Fire Pearl (Beyond Ontariese 5) (11 page)

He covered her breasts with his hands and
arched up into her. Harder, faster, she dragged her body up, then
slammed down, impaling herself with almost violent force. Her
features contorted with pleasure-pain and her cries tore through
him. He pushed into her mind as her body shook. Fire. Her intensity
rushed through him, searing his senses and inundating his mind.

Teetering on the brink of madness, he swept
her beneath him and held her close. He pushed his arms under her
back and grasped her shoulders from behind. She stared into his
eyes, her gaze still smoldering. Over and over she tightened her
inner muscles, daring him to lose control.

“
Chae Tra
, my love.”

Master. She’d called him Master! His inner
savage lunged past Drakkin’s defenses and drove into her mind.
Drakkin cried out, terrified of her reaction. He waited for her
scream, her struggle, her fear. He felt only heat and
acceptance.

I’m not afraid.

Amazed and a bit wary, he began to move. His
hips found a steady rhythm, firm and fast. She dragged his face
down to hers and kissed him with utter abandon. Her tongue thrust
into his mouth as he thrust into her core.

Wild.

Consuming.

Bonded!

He groaned as his seed burst forth deep
inside her pulsing body. They clung to each other, lost in their
kisses as the world spun away. He moved one arm to the nape of her
neck and stroked her face with his other hand.

Unwilling to lose the sweet intimacy of their
kiss, he sent his thoughts to her mind.
I’m sorry. I wanted to
give you more time.

She eased her mouth away from his and blinked
dazedly. “Why are you sorry?”

“I didn’t mean for it to happen like
this.”

She pushed him away, separating their bodies
then wiggled out from under him. “You didn’t mean for what to
happen? I wasn’t sure I could tolerate the intensity until you
entered my mind. Whatever you did seemed to stabilize the heat. Why
did you seem so different toward the end?”

“I’ve lived a very long time. My nature has
evolved and matured, but the essence of who I was remains within
me. I call that part of me my inner savage. He can be brutal and
ruthless when not tempered by centuries of training.”

Her delicate brows drew together, confusion
clear in her expression. “There was nothing brutal in the way he
felt about me or the way he made me feel. I sensed only ravenous
desire. It was exhilarating.”

Emotion clogged his throat. How could he tell
her what his inner savage had done? She would never trust him
again. “I will never hurt you, my love.
Never
.”

“I know.” She sat and framed his face with
her hands, her gaze softly glowing. “He was protecting us. If it
hadn’t been for your inner savage absorbing the heat, we would have
been consumed by my fire.”

He grasped her wrists and pulled her hands
away. She still didn’t understand. “He is also possessive and
focused. He recognized you as our mate the moment I touched
you.”

She lowered her hands to the bed, confusion
rapidly turning to fear. “What are you saying? What did he do?”

“He claimed you.”

“How?”

“He anchored a mating bond.”

She scrambled to the edge of the furs and
knelt there, looking angry and terrified. “You said Bilarrians mate
for life. Is the bond… Un-anchor it!”

“I didn’t establish the link, so I can’t
dissolve it.”

“Then make him do it.”

Drakkin shook his head. “It’s not that
simple.”

Her expression turned fierce as anger burned
through her fear. “I don’t believe you.” She found her dress and
struggled into it before she spoke again. “You learned that I
possess some rare magical gift and suddenly I’m linked to you
forever. Am I really supposed to believe that was an accident?”

She had every right to be suspicious. He’d
promised to protect her and he’d failed. He conjured pants then
stood, knowing better than to try to touch her. “I did not mean for
this to happen.”

“Bullshit. I sensed the difference when he
entered my mind, but I sensed something else too. He’s not some
symbiotic parasite. Your inner savage is still
you
.” She
crossed to the table and poured herself a glass of water, hands
shaking so badly she could barely finish the task. “I will not
escape one captor only to be enslaved by another. Figure out how to
sever this link or find me another mentor!”

Noll stared at Faujer’s naked body, hating
him and wanting him still. He sprawled on his back on the rumpled
bed, forearm thrown over his eyes, sound asleep. Four days of hell
and frustration had passed since their passionate encounter in the
dressing room downstairs. Sex had triggered her vision, and Faujer
took full advantage of the coincidence. He had taken her so many
times, in so many inappropriate places, that hotel security must
have hours of their antics on record.

She rubbed her eyes and rolled her shoulders.
How had she let it come to this? There was no tenderness in Faujer.
His aggressive passion had thrilled her for a time. Well, passion
was no longer enough. She would not subject herself to any more of
his selfishness.

Shifting into her Mystic robes, she turned
back to the bed. Faujer’s primary purpose had been to identify
their target. She now knew what Aria looked like, so Faujer was
expendable. The Stirate had given her Faujer to do with as she
liked. What if she liked to teach the arrogant bastard a
lesson?

She took a moment to anticipate the Stirate’s
objections then carefully approached the bed. Any information
regarding this mission must be stripped from his memory. A cruel
smile curved the corners of her mouth as she imagined Faujer’s
horror. He would awaken naked, with no possessions, and only
fragmented memories of who he was or from where he had come. He
would be utterly vulnerable.

Perhaps she should end his miserable
existence. No, this was better. This was worse than death. With her
hands hovering over his brutally handsome face, she extracted every
fact, every memory that could incriminate Rodymia or the House of
Joon. Humans would either think he was a lunatic or examine his
physiology and realize his bizarre claims were true.

With a pleased chuckle, she moved to the
center of the room. As soon as she Summoned the Storm, hotel
security would rush to the room. Imagine their surprise when they
found a naked man babbling in an alien language.

The past three days for Aria had been like a
dream, surreal and confusing. Parts had left her breathless with
pleasure, while others made her want to run and hide. Each time
Drakkin touched her, she allowed herself to believe he was honest,
brave and heroic. But he was just as manipulative as all the other
men in her life.

He’d bound her with chains that could never
be broken. Another wave of sorrow crashed upon her soul. He knew
her life had been fear and degradation. How could he do this to
her?

After hearing her ultimatum, he’d looked as
if he would argue. Then he conjured a tunic and fled.

She didn’t care if he was angry. There was no
way his anger could match hers. He’d used her, seduced her
and…awakened her power, protected her from dangers she was only
starting to understand and taught her control.

His initial nobility was eclipsed by his
“inner savage”. She shook her head and meandered around the tent,
far too agitated to sit still. He hadn’t been making it up. His
inner savage was real. She’d felt his consuming hunger, the sudden
demand of his need. But why hadn’t Drakkin warned her? Maybe
together they could have prevented the bond from forming.

It didn’t matter. He would find a way to undo
it or she would find a way to escape. She winced at the
melodramatic thought. Escape to where? She had nowhere to run and
no one who would help her. Or did she? According to Drakkin, her
half-sister was High Queen of Ontariese. But did Charlotte even
know about her, and did Aria want to show up at the palace—or
wherever Charlotte lived—with Faujer and Noll dar Joon still
hunting her?

By the time Drakkin returned her anger had
basically burned itself out, leaving her feeling sad and
lonely.

His features were expressionless, his posture
stiff as he approached. “If there are no further intimacies between
us, the bond can be jarred loose. It will be painful for both of
us, and I apologize for that, but surely it’s better than being
‘enslaved’ to me for the rest of your life.”

Guilt pelted her composure. Maybe he hadn’t
been angry. He’d been hurt. “I didn’t mean—”

“Yes you did and you were right. I understand
why this sort of bond is intolerable after all you’ve been through.
It needs to be severed.” He clasped his hands behind his back, all
cold formality and pride. “I’ve made arrangements with Indric. You
will stay with your half-sister until I can arrange for a different
mentor.”

The idea of meeting one of her half-sisters
was thrilling, but she didn’t want another mentor. “I’ll never see
you again?”

He closed his eyes for a moment then released
a ragged sigh. “Do you want the bond destroyed or not?” He opened
his eyes and stared at her as he waited for her answer.

“I was shocked and angry. I’m not sure what I
want now. Would this new mentor need to touch me…intimately?”

“Likely.” His tone was so tight it sounded as
if he forced the word out between clenched teeth.

“And that wouldn’t bother you?”

He lunged for her then suddenly turned aside,
presenting her with his tense profile. “Of course it would bother
me. I am tortured by the possibility, but there is no other way. If
you want to dislodge the bond, there can be nothing more between
us.”

“You’re not just saying this because I gave
you an ultimatum?” The thought of never touching him again, never
kissing him, never feeling his vibrant presence inside her mind was
too upsetting to contemplate. There had to be another way.

Turning slowly, he placed his hands on her
upper arms and gazed into her eyes. “I have never lied to you, nor
shall I start now. I honestly believe you are my mate, but I will
do nothing that causes you pain. I will take you to Krystabel and
allow you some time so you can figure out what you want.”

She lowered her gaze, unable to stand the
burning frustration in his stare. “You make me sound so petty.”

“I don’t think you’re petty.” He gently
raised her chin until she looked at him again. Regret tempered his
expression. “Your life was turned upside down by my arrival. I
literally redefined who you are. It’s natural that you feel
conflicted and confused. Krystabel lives nearby. Her home is both
shielded and guarded. You will be safe there.”

Her heart lurched at the implication. “You’re
not coming with me?”

“If I stay by your side, I will do everything
in my power to sway your decision and that’s not fair to you.”

“How long must I stay there?”

He chuckled. “You’re not being exiled. Stay a
few hours or a few days. It’s entirely up to you. Once you’ve
decided which direction you want to take, simply reach out across
our link and I will come to you.”

She felt cruel and selfish, which was
irrational. He was the one who’d done something wrong. And his
willingness to accommodate her indecision made her feel even
guiltier.

“You need to know a few things about
Krystabel before we go. She is in hiding, so she is using the name
Cinarra.”

“Why is she in hiding?”

“It’s a long involved story and it’s not
really mine to share. The danger is not so much to Cinarra as to
the child she is caring for.”

She fiddled with the fabric of her dress,
feeling restless and antsy. “Why is the child in danger?”

“The less you know the safer it will be for
both him and Cinarra. His name is Betaul and—”

“Is that his real name or his in hiding
name?”

“He’s your half-brother.”

That got her attention. “How can they both be
my half siblings?”

“You and Cinarra were born to the same
mother, while you and Betaul were born of the same father.”

“I have one twisted family tree.” She
absorbed the information for a moment then said. “You were going to
tell me why Krystabel, or rather Cinarra, looks nothing like
Charlotte.”

His smile was tinged with secrets. “That is
part of the long involved story. When Cinarra feels comfortable
with you, I have no doubt she will tell you.”

Drakkin paced Indric’s opulent office, hands
clasped behind his back, boot heels ringing against the marble
floor. “It’s been four days,” he snarled. Every hour away from Aria
was torture. He longed to see her face and touch her skin. He
hungered for her taste and ached to slide inside her snug heat.
“Why doesn’t she reach out for me?”

Indric laughed as he pushed back from his
desk. “You barged into her life and snatched her away from the only
place she ever felt safe. Then you seduced her and
bonded
with her all in the span of a few days. I’m shocked she’s still
debating her options. Most of the women I know would have demanded
the bond be broken and tossed you out on your ass.”

Turning toward his longtime friend, Drakkin
glared. “I’m glad you find this amusing.”

“Ordinarily I’d recruit two or three of my
female servants to cheer you up.” Indric came out from behind his
desk and moved closer to Drakkin. “Somehow I don’t think mindless
sex will help in this situation.”

“Mindless sex is what got me into this
situation,” he grumbled. “Well, not actually mindless, just
overwhelming.”

“I warned you that sex with a
jumanna
would be different.”

There was no smugness in his tone so Drakkin
unclenched his fist. “I’m not sure what happened had anything to do
with her gift. I simply lost control.”