Rhuul's Flame (17 page)

She rocked against his mouth, her moans on the wind, her heat against his face. He couldn’t think, couldn’t see beyond the need to complete the act of joining with her in this place. His muscles contracted in erratic patterns while his cock twitched and bobbed up and down.

He needed to be inside her, buried as far as he could go, sinking into her slick, satiny walls, surging into her. He pushed his pants down with his free hand and gripped his shaft while he flicked her clit with his tongue. When her body seized, he nearly lost it, and pumped along his length, feeling the seven ridges along his shaft as he stroked himself.

A change was sweeping over him, making him suck on her pulsing bud with pressure. This wasn’t going to be a tender dance of lovers. He was going to drive into her with force, taking her hard until she couldn’t utter a sound. The need to take her over was out of his control, and as he flapped up to align himself at her entrance, a small voice in his head protested.
You’re going to hurt her.

*

Lea held onto the rock face for dear life as Rhuul rose up behind her. She braced herself, expecting him to press forward, but he didn’t. She looked over her shoulder, seeing the deep ridges in his forehead, his clenched teeth, his hands balled into fists. “What’s wrong?”

This encounter with him was different, that was clear. She’d never heard him make the sounds he had on this day, and she’d never seen him so distressed. “Rhuul?”

“I need … control.” He spoke through his teeth, his eyes screwed shut.

“Control of what?”

“I don’t know … what this is.” His breaths were ragged, his erection standing tall.

“Try to tell me.” She cupped his face.

His hand moved as quick as lightning, gripping her wrist and holding her palm away from him. “Don’t! I don’t want to hurt you, Lea.” He opened his eyes, his irises glittering like crushed gems.

The move surprised her, but she wasn’t afraid. “You’d never hurt me, Rhuul.” She pressed her hand forward, feeling him relent. She stroked his cheek and leaned in close. “If you want to do it up here, we can.”

“No.” He shook his head with jerky movements. “Something’s wrong with me.” When he tried to flap away from her, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Rhuul, I’ve never denied you.”

“You don’t understand.” He breathed in deep. “I can’t explain it…” His nostrils flared and he shook his fists in apparent frustration.

“Try.” She kissed along his jaw, hearing the quickening of his breaths.

He reached out and held the back of her neck with firm pressure, pulling her to the edge of the stone.

She felt her heart race in fear, but she swallowed it down and met his eyes. “Tell me,
kan’na
.”

“I need to take you against this mountain. I need to have you here, right now, hard and fast no matter what. It’s like I’m going to die if I don’t fuck you this instant.” He held his breath, and leaned his head back. “Gods, I don’t know this part of me. I don’t know if I’d be able to stop, Lea.”

It was clear to her what was going on, and she pulled him to her, her hand gripping his shaft possessively. “This is your Celestan instinct. That’s probably why you flew me up here.” She moved her hand against him with pressure, enjoying the feel of his hips as he bucked against her.

“Lea, please. I could hurt you.”

“You’re my
kan’na
. I’m your
dranaiya
. We were made for each other.” She turned her back to him and moved back to the rock face, bracing herself, feeling the heat of desire rush through her body. “This is what you need?” She stood on the balls of her feet and wiggled her ass at him as seductively as she could.

“Lea…” His voice was deep, gravelly, and filled with warning.

There was no fear in her heart. If he wanted it rough, she’d allow it and she’d return his intensity with her own. He was trying to resist his nature, and that just wouldn’t do. “Come on, Rhuul. Time to fuck your
dranaiya
.”

He was on her in the blink of an eye. His hands on her shoulders, gripping tight, guiding her down until she bent at the waist. She felt his swollen head at her entrance a moment later. He made a grunting sound, and then he pressed forward, impaling her, stretching her to her fullest in one motion.

She called out his name and held on tight. He pulled back and sank into her, over and over, the force sending shudders through her body and pleasure deep in her belly. She flattened her palms against the jagged stone. The mountain bit into her, but she ignored the cuts and scrapes as she pushed back to meet each thrust.

He groaned and moved his hands to her hips, yanking her to him, increasing the force. Gods, she was almost delirious with pleasure as the ridges of his shaft found every nerve inside her, teasing them, stimulating them with delicious friction and force.

Electric currents of euphoria danced over her skin and through her core. The charm in her left nipple seemed to vibrate against her, adding to the potent cocktail of ecstasy surrounding her.

He burrowed into her with relentless abandon, all but stealing her sanity as her climax built. Her legs were shaking, but she pressed back onto him, feeling his pace change as her walls stretched even more. He was swelling within her depths, sending pleasure up her spine and back down again, arcing around her needy clit.

Rhuul let out a strangled cry followed by a barrage of curses she’d never imagined. His right hand left her hip, teasing into her folds before circling her clitoris. It was her undoing. She nearly bucked off him as her orgasm took full ownership of her faculties. She would have fallen to her knees were it not for Rhuul’s hold around her waist.

He bowed over her, still pumping into her. When he erupted inside her, she shivered, feeling the heat of his seed inside her for the first time.

Long moments passed as they recovered. There were no words between them, no declarations, no promises, and yet, he’d shown her a different side of himself, bringing her closer to him than she was before.

“Shit!”

Well, the closeness was nice while it lasted.

“Did you drink all of your tea?”

“Yes.”

He breathed out a sigh before he sucked in a quick breath. He turned her to face him and looked her up and down. He held her hands in his, a frown pulling down his features. “Damn it!”

“No, this isn’t your fault. It’s from holding the rock.” She reached into the stone of the mountain, finding the life in the crevices and cracks below and tapping into it. Her cuts healed in the space of a few breaths.

“Did I … were you hurt anywhere else?”

“No, I’m fine.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and nuzzled under his chin. “We could do this again, you know.”

“I didn’t mean to … What did you say?”

“I liked it.” She smiled into him and let out a light titter. The muscles of her legs and arms were still trembling with aftershocks as he held her close. “You don’t have to try to protect me from you or fight what you are.” She paused, looking down at her bare arm. “Do me a favor, though. Take a couple passes around this mountain and find my dress.”

Chapter 11

“Avalea, there’s another courier.” Renna waited for her to get up from the grass and followed her as far as the house.

She’d been watching Rhuul and Braka fight, chuckling as she urged her
kan’na
on.

“I’m going to give Kieran a bath. Have fun watching Rhuul burn more paper.” Her mother smiled and went inside.

This time, the courier waited at the entrance to the village. He was a tall Eidon male. He stood in front of a dark metal carriage pulled by two
irtha
beasts. They were stout creatures with thick legs and long, curved tusks. The courier’s face was expressionless as he looked her over. “Veen, ruler of Karn, requests your presence at the palace immediately.”

“Me? Why?” She’d already had her hand out to receive the usual letter. She pulled it back and stared at him in disbelief.

“It is not my place to question my ruler. I follow his commands. Come with me.” He held the door open for her and waited next to it.

“I can’t leave. I need to talk to Rhuul.”

“Another carriage is en route for the prince. It is imperative that you leave now. We cannot delay.”

“I’m going to need more of an explanation than that if you want me to leave this realm.” She put her hands on her hips and shifted most of her weight to her left foot.

“I was told you might resist. Perhaps this will hasten our departure.” He reached into the carriage and lifted a large shield.

When he displayed the front of it, Avalea felt a rush of shock through her body. “Swear to me there’s another carriage for Rhuul.” She got inside and sat down, her stomach churning. “Get me there as fast as you can.”

“You have my word.”

Ghena stared down at the shield and shook his head. “Rhuul’s not going to like this.”

It took a few hours to arrive in Karn. When they passed through the way gate, Veen was there waiting.

“Avalea, thank you for coming.”

“What’s going on here, Veen? Can you explain this?”

The Eidon ruler let out a long sigh. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed his guards and attendants. “He hasn’t told you, has he?”

“Told me what?”

He beckoned her to follow as he walked down a long hall. “I reached out to the Celestan in the hope of forming a peace between our people. I entered their realm. What I saw was disturbing.”

“How so?” She watched a frown take over his features, and the muscles of his jaw flexed.

“I met Heren in another realm. My father told us tales of the violence of the Celestan. He said they were animals, nothing more. But she was nothing like that. She was articulate, calm, sophisticated even. The complete opposite of what I found when I reached their home. The Celestan there were almost feral…”

Even his tone dropped under the weight of his words. “No wonder she told me she’d never go back to her realm.” He appeared to be speaking to himself in that moment, as if he traveled back in memory. “I sought an audience with their leader. I told him of my wish to bring our people together the way I had with Heren.”

Veen paused and turned to face her. “He accused me of lying. He said no Celestan would have a union with an Eidon, and then he declared war. Invading parties have been pouring into our way gates ever since. I don’t want to hurt them, but I cannot let them destroy us. This is why I need my son. He is living proof that an Eidon loved a Celestan.”

“I’m sorry, Veen, but I’m not sure what Rhuul’s going to do. There are a lot of bad feelings there. He doesn’t even speak to me about Karn.”

His lips opened and closed, as if he was searching for what to say. “I never wanted this for him. You have to believe me.”

“That’s beside the point now. What about that shield?”

Veen took hold of her arm and continued down the hall. “I was hoping you’d be able to tell me.”

* * * *

Rhuul dodged Braka’s slice to his arm and countered with a swing at his throat. Talloc watched the fighting, still in his Omala form.

“Rhuul, another courier is here for you,” Renna called out from the back of her house, a look of confusion on her face. “Avalea spoke to the first one. Not sure why they sent a second.”

“Second?” He lifted his hand to Braka, stopping their match. He wasted no time getting to the village entrance, Talloc and Braka in tow. “Why did you speak to Lea?”

“Your Highness, your father has sent me to retrieve you. Your
dranaiya
has already been collected and—”

Rhuul couldn’t control his response. He swung his fist, connecting with the courier’s jaw. Hot acid crept up his throat as his body quaked with rage. “You took Lea to Karn?”

“Your Highness…” Braka helped the Eidon to his feet. “I did not take her, but your father did send for her. I am to take you to the palace.”

Rhuul threw his hands up. He wanted to gut the bastard for his part in whatever his father had planned, but he didn’t have time for that. He got into the carriage and clenched his teeth when Braka sat across from him. “Why is he fucking with me, Braka? Tell me what you know.”

“All I can say is it’s serious, and he believes you are the key to victory.”

Talloc jumped in and sat next to Rhuul. “I’ll get off at Kref. I have some things to take care of.”

They traveled in silence to the town. Talloc climbed out and locked eyes with him. His expression was solemn, a first for the Bruna. “Sounds like you’re about to get into something serious. Since I owe you a favor, let me know if you need anything.”

“You don’t owe me a favor.”

Talloc shook his head. “You broke up that Corri hideout, destroyed their way gate, and helped me to have more fun than I have in ages. Seems to me like I owe you at least a few.”

“I fail to see how that benefits you.” Rhuul was about to signal the courier to leave when Talloc laughed.

“Ah, I guess you’ve never met me on official business. Allow me to reintroduce myself then. I am Talloc, Bruna, lover, cultural connoisseur, and magister of Kref.”

“You’re the magister?” Disbelief was too mild a word for the bombshell he just dropped. “Who the hell would allow you to be in charge of anything?”

“Rhuul, Rhuul, Rhuul. I’m going to miss that sense of humor of yours.” Talloc took two steps back and waved. “Whenever you need me, call me. I’ll be there.”

Rhuul nodded and leaned his elbows on his knees. “Let’s go.” The carriage moved off, heading toward the way gate.

“It was fun, Braka!” Talloc took the form of the Eidon female and waved.

Braka looked like he was on the verge of changing color. His scimitar appeared in his hands, and he stood.

“Sit down. We don’t have time for your lover’s quarrel.” On any other occasion, he’d revel in the sight of Braka’s embarrassment. But not today. Thoughts of Lea and his father filled his head, and as they passed through the way gate, he summoned his swords. “Where are you, Father?”

“I’m here.” Veen emerged from an alcove with several Eidon dressed in battle armor. He dismissed them, and approached.

Braka dropped to his knee and bowed his head. “Your Highness.”