Upon the Threshold (29 page)

“Works for me,” Lukkis said. “But we really should collect a few things first. Like food and perhaps a blanket, so if there are any rough spots out there, they don’t irritate your very soft skin.”

“Ah yes, good point. So, Lukkis, why don’t you go for food, Kraven, you for the blanket, and if you will point me in the right direction, I will head for the pond so I can find us just that perfect spot?”

Her mates shared a look and then pointed out the windows in the same direction. That was something, at least. “Just try not to get turned around and start going in circles like you did the other day,” Kraven said with amusement in his eyes.

“Hey, I only did that the one time, and that was because you told me to make sure to turn left at the fork in the path, but you didn’t tell me that there were many forks, and I kept flipping turning left.”

“Had you taken the left path from the fork with the split tree and the golden scar, you would have been right where you were supposed to be.” He moved closer to her and touched her cheek. “You had us scared, Elisabeth. That is not a feeling either of us will ever be comfortable with.”

She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I hadn’t meant to scare you.” She was utterly sincere. “I would, however, like to find us a place around the pond, so how do I get there?”

He kissed her lips before he turned her to face the windows. “Straight through.” He pointed. “Head toward the lower peak of the mountain, and when you reach the large boulder that is blue in color, covered in little green flowers, you go around it to the right. There will be a tree, split down the middle, that you will cross over, and you will be no more than twenty long paces from the pond.”

“Sounds good. Hopefully, the two of you will reach me before I get to the boulder. We all know that I love to stop and look at things. But I know if it’s larger than I am, climb a tree. Fast.”

Kraven gave her a hug and pressed his lips to her temple. “I will not be far behind you. Lukkis will catch up soon after. So go and be careful, please,” he said softly. Stepping back, he ran his fingers down her arm slowly, lightly.

“I will.” She winked at Kraven. “I will walk slowly so you catch up with me,” she assured him. “Now, hurry, will you? I have a powerful need, you know.” She was not teasing this time, and they both knew it.

He nodded and stood watching her as she walked out of the house. She headed off toward the trees, right where he’d pointed her. A few minutes later she felt more than heard him come up behind her, long before she reached any boulder, blue or otherwise.

Kraven didn’t say anything, just fell in behind her and followed as she continued on her path.

She felt him at her back as she walked and purposely veered off the path when she knew he was close. “You know,” she said as she trailed through the undergrowth. “I really think you should have wrapped your arms around me and hugged me.” She teased, well, a little.

“Before or after you traverse the poisonous brush that will have you scratching frantically for days?” he asked. He caught her arm and tugged her back so she stumbled into him. “That”—he pointed to the dark-colored bush—“is very poisonous, and will make you swell up and itch, and will guarantee no sex for a very long time as it’s also highly transmittable via skin-to-skin contact.”

“Oh yeah, that would be bad.” She looked up at him and grinned. “Well, thank you for saving me from myself. I moved from the path because I heard you coming up behind me. I wanted to see how long it would be before you were going to stop me.”

“I know. I was just curious as to where you thought you might be going.” Lowering his head, he brushed his lips across hers. “I would never allow you to bring harm to yourself, Elisabeth. I know everything is new to you, especially here. And I care for you too much to ever let any harm come your way. I’d rather keep you safe and in my bed than not.”

“I know that you wouldn’t. That’s just one of the many, many reasons I love you as much as I do. Now then, I think you said something about a pond, a blanket, and me showing your cock just how much I adore it.” She teased him often, mostly because she loved to hear his growl.

He did growl now, but there was frustration in the sound. “Elisabeth,” he said and then stopped. Kraven looked like he wanted to say something, but it was like he couldn’t find the words. Finally, he just shook his head, a brief expression of defeat on his face before he took her hand and led her off through the trees.

She stopped him after a moment and made him look at her. “Kraven, what’s wrong?” She needed to know what was going on, what was happening with him so she could hopefully help him to get over whatever had caused that painful expression only moments earlier. An expression she didn’t want to see again.

He shook his head and tugged on her hand, but she wasn’t budging. Resting his forehead to hers, he just held her for a long time. Finally, he lifted his head to look at her. She could see him swallow hard. “You know I’m not one to speak of such things as this, so you’ll know how hard it is for me to say the words. But I need you to know.” He stopped to take a deep breath. “I love you, Elisabeth,” he said softly.

She could only grin. Hearing him voicing those words had her whole body clenching. Reaching up, she put her hand on his cheek and pulled him closer. “I’m very happy that you do. I love you as well, Kraven, now and always.” Her forehead pressed against his, her nose rubbed his, and lifting up on tiptoes, she pressed a kiss to his lips. “Forever, Kraven.”

He crushed her to him as he kissed her. Not that she minded. He wasn’t hurting her and he never would. His hands on her ass lifted her off her feet, and she wrapped her legs around his waist a moment before she felt the hard press of something, a tree likely, at her back. Kraven kept devouring her mouth, feasting on her as he rubbed his cock against her pussy in a slow motion to drive her insane.

Eli gave back to him everything his driving need was giving her. She didn’t even think about it. She simply began to push his clothes off his shoulders and moved closer to him. When he released her lips, she whispered, “I need you, inside of me, right now. No waiting.” Thank the Goddess she was wearing a skirt today, a rarity for her, to be honest. “Now,” she added again, her hand between them and squeezing the hard evidence of his need for her.

His growl had more liquid seeping from her pussy. He moved his hands to push her skirt up higher, freeing her ass to the wind before he pulled open the front of his pants. Then he slammed his cock into her body and began to thrust. His mouth caught hers again, sucking on her tongue and making her insane as he fucked her hard and fast.

Eli moved with him, the pure need driving them both a little crazy. Her nails bit into his shoulders. She demanded more from him and wouldn’t stop until she had all she could get.

He tore his mouth from hers and pressed it to her shoulder. She could feel his teeth, sharper, more the Beast than the man now. He held her shoulder in a tight grip but wasn’t yet breaking the flesh. She knew it would come soon enough and knew what would happen, what always happened.

Eli’s nails raked down Kraven’s back. She tore open the skin and demanded more from him. More of the hard and almost brutal pounding of his cock into her flesh and most certainly more teeth. She was desperate for that reaction, the climax that never failed when he bit into her shoulder and drew blood. It was a serious turn-on for her.

He let out a growl that vibrated through her entire being. His cock was slamming into her so fast she could barely catch her breath. Over and over he pounded his length into her body, pressing in as deep as he could. The pressure of his teeth increased as his cock began to swell more, and then he bit down.

The moment she felt his cock swelling, the sweet and delicious feeling of a knot forming inside of her pussy added with the pleasure she always received when he bit her, Eli let go. She screamed, her head falling back, and eight rows of blood were left in her wake on Kraven’s back with the power of her orgasm. It was mind-blowing, life altering, and damn if she didn’t love it and want more.

When she scored his back again, he threw his head back and roared loud enough to shake the trees around them. His cock twitched inside her and another stream of semen seared her. He caught her up in his arms and cradled her close to him before he eased down to his knees on the grass.

Eli was panting, a stupid smile on her face and her body limply holding his close. “Mercy,” she whispered and pressed a kiss to the side of his neck. “I am a very, very lucky woman.”

His arms tightened around her for a moment before he eased up. “Mine,” he breathed against her cheek. “Always mine.” He leaned his head back to look into her eyes and let out a slow, shaky breath. “Beautiful,” he whispered before closing his eyes and resting his forehead against hers.

Her fingers caressed his cheek, and she smiled. “Always yours,” she agreed and leaned in to kiss him again. “I am yours now and forever. We are joined for all time.” She once more laid her head on his shoulder and hugged him tightly. “I will never let you go.”

A shudder coursed through his body at her words. He cupped her head to him and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “We should get to the pond,” he said after a few moments. “Lukkis went past us a while ago, so he’s likely eating everything he took down there.”

“Good point.” She nipped his shoulder with her teeth and grinned. “I love being with you. Making love with you. But the part I hate the most?” She pulled back and looked up at him. “When we have to separate. That part kills me every single time.”

“I know,” he said softly. Brushing a kiss across her lips, he cupped her ass and lifted her up and off his cock slowly. He kept lifting her until she was on her feet and mostly steady, with her back pressing to the tree. As Kraven stood, he drew his pants back up and buttoned them once more. “But we’ll be together again, soon. Think on that while we walk.”

“I am always thinking of you and us being together,” Eli admitted. “I’m always thinking of both of you. I know that is odd, but then again I guess it isn’t. We are newly mated. We are still in the honeymoon phase, right?” She thought that was the right word and phrase at least.

He shot her a look, one full of confusion as he fixed his shirt. “I’m unsure as to what you mean, Elisabeth. Explain, please?” he asked her. He moved closer and took her hand in his, lifting it to his lips to press a kiss to her fingers as he watched her closely, ever the predator.

“On my homeworld, our original Earth, when people got married, they had a month or stretch of time when they didn’t see anything that their partners did wrong. They only saw the perfect life they had with their mates or husbands or wives. I know we all see it for what it is, that you see my faults, and for that I’m happy.” It was odd, a weird way of seeing things, but she couldn’t think of another way to explain it, not when she hadn’t really experienced that in her past.

“You have no faults,” he told her. Squeezing her hand gently, he stepped back and tugged on her fingers, drawing her along to walk with him. “You have things that are yours and yours alone that help make you who you are. Unique and very special and all ours.”

She loved that about this man, the way he could make her smile. “You have none either. I happen to think you are marvelous the way that you are. I think you are perfect, Kraven, and I never want you to change.”

“Thank you, little mate.” He changed the grip he had on her hand so their fingers were laced together. “But we both know I have some faults, though I appreciate you not pointing them out.”

“You don’t have faults.” She loved him too much for him to change. She loved how possessive, dominating, and needy he was. She was just as needy and desperate, so she was fine with it.

He shot her another look, and she noticed his cheeks were a little red. He was blushing. “Thank you again.” He didn’t say much else as they walked along, and then they were at the pond. Lukkis was there and sitting on a rock, sunning himself as he waited.

“About time you two got here. I’m starving,” he said as he opened his eyes to look at them both. “Stopped to take in some nature, did you?” he asked, his lips twitching as he eyed her up and down.

She snickered. “We stopped so I could take in some Kraven. Not nature,” she teased. “I couldn’t seem to help myself. I had this intense need and desire for him, and I all but attacked the poor man when he saved me from walking into poisonous bushes.”

Lukkis’s eyebrows went up and he grinned. “Oh really, so that’s what all that ruckus was. I thought maybe some animal had dared to get near you, and he went off. Well, good to know it was just his Beast making noise out there.”

“I love when the Beast comes out, in both of you,” Eli admitted. “I love the way both of you come so hard, and when Kraven comes inside me, he roars.” She fanned herself. “I couldn’t ask for anything more than that.”

Lukkis dug into the large basket he had at his feet and held out a bottle to her. “You look like you need to cool off a little,” he teased. He tipped the bottle her way. “It’s either this or I toss you into the pond. The only problem with option two is Kraven would likely pop my head off my shoulders, and I’m sort of attached to it.”

“Thank you.” She laughed. “Well, I am pretty attached to your head too,” she agreed. “So the bottle of water is very appreciated.” She ended saying the same thing she started to say. “Besides, you know you just want me to cool down so you can make me get all hot and bothered again later.”

“Absolutely.” He nodded. Getting up, he took the blanket from Kraven and spread it out. Holding a hand out to her, he helped her sit down in the middle. Settling next to her, he swung the basket over in front of her and waved at it. “Your lunch, little mate.”

“Thank you very much.” She took the container of food and the utensil to eat with. She waited until both men were around her and then began to eat as they settled against her. It was comfort, she realized. Them surrounding her as they did, their heat enveloping her. It was them and their Beasts giving her comfort and security. That thought simply had her smiling. Life was very, very good.