Chapter 10 #3
Leon turned to face Eian and Allia, who were gazing at each other as if they were the only two people in the room.
He recognized the look of barely-banked hunger in the lad’s eyes, and figured he’d best hurry the ceremony along before Eian just up and carried his niece away.
He drew a dagger from his belt, taking Eian’s arm to slice his flesh.
As the blood welled up, he quickly did the same to Allia, pressing the wounds together so that their blood could mingle, making them one.
The ceremony was entirely for the sake of tradition and propriety, of course, since the actual joining of mates had taken place the night before.
But now, before all of Lochain, Eian and Allia were indisputably wed. Leon was done.
Even though Eian knew this ceremony was virtually meaningless compared to what had already passed between them, and what was still to come, he could not help but feel proud and a little overwhelmed as he joined both hands and blood with the woman who would be his forever.
She was beautiful, aye, but she was also strong and brave and kind.
And his body reacted to hers in a way he had never dreamed possible.
Just thinking of all of the pleasure that would be his, no, theirs, in the times to come left him a little breathless.
Especially since he had heard things only get better and more intense between mates the longer they are together.
How could he ever have thought he preferred his former shallow existence to this?
When Leon finished the short ceremony, and Eian leaned in to kiss Allia’s soft lips, he had a mind to carry her straight off to the bed chamber.
But no, Leon thought to torture him a bit longer with a wedding feast and celebration.
He was now a married man, him! His brothers were going to fall over in shock when they heard the news.
He couldn’t wait to tell them, and he couldn’t wait to bring his bride home to Creagmor and start their life together.
He hoped that he had already started their babe, growing inside her…
Allia felt as if she had been swept up in a dream, and to be honest, she was afraid that at any moment she would awaken and find out things were not at all as they seemed.
All during dinner, Eian hadn’t been able to take his eyes off of her, and she was feeling the same way.
She couldn’t wait to get him upstairs to her room, strip his shirt and kilt off, run her hands over the hard, smooth planes of his chest…
Since the moment last night when he had taken her and they had become mated in the old Druid way, she could feel that bond growing.
Whereas before she could still harbor doubts about whether what they had together was real or just physical attraction, now she suddenly could not imagine her life without him.
In the course of one day, he had become her whole world, and they would have all the time in the world to get to know one another.
Allia found she was looking forward to knowing all of the little things about Eian, like his favorite color, his favorite foods, and of course, what drove him wild in bed.
She felt the heat gathering between her legs at that thought, and Eian’s gaze snapped to her, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking about.
His pupils grew darker and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
Coming to a sudden decision, he rose from his chair and in one smooth motion, and scooped her effortlessly into his arms.
“Sorry, lass”, he whispered near her ear, “but I truly canna wait another moment to be inside ye again. Much longer, and I’m quite certain I would die from wanting ye.”
Allia blushed, but smiled up at him as he carried her off to the stairs and their chamber, followed by the raucous and bawdy cheers of the crowd.
She could feel his erection against her hip as he carried her, and she didn’t think the increasing shortness of his breath had anything to do with climbing the stairs.
He set her down on her feet just inside the room, and turned to bolt the door behind them with a solid thud, locking out any of the revelers who might have followed the couple up to wish them well. She noticed that his hand shook just a little.
“Och lass, ye have me undone already. Come here, I need to have ye naked.”
She stepped closer and he immediately reached for the laces of her gown, pulling them loose until the fabric fell to the ground.
She stood there completely bare, since he had torn her shift the night before and she hadn’t yet changed.
He grinned at her, obviously remembering.
But instead of falling on her right away as she expected, as she wanted, he took her hand and led her to a large tub of bath water that sat before the fire.
When she looked up at him questioningly, he said “I though ye might want to bathe, I mean… after being in that cellar and all. And I fear I might still have some blood and grime on me as well.”
It sounded wonderful. “Thank you Eian. I… yes, it would be good, to be clean, I mean.” She hadn’t even had time yet to think about what had happened in that cellar, and how close she had come to…
Eian took her hand and helped her into the tub, where she sank down into the blissfully warm water and watched as he pulled off his shirt and then unbuckled the belt of his kilt.
The fabric fell to the ground and he stood bare before her in all of his glory.
Her eyes roamed over him appreciatively, from the lean muscular strength of his legs to the thick muscles of his arms. And the heavy erection that jutted proudly towards her.
Though she hadn’t seen all that many men in the nude, compared to those she had, Eian was especially well endowed.
And he knew it, the arrogant beast. He stood still for a moment to let her look her fill before he climbed into the tub with her, sloshing water over the floor as he took up most of the good sized tub.
Allia laughed, shifting to make more room for him. “I don’t think this tub is meant for two, Eian.”
“It is now, lass. If I have my way, I’m thinking ye’ll never bathe alone again.”
She couldn’t resist teasing him. “And just who will I be bathing with then, if you’re not around?” His face tightened into a scowl, eyes flashing with instant fury. Just the reaction she wanted, because it made her feel… desired. Protected.
“If you are ever naked with any man but me, I will kill him. Dinna doubt it”, he said through gritted teeth. “Ye are mine now, Allia Mac Coinnach, and I will no’ be sharing.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Neither will I.”
He grinned at her, his anger suddenly gone. “No, ye fill me so completely, I have no need for more.”
She traced his dragon tattoo with her finger. “What does it mean?”
“’Tis the symbol of my family. My brothers each have one, and my father did as well.”
She smiled, still running her fingers over the design. “I like it. I think it’s very sexy on you.”
Eian longed to kiss her, but then the bath would be over before they were clean, and he thought it was important to start their life together with no reminders of the terror of the last few days.
So instead he helped her wash her hair, and then he washed his own, before letting the small bar of scented soap glide over her breasts and between her legs.
Then, unable to resist any longer, he reached forward and pulled her closer, so that she was on her knees between his thighs.
Their damp skin slid together as he kissed her, deep and hard.
His tongue swept her mouth again and again, until she gasped and kissed him back with just as much passion as he showed her.
She had fire, his woman, and he knew he had yet to feel the full heat of it.
With a groan, Eian stood up with Allia in his arms and wrapped her in a linen towel before laying her out on the bed, following her down with his body. “Tonight lass, I will make love to ye properly. I want ye screaming my name so loudly that yer uncle will come running to see if I’ve murdered ye.”
She laughed. “And will you scream my name too?”
His eyes darkened. “Oh, aye. Always.” His gaze moved over the long, feminine lines of her body, from her perfectly full breasts down to her delicate toes. There was not one thing he would ever change about her. She was beautiful, perfect, kind, adventurous, intelligent…
She reached out boldly to touch his manhood, feathering her fingers over the silken tip.
He growled in pleasure and perhaps in warning, his eyes closing and his head falling back.
She captured him in her fist and squeezed lightly, making his breath hitch and his hips pump instinctively against her hand.
“Och lass, hands off or I’ll come right like this, and I want to be deep inside of ye when I spill my seed.” His voice was already rough and hungry. “That’s the only way to make a babe, ye ken.”
Oh, so they were back to that, were they?
She released his cock and pulled him down on top of her.
He might intend to go slow, but she felt empty and aching, desperate for all of him.
She bucked her hips against his, impatient to feel that same completeness again, the bliss of having him fill her and take from her what he needed.
He shook his head, sweat already beading on his forehead.
“No… I wanted to go slow this time…” But he was burning up, consumed by the fire that already raged between them.
He could feel it in the butterflies that filled his stomach, and the sparks of pleasure and anticipation that skittered across his skin.
Never had he felt so completely alive. Every one of his muscles was taught with expectation and eagerness, and his cock was hard as stone and throbbing mercilessly.
He was a man walking the edge of his control, his body begging him to slide into her tight warmth and take the pleasure that awaited him there.
But there was nearly as much pleasure in the anticipation, the profound sensitivity of each nerve ending as he touched his mate, making her breath come faster and her heart race.
His skilled fingers delved between her legs, stroking and caressing until her head fell back and her hips reached toward every touch.
But seeing Allia all aroused and needing him, her fingers digging into his flesh to pull him closer, snapped the last thread of Eian’s control.
With a soft groan of pleasure, he thrust into her, and all intention of going slow was lost. His need was just too great, and try as he might, he could not slow his strokes or be gentle with her.
His body was beyond his control, listening only to the demands of hers.
He rode her hard, their slick skin sliding together, until his balls clenched tight against his body and he felt his seed rise with a pressure that nearly had him screaming out loud.
Luckily, his mate was right with him, and he felt her squeeze him tighter as she found her release, calling his name in little sobs of pleasure.
One stroke, then another… he was so close.
Her legs rose to wrap around him and he rose up on his hands, barely able to contain the force of the tension gathering at the base of his spine.
Then it all exploded and he swore he saw stars as he threw his head back and called her name, intermingled with a few choice swear words because it was just that intense.
He collapsed down on top of her, sweating and trying to catch his breath, and nuzzled his face into her neck, breathing in her sweet scent. After a moment her gathered her in his arms and rolled to his side, bringing her with him.
“I dinna even have words, lass. But I can tell ye that I could get used to this. Addicted, even. In fact, I think I already am.” He leaned close to take her lips in a passionate kiss.
“I can feel it. I will need ye like this forever.” Dare he say those words?
He had never said them to any woman before, and in truth he never thought he would.
But everything was different now. He was different.
He had found his mate when he wasn’t even looking for her, and she had turned his world upside down.
He was filled till he ached with feelings for her, and he knew exactly what those feelings were.
He caught her gaze and held it, willing her to see truth of his words. “I love ye, Allia mine.”
She caught a little breath of surprise and her eyes widened just a little. Then her gaze warmed and a little smile pulled at her lips. She reached out to tuck a lock of his hair behind his ear.
“I love you too, Eian Mac Coinnach.” She gave him a coy little smile. “Even against my better judgment.”
“Och, I’m glad ye have such poor judgment, lass.”
The next morning, Eian dragged himself away from his mate to train with the men of Lochain.
He didn’t want to leave her side; could have easily spent the entire day making love to her in every way imaginable, but he had promised to be at the practice session, and he needed to keep his skills sharp.
Especially now that he had something so worth protecting.
Still, never again would he chide his brother for being late to training.
Bren should have told him being mated was like this… not that Eian would have believed him.
Soon the clang of metal hitting metal rang through the practice yard as sword hit sword, giant claymores wielded like wooden toys by men whose bodies were hewn by years of hard training and battle.
Though Eian fought more rounds than anyone else, at the end he remained undefeated.
Not surprising, since the Mac Coinnachs were known throughout the highlands for their unparalleled skill with a sword, not to mention their superior speed and grace.
Grabbing a cloth to wipe the sweat and dust from his face, Eian paused in mid-stride when he saw Allia in the distance, walking and laughing with another woman as they headed for the gardens together, each carrying a basket.
His stomach did that now-familiar little flip and he was sorely tempted to go after her and take her away for a tumble in the grass by the loch, even before he cleaned himself up.
He watched her for several moments, trying to convince himself that he could wait until later to have her again.
He didn’t notice that one of the men he had been training with was standing beside him until he spoke. God, he had it bad…
“She’s lovely. Ye’re a lucky man.”
Eian nodded with a proud smile. “Aye. And I ken it well.”
He was about to turn and walk away, eager to wash up and then find Allia, when the man spoke again, staying him.
“The laird has been trying for some time to arrange a good marriage for her, but rumor has it he has had much difficulty, considering her history. What a blessing for the clan that ye have claimed her as yer own. We all owe ye a debt of gratitude, for seeing past what others would no’. ”
Eian swung his head around to look at the other warrior, who was perhaps in his late thirties, yet still in his prime; still, Eian had beat him handily earlier when they had fought.
What on earth was the man talking about?
Perhaps it was common knowledge around Lochain exactly where Allia had been all of these years, but why would where she had grown up affect her marriage prospects?
A shiver of unease ran through him. “What do ye mean by that?” he demanded.
The other man looked surprised. “Ye do ken who the lass’s father is?”
“Her father?” Allia had told him that her mother had died when she was young. He had never thought to ask about her father, he had just assumed her sire was gone as well, since she was ward of her uncle.
“Aye, ye must have heard the story, folks still speak of it even now. The lass’s mother didna just die, she was murdered.
By her own husband’s hand. It was said that he wanted a son, to follow him in his dark ways.
The girl was hidden all of these years to save her from her own father.
Sad, really. Poor lass. No’ as if one can choose who their sire is, that’s what I say. ”
Eian had gone motionless. Dark ways? No…
no it couldn’t be. But somehow he knew. It was.
He could almost feel his whole world crumbling down around him.
Everything stopped as he realized the nightmare he didn’t even know about had come true.
Finally, he managed to ask in a low voice, “Who is her father?”
The warrior shook his head, as if feeling sorry for anyone born to such a fate. “Och, ‘tis Mored MacReeve. Poor lass…”