“Violet’s right,” Willow added as she touched Deveney’s arm. “We bow in your presence when we greet you or when we speak, especially when others are present. It is a sign that we obey the ruling clan’s decisions.”
Deveney couldn’t believe this. In many ways, these people were more technologically advanced than Earth. But they still maintained a sort of hierarchy to rule their people. Hadn’t they heard of democracy? Didn’t anyone get a vote on the matter? She took a deep breath and tried to calm her thoughts. What she needed was friends at the moment and these women offered that in their own way.
She thought she had friendship with Willow and Nona. But since they’d made this decision about her, did that change? No. She wouldn’t let it. Thoughts flew through her head at a rapid rate as she struggled with this new dilemma. She took a breath and forced her overactive imagination to halt. The battle to free the people and get them a voice in their lives would have to wait.
Right now she wanted to win Tor’s heart, convince him to let other women come to Eximius Mundus and save Willow’s brothers and Sven from turning
Proprius Bestia
. Wow. She exhaled long and hard. That was a lot for any one person to handle. But she was determined to succeed. Absently, she rubbed her tummy and smiled. More than one person depended on her success and she refused to fail her baby. An idea bloomed that she hoped would work.
“I propose as the future female of the palace that we start a new tradition,” Deveney stated and glanced from one woman to the other. “Whenever we are together, there is to be no bowing. A simple hello, a hug or a smile is fine. We treat each other as equals and become friends. If the bowing thing is important, than we only do it in front of people from other clans. That way, your traditions stay in place and keep peace among the clans, while our new one grows in private.”
Willow stood, leaned and hugged her. “You know you have my friendship. I will do all that I can to help you with that stubborn bear-headed fool.”
Violet and Chrysanthemum gasped in disbelief. Nona smiled and joined in on the hug. “You can count on us.”
Not to be forgotten in the crush of the hug, Horace spoke up in his tiny baby voice. “Me too. Me hug.”
Laughter filled the room. Willow and Nona released Deveney and she tugged Horace tight. The thrill of being part of a family raced through her. Tiny hands wrapped into her hair and a jam-covered face smashed against hers as they hugged. But she didn’t care. This felt right. This was home.
Chapter Thirteen
After hours of laughing, chatting and eating with the ladies and the boys, Deveney returned to her room. She walked through the palace alone and no one bothered her. Nona told her everyone in the palace was aware of her existence and were loyal to the Bear clan. It guaranteed their silence in this matter. She didn’t need to sneak around anymore.
Men avoided her in the normal customary practice pertaining to a newly mated woman. There were no other women in the palace other than Nona and her girls. That thought tinged her heart with sadness. For such a huge place, its walls deserved to be filled with the laughter and voices of many men, women and children.
She stood at the top of the stairs and looked around, imagining its once vibrant lifestyle. Sighing, she turned and continued to the room. Her limbs grew heavy with each step. She was exhausted. Bed would be a blessing right about now.
But she truly wanted a relaxing bath first. It took little effort to unlock the door. She simply wished it so and it happened. A tired smile crossed her lips. Such an accomplishment in magical control made her proud. She stepped out of her robe and laid it on the chair at the desk. Lifting her chin, she sniffed. Tor’s scent drifted faintly in the air. She shook her head, deciding the scent lingered in his room permanently, whether he was in it or not. Naked, she walked directly to the bathroom and took the steps into the tub.
Warmth embraced her as she floated. This was heaven.
* * * * *
Tor took a chance and peeked into his room. No Deveney. Good. He wanted an opportunity to refresh himself before facing her. Now he had a chance to bathe. He missed his oversized tub. Other rooms had similar facilities but not like his. This was his room and his tub and he deserved to relax in it.
It didn’t go as he had hoped. Relaxation didn’t happen. Thoughts of Deveney filled his head so he desperately revisited the events of his day in an attempt to override his unruly libido.
Visuvius had occupied his afternoon and kept him busy. Together, they plotted a scientific chart that helped prove Tor’s theory to prolong the inevitable change of unmated men. According to the facts they charted, in several instances, men who frequently changed at will into their inner beast in the months prior to their one-hundredth birthday were able to ward off the permanent shift into
Proprius Bestia
for almost six months. In these cases, it didn’t gain them more than that, but it was a start. With this added time, they’d have more chances to find a mate. As long as there were women for them. Hopefully, Maven and the Mirror of Azure would help increase their chances as well.
Tor sighed heavily, letting the soothing waters ease the ache and tiredness as he floated in his tub. The faint sound of footfalls in his bedroom made him sink in the water for shelter. An undeniable scent filled his nose. His hunger for her renewed and his cock hardened in an instant.
He knew without a doubt Deveney stood in his bathroom. Naked. Every ounce of him craved her. His mouth watered and his heart pounded. Blood pooled in his cock and it stiffened to the point of pain. He swam underwater, away from her, though his desire for her grew. Somehow he managed to resist. The oversized floating island in the tub’s center acted as his shield when he surfaced. Nothing broke the water except for the upper portion of his head to just below his nose. Hidden among the foliage of the floating island, he watched her every move.
She entered the tub, taking each step in a languorous move. The inching of the water up her thighs had him swallowing hard. She entered the water and flipped onto her back to float.
Her face seemed serene and at peace.
Not fair.
How come he suffered the wrath of the mating magic’s undeniable desire when she appeared to go unscathed? Did she not crave him as he did her? Tor hid under the edge of the island as Deveney floated closer. The sight of her backside glistening underwater increased his need to touch her. Balling his fists at his sides, he shut his eyes and dug deep for the strength to resist until the perfect moment for him to attack her arose.
Something grabbed his cock. His eyes sprang open wide and he gasped underwater. On instinct, he rose to the surface, sputtering and gagging. He hadn’t meant to inhale while submerged. But he hadn’t counted on having his cock grabbed either.
Laughter filled his ears. Her laughter. It warmed his heart and if he allowed it, a smile would have brightened his face. But he fought it. His eyes glued to her round, luscious breasts as she pulled herself up onto the floating island. Their minute bouncy dance with her movements turned him on even more.
The picture of her with her hands on her hips, standing with her legs slightly parted in the center of the large, lily-pad-shaped island ignited a fire in him. He wanted her. Her stance appeared as mock intimidation.
His eyebrow arched and he let slip a thin smile. Did Deveney want to play ruler of the rock, or lily pad, as it was in this situation? Then so be it. One swift lunge placed him at her feet. The sudden movement toppled her on top of him.
* * * * *
She knew he hid in the bath. He had not been as fast as he thought when he ducked under the water. His scent in the bathroom was strong and made it difficult for her to control the urge to run to him. Somehow she found the strength to enter the tub as if he wasn’t there. She waited to see what he would do. But he did nothing.
Intentionally, she floated closer to him and still he did nothing. She sensed the tension in him and knew he wanted her, but resisted. That would not do, she decided when she ducked underwater. He looked so cute with his hands fisted at his sides and his eyes closed. It presented the perfect opportunity for a sneak attack.
One quick, gentle tug of his rock-solid cock and she stunned him. Deveney released him as quickly as she grabbed him and surfaced. Laughter peeled from her, making it difficult to swim, but she made it to the island and climbed on top as he broke the surface.
Determined to win this battle of wills, she stood dead center on the floating island and issued a subtle challenge. She stated in a jesting tone, “You and I cannot be together, Tor. And yet, here you are in the bath with me. Have you changed your mind?”
She did not wait long for his reply. He landed on the island in seconds and knocked her off her feet to land on his chest. The air whooshed from her lungs as she landed. Teasing him had been an adventure.
Strong arms gathered her close. Warm lips pressed to hers, setting her heart into overdrive. Skin-to-skin contact ignited the fire within their combined chakras, which turned the water in the tub azure blue. Breathless from their kiss, Deveney hovered within millimeters of his lips. “Claim me as your mate, Tor. Make me yours.”
“Deveney, I want you,” he answered on a hushed breath as he ran a hand through her hair. Her fragrant, musky scent tainted each breath he took. The beat of her heart tapped a steady rhythm against his chest, chiseling away at the thin layer of his resolve to tease her for a moment.
“There is only one way you can have me, Tor,” Deveney replied and shifted her position.
Her move placed her legs on either side of his hips. The heat of her sex brushed his cock, making it thump the inside of her thigh. Tor couldn’t think with his cock so close to heaven. The aromatic flavors of his woman contorted his brain. The skin-to-skin contact sent hot rods of need spiraling through his blood to pool in his balls, making them tighten. He wanted her.
Control over his senses fizzled as desire took command and ruled his body. Unable to stop, he cupped her breasts and thumbed her nipples. Flashes of his inner beast sparked to life in his head as the magic roared to the surface.
Tor struggled for control as he grappled for the right words but failed miserably. “Deveney, I need to explain. The bear grew stronger every day and I feared it would rule the magic over me. It tore at my insides knowing the bear might win and you would die at his hand. I was weak and believed I could not live with myself should that happen. I—”
“Tor, look around you,” Deveney blurted. “Do you not see and feel the strength of our connection?”
He turned his head and noted the luminescent blue of the water. Energy sizzled in the air around them as the color encircled them in a brilliant, magical bubble. In a powerful move he sat upright, keeping her tucked safely on his lap. The position killed him. Her body cradled his cock in the heat of her flesh.
She cupped his cheeks in her hands and forced his eyes to meet her determined stare. “Ours is a magical mating. Our chakras have blended. The magic has become one. Together, we are strong. Apart, we are merely uncontrolled bursts of magical mayhem.”
Tor couldn’t help the slight smile that touched his lips at her use of one of Maven’s favorite terms for young magic. More than once, the magi labeled a disastrous try at magical control by him or his brother as magical mayhem. Obviously, the magi taught Deveney.
He leaned his forehead against hers. “What am I to do with you, Deveney?” he begged quietly, even though he knew exactly what he planned to do with her.
“Make me yours,” she replied.
He kissed her and for the first time in many hours, a sense of peace washed over him. Her flavor filled his senses. Her touch soothed his aches. He closed his eyes and it seemed Deveney appeared everywhere at once, in him, on him and around him. Her essence flowed through his veins and captured his soul with her love.
White-hot shards shot through his heart the moment she seated herself fully on his cock. Energy surrounded them in a multitude of vibrant colors. He broke from their kiss and stared at the beautiful woman perched on his lap. She owned his heart. That fact couldn’t be denied. The slow glide of her on his cock shattered the last of his will. She calmed his inner beast.
Whispered words gifted his ears in between gentle kisses to his closed eyes. “We are one in body, in heart and in chakra. I love you, Torbjorn Artur.”
Tor captured her face in his hands and met the ardent glow of her eyes. Pure power sizzled in the air around them, flowed through them and was theirs to control. The mating magic chose them as lifemates. One by one, the fingers of the fist of fears embedded in his brain by his father loosened its grip and freed him for his future. Deveney belonged with him.
“Deveney, I’ve been a fool. I feared what I could not control.” He kissed her lightly upon her lips then held her gaze as he admitted with all his heart. “You are my lifemate.”
“Together, we shall rule your inner beast. And I know the perfect method to calm the bear.” She enunciated each word with a swirl of her hips, coating his cock in a flood of her juices.
The battle was lost.
Tor became hers. Forever mated. Forever loved.
Power surged through him as she stroked his cock with the inner muscles of her sex. Raw magical energy purged him of all doubt. Their mating bound their chakras eternally. Their lips collided in a crushing kiss. Tongue battled tongue in a passionate war of lust and love. Sparks flew in the air around them.
The image of the large golden bed in the other room filled his thoughts. Deveney’s arms and legs wrapped around him. Everything blurred into a second of darkness, then a flash of bright light occurred. An instant later, they landed in the softness of the bed with Tor on his back and Deveney still firmly seated on his lap. Breaking their kiss, Tor gasped.
“How—”
His question was stalled by Deveney’s fingertip pressed to his lips. “It’s simple.” She smiled as she spoke in a soothing voice. “You wished we were in our bed. With our combined magic, I simply made it so. At least that’s how I think it worked.”
Her innocent shrug made him smile. Tor couldn’t believe it. He’d heard of strong magical couples mating and being able to accomplish phenomenal feats. But this… He took a deep breath. Teleportation wasn’t heard of as one of them, at least not to his knowledge.
“Deveney…” He didn’t get to finish as she captured his mouth in a heated kiss. All thought left his brain and nosedived to his cock. His woman wanted loving and in this he refused to fail.
Tor wrapped an arm around her waist and in a strong move, repositioned them. Deveney flipped onto her back with Tor snuggled between her thighs. With his weight rested on his forearms, Tor stared down at the magical beauty in his bed. With long, deep strokes, he glided in and out of her.
The grip of her legs as she hooked her heels behind his knees urged him to continue. Each contented sigh she released was sensual music to his ears. Her gasp when he suckled her nipple made him smile against the tender flesh.
Slow and methodical, she met his every pump. Warm silken juices coated his cock, fueling his desire. The slow pace wreaked havoc on his stamina. The sensation of her heat gloved around him. The tremors of her inner muscles cascading up and down his shaft tortured him and tested his sexual control.
When she planted her feet on the bed next to his knees, he knew the dance ended and the race to the finish started. Deveney grasped his head in her hands and tugged him from the nipple he lavished with care. Fire filled her eyes with lust and fueled her hunger for Tor.
Raw emotion coated each word. “Fuck me, Tor.”
The feel of her heels digging into the bed as she pumped her hips upward, taking his cock in fully, reinforced her demand. He couldn’t help but smile. In a slow, deliberate manner, he stilled, except for the sensual slip of his tongue across his bottom lip. He watched her gaze follow its every move. She moistened her lips in response. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her.