Reese cried out. The painful pleasure was too much. Her heart raced and she lifted her hips to rub herself against his washboard abdomen.
Dagan shifted to the other breast and sucked the icing into his mouth. When he took that nipple between his teeth, she ran her fingers through his hair.
He massaged the nipple with his lips and put pressure on her pussy with his stomach. When he again took the nipple in his teeth, she had the most incredible orgasm. Her body quivered for several moments from the force of it.
Dagan wasn’t in a hurry. They still had at least another hour before sunrise. He could take her over and over again and would like nothing more, but, he needed to get her back into the bedroom so they were within the semi-circle of elements.
He wrapped her legs around his waist. Filling his hands with her ass, he walked back to the bedroom. It felt right lying there between her thighs and playing with her breasts. She was ticklish on the outer sides of her flawless mounds, around her belly button, and behind her left knee. These were things he would always remember.
Fairy kisses and soft sighs led up to the point when he eased his cock into her wet passage. He penetrated her womb so deep that his pelvis slapped against her pussy, exciting them both even more. Watching his cock slide in and out of her body fueled the
fury.
He knew the time would come when he would dominate and control the joining, but right now, he wanted to savor the gentle loving.
Her arms wrapped around his neck and she lifted up to kiss him. She curled her slim legs around his hips and dug her heels into the backs of his thighs. Her need escalated. It was time.
Dagan ravished her mouth with his tongue, thrusting it in and out. His cock performed the same dance as it entered her body. He pumped faster, harder, going deeper every time. Her inner muscles convulsed around him.
“Oh God, Dagan. I’m coming now, now!”
Dagan roared and shot his water of life into her waiting pool. One day, their son would grow inside her.
He rolled off her and slammed face down. His right arm lagged across her waist. The
démarr
again stole his energy and hers as well. She’d already drifted to sleep.
A ray of light appeared through the window. The candles had extinguished. Dawn would be breaking soon. In mere minutes, the seal would disappear. He knew he should be up preparing for the day’s battle, but he couldn’t manage to move.
Chapter Eighteen
As the sun rose quietly in the east and its rays touched the seal, it shimmered and faded away. The gas giant shone brightly, making the icy exterior glisten. Dagan had taken his shower and summoned fresh clothes. Reloaded and checked, his weapons were secure on his body. Sitting at the kitchen table sipping scalding hot coffee, he waited for Reese to finish her shower and dress.
He’d already called for Scion to meet him so he could take over the next few days of watching Reese. The
fury
raged at the thought of leaving Reese and not seeing her, being with her, again. He needed to tell her about the
démarr
. The telling would show how much he loved her. They had already come to the decision that she wouldn’t give up her archeological job, which she swore was the reason for her failed relationships. In truth, Dagan knew it was because she had been waiting for him. He could not give up his job as a time walker. Kur was not only a threat to mankind but his people as well.
Reese strolled in a short time later, yawning. “Umm, coffee. Do I smell coffee?”
He rose, walked over to the counter, filled her mug and placed it in her hands. He bestowed a long kiss on her lips.
She leaned back against the counter and blew into her cup. His groin ached. He fisted his hands and ground his teeth together, fighting the
fury
. If it unleashed, Reese would be naked and panting on the floor within minutes. This generally was the case for the first week after the
démarr
. The initial bonding would wear down to a tolerable level until the next cycle when he would need to be with her again. But that would not happen now. The time had come for him to appear before the Pantheon and confess to his actions.
“I’m exhausted.” Reese graced him with a sweet smile. “I guess we should have slept some.”
“As I recall, we did sleep briefly.”
“That wasn’t sleep. I was unconscious.”
He laughed, but didn’t speak of what he knew. The melding of two bodies, minds and hearts used massive amounts of energy. She would recover. He was not so sure about himself.
Having tamped the
fury
back, he sauntered over and grabbed her around the waist to kiss her the way he needed to for the last time.
She set her cup down and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close.
Dagan broke the contact when he felt the
fury
surfacing again. “Reese, I need to talk to you for a moment.”
A worried look passed over her.
He pulled out a chair. “You might want to sit down.”
“I don’t like the sound of that,” she said but complied.
Uncertain of the best way to begin, Dagan searched for the right words. “Last night, when we were together…” He had to move around and relax. “There is a ritual that is used by my race.”
“A ritual? What kind of ritual?”
He took a deep breath and dived in. “The chalice that I told you belonged to my people is used in the ritual.”
“You had me drink wine from it…” Her eyes narrowed on him. “What kind of ritual, Dagan?”
“My people go through the
fury
which is an intense drive, a need, to bond with their
blethred
. When we experience this, it cannot be denied for the primal instinct takes over and forces the bonding.”
“Bonding?” She stood. “I need more coffee.”
“I performed it last night.”
She gulped. “The words in that language you spoke all night. That was part of it.”
“Yes.”
“And the candles and the wine?”
“Yes.”
She gave him a thoughtful look before a troubling frown. “So what happens now?”
“Nothing for you will change. It is done and once I’m gone, you’ll be the same as you have always been.” Again, the
fury
swelled and he had to battle it back.
“So you’re telling me that because of this
fury
, you performed a ritual on me, without my knowledge or consent, so you could fulfill your primal needs?”
“Exactly.” She had to see now that he did it because he loved her.
“And, you are leaving now to continue on as a time walker and I will never see you again.”
“Most likely, you won’t, but Scion will be here for the next few days to make sure that Kur doesn’t come back and you are well.”
“I see.”
He didn’t like the tone in her voice. Why did she sound angry? Didn’t she understand what this meant? Didn’t she realize that this was his ultimate gift, his sacrifice?
“Well don’t think you need to stay around.” She trounced over to the door and opened it. “Why don’t you go—now.”
“What?”
“Go—now!” She pointed outside.
“Scion hasn’t arrived yet and I’ll not leave you unprotected.”
“Thanks, but I’ve had all the protection I can stand. Leave.”
He heard the catch in her voice. She was angry.
Walking to the door, he stopped long enough to caress her cheek until she turned her face away. When he went out the door, she slammed it behind him. As he turned to go back inside, Scion showed up.
Her heart fell. With her back against the door, Reese slid to the floor. “How could he? How could he do that to me, to us?”
She knew that he wasn’t going to stay and there would be no future for them, but to demean what they had, what she thought they had, to something as low as getting his rocks off. “That bastard.”
Tears fell down her cheeks. She used the heels of her hands to furiously wipe them away. It served her right. She allowed herself to become too attached, to fall in love with the arrogant jerk.
She couldn’t sit here all day crying. She needed to work. Crawling to her knees, she grabbed onto the counter to pull herself up. First, she needed to fix her face, then she’d drive into the office and start working up some specs for the dig. As far as she was concerned, this Kur nonsense could be pushed to the back burner while they concentrated on getting the necessary information for the new find.
Dagan’s steps were heavy as he walked up to the gates of Dilmun. He hadn’t appeared inside because he’d wanted the time to go over everything before he went before the Pantheon and his mother and father.
The way Reese had acted hurt most of all. He thought explaining would make her understand that he would be with her forever—in spirit. While he would know and feel every moment, she would go on with her life, most likely forgetting him, for she was free to love another. His gut wrenched and the
fury
surged.
“Perhaps time away from her will prove that you are mistaken,” Ninmah offered.
“I’m not mistaken, Mother, and I can’t be away from her for long.”
Enlil marched toward him and garnered his full attention. Dagan had not realized his father had come upon them. “The
fury
?”
Dagan nodded.
“Then it is good that you were ordered back here. Since we are not certain how this will play out, perhaps distance will help you resist the urge. You must not go back.”
Dagan prepared himself for the blow that would come. “It’s too late for that, my lord.” He only used the formal address when he knew he was in trouble.
Enlil gritted his teeth. Ninmah stood by Enlil with worry in her eyes.
“Last night, I performed the
démarr
. We are one now for eternity.”
“Oh no,” Ninmah breathed.
Anger filled Enlil’s features. “Do you realize what you have done? The Pantheon did not sanction this. You have signed her death warrant and your prison.”
Dagan’s rage blew full force. “If the Pantheon does anything to Reese, they’ll have me to face. Whether they warrant it or not, Reese is mine and I am hers. They cannot change this. I didn’t expect it but it’s there nonetheless. You know as well as any of us, we cannot pick who our life mate is and we can’t deny the
fury
.” Dagan sighed. “I had no choice,” he said in a softer tone.
Both his parents were quiet for a time before Ninmah said, “Perhaps the fact that she has Enki’s blood can make a difference.”
“What do you mean?”
“You said yourself that the draw was powerful even for you.”
“True, from the moment I drew near her it latched onto me.”
“He is one of the four and there is obviously something special about this female.”
Dagan couldn’t argue with that point. There was definitely something special about Reese.
“I will speak with Enki on this matter before you go before the Pantheon again.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
She graced him with one of her heartwarming smiles and disappeared.
“Do not get your hopes up, my son. Remember it is Enki we are discussing here.”
Dagan laughed half-heartedly. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you just made some kind of joke.”
Enlil looked affronted. “I would never.” He braced Dagan’s arm. “Be careful and tell no one about the
démarr
until we get this straightened out.”
“I won’t.”
His father shimmered away.
Maybe there was a ray of hope in this dismal situation. Sweat beaded on his brow and his blood began to heat up. The
fury
rose in him again. There were a few more steps to take to deal with these bouts of insanity. He hurried down the streets of Dilmun, not paying any particular notice to the beauty there. His only concern being to reach his dwelling before the need surfaced again.
“It’s coming. Weld them tight, Pyre.”
His friend said, “I don’t like this, Dagan.”
“It must be done.” He gritted his teeth. “I need to fight. If I don’t stay away from her, the Pantheon will kill her.”
“The episodes are getting more violent. The beast in you is desperate for his mate.”
He threw Pyre a droll stare. “That’s why I asked for the chains. Weld faster.”
Sparks flew into the air for a few more seconds.
“Done,” Pyre said and blew out a breath. “I can’t make them any more secure.”
Dagan gave his friend a generous smile though pained. “Well done.”
Suddenly, Dagan’s body lurched and twisted, writhing in pain. A maniacal scream ripped from his chest, lasting a couple of excruciating minutes before he passed out. His vision blurred and his mind grew weary of the fight.
Flame appeared next to his brother. “He will surely die. None of us is strong enough to resist the
fury
. If he manages to survive, he won’t be the same.”