Linc’s and she drew in a gasping breath. Colm’s hand slid back over her stomach, exploring the gentle curve before easing down and resting just over her mound. She rocked her hips, trying to encourage him to move. His chuckle told her that he knew what she was trying to get him to do. A growl built in her throat. He was deliberately tormenting her.
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“Soon, we’ll fuck you together. Have you ever taken two men at the same time?” Colm’s hips rocked into her and then he slowly pulled out. His voice sounded hoarse and strained. The feel of his fingers tracing over the slick lips of her pussy distracted her from answering. The slightly calloused pads moved back and forth, but never touched the aching nub of her clit. Need built with each throbbing beat of her heart. “Have you ever fucked two men?” Linc nipped her lips before relaxing back onto the bed. She swallowed and focused. “No.” “We’ll make it so good for you.” Colm’s cock stroked into her at a maddeningly slow pace. She pushed back against him, but her eyes stayed on Linc. His eyes burned and her mind whirled with images. Colm below her, his cock filling her pussy as Linc sank into her from behind or Colm fucking her pussy much as he did now while she took Linc’s shaft into her mouth. They both excited her. She was sure there were more ways, but her mind locked on those two. She had to try them. “Now. I want you both now.” She wriggled her ass. “No, we’ll do it soon, but now we do it my way.” Colm’s voice hardened. His hand tapped her buttocks. She opened her mouth to tell him that she wanted it now, but he thrust into her, hard. Her breath locked in her throat as sensation stabbed through her. His fingers slid over her clit, further stealing her thoughts. His hips drove against her buttocks, driving her forward into those tormenting digits. Lost in sensation, she opened her mouth when Linc’s lips brushed against hers. Their tongues met and tangled. When he drew away, she moaned in regret. His teeth grazed her lips. “You’re going to be between us, burning and aching for more. When I begin to push into your tight ass, you’re going to moan as you just did, needing more. Linc’s going to hold still until I’m fully seated. I’ll bet you’re going to squeeze me even tighter than your pussy is doing now.” Colm leaned over her and pressed kisses to her shoulder. He groaned. “So damn good.” His words sketched images across her mind. She shivered. Her inner muscles tightened on his shaft. She could almost feel Colm’s weight pressing her into Linc’s hard body. His cock drove into her hard and fast. She rocked back, meeting each thrust as much as his hold on her would allow. The restriction frustrated and excited her. His arm tightened beneath her and his fingers firmed on her clit. A low groan excaped her lips as his fingers firmed over that sensitive nub. Her breath burst from her in harsh pants. She strained for the pleasure that remained just out of reach. Her fingers dug into the blankets. Fingers tugging at her nipples heightened the fire burning inside of her.
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“Can you see it? Our bodies over you and inside of you. We might drive into you hard and fast, letting you feel exactly how much we want you.” Colm’s hips punched forward, rocking her forward. “Or we might cover your body with kisses before we sink into your tight heat. We’ll rock you between us and take you to pleasure slowly. Our hands will softly brush over your breasts and pussy, pushing you higher and higher until the sweet ache is so intense that you’re sobbing with the need to come.” Linc’s fingers matched his words and tenderly brushed over her nipples. She closed her eyes on a shudder. She could almost feel the weight as one of them pressed her against the hard body of the other. A flick to her clit sent the flames roaring over her. Her body trembled as pleasure licked through her. Every stroke of his cock seemed to intensify the feeling. Her head tipped back and a low groan rolled from her. Her upper body collapsed onto Linc’s chest as her muscles turned to liquid. Colm’s grip held her hips exactly where he wanted them and he continued to drive into her. “We’re going to have you, hard and fast, slow and tender and in ways you haven’t yet dreamed. You’re our Lady, our mate.” Linc’s voice roughened and his hands brushed softly over her hair. Colm’s cock pounded into her over and over. She felt the hot splash of his seed just as she heard a shout of satisfaction. His hips continued to move against her and his hold tightened. Finally, he stilled. His fingers trembled as he pulled his hand away from her pussy. She was glad that he seemed to be as shaken as she felt. Those words had seared her. A little more of that kind of talk might have sent her right over the edge without the delicious feel of his cock filling her or the stroke of his fingers over her clit. As Colm withdrew, little shocks of sensation fluttered through her pussy. She pressed her cheek against Linc’s chest. Colm rolled to his feet and lifted her off Linc. He set her on her feet, but his hands remained at her waist, supporting her until she found her feet. Her knees buckled at first, but gradually, she was able to stand on her own. She looked back over her shoulder and shook her head. “The word cuddle means nothing to you, does it?” She sighed heavily and looked back at the bed longingly. “Cuddling is for when we have time. We don’t now.” Colm smiled and picked up her shirt from the floor. “Only because you couldn’t wait. I told you you had things you should be doing, but no, you were all heated up and wouldn’t be denied.” She shook her head and gave him her best sassy smile. “We’ll get back to you a little later. We might even start on the discipline since you don’t seem to have any.” Linc’s hand landed on her the right cheek of her ass with a loud smack. 168
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She bared her teeth at him in a mock growl. “You can try.” “We’ll succeed.” Colm laughed and started gathering his clothes. “I’m going to clean up a little, but after that I want to take a walk. Would either of you be free to go with me or can you arrange for one of your men to do it? I know that you don’t want me walking around outside the walls without someone with me.” She gathered up the last of her clothes and looked over at the two of them standing side by side. They didn’t look as relaxed as they had only a minute ago or as happy. “We’ll have a guard waiting for you. Take as long as you need.” Linc nodded. He walked over to her. His arms wrapped around her in a tight hug. “Don’t think about this too much, because if you start regretting this, I really am going to spank your ass.” “I made my decision and I’m not going to regret doing it. How everything is going to end, well, that’s something we’re going to have to work on together.” She shrugged. “We’ll be happy. There’s no question about that.” Colm walked over and took her from Linc’s arms. He hugged her and dropped a kiss on her head and then released her. Almost before she knew it, they’d dressed and left the room. Shaking her head, she headed to her room. They had no shortage of confidence.
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Chapter Twenty-Two Colm kept his pace even as he led the way downstairs. He hoped she hadn’t seen their tension. He ran his hand through his hair and tried to ease the strain out of his shoulders. She hadn’t gone to her haven. Of all the problems he’d thought they might have with her, that wasn’t one of them. The magic should have sent her straight to the place they’d created. The explanation they’d given her was plausible, but there were so many unknowns with her. Was it the strange magic within her that stopped it? He knew she was his mate. He didn’t have a doubt about that. He’d tasted it, but maybe the fact that she wasn’t fully claimed had something to do with it. They needed to find the chatar. That place was for Cami’s protection. The haven was an area to find pleasure with their mate as well as her refuge, but he wanted the peace of mind of her having that completely separate place to shelter when there was danger. They made their way to the chatar’s library. They didn’t have any answers for this. Hopefully, he did. Although they weren’t under attack, the false Ardin had hurt her already. She was in danger. She didn’t have what they wanted and they’d try to do it again. He wanted her to have that haven in case the two men managed to get close to her. She needed somewhere they wouldn’t be able to follow her. Until they worked through whatever was keeping her out of her haven, that wouldn’t be possible. The chatar opened the door for them when they knocked and stepped back almost immediately. Maybe he’d seen something on their faces. Colm was just glad he didn’t ask any questions. He didn’t want to get into any explanations out here. After the door closed behind them, he walked over and took one of the chairs at the long table. Vin glided over to the table and sat. He put his hand on the book in front of him and simply looked at them, waiting. “She didn’t go to her haven.” Linc put his elbows on the table and rolled his shoulders, but little of the tension left his body. Vin straightened in his chair and frowned. “You tried to send her there and she didn’t go. Was there any kind of magical reaction that you could tell?” “No magic that we could tell, but she felt it and knew that something was supposed to happen.” Colm thought back to what had happened. Normally, that type of magic was so light that it was almost unnoticeable unless there was a drastic change, which there would have been if she actually went to their haven. “She could tell.” Vin nodded. He tapped his fingers on the page under his hand for a moment. “I think everything should work out eventually.” “How long will it take until we can make sure she has somewhere safe to go? What happened?” Colm didn’t want her to be so exposed and vulnerable. He knew he 170
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wouldn’t be able to relax until she was able to escape to that place if danger approached. “I don’t know. I think part of the difficulty is because you haven’t fully claimed her, but there’s also her magic. While she’s not the only woman with a high level of magic, most of them grew up with it and learned to control it. It scares her.” Vin grimaced and shut the book carefully. “You think her magic might have something to do with the reason we couldn’t send her to her haven?” Linc tilted his head and frowned. Colm got up and paced, unable to stay still as the agitation built. “How are we supposed to work around that? We can’t do anything to her magic. She’s learning to control it, but even that’s going to take time.” “I’m not saying you should do anything about her magic. If I’m right, it’s something that she unconsciously does anytime she encounters magic. In a way, just as someone who’s been hit flinches whenever a hand is lifted, she instinctively tries to shield herself. Her nervousness and fear are probably causing it. You’re going to have to get her accustomed to your magic.” Vin shrugged and leaned back in the chair. “Even if you do nothing, it will eventually work itself out.” “Not soon enough. Laed and Kynar are after her.” Linc muttered and shoved back from the table. He stalked to the door and back to the table. “Get her accustomed to our magic. It isn’t going to be easy. As big a step as she took today, she’s not ready to fully trust us. I think that’s what you really mean.” Colm held back a growl, but couldn’t stop his hands from clenching into fists. She didn’t trust them or even her own magic. He couldn’t really blame her after what happened to her. “She’ll have to trust your magic. Do you think you can get her to accept the touch of your magic? Once she relaxes enough to accept that, you should be able to get her there. I can’t be sure if she’ll be able to go there herself if she’s nervous or afraid. This precise situation hasn’t happened before. The only other time that I know of where a female didn’t go to her haven, she knew magic and she blocked it herself.” Vin rose from his chair and strode over to Colm. He gently grasped Colm’s shoulder. “She’s afraid of losing control of her own magic. It’s not going to be easy to get her trust our magic.” Colm took a deep breath. He wasn’t going to give up, but he knew that she was going to have a few problems relaxing around magic. “Show her that magic can be fun and that she doesn’t have to hold onto her magic so tightly. Let her know how much pleasure she can have from it. You might try it one at a time at first. Teach her to reciprocate. It will give her more control over her power,” Vin offered with a smile. Colm looked at Linc as the chatar’s words hit him. Show her that she can have pleasure from magic. He was an idiot. He should have thought of that. It might help her relax around their magic. At the very least, she’d learn the feel of it. They’d have to
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discuss how to go about introducing her to it, but it was a starting point. He didn’t want to wait too long, but knew they’d have to wait until later tonight. Linc nodded and smiled. Colm could tell he was already thinking of ways to introduce her to the sexy side of magic. Colm had some definite ideas about that himself, but they could discuss it later.
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Chapter Twenty-Three Cami strolled along beside Tyson as he led her out of the walls. She’d met the man when Colm and Linc had finally introduced her to Tori. The large, black-haired man oozed assurance and confidence. From what little she’d seen of him, he was an easy-going, relaxed man, but she had seen the passion and emotion in his eyes when he looked at Tori. The open emotion made her a little envious. The only thing she was sure about with those two was that they were possessive. Well, and that they wanted her. Nothing too deep. She expected him to stop not too far from the gates. As far as she knew, they would be staying very close to the walls until Laed and Kynar were caught. Any kind of exercise and freedom thrilled her. The sun felt good as it rained down on her in a soft, warm caress. She’d enjoy just finding some place to sit down and let the sun and wind brush over her. She looked around the area as Tyson turned, leading her toward a group of women gathered on the grass. They seemed to be simply talking and standing together, but they could be waiting for the men to bring something to them. There were more than a few men in the area. “Don’t worry. You’re safe.” Tyson’s voice cut into her thoughts and she realized he must have noticed she was a little concerned. “I wasn’t worried about safety. It just seemed a little strange to pass the gates when we don’t know if Laed and Kynar are anywhere in the area. I expected to walk around within the walls.” She looked over at him and smiled. “The Ardin know that you were feeling a little caged after what recently happened and the days spent mostly inside.” Tyson slowed as they neared the women. When she noticed that the women gathered there were all married women, she realized that they’d done more than notice she was a little tense. “They arranged this?” While it sounded close to a question, she was almost certain of the answer. It was all too much to be a coincidence. The extra men lingering outside the walls was one thing, but the women being there too with nothing to do was another. She didn’t know how this Thent operated, but completely free days were rare. There was always something that needed to be done. If not in the Thent itself, in the home or simply preparation for the next day or coming months. “Yes, I believe they said something about letting you see that not everyone wanted to be their Lady.” Tyson tossed a grin at her as he stopped near the women. More possible, they wanted to show her there were women they hadn’t slept with in their Thent. She kept the remark firmly locked behind her lips. Normally, she’d
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simply have said it, but she had doubts about the truth of it even moments after thinking it. They’d been considerate of her almost since the day they met her. “Add to that the fact that they want her to see that there are women here who don’t automatically hate her because she’s their mate,” one of the women offered with a laugh. “What you don’t realize, because you weren’t here, is that they’ve been doing a lot of the same things they did to you to each other to try to get the other women to back out of the picture.” “Well, you’ve met me, but let me introduce you to Trisha, Gennie, Vikki and Kala.” Tori smiled and gestured, first to the blonde who’d just spoken and then to each of the women in turn. “That almost makes it worse. Those women should have seen how that felt and Linc and Colm should have put a stop to it before I arrived. Did they attack each other as they’ve attacked me?” She tilted her head. Colm and Linc didn’t seem to be the type of leaders to let that continue. It wasn’t just the danger of one of the women being hurt. From what she’d seen, Colm and Linc wouldn’t let it go on after they discovered it. “They knew that the women were having problems, but didn’t know it was about them. The women all put it down to personal differences. They were smart enough to realize that was one of the quickest ways of losing any chance at the Ardin. Also, some of it happened while Colm and Linc weren’t here.” Vikki, a petite dark-haired woman brushed a stray strand of hair away from her eyes. Learning about the turmoil caused by the search through the members of his Thent might have made Colm see earlier that it wasn’t a good idea, but he’d missed it. Not that surprising if the real reasons for the fights never got beyond the women. The married women wouldn’t have said anything because there was no way to prove it. The single women could simply deny it. “They’re a little more intense with you, because you’re the only actual threat they’ve faced. I think deep down they knew there was little chance of a bonding ceremony happening.” Gennie grimaced. The redhead smoothed her hands over her rounded belly in a slow, stroking motion. Maybe so deep that they didn’t even know about it. Cami wasn’t so certain. She looked from one woman to the the other feeling a little confused. She’d only seen the possessive, vengeful side of the single women and to a lesser extent their friends. “I bet it stung their pride to find out the Ardin were doing the chasing this time.” Trisha raised her brows and smiled. Now that she really didn’t understand and couldn’t let pass without questioning. She’d never thought of those two as passive. They certainly weren’t that way with her. They wouldn’t let the woman do the choosing then, any more than they would now. “What do you mean the chasing? From what I know, the women didn’t come up to Colm and say ‘you’re mine tonight’. In fact, that would make him a little more resistant in most cases.” She had to pause at the last of that to keep from laughing at the very idea. 174
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He would do the asking or telling. However he’d done it. That was one thing she was glad she didn’t know. She didn’t want to see how they’d convinced the women to come to their bed or what had been said. The fact that Colm had been sifting through his Thent’s women for a mate still infuriated her and had even before she knew what trouble they’d cause her. “She doesn’t mean chasing as in the women were that bold. No, they’d make excuses to be near them and subtly let them know they were available if they wanted. If you’re wondering how the single women became so possessive, we’re not entirely sure other than the initial shown interest. Colm never showed any partiality to any one woman and Linc was often more than a little disinterested.” Tori smiled and reached out to grasp her hand. The gesture was reassuring. Cami returned the smile. “I don’t know what held him back, but I’m glad. I might be the one causing some trouble if I’d found them mated to someone else. In spite of my uncertainties, the pull to get to know them or simply touch them was always there.” “It’s been good to see them really interested in a woman and not the calculated approach they used before. Colm might have been searching among the ladies here, but he’s going to hold onto you tightly. I think he’d give you more trouble than Linc if you weren’t ready for the mating.” Vikki, a petitie brunette with arresting features tilted her head as if she was giving it more thought. “No doubt. It’s as if the gods decided to show him what he was trying to avoid and simply to teach him a lesson, threw in your reluctance. Now he’s waiting to pounce.” Gennie laughed softly. Cami could tell by the way the woman smiled that she found the idea a little funny. “Where’s the need to pounce? I’ve publicly claimed them. They’re probably already moving my things into their room.” She frowned at the pregnant woman almost directly across from her. The woman had a strange sense of humor, but Cami understood the sentiment. “You’re not fully claimed yet and their instincts will keep pushing them to do it. They’d want everyone to know and you wouldn’t be wearing a shirt that covers so much of your shoulders if it had happened. Since you still don’t smell like a normal Santir, I’m betting they can’t do it. Until that happens, the stress and uncertainty will rise. Whenever they can smell you clearly enough to claim you, they’ll pounce. I’ll bet Colm tracks you down first, unless Linc is right beside you.” Kala raised her brows and a wicked grin tilted her lips. Cami frowned at the short, curvy woman. She sounded much too cheerful when she said that. The image alone sent her heartbeat racing. A tiny frisson of fear trickled through her, but only because of the permanence of the mating once fully formed. As much as she wanted them, there was still a small part of her that wondered if they really wanted her that much. Maybe they only wanted her because she had tried to deny the connection to them.
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Along with the uncertainty and doubt, a delicious thrill of anticipation coursed through her body. She wanted that intensity from them. She shivered and heated cream eased from her as excitement built. If she kept thinking this way, she might have to go up to her room and take care of this building desire on her own. “The mating drive will push them that way,” she acknowledged with a shrug. She firmly pushed a small bit of hope down and hid behind the facts. Letting her imagination lead her to dream could lead to unnecessary hurt. “Don’t fool yourself that your emotions or theirs aren’t involved. They already are or you wouldn’t be so afraid.” Kala shook her head. “I know it’s not exactly the most comfortable time for you what with everything going on around you. You need to trust yourself, them and the mating. They wouldn’t cause you pain deliberately, would they?” Cami sighed, knowing where this was going. Straight to an admission she didn’t know if she was ready to make. No, they wouldn’t deliberately try to cause her pain. That didn’t mean it wouldn’t happen. Tyson cleared his throat. “The Ardin don’t want you outside the walls too long. I thought you might want to walk around the area a little more before we go back inside.” She looked over her shoulder and smiled, a little grateful for the interruption. “I do want to move around a little more. If I’m kept caged inside the Thent for too much longer, I might try climbing the walls for a little fresh air.” Tyson laughed. “I think the Ardin would object to that.” She nodded. “I’m sure they would.” Tori walked over and took her hands. “I think most of the women will back off after today, but don’t count on all of them going away without another example of your resolve.” “Maybe I’ll go ask the healer what’s good for sore knuckles.” She’d already guessed that. Overall, it didn’t worry her. She’d deal with a few more last ditch attempts as long as they didn’t go for her back again. Then, if she was mad enough, she really would gut them. “Don’t hold back because you’re afraid to be hurt. Make sure they know you want them as a mate as much as you want the sex. They might not know it.” Tori’s voice lowered to a whisper. “They’re yours as much as you’re theirs.” The way she said that struck Cami, but before she could think about it, Tyson nudged her away from the women. She walked with him down the road. As they got farther away from the Thent, unease crept through her. They’re here. She took a deep breath and pushed the nagging thought away and ignored the apprehension. Laed and Kynar hadn’t been spotted. She was overreacting to the stress. It had been too long since she’d been outside of the Thent. As much as being inside those walls irritated her at times, it could be reassuring to have that barrier to the threats surrounding her. 176
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“They’re not going to decide it’s a mistake. If they’re certain enough to put you into the position of their Lady, they’re not going to change their mind. They’ll hold on even if you try to pull away,” Tyson said. His low voice startled her from her thoughts. She wished she could be as certain as he sounded, but the fact that Colm hadn’t wanted a mate kept popping into her head. It had made her wary from the first, but now it kept her torn between the piercing desire to get closer to them and doubt. Sometimes she wished she’d never seen that part of their lives. “I know.” She did know that they would want to keep their mate. Was it wrong to want more than the biological bond? Not that she could ask him that. Just from his responses so far, she knew he’d be firmly on Linc and Colm’s side. She gestured to where a field was being cleared of grass and brush. “What’s going to be there?” “Grain first, I think. The area next to it is a small orchard.” Tyson frowned as he stared at the area. The nervousness grew with every step they took away from the castle and the men working there. Someone was going to die if they went too near the forest. The thought startled her and her mouth dried on a rush of fear. She looked at the man beside her. Her imagination was running away with her. She tried to tell herself that, but the feeling of dread rising up in her only built. Her eyes searched the trees beyond the field. She couldn’t see any sign of movement or anything that looked vaguely similar to a person. “Is something wrong?” Tyson stopped walking. “Yes, something’s wrong. We should go back now.” She didn’t want to start off sounding crazy. Most of them might know that she had magic and some rather strange abilities, but she didn’t think everyone knew exactly what those were. He might not believe her. Tyson frowned. “Are you still nervous? Being out in the open this way can’t be easy after what you’ve been through, but you’re safe. The Ardin would never have allowed you outside the walls unless they were certain of it.” Cami swallowed heavily fighting the urge to head back into the Thent at a fast walk. What’s wrong with me? The day was beautiful. There was no sign of any danger, but the dread and worry built inside her. Her skin prickled with unease and her stomach clenched as the feeling only intensified. The urge to shift or at least partially change to better protect herself thrummed inside of her. “I know they wouldn’t let me outside the walls if they knew of any danger to me.” She wrung her hands together. The problem was they weren’t facing an army here. It was just two men. Two men could hide in an area undetected for months if they were careful. “You think there’s danger here? One of the false Ardin? Have you seen something?” Tyson’s hand covered the pommel of his sword.
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“No, I haven’t seen anything.” It burned to admit that, but she wasn’t going to lie. As intense as the feelings were, she wasn’t sure yet if it was simple anxiety or if this was the same as one of the dreams she’d had. The only problem was she hadn’t seen any images or scenes as she did with those and she definitely wasn’t asleep. “Why don’t you take a few deep breaths and try to relax. I know you have reason to be nervous of them. Push all thoughts of those two men out of your head and focus only on today. Don’t let them ruin these moments of freedom.” Tyson looked down at her and waited. She took a deep breath. It helped calm her racing heart a little, but the feeling persisted. His words seemed to resonate in her head. If this was simple fear, she couldn’t let it control her. She didn’t know if it was more, but she’d need more than just vague feelings before she would let it turn her back. “I’m ready to walk on now.” She smiled at Tyson, but her gut was still tight with the fear and her mouth felt as dry as a desert. She’d managed to push past the emotion and instinct, but it still clamored inside her. For now, she’d try her best to enjoy the walk. She wasn’t letting the fear rule her. At least, she’d try. They moved along the road. Although she tried to focus on relaxing, the anxiety thrummed through her with every step. It became hard to concentrate on anything aside from the rising urgency of the feelings. Light flashed in front of her eyes. She stopped and turned her head, looking around the area. Maybe it was a bird. The thought had no sooner crossed her mind than images slammed into her head. A hand clenched around a knife. Kynar’s face swam before her eyes, his mouth twisted into a sneer. Blood running over the grass and dirt, pooling beside a still hand. Feelings rushed through her and she didn’t know where they were all coming from. She didn’t know anything except that some of them weren’t hers. Hatred and anger battered at her as fear and guilt swelled. Her stomach lurched and she gagged. One hand flew to her mouth and the other rubbed at her temple as the horizon tilted crazily in front of her. Her knees felt weak and wobbly, but she managed to stay on her feet. “What’s wrong?” Tyson’s hand gently touched her shoulder, drawing her attention. She looked at his arm. That had been his hand she’d seen on the ground with blood pooling near it. She’d thought she needed more than the feelings as proof and she’d gotten it. Her stomach clenched and churned again. If they went any closer to the forest, he was going to be hurt. “We’re going back to the Thent now.” She exhaled a shuddering breath. No more denying the urging of her instincts. Even if someone only got hurt, she wouldn’t take that risk. The guilt would eat at her, knowing she could have stopped it from happening. “Are you hurt or sick? You’re a little pale.” Tyson frowned and his head tilted to the side. “I’m fine. We’re heading back now. I’ve come far enough.” She straightened and tried to breathe through the clench and heave of her stomach. 178
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“Do you need some time? Because if you want, we can simply stay here and talk until you feel more relaxed.” Tyson looked at her patiently. She drew in another breath and closed her eyes. He must think she was letting her fear rule her again. She was afraid, but she knew it was more than her emotions. They were there and waiting. She wasn’t going to give them the chance to hurt anyone today. “I don’t need time. I want to go back now.” She kept her voice even and firm. She wasn’t changing her mind. Any wavering might make him think she was unsure. She turned back to the Thent. “There are plenty of men out here to protect you even if those men are close,” Tyson offered gently. She shook her head firmly. “It’s not about the number of men around to protect me. I know they’re here. I can almost feel their hatred right now. If we go any closer to the forest right now, someone’s going to get hurt. I know this as much as I do that you’re standing right beside me.” He looked back at the forest and then back to her. She could tell that he didn’t fully believe her, but at the moment all that mattered was getting back to the fortress. “If you’re certain, we’ll head back and tell the Ardin.” “Good.” She smiled at him, glad to have his agreement finally. He’d seemed determined to give her as much time outside the walls as possible. Nice thought, but right now, being outside the Thent seemed worse than being stuck inside. Not that she expected the talk with those two to go much better than this one had. She had been afraid. They might simply think that she’d let her imagination take control. They didn’t believe what she dreamed without proof. Since this had happened while she was awake, that might make what she said even more difficult to accept. She didn’t care if they were convinced of it. They needed to know about it. She didn’t think Laed and Kynar would wait very long to make some kind of move. Colm and Linc should be prepared for anything. Kynar and Laed had no honor. They walked back in silence. She didn’t know how she was supposed to make them understand that what she’d seen was true and not a rush of panicked thoughts, images and feelings. The short stroll back to the gate seemed to take no time at all. Now that she was back in the walls, the fear faded and worry began to build. Would they take her concerns seriously? She could only try. The rest was their decision.
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Chapter Twenty-Four Colm looked away from the men practicing in a clear, grassy area near the corner guardhouse. From his position, he had a good view of almost the entire inner courtyard. When he saw two people walking through the gates, his eyes sharpened. That appeared to be Tyson. When the wind gusted, he saw the bottom of a skirt and knew it was Tyson and Cami. What were they doing back so soon? He’d thought with the chance to go for a long walk that she’d stay out there until the sun set if they let her. The tension in her had been growing. The problem with the single women had been part of it and her determination to keep a distance between them also had a part in it. Being confined within the walls hadn’t helped. It would have driven him out of his mind to stay within the walls for as long as she had. Tyson stopped and looked around the courtyard. Colm wondered what he was searching for when he began walking toward them, Cami at his side. Colm tilted his head a little and watched. Something was off. Both of them seemed a little stiff. By the time they neared him, he knew there was something wrong. The only reason he didn’t walk out to meet them was that if something had happened while they were outside the walls, he would have been told. “Hi, Cami, I didn’t expect to see you back so soon.” He smiled as they stopped in front of him. He expected an easy smile in return, but her look was so serious and unsure that he knew for certain that something wasn’t right. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth, but closed it again. Her teeth nibbled at her lower lip. She seemed to be trying to think of what to say. Her hands twisted together. What could make her so nervous? “Is something wrong?” He looked from Cami to Tyson. “Your Lady is convinced that the false Ardin are out there.” Tyson looked at Cami. The man’s tone and expression both showed his confusion. If there had been the slightest hint of condescension in his voice, Colm would have taken him down for the disrespect. “Cami, did you see something?” Colm asked. “Not ‘see’ the way you mean.” Her eyes met his. He bit back the curse. “Why don’t we take this inside the Thent where we can sit and talk about it in comfort?” Cami still looked nervous. He knew these abilities were new to her. Whatever was bothering her, they’d work through later, but first, he needed to know why she thought the false Ardin were here. He’d known the men might follow her here, but with the 180
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number of men he had outside the walls at the moment, he was sure they weren’t close enough to do any harm. Those men wouldn’t risk their own lives just to get to her. Especially since they thought there was a chance to get their magic back. Not that he expected a foolish attack when they realized that was gone. No, if they decided to try to kill her out of revenge, they’d wait for a vulnerable moment with little risk to them. He gestured to Linc, who was across the field. That was all it took. Linc left the two men he’d been watching spar and began walking over to join them. Colm waited. Cami needed time to relax. A few moments waiting for Linc wouldn’t hurt. Is something wrong? She’s back a little sooner than we thought. Linc’s thoughts swept into his mind along with concern. Tyson said that she thinks the false Ardin were here. Colm kept his eyes on Cami. He didn’t know what to think. She’d been running from those men and had more than enough reason to fear them. He didn’t know how to reassure her without angering her or sounding condescending. Did he give any reason why she thought that? Linc shot a frown at him as he joined them. Colm shrugged and lead the way to the Thent. She said that she didn’t see them. Not in the way that I meant. Fuck. Linc’s mental tone immediately grew a little rougher. But I have to wonder if it’s really something that will come to pass or if her fear is coloring her thoughts. Colm kept his eyes straight ahead, but felt a little twinge of guilt for even thinking it. The one time she’d seen something here had been true. This was a little different. She hadn’t been asleep. We both know she’s still so afraid of them she has nightmares. And there’s more than ample reason for those nightmares. Linc moved up beside him and scowled at him, the irritation plain on his face. Let her explain before you start making decisions about what’s real and what she’s imagining. We thought she’d dreamed up the last one and caught two men coming into our Thent because of what she saw. I remember, but this is a different situation. Colm wasn’t making snap decisions, but he also knew that he was too inclined to believe anything she said simply because she was their Lady. Sending men out to search won’t hurt anything, even if nothing is found. Personally I’d rather she be aware of the danger than so complacent she didn’t pay attention to what was going on around her. Linc didn’t elaborate, but he didn’t need to go into vivid detail of what could have happened to her if she’d been less diligent before she’d found them. Those kinds of thoughts gave Colm nightmares. She’d been so vulnerable when she was on the run. He didn’t need the thought of her doing anything overtly reckless added onto the image. Linc had a point about sending out men. It would reassure her that they weren’t simply brushing aside her concerns.
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As they climbed the steps, he kept his eyes on her. She was so tense. Didn’t she know that they’d still trust her dreams even if she was wrong this time? Whatever spooked her might not even be about today. It could be sometime in the future. She was just learning about her abilities and hadn’t learned to control or even read it fully yet. He urged her in front of him as Linc held the door open for her. Tyson waited as they entered and followed them into the entrance hall. Colm almost stopped as he strode in behind her. His eyes rose from studying the sway of her ass as she walked. He saw Vin standing near the end of the hallway. Tension swept over him and his jaw clenched tight, biting back a curse. Seeing the chatar there, he knew something was important, even if he didn’t know what that was. “I think you need somewhere quiet to talk, right?” Vin smiled and gestured them to walk before him. “You can use my library. Plenty of room for all of you.” “We do need to talk, and since you’re aware of it, you should probably be part of it.” Colm frowned at the chatar. A little warning would be nice if he had any indication something would happen today. Cami had faced enough changes. She didn’t need any more surprises if it could be helped. He didn’t know what reason the man had for doing things this way. If it was similar to some of his other reasons, they might never know. The man was always mysterious. Vin nodded and waited as they walked past him. Colm followed Cami as she led the way to the chatar’s library. He reached past her and opened the door before allowing her to enter. She strode into the room, but she didn’t immediately sit. She stood next to one of the shelves. He knew she was nervous and didn’t want to crowd her. Taking a seat at the end of the table, he waited for her to relax enough to sit down. Linc sat down across from him, leaving the seat at the end open for her. Tyson sat a seat down from him and Vin took a seat near Linc. Finally, Cami sighed looked up and took a chair at the other end of the table. Colm shook his head. That illustrated how she was feeling very clearly. Her against everyone else. Colm wasn’t about to let that continue. They were by her side on this. She wasn’t alone. He stood and walked over to her. He didn’t sit beside her. He reached down and lifted her out of the chair. She stiffened and gasped, but she didn’t yell or argue. He walked over and put her into the chair at their end of the table. She grabbed the arms of the chair and narrowed her eyes on him. He didn’t know if she needed something to hold onto to steady herself. Maybe, she simply didn’t want to take a swing at him. “We always sit by your side and we’ll be on your side. We might not agree with you or take everything you say as fact. That doesn’t mean we’re against you.” Linc put his hand on her arm and rubbed slowly up and down. “Now why don’t you start by telling us what happened out there?” “Tyson can go first. My story isn’t going to differ too much from his except near the end of the walk.” Cami smiled, but Colm saw the strain around the edges of her mouth.
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Trust. In ways, she’d given it to them, and in other ways, she seemed to expect them to turn on her. He was certain she trusted them with her body and not to hurt her physically. It was her emotions that now held her back. Talking wasn’t going to change that. Time would. He didn’t like it. Most of the time, he wanted to grab her and demand that she give them everything. He couldn’t order this. She needed to discover that on her own. “Go ahead, Tyson,” Linc said. Colm put his hand over Cami’s. He could see the distance in her eyes and the way she almost leaned back in the chair. He held back a snarl. She’d probably misinterpret his irritation at that silent retreat. He wanted to haul her into his lap and show her that none of her doubts mattered in the end. “At first, everything was fine. She talked to the women and seemed relaxed. Once we walked away from the Thent and toward the forest, she began to get tense. Her steps noticeably dragged. I thought she was simply nervous about being outside of the walls, but she said no. There was danger.” Tyson looked over at Cami and he didn’t seem to know what to make of her actions. “Danger? Is that where it ended? Did you bring her back then?” Linc frowned. “No, I asked her if she’d seen anything. I knew you’d had the perimeter checked and that there were people watching us even at that moment. I thought she was simply nervous because of the old fear of them. I had her take a few breaths. When she was ready, we walked again. She suddenly stopped and said that she was ready to go back to the Thent now.” Tyson rested his arm on the table. “Is there a reason that you didn’t wait for her to relax again this time?” Colm frowned. Taking that time had been a good idea. “She wouldn’t. She was pale and obviously shaken about something. She said that if we went any closer to the trees that someone would get hurt.” Tyson shrugged. “Now your side of the tale, Cami.” Colm looked at her and smiled. His hand tightened on her arm, hoping to reassure her. Cami bit her lip and then took a deep breath. “I felt way more than nervous as we were walking. Dread comes closer to it.” “Okay, you were afraid.” Colm hoped to prod her story along so that they could get onto reassuring her that they did take her concerns seriously. She stiffened and leaned as far back as the chair would allow. Her eyes narrowed a little and her breathing quickened. He clenched his teeth as he realized how harsh his words had sounded. Putting her on the defensive was the last thing he wanted to do. “Everything inside of me was telling me that going near that forest was a bad idea. At first, I thought that maybe some of it was nerves, because I hadn’t been out in the open in a while. I wasn’t completely unaware that might be the cause. It’s why I kept going after the first time we stopped.” She looked at him and anger burned brightly in her eyes.
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Colm saw Linc’s hand stroke up and down her arm, probably trying to soothe her once again. He kept holding onto her hand even when she tried to pull away from him. Better she realize quickly that he’d hold on tightly now. “So you tried to ignore the feelings, but they were too strong. What happened that finally convinced you of that it wasn’t a bad case of nervous fear?” Linc’s voice rolled smoothly through the room. “As we got closer to the forest, I saw images. It wasn’t a complete scene as I normally get, but flashes, disjointed little snips and a rush of feelings. Some of the emotions, I’m certain weren’t mine.” She shivered and her scent changed. With the drug in her system, he couldn’t quite identify it, but her body language and expression were enough to tell him fear played a part in it. “What were the images?” Colm asked. He hoped she realized that he wasn’t questioning what she saw or how she felt about it. He needed to know more about what made it seem so real to her, why this time was different from all of her other visions of the future. “I saw a flash of light. At first, I tried to make myself believe that it was a bird or something that caught the edge of my vision. It wasn’t.” Her voice strengthened and the she looked him straight in the eyes. “You became certain it wasn’t a bird.” Linc patted her hand. She glared at him. Colm shot him a dark look too. The last thing they needed was Linc bumbling around verbally. Colm did enough of that. He wanted her to know they supported her, but everything they said seemed to put her on the defensive. She pulled at her arm, but he held onto it. If he released her, she’d get up and walk away from them. He wanted to haul her into his lap and hold her tight, but he knew she’d fight that. She was much too angry already. “No, it wasn’t a bird. I saw flashes of scenes, as if it was a moment out of time. A hand gripped a knife, but I didn’t even have time to wonder who was holding it before the next one hit me. Kynar’s face, his lips twisted into a sneer. I saw blood flowing across grass and dirt. It pooled beside a male hand. And then there were the feelings.” She took a deep breath and shuddered. Colm felt the tremor as it passed through her. Whatever she’d seen had shaken her badly. Even if this wasn’t a true vision, he wanted to beat the two men who had hurt her. Colm knew he’d made his own mistakes, but he didn’t like paying for theirs. He’d had to fight for her trust since he met her. The desire to rip the barriers away grew every day, but even as part of him railed at the delay, it wasn’t that easy. He might demand her complete trust, but he couldn’t make her give it. “What feelings? Tell us what you sensed. We need to understand why it seemed so real to you.” Colm winced as he realized how the last of that sounded. “A strong wave of hatred and anger hit me. It wasn’t mine. I know that much, but I can’t tell you who the feeling belonged to or even who it was directed at. Then almost equally intense was a wave of sadness and guilt. I’m not sure about all of the sadness, 184
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but I think part of it and the guilt would have been mine to bear if we’d gone on.” She licked her lips and looked up at them through her lashes. She seemed to be waiting for their reaction. “We’ll send someone to have a look around the area to see if we can find any sign of anyone trying to hide or strangers.” Linc smiled at Cami and patted her arm. She stiffened and glared at him. Colm knew that Linc’s words hadn’t soothed her. From the sharpening of her scent, her emotions were raging. He didn’t know what to do to soothe her or even what had set her off. Hadn’t she wanted them to send someone to look for signs of Laed and Kynar? “You’ll send someone, but you don’t really think you’re going to find anything. Why go to the bother? You don’t have to humor me.” She tugged on her hand again. “Colm, if you don’t let me go, I’m going to bite.” He released her, but not because of her threat to bite. He didn’t want to panic her. By the glowing light in her eyes, her emotions were rising out of control again. She looked a little surprised and sat there without moving for a few minutes. “It’s not that we don’t believe you. Even you admit that you’ve never experienced anything such as this. We don’t know what to believe. When the men came over the wall, you dreamed it. We’re going to search because we don’t want to remain ignorant of their presence if they are here,” Colm explained hoping that it helped her understand. She snarled and lunged to her feet. His fingers slipped over hers as he grabbed for her, but somehow, she’d edged out from between him and the chair. He stood, but stopped as Linc gave a small shake of his head. He looked at Cami again and remained still. Her feet thudded lightly against the woven carpet as she paced to the shelf and whirled around to stomp back toward them. She never got within reach. He didn’t know if he’d have resisted the urge to grab her if she had. “I know what I felt and I don’t feel that level of anger much less hatred toward anyone, not even Laed and Kynar. I want them dead, but not that kind of hate. That wasn’t my emotion. I know it.” She stopped to glare at them and one of her hands braced on her hip. “That may be, but you can’t be sure whose anger you were picking up on. It might not be Laed and Kynar. It might not even have anything to do with today. It could be days from now. Since this experience is so different from anything else you’ve had, we’ll have to wait and see.” Linc shrugged. She growled and threw her hands up in the air. “They’re here. You can wait for confirmation if you want, but it was them. I knew you wouldn’t believe me without proof, but you needed to know. They have no honor and they’ll kill anyone who crosses their path if they get the opportunity.” She stalked out of the room before Colm could say anything to that or even hope to come up with something that might soothe her temper. Since he didn’t even know why she was so angry, that was a long shot anyway. He started for the door. 185
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“She’s still coming into her power.” The chatar’s voice cut through the room. “Not even close to reaching her peak yet.” Colm turned and looked at the chatar. “She’s right, then? They are here.” “Tyson would have died if they’d gone near the forest. I didn’t know about it until she started talking.” The chatar’s voice was soft, but his eyes locked on the warrior. Colm didn’t need to have it explained any further. His hands fisted at his sides and his head lowered. As much as he’d told himself they were going to support her, they hadn’t. Hell, he hadn’t really given much credence to what she was saying because of the way it had come to her. They had been humoring her. “Why is it different this time?” Linc’s voice broke the silence in the room. “It was different this time because of the situation. Her nervousness. She wasn’t asleep, relaxed or trying to meditate to see something more. The flashes and emotions were warnings and she heeded them. As she learns to use her abilities, that might become clearer at times, but even I have occasions when something hits me unexpectedly.” Vin relaxed back in his chair. “And you couldn’t have said something before we made this huge mess?” Colm shot a glare at the chatar, but knew that it was his own fault. “You have to learn to trust in what she tells you. She’s going to make mistakes. I do sometimes too. Interpreting what is seen isn’t always easy. Although it might seem immediate and urgent, it could be something that’s happening a rona from now.” Vin sighed. “This isn’t easy for her. She’s still a little afraid of the magic inside her and doesn’t entirely trust it herself.” Colm grimaced. Even if Vin had spoken up once he realized how serious this was, it wouldn’t have changed anything. Now they needed to show her that they could learn from their mistakes as well as admit to her that they’d made a mistake. “All right, we send some men out to the forest line to search for signs that they were there. Tyson, start gathering some men. I want at least one set of tierna bonded men with the group. And remind them to be on guard, because I don’t want Cami’s words about them killing someone to be prophetic.” Linc stood and paced once back and forth. His eyes locked on the door. Tyson nodded and left the room. That left Colm with Linc and the chatar. Thoughts of Cami and what they needed to do flowed through Colm’s mind. He glanced over at Linc. Colm knew exactly what his bond brother was thinking. He wanted to go after her too. “It would probably be better to let her have a little time before talking to her again. We can go help with the search and make plans. We’ve got a little learning to do ourselves.” “That’s a start. You’re probably right about her needing some time alone. I’d want to hit somebody or something if I felt that something was wrong and didn’t think anyone was listening to me.” Linc grimaced, but didn’t take his eyes off the door.
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“I’m probably lucky she didn’t bite me.” Colm shook his head, but a small smile curved his lips. Most of the time, he liked her feisty attitude. Especially the contrast to her caution at first. “Let’s get this started and see if we can find those men today. That might even be good enough to make her forget about us not listening.” Linc straightened. “Maybe not.” Colm shrugged and led the way out of the room.
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Chapter Twenty-Five Linc walked down the hall in their section of the Thent. She was here somewhere. He could feel her magic swelling and ebbing with a reassuring rhythm. Feeling that slight rise in her power had at first worried him, but then he’d felt it lower and rise again. He realized she must be practicing. He took his time, pausing to look into each room. He had no idea what he was going to say to her. Well, other than telling her about what they’d found. Colm could be here too, but the stubborn man insisted that Linc was better with words. Maybe Colm didn’t say things in the most diplomatic way, but he got his point across. Sometimes, blunt was better than finding the single right word. Shaking his head, he pushed open the door and stood there looking at Cami. Her hair flowed down her back, but the energy in the room caused it to ripple as the magic rose. He leaned against the door frame watching her for a moment, gathering his thoughts. She was beautiful and the strength in her amazed him. She’d come through an experience that would have left some people broken. “What are you doing?” He asked the question softly when she’d released the magic she’d gathered. “Practicing.” She turned slowly. He saw the wariness in her eyes and cursed silently. The chatar was right. They had to trust in her as much as she had to learn to trust them. She shouldn’t ever look at them that way. He needed to wipe away the hurt he saw in those gorgeous gold orbs. He also understood what she left unsaid. She wanted to be ready. Just in case. “You were doing well.” Linc took a deep breath and decided to start with the obvious. “We found sign near the edge of the forest of someone hiding and waiting for some time. At least most of the morning, judging by the signs and small indications of movement.” “They were gone?” Her head tilted, but she didn’t seem to be surprised at all. “No one saw anything other than the spot where they’d been. I think we only found that because they saw us coming out to search and didn’t have time to clear away the marks.” Linc wished they’d found some other signs of those two men. Even a trail would be welcome. He wanted to end this so that he could focus on cementing the relationship with Cami. He didn’t want her attention on anything other than them, but until this was over, she needed to be on guard. “You think it is Laed and Kynar now?” She took a deep breath. The slow, deliberate choice of words more than anything made him wish he could undo everything that had happened. He didn’t want her watching her words around them.
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“Even humans who know they’re dealing with shifters don’t completely hide their scent. It’s not an easy thing to do. There was no trace of scent, even when they were obviously rushing to get out of the area.” Linc sighed. Those two men thought of too much. They were dealing with shifters this time. The only shifters who might come after them were the two false Ardin. “Are there still people searching for them or is it back to the waiting game?” She stared at him. He couldn’t read her expression, but guessed she wondered if he’d tell her what they planned to do now. He wanted to take her into his arms, but she stood stiffly. The look and body language screamed for distance. He locked his feet into place to give her that space for a little longer. He wouldn’t last long. He ached to hold her. Even if he couldn’t find the right words, he knew that being close to her would help. “There are men looking for them. Since we couldn’t find much trace of them, it’s not going to be easy.” Linc didn’t soften the words. He wasn’t going to lie to her to make her feel better now when it would hurt her later. “We’ll probably have to wait a little, but it’s not going to be the only thing we do. We’ll be actively hunting them.” Her jaw tightened for a moment before she nodded. “Cami, we shouldn’t have been so quick to think that nervousness caused your reaction. We knew you were surprised at going outside the walls and that was part of the reason that it was so believable. There’s not a good reason to explain why we were so ready to believe that it might be so simple. I was thinking it was simply fear and nerves even before you started telling us what you were feeling.” Linc hoped that she listened to them better than they had her. “I know you did. I knew it at the time. That was part of what made me so mad.” Cami’s muscles relaxed a little. “I didn’t expect you to admit it so easily though.” “We made a mistake. It won’t be our last. Next time, fight a little harder to make us listen.” Linc raised a brow as he said those last words. The woman had eluded the false Ardin, found him and Colm even when she knew it was going to make her life more difficult and tried to fight the mate bond. She had courage enough to argue with them wherever they were. “Fight a little harder? What am I supposed to do? Grab you and hold you down?” Her lips twitched, but her body was still tense. Linc grabbed onto that small sign of hope. Maybe her anger had cooled enough that she wouldn’t need to relax more. He wanted to be with her. He’d seen the spot where the man had hidden. She’d been only four or five body lengths from danger. Scenes and images of her bloody and hurt replayed in his head until the tiron inside clawed to get out and grab her. Now that he was in the same room, the urge settled a little, but it wouldn’t still until he held her in his arms. He didn’t know how Colm stayed away from her. His bond
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brother’s anxiety burned through the link between them. Yet he remained with the other men. “There are places you could grab that would definitely get my attention. Get in my face or yell. Tell me to admit you’re right or prove you wrong. Something.” He grinned. He could imagine her doing that. “I know those places, but you wouldn’t be much use to me for a while after. Of course, there’s always Colm, so it’s a definite possibility. And have you ever told Colm to prove you wrong? Because he’s just as intimidating as you are.” She looked at him through her lashes. Her hand crept to her hip. That was better. He wanted to see her relaxed and sassy. “Don’t give me that excuse. You’ve yelled and opposed us before when it was important. If it matters, don’t let us get away with brushing your concerns to the side. Hell, toss up this incident as a reminder.” He took a step closer, simply to see how she’d react. She didn’t back away from him or tense up on him. “Never thought I’d get permission to use a mistake against you. What are you going to do now?” Her head tilted and she studied him through gorgeous gold eyes veiled by thick lashes. “Do?” His grin turned wicked and his eyes swept down her body. He knew what he’d like to be doing. “Well, I thought I’d show you a few things that you haven’t seen before and then we’d play.” “Play?” She raised an eyebrow. “I thought you’d be out searching or something. Where’s Colm?” “Colm’s supervising practice. Men are still searching, although they’ll pull back in when night falls. I’m free to do what I want now. Since you’re in the mood to practice your magic, I know ways to make it much more interesting.” Linc brushed his hand over her cheek. His heart nearly slammed out of his chest when she turned her face into his palm. “Are you willing to try?” “We can try, but I don’t know where play comes in with magic. You know I don’t have control over it.” She frowned and her hand rose to cover his lightly. “Do you trust me to know what I’m doing when it comes to magic?” He waited for her answer. Nervousness bounced through him with such force that he was surprised his whole body wasn’t shaking with it. If she didn’t, this was going to take a long time. He’d wait, but it wouldn’t be easy. “I know you wouldn’t hurt me with your magic. That part is easy, but it’s me. I don’t trust myself to know what to do or to control the level of power.” She licked her lips and took a deep breath as if she was bracing for something. “I trust you, Cami.” He captured her hand and held it gently as he drew it down between them. “I know you wouldn’t hurt me with your magic.” “I lose control. At that inn, I blasted you across the room when I lost control of my magic. If I lose it again, you could be hurt badly.” She shook her head.
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He could almost see her pulling back. His hand tightened around hers, but he was careful not to squeeze too hard. She took a deep breath and looked nervous, but she didn’t pull away from him. “You’re not going to hurt me. Not even when you get excited.” Linc knew the fear was real, but the only way to convince her that she could do this safely was actual experience. He hoped she gave him the chance to show her that there was nothing she needed to fear with this. “Are you sure?” She licked her lips and looked up at him through her lashes. He wanted to lean down and swipe his own tongue across those lush, moist curves. “I’m very sure. Are you willing to try?” He didn’t give in to the urge. This needed to be her choice. He didn’t want her to think she’d been pushed into it. Not because he thought she’d regret it. He wanted her to trust herself where her magic was concerned. “All right, let’s see if you can teach me to play with my magic. I don’t know how it’s possible though. I don’t want to hurt you.” She shrugged. He saw the hope in her eyes and the trace of wariness. She didn’t have anything to worry about, but reassuring her again wasn’t going to help. He took her hand and drew her over to the bed. Since it wasn’t used, only a thin dust sheet rested across the bare mattress. He brushed his hand over it. When his fingers came away free from dust, he decided that they could leave it on the bed. “Normally, I’d want to be naked before we start this, but you’re a little nervous so we’ll start slow. I’ll let you go first. For a while.” He had to add that last part, because she needed to feel the pleasure magic as well as perform it. As much as he was enjoying feeling the sizzle of her magic on his skin, he needed to make her wild too. “Most of this is going to come naturally to you once the magic starts flowing. You won’t have to focus as much as you do when you’re practicing.” “That’s good. What do I do?” She sat on the bed and her head cocked to the side. She relaxed a little more with each moment. “I want you to think about pleasure. How it feels to have a hand running over your stomach and up to your breasts. How it feels to have fingers tugging on your nipple or stroking your clit.” He smiled and eased onto the bed beside her. So far so good. Her eyes widened. “Really, just that? I’m not supposed to try to put the feelings into the magic?” “I’m teaching here.” Linc reached over and tugged her thighs wider. His hand pressed her skirt between her legs and he rested his fingers over her pussy. Even through the fabric, he could feel her heat. “Now do what I say or do I need to remind you of how those sensations feel.” She turned and glared up at him. “No, I can remember them.” “Rest your hands palm up in your lap and get started. I might decide to play if you don’t hurry.” He kept his lips in a straight line with effort.
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She drew her lip back in a small snarl. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. He saw her body relax a little. Her nipple poked at the fabric of her shirt, the stiff peak clearly visible. He tore his eyes away from that encouraging sign and focused on her hand. He could see the first of the magic beginning to pool there. She didn’t notice it. Her eyes remained closed and her breath hitched a little. The hazy purple mist began to pool in her palms waiting to be harnessed. He watched and waited. It needed to strengthen a little before he showed her what she’d created. It would dissipate with the shock. She needed to see and feel it. When the magic had grown into two amorphous masses in her palms, he decided that it should be strong enough. “Open your eyes and look at your hands.” He watched her, but didn’t know what to expect. Her eyes widened and she straightened. Her gaze lifted to his. “What did I do?” She licked her lips and her fingers flexed a little. “That’s the way it’s supposed to happen. It probably would have happened naturally at some point. You’ll be able to call it forth, but you can send it away too. It won’t hurt you, Colm or me.” Linc kept his voice quiet and calm. He tried to force his lips into a straight line. He didn’t want her to think he was laughing at her. Sometimes, her reactions made him smile. “What do I do with it?” She lifted one of her hands and then set it back down when the hazy purple magic moved over her palm. “It tingles.” “You’re going to torment me for a little while.” He lifted his hand and brushed his fingers across her cheek. “Let me get more comfortable and you can start.” He stood and took off his boots and his shirt. The pants he left fastened, because he wanted the control the tight fabric gave him. He knew how intense the magic running over his skin could feel and he didn’t want this to end too soon. Walking around the bed, he settled down on his back in the center. With his fingers together behind his head, he took a deep breath and focused on letting her learn to trust at least this part of her magic. “But what do I do with this?” She frowned as she slowly made her way around the bed. Her knee braced on the bed. She remained poised there as if she didn’t want to risk getting closer until she knew exactly what to do. “It’s magic. What do you want it to do?” Linc raised a brow. “If you were here and I was standing there comtemplating what to do, I’d probably start with your breasts. I’d slowly trickle the magic over your chest. As it spread, maybe it would send little shocks across your nipples or make them feel as if they were being sucked.” “I just imagine what I want it to do?” Her head tilted and he saw the interest lighting her eyes. He knew she’d like the idea of teasing him. “If you think it, will it, the magic will do it. Now how long are you going to keep me waiting?” He raised an eyebrow in challenge. “I have plans for playing as well.”
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“Will it to do what I want…” Her voice trailed off and her eyes roamed over his chest and down to where his cock strained against the fabric of his pants. He took a deep, steadying breath as images slammed into his head of what she might do. Maybe he should have told her what to do. If she did any of what he was picturing, he wasn’t going to last long before grabbing her and showing her how it felt to have the magic pulsing over her. He clenched his jaw. He needed to let her play and relax with it as long as possible. “It will do anything you want. If you want it in a certain form, you just have to picture and want it to be in that shape. Now show me what you can do.” He smiled at her. He’d have to make sure she got a chance to practice on Colm too. He wasn’t going to be the only one she tortured. She cupped the magic in both hands and then trailed the purple mist from his shoulders to his stomach in a slow, winding trail. Sparks danced through him wherever the magic touched his skin. The sensation seared when it touched his trika, causing his back to arch, lifting into the phantom touch. It simply sat there as she trailed the last of the magic over his stomach, but damn, he wanted it to move. Simply having it trailing across his upper body teased him when he knew the sensation that magic could give. “How did you learn this?” she asked softly. The quiet question caught him off guard. He focused on answering her and tried to ignore the tingling sensation of her magic moving over his skin. He’d have to ask her a few questions while he played to show her how difficult it was to focus on anything other than the promise of pleasure. “Not nearly as intimately as this. It was a little strange. The same man who instructed me in basic magic sat and talked with a group of us about it and told us how to do it. Told us to try it when we were alone and if we had any questions to come back and talk to him.” He shrugged. “I think I like this way.” She wriggled her fingers as the last of the magic drifted onto his stomach. “I definitely like being able to play and see how you like it. I think I’ll start with one of your ideas.” Her eyes locked on his chest. He felt the tingling magic pulse and then the lower end of it began to drift up his body. Heat spread over his skin as the mist trailed up to his chest. It separated into two distinct masses and pooled over his nipples. Prickling sparks spread. He felt nails scraping over the tips of his nipples, but both of her hands were in sight. His cock hardened even more and pressed against the fabric of his pants. He wanted to grab her and show her how good this felt. Maybe he shouldn’t have talked so much about what he’d do to her. “This really feels good to you?” she asked softly. Concern darkened her eyes. “Gods, yes. You’ll see when I get my turn to play with you.” He couldn’t wait. The magic swirled over his skin, sending a fiery wave straight down to his cock. He moaned and she smiled. Her hand stroked over the top of the magic. She’d feel a little of the tingle he was feeling. He could almost see her confidence growing and the 193
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torturous ideas bubbling inside her head. She braced her hand near his shoulder and leaned down to watch. Stinging pleasure pulsed through him as the mass of magic rolled and swirled over the darkened skin surrounding his nipples. His hips arched involuntarily. “Um, looks as if there’s a part of you I’ve been neglecting here. I’ll take care of that. I wouldn’t want to leave any part of you untouched.” She licked her lips and straightened. Her hands went to the leather laces at his fly. He swallowed, but strained to keep his hands laced behind his head when his entire body vibrated with need. You can do this. The encouraging thought did little to quell the heat and hunger burning him. He itched to get his turn to play with her. She pushed the fabric apart and his cock sprang free from the confines. Her fingers brushed the sensitive shaft and his hips pumped upward. He didn’t know what she had planned, but he ached to feel those fingers wrap around him. His mind locked on how close those warm fingers were to his cock. “Much as I’d love to taste you, I think I need to practice a little more.” She smiled. The heat and anticipation in those eyes stole his breath. Hazy magic twisted and turned in her palm for a moment before she tipped her hand and spilled it right over his cock. Hot sparks flared and burst as the mist rolled over his cock. His hips bucked up even as his hands jerked from behind his neck. He had only a second to realize that the mating magic wasn’t just running over his cock. It surrounded and rippled over his cock. He grabbed her shoulders and tugged her down. His lips captured hers. Thrusting his tongue deep into her mouth, he kissed her. Tugging at her, he tried to draw her onto his aching cock. She resisted, laughing softly. He growled in frustration. One of her hands wrapped around the shaft. The warmth of her hand combined with the tingling torture of the magic drove all thought other than release out of his head. Her fingers drew up the length. She pumped his cock, her grip tightening on the downstroke. The magic rippled over and around the shaft sending sparks straight up his spine. Her thumb smoothed over the rounded head of his cock. Not yet. Not yet. He wanted to be inside of her first. She swept the pad across one more time. Light exploded across his eyes. His breath caught and his hips jerked as he came. The pleasure roared over him leaving him shaking and gasping for breath. He looked at Cami and found her licking her fingers. Her eyes glowed and a small smile curved her lips. A very satisfied little tiron licking her paw. Determination pulsed through him. The next time he came, he’d be deep inside her, but first, he was going to see her as wild as she’d made him. Cami licked her fingers again. He tasted good. Each lick reinforced the fact that he was her mate. She occasionally wondered if she’d taken it a step too far, too fast. Even the way they focused on her once they learned she was their mate had reassured her. 194
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Still, she wondered if it was really her they wanted or simply their mate. She wanted more than the physical attraction. Her emotions already flared high and probably started growing from the first even when fear urged her to keep her distance. She needed them to feel that same true, deep passion. She leaned down and brushed her lips across Linc’s. That had been fun. She hadn’t been this relaxed around her magic ever. His hands tightened on her shoulders and the fingers dug in a little more firmly than comfortable. She met his burning gaze and gasped. Hunger and intent burned there. “Oh, you’re going to pay for that, sweet Cami. You’re going to love it.” His hands pressed on her shoulders and he rolled her. Her back pressed against the bed cover and he knelt over her. “I hope you’re ready for this, because I’m in the mood to play now.” His head lowered and his teeth grazed her shoulder. She shivered at the touch and wriggled in anticipation. The touch of magic had sent him out of control. If it felt even half as good as she imagined, she couldn’t wait for him to play. Slick, warm moisture slipped from her pussy as she looked up at him. She couldn’t stop imagining what he said he wanted to do with the magic. “Not panicking yet. If you wait too long, I might.” She raised an eyebrow. He wouldn’t need to watch her face very closely to know that she was teasing. “I can give you something else to think about.” His head lowered again and his tongue swirled over her pulse point. She expected a kiss or for him to draw back and let her see him form the magic. As his lips moved over her neck, she felt warmth spread over her belly. Then tingles spread slowly. The prickling sensation pulsed and stroked, almost the same as a lover’s hand, but she’d never felt this sparkling intensity when someone touched her belly. Desire coiled low in her belly. The inner muscles of her pussy clenched in anticipation. How would that feel when it touched her breasts? She squeezed her thighs together. “You sent me right over the edge.” His lips trailed over her jaw and his tongue swept across her lips once before it thrust into her mouth in a fierce claiming. “I loved it, but let me show you how intense the mating magic can be when you combine the magic with touch.” “Show me what you can do. Maybe I’ll learn something and try it out on Colm later.” She grinned at the thought of doing to him what she’d done to Linc. She might need a few extra tricks to take him over the edge. “You’ll definitely be playing with him later.” He licked her lips. He kissed her cheek and then nibbled his way down her neck. She shivered and ran her hand over his back. Her palm itched with the heat of the magic. She’d love to rub it across his back and shoulders to excite him as he did her. Now that he’d shown her this new kind of magic, she wanted to use it, but held back. He wanted to show her pleasure. She wasn’t going to take that away from him. Relaxing on the mattress, she enjoyed the sizzle of magic across her belly. What she felt
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now would probably be eclipsed by the sensation when the magic touched her breasts or her pussy. His mouth touched her shoulder and the magic on her stomach floated up her rib cage and teased the underside of her right breast. It rippled over her trika. A shiver raced over her body. Tingling heat raced over her skin and seemed to tug a string connected straight to her clit. Her breath caught and her back arched. She groaned, frustrated because there was nothing to offer a firmer pressure or harder touch at her breasts. The magic hadn’t even touched her nipples yet. Thoughts flew from her grasp. She could only focus on the burning desire building inside her. His teeth grazed over her skin. She wriggled her body, straining for more. His fingers brushed over her midriff. Her skin seemed hypersensitive and even the soft brush of air over it sent tingles spiraling through her. “I love watching you move and listening to the sound of your voice as the heat begins to get to you. I’m going to hear more of that.” His tongue swirled over the slope of her breast. Her breath caught in her throat at the growled promise. The magic flowed up her breast as his mouth moved closer to her other nipple. The prickling sparks from the magic contrasted with the warmth of his breath and the soft brush of his lips. Her fingers clenched and her muscles tightened. She didn’t know how much of this she could take without grabbing him, pushing him onto his back and riding him until she screamed her pleasure. She didn’t think she had the same control he did. The man knew what he was doing and every touch sent hunger spiraling tighter. As the magic swirled around her nipple, she drew in a hissing breath. Her body tightened and she couldn’t stay still. His hand brushed over her thigh. Without thought, her leg turned out, giving him more access to her pussy. Her inner muscles clenched. She ached for more, but she didn’t want it to end. “Don’t hold back. Let me hear what you’re feeling.” Linc looked up at her briefly before his tongue swirled around her nipple almost imitating the flow of magic. She groaned. “The magic, it’s warm and those tingles… Gods, I’ve never felt anything close to it. But your tongue is wet and firm, touching me just the way I need. Together, I don’t know how long I can hold back. And I was already hungry from playing with you.” “We haven’t even gotten to the serious teasing yet.” His lips closed around her nipple as the last word left his mouth. Her eyes widened. A moan tore from her lips when his teeth grazed her nipple. The building urgency tore at her control. She clenched her hands on the nubbly fabric beneath her. “I won’t last through serious teasing.” Her tongue swiped over her lips. She didn’t know how long she’d last even if he’d gone first. It felt too good.
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“Maybe I don’t want you to last through serious teasing. I love seeing you screaming and writhing as the heat takes you.” His hand covered her breast as he looked up at her and grinned. She grabbed his hand and drew it down her body to her pussy. His finger dipped between the lips and stroked her clit. She shuddered and drew in a hissing breath. He wasn’t making this easy. “I need you inside me when I come. I feel so empty.” The magic swirled around her nipple and she felt tugging sensations as if fingers plucked and tweaked the hardened bud. She arched, but the lack of anything solid to increase the pressure frustrated her even more. He groaned and a shudder shook his body. “Damn, woman. You know what to say to get your way. We are going to play later, though. Don’t think it will be so easy to get your way then. First, though, I’m going to get in a little more playtime.” His fingers grazed her clit again and her hips bucked up against them. He smiled before he drew her nipple back into his mouth. She couldn’t keep her hands on the bed anymore. Her fingers speared through his hair, holding his head tight against her. Her feet moved restlessly. She wanted to feel his weight against her, the warmth of his body pressing into hers. Tingles spread across her ribs and stomach as part of the magic separated from the mass at her breast. The pulling sensation continued there, but sparkling heat rolled down her stomach. Her focus shifted to the heat creeping closer to her pussy until a finger flicked across her clit. A shiver tore down her body. “I want you to know at least the touch of the magic here, i’ma. I’ll ensure that you don’t come, though.” His head lifted and he met her eyes. Another shiver ran over her. She had the feeling that if he wanted, he could delay her orgasm for as long as he desired. She hoped that wasn’t what he meant this time. “No magic other than this?” “With no magic other than this. I’m not going to draw it out for too long this time. Maybe one time when we’re all playing together we can delay the pleasure longer.” Linc dropped a kiss on her nipple before easing his way down her body. Her breath hitched as she realized what he intended. Her thighs tightened, but he held them wide and then eased between them. She tried to tug him back up using her grip on his hair, but he untangled her fingers and pressed them to the mattress at her side. “Easy, you know you like my mouth on you.” Linc licked her thigh and then nuzzled against the sensitized skin. “Too much.” At the moment, she didn’t care if he thought she meant it would be too much or if she liked it too much. Both applied. The magic slid down over her mound, but merely traced along the outer lips. The misty, featherlight touch sent tingles up her spine and her heart raced.
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He laughed softly. “Now you know what I felt just before you sent me flying right over the edge.” She knew that if he made her come he’d make her wild again, but she didn’t want to come without him. His tongue swiped over her folds. Her hands clenched at her sides and she bit her lip, trying to gain a little control. She ached so much she wanted to scream and beg for him to give her more of anything to send her over the edge, but she held back. The magic was great, but she wanted her man. His fingers parted her folds and his mouth lowered. Her body trembled and her hips arched against his face as his breath brushed over the too sensitive flesh. His tongue flicked at the hardened nub of her clit. Lost in sensation, she could only try to hold onto the last of her control long enough to feel his cock pushing inside of her. Much more of this torture and she’d come without it. His fingers pushed inside her pussy and she shivered. Her inner muscles rippled around those thick digits, greedily pulling at them. She wanted more inside her than his fingers. Linc’s mouth lowered, and as his fingers withdrew, his tongue pushed into her. He groaned and lapped at her as if dying of thirst. She arched and writhed. “Linc, please, fuck me.” She tugged at him, trying to pull him up her body. He rose to his knees between her thighs. “Just hearing you makes me as hard as stone. I don’t know how long I’ll last.” “Fuck me.” Her fingers slid over his shoulders before she gripped his arms. Her fingers dug into the warm, muscled flesh. He waved his hand and most of the magic disappeared, but she could still feel the tingles and heat of the misty patch hovering over her slit. It slid between the lips and over her clit. She hissed as the magic sent a jolt straight through her body. She shivered, close to coming and aching for more. His cock nudged the swollen lips before he guided the head to her entrance. Her hips lifted in hungry demand as his hips rocked forward, driving his cock deep. His hands gripped her hips, lifting them off the bed as he rocked into her. His lips pulled back from partially descended fangs. Magic swirled over her clit. It felt as if fingers flicked and rubbed at the sensitive bundle of flesh. She screamed as a wave of raw pleasure roared over her. Linc’s hips pounded into hers. His shout sounded and she felt the hot spurt of his semen. His hands caught his weight as he came down on her, but he rolled them until he rested on the bed and she nestled on top of him. His hand stroked up and down her back and he nuzzled her neck. “You have to promise to try what you did to me with Colm.” She rubbed her cheek against his chest. “I’m not sure Colm would let me finish playing that way.” Of the two, Colm was the more impatient and at times, aggressively predatory. Dealing with them one on one usually required different tactics. Playing sex games with them wouldn’t be much different. She’d have to try something else on Colm. 198
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“Maybe not, but I can guarantee that he’ll enjoy it.” He smiled. “You wouldn’t want him to feel left out now, would you?” “You’re just not brave enough to do it yourself.” She grinned and brushed the hair away from his cheek. He laughed, not seeming at all offended. “If I did it to him, he’d do it to me when I least expected it. We’d end up wrestling around on the floor. With you, you do it to him and you both have fun after a while. He would make you crazy with desire before fucking you until you’re limp and sated.” “Is that supposed to make me want to try it on Colm?” She levered up a little to look down at him. “Try what on Colm?” Colm’s voice came from near the door. Cami looked over and saw him leaning against the wall, looking relaxed and as if he’d been there for a while. His eyes ran over her from head to toe in hungry appraisal. She half expected him to start stripping in a moment and join them on the bed. “Playing with magic.” Cami didn’t want to go into the specifics of how they were discussing playing with magic and him. “And you don’t want to play with me?” He raised an eyebrow, but a slight frown tilted his lips. “I do want to play with you. My way. His suggestions would land me in trouble.” She tilted her head toward Linc. “I think he wants to watch and tease when it happens.” “He does have a tendency toward mischief. We both know he’d enjoy watching. Now, what did you do to him that he wants you to try on me?” Colm grinned. Cami blushed. He’d seen right through her tactics. “You’ll find out if I decide to try it on you. Since he wants to see your reaction, I’m sure he’s not going to tell you.” “Maybe not, but I’m sure when we do play, I can make you tell me.” He smiled and held out his hand. “It’s almost time to eat. Did you want to wash before we go down?” “That would be good. Maybe you can interrogate Linc while I’m gone. He might tell you what you want to know if you’re persistent.” She took his hand and slid off the bed into his arms. He hugged her tight. His calloused hands smoothed over her back. Large palms settled over her buttocks. His fingers tightened, pulling her as close as they could get when he was wearing clothes. Her hands slid around his back and she tilted her head back. She wanted a kiss. His head lowered, but his lips brushed her forehead before he set her away from him. His hand patted her buttocks a little more firmly than necessary. “Better hurry and go. Seeing you all rosy and sated makes me want to see if I can make you look even more cuddly and satisfied.” Colm’s gaze swept down her body and lingered on her breasts before lowering to her hips and thighs. “I know just where I’m going to start.” “Later. I’m a little hungry.” She laughed as she slipped into her shirt. He might want her, but she was safe for now. 199
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“Later, I’m going to make you tell me what Linc wants you to do.” Colm ruffled her hair. She looked forward to him trying.
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Chapter Twenty-Six Cami looked up from the book she’d been studying. Shooting a glare at Vin, the chatar, she rolled her shoulders. She’d been reading some of the books lately about Santir magic and the magic from the crystals. There weren’t any books about how to do specific things. She wished it was that simple. A few instructions about visualize this or focus on that would be helpful. Magic was taught, usually to the young, by those who knew it. According to Vin, it was done that way for a few reasons. The teacher needed to judge the student’s readiness for each new lesson, both in regards to power and maturity. Those tomes might not have helped her learn any new ways to use her power, but she’d learned other things. The magic from the crystal probably started the dreams, visions and magic to boil inside of her, but the power already existed. The sudden rush of magic simply acted as a catalyst. The knowledge reassured her in a way. She wondered if she’d have known about her magic if her mother had found a Thent similar to this one. Would the power have appeared if she was simply around magic? The door opened and a woman rushed into the room. Cami recognized her as Lana, one of the older women from the kitchen. Over the last few days, Cami found acceptance from some of the women. Tension and resentment still radiated from a few of the younger females though. Cami straightened the moment she noticed the almost panicked look on the woman’s face. Something was wrong. The woman’s eyes locked on her. Relief as well as fear rippled across the woman’s face. “You have to come. He has Bea. He’ll kill her if you don’t come.” Lana’s voice was tight with stress. “Have you informed the guards?” Cami stood. Her heart raced and for a moment she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Colm and Linc searched in the forest now. Earlier today, a man on the wall caught sight of two forms at the edge of the trees. When the spot was searched, the men found a definite trail. Colm and Linc left to help track the false Ardin. When she heard about the sighting, Cami felt a little hope that it would soon be over. How could one of them be in the walls while Linc and Colm hunted them? “He said if any warriors showed up he’d kill Bea.” Lana shook her head. If they didn’t get her away from that man, Bea was dead anyway, as well as anyone else close to him. Killing came easily to them. She didn’t know if it was Laed or Kynar. Both men cared about no one other than themselves.
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Female, male, child. To them, it didn’t matter. The only thing they cared about was getting what they wanted. They knew how to control through fear. Lana’s reaction was what they would expect. She looked over at the chatar. He rose to his feet. “We’re going to need some help.” Cami met the man’s eyes and hoped he didn’t try to stop her. She couldn’t hide in a room while another woman’s life rested in the balance. She’d rather put herself in danger than have someone die because of her. Vin nodded. “I’ll get help. Stay out of his reach. Preferably across the room from him. Don’t give him an even more valuable hostage.” “I wasn’t planning on trying to take him down myself, regardless of which one it is. I just plan to buy a little time for men to get there to do it.” Her gut tightened with anxiety. She didn’t know what to do or how to keep everyone safe. This was her fault. She’d brought danger here. All because she needed to stop Laed and Kynar. “Cami, don’t think about the why’s right now. Focus on your instincts. They know what to do. Trust them the same way you trusted the feelings when you were walking.” Vin came over and put his hand on her shoulder. “Trust them and yourself. You have more control than you think you do. Men will be there when they’re needed.” Cami took a deep breath and nodded. Trust herself and, from the mention of control, her magic. Not an easy thing when she was still so unsure of it. She followed the woman out the door trying to remain calm. Her heart slammed inside her chest with each step as she walked down the hallway following Lana. Part of her wanted to turn and run. She didn’t want to be near either of them again. Firmly shoving down the fear, she took a deep breath. Stay out of his reach and delay him. How am I going to do that? Lana pushed open the door to the kitchen. Cami frowned and tried to catch Lana’s eyes to ask a few more questions. The woman stepped inside before she could manage it. Cami followed slowly. Her throat felt tight and the throb of her pulse threatened to drown out all other sound. Her feet locked to the floor as she saw Laed standing at the end of the long work table. One of his hands rested on Bea’s shoulder. The other held a knife to her neck. Bea seemed outwardly calm, but Cami could see the tremors shaking her hands. Cami wanted to run over there and free the woman, but she knew better than to get that close. Get her out of his arms. That one thought screamed through her head over and over. She didn’t know how she was supposed to do that. Bea would die if she didn’t manage to do it somehow. “I actually thought you’d hide and let them suffer my anger. I want what you stole from us. Or you’ll watch this woman’s blood pool on the floor at my feet.” Laed’s grip on Bea tightened, pulling her back against him. “I don’t have anything of yours.” Cami would have loved to make some comment about the magic in that crystal not being his, but aggravating him wouldn’t help. Since that crystal was in pieces worlds away from here, she wasn’t lying.
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“You took it. I know you took it. What did you do with our crystal?” Laed shook Bea, his voice lowering into a growl. “How did you get in the Thent? Why would you risk it for some rock I don’t even have?” Cami couldn’t tell him that it was destroyed. He’d kill Bea without a thought and start slicing. She had to delay and distract him. Trust. The chatar had told her to trust her instincts. They shouted at her to get Bea away from him. How do I get her out of his arms? She had no idea what to do to accomplish it. The rush of nervousness, fear and confusion boosted the level of her magic. She had to calm down. She needed to get control before her eyes started to glow. Trust. The word came to her again. Trust the magic. “Did you think I couldn’t outwit those fools?” Laed’s lips twisted into a sneer. “Kynar’s leading them in circles. By the time they learn anything’s wrong, I’ll be gone. Where’s the crystal?” “Why would you think that I knew anything about a crystal? I left because you can’t be trusted. It wasn’t safe there.” Cami avoided the question as much as possible. She needed time to think of something to do. What was taking the chatar so long to get help? Trust the magic. Trust your instincts. Laed would slit Bea’s throat if he discovered what happened to the crystal. Cami had to get Bea away from him before he discovered or guessed the truth. The magic. It hit her suddenly. She had to use magic. Colm and Linc had shown her how to create that energy bolt. Cami tossed the idea after only a moment’s consideration. She couldn’t hold back on the power with him. He was too vicious. On top of that, she might hit Bea. How was she supposed to get Bea out of his grip? She couldn’t make her simply disappear. Cami felt her eyes widen as she suddenly realized what she had to do. “You took it. I know you did. We caught one of the others. He would have told us if he’d taken it. Where did you leave it? If you don’t tell me now, she’s dead.” Laed’s grip tightened noticeably on Bea’s shoulder No more time to think. The power rose inside her, hot and strong. Her eyes locked with Bea’s. Cami felt her body relax and her worries fall away. She heard the soft woosh of her pulse as the magic rushed to her command. Her vision narrowed to Bea and the man behind her. She let her eyes slowly close for a moment as she gathered the power. Her eyes snapped open. She pushed everything into surrounding Bea with her magic. Cami saw Bea’s eyes widen and then she was gone. A blink later and she stood right in front of Cami. A scream sounded and then there was a distinct thud of metal. Cami grabbed Bea and pushed her behind her. She gasped in breaths, trying to pump up her suddenly flagging energy. She expected to see Laed rushing at her. Her eyes widened as she saw Laed stagger to the side. Trisha swung a wooden mallet, hitting him in the jaw. He stumbled back and fell to the floor. The women swarmed him, kicking him and hitting with anything they could find. 203
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Men rushed into the room from behind her and the door at the back of the room so suddenly that she wondered if they’d been waiting outside. She shook her head. Male Santir wouldn’t risk a woman being harmed. She didn’t have the energy to give it much thought. She leaned heavily on a nearby counter and struggled to keep from collapsing to the floor in a puddle. “Are you hurt?” Tyson walked over to her after Laed was secured and carted out of the kitchen. “He didn’t touch me. Just really tired.” She took a deep breath. Blinking hurt and she’d like nothing more than to close her eyes and sleep. Even when she’d been on the run, she’d never felt this exhausted. About that time, she heard the whispered explanations of what had happened. She knew Tyson heard them too, but he didn’t seem as surprised as some of the other men. “I’m going to hear about this from Colm and Linc, aren’t I?” She wearily raised her head and looked up at him again. “Probably, but not because you did it. They’ll yell at you because doing it left you vulnerable. You couldn’t have even run in the state you’re in now.” Tyson grinned. “That will be after you sleep, so you’ll get a little reprieve. There isn’t anything that’s going to keep you awake for long now.” That was a little comforting, but also a little worrying. They were going to be frustrated by the wait for her to wake. It wasn’t going to improve their mood. “Don’t forget that they’ll probably be furious that you even came to this room instead of going to the safety of your haven. They’ll get over it. Come on. The chatar said to get you to your room before you fall down.” Lana walked over and gently took Cami’s arm. “No doubt the Ardin would be angry over that too.” Cami smiled and yawned widely. Too right. No argument would satisfy them. They’d point out she wouldn’t be exhausted if she’d stayed in a safe place. As for falling, that would give them fuel for their argument. She tried to focus her eyes as they walked down the corridor to the stairs. “Bea and the others in the kitchen told me to tell you that after today, if any of the other women bother you, they’d take care of it for you.” Lana urged her up the steps. Cami lost track of what Lana said after that. The sound of her voice seemed to fade in and out. She only wanted to find somewhere to sit down and rest. Cami finally reached the room she now shared with Linc and Colm. Lana urged her inside and then closed the door. Cami made it over to the bed before the exhaustion finally took her. She curled up on the soft mattress and let her eyes finally close. Colm combed his fingers through her soft, black hair. She lay limply in his arms, but her warmth and the steady beat of her heart reassured him. His heart pounded in his chest. He could still taste the cold metallic tang of fear that had rushed through him as they’d hurried back to the Thent.
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One of the men with them had a tierna bond with a man still at the Thent. So they’d been running back even as Cami was in the kitchen with that man. Even as they neared the Thent, they heard that Laed had been captured and all of the women were safe. Colm had wanted all of the details, but he’d wanted to get to Cami even more. He hadn’t found out more than the women had managed to take the intruder down before they reached the Thent. Only when he found out that Cami was upstairs sleeping did he realize that there was more to the story. He’d gone to her first. The moment he’d seen her sprawled across the purple blanket, he’d known. That was no normal sleep. A more accurate description would be passed out in complete exhaustion. If they rushed into the room yelling, she wouldn’t wake. Seeing her that vulnerable shook him. He had to know what happened, but he couldn’t leave her without holding her for a moment. Her eyelids didn’t flicker as they each pulled her into their arms. Linc held her first, hugging her tight. Colm had taken her and pulled her close. The stillness in her body chilled him. He hadn’t wanted to leave her, even to discover precisely what had happened. Even knowing that the whole Thent had been searched, he had to force himself to walk out of the room. Night had fallen long ago, yet she still slept deeply. He couldn’t believe what she’d done. Not because he doubted her power or ability or even that she’d attempted it. Courage and daring ran through Cami’s blood. She’d done it alone. That amazed him. She’d succeeded her first try without being told precisely what to do. The feat required a huge amount of energy, although it did get less consuming and easier with experience. That kind of enchantment was hard for someone to do alone. Especially the first time. For a practiced, bonded pair, the magic posed no problem, but even a very powerful lone warrior felt the cost when performing it. It drained the energy and caused tiredness, decreased coordination and diminished attention to detail even when two were performing the spell. He’d fought that temptation to use the spell to get to her. Knowing he might need the energy to confront one of the false Ardin held him back. He trusted his men, but it seemed to take an eternity to get back to the Thent. Colm dropped a kiss on her forehead and let her rest between Linc and him. He was surprised she’d managed to stay on her feet for as long as she did. Now, she didn’t stir even when he tugged her close in a hug. He wanted to hear her voice or see her move. Something to reassure the beast clawing inside him. The delay in talking to her frustrated him, but was probably a good thing. The first burn of anger had faded and logic allowed him to control his emotions. He understood why she’d done it. Not that he wasn’t still angry. She had risked her life. That was unacceptable. He didn’t care if it took days, she would understand that. He curled his arm around her and rested his hand on her stomach. Relaxing on his side, he closed his eyes. Sleep refused to come for him. Making sure she understood how badly she’d scared them would have to wait until she finally woke up. She
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wouldn’t remember a word they said if they tried now, even if they could manage to wake her enough to get her to open her eyes. Colm wanted to wipe away the thoughts of her in the same room as one of the false Ardin when he was holding a knife, but couldn’t. The scene played over and over in Colm’s mind. While he was out chasing shadows, she’d walked blithely into danger. He wouldn’t have been close enough to help her. She’d be lucky if they let her out of their sight to bathe in the next few days.
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Chapter Twenty-Seven Cami came slowly awake. She felt warm, almost too warm. Solid, muscled bodies pressed against hers. She’d gotten used to that in the last few days. Today, the arms around her felt a little tighter. She nuzzled her cheek against the chest beneath her head. Relishing the skin to skin contact, it took her a moment to realize that she was naked. She stiffened. The last thing she remembered was falling onto the bed, not taking off her clothes. Opening her eyes, she found herself staring into brilliant green eyes. She blinked at the intense emotion burning there. Raising her hand, she brushed her fingers over his cheek. She frowned and tried to remember what caused that depth of feeling. It took her groggy mind a moment to remember what had happened before she’d gone to sleep. The kitchen, Laed and the magic that resulted in her deep, dreamless sleep. “About time you decided to wake up.” Linc’s arms tightened around her, pulling her closer. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.” “And since you’re glaring at me, I’d guess that’s my fault.” She licked her lips as she remembered Tyson and Lana’s words about them being furious. Linc’s eyebrows lowered ominously over the hardening green gems of his eyes. “Yes.” “Not the best time to wake up in a provoking mood, i’ma.” Colm’s arms tugged her back against him as Linc released her. Colm nuzzled her hair away from her neck. His mouth moved along her neck, brushing soft kisses along the column before making his way down. Licking her lips, she tilted her head a bit to give him room. His teeth grazed over her shoulder. She shivered and pressed back against him. A sharp nip followed the stinging carress. She yelped and tried to draw away, but he held her right where he wanted her. She had a feeling if the herbal drug had faded a little more, he might be holding on with his teeth as well as arms. “It was just a question, not actually meant to provoke.” She turned her head a little to glare at the man as her hand rubbed at the abused skin. His lips brushed her fingertips. “Well, you succeeded in doing that anyway. We’re very tense right now, so perhaps it would be a good time to practice a little restraint or we might just try it.” “Try what?” Maybe it was because she’d just woken up, but she’d obviously missed something. That last part confused her. Linc chuckled drawing her attention to him. “Restraint, rah’ki. Specifically, restraining you.”
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“It would at least keep you where you’d probably be safe.” Colm’s voice roughened to a growl. “This is the part where you yell at me for—whatever you feel I did wrong.” She wasn’t going to give them any ideas. From the things Tyson and Lana had said, they didn’t need help. She’d ask them about that “haven” later. “Whatever we feel you did wrong?” Linc raised an eyebrow. “You know why we’re angry, at least part of it. I know Tyson talked to you about it.” “Yeah, he talked to me a little bit before the tiredness really took away the ability to concentrate.” She shrugged, but then gave what she hoped was a confident smile. “He said you’d be angry because using my magic in that way left me vulnerable afterward. I’ll admit that I wouldn’t have been able to stand against a light breeze. The other women took care of Laed, so I didn’t need to.” Colm growled and urged her into a sitting position. He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. “The fact that the only one hurt was Laed does not diminish the fact that you put yourself in danger.” “I wasn’t going to hide in some room and let him kill another woman.” She poked her finger against his chest. “Laed would have slit her throat open without a thought. At least I could delay him long enough to think of something to do or for help to get there. Which happened at about the same time as what I did.” “The results and reasons don’t matter. You shouldn’t have left the room. You shouldn’t have confronted him. The chatar should have tied you to the chair instead of giving you advice on what to do.” Linc’s voice drew her attention. The mattress shifted and she turned her head to look at him. He stalked around the end of the bed and stood to the right of where Colm sat. “Do you think I did that because I thought I’d be able to take him down and save everyone and be the hero?” She pushed at Colm’s arms, trying to get him to release her, but his hands didn’t budge. She growled in frustration and shook her head. “It was the only way to keep them safe long enough for someone to do something. At that point, I didn’t care if he got away or not. Do you think I wanted to be the cause of a massacre in your Thent?” “Do you think we want to chance losing you?” Colm pulled her close in an almost suffocating hug. “You kept everyone alive. We’re thankful that you did. We’re even proud of what you managed to do. Not everyone can do that. But we’re still furious. If we hadn’t had to wait, your butt would be red and stinging.” Her eyes ran over his face. He seemed serious about that last part. There was a time when that threat might have sent her running. Now, arousal stirred low in her belly. She wondered if they could be distracted from their anger if they did plan to do that. “And could I persuade you not to spank me?” She grinned up at Colm, a little relieved that they weren’t as angry as she’d thought they would be.
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“This time, but next time…” His voice trailed off and he released her, but she barely registered it as he pulled her over his legs. “If there’s a next, you’re going over my knees and I’m going to make that ass blush.” She tried to hold back the chuckle. She really did, but it escaped. They might be threatening to spank her, but she didn’t feel threatened by them. Even when they were angry, she didn’t feel any menace from them. “You weren’t going to spank me anyway.” She trailed her hand over his muscled chest. “I think I should get a chance to persuade you next time.” “I think you’re lucky you managed to get off so lightly this time.” Linc raised an eyebrow. “How about you show us how grateful you are instead of trying to tease and sass?” “I’m supposed to be so relieved that you’re not furious with me that I’ll kiss you and do wonderful, but thought-destroying things to your bodies.” She cocked her head to the side and blinked up at him. She planned to do those things, but not out of gratitude that they hadn’t yelled at her or been angrier. “It might help us get into a better mood. Then we might not think you were taking this too lightly. If we have time to think, we might think you need a reminder of how seriously we take your health and well-being.” Linc’s hand tapped against his thigh as if he was considering using it on her backside. She laughed, but sobered. She hated to break the lighter mood developing, but she hadn’t done that because she thought she was invincible. “I know you were scared for me. I was almost frozen with fear standing across from him. Not of him, but that I wasn’t going to be able to figure out how to get her away from him before he decided to kill her to keep everyone in that room scared enough to do as he said.” Colm groaned. “See? She doesn’t know when to give up. We should have just started with her right over my knee and explained as we went along.” “I know that was a real mood-killer, but I had to say it. Now let me show you how good I can listen at times.” She grinned. “You just tell me how you want me.” “And what if I want to feel your ass beneath my hand.” Colm’s eyebrows lowered over his brilliant eyes. “As I ride you hard and fast? Sounds delicious.” She slid her hands up to his shoulders and tried to climb into his lap. His hands slid to her ribs and held her where she was. She shivered at the pressure on the sensitive markings. “I don’t believe I added that last part.” Colm’s lips twitched, but he held her body away from his. “What do you think, Linc? Should we give her a chance to show us she can listen?” Colm looked over at Linc and raised his brow. They were silent for so long that she just knew they were having one of those silent conversations. She wriggled in Colm’s hold, but he didn’t loosen his grip, much less look back at her. Nervousness fluttered through her belly. Both of them conspiring wasn’t a good thing.
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“So if we tell you we want to prepare you so that tonight you can take both of us, you would do it?” Colm’s eyes sharpened on hers. “Yes, but I thought you wanted me to show you how appreciative I am.” She frowned. She’d thought they’d wanted sex. Had looked forward to it, in fact. “If you really want that, you’ve more than made us happy.” Linc’s palm cupped her cheek and turned her head so that he could see her expression. “I’ve wanted to be with both of you for a while, but I’m not sure how it’s going to work.” “We’ll make sure you enjoy it. By tonight, you won’t have any doubts.” His thumb brushed softly back and forth before he slowly drew away. “I’ll get the things we’ll need. You get her nice and ready.” “My pleasure.” Colm smiled at Cami and eased back on the bed. “Just let me get into position.” She watched as he sprawled on the right side of the bed. He scooted around a bit as if getting comfortable and then held his hand out to her. She crawled over to him and swung her leg over his hips, but he stopped her. “Not that way. I want that sweet pussy right above my mouth.” He gave a tug on her hand and then released it. “We’ll switch up after I’ve had a taste of you and started to heat you up a little.” “You’re worried about me not being aroused? You two make me burn every time you touch me.” She let Colm guide her until she knelt over his head. Her hands braced on the bed near his thighs. She looked down at his cock. The dark head bobbed just out of reach. She licked her lips “How about I give you something to hurry you along?” He grabbed the sheet and pulled it over his hips and legs. “No, this is all about you.” “What if I want to make you groan and roar and taste you as you find pleasure in what I do to you?” She glanced back to find him glaring at her. “I thought you said you could do what we told you to do?” Linc raised an eyebrow. She sighed and pouted a little knowing that Linc could see her even if Colm couldn’t. “All right, but I didn’t know you weren’t going to let me play too.” Linc laughed. “We’ll all play later tonight. Now we want to focus on you and your pleasure as we start readying you to take both of us. We don’t want you to be scared or hurt when we take you together for the first time.” Colm’s hand smoothed up the outside of her leg as his tongue swirled along her inner thigh. His palm cupped over her buttocks for a moment before he drew his fingers along the crevice between the cheeks. “Let us make sure your body knows only pleasure when we touch you here.” His finger trailed over the tight rosette lightly before drifting back up.
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“All right, but I know this is going to be torture. Probably some twisted form of punishment. Both of you are going to enjoy it way too much.” She took a deep breath. Keeping her hands off them wasn’t going to be easy. She always wanted to touch them. Colm’s tongue traced circles on her inner leg, stealing her ability to think. It swirled up her leg, close to the lips of her pussy and then trailed his back down again. Shivers ran up her spine. Taking a deep breath, she tried to control the excitement rushing through her. It was an impossible task. She craved the feel of his mouth and tongue moving over her flesh. With each throbbing pulse of her blood through her veins, an echoing beat thrummed in her clit. Hunger writhed and twisted inside her. She wanted to kiss and touch, to give and push for more. Positioned on her hands and knees, it was almost impossible. She could touch them, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to nudge them into hurrying. The building desire left her torn. She didn’t know if she wanted them to rush. One of Colm’s hands held her hips and the fingers of his other parted her folds. He leaned closer. A hot puff of air feathered across the lips of her pussy. Her mind focused on his tongue so close to her aching clit. A hand trailed across her buttocks. She jumped, the touch pulling her attention away from Colm. “Such a beautiful ass. I love holding these as I fuck you.” Both of Linc’s hands fastened over the curves and squeezed. “The thought of fucking you here while Colm drives into that tight pussy makes my cock so hard. Waiting until tonight is going to be torture.” She shivered and bit her lower lip. She wanted that too, so badly that she almost told him they should do it right now. They wanted to prepare her and she needed to show them that she did trust them to know what they were doing as well as not to hurt her. She wished she knew what they planned to do. She’d help or try to relax enough to let it happen. “Well, show me how you’re going to make me feel tonight. If I can’t have both of you now, you can at least make me come as you prepare me.” She glanced back over her shoulder at him and smiled. “Oh, you’ll come, i’ma, maybe twice or three times.” Linc’s smile turned predatory. “What do you think, Colm?” “Twice at least.” Colm’s teeth scraped across her inner thigh just before he turned his head and swiped his tongue right across her clit. She stiffened and groaned. The need built and writhed already. They’d take her over the edge soon. She wriggled a bit and tilted her hips down, trying to get Colm’s tongue to swipe her clit again. At least, she hoped they would. One of the large palms left her buttock, but the other continued to massage and wander. Colm’s tongue swirled over her clit and tracked down to her entrance, teasingly poking the slit. Her hips rocked down against his tongue. She ached for a firmer touch. 211
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Linc’s fingers tightened on her butt cheek. Slick fingers trailed over the crease before circling the rosette. She tensed a little. Anticipation curled through her as well as a little bit of trepidation. She didn’t know if it was going to hurt or how it was going to feel. “Don’t tense and don’t clench, Cami. Not yet. Relax.” Linc’s hand smoothed up and down her back in slow, soothing strokes. “Colm, give her a little something to distract her while I get a little more of this oil on her and my fingers.” Colm’s mouth fastened on her clit. He began sucking. His tongue flicked over it. She groaned and shivered. The heat began to tighten even more and her hips pushed into his mouth, instinctively seeking more of the torment. All thought and doubt swept out of her head. Her hands clenched on the cover. Gasping pants tore from her. When the slick fingers once again pressed at the tight ring, she was too focused on Colm’s mouth on her pussy to give it much notice. His tongue swirled and his teeth scraped. Her breasts ached, the nipples tight and hard and needing a firm touch. “Your taste and smell is almost there, rah’ki. Almost right.” A purr rolled through his body and she felt the vibration against her pussy. A shudder ripped up her body. “Soon, we’ll be able to claim you as we’ve wanted.” Linc’s fingers lifted, but returned, slick with whatever oil he was using. A single digit pressed for entrance. Her breath hitched and she stiffened a little. She didn’t have time to worry. Two fingers slipped into her pussy, shuttling slowly back and forth. Her hips rocked. The motion sent the tip of the finger at her ass inside the tight ring of muscles. She gasped and froze at the unexpected entrance. “Relax. Let it happen. Does it hurt or is it just a little strange?” Linc’s finger pressed a little deeper before withdrawing. “It feels different.” She struggled to find the right word. It didn’t hurt, but there wasn’t the same pleasure as the glide of the fingers into her pussy. “You’ll enjoy it. Give her more, Colm. I want to feel her squeezing my fingers as I push two into her.” Linc’s fingers withdrew and she felt more of the slick substance brush against her ass before his fingers went to the tightened pucker. Colm’s tongue flicked at her clit as two of Linc’s fingers pushed into her ass. Her muscles clenched down on the thick intrusion. The stinging tingle burned, but it only increased the need roaring through her. Especially with the feel of Colm’s fingers thrusting into her pussy. She couldn’t stand it. Her body trembled. She whimpered, nearly to the point of begging for release. When Colm’s fingers drove hard into her, she came. Every muscle in her body clenched and quivered. Her arms trembled. She collapsed to her elbows. A strong hand clamped at her hip, holding her in place. Colm kept pumping his fingers into her and his tongue flicked over her clit in a wicked, dancing rhythm. Linc’s thick fingers slowly mimicked Colm’s advancing and retreating. Her muscles clenched on those fingers. She liked that small stinging sensation. It intensified every other touch and that little edge drew her back for more. 212
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Colm’s teeth scraped over her clit and his tongue dragged over the sensitive flesh. The heat rose inside her fast and hard. She couldn’t believe she already wanted more. Her head rested against Colm’s thigh and she rocked back into the fingers thrusting deep into her pussy and ass. “Let it go, i’ma. It feels good, doesn’t it? You’ll see how right it feels when you’re between us.” Linc’s lips touched her back. She felt the vibration of the words through her entire body. “Tell us how it feels.” “Tight, it stings, but good.” She forced the words out, but closed her eyes and rocked back into their touch. “It’s going to be tighter when our cocks are both deep inside you, but you’re going to come so hard.” Linc kept pushing his fingers deep into her. “Give me your pleasure again.” Colm purred against her as if in agreement. The rumble against her pussy set tremors rolling up her spine. When his tongue slowly raked upward, dragging over her clit, her fists clenched and her body quaked. She muffled her scream against the sheet as she rocked, riding and prolonging the pleasure as much as she could. “Wonderful and so beautiful, but next time, I want to hear that scream.” Colm lapped at her one more time before relaxing back onto the bed. She clenched her fists as another aftershock ripped up her spine. Gods, they did like to torment her. Linc’s hands stroked over her back and Colm’s ran up and down her outer thighs. The caress soothed at the same time as it stimulated. She slowly relaxed and rolled over onto the bed. She’d just woken up and already she wanted to go back to sleep for at least a quick nap. “Time to get started. The day is passing us by and some of us have extra energy and frustration to burn.” Colm patted her thigh as he sat up. He grabbed her hand and tugged her into a sitting postion. She groaned. That hadn’t been her idea. “You can go on without me. I’ll be down soon enough.” “No, you’re getting in a bath, cleaning up and going down with us. Move it or I can give you a little encouragement.” “Your bad mood isn’t my fault. I’m tired now. That’s your fault.” She scowled at them, but moved toward the opposite side of the bed. “We enjoyed it, but now move it. You’re coming with us.” Linc nodded toward the door leading to the bathroom. “We’ll clean up a little ourselves in another room. When we get back, we’ll be waiting for you.”
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Chapter Twenty-Eight The waiting for her comment hadn’t been a joke. At first, she thought that’s all it was or they wanted to kiss her before they went downstairs. After taking her time in the bath, she walked out with half a plan to curl up for a nap, but found them sitting on the bed and waiting on her. It didn’t stop there. One of them stayed by her side almost the entire day. Normally, she wouldn’t have thought much more of it. They knew she wasn’t going to run away or try to leave. She knew she had their trust in that way, but she was a little confused. Tyson had said something about them sticking close to her. At the time, she’d thought it was an exaggeration. Apparently not. As unusual as their company with her throughout the day was, she didn’t really mind. At least not yet. At some point, it might get a little annoying. Right now, she enjoyed the time with them. At least, she had until one of their men came to get Colm. After an initial greeting and a significant look, Colm left the room. “Still not going to tell me what’s happening?” she asked as she walked up the steps toward their room. She glanced over her shoulder. Linc wasn’t thinking about practicing magic or even her. Tension set his face in grim lines and his muscles seemed tighter than normal. The muscles along his cheekbones flexed. The strain grew as time passed. He tried to hide it and that only increased her anxiety and anger. She couldn’t do much about him, but she could try to work off a little of the excess energy it was creating. It was time to practice a little magic. Earlier, Linc had argued with her about it. He’d pointed out that she was still recovering from exhaustion. When she’d said she was ready to practice this time, he hadn’t said a word. Something distracted him from his overprotective tendencies. What could he be holding back? Her anger slowly rose. She didn’t need to be protected. Especially if what had taken Colm away from her related to Kynar. “Colm went to help some of our men. There’s not much to tell.” Linc shrugged and kept following her. Such a lie. There was plenty he wasn’t telling her. Sometime during the day, the intensity of his watchfulness changed. Although she couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment, it had been before Colm left. It wasn’t simply a reaction to the dangerous situation yesterday. She hadn’t noticed too much change at first, but there had been times when one of them had left her. They must have learned something then. “Are you sure practicing is what you should be doing?” Linc stepped up beside her and tangled his fingers with hers.
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“And what do you think would serve the purpose of working off some of the extra magic and energy caused by your stubbornness and my anger.” She sniffed dismissively. Sex just wasn’t going to do it this time. On top of that, the next time she was with them, she wanted to be with both of them. “I’m not being stubborn. You’re agitated over nothing. Colm is safe and fine.” He smiled and his hand rested at the base of her back as they mounted the last of the stairs. “Since you’re so riled, why don’t you show me some of your magic? No trying that pulling spell again until we’re both with you and you’ve regained your energy.” She stiffened. Her mind locked onto those words. Colm is fine. She hadn’t said that Colm might be in danger or hurt. As soon as they both reached the top of the stairs, she stopped and turned to him. He looked at her curiously and didn’t seem to realize that she’d gone from frustrated to angry at his words. Glaring at him, she tried to find the words and patience to speak rather than yelling irrationally. “Why would he be in danger?” she asked, although her voice sounded tight and the urge to scream still ran through her. “I was just telling you he’s safe and that there’s nothing wrong with him.” Linc’s eyebrows raised, but she could see the tension slowly seeping into his shoulders. “Don’t even try that.” She shook her head sharply and then poked her finger into his chest when he took a step forward. “And don’t try to distract me with sex. If he’s in a dangerous situation, I want to know now and I want to know why you’re not out there helping him instead of following me around as if I’m going to disappear.” “More because you can’t.” At least, that’s what she thought she heard, but it made no sense. “What?” “We want to make sure you’re safe. Right now, it’s too soon after Laed managed to get into the fortress to take chances. Colm’s with our men out searching for Kynar. We’re not leaving him free to cause more trouble. After yesterday, we both feel better knowing that one of us is with you.” Linc grasped her hand and removed her poking finger from his chest. “I am safe. If Colm could use some help, put a guard with me. I’ll stay with him until you’re back. I don’t want him to be hurt because you weren’t there if he needs help.” She lifted her chin. She didn’t need a guard with her all the time, but she was willing to have one if he needed to go help Colm. “They haven’t spotted him. They’re just following a trail right now. Don’t worry.” He smiled and patted her on the shoulder. She angrily swiped his hand off her shoulder. “Don’t tell me not to worry. He’s my mate too! If he’s hurt in any way, you’re going to be very unhappy for a very long time.” Linc held up his hands. “He’s not going to get hurt. They haven’t even found fresh signs today. If I thought for a moment they were close to catching the tamaurg, I’d be out there helping. I want a piece of him myself for all the trouble he’s caused. If it weren’t for his mistreatment of you, you might not have fought the bond between us as much.” 215
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“That might have helped me, but our joining wasn’t going to be easy. Colm wasn’t going to accept me with open arms if he’d bumped into me on the street and realized that I was his mate.” She frowned and sighed. “You’d better be right. You’ve been warned.” Linc smiled. “Let’s go and I’ll watch you practice. Maybe even teach you a new trick or two.” “Maybe? Definitely.” She worked up a wobbly smile and led the way to the room. Worry churned in her belly, but she tried to focus. She needed to be doing something. If not, she was going to obsess and make herself and Linc crazy.
***** Cami walked slowly down the hallway. It felt a little weird to be alone after having either Colm or Linc with her almost all day for the last two days. Without their constant scrutiny and overprotectiveness, some of the tension eased from her body. Danger didn’t lurk in her normal daily activities. They knew it. Considering she was still trying to settle in here, they didn’t help her cause much. Their presence definitely put a distance between her and everyone else. She headed toward the kitchen to get something to drink. After the attack by Laed, most of the women had relaxed around her. Most. One or two of them still glared at her and blatantly avoided talking to her. She suspected there might be a few more women hiding a grudge. Still, she wasn’t all that surprised to find one of them standing in the hall. Surprisingly, she didn’t recognize the blonde. Not even from her dreams. She didn’t know the woman’s name. Cami thought she might have spoken a time or two to the other female, but couldn’t be sure. The blond-haired woman started forward purposefully. “I’m not attacking you from the back.” “Lucky for you.” Cami tilted her head and looked at the woman. She didn’t want to fight. She would if she had to, but this was senseless. “You don’t belong here.” The other woman snarled, the expression twisting her pretty face. The woman knew this wouldn’t work. She had to know. Cami already dreaded the trouble this was going to cause. The woman seemed reticent. She hadn’t immediately attacked. That gave Cami a little hope that they could end this without making it physical. “This isn’t going to make me go away. I’ll still be here. All that’s going to happen is we’ll fight. Someone’s going to hear or see something. You’ll get their attention, but not in any way you ever wanted.” Cami sighed and rolled her shoulders. The blonde jumped at her. Cami’s mouth dropped open. The petite female had looked tense, but not ready to attack. The woman’s fist swung toward her. Going on the
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defensive, Cami stumbled back. Her arm rose to block the blow. The impact jolted up her arm, making it go numb. Cami thrust her other hand forward. Her palm landed squarely against the blonde’s chest, shoving the woman back. Anger rushed through Cami’s blood. Her canines lengthened as the tiron inside pounced for control. The animal wanted to rip and tear in response to the threat. Both to her life and her claim on Linc and Colm. Cami swung her fist. Her knuckles connected with the woman’s jaw. The other woman staggered into the wall. Cami barely managed to keep herself from using her claws on the blonde. The petite female’s hand grabbed at Cami’s arm. Cami heard the ripping sound of fabric and then felt a dragging pull across her skin. Fiery tingles erupted over her arm as air hit the claw marks. Cami shoved again, forcing the woman into the wall. Grabbing a handful of hair, she slammed the blonde’s head into the stone twice. Cami roughly spun the woman and shoved her face first into the wall. At least the bitch was less of a threat that way. The woman’s hand reached back, clawing at her. Cami caught it and twisted it up against the middle of her back, forcing the woman onto her toes. “They’re mine. My mates!” Cami hissed as she leaned close. The tiron inside roared and raged, wanting to rip the woman open for daring to attack and dispute her claim. “They haven’t claimed you. Maybe you’re nothing more than we were.” The woman’s voice was a little muffled and she sounded a little dazed. Cami hoped the disorientation didn’t lessen the impact of the position. She didn’t know if she’d be able to hold back again if the woman didn’t learn her lesson from this fight. “Don’t try to lie to yourself.” Cami growled low in her throat, a rumbling warning that the tiron was close to the surface. The urge to make sure her rival never again dared try this ripped at her, but she held back. She was more than her animal. “This time I’m not tearing you open and leaving you bleeding as an example. It’s not easy to resist the urge. The tiron wants your blood for what you’ve done.” “How about I take her from your hands, Lady? So that your temper isn’t pushed any more than necessary.” The voice came from the direction of the kitchen, but she knew the man had probably come from the connecting hall near the kitchen door. Cami nodded and waited for the man to get hold of the woman before she released her. As soon as her hands were free, she took a couple of steps back just to put some distance between her and the woman. She drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes. The aggressive, possessive animal raged inside her. Cami didn’t want to attack her again, but the tiron still saw a threat. It was worse this time than it was the last time. She didn’t know why, either. The blonde hadn’t touched either Linc or Colm in her presence or even been near them when the fight started. She spun and paced a little down the hall. Her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides. Distance wasn’t helping much. A few other men rushed into the hallway and
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took the woman away. Now that the blonde was out of sight, the tiron settled a little, but still wanted to go hunt her down. She heard Colm’s voice first. Her head rose and she spun. With her eyes locked on the end of the hallway, she searched for her two men. She saw several men there, but none of the faces belonged to either man she wanted. Finally, they rounded the corner. Before they even saw her, she began walking toward them. Something pushed at her. She had to get to them. Colm pulled her into his arms as soon as she reached him. She clenched her hand on his shirt and rubbed her face against the fabric over the hard muscles. From this moment on, everyone would know they were hers. No doubts, no mistakes, no more damn women thinking that her relationship with Linc and Colm would fade or end. Female Santir didn’t leave a mating mark on their mates. Although females sometimes bit during fierce sex, the bite mark didn’t scar as it did with men. She wanted to do it, though. Possessiveness raged inside her. She wanted everyone to know they were hers. Even if it was possible, she couldn’t at the moment. Not any more than they could her. The herbs that changed her scent messed with her sense of smell. They smelled a little off to her. But even with that, she knew they were her mates and longed to take the final step. The face rub wasn’t enough. She pressed against him and did a full body rub. It wasn’t as effective as if she’d been in cat form, but it would work with the sensitive nose of a Santir. Colm gripped her shoulders as she stepped back. His eyebrow arched over his eyes and curiosity burned in his gaze. “Is something wrong?” “My cat’s a little stirred up right now.” A blush heated her cheeks. She didn’t like the fact that she couldn’t really control this. “I understand the feeling. I felt something akin to that the other day. Feel free to rub on me all you want.” Colm smiled and pulled her close again. She held him tight for a little longer, but the need wasn’t satisfied yet. There was something more she had to do. Rather, someone else. Linc. She wriggled. Colm’s hands slid down her back and cupped her buttocks. His head lowered and he nuzzled her neck and shoulder. “There, i’ma, if I’m going to wear your scent, you’re going to wear mine. Now go to Linc. I’ll go talk to Allesse and see if she’ll tell me why she decided to attack you.” Colm’s hand on her ass gently urged her over to Linc. Cami rolled her eyes. That was simple. Allesse wanted them. No need for explanations. Even full bonding wouldn’t deter her. Cami wrapped her arms around Linc the moment she got within reach. His hands smoothed over her back. He held her tight against him. She moved against him until finally the tiron was satisfied any single woman would be able to tell that Colm and Linc weren’t free. “Better?” Linc’s hand stroked down her back. His fingers touched the curve of her buttocks, but he didn’t cup them. 218
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She pushed back against his hand in silent urging. When his hand swept up her back, only to return to the curve of her buttocks, she knew he was teasing her. She dug her nails into his back in a bit of retaliation. Now really wasn’t the time, but each touch drew her closer. She wanted to deepen the embrace and find some privacy so they could really enjoy it. “A little. Something about it this time drove my cat wild.” She leaned back in his loose hold. She didn’t know what it was about this incident that was so different from the other times. If any of them should have set the tiron to roaring, the time when she’d been attacked from the back should have done it. “My guess is the timing. It’s close to the time of claiming and that concoction is finally clearing your system. You may have known that we were your mates, but it’s different when the tiron can sense its mates, but is held back from the instinctual claiming.” Linc’s lips twisted. “In the last few days, I’ve felt more possessive and protective of you. Letting you out of my sight for even a small period of time hasn’t been easy.” He could be right. Now that she thought about it, most of her feelings had been more intense with concern to them. Maybe it was natural, but she hoped it would settle down once the claiming was completed. She didn’t expect the trouble with the women to completely fade away, even after the ceremony. Their desire for the position seemed to be too entrenched. “Don’t worry. We’ll take care of this. It’s not going to happen again. They’ll realize that there’s no hope for them with us.” Linc dropped a kiss on her forehead. She didn’t believe that for a moment. Linc and Colm had already made a blatant declaration. That hadn’t changed a thing. She didn’t think having yet another talk with them would work. She wished she knew what would stop them. She’d do it without hesitating.
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Chapter Twenty-Nine Cami strolled down the hallway. She felt relaxed and happy for the most part. Two days without a comment from the single women. That alone relieved her. She didn’t know if she’d be able to hold back right now if another woman made a claim on Linc and Colm. Maybe those women finally accepted the truth. On the other hand, frustration clawed through her. The promise of being with both Colm and Linc had kept her body on fire, but it hadn’t happened yet. Either Colm or Linc had been called away on every night since that day. It was the same in the morning. She woke with only one of them by her side. She was ready to tie one of them to the bed. At least he’d stay there while she went searching for the other one. They still hunted Kynar. From the intensifying search, they drew closer to cornering him. At times, she could care less about that. She needed to be with her men. The drive pumped through her. They felt it too. Both of them growled anytime another male drew near her. They’d growled at Vin yesterday for merely being in the same room with her. The frustration at not being able to claim them and be claimed ate at her. When was the last of the herbal medicine going to fade? She growled and shook her head. It shouldn’t be too much longer, but she’d been assuring herself of that for days. It didn’t reassure her anymore. When she’d started taking the herbs, she never envisioned that she’d want the effects gone so badly. In a way, the time to be with them before they fully mated had been a good thing even if it left her frustrated. It gave her time to get to know them. She knew she could trust them. She strode for the double doors where Tynan waited for her. A smile crossed her face. Thoughts of getting outside had teased and distracted all morning. A stroll within the walls of the Thent normally didn’t rate as a thrill, but she needed a little time in the sun. She wanted to feel the wind on her face. Energy bubbled inside her. She’d love to be able to shift and go for a run, but knew she wasn’t going anywhere until they caught Kynar. She hoped they actually caught him. As protective as Colm and Linc had been lately, if Kynar decided to leave, she wouldn’t get ouside the walls until someone did catch the tamaurg. She didn’t know if she could handle that kind of confinement. She didn’t know why Kynar remained in the area. He had to know he wouldn’t be able to free Laed much less get to the crystal, even if she still had it. Meanness and viciousness ran through their veins, but she’d never thought them stupid. When she was with Colm or Linc, she forgot to ask about that. Still, she doubted the conversation would get far. She had brought up Laed a couple of times. They became 220
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growly and tense. They assured her that he wouldn’t escape, but she never managed to get very far in the conversation. She knew they would protect her. That wasn’t in question. “Hi, Tynan, it hasn’t started raining, I hope.” She could smell the moisture in the air. When she’d peeked out earlier, she’d noticed the dark clouds hanging low in the sky. “Not yet. It will soon. I was just waiting for you and for Colm.” He returned her smile and straightened away from the wall. “Colm? Is he walking with us?” She felt her spirits lift a little more. She’d love to spend some time with him. “I don’t know. He told me to wait for him to get here before we went walking.” Tyson smiled. She frowned. It was a little strange, but she brushed it aside. Whatever the reason, she wanted him with her. She waited, expecting him to come through the doors any moment. She couldn’t stand still. She fidgeted. Her hands brushed over her green skirt and straightened her shirt. As time passed, she began pacing, first across the hallway and then down the length of it and back. Periodically, she’d lean against the wall and stare at the door. What is taking him so long? When the door finally opened, she’d once again taken a rest against the wall. Her eyes narrowed and she watched it swing wide. Annoyance simmered through her at the delay. It was probably going to start raining and then they’d find a reason to keep her inside. She’d get cold, the rain would limit vision or some other plausible impediment. They’d always be overprotective, but now she’d almost reached her limit. She needed these small tastes of freedom. The continued confinement made her ready to bolt. Colm strode into the hallway and stopped midstep. His eyes swung to her and locked. She saw them shift to tiron gold. Stunned, she straightened against the wall. A predator watched her and she didn’t dare make any sudden moves. What had happened? “Into the gathering room. Now.” Colm’s voice rumbled low and rough and so close to a growl that she blinked at him for a moment. “Now, woman!” She moved. Without a word, she walked to the gathering room. With every step, she felt as if she was about to be pounced upon and taken to the ground. Pushing the door open, she stepped into the room. Colm’s body pressed forward, suddenly crowding her into the dimly lit room. At that moment, his scent surrounded her. The deep, spicy essence hit her with the force of a physical blow. Mate! The door slammed shut. Colm’s hands clasped on her arms and guided her to the closest wall. Although she’d known the herbs were fading from her system, she’d thought it would take another day or two to be gone completely. One of his hands left her arm and swept her hair to the right side, bringing the mass over her shoulder and baring her neck and left shoulder. With each breath she took, his 221
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scent seemed to wash through her. Hunger flared low in her belly and slick moisture began to ease from her pussy. It surprised her. He had barely touched her, but already her body began to ignite with desire. “Finally, I can smell you.” Colm growled the words against her neck. His teeth scraped across her neck. “Unbutton your shirt or it’s going to get torn.” She didn’t care about the shirt, but knew she’d need something to wear after he finished with the claiming. Her fingers fumbled on the oval fastenings, but managed to push the last one through the hole before he took matters into his own hands. He pulled the shirt down her arms and tossed it. She didn’t see which direction it went before his hands firmly turned her to face the wall. At the moment, she didn’t care. Her heart thudded against her chest as excitement tore through her body. She pressed her hands against the wall to brace herself. Slick moisture eased out of her cunt onto her thighs. His hands shook and, at times, his touch was a little firm, but she could almost feel the restraint he was using. He hadn’t taken her to the ground and mounted her. Not that she would object. Her own tiron stirred inside her. The animal wanted his possession even if she had to incite it a little. She wanted him as wild as she felt. She pressed her hips back, but realized she still wore her skirt. Reaching down, she started to unfasten it. His hands caught hers and pressed them to the wall. A low growl rolled against her neck. The sound sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine. She froze and didn’t resist as he guided her hands back to the stone. His fingers tugged and pushed at the fastening of her skirt. A light ping off the wall announced the fate of one of the recalcitrant buttons. The skirt loosened and fell to her feet. “Step out. I want you open for me.” Colm’s hands slid down her back, around and over her belly. The warmth of his palms seared her. She arched into his touch wanting to feel his hands everywhere. She stepped out of her skirt and widened her stance a bit in invitation. His hands swept up her belly and over her ribs. She trembled as his fingers lingered over the trika. When his palms cupped her breasts, she drew in a hissing breath. Fiery sparks radiated from the light pressure. She hadn’t expected such a fierce reaction. Part of her wanted to push, to incite a fiercer dominance, and the other part wanted to soothe and submit. Her fingernails scraped against the stone. She didn’t know what to do or what she wanted more. His fingers slid up and over her nipples, drawing a moan from her. He trapped the nipple between two fingers and squeezed gently. She moaned and looked over her shoulders, meeting his intense stare. “Give me what I need.” He growled low in his throat and stepped close. She felt the heat of his cock and the warm brush of his thighs against her buttocks. When had he found time to undress? She rocked her hips back against him in silent demand. His fingers at her breasts tightened 222
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a little, pulling her back against him. His cock slid between her legs, brushing over the wet folds of her pussy. She wanted his shaft driving into her, filling her cunt. “I’m going to ride you hard. My cock’s going to pound into you as my teeth sink into your shoulder, finally marking you as mine.” His breath feathered over her neck and shoulder as his lips brushed back and forth there. He seemed to be trying to decide where he wanted to place his mark. She almost purred. That’s what she needed. “Now.” “Demanding rah’ki.” He nuzzled her neck and she felt the scrape of fangs and the wet swipe of his tongue. His hands slowly released her breasts and swept down her stomach. She groaned at the loss of the warmth and touch of his calloused hands on the aching mounds. He gripped her hips, the pressure tight, almost as if he thought she might try to slip out of his hold. His hips rocked against her buttocks, rubbing his cock back and forth against the swollen lips of her pussy. “You’re so wet for me.” “I’ve been aching for you to claim me as much as you wanted to do it,” she whispered and reached down to glide her fingers over his arm. He drew back a little as his cock nudged her entrance before driving deep. His tongue swirled over her shoulder once more. She arched her neck to the side, giving him room. His teeth clamped down onto her shoulder. Sharp canines sank into her flesh as he thrust hard. She gasped. Her hand slammed back to the wall to keep her balance. Pain mixed with rising pleasure as his hips drove against her buttocks. She pushed back into the thrusts, wanting more. One of his arms curled around, drawing her back more fully against him. Her pelvis rocked back. She wanted more, deeper, now. His hand cupped her pussy. A single finger pressed between the lips and circled her clit. His hips drove against her faster and harder. A low growl rumbled through him. Fiery sensation shot straight from where his mouth gripped at her shoulder down to her pussy. Her inner muscles clenched and shivers racked her body as the wave of pleasure slammed through her. His hips surged against her. The growl became a low groan as she felt him come. His arms tightened and held her close. His body shook as she tried to regain her breath. His mouth loosened and his tongue swiped over the punctures from his teeth. When the air hit the bite, it stung. She savored the small tinge of pain. Finally. Fear had held her back at first, but she’d wanted this. “Mine, finally. I was getting close to trying to do something about your scent with magic.” Colm nuzzled her cheek and a purr rumbled against her back. “Mine too.” Linc’s tight voice rolled through the room. Cami stiffened. She hadn’t realized that anyone had come into the room. After Colm began touching her, her focus had locked on Colm, the feel of his body, and the scent and sound of their mating. She looked over and found Linc leaning a shoulder
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against one of the doors. The muscles of his cheek flexed. She saw his hand clench. Desire immediately began to rise again. She lifted her hands from the wall. “Leave them there. I want you exactly as you are.” Linc’s voice roughened as he straightened away from the door. Colm pulled back. His hands stroked over her arms and then her back. He dropped a kiss on her shoulder, following that with a quick kiss to the cheek. “I’m not finished with you yet, but Linc needs to claim you as badly as I did.” She smiled. She wanted to spend the rest of the day with both of them. She wasn’t sure if it would happen, because they were still looking for Kynar. They wanted to catch him quickly before he could cause too much damage. Colm backed away as Linc stalked over to her. Linc’s eyes narrowed on her and he looked ready to chase her down if she moved. Not a bad thought. She’d love to get caught by him. The animal within him was too much in control to play and tease right now. Not that she was afraid he’d hurt her, but she knew Linc. He wouldn’t want to chance losing that last hold on his wilder side. If he lost control of that and accidentally hurt her, he wouldn’t trust himself for a long time. She remained still, but let her eyes travel appreciatively down his body as he approached. His bare chest gleamed in the low light. Muscles rippled with each step he took. He’d loosened the ties at the front of his pants, but the cloth still obscured his cock from her hungry gaze. “I didn’t want to leave you this morning. I’ve never been so tempted to lock myself in a room with someone and forget my duties.” Linc took the last step up behind her. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. “Your scent was so close to right that it was hard to let you out of my sight.” “I wouldn’t have minded staying in bed with you all day.” She rested her hands over his briefly before returning them to the wall. “I would have loved to stay with you, but we knew we wouldn’t want to leave you for a while after we fully mated.” He swept her hair to the other side baring her unmarked right shoulder. His head lowered and he drew in a deep breath. His purr rumbled against her back. “So we’ve been making sure that we won’t get interrupted unless there’s a crisis.” His lips roamed over her shoulder to her neck, leaving a tingling trail in his wake. She cocked her neck to the side giving him more access. He rumbled his approval. His hands roamed over her stomach in a slow, deliberate claiming. She arched into his hands, trying to urge him to move a little faster. “You have to be ready for me.” He nipped her shoulder in slight reprimand. She exhaled and frowned. As if she’d ever not been ready for him. Her thoughts focused only on the heat of his body and the hard ridge of the cock pressing against her buttocks. Simply being close to him seemed to be enough to excite her now. Desire began to burn within her. It wouldn’t take much to make it flare out of control again.
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She drew in a hissing breath as his fingers brushed over the sensitive lips of her pussy. She moaned. Her nails scraped against the stone wall as her fingers flexed. She wanted to touch him. Her hand fell, but even before it reached her side, he growled. His teeth nipped at her earlobe. “Put it back.” His voice was little more than a hiss in her ear, but she heard the steel there. “Obey.” From the corner of her eye, she saw Colm shaking his head. She groaned, but lifted her hand back to the wall. She didn’t want to push his control, but he was going so slowly. Need built with every inhalation. Her inner cat pushed at her, wanting to join with her mate. The last thing he had to worry about was her not being ready. He should be able to smell it and sense it just as she did with him. His fingers pressed between the lips and stroked over her clit. Her hips rocked into his touch. She licked her lips and her breathing hitched. It felt so good. His other hand left her, but almost before she noticed it, she felt his cock nudging into her. Then his hand was back, palming her breast, squeezing and rolling her nipple. He rocked slowly into her. When his free hand curled around her waist, she could feel the tension in the muscles. His palm cupped her pussy and his fingers pressed between to rub her clit. He pressed kisses along her shoulder. She drew in a hissing breath as he began to withdraw from her. Her hips pressed back. A low growl built in her throat. His control frustrated and roused the cat in her. She wanted to be claimed. His teeth clasped on her shoulder, not breaking the skin. An answering growl rumbled against her skin as his arms tightened. His hips slammed forward against her. She almost purred when he withdrew and drove deep again. That’s what she needed. She moaned and pushed back, meeting his fierce strokes. His mouth released, but in the next breath, he struck. His fangs sank into the strong muscle, holding on as he fucked her. She gasped, but the pain mixed with the heat and need boiling inside until it was indistinguishable. She couldn’t hold back a mewling moan. “More. Linc, please.” He gave her more. His fingers strummed her clit as his cock drove deep. She rocked back into the strokes, needing the intensity and the hunger. His hand plucked at her nipple as the fingers at her pussy worked her clit. His ferocity fed her own. She bucked back against him, but could feel the tightening of her approaching climax. Another low growl rumbling against her shoulder sent her over the edge. She screamed. Linc stiffened behind her, a groan vibrating against her skin. His hips drove into her clenching sheath. She felt the hot spurt of his cum, but he continued to move within her riding the pleasure. His arms tightened, keeping her tight against his body when she sagged forward a little bit. The experience with both men had been more intense than she’d imagined when she thought of completing the bond. She’d always thought of it maybe falling into place as if it was a missing piece, easy and smooth. Gods, the intensity still burned through her in a way. She didn’t want to move too far away from them. And she knew she’d
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have to have them again soon. That was one part of the bonding that she didn’t mind at all. “We’ll go upstairs as soon as I catch my breath and we all get dressed. Don’t plan on being out of our reach for at least the rest of the day.” Linc’s tongue swirled over his mark, laving away the small amount of blood there. “You’re not getting out of my sight either.” She leaned her head to the side to encourage him to explore a little more. “I think we’ll start with bathing you and then we’ll take our time tasting you.” Colm walked over and joined them. His hand cupped her cheek, the fingertips brushing across her lips.
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Chapter Thirty Colm stalked slowly through the forest. He and Linc had men watching the river. That was the easiest way to get here without being detected. While the overland travel had always been possible, slipping into the area was easiest with a boat. Last night, his men found a two-person craft hidden among the branches of thick bushes along the riverside. That discovery set the hunt in motion. Maybe having his transport destroyed panicked Kynar. His trail had been found heading for the gate. Colm looked over at Linc. They’d get the man this time. Determination built with each step. Cami wouldn’t have to live under the threat from him any longer. It grated that this had gone on so long. She had been very good about being confined. Better than he ever would have. Still, she needed to let the cat run free. That part of her had been denied for almost as long as she’d been at their Thent. They silently tracked the man through the forest. He traveled fast and the trail was so light, Colm wondered if he had any supplies with him. Kynar wasn’t panicked completely by being hunted. The man must think he had a chance to get away on foot. If he’d been too unnerved, he’d shift and run. For all Colm knew, this might not be the first time that the man had been hunted. It would be the last, regardless of Kynar’s choice. If he surrendered, he’d be taken back to the Thent and transport arranged. If he fought, there was a chance he could die now. Colm had expected the man to run right after the other false Ardin, Laed, had been captured. The man had stayed. Colm assumed the man watched the Thent, trying to see if there was a way to get inside without detection. He didn’t know what the man’s motive was. Had he wanted to try to rescue his friend, Laed, or to try to get to Cami to get that crystal? Tracking the man, he focused on getting closer to him. It took him a little time to catch the subtle change in direction. When he did, Colm’s eyes widened. He was looping back toward the Thent. And Cami. Colm gritted his teeth and bit back a curse. With a good number of men out in the forest helping with the search, Kynar might have a chance of getting inside without being detected. “Linc.” He looked over at his bond brother, but knew from the hardening look on his face that he didn’t have to say any more. “I’ll head straight back to the Thent. If he keeps on the arcing route he’s taking now, I should beat him there.” Linc took a deep breath and slowly released it, but his hands clenched into fists, revealing the tension in his body. “I’ll leave most of the men with you. Contact me if his route changes.”
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“With any luck, we can trap him between us, cutting off any hope of flight.” Colm met Linc’s eyes. “Make sure Cami’s safe while we’re finishing this.” “I’ll have her locked up tight. Don’t worry about her.” Linc smiled and selected a few men before leaving at a fast jog. Colm focused on the trail and moving as fast as he could to catch up with the man. Kynar might seem to be going against logic, but Colm knew he probably had a plan. Linc pushed the panic surging inside him down. When the Thent came into sight, he picked up his pace to get to it and Cami. He needed to see her, to know that Kynar hadn’t managed to get past the walls as the other tamaurg had. The gates opened as he approached them. He went through, pausing only to yell for a search of the inner courtyard and set the men on the walls to watch for any sign of the man. Linc burst into the Thent and pushed open doors as he went, looking for Cami. He sniffed, searching for her scent. He grabbed a warrior as he searched and brought him along. A trace of her fragrance lingered on the first floor, but not fresh. He didn’t catch a hint of a strange shifter. That reassured him a little, but he didn’t stop moving. As he reached the stairs, he found the trail a little fresher there. Letting his nose lead, he made his way up to the second level and toward their wing of rooms. Stationing a man at the entrance to their section of rooms, he went to find her. Part of him was relieved. She was already here. Almost completely safe. He wouldn’t be completely satisfied until he’d searched the rooms here and had her lock the door. As satisfied as he could be since she couldn’t go to her haven yet. He hoped that they managed to do that soon. He struggled to hold onto his control when she was so exposed to danger. She’d be the main target of their enemies. He wanted to know she had someplace to safe to go. He pushed open doors as he passed, checking inside for any sign of an intruder and looking for Cami. He’d do a more thorough search once he found her, but if possible, he didn’t want to let anyone slip in behind him. He didn’t find anyone until he came to the room next to theirs. Cami sat on the bed there, sewing quietly. She looked up as he entered. Her mouth dropped open and she gasped. She was plainly surprised to see him. A smile spread across her face. He had no idea what she was doing sewing in this room and now he didn’t care. She was within reach and she was still safe. He stalked over to her and gripped her arm, but was careful not to hurt her. “Come with me.” He kept his hand near his weapon as he began slowly, methodically searching every room along their hallway. Her feet dragged a little. He knew she was confused, but she didn’t say anything until he pushed open the second door. “What’s wrong? Has something happened? What are you looking for?” She didn’t pull back from him, but she hissed the question at him. Linc put his finger to his lips to signal for quiet and continued the search. She followed along, but the glare she slanted at him indicated he’d hear about it as soon as 228
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he finished. He cleared each room slowly, his senses alert to any sound or movement. When he cleared the last room, he released her in the hall near the large metal door. “What was that about?” Her hand landed on her hip and the index finger of her other hand dug into his chest. “Kynar’s trail began leading toward the Thent. I have men beginning a search within the walls, but I wanted to make sure that he hadn’t gotten into the building and come after you.” Linc hugged her and simply reveled in the feel of her solid and safe in his arms for a moment in spite of the stiffness of her body. “He wouldn’t come after me first. It doesn’t make sense. Yeah, he might be after the crystal still, but he’d know that getting to me would be difficult and forcing me to tell him where it was almost impossible before he was discovered. If he’s coming here, he’s coming after Laed.” She looked up at him and shook her head. “Although I’d never have credited him with that kind of loyalty, even to Laed.” “A lot of what they’ve done doesn’t make sense. Now I’m going to stand outside this door until I hear it lock. I want you to close it and secure it. Don’t open it to anyone other than Colm or me.” Linc drew her to the end of the hall and the metal door and waited until the man he’d brought with him stepped out of the corridor. “Since the haven is still out of the question, this is as secure as we can get for now.” She frowned. “What’s the haven?” “It’s a place you’ll be safe and provided for no matter what. We’ll give that another go after we get back and you’ll see for yourself.” Linc cupped her cheek and brushed a quick kiss across her lips. “Now close the door.” She grabbed his shirt and rose on tiptoe to kiss him. Her teeth nipped at his lips as she drew back. “I’ll want a better explanation than that when you get back. Don’t get hurt while you’re taking out that last tamaurg. I’ll want you in good shape to enjoy this haven with me.” “I definitely will enjoy it with you and so will Colm. Close the door. We’ll be back as soon as possible.” Linc stepped back and waited. “As for Kynar, he has no real chance against Colm and me.” She grabbed the door and pushed it closed. Linc waited and listened. He heard the top bolt slide into place and then the bottom bolt. Nodding, he spun on his heel and headed to round up a few more men. He wanted the building searched from top to bottom before they began looking outside the walls. They found nothing on the search, but he hadn’t wanted to chance letting the man take a hostage to get to Cami or try to free Laed. Once the Thent was cleared, he left the walls. Some men were mounted and ready to chase if Kynar came into the cleared areas, but if the chase was in the trees, men on foot would fare better. We’re getting close to the Thent. His path doesn’t seem to be curving to it anymore. I think he might mean to go parallel and head for the main gate. He might think to slip through to leave the planet. Colm’s voice sounded in Linc’s head, bringing him to a stop.
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Now that made more sense to Linc. We’ll try to intercept. Give me a better idea of where you think he’ll be as you approach. Linc divided the men into two groups, sending them into the forest to help box the rogue in. He worked with Colm through their bond and was in position with the men, waiting. In spite of the contact with Colm, they were a little off in position. They had to move quickly to stop him from running right by them. The men surrounded Kynar, forming a wide circle around the man, but gave him no opportunity to get through any gaps. Colm and the other men arrived only a few moments later, taking up positions in the gaps in the circle. Kynar drew a knife, but Linc wasn’t letting him force them to kill him. The people he’d harmed deserved to see him face justice as they would Laed. His eyes met Colm’s. They both stepped into the circle. Linc wasn’t going to face him one on one. They’d end this quickly so that they could get the two men off the planet and on the way to Scali Thent. Linc drew his sword, but tossed it out of the circle. He didn’t want to give the man any more weapons once he managed to get hold of him. Linc and Colm circled the man slowly, letting him feel the rush of panic from being cornered and helpless. Kynar’s knife slashed toward Linc’s midsection. Linc jumped back, but Colm stepped in, wrenching the knife from Kynar’s grip and tossing it to the dirt near the edge of the circle of men. Kynar edged around a tree. Linc narrowed his eyes. He knew what the man was trying to do. Kynar wouldn’t find it so easy to slip away from them or divide them. He and Colm kept circling, pushing him back to the center of the circle. “You’re not going to die so easily. You have crimes to answer for.” Colm growled. I’ll stay back and just keep him where we want him. I want to rip him apart. I’m not sure I could hold back. Linc grimaced. Colm wasn’t the only one who felt that way. The tiron within him raged and ripped at him, ready to burst free. It wanted to sink its fangs and claws deep into the man in front of him. The man who’d hurt his mate. Linc held the urge at bay. The people of Scali Thent deserved a chance to see that Laed and Kynar truly had been caught and stopped. He knew if he’d been in that position, he’d wonder. That didn’t mean he was simply going to take the man down and secure him, although it was possible. Cami deserved justice as well. Laed had been taken down almost without a fight after Cami pulled the hostage away from him. The others would get their justice, but so would Cami. Linc continued to circle, but each gliding step brought him a little closer to Kynar. The other man seemed to realize that the dance was almost over. Kynar swung, but Linc was barely within reach and leaned back to avoid it. Linc didn’t rush to respond. He wanted the man to feel the panic and the pain. “I’ll escape before I ever return there to be killed before those fools.” Kynar snarled, his lips pulling back and baring his fangs. His face flushed red with anger and his breath burst from him in harsh rasps.
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“Maybe if you were dealing with men from your old Thent, but not with us. Every man here knows real magic, not the corrupted form that you practiced. You’ll get there and in good physical condition.” Linc laughed and swung his fist for the other man’s jaw. Kynar ducked and rushed at Linc. Linc’s feet glided out and back, taking him out of the path of the man’s ramming shoulder. He slapped a palm into the middle of Kynar’s back as he barreled past him. Kynar screamed in rage. “I’ll make you kill me.” Not going to happen, especially now that Linc knew how much the man wanted it. As Kynar wheeled around to face him, Linc took a step forward and drove his fist into the man’s face. Kynar stumbled back. He regained his footing and lunged forward. Linc didn’t have time to sidestep this time. Kynar’s arms pinned Linc’s. Momentum toppled Linc and Kynar. Kynar landed heavily on top of Linc. Linc struggled to regain breath. As he grabbed the man to heave him off, a fist slammed into the side of Linc’s face. Light exploded across his eyes and a numb sensation flared over his jaw followed by a slash of pain. Linc shoved at the man just as the next blow landed. Kynar toppled over onto the dirt before rolling to his feet a short distance away. Linc rolled away from him and stumbled as he managed to get to his feet. He shook his head, trying to clear some of the haze away as well as the rush of anger from the tiron. The animal inside him wanted to end this quickly and permanently. Taking a deep breath, he fought to control that part of him. He couldn’t let Kynar get what he wanted. That would be a victory for him. Linc wouldn’t give him that. Kynar circled and Linc countered. Panic and fear drove the man as well as a desire to escape. Linc could tell just by looking at him. Claws tipped his fingertips where normally there would be fingernails. He wasn’t far from shifting to attack or make a run for it. Even before Colm caught his eye, Linc knew that drawing this out could be dangerous. Kynar’s open hand swung at him, claws ready to rake across any flesh they encountered. Linc blocked the blow, catching Kynar’s arm just below the wrist and swinging him into a tree. Kynar’s breath wooshed out of him a moment before Linc’s fist caught him on the jaw. Linc didn’t give him time to catch his breath. He pulled the man off the tree and threw him face first to the ground. Kynar was so dazed he didn’t try to catch himself as he fell. Linc was on him before he could try to rise. Men came forward and before he could ask for it, rope to secure the false Ardin was held out in front of him. Linc tied the rope around his wrists and then rose. Two of the men grabbed Kynar and hauled him to his feet. “You’ll begin your journey soon and you’ll be watched. You won’t take your own life. You’ll face true Ardin and justice in front of the people you’ve wronged.” Linc smiled at the frustration he could see on Kynar’s face.
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Colm’s hand rose and brushed over the side of Linc’s cheek. “Nice. I know someone’s who’s going to be mad at you. I bet she told you not to get hurt again before you left.” Linc winced, more from the thought of facing Cami with the bruises than from the slight sting of the touch. “Just as she did this morning.” Colm laughed. “Better hope that the good news makes her happy enough not to want to chew on you for the rest of the night.” Linc shrugged, but smiled. “I like how she worries about us, but I already have a plan to get past the anger if his capture doesn’t do it. Let’s get back to the Thent.” Colm nodded. They began walking back through the forest. Linc wasn’t too nervous about Cami. She’d do more pampering than nagging. He wasn’t going to let these small bruises change what he had planned tonight. If everything worked, tonight Cami would discover what a haven was. After they’d explained everything, they could show her the pleasures to be had there.
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Chapter Thirty-One “Are you sure? That looks as if it hurts.” Cami wrung her hands as they walked into the rooms and cast a look at his face before her eyes fell down to his ribs. She didn’t want him in pain, but arguing with him all the way up the stairs hadn’t helped. Colm hadn’t said a word. All he’d done was smile and shake his head as she tried to talk some sense into Linc. All right, she had yelled at him at first, but she had told him not to get hurt. It wasn’t such a big request. All those men with them and Linc had to fight Kynar himself. “I’m certain. If my arm was broken, I’d still want to do this. I want you to know you’re fully and completely ours before we have the ceremony. Our woman, our love, our mate.” Linc ruffled her hair, but his wide smile told her he wasn’t irritated by her persistent questioning. He guided her into the room and Colm followed, shutting the door behind them. They’d insisted since the mating that the ceremony be delayed. Cami hadn’t really minded. In her eyes and those of almost everyone else, they were fully mated. Because of their position, a formal ceremony was a requirement. “Now, are you ready to try this?” Linc stopped at the end of the bed and cupped her cheek. She knew he wasn’t referring to sex. It made her a little nervous. What if it didn’t work again? That was the only thought running through her head. She wasn’t scared about what they were going to do or what this haven was. She simply didn’t want to disappoint them by unintentionally blocking them again. “I trust you. I love you and have for a while. I don’t want to mess this up, though. I know how important it is to you.” She bit her lip. She should have trusted in the mating, if not the men themselves, from the start. “You’re not doing this on purpose. We know that. If it doesn’t happen now, we’ll have a good time playing with magic until it does happen. It’s just a matter of time until it does.” Colm pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. “I do like playing with magic with you two.” She smiled. Her muscles relaxed a little. “Good. Let’s try this. You’re going to feel our magic.” Linc’s hand brushed up and down her back. “Out of your clothes and onto the bed with you.” She laughed a little as she unfastened her shirt. “I remember. I’m going to feel a wave of your magic. It’s not going to hurt me. It will take me to the haven. If for no other reason than finding out what that is or where that is, I’d like it to work.”
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“Maybe we’ve talked about that a little too much.” Colm helped her pull off her shirt. His lips curved up into a grin. She unfastened her skirt and let it fall around her feet before toeing out of her slippers. For once, she left the clothing where it fell. She’d take care of it later. She crawled onto the bed. She’d made it only halfway before she felt the wave of magic sweep over her. It was different this time than last. The power surrounded her. Warm and tingling, it raced over her skin. Her head spun and streaks of light flashed in front of her eyes. She felt a slight dipping lurch in her stomach as if she was falling. Her fingers splayed and clenched on soft, smooth fabric. She looked down and stared at slightly shimmery, cream-colored fabric. Definitely not the purple blanket on their bed. Her head snapped back up and she looked around for the first time. White walls framed an arch covered only by sheer white curtains. Outside, flowers carpeted a grassy meadow bordered by a forest. She rose to her knees and took a better look at the room. Her mouth dropped open at the large, round tub near the far wall. Water cascaded into it from an urn held by a statue. She’d never seen any place similar to this. Each wall had an open arch covered by curtains. One led into another room and the other two led outside onto a white stone courtyard. She loved the light, open feeling of this place. “Welcome to your haven.” Colm’s voice rolled through the room. “Do you like it?” “Yes.” She smiled as she turned to face them. They stood at the side of the large bed. “I’ve never seen anything as open as this building or the area. Where is this?” “It’s not really a where. It’s real, but it’s not on a planet.” Linc climbed onto the bed and pulled her into his arms. “It’s a place where you can go and an enemy can’t get to you.” “You created this?” She stared at them and then glanced around again in awe. The amount of power that would take astounded her. They said it would be her haven. So they’d have to maintain it too. “Yes, we had some of the basic parts created. The forest, the waterfall within it and the meadow, but we waited to find the woman we would mate with for other things. We thought you’d like this building and be at ease here if you need to wait for us.” Linc dropped a kiss on her forehead. “I get from what you’ve said that I’m supposed to come here if I think there’s danger. How am I supposed to get here? Since you created it, I won’t be able to do magic to get me here even if I knew how.” She frowned. She could understand the concept. As Ardin, their mate and children would always be a target for attack. “The magic that you felt. It established the connection within you and it will bring you here when you need. All you have to do is think of your haven. You won’t need to use your magic at all.” Colm walked around the bed and crawled onto the mattress.
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“Is anyone who knows magic capable of doing this?” She tilted her head. She had so many questions, but many of them would wait. Her fingers itched to touch them. She needed to kiss them as she felt the hard muscles and warm bodies pressing against her. “Not to this extent. Only two men bonded together can do this. It would be too much of a drain on their power for most single men.” Colm drew his hand down her arm before letting the palm rest on her thigh. “Now, are you ready to play a little, Cami, before we go back? There’s a ceremony that must be organized.” “I’m ready to play. Are you sure you’re finally ready for the ceremony? Maybe we should wait a little longer.” She slid a veiled look at Colm and tried to hide her grin. “We’re ready.” Colm growled as he lifted her out of Linc’s arms and pressed her down to the bed. “No more delaying. No more sidestepping. You’re ours and you always will be.” She absolutely loved hearing him say that. “Do you see me fighting it anymore? You’re my mates.” “I see a tease that might have trouble walking by the time we leave here.” Colm growled and nipped her neck. “Tonight, you get both of your mates.” “Well, you two better make it good after you kept me waiting so long.” She grinned and squealed when Colm flipped them over and swatted her ass. The slight smack on her butt stung, but anticipation of what would follow sparked a different kind of heat. “We’ll make it good. So good that you’ll scream and beg for more.” Linc nuzzled her shoulder. His lips spread kisses along her back in a meandering, downward path. “That good?” She smiled and tilted her head a little to give Colm more access for his nuzzling and nipping. “Of course, it’ll be that good. Tonight, you get both of us. Are you ready?” Linc’s hands fastened at her hips, pulling her off Colm. Linc sat on the bed, draping her legs over his, leaving her thighs splayed wide. A cool breeze skimmed across the sensitive lips of her pussy. She shivered as desire curled and rose low in her belly. One of his hands cupped her breast, while the other turned her head. His lips locked over hers and his tongue thrust demandingly against hers. She opened for him, welcoming and eager for his taste and touch. The brush of a hand against her calf tore her attention from Linc’s kiss. She looked down as Colm crawled between their legs. She wondered how long she’d be surprised by the feel of two men touching her and loving her. She didn’t have much time to ponder the matter though. Linc’s fingers tightened around her breast and his thumb flicked across her nipple. “Are you ready for both of us tonight?” Colm’s fingers traced slowly over the lips of her pussy, tormenting her. “Yes,” she said and licked her lips. She was more than ready, but she was also a little nervous. As much as she wanted them, she didn’t know how she’d react when pressed between them.
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“Relax, i’ma, we’ll make sure you’re ready and so involved that you’ll want us both close.” Colm licked her thigh and then grazed the spot with his teeth. Her breath hitched. The scrape of his teeth and moist warmth of his breath sent tingles straight up her spine. Her thoughts of panic began to fade as her attention centered on the feel of his mouth so close to her pussy. Fingers plucking at her nipple tore focus away from Colm’s mouth, but she didn’t look away from him. A moan of pleasure rolled from her as both of Linc’s hands cupped her breasts. He squeezed and tugged at the taut nipples as his mouth trailed over her jaw and neck. She arched, pressing her breasts into his palms. Her hands covered his trying to get a firmer touch. She needed more. He laughed softly. The sound vibrated against her skin and sparkling tingles spread through her body. “Before you get too involved there, Linc, give me the oil.” Colm licked so high on her thigh that his breath tickled the lips of her pussy. Linc’s hand left her breast. She almost groaned in regret. He reached back and without taking his lips off hers, found whatever he wanted. She didn’t know if they’d put it there when they joined her earlier and didn’t care. She wanted his hand back where it belonged. He handed the small bottle to Colm and then once again cupped her breast. “We’re going to get you ready now, i’ma. You’ll be clawing at us to fuck you,” Linc whispered against the shell of her ear. She already wanted them to fuck her. “You’re both taking your time about it.” Linc chuckled. “We’re making sure you’re wild and ready for this. I’m going to knead these breasts while Colm licks your pussy and readies your ass so I can fuck it. I want you to watch him.” His hands tightened around her breasts, flicking his thumb over both tight nipples. She looked down. Colm lifted one of her legs and put it over his shoulder. He poured a little oil over his fingers before his mouth lowered to her pussy. His tongue swiped upward from her entrance over her clit. A flash of fire seared straight up her spine. She tensed and arched into his mouth. “That feel good? It’s going to feel even better soon.” Linc pinched her nipples between thumb and forefinger. “He’s going to slide his finger into your ass spreading that oil deep. I bet you’re going to clench around his fingers.” Even as Linc was talking about it, Colm’s fingers brushed against the tight, puckered ring. Her muscles tightened in anticipation. She remembered how good they’d made it feel as they’d prepared her. Colm’s tongue flicked at her clit as his finger spread oil around that tight opening. Linc nibbled a trail down her neck and his hands squeezed and played with her breasts. The two men worked together, pushing her desire higher. She moaned when Colm’s fingers left her, but they soon returned. Slick with oil, they pressed slowly into her. His tongue swept over her clit a moment before his teeth grazed the sensitive nub.
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Sharp sensation streaked through her. She bucked upward into his mouth. Raw pleasure took control. She lost all sense of time as they tormented her with their mouths and hands. They drew the fiery sensations higher and higher. She writhed and twisted in their grip. Linc’s hands on her breasts weren’t enough. The feel of Colm’s tongue and mouth only added to the torture. She needed to be fucked. In desperation, she grabbed for Colm’s shoulders. Her nails sank into his skin as she tried to pull him up her body. He didn’t budge, but her efforts ground her ass against Linc’s cock. A groan tore from Linc’s throat. “Damn, Colm, is she ready? She’s killing me.” “She’s ready and so am I,” Colm said in a rough growl. He moved back, managing to slip free of her grasp. The feel of his fingers leaving her made her want to scream at the loss. He sprawled on his back and held out his arms. She didn’t hesitate. She crawled up to him and straddled him. “Take me in all the way, i’ma. I need to feel that sweet heat wrapping around me.” His hands clasped her hips, guiding her as she sank onto the thick shaft of his cock. She groaned. The full feeling itself was almost enough to send her over the edge. A tremor shook her. She rocked her hips, needing to move and find the pleasure that waited just out of reach. “Wait for Linc.” One of Colm’s hands flattened on her back pulling her down against his chest and his legs widened a little farther. “He’s moving in behind you now.” She fought to hold off the need a little longer. Hands brushed over her ass. She trembled and tried to hold still. Her body ached with the urge to ride the man beneath her until she screamed her pleasure. Linc’s cock brushed the tight ring. She held onto Colm and tried to wait. Linc slowly pushed his shaft into her. The muscles stretched and stung a little as they adjusted to the intrusion, but the full feeling only added to the desperate hunger within her. She’d never imagined feeling this level of intensity. She nipped at Colm, needing them to move. A fine layer of sweat coated her body and her thighs tightened around Colm’s hips. She couldn’t take much more of this. “So tight. She’s already clenching around me.” Linc’s voice sounded rough. His hands stroked over her thighs. “Move.” Cami tried to wriggle between them, but didn’t manage much more than a shimmy. “Oh yes, now,” Colm growled. They started moving. She moaned. Linc withdrew and pulled her back. Desperate, she sank down onto Colm’s cock. They rocked her body between them, picking up the pace with each stroke. She was so excited already that it didn’t take long for her to climax. Her face pressed against Colm’s chest, she shivered and moaned.
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The excitement built again as they continued to drive against her. She pushed back into Linc and rocked back toward Colm. Colm’s lips brushed against hers a moment before his tongue thrust deep in a claiming kiss. She gripped his shoulders. She didn’t think she’d ever get enough of him. Linc’s teeth nipped at her shoulder and neck. He drove deep pushing her against Colm. Colm’s hands gripped her hips, pulling her tight to him as he came. His harsh groan rumbled against her lips. Her breath caught as another wave of pleasure crashed over her. She shook and gasped, the sensation ripping through her body. Linc surged against her, his cock drove deep. His shout filled her ears as his weight settled on her back. As soon as he caught his breath, Linc withdrew and sprawled onto the bed. He pulled her over to him and drew her close. She cuddled next to him and felt Colm ease up against her back. A smile curved her lips. She loved this. “I can’t believe I was so afraid of this.” She nuzzled against Linc’s chest, feeling more than a little embarrassed about it. “I was so scared of the possible rejection that I didn’t even want to try.” “You weren’t the only one. I didn’t want to take the risk of losing a mate, but I think we’d be right here regardless.” Colm curled an arm around her waist and pulled her buttocks snug against hers. “You do?” She arched a brow and looked over her shoulder. She remembered all too well the turmoil of wanting to be close to them, but being afraid to trust what she felt. If Laed and Kynar had been caught earlier, she would have left or tried to do it. “Ummhmm. Once Linc brought up the possibility that you were our mate, I started thinking of you as ours.” Colm hugged her tight. “And what’s ours we hold.” Linc joined in the hug. His body pressing close. “Fate or destiny knew what it was doing. You’re exactly the type of woman we need. You’re strong enough to stand up to us and beside us when needed as well as sexy enough to keep us hard all night long.” She chuckled and turned back to drop a kiss on his chin. These men were her future and she didn’t fear her place with them any longer. “You do need someone to keep you in line occasionally. And luckily, I’m the right woman. I’m through fighting myself, you and obviously destiny. You’re mine and I’m holding on tight.” They might face trouble in the future, but she wasn’t running any longer. They would face and overcome anything that came their way together.
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About Rebecca Airies Rebecca Airies has always loved to read. Futuristic, the classics, mystery or horror, the genre doesn’t matter as long as the stories capture her interest and take her on an adventure. She soon discovered a love for writing and characters just waiting to tell their stories. Since that time, writing has become an obsession. Rebecca lives in the heart of Texas. She loves the outdoors, growing things and working on crafts when she’s not lost in the worlds of her characters. Please feel free to write and tell her what you think; she’d love to hear from you. Rebecca welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Also by Rebecca Airies Between Two Tiron Chosen Destiny Desperate Measures Ellora’s Cavemen: Jewels of the Nile II anthology Ellora’s Cavemen: Seasons of Seduction II anthology Exile’s Longing Fire Princes’ Bride Guarded Beginnings Hunted Intensity In Sorcery’s Hold Lisia’s Journey Lost Memories Primal Attraction 1: Primal Quest Primal Attraction 2: Primal Pursuit Primal Attraction 3: Primal Encounter Protective Affairs 2: Vampire’s Witch Protective Affairs 3: Close Contact Protective Affairs 4: Uncertain Claim Second Chance
Print books by Rebecca Airies Between Two Tiron Ellora’s Cavemen: Jewels of the Nile II anthology Ellora’s Cavemen: Seasons of Seduction II anthology Fire Princes’ Bride Primal Attraction 1: Primal Quest Primal Attraction 2: Primal Pursuit
Primal Attraction 3: Primal Encounter Protective Affairs 2: Vampire’s Witch
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Her Mates’ Embrace ISBN 9781419941412 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Her Mates’ Embrace Copyright © 2012 Rebecca Airies Edited by Briana St. James Cover design by Perry Photos: Dreamstime.com Electronic book publication October 2012 The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously. The publisher and author(s) acknowledge the trademark status and trademark ownership of all trademarks, service marks and word marks mentioned in this book. The publisher does not have any control over, and does not assume any responsibility for, author or third-party Web sites or their content.
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