The Mating Intent-mobi (15 page)

Oh my little pixie, if only you could see how much I long to make you my own. How much you mean to me and the good you could accomplish for my people.

Sienna’s own natural sexuality, once unleashed, was a perfect match for his own.

He imagined her lounging against gold satin sheets, clad in a silk negligee, her silky blonde hair spread over the pillows.

Desire shot through him like a lightning bolt.

He’d left her alone last night, but after tomorrow, would wait no longer. Tomorrow night, the night of the Blood Moon.

Gabriel smiled.

Her sleep had been broken, filled with dreams of Lana, the Enforcer, chasing her into the spring of Danu. Lana laughed as she watched Sienna drown.

“Drown in desire, Shadow Guard,” the Enforcer cackled.

She woke up, shaking and shivering, and determined to find the spring, with or without Gabriel’s permission.

She showered, then dressed in a loose pair of sweatpants and a green T-shirt.

Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she rubbed a spot. Glamour showed her as an ordinary blonde woman, with pale green eyes.

Oh hell. She was tired of looking normal.

Sienna dropped the glamour. Now her reflection showed eyes the color of grass, and the tips of her ears were pointed.

She ate a quick breakfast of fruit and oatmeal. After finishing, she washed the bowl, stared out the kitchen window and realized the futility of her plan.

Much as she hated to admit it, Gabriel held the upper edge. She couldn’t access the spring without his permission. Those who tried ended up mysteriously vanishing. It was whispered a deadly quicksand guarded the spring and swallowed the unwary.

But she needed help now. The darkness clawed at her insides, eager to race through her veins, seep through her pores, turning her as vicious, cruel and evil as Terithen.

There would be nothing left of Sienna’s light. She could never return to her people.

Sex with Gabriel had been earth-shattering and left such memories carved into her heart that she could still remember every shudder of pleasure, every husky whisper into her ear as he’d urged her to come.

Sienna placed her bowl into the dish drainer.

Two arms encased her waist, pulling her tight against a hard male body. She stiffened realizing the male body was also hard down below.

“Good morning, fair Sienna.” Gabriel kissed her ear. “Now that you’ve left off the glamour, how I adore kissing these. There are other places I adore kissing you, but I’ll save those for later.”

Wrenching away from him, she sidled along the counter and faced him. Sienna folded her arms across her chest.

“Why do you want me, Gabriel? Don’t you have enough shifters eager to share your bed? If you just need someone to fuck, then why did you wait for me?”

His gaze darkened at her hostile tone. “None can compare to what you and I had, Sienna. With them, it’s sex. With you, it’s making love. But this time, it’s more than sex. I need your power to heal.”

“Heal?” She laughed bitterly. “I knew you had another reason for wanting me.”

He slid a thumb along the top of her ear and she shivered. “The power inside you can be turned into positive energy.”

“You mean you siphon out the power inside me for your own purposes.”

“The darkness inside you can be turned into light magick. Magick you can use through me to heal the land, heal Others.” Gabriel sighed. “Can’t you see how good we are together? You can heal yourself by using me as our conduit to control your black magick.”

Doubts filled her. “If there was such an alternative, Cael would know of it.”

“Unless your darling Fae king kept a secret from you so that he had tighter hold of your leash.”

She bristled. “I don’t have a leash and no man holds me.”

“No man, yes. But Fae?” Gabriel got in her face. “Cael’s Enforcer wouldn’t want the precious Shadow Guard to leave. Lana needs you to do the dirty work of cleansing evil from the land to keep her hands unsullied.”

“Why do you hate Lana so much, when all she is doing is her duty, as I should do mine? I’m important and my duties are essential to the running of the kingdom, hell, to the very land you’re standing on! Cael and his royal Enforcer aren’t using me.”

“Oh?” Gabriel pointed to a potted orchid. “I treat my plants with better care than the court treats you. You’re not family, you’re only a purpose. Second hand, not blood.”

Deeply stung she shook her head. “I was raised in the court of light Elven …”

“Because your mother was ordered to leave you there.”

“Because my father was a dark Elf who had an affair with her and then left, and my mother feared me turning dark as well!”

Gabriel searched her gaze, his expression intense and fierce. “And your dark half means you’re evil? That’s bullcrap, Sienna. She never gave you a chance to find your true self. Instead, she abandoned you to a bunch of self-righteous Elven who think themselves better than anyone else, who slapped on you restrictions that hobbled your choices.”

“I was given a good education, a good home, a chance to make something of myself and I was never forced into anything.”

A low growl rumbled from his chest. “No, because Cael and his people are sly. They tempt you with possible acceptance, make your duties seem as if they’re granting you some almighty favor because you’re ‘special.’ You’ve lived fifty years, Sienna. You’re barely an adult Elf, but you should know by now that no one ever gives anything for free.”

The truth stung and pierced the illusion she’d kept alive for years, the illusion that protected her. “I’ve lived long enough to know that shifters like you are users as well, Gabriel. You can’t wait to take advantage of me.”

Gaze glittering, he drew closer until she could see the flecks of gold amid his green irises. “Take advantage? Asking you to heal my people isn’t taking advantage of you. This is.”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard. His mouth moved over hers, shocking her to silence. He kissed her like the feline he was, a cat who knew how to pleasure woman. When his tongue prodded at the closed seam of her lips, she resisted.

“Open for me,” he whispered. “Let me in, pixie. You need this as much as I do.”And then Gabriel ground his hips against her, letting her feel the hard ridge of his desire and she capitulated. Just one taste, one small taste…she had willpower.

Sienna opened her mouth.

So good, it felt so good to kiss him. He slid his tongue into her mouth and she fisted her hands in his shirt, needing this closeness. Gabriel tasted like mint and spice and sex, a hot slide of flesh against flesh, bodies grinding together in wicked heat.

When he pulled away, she could not think. Drugged with his taste, her thoughts scrambled, she sagged against the kitchen counter. His expression intent, Gabriel slid his arms around her waist. “I need you, Sienna. All of you.”

He lowered his head and kissed her again. This was Gabriel, the shifter who had shown her such exquisite pleasure in his bed. His taste was darker and richer now, more mature. She could no more resist him than she could resist the call of fairy songs in the woods. Sienna wound her arms around his strong neck and pulled him closer, moaning into his mouth.

She forgot everything. Forgot the darkness inside her, waiting to be cleansed. Her vow of celibacy.

Gabriel feathered light kisses upon her trembling mouth, small and sweet kisses designed to entice. Their mouths met, mated, tongues tangling not in a duet of hot passion, but sweet exploration. Sienna found herself relaxing against his solid body, needing to draw him near…

Good gods. What the hell was she doing? Allowing him to seduce her again?

“Go away,” she whispered.

“No way in hell. Not until I’ve had the taste of you beneath my tongue.” Gabriel pulled her to him, and yanked down her sweatpants and panties. He sank to his knees, cupped her bottom, pulled her close and buried his face between her legs.

His long tongue began slowly licking her cleft. Sienna gripped his rock hard shoulders. Oh, he had such a wicked tongue, long and slightly rough, like a cat’s. He lapped at her, his tongue delving between her soaked folds, teasing and tasting. Then he licked her clit. Covering it with his mouth, he suckled her, his hands gently kneading her ass cheeks.

Sienna threw back her head and moaned.

There was only Gabriel, the taste of his scent in her mouth, the dark intensity of his need. She could never hide from him. He held her heart, and no matter where she ran, she’d never forget him. That’s what happened with a woman’s first lover. He’d emblazoned himself on her soul when he’d taken her innocence.

When she climaxed, he kept licking her slowly. Finally Gabriel leaned back, wiping his mouth. Satisfaction glittered in his green eyes.

“Breakfast was delicious. Now I’m ready for seconds.”

She clamped her legs shut. “Diner’s closed. For good.” Sienna pulled up her sweatpants. “I mean it, Gabriel.”

“Why? You enjoy it and I enjoy pleasuring you. Two Others enjoying life’s sweeter gifts. Like hot buttered cinnamon rolls.”

She gritted her teeth. “I am not a cinnamon roll.”

“You taste as exquisite as one.” He licked his mouth slowly.

She pushed at his hands as he reached for her. “Gabriel, be serious.”

“I am nothing but serious, my sweet Sienna. Come back to bed with me. Let’s finish what we started.”

Enough of this. She held out her hands like a traffic policeman.

“I want you to take me to the spring of Danu. Right now.”

He went still, shock dilating his eyes.

“Now, cat. Right now or I’ll leave and take my chances with the Enforcer. She may give me a grace period.”

“I can’t let you do that. That bitch shows no mercy.” He tugged at his hair, looking wild and desperate. Confusion filled her. Why did he hate the Elven Enforcer? What had he done that had caused him to even meet the woman?

“Now Gabriel. Or I’ll find it myself.”

As she started out the door, Gabriel growled low. “Wait.”

He rummaged through the refrigerator and withdrew a whole chicken. Gabriel shoved it into a plastic bag and slid open the glass doors. “Come with me, but do as I say. Do not venture off the path at any time and do not enter the spring.”

At last. She nodded, sighing with relief, and followed him down the pathway. Gabriel followed the left fork. Bag swinging in his left hand, he marched forward grimly.  They entered a small clearing filled with rusty farming equipment, then walked on the pathway to a section of gray earth.

A granite boulder guarded a narrow graveled trail marching from the gray soil into a tangle of cocoplum trees protecting the swamp’s entrance. Upon the boulder was perched a silver-haired elderly man, jeans upon his stubby legs and a long-sleeved green shirt covering his thickset body. His feet were bare, and quite hairy.

Gabriel stopped before the grayish sand. The old man jumped up. “Gabe! Here at last.”

“Go take a break, Olin.”

The man shifted into a goblin, then glanced at Sienna. “She doesn’t know yet.”

Gabriel shook his head. The goblin sighed. “Good luck.”

When the goblin left, Gabriel lifted his arms skyward and chanted. The words sent a shiver skating down her spine. She did not recognize the language, but knew it was ancient.

Looking down, she saw the gray sand become solid as concrete. Gabriel clasped her hand and tugged her with him.

Purple and orange wildflowers grew on the narrow strip of sand separating the spring from land. Gabriel surveyed the sacred waters and dropped the bag on the ground. “The spring of Danu.”

Relief filled her. Sienna placed a hand on his forearm, feeling his muscles tense. “Thank you Gabriel. Thank you.”

She started to shed her clothing, but he clasped her arm, stopping her. “Don’t bother. You’re not going in.”

What?
Anger and disappointment boiled inside her. Sienna fisted her hands. “You wicked liar. You brought me here to taunt me? What’s your price of payment? Sex with you? My soul?”

He glanced at her. “The price of payment is your life, and I will not allow it. Stand back.”

Startled, she did so. A length of chain, tied to a post, was piled nearby. A sharp hook protruded from one end. Gabriel took the chain, and unpacked the chicken from the plastic bag.

He hooked it onto the chain, piercing the breastbone as easily as a child stuck a pin into a cushion.

“Are you fishing for gators? The spring is sacred. They will not enter.”

“Oh, they won’t enter. But not for the reason you think,” he said grimly.

Standing, he swung the chain around and then let it sail into the air. It landed in the spring with a splash, but the sound was oddly muffled. Gabriel began pulling the chain forward. Her stomach clenched with fear at his shuttered expression.

Something was terribly wrong.

Finally, with a grunt, he yanked the chain forward. It slid onto the sand.

Her stomach pitched and roiled as she stared in growing horror at the hook.

The chicken was gone. Only bones were left.

Sienna looked at the spring and her eyes were opened. She saw a cloud of mist rising from the spring as it bubbled and boiled. A fly buzzed over the mist, and then vanished.

“It’s… acid.” She stepped back, her hands thrust out as if to push the water away from her.

Gabriel kicked sand at the water, watching it vanish into the cloudy depths. “This is the sacred spring of Danu, Sienna. When an Other has a darkness inside him that is so foul it cries to the very ears of the goddess herself, he submerges himself into the waters, and is cleansed. Stripped of flesh to his bones, he dies. I’ve been told there’s a numbing sensation and the death is instant and painless.”

He stared at the spring. “This is what I have guarded for the past forty years. It is my hell and my damnation. It is my duty and I accepted it. But I will not accept your death. That I will never accept.”

Grief and shock had turned Sienna numb. Her only means of cleansing away the evil was gone. All her hope had vanished in an acid bath. Gods, she felt as if someone had submerged her into that very spring, the disappointment eating away at her insides.