Mystik Warrior: (Dark Warrior Alliance Book 2) (11 page)

Rational thought scattered as she spread her legs and he gazed at heaven, her flesh glistening with her desire. He inhaled deeply, taking in the earthy cinnamon scent. Bile rose and he ruthlessly swallowed it back down. This may be all he ever got of this female, and he was damn well going to enjoy it. He stood and was undressed in record time.

“Mmmm, Jace…please,” Cailyn moaned. He saw how she had gripped the sheets and couldn’t deny her eager, open invitation.

“Cai, you are amazing. Your body is perfect. Let me love you.” He needed her permission to continue, needed to know she was with him.

“Yes, yes, yes,” she exclaimed reaching for him. The heart monitor’s beeping increased as she spoke, telling him how much she liked the idea.

He lowered himself to her and kissed her passionately. He kissed and licked his way down to her breasts, taking one into his mouth and sucked hard while he fondled the other. Her wriggling brought her core into contact with his erection. He rubbed up and down her slit, coating his cock in her juices, but stopped before he lost control.

“No, don’t stop. I may have to kill you if you do,” she exclaimed.

He chuckled, amazed that this magnificent creature could elicit laughter while stoking his arousal. “Nothing will stop me, but I have to taste you,” he informed her as he settled between her legs.

He didn’t give her time to respond before he swiped his tongue across her throbbing bud, relishing her cries. Allowing some primal drive to guide him, he licked, nibbled, and suckled her clit like he had her mouth. She was sweet and succulent. He slid one finger, then two into her core, and that was all it took. He lifted his eyes and watched her throw her head back and shout her release. The monitor went crazy with her racing heart.

Needing to be inside her, he rose up and hovered over her. Before he took the next step, a thought niggled. Could she be his Fated Mate? Something warmed in his chest as if trying to provide him the answer.

“Please. I need you inside me,” she begged, making his decision for him.

“You never have to beg, baby. Anything you want,” he murmured as he surged into Cailyn for the first time.

His intrusion was so fast and brutal it sent her into another orgasm. He held himself still with his cock buried to the hilt in her pussy while her muscles milked him. He held back his own orgasm as well as the bile that threatened to make it past his control. He bit his cheek to stop his body from exploding while she came down from her climax. He pulled out and thrust back in roughly, his balls slapping against her ass. That broke his control and he began a punishing rhythm.

“Oh, God. Give it to me hard and fast. I need to cum again.” She was as lost to the pleasure as he was, ensuring him she liked what he was doing.

“
Shijéí,
you are simply astonishing. I have never felt pleasure before. Are you ready for more?”

She nodded as she whimpered and flexed her muscles around his shaft. All the urging he needed. He slowed and pulled back, then thrust back in. She cried out and tightened around him. Two more deep thrusts and she climaxed again.

He silently cursed when he nearly had to withdraw and rush to the bathroom. He pumped into her slowly as he fought it back. A deep breath brought her sultry scent to his nostrils and settled his resolve. He began moving once again, and her desire heightened along with his own. “I want you to cum again,” he whispered against her ear.

She turned her head and claimed his lips in a searing kiss. His pace increased and he felt an unfamiliar pressure. His seed built in his shaft and he was ready to explode. It felt damn good and almost robbed him of control. The full, heavy feeling was something he never thought he would experience in his life. This female was his Fated Mate. He didn’t have to wait for the mark to appear to tell him that. So many emotions bombarded him over the knowledge, but they were overridden by the pleasure of the moment. He couldn’t stop now if he wanted to.

His hands settled on her hips and he tilted her pelvis to allow him to penetrate her deeper. He lifted one hand to her breast and pinched her nipple while he kissed her fiercely. She detonated again. She was sobbing his name as she came back down. She was the most beautiful thing ever.

“Again,” he murmured against her lips.

“I can’t,” she cried. The heartrate monitor was going crazy, but he noted that she was in no physical danger. Good, he wanted more.

“Yes, you can. Cum with me,” he ordered and pushed his hand between their bodies.

He was close and wanted her to go with him. He pinched her nipple and his other fingers trailed over her mons to find her clit. He worked his cock in and out, hard and fast, while he teased her nipple and pinched her clit.

“I’m close. Don’t close your eyes this time. I want you to look at me.” He lost himself in her half-lidded gaze and found his home. Within moments, his spine tingled as his balls drew up tight. His eyes went wide in shock at the extreme pleasure he felt when his seed began pumping into her womb. “Goddess, Cailyn,” he cried out as he gave her everything he had.

Pain mixed with the pleasure as his mate mark was branded into his skin. His right butt cheek burned from the mark of the Goddess’ blessing, but nothing diminished this moment with his mate. The moment their orgasms waned, he had no time to enjoy the immense pleasure because the bile refused to be held back anymore.

He surged from her body and raced into the bathroom, humiliation riding him hard.

Cailyn had just had the best sex of her life, and was dumbfounded as she watched Jace disappear behind a closed bathroom door. She wondered why he had jumped up and raced away like he was on fire. Insecurities swamped her. Perhaps he hadn’t wanted her. She put her face in her hands as she recalled how she practically threw herself at him.

She sighed as she remembered the sight of him running away. The man had the hottest ass on the planet, but she wondered about the red, swollen brand on his right butt-cheek. It was an incredibly detailed Native-American mask, and she surmised that it held meaning in his culture. It looked painful, and she wondered when and why he’d had it done. It seemed like an odd choice for a doctor, but it fit him as a warrior. Whatever the reason, it made her mouth water to think about tracing it with her tongue.

She stretched her body, expecting to be sore after what they’d done, but instead, she was ready for another round. Sex with Jace was as burn-the-house-down good as it could get. She’d always known it would be. She’d also known that their coming together was inevitable, which was why she broke her engagement to John.

Her heart constricted as it raced wildly in her chest. She had been torn about these two men for months, and despite having the most absolutely mind-blowing sex she had ever had, she was even more confused now than she ever had been.

Sex had never been like this for her, and she wondered if she could give this up if she chose John. John knew her almost as well as Jessie, yet something in her cried out for Jace. It literally felt like something was trying to claw its way to him. She hated being so uncertain.

She felt wetness on her hand and noticed they had ripped out her IV at some point during their interlude. Not wanting to ruin the sheets or blankets, she leaned over and grabbed her shirt, holding it against the wound. She recalled how he had ripped and shredded her clothes in his frenzy to have her. No man had ever come at her with such fervency before.

She heard the toilet flush and water running. What was he doing? She tapped into his thoughts and was met with a jumbled mess of pain and remorse. As she was trying to decipher what was running through his head, he opened the door and walked out. His naked body was distracting, and every thought flew out the window. Her gaze lifted to his face and she saw that his expression was shuttered and completely cut off.

Feeling exposed, she grabbed a blanket and covered herself. “Everything ok? You, um, left kinda fast. Did I do something wrong?” She hoped she hadn’t declared her love during one of those moments he propelled her out of her body.

He quickly crossed to her and sat next to her on the bed, tugging on his jeans and shirt. “No. Cailyn you did nothing wrong. In fact, you did everything right.” His beautiful, copper skin deepened with his blush. “Your sister put some of your things in the front room. I have to head out and do my patrols, and we can talk when I get back.”

Something was definitely off, and she almost called him back to her as he turned and headed for the door. Her gut clenched at the thought that perhaps he didn’t want anything more to do with her. Despite the fact that she was in a quandary over him and John, the idea hurt.

Cailyn brushed off her disappointment and took a shower. Once she was dressed, she headed downstairs, following the aroma of garlic to the kitchen where she found her sister and friend.

“There she is,” boomed Jessie. “We wondered how long you’d be going at it. I told your sister it might be days with how long you have lusted after the sexy doctor.” Her friend slid a knowing look her way, and as expected, went right for the jugular. “I take it John is out and Jace is in.”

Cailyn grimaced. She was further from that decision now than she had been before. “Honestly, I have no idea. I know I shouldn’t have had sex with him before figuring that out, but something overcame me and I couldn’t stop. I want Jace…more now than ever. Ugh, I’m so tangled up and have no idea what I am going to do.”

Her sister looked up from where she was chopping celery and sweet peppers. “I still can’t believe you broke off your engagement and didn’t tell me. Like I said before, it sounds like what I experienced with Zander. Did he have a brand anywhere on his body after you had sex with him?”

Cailyn gaped at her sister. That mark on his ass…holy shit. “He had a brand on his butt. No,” she shook her head, “it can’t be,” she denied. There was no way they were mates. Surely, he would know if they were.

Elsie beamed as if this were good news. Clearly, this was not a happy moment, or Jace would have told her. “Your attraction makes sense. It’s called a mating compulsion, and it will never go away where Jace is concerned. Just so you know it’s impossible to fight. Believe me, I tried for months. He didn’t say anything to you?”

“No, he didn’t. He ran to the bathroom. If what you say is true, I don’t think he’s very happy about this mating thing.” The rejection stung. Cailyn had never felt more inadequate or unwanted in her life. Elsie had to be wrong, she couldn’t be Jace’s mate.

“Turn your head to the right,” Elsie told her. Cailyn obliged, and heard both of them gasp.

“What?” she asked.

“It’s true, you’re his Fated Mate,” Elsie declared. “You carry a mark below your left ear.” At her confused look, her sister explained. “Fated Mate marks don’t appear until after sexual intercourse. For supernaturals, that mark is a brand that everyone can see, but for humans, it is a mystical mark that is only visible to us. There is no doubt that you are his.”

“She’s right. I can see the tiny mask on your neck,” Jessie added. “It glows iridescent.”

Cailyn had no words to describe the chaos in her head at hearing those words. If she thought she was confused before, this news complicated everything even more. Knowing she was Jace’s felt right, but didn’t erase the fact that she loved John.

She needed to talk to Jace. Did he run off because he had learned that she was his? Was he repulsed by her? More importantly, how did this make him feel?

It was a relief to understand why she had been attracted to Jace beyond reason. She was still unbearably aroused, while at the same time she was confused, hurt, and scared. How dare he run from her? A little voice in her head told her nothing was as it seemed, and she needed to look deeper.

She wanted to embrace a mating with Jace and all that entailed. She knew she’d have everything she had ever wanted and more with Jace, but she had her own issues to resolve first. It wasn’t fair to any of them to be on the fence like she was.

“Is John in Seattle? Did you have a chance to call him?” Cailyn asked.

“Yes, I talked to him earlier. He’s in Seattle at a hotel nearby and worried sick. And he’s angry that I haven’t allowed him to see you. The man is wearing me out. You should call him soon,” Elsie suggested as she dumped the diced veggies into the creole she was making.

Her sister was right, but she wasn’t ready to call him. Maybe some liquid encouragement would help. “What are you girls drinking? That doesn’t look like your Monsterita.”

Jessie laughed and slipped off her stool. “Yeah, I’d need some booze before that call too. I, however, am drinking some O positive, but am ready for a Melon Pepper Martini, which is a new creation of your sister’s.”

Cailyn cringed at the mention of blood. “We have been so focused on me, but how are you doing Jessie?” She welcomed the distraction.

Jessie grabbed two martini glasses from a cupboard then turned around to face her. “You missed my meltdown. I completely lost it when Elsie told me I was no longer human. As you can tell, I am still trying to learn how to talk around the fangs, but I’m holding steady at the moment. I have no idea how I am going to tell my family.”

Cailyn took the glasses as Jessie grabbed a pitcher from the fridge. “I can never take away what happened, but I will be by your side every step of the way. And before you say anything, I know being here with Elsie and the Dark Warriors is the best place for you, so that’s where I’ll be, too. I’m sure I can get a job at a firm here in town. Now that I’ve missed out on the biggest opportunity of my career, it no longer matters if I stay in San Francisco.” Perhaps relocating would be the answer to her dilemma. Somehow she knew it wasn’t going to be that easy for her.

Jessie stood gaping at her, making Cailyn squirm. To break the tension in the room, she grabbed the pitcher and filled the two glasses, handing one to her stunned friend. “I can’t let you give up your entire life for me. There are still so many unknowns, and Jace and the scientists are doing a ton of research looking for answers. Your sister has already told me I can stay here as long as needed, and I plan to do exactly that. I will be just fine.”

She opened her mouth to object but Elsie cut her off. “Nothing needs to be decided right now. Let’s focus on the positive,” Elsie chimed in and held up her glass. “To Voodoo Queens, magic, and new beginnings, for you both.”

That sounded sublime to Cailyn. Everything could wait while she got blotto. They clinked glasses and she took a big gulp. “Mmmm, this is yummy, El. Sweet and spicy, great combo,” Cailyn shared as she finished the drink, mustering the nerve to call John.

*****

Jace turned and slashed at the skirm stalking him from behind. He shook off the ash and scanned the street for more enemies. He had joined Orlando and Santiago after hightailing it out of the room before he had to face the truth of the situation. He had left Cailyn hurt and confused over his reaction.

He wanted to deny what had happened, but he was a new male after making love to his Fated Mate. Not only had the pleasure been exquisite when the barrier broke and his seed left his body for the first time, but he had not experienced the same revulsion that usually accompanied sex. Yes, he had thrown up, but his mind and body were ready to explore her again.

The shame of his inability to hold back the queasiness altogether still burned. He had used all his strength to hold back the bile, but it wasn’t enough in the end. It was never going to go away. Cailyn was more than he could ask for, and he desperately wanted to be able to have a life of love and passion with her. Unfortunately, he was a damaged male, not fit to be anyone’s mate.

He was still in shock that the Goddess had blessed him with a female of his own. Marie’s words came back to him. She may believe the Goddess had planned everything out and that he was exactly what Cailyn needed, but he had his doubts. Cailyn’s soul stirred in his chest, offering acceptance and comfort. He hated that her soul had been exposed to his worst moments, even if it was the only way he had gotten through the endless days of torture with Lady Angelica.

In his pre-occupation, he missed a skirm approach and was hit in the back. He stumbled then turned and ducked a roundhouse, shooting his leg out, knocking the young male over. Jace was up and on the balls of his feet, his blade slashing out before his next breath. He heard Orlando and Santiago fighting several others who had joined the fight at some point. He stabbed the one he faced through the heart, letting the titanium go to work on the corpse, and turned away from the flash of fire that rendered the skirm to ash.

A quick count told him they now faced eight skirm. He jumped into the fray, deflecting their attention. Two came at him with blades drawn. Tossing his own blade from hand to hand, he sprang at the two. He nicked one on the shoulder and pushed the other into Santiago’s weapon.

“You will pay for that,” one of them promised before lashing out at Jace.

“They have no brains, do they,” Santiago observed, and threw one of his blades at the skirm’s back.

Jace watched the blade find its home and turn the guy to ash. This was exactly the distraction he needed from thoughts of Cailyn. He wasn’t ready to deal with having a Fated Mate.

One of the skirm began taunting them, drawing his attention. “We have your precious females, you know. We watch those bitches become ravenous killers. It makes it more fun when we have our way with them.”

Jace met Orlando’s gaze and knew he was thinking the same thing. Who were the females? And, what were they doing to them?

“We are aware that you guys have been kidnapping females. Are you that desperate for company?” Orlando asked then looked at Jace. “We should take him in for questioning.”

Jace nodded his agreement and centered himself to caste an immobility spell. Before he knew what was happening, the skirm that had been doing the taunting grabbed Jace’s knife from his hand and shoved it through his own chest, piercing his heart. He cursed as he watched the flash of fire and the resulting cloud of ash. His
sgian dubh
clattered to the ground. He scooped it up and turned to capture one of the others, only to find the clearing empty.

He was stupefied at the fact that one of them had actually committed suicide. Orlando and Santiago wore the same expressions of shock.

“What the hell was that? Apparently, they’re better controlled than we thought. We need to get back to Zeum and let Zander know what happened,” Orlando advised.

“Yeah,” Santiago echoed as they headed to Orlando’s mustang. “I don’t get why they would target females. Jessie surely hasn’t shown any signs of being a mindless killer, so what are they doing to these others that cause them to be that way? And why was that kid so terrified of being taken in?”