HerMatesEmbrace (29 page)

“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.

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.

“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.

“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.

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.

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.

“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.

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
.

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
.