The Unforgiven (13 page)

They eased from the kiss. Their hungry mouths kissed and nipped one another’s neck. His teeth bit at her ear, then her neck, sending chills over her, through her. She gasped as he bit down and manipulated the muscle in her neck.

“I’m so in love with you,” she murmured in almost a whisper.

“Sweet baby,” he purred between love bites. “I couldn’t breathe without you.”

She lifted her head just far enough to meet his gaze. Those aqua-colored eyes penetrated her soul, sending an ache of desire straight to her core. She couldn’t, didn’t want to look away. How she’d missed his intense love.

“Let’s finish this.”

He gave her a sexy wink. “You got it, sugar.”

Von eased her to the unstable surface but kept a tight arm around her waist. They made their way down the ashen hill, through the swamp and back to solid ground. Raef stood near the water’s edge, watching them approach. The two men stood facing each other. Flame observed in silence.

“You tried to steal my woman,” Von stated. His biceps flexed as his arms tensed. He looked hotter than hell bared to the waist in black leather pants. “I’ve killed men over less.”

Raef seemed a bit nervous. “You were supposed to be dead. Naami said the blood-bond had been broken.”

Von arched one brow. “Unlike
you
, I had no problem resisting the whore.” His focus shifted to Flame. “I told you, I cannot be seduced or tricked. Your former queen had no effect on me other than repulsion. She did, however, seduce Hatch.”

“So I heard.” Flame cast Raef a sharp glance, then looked back up at Von. “Did she smell unusual?”

“Yeah.”

“And you still had no trouble resisting her?”

“None. Why do you ask?”

“Naami has been experimenting with an aphrodisiac fragrance created in the lab. That’s how she got over on Raef.”

“The only thing on my mind was you. There isn’t a woman out there who can tempt me or lure me away from you. I don’t care what spell they try, it can’t be done. I am bound to you in every way, woman.”

Flame gazed at him adoringly. Von possessed supreme strength. This magnificent man would always belong to her and only her, someone she could count on. “What happened between you? Why didn’t you come to me?”

Von laid a gentle hand alongside her face. “Hatch and Naami used the horse as blackmail. If I didn’t let Naami convince you that I was dead, Sandra had orders to kill your mare with a lethal injection given to her by Naami. I couldn’t do that to you.” He paused with an apologetic look. “I knew you’d make it out of here alive with Paloma, and I knew I’d find you. I ran into some unexpected walls though.”

“It’s okay. I have a lot to tell you but right now I just want to destroy this place and leave.” She turned to Raef. “All my questions…you cleverly sidestepped them without telling a lie. You worked with Naami in an attempt to break up me and Von?”

“He’s not right for you, angel.”

“Is that why you had such a potent effect on the island? Did they enhance you to help your little seduction routine along?”

“You are their prodigy. You belong to the sisterhood, not the Satellite. I’ll do what it takes.”

“Still evading my questions, I see.” Flame stepped toward him. “Get this straight. The Satellite belongs to me and I belong to him. I am
never
giving him up. You can take that back to the Supreme Lioness.”

“They are not going to allow you to stay with him.”

“
They
?”

“Naami and the Lioness, they’ve already ordained our relationship. If you don’t sever the blood-bond to Von, they’re going to use your daughter to force your hand.”

“Which daughter?” Panic seized her.

Raef wrinkled his brows. “The daughter you gave up twenty years ago, the one you told me about. I overheard Naami talking about a plan B.”

“If you’re so loyal to them, why are you telling me this? Why did you try to stop me at the Flaming Wall?”

“I’m not loyal to them. I might agree with them, but I love you. I’d never do anything to hurt you.”

“You already did.” Flame backed away.

Raef reached for her but Von cut him off with a fast arm to the chest.

“You have less than five minutes to get the hell out of here before I change my mind about killing you.”

Raef stared at her with pleading eyes.

She turned away. “Go home, Raef.”

Flame laced the fingers of one hand with Von’s as they stood facing Nekkar. “You knew that Raef was trying to seduce me?”

Von gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I saw everything. I just couldn’t reach you. It was fucking maddening. Every time I called out to you, some unseen force seemed to get in the way. Until after you came back through the wall. After that I was finally able to track you.”

“The Lioness and Naami,” Flame muttered. “They were using their power to block you, hoping that Raef would convince me you were dead. They led him to the wall but kept you out.”

“I sensed that, but wasn’t going to make accusations. I don’t understand your people.”

She looked up at him. “They are not
my
people anymore. And after we bury this island, I’m going back for Phoebe before they figure me out. You were right, she is my daughter.”

“I know, sugar.” He placed a sweet lingering kiss on her lips. “But it wasn’t my place to interfere. You made your feelings quite clear.”

“Let’s get to it, then. I’ll need some serious energy for what I’m about to do. And by the way you were attacking my neck up on the hill…a few wild ideas come to mind.”

With one hand in her hair, he pulled her head back and covered her mouth with his. She released a jagged breath, sucking his tongue to the back of her throat. The kiss was intense, deep and brief yet nonetheless thrilling. Their eyes met for a heated exchange and she felt him read her mind.

He stepped behind her and placed both his hands at her lower waist, then pressed his body into hers. Every hard line of him meshed with every curve of her. She practically came undone from his sensual stance. His hair brushed her cheek when he lowered his head to her neck. As if sensing her urgency, he didn’t hesitate to bite down and pierce her skin with his teeth.

She gasped then exhaled. “Ah yeah…” With half-closed eyes, she leaned into him while pointing her daggers at the heart of Nekkar. Arousal, rage, desire—every sensation in her soul rose at an alarming pace as they channeled from each other. Using her blades as catalysts, Flame guided their combined energy through the daggers and to her selected target—the huge volcano of burning sulfur.

Lightening veined as fingers of light across an eerie sky. She watched the bolts intensify, then converge into one massive streak of power before striking Twilight’s nucleus of evil. The ground shook as a roaring explosion split the night. She blinked in shock yet didn’t back down. Von had a good lock on her neck and the transfer was downright intoxicating.

He moved one hand to her front and rested it on her bare midriff, clearly sinking deeper into the erotic connection they shared. The rock-hard prominence in his pants pressed against her. She wished he could take her right there in a feral mating. Her thoughts blurred. The island began to crumble as lightning from overhead danced off her daggers and repeatedly struck the pit.

What came next, she knew she’d never forget and she didn’t want Von to miss it. “Baby,” she muttered. “You gotta see this.”

He groaned and slowly unlatched his teeth from her neck. “I’m so fucking high, sugar.”

“Then you’ll enjoy it even more.” She sighed blissfully. “You got me off, too…I’m flying.”

He licked a tantalizing trail of wet silk from her neck to the corner of her mouth, then turned his head toward the scene unfolding before them. They stood in that sensual embrace and watched Nekkar implode into a fiery maelstrom.

“That is us, baby,” she said in awe. “Our passion combined.”

“You’re wicked,” he teased in a voice heavy with need.

Her eyes were drawn to the fire racing on the ground straight toward them. Completely rapt in awe, she just stood there as the violent whirlpool of liquid lava devoured the island right before their eyes.

Von tightened his hold and before she knew it, they were off the ground. “Not only are you wicked,” he said with a laugh. “You’re daring as hell. Were you just going to stand there and let it catch you?” He stared at her with an enthralled expression that reflected how she felt.

“I wanted to feel it…feel your fire…”

“Fuck.” He stared at her with intense eyes and a slight grin. “You’re such a turn-on.”

Before he took her into the void, she watched Nekkar drop into the sea, never to be seen again. Twilight’s nest had been annihilated, just as Von promised Hatch it would be. Von swept her away into the darkness.

They lay on the grass in a remote area just outside of Shamrock. Sunset lurked on the horizon, so Flame decided to wait until dawn before going in after Phoebe. The sisterhood would not expect her to make a move in broad daylight. Time shift between worlds felt strange, something she’d adjust to, she knew.

Flame gazed up at Von. “The Lioness pulled out all the stops trying to bind me to Raef, but I couldn’t accept that you were gone. At one point, I felt you channeling from me. I kept hoping you’d find a way to come back even if what everyone told me was true…I refused to believe that you were dead.”

He brushed a tear from her cheek with his thumb while laying over her. “I know, babe, I was fighting hard to get to you.”

“I thought it was the end when I fell into the pit. I knew if you couldn’t save me then you weren’t coming back.”

“I’d have gone in after you if I had to.”

She let out a light laugh. “I believe you.”

“You better, woman. Don’t you ever count me out.” He brushed his lips over hers. “I am without a doubt all yours. You own me.”

“Likewise. There is not a man out there who thrills me like you do. And…you resisted the Marabella potion. I’m impressed.”

“Why? Because I’m so in love with you that no other woman stands a chance? Believe me, I’m not fool enough to risk losing you by letting another female work head games on me.”

“I’m curious, how did you fend off Naami? I found out that she’s immortal and sister to the Lioness. Surely her magic is potent.”

“Naami doesn’t like cold showers,” he said with a wink. “Without her little love potion, she gets downright bitchy.”

Flame studied his face and saw raw confidence. This man had held off the seductive queen with ease. “I sure made the right choice in you. No other man is strong enough to be my mate.”

“Raef worked you over pretty good on the island. You didn’t cave. Your challenge was harder than mine, as you have a history with that man.”

“I won’t lie. I struggled a little. He had a new edge to him, but now I realize he had a helping hand. I felt bad for hurting him, yet he made his choices and now he must live with them. Besides…” She reached up and touched his lips. “Though I had a past with Raef, my future belongs to you.”

“Damn straight, it does.” He stared with half-closed eyes, eyes brimming with desire, while lowering his lips to hers.

Instantly she entwined her arms and legs around his hard body and melted into his kiss. The night was theirs and she ached for him in every way. After a lengthy, deeply affectionate exchange, she eased from the kiss and inched her way down his chest, leaving a line of kisses from his neck to the sexy love trail below his navel. Von balanced his weight over her as she slithered beneath him on the grass. He sucked in a sharp breath when she reached for the snap of his leathers. Flame worked the skintight pants down his hips and kissed his abs while he wriggled free of his pants and boots.

Hunger for him raging out of control, she stroked his hard length and each softly haired inch between those taut muscled thighs. Her tongue slid up the underside of his sex, savoring the salty taste of the velvety skin. Teasing and licking, she took her time bringing him to full arousal, relishing his dominant position over her. Never had she permitted a man to lie over her during oral sex. Yet Von invoked feelings of safety and the longing to be under his protection.

He groaned long and low when she finally took the head of his sex into her mouth. “Sweet, sweet thing,” he purred, then eased from his hands and knees to the position of kneeling over her face. “Mind if I watch?” Their eyes met and locked.

She didn’t mind at all. His expression was a major turn-on. A rush of heat pooled between her thighs, just from watching the pleasure sweep over his face. He cradled her head in gentle hands as she licked and sucked. His heavy breathing floated over her as did his incredibly masculine scent. She let the swollen head slip from between her lips, then circled the distended rim with the tip of her tongue. He groaned again through parted lips but didn’t look away.

“Don’t hold back,” she whispered, then sucked his entire length down her throat in one delicious move. A spurt of pre-cum rolled over her tongue. She eagerly swallowed, moaning her delight.

“Fuck…” He began with gentle thrusts and moved slowly as she adjusted to his size.

She took him in with ease, matching his pace, urging him on with her eyes and mouth. His breathing became erratic and the thrusting frantic as she quickly pulled him over the edge. He pumped into her mouth, all the while maintaining a unique tenderness. She welcomed his aggression, hungered for it. Sweat beaded his perfect chest, making it glisten in the moonlight. They merged into a deeply intimate act, making love to each other with their eyes as Flame sucked him into oblivion.

A growl of open pleasure rose in his throat. “Fuck, baby, I’m gonna come.”

Her hands slid around to the back of his firm ass where she dug her nails into the flesh. The muscles of his butt tightened as he lost control. She refused to let him look away. She longed to see the look of euphoria fill those spellbinding eyes when he came.

He panted for breath, thrusting into her mouth, the lines on his face tensed seconds before a flood of hot semen gushed down her throat. Overcome by desire, they could barely keep their eyes open but somehow managed to maintain that all-consuming hold.

Flame drank in his release as came hard and heavy, spilling one hell of a load for her to enjoy. He stroked her hair while his body shuddered in wild climax. Even after she’d drained and tasted every last drop of his emission, his sex was still solidly erect.

Von eased himself from her mouth, then swathed her lips in a wild kiss. While sucking her tongue, and inviting her to suck his, he tugged her clothes off with an urgency that thrilled her. As soon as the last of her garments had been stripped from her body, he thrust between her legs.

She cried out and curled around him. He took her hard and fast, driving deeper each time until her body trembled with a forceful orgasm. Sensing he was only getting started, she gasped for breath and hung on tight. He didn’t ease up. One arm slid under her back while his free hand caressed every inch of bare skin he could reach, all the while making love to her without missing a beat.

He kissed her with heat, then skimmed her face with his lips before pushing his tongue back into her mouth. His onslaught of uninhibited passion dazed her, swept her away until nothing existed except the two of them. She climaxed again under his superior skill. The man had stamina to be envied.

Taking the initiative once again, Flame decided to add more fire to their already burning love. While coiled seductively around him with his sex buried deep in hers, she bit down on his neck until her teeth pierced the skin. He tensed for a split second, then groaned his approval before sinking his teeth into the tender flesh of her shoulder. She about lost it. Spasms ripped through her in the wickedest orgasm yet.

Von responded wildly, pulling her into a powerful embrace while driving harder and faster until he exploded once again, shooting a stream of hot liquid into her core. He sucked so hard at her shoulder that her entire body ached with a new gripping desire. They drank each other’s blood while coming harder than ever at the same time. Every nerve in her body sparked to life in yet another euphoric climax. Colors swirled behind her closed eyes, vivid shades of blue, red, and purple.

She could not fathom a more intimate joining.

* * * *

Von collapsed on the ground beside her, taking Flame into his arms as he rolled onto his side. “I’ve never been done like that.” He was still breathing heavily.

She let out a short airy laugh. “I hope not.”

“Seriously, babe, the way you took me into your mouth…you were really into me.”

“Yeah.” She smiled the blissful smile he loved to see after they made love. “And the biting…wow.”

“Fucking hot.” He lay quietly with her, replaying their wild sex in his mind.

Never had a woman given him head like that, but he didn’t want to come straight out and be so blunt. However, he did want her to know that she reigned supreme among lovers in his life. He hoped he’d said enough but not too much. Her aggression turned him on beyond compare. The way she handled everything about him, she was truly gifted. No woman had ever satisfied him completely. Though he wasn’t proud of his endless string of lovers over the decades, he couldn’t do much about it now except move forward with this amazing female. She slaked urges he never knew he had.

Her natural instinct in the art of lovemaking blew his mind, as if she reached into his soul and read his deepest fantasies. He’d given her his all and she embraced it, matched his stamina, and kept pace with him move for move. Each test set before her, she conquered with style and grace. She could have killed him with the kiss of death or chosen Raef when the man had returned from the dead.
Not Flame. She’s as loyal as they come.

He didn’t fault her for feeling love or desire toward Raef. After all, they had been planning a future when his life was cut short. Von understood her need to address unresolved emotions. Raef’s return from the dead had been quite unexpected. Yet even in her turmoil, she didn’t let him get past a kiss.
I got farther than a kiss when she was with Raef,
he mused, then frowned at his own cockiness. Flame loathed arrogance. He pulled his ego back in check even if it did feel fantastic to be her number one man.

She rolled onto his chest and smiled down at him. “Feeling pretty good about yourself, hm?”

“Damn, woman, is nothing in my head safe from you?” he teased.

“You keep forgetting how deeply we are channeled.” She placed a sweet kiss on his lips. “It’s okay for you to feel cocky. I’d never see it as arrogance in you. You’ve always been a cocky bastard.”

“Is that so?” He grinned with pride.

“You deserve to savor the victory.
Everyone
was against you, even me in the beginning, yet you still won. I couldn’t love you more.” Her eyes searched his. A mischievous sparkle in those sultry blue depths piqued his curiosity. She didn’t make him wait. “And it’s nice to know that I’m the best lover you’ve ever had and the only woman who can satisfy you. The feeling is mutual, so it’s very nice to know.”

He smiled a relaxed smile. “Yeah, it is nice to know.”

“You know, our blood-bond saved my life. I refused to make one with Raef, though he told me I needed one to transition.”

“I know, sugar, you really hung tough.”

“If my bond to you was lost, then I didn’t want to be here anymore. I was going through the fire one way or another. I gotta admit that I’m sure glad our bond was still intact.”

He smiled in adoration while petting wayward hair from her beautiful face. “You and me both. That was the one place I could not reach you. It was killing me.”

She laid her head on his bare chest and cuddled up to him like only she could do. “I love you Von, I am so deeply in love with you that it scares me sometimes.”

“I understand.” He wrapped his arms around her. “There’s nothing to be afraid of now. You saw what we can do. I’m not going anywhere without you.”

“I need to get Phoebe out.”

“I know. We will.”

“I’m worried they will use her to force me into breaking our bond.”

“Hey,” he said in a calm voice, turning her face upward with a light touch. “That’s not going to happen. Look into my eyes, do you see fear?”

“No. I never see fear in you.”

“I swear to you, I will not let anything happen to your daughter. When we go into the village, why don’t you head over to that pond and deal with the Lioness. I’ll get Phoebe out, okay?”

“Yes, that’s a great plan. They don’t know that I know who she is.”

“Unless Raef told them.”

“I never told him.” A worried look flitted across her face. “Do you think Phoebe will go with you?”

Von brushed the back of his hand along her cheek, staring into her without wavering. “I’m not going to waste time on an invitation.”