Chapter Four
Kami felt Zander watching her eat like a hunter stalking prey.
The intensity of his gaze made her nervous, but it also excited her.
The effects of the mating thrall hit her as soon as she stepped into the pavilion, though it wasn’t as bad as she’d expected based on what she had heard from other mated couples.
Still, it was like a shot of adrenaline as lust flooded her system. It felt like a raging fire was burning within her, but she was good at ignoring her own discomfort.
That was a skill she had honed over the years.
Not by choice, but by necessity.
She had been racking her brain about what to say to her new mate as she had stalled for time while shoving food into her mouth, but he seemed to be just as clueless as she was.
She wasn’t a great conversationalist to begin with, particularly with people she didn’t know.
She also had trouble expressing her feelings when it came to important matters.
But he seemed even worse than she was.
She didn’t have much experience when it came to dealing with males since she’d never had a lover before.
Hell, she’d never even really had a crush on anyone, so she’d never learned how to flirt or play coy.
And the few times she had tried to practice on unsuspecting victims, her friends or brother-in-law had run the males off before she could utter more than a few words.
Although they had just met, formality seemed out of place between them. They were mates, so there was already an established link between them, but there was a lack of intimacy that could only be established with time.
Someone had to make the first move.
After a few more minutes of silence, she cleared her throat. “So, this is kind of awkward.”
“What is?”
Deciding to just be direct, she used her fork to gesture between them. “This. Us. I mean, I know we are mates, but I don’t know you.”
“I am Zander.”
She fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Right. I’ve got that part. But about us being mates. We are—”
“I am yours, and you are mine. And we are forever.”
Kami felt her heart skip a beat at those words. Then, he ruined all the nice feelings she’d been having about him in the next breath.
“Whether we like it or not.”
Okay, now she wanted to smack him. She never thought Zander would be the warm and fuzzy type of guy, but the fucker didn’t have to make it sound like they were being condemned to death.
She had to remind herself that he was just being honest. She couldn’t blame him for not being very pleased to be stuck with her as his mate because of what happened to him and the other reapers.
However, none of that had been her fault.
She hadn’t even been born when they were imprisoned, and she had helped free them. That had to count for something.
Huffing out an irritated breath, she said, “If you are planning to torture me or something, then let me just say, been there, done that already, and have the scars to prove it. Just so you know, I had nothing to do with the curse—”
“I know that,” he growled through clenched teeth. His glowing eyes burned brighter until they looked completely red. “Who tortured you?”
She regretted blurting that out. The memories were raw and painful, and she hadn’t intended to share them, especially not with someone she barely knew.
It wasn’t easy to admit that those scars were more than marks on her skin.
They were reminders of every harsh lesson and moment of fear she had gone through.
But since she’d brought it up, she decided to answer anyway.
“My birth mother, the Goddess of Illusions. The goddess you hate. Not that you’ll believe me, but I totally understand how you feel. No one could possibly hate her more than me. I’m glad she is dead, although I would have preferred to do it myself.”
He grunted, leaving her guessing the meaning of his response.
“So, about the—”
“Where?”
She blinked at him. “Huh? Where what?”
“The scars. Where are they?”
“Oh. Don’t worry about it.”
“Tell me, or I’ll strip you and find out for myself,” he said in warning.
She shrank back against her chair since she believed him.
The way he spoke had been coldly monotone, but that was even more effective than if he had yelled it.
There was a goblet of wine in front of her that she hadn’t tasted yet, so she lifted the glass and downed a big gulp before setting it back down again.
She twirled the base in circles on the table.
It was a small tell that showed how nervous she was, but that didn’t matter since he already knew.
“When I was young, she liked to use a whip or a thin rod to correct my behavior. When the scar tissue on my back got to be too thick, she switched to other methods.”
“Why didn’t you heal yourself?”
“I couldn’t. Neither could my sister or brother.
We were all under a spell that prohibited us from doing so.
It wasn’t until later that a friend was able to repair most of the damage, but I still have some scars.
Once my sister started attending Aegis Academy, the goddess realized leaving marks on us wasn’t a good idea. ”
“And the other methods she used?”
“Her favorite was the ice needle.” She sent him a wry smile.
“It is a particularly nasty torture method devised to last for days. She would insert an ice needle into my arm, which would then travel throughout my body, causing indescribable pain until it finally melted. The worst part was I could never tell where it was or what organ it would pierce until it happened. I always wondered how she was able to stop us from telling anyone about it, but that became clear once we found out she was a celestial goddess instead of the real Winter Fae Queen.”
The thick wine goblet crumpled to dust in his hand, spilling the glowing purple contents onto his hand and down to the floor. The entire mess disappeared as if it had never been, then another goblet appeared on the table.
“A quick death was too kind,” he said in a soft, menacing tone. “I would have gladly repaid her for every second you suffered, multiplied a thousandfold.”
Kami thought that was sweet. A little dark, but the sentiment was sweet. “At least I never have to see her again. That is enough to satisfy me. About the Goddess of Illusions’ involvement with what happened to you—”
“I do not blame you for what she did, so stop worrying about that.”
The relief she felt hearing that was immense.
“Thanks. Umm, I noticed you appeared as black smoke earlier,” she said, hoping to change the subject. “Is that how you usually travel around? I mean, is that the same as teleporting?”
“It is basically the same concept, but my smoke form allows me to observe what is going on before I announce my presence.” He gestured toward her. “What is that you are wearing?”
Confused, she glanced down, then frowned when she noticed a faint glow coming from under her gray hoodie.
Tugging at the chain, she pulled the amulet she was wearing out and saw that it was glowing bright blue.
She remembered that it had started glowing seconds after Zander had woken up from his magical slumber, but she had forgotten about it after that.
“Oh, this? The amulet is supposed to glow whenever my mate is close by, so I guess this is proof that it works.”
He frowned. “Where did you get that?”
“I won this at the Winter Festival last year at Aegis Academy.”
“That doesn’t make sense. That is no normal amulet.”
“It’s not?” She lifted it to study it. “It was the prize I won out of a block of ice. It was a game I played with my friend, Lia. We had to use magic to get the prizes out of the ice within a specific amount of time. There was a field full of participants. My friends Braxton and Devon won a magic wand that set off fireworks out of their ice block.”
“That amulet is an ancient relic far too powerful to be used as a mere prize. I know I have seen it before. I just can’t recall where. May I see it?”
If there was something wrong with it, she would gladly hand it over.
Hearing that it was a powerful artifact and not just a simple trinket she’d won as a prize was unnerving.
She’d been wearing it around her neck for months, completely unaware of its true nature or the potential dangers it might possess.
Lifting the chain off her neck, she pulled her hair free before handing it over to him.
The instant her skin lost contact with the cool metal, an unexpected wave of heat swept through her.
It was so strong that it felt as though the room had become a furnace.
She tried to hide her reaction, but her pulse raced and sweat beaded her brow.
She was used to dealing with pain, but this was something she had no defense against. Slapping her palm down on the table, she tried to brace herself against the next onslaught.
This time, the intensity of the fire sweeping through her completely stole her breath, suffocating her.
Hard hands gripped her shoulders, pulling her to her feet.
“What is it? What is wrong?”
Glancing up, her gaze locked on Zander. Even though her mind was a haze of confusion, he was her anchor in the dark storm. Her vision narrowed until he was the only thing she could focus on.
He was her mate, and she wanted him.
Right now.
Without warning, she leapt at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He caught her reflexively, his large hands gripping her hips to steady her.
“Damn it, the amulet was blocking you from feeling the worst of the mating frenzy.”
She heard his words but didn’t care. Feeling his hard body against her made her moan.
It felt damn good, but it wasn’t enough.
She wanted more. Tightening her grip on him, she kissed the side of his throat.
She felt his muscles working under the tight skin as he tilted his head back to give her access.
Fascinated, she rubbed her nose against his warm bronze skin, enjoying the silky smooth feel of it.
Then, she pressed her lips against his Adam’s apple.
The prominent bump moved as he swallowed hard.
She swirled the tip of her tongue around the protrusion and was pleased when he let out a low growl that made his throat vibrate.
Trailing kisses along his jawline, she moved higher until she could claim his lips with hers in a fierce kiss. She thought he would fight her advances, but he met her passion with his own. The air around them shimmered and sparked as they were suspended in a moment of pure pleasure.
There was no hesitation, only greed and hunger.
The kiss deepened as their lips parted, and their tongues twined together in a sensual dance. They fed off one another as if they were starving. Her hands tangled in his hair, gripping tight as she pulled him closer. She desperately wanted to erase any distance that was keeping them apart.
Even the air between them was too much.
Answering her unspoken plea, his arm wrapped around her waist, anchoring her against the solid strength of his hard body while his other hand gripped her ass.
The heat between them flared, melting away every doubt and fear until only raw desire remained.
She was burning with need for him, and each touch and kiss just fanned the flames until it became an inferno.
Their mouths moved together in a clash of longing and dominance.
Their kisses were a silent declaration of ownership, of dark desire, and the promise of what was to come.
She rubbed herself against him harder, desperate to ease the ache that was building inside of her.
She felt his thick, hard shaft against her core through the layers of clothing between them and swiveled her hips so that the seam of her jeans rubbed against her clit.
While she had no experience with males, she did with self-pleasure.
Moving against him, she felt the familiar pressure building inside of her and knew she was close to coming.
She used his body shamelessly seeking her own release, but he didn’t seem to mind.
In fact, he helped hold her steady so she could do whatever she wanted.
Stars exploded behind her eyelids as she climaxed, and she threw her head back and let out a low moan as pleasure surged through her.
Her entire body shuddered from head to toe, but it was only a quick taste when she wanted to gorge herself on him.
Acting on instinct, she slapped her hand on his chest and felt her magic explode out of her and into him, bonding them together.
And in that moment, she knew that nothing would ever be the same.