[Atlantean's Quest 03] Redemption (11 page)

Fear had gripped Ariel with its razor sharp talons, ripping at pieces of her soul with each crack of gunfire. It was a miracle they had survived. She’d been so frightened for Coridan’s welfare that it hadn’t occurred to her that she could have been killed. At the time of the altercation, she would have gladly given her life to save his. Luckily, it hadn’t come down to that in the end.

She was still amazed at the power Coridan had wielded. He fought like ten warriors, firing energy bursts at several different opponents all the while clocking what happened to her. After the battle had ended, he still managed to heal himself.

Ariel shook her head. She’d truly misjudged his power. He had kept much hidden from the tribe, from her. The thought excited and scared her. Was her power up to the challenge of Coridan’s or had she just encountered a warrior far beyond her psychic abilities as a seer?

Ariel wasn’t sure. Many questions remained unanswered. However, before anything could be decided, she needed to make one thing perfectly clear. She was not any man’s mate. As soon as Coridan returned, she’d let him know.

Ariel closed her eyes and lay back onto the soft grass. The green blades tickled her shoulders, stroking her back, cupping her firm ass like loving hands. Her mind easily slipped back into the night before as she remembered Coridan’s caresses. How he’d pleasured her body, filling her with his rigid cock. She groaned, her hand moving of its own volition to her nipples.

Ariel stroked herself, feeling the familiar warmth rise in her body. She needed to release some of the tension caused by the day’s events. She pictured Coridan’s muscular form, imagined his weight pressing down upon her.

Their semi-joining had given her some relief from the symptoms of Atlantean heat, but she was wise enough to know the feeling was only temporary. Soon the heat would return with a vengeance. She had to reach release before Coridan returned. Without her firm grip on her control, Ariel knew she’d be unable to resist his advances. Ariel didn’t want to consider what would happen if he sank his cock into her scalding pussy.

Ariel’s clit twitched and her channel flooded at the thought of Coridan’s cock filling her woman’s center, planting his seed deep within her belly until she grew ripe with his child. Her eyes flew open as the last thought flitted through her mind. She waited for a negative reaction, but it never came. Her heart fluttered, but in a good way. She was shocked to find that the thought of having Coridan’s babe didn’t disturb her in the least.

That fact scared her senseless. She should be disturbed. She should be fighting their attraction with every fiber of her being, but she wasn’t. Instead, Ariel clamored for his touch, longed for him to stroke the fire burning within her, wanted him to claim her. Her breath caught as her nipples engorged. She pulled at the tender flesh, pinching the peaks between her thumb and forefinger.

Ariel moaned as wetness trickled between her legs, giving the humid air a musky odor. She bit her lip as she released one nipple and then stroked her hand over her abdomen until she reached the area causing her so much discomfort. Her fingers splayed over her mons, caressing her lower lips until they took on a healthy pout beneath her questing fingertips.

Ariel’s hips moved with the swipe of her hands. She spread her petals, seeking the tiny nub hidden beneath. The first scrape of her nails had her seeing rainbows. She bit back a cry as she circled the sensitive flesh, gently squeezing it between her fingertips, her body shook, balancing on the precipice of release.

Chapter Eight

Coridan scented Ariel’s musk the second he neared the hidden clearing, the same glorious aroma that had drawn him to her in the first place. He’d been so preoccupied with gathering supplies that he hadn’t noticed sooner. Her gentle moans now reached his ears, the sound burning into his senses, transforming him from sated to ravenous in seconds.

He pushed through the brush until he could see her. Ariel writhed on the ground, one hand pulling at her stabbing nipples, while the other lay buried between her spread thighs, slick from her womanly juices. Her full lips parted slightly as she drew in a heated breath.

Coridan groaned at the sight. His cock immediately leapt to attention, stretching the material of his loincloth until it became painful to remain clothed. He stepped into the clearing, dropping the fruit and gourds filled with water on the ground. In one swift movement, he’d untied his loincloth and let it slip to the ground. His cock sprang free, bowing slightly from its massive size.

His nostrils flared as he inhaled her womanly scent, the aroma sweet enough to almost cause him to spill his seed before he had a chance to touch her. She hadn’t noticed him yet. Not that he was surprised. Her eyes remained closed, her face a mask of sexual ecstasy. Unable to control his pleasure, he growled.

Ariel’s eyes flew open, pinning him in place.
We cannot
. She murmured in his mind, all the while her hands continued to torture her flesh.

Why do you punish yourself—and me?

I—ahhh…

Coridan’s body shook as she cried out in rapture, her orgasm crashing over her goddess-like body. He closed his eyes, fighting for what little control he could muster. His mate did not want to join with him. Ariel was killing him, one release at a time, and she did not care. The last thought hurt the most. He opened his eyes and gazed down upon her. A healthy pink blush covered Ariel’s lush body, a gentle reminder of her recent orgasm. Coridan willed himself to back away, but his feet would not obey.

Ariel’s gaze traveled from his face, over his chest, before landing upon his painful erection. She licked her lips as she rose to her knees before him, tossing her long blonde hair over her shoulder. Coridan tried to swallow, but all the moisture had abandoned his mouth. Tentatively she reached out, her hand encircling his shaft. Coridan bit down hard enough to make his jaw ache. If this was another ploy to manipulate him, she’d be sorry.

Her grip tightened on his cock and she had his full attention. Ariel smiled as she slowly stroked up his length and back down, while her free hand reached beneath him to cup his sac. Coridan’s muscles locked and his lungs refused to allow air inside. His body swayed as she released his sac to clasp his shaft with both hands. He swore under his breath. If he got any harder, he’d explode. Ariel’s hands moved in tandem, up and down, while adding a slight twist of her wrist.

He leaned forward in an attempt to capture her mouth. She pulled away.

If you try kissing me in order to bring about an energy bind, I’ll be forced to stop.

You are impossible.

She smiled. Her movements continued until a pearl of liquid appeared at the eye of his cock. Ariel paused a second before bringing her finger up to swipe the seed away. Instead of wiping it on the grass, she brought her finger to her lips and sucked on his essence. Mewing sounds escaped from her throat as she relished his taste. Coridan groaned at the same time his knees gave out.

She hadn’t released his cock and he prayed she never did. Ariel smiled, drawing her hand away from her mouth. The fingers around his shaft tightened as she slowly lowered her head. Coridan held his breath, waiting. The second her lips surrounded his crown it was all over. He’d promise her anything, even that he would leave her alone once they reached Zaron, if that was what she wished. Ariel slipped more of his cock into her hot, velvet mouth and began the delicious up and down movement she’d done only moments ago with her hands.

Coridan’s fingers sank into her hair, grasping the soft tendrils as she pleasured him as no one ever had. His body tensed and his hips bucked against her downward movements, extending the sweet torture. She may refute it, but with each swipe of her tongue, Ariel bound herself to him a little more.

Soon she wouldn’t be able to resist his pull. Her body already trembled with need. He could sense her hunger, feel it goading his own. Soon her resistance would be gone and he’d be there, waiting.

Coridan smiled as his sac drew up next to his body, within seconds he was coming. He bellowed as his seed shot out, draining him of energy. Ariel drank deep, the column of her throat working as she lapped up every drop of his essence before releasing his cock. They fell back onto the ground, their lungs heaving with the effort. Coridan tucked Ariel close, her body tensing for a moment before she relaxed into his embrace.

* * * * *

Ariel curled up into Coridan’s warmth, her sated body limp from her earlier release. Her lips still tingled from taking his impressive cock into her mouth and she could still taste his salty essence. Her hunger for him was growing, no matter her attempts to stave it off. Soon she’d be unable to resist Coridan’s advances, even though he’d made no effort to force himself upon her. In fact, she no longer worried about her warrior, only herself.

She’d wanted his kiss to seal their fate. She’d wanted to feel his lips upon hers as they performed the energy bind. The intimacy of that simple act would have been too much. Ariel knew she couldn’t handle the emotions that would ultimately come with it.

As it was, her people’s welfare had begun to take second place in her heart and the realization scared her to death. Coridan claimed to have no people, yet he offered himself to her at every turn. Was it truly possible for a seer to have a true-mate? Not according to Atlantean law. Moreover, what might happen to her power if they performed the energy bind?

She hadn’t examined how she felt since their escape from the professor. In doing so now, she couldn’t detect any difference. Was it possible for her to join with Coridan and keep her magic? Of all the tales that had been passed down through the ages, she’d never heard of this being so, but…what if?

Ariel’s hand brushed along Coridan’s chest, tracing the hills and valleys, which made up his ribcage before finally settling on his firm abdomen. Her fingers followed the rise and fall of his chest with each breath he took. Coridan’s skin remained hot beneath her touch, as heated as her own. It was as if the Atlantean heat had transferred over and engulfed them both. Ariel shivered at the thought. If Coridan had somehow caught Atlantean heat, he’d be uncontrollable.

With you, seer, I’m always in heat. His voice held a teasing lilt.

Ariel closed her eyes and willed herself to feel nothing for the man beside her. They needed rest if they were to do battle tomorrow. Later they’d figure out a plan of attack that would allow them to reach the transport unharmed.

She hoped.

* * * * *

“What do you mean you can’t find them?” The professor turned to face Santo and Raoul. The men cowered beneath his gaze, moving out of striking range.

“Señor Professor, we have searched everywhere. It’s as if they’ve disappeared.”

Rumsinger growled. “The guards are still positioned at the transport, correct?”

Raoul shifted nervously. “Si, señor. They are exactly where you ordered them to be.”

“Good. Then they’re still here somewhere.” Rumsinger locked the men into his gaze, daring Raoul and Santo to move. His foul mood stretched out, ensnarling them. “I suggest you search again. I’m not a man who appreciates disappointment.” He stepped closer, menacing. “If you disappoint me again…” He smiled. “I’ll kill you both.”

Raoul and Santo’s eyes widened as fear gripped their features, twisting their semi-handsome faces into macabre masks. “Si, señor. Right away, señor. You can count on us.”

The professor laughed. “Your lives depend on it.”

The men scurried into the jungle. The professor watched until he could no longer see the whites of their shirts. “Damn incompetent bastards.” He grumbled. “I’m going to have to do everything myself.”

Rumsinger strolled into the jungle, leaving the security of his hut behind. The light in the afternoon sky had begun to fade, leaving much of the brush in deep shadow. A slight breeze ruffled the treetops, but didn’t quite make it down to ground level. The place was like hell, but with humidity.

He tapped the pistol strapped to his hip for reassurance, before reaching into his pocket to retrieve a flashlight. Rumsinger shined the beam on the trail ahead. Iguanas slithered off the path, their clawed feet taking them up the side of the trees with no effort. The professor snorted, paying little or no attention to the slinking reptiles, his mind too busy working out a plan to get the stones and crystals loaded and back to New York for further study.

The seer had called the stone contraption a transport. He was certain that’s what she’d said. Which meant that despite the fact it didn’t look like it, this object was some kind of transportation device. A thrill raced up Rumsinger’s spine as he reached the clearing that contained the transport. Visions of space and time-travel flashed in his mind. There was no telling where you’d end up when you stepped through the device. If the bitch told the truth, he’d just made the discovery of a lifetime.

Nobel Prize, here I come.

Rumsinger covered the small distance remaining until he could clearly gaze upon the stone symbols that made up the transport. Guards stood at the ready nearby. He crushed the vegetation growing around the device as he paced back and forth examining the object. The stones and crystals all seemed in order, yet it obviously didn’t work.

His beam followed the etchings around the circle as he carefully pieced them together in his mind. He reached the bottom of the transport a few minutes later. Rumsinger stared at the stones and frowned before stepping closer. Although it had been made to appear otherwise, one of the stones was missing.

“Damn it,” he spat out to no one in particular. “There’s something wrong with this thing.”

The men looked at each other.

“Have any of you moved anything?”

Negative replies echoed in the clearing.

“How many stones were there?”

“Don’t know, señor.”

Rumsinger turned on them, his thoughts murderous. “One of you has to have written the information down.”

A small man stepped forward with a piece of paper, all but tossing it into the professor’s hands. Rumsinger peered over the notes, pausing long enough to look up at the device and then back down at the paper.