Mystic's Call

An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

www.ellorascave.com

Mystic’s Call ISBN 9781419923296 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Mystic’s Call Copyright © 2009 Lacey Thorn Edited by Helen Woodall Cover art by Syneca Electronic book Publication June 2009 The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

MYSTIC’S CALL

Lacey Thorn

Dedication This book is dedicated to the following people— To the many fans of this series. I thank you for your fantastic e-mails. You inspire me to continue writing every day. And to my best friends. You are my sanity and my insanity, and you make my life far better than any work of fiction could ever be.

Mystic’s Call

Prologue

An ending…and a beginning It was a place of peace and prosperity. A small island paradise where the women ruled and all paid homage to the goddess even erecting a temple in her honor. They all served her in one way or another through the castes. Two veils were tied together around each woman’s neck and then pulled apart to each cup a breast before being pulled around and tied together again at her back. The color of their top revealed the caste they resided in. Those who saw to the fires wore red. Those who took care of the grounds and plants wore green. Those who tended the flowing island waters wore blue. Those who worked with the sick and the animals wore black. And finally those who worked with the birds of the air wore white. Each wore a skirt that consisted of black veils that fell to the women’s ankles just brushing the tops of the black sandals they wore. They had all served the goddess and in so doing the island as well. But then a group of warriors came. A group that had lost much and sought refuge and a place to rebirth their nation. And the goddess had brought them here. Althea knew before they arrived. As the Island Priestess she was privy to all. As the bloodline of the goddess it had been foretold what would occur. Fate and destiny that she couldn’t change. Disease had swept through the island that the warriors had once called home. Disease that had killed off most of the women and children as well as the food and water supply. Heartbroken and without a home these warriors had set sail and destiny had brought them here. One woman’s curse on her child had started the chain of events that led to this, and it would be one woman’s sacrifice that would finally end it and bring peace.

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But the toll in the years between would be felt by them all. Lives would be lost and created as the balance shifted from old to new. And the cost to some would be almost more than they could bear. And yet these warriors would arrive. Strong and sure. Wearing brown pants that molded to their thighs and calves, boots and belts that contained myriad weapons, they would come and conquer. At least for a while. But in that conquering moment when victory was just within their grasp, these men would unleash consequences that would rock the island for twenty-five years. Death. Blood. Deception. Betrayal. And even murder. And Althea, Island Priestess, could do nothing but stand by and watch, keeping track of all the signs. Watching and waiting in the wings. And so the warriors came and took with little heed to what chaos they left in their wake. The Priestess tried to stop them, to prevent what had been foretold though she knew she couldn’t succeed. “If you do this know that a curse will be placed upon you.” It was all she could do to stand by and let them take the women from the sacred temple. “Cease your nonsense, hag.” The man began to speak of new law, of warrior law and ordered the women removed from the building keeping back only the one that he and his brother had chosen for themselves. Such evil she could sense in the quiet one. But it was not her place to pass judgment. She nodded when she saw her daughter left. Asme was indeed the most beautiful and worthy of all the women present. She was also the only one who was a direct descendent of the goddess herself. Althea almost laughed when they claimed they would make Asme a princess. “She is already a princess. She needs no help from you for that honor.” And saying the words she walked to the altar at the front of the temple before turning to the prince of the warriors again. “I will give you one more chance to give up this madness. Leave now or know the vengeance of the goddess.”

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“Your words will scare no one, Priestess,” he informed her defiantly. “We seek only that which we need to survive.” Survival would be the least of his worries when it was all said and done. So much death and strife lay ahead of them and she would give anything to be able to prevent it. For all of them, but most especially for her daughter. However Althea had a role to play in all of this as well. “Then know this, Warrior. “Because you take instead of seek “Because you cause the goddess to weep “In this take heed my words to hear “For a time of reckoning soon will near. “In five times five the Guardians will arise “Five women marked by the goddess’s eyes “Of Fire, Earth, Water and Air “Four will become the Guardians of Altair “The fifth shall ply the mystic realms “And draw them together in the Valley of Elms “When the five are united in the mystic place “Only then will the curse be lifted I place “Cursed to battle to hold what you take “This is the hand dealt you by fate “Warriors, fierce with muscles and brawn “Shall pray for the day of the Guardians to dawn “For only through them will peace come at last “The Guardians united shall atone for your past “So protect and serve when once they appear, 7

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“Or be cursed to live forever in fear.” “What foolishness is this? A warrior knows no fear. Be gone, old woman.” The warrior prince walked to where his brother stood by their chosen mate. The priestess held up a dagger and sliced her palm so that her blood dripped upon the altar. “Marked with blood to seal the curse. You have sealed your own fate and that of all of your warriors, Prince. You will know no peace until they come. Remember my words and guard them well. For if one shall die all will be lost.” She looked to the woman they held between them and spoke with words they could not understand. At the woman’s nod the priestess turned and left the room. It was one of the hardest things she had ever done, leaving that room and her daughter behind. But she had known from the beginning that Asme’s path would not be an easy one to take. She would be the last one of her kind. From her a new generation would arise, a reawakening for the Isle of Altair. She waved her hand in front of her and the cut disappeared, healed instantly with no sign of what had been. Her duty was only to watch and wait now, for the next twenty-five years. Now was her daughter’s time. May the goddess be with her.

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Chapter One

Twenty-five years later… Althea stood and faced her daughter Asme as she entered the secret chamber of the goddess. It was easy to read all that Asme had encountered in the last twenty-five years just by looking into her daughter’s eyes. It was easy, and yet so hard. Althea would have given anything to have changed what fate had brought to her daughter. But as the former Island Priestess and a direct descendant of the goddess, Althea’s life had been planned out as well. Her daughter bowed her head in what Althea knew was respect and she wanted to go to Asme and embrace her as mother to daughter, but true royalty was rarely afforded such moments of comfort. And today would be no different. There was pain in Asme, deep and unsettling. “I have waited for this call,” Althea spoke softly to her daughter. For twenty-five endless years she had done just that—waited and watched. “How long did you know that this was coming, Mother?” Asme asked. “How long have you foreseen what was in store for us? For me?” Althea had always known that this day would come, a day when she would have to answer questions that even she didn’t know all the answers to. She would try anyway. She owed her own flesh and blood no less. “Always. I have always known what would be expected of you. Your purpose was clear to me before you were ever even conceived.” She met Asme’s gaze and was unable to disguise the sheen of tears. “I knew and I grieved for what would happen. But I knew that you would also know great love before the time came. And I held that promise closest to me. And you have. You have experienced a love like no other. A love that was all that I could have wished for you.”

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Pain, there was so much pain in Asme’s eyes when she looked at Althea. “And what of the betrayal? Was that foretold as well?” Althea could see the knowledge already in Asme’s eyes. Her daughter knew the answer but Althea nodded anyway. “With great joy also comes great pain. It is the balance that keeps life moving forward. In your heart you know this.” Destiny. Fate. The blood of the Goddess of Altair. It was these things that had guided their lives. The good, the bad, the horrendous. It had all been preordained and placed on their shoulders. But mostly on Asme’s shoulders. It was her daughter’s fate to be the last of her kind. And from her a new generation was born, strong and vibrant. But had the sacrifices, the sufferings she’d had to endure been worth it? Althea’s faith said that it was. She watched as her daughter undressed and reached for the ceremonial robe that lay on the altar before her. Blood still stained Asme’s hands, the blood of a man she had both loved and, in the end, hated. Both her mates were gone now, Prince Micah killed by his own brother’s hand. And Asme had found her vengeance by taking Godar’s life. But at what price to her soul? The daughter Althea had reared had ceased to be and in her place was a woman who stood alone. It was devastating to take note of the changes incurred in the last twenty-five years, but mostly those in the last seventy-two hours. “I’m ready,” was all that Asme said as she dressed in the robe and sat on the edge of the raised altar. Althea handed her the bowl and watched and waited until Asme had drained it. Then watched as Asme took a reclining position on the altar. Asme lay back on the stone surface, arms flat at her sides with palms facing upward in supplication. She took a deep breath and looked into her mother’s eyes for but a moment before she closed her aqua blue eyes and released her breath. Althea stepped up to the altar and with a suddenly shaking hand took up the ritual dagger that she had placed there only moments before Asme had first entered the room. She looked down at her daughter’s body and wondered just how she was supposed to 10

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be able to carry this next step through. How could any mother be forced to do what she was? “Just finish it,” Asme whispered, though she didn’t open her eyes. Althea’s eyes flooded with tears. They coursed unchecked down her cheeks as she raised the dagger high and held it there poised in midair. Sobs wanted to escape. Screams of rage sounded, but only in her head, her soul. It should never have come to this. “Finish it,” Asme said again and this time Althea heard the pleading in her daughter’s voice. “If you love me, if you’ve ever loved me, then please do this last thing for me.” With a cry of rage and pain Althea slammed her hands downward, aiming the dagger straight for her daughter’s heart. But Asme never felt that final killing blow. It seemed the goddess had not forsaken her after all.

***** In a village to the east, where several of the Island Guardians were, a girl awoke with a scream as power suddenly burst inside her like a volcano. It coursed like lava through her veins until it reached every part of her. Her blonde hair seemed to be full of energy and stood around her head. Her mother entered her room and went to shake her awake but the girl’s skin was hot to the touch. In fear her mother turned to seek help but made it no further than the door when she heard the soft voice of her daughter. “Momma?” She turned and gasped when her daughter’s eyes caught hers. The blue was a deep aqua color, almost purple. “What?” she asked, her body seeming to be stuck in place, unable to move back to the bed where her daughter lay. 11

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“It’s all right. I’m okay.” And her daughter smiled. The room seemed to light with a glow that radiated from her. “I have awakened and I know what I must do.” The woman stood for a moment and suddenly it seemed to click in her mind. She had been given the greatest gift of all from the Goddess of Altair. She looked at the bed and realized that the girl she had borne was no longer. In her place was a woman who would have no equal. For before her the Mystic had awakened.

***** Bram had finally made his way to the last village on his list, the one farthest to the east. And this was the one that he and his brothers Finn and Tanner knew held at least two of the Island Guardians. His mother, Princess Asme, had sent Farrah, who held the power of fire, here to find solace with the one who held the power of earth. They had grown up with Farrah, almost as if they were cousins, as their mothers were the best of friends. So Farrah had spent a lot of time at the palace as a child and had always wanted to play with the boys. He laughed as he remembered how they had tortured her for wanting to play with the weapons as they did. She had never been much for girl stuff. A guardian from birth it would seem. He wondered if they were all four that way. He remembered what his mother had said. Farrah was the Guardian of Fire. Bram knew that he would recognize her on sight. She had married the Donan warriors, Marcus, Alexi and Bannen and was the mother of twins now. They were just newly born and he was anxious to see them and Farrah to assure himself that they fared well. Then there was his real cousin, Alea, who was the Guardian of Air. A smile touched his lips as he thought of her and her gorgeous Aqua-phoen Vulcan. Long thought to be extinct, Vulcan was presumed the last of his kind. Myriad different shades of blue with a silver beak and talons and a snowy white face, Vulcan was Alea’s shadow. He watched over her from the sky and Bram often thought that maybe she could sometimes see through the bird’s eyes. They were inseparable. And now she was the

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chosen mate of the Xandova warriors, Drew and Sorran, members of the Prince’s personal guard. The Guardian of Earth was known as Erika and was married to the Savari warriors, Arik and Galen. She had given birth to twins also just a year before. A unique set of twins who he couldn’t wait to see, as it was a first for there to be twins born not of the same sex. Plus he was curious to meet this woman who was the first Guardian to gain her power. His mother informed him that she was indeed a powerful woman to behold. He wondered how her mates dealt with it. Then there was Willow. Bram and his brothers had met her once or twice in passing as her fathers traveled from village to village. But they had never paid her much mind, not realizing at the time that she was one of the anticipated Island Guardians. Only later had they learned about that from their mother. Willow held the power as Guardian of Water. She was now mated to the Mederra warriors, Drago and Ulrik, who just happened to be the brothers of Erika. It was interesting how they were all loosely connected. But then they did live on an island. He knew that Erika and Farrah were in this village. He expected that Willow would be here by now as well but wasn’t sure as he hadn’t spoken with his mother in far too long. Alea would be on her way here with her warriors. But none of those were the reason that he was here. No, his was a far different mission and why he had chosen to go from village to village. His mother, Princess Asme, the great island Mahiki, or blood princess, had informed him that it was his duty to pave the way for the others. For here, in this village of Guardians he would find the Mystic awakened, and, if his mother was to be believed, awaiting his arrival. According to his mother’s words he would recognize her by her eyes. They would be the same aqua blue as the royal family, the direct descendents of the Goddess of Altair. He felt both a sense of pride and fear at being chosen as the first of the three men who were to be her mates to meet her. His mother had been adamant that as the

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firstborn he was to meet her and woo her first. Fiercely adamant. He couldn’t help but wonder if it had to do with more than just him and his brothers. He was only moments older anyway. He and his brothers Finn and Tanner were as close as triplets could be. They all had the same short black hair, much shorter than most warriors, and the aqua blue eyes of the royal family. They each stood seven feet tall. Tall even for a warrior. But then they were built like their fathers were. Bram hoped that his brothers were faring well. With their connection, he felt sure that he would know if anything was wrong. But now he had to focus on the here and now. He had to locate the Mystic. She would have awakened by now. He had felt the stir in the air as his brothers and the Guardians would have too. She was here and she was aware, and soon she would find herself in the arms of one of her three mates. Bram was more than anxious to see what the goddess had in store for him. He made his way into the village hoping to spot one of the men he knew. Arik Savari, Alexi Donan, and the Mederra brothers Drago and Ulrik. They would have all made it here ahead of him. He was confident that he would find a place of welcome with one of them. Of course as the son of the Prince any of the warriors would accept him into their home and feel lucky to have him. And as the son of the Island Mahiki, Princess Asme, the women would feel just as blessed to have him in their homes. But sometimes a man wanted to be among someone that he might be able to consider a friend. He was lost in thought, walking on the outskirts but not yet into the village when he became aware of the woman. She was gorgeous. She had golden blonde hair that fell in a braid down below her waist and when she turned and smiled at him his heart caught at the sight of the aqua blue of her eyes. She smiled, motioned her finger for him to follow, and disappeared into the trees.

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She was indeed a great gift from the goddess and he counted himself blessed that he was to be the first of Verbani warriors to claim her. For he had no doubt that in the next few moments he would claim her. He followed through the trees barely managing to keep her in view as she moved noiselessly in front of him. It took him a moment to realize that the swing of her ass that his eyes were glued to didn’t have a braid bouncing on it. She had pulled it forward and even as he followed he could see her undoing it. All that hair would be around her, around them as they made love. He wondered at the smell, the texture. He wanted to wallow in it, in her and he still didn’t even know her name. How was that even possible? He could feel the swell of his cock, the way it pressed against his pants, growing fuller with each delicious sway of her hips. He wanted to bare her, take her to her hands and knees in front of him and mount her like an animal. That was exactly what he desired, to claim her as the animal she already made him feel like. She disappeared and he hurried to the spot. Pressing the tree limbs aside he stepped into a glen. There was a pond in the middle of it and flowers around. It was a beautiful oasis. As he scanned the area taking everything in, his gaze settled on her and he lost his ability to think, to breathe, to move. She stood there, her hair loose and hanging around her in lustrous curls. Her top was already on the ground before her and even as he watched her skirt joined it before she toed off her sandals. Then with a teasing smile and a robust laugh she was running into the water. He finally felt like he could move his feet when she called to him. “Come join me, mate. The water is perfect.” As he knew that she was meant for him, she also seemed to know that he was meant for her. Yes, the Mystic had awoken and the knowledge she now possessed would save them all. But first he would claim her, without his brothers. Not the way things were normally done, but then little would be the same when bonding with the Mystic.

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He slowly began taking his clothes off holding her gaze with his as each article was removed. He made no attempt to hide the straining length of his erection. He rather liked the way her gaze lowered and then flared as she took in what he had for her. Bram would be her first, then Tanner would be the next to arrive. And then finally Finn would arrive. But for the moment Bram could focus on nothing but the woman in front of him in the water. Slowly he moved toward her into the water. She played no games, didn’t seek to avoid him, but stood tall and awaited his arrival. No fear, just a hunger in her eyes that he knew was reflected in his own. “What took you so long,” she murmured as he stopped in front of her. “I was enjoying the scenery,” he replied reaching out to gently run a finger down her cheek. Soft, her skin was so soft. “You are very beautiful.” “The goddess would give no other as a mate for the three Verbani warriors,” she assured him. Her hand lifted from the water and slowly she stroked over his chest. “I fear that I am at a disadvantage here,” he whispered his breath catching at the feel of her confident caress. Her hand snuck below the water to wrap around the solid length of his cock. With a wicked grin that was all woman she softly assured him otherwise. “I feel no disadvantage here.” His eyes closed as a groan left his lips. Her hands were wicked and way too knowledgeable as she stroked him from tip to balls. “I was referring to you knowing who I am and me not knowing your name.” “I am Reanna,” she replied as she moved her other hand to fondle his sac while the first continued an up and down rhythm on his cock. “And you are Bram, the eldest of the three.” “Yes,” he moaned.

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She leaned into him then, the turgid points of her nipples brushing against him. She was petite but then most women were compared to his seven-foot height. Her golden hair was calling to him and with another groan he wrapped his hands in it and tugged her head up. He bent low claiming the first kiss as his, just his. She was like liquid heat, like fire and ice and so much more. Her lips parted beneath his and then their tongues were fighting for dominance. She challenged him for control her hands moving up over his stomach to his chest and then grasping his shoulders in a hard grip. With a jump she was out of the water, her legs wrapping around his waist so that her wet cunt was rubbing right along the shaft of his cock. They both became lost in the sensations ripping through them. This would be no tame first mating, no slow caresses for either of them. She was so tight against him, her cunt so wet and hot as she rubbed it against him. His hands slid down to her ass cupping and squeezing the cheeks there. She was a perfect handful and his lust spiked as he thought of taking her there. He tugged and fondled pulling her cheeks apart and rubbing one index finger along the tight crease brushing against the pucker of her anus. And she went wild. Her lips pulled from his and as he sucked in a great gulp of air as her mouth locked onto his shoulder biting at the base of his neck. He tilted his head back and cried out at the feel of those sharp little teeth, not in pain, but in sheer ecstasy. He wanted her, wanted to shove his cock as deep inside her as he could. But he wanted her to be comfortable, to ensure her first time was as painless as he could make it. But even as he thought of moving toward shore and laying her back on the cool grass she took the decision from him. She had been riding his length and now with a hard downward move she slipped a hand down to hold him in place as she took him deep, so fucking deep his teeth clenched and his hands tightened on her ass. She held still for a moment. He assumed she was adjusting to the feel of his cock inside her. So he did his best not to move as well though it was taking every ounce of self control that he possessed. She was so tight

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and hot and wet, the most heavenly thing he had felt in his life. She fitted him as if she had been made just for him. And perhaps she had been. “Reanna,” he whispered her name bending his head to nuzzle her temple where her head rested on his shoulder. “Are you okay?” “No,” she moaned her head rolling back and forth on him before she lifted it and met his eyes. “I need more, Bram. I need,” she cried out as he began to walk them out of the water, each step driving his cock deeper. He knelt on the shore and both of them cried out at the feel of her flush against him. But as much as he loved the feeling they both needed more now. So he leaned forward until she lay beneath him on the cool grass, her legs still bent and wrapped along his hips. He braced his hands beside her head and bent to give her one more kiss, relishing the feel of her tongue against his. “Hold tight,” he told her and she nodded, her eyes already glazed. He wanted to be slow. He wanted to take his time and savor her and this first experience for them. But he would have to save that for another time. She bucked beneath him straining to keep him inside even as he pulled his cock from the hot sheath of her cunt. She was arching against him trying to follow, unwilling to let him leave her body. “You’re killing me, mate,” he grunted, sweat dripping from his brow as he fought hard to maintain control. “Then take me,” she growled and bit down hard again on the straining cord of his neck. “Fuck,” he cried out and slammed back into her, forcing her back to the ground beneath them. Hard and fast was what she seemed to want and goddess help him it was all he could do now. She was perfect, her body made for his. Next time, he vowed to himself it would be slow and easy, soft and sweet. But there was no control left for either of them to try that now. Instead their first mating was raw and intense. This was no tame 18

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miss with him but the Mystic, a warrior in her own right, a woman who their entire island had been waiting for whether they knew it or not. And she was his and Finn’s and Tanner’s. He couldn’t wait for his brothers to feel her, to claim her, couldn’t wait for the four of them to love as one. But he wouldn’t trade this moment alone with her for anything. His woman was taking him, claiming him, and marking him as her own. Her teeth in his neck, her nails in his shoulders, the heels of her feet on the back of his thighs just under his buttocks, she was taking from him as well. “Harder,” she cried and he wondered if that was even possible. “Faster,” she demanded and he knew he couldn’t. “Now!” she screamed and he was already there bursting inside her even as she came around him. Her pussy clenched and rippled tightening impossibly around his shaft until he thought she would break him off inside her. Her teeth loosened on his neck and he shuddered as she licked over the wound he could feel there. Then she was looking up at him and her eyes, the same aqua blue as his, were filled with satisfaction. She leaned up and cupped his jaw in her palm before kissing him softly on the lips. Just a chaste brush of lips but yet it held more meaning in its simplicity than the consuming kisses of before. “My mate,” she whispered. “We have much ahead of us.” And with a sigh he lowered to the ground beside her turning her into his arms so that his cock could remain within her. She was right. They had much ahead of them, so much that rested on their shoulders. And for the first time he felt a tiny surge of frustration at his birthright. He wanted nothing more that to stay here with his mate, exploring and learning. But fate had more in store for them and unfortunately there was little time for quiet moments in their immediate future. “We’ll make the most of the few private moments when we can,” she whispered to him and it no longer surprised him that she knew what he was thinking.

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“Yes,” he agreed and let his gaze meet hers again. His birthright was the reason he had this woman as mate and for that he would do exactly what was needed of him. She pulled from him and they both groaned as his cock slipped free. She sat up beside him and ran a hand idly over his chest while her gaze seemed to penetrate the trees around them. “Tanner will be here by nightfall,” she informed him, though his own link with his brother had already told him the same thing. “And Finn will head this way once he deals with the chaos surrounding the palace.” “Chaos?” Bram sat up beside her. Reanna smiled at him. “He is fine. He will leave in the morning and be here by tomorrow night. Then we will all be together.” Her gaze tilted skyward. “And finally it will be time to invoke the blessing of the goddess once more.” She met his gaze again and though neither spoke they both knew what the other was thinking. There would be one more blood sacrifice before that time came and it sent a trickle of fear down Bram’s spine that it seemed that even the Mystic didn’t know who it would be.

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Chapter Two Finn couldn’t believe what had happened at the palace. He had arrived to total chaos. Godar was dead and his mother was once more missing. What had happened here? Both fathers murdered within days of each other. Why? And why did he feel that his mother had the answers if he could only find her. She had been here. Several people had seen her, one adamant that she had blood on her, but none sure if she had been hurt. Chaos. An island full of it. And here he was to prepare for the arrival of all of their people. A task that was growing harder by the moment. But Finn knew what was expected of him, no more than what each of his brothers would give, and so he went about soothing and comforting his people. There was no more time for mourning Godar then there had been for Prince Micah. Royal blood ensured that. He was weary, tired, and though he would never admit it, disheartened. So much death, so much betrayal. How had his family, his people, come to this? And was the end of it all as near as they all thought, as his mother swore? And where was she? His fear for her grew with each moment that she wasn’t found. With both fathers gone, she was alone. Finn had seen the fire in her eyes when she’d seen Micah’s body. How had the sight of Godar’s affected her? He wished that he could have been here with her. He looked at the people moving about him preparing as he had asked them to. He had today to get it all ready for the influx of people headed their way. For tomorrow he would begin the most important journey of his life so far. He could already feel the pull of his mate, knew without a doubt that his brother Bram had already claimed her. The bond between him and his two brothers had always been more making him wonder if they had not inherited some of their mother’s powers after all.

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Tomorrow he would head to them, the last one to join as he was certain Tanner would join them at some point today. He would be the last to claim their mate. And then they would all claim her, mark her with the royal seal of the Eagle on her right lower abdomen, proclaiming her the bonded mate of the Verbani warriors. And then? Then it would be time to join with the Guardians and invoke the goddess’s blessing once more. And his part in that ceremony would be to protect the five women needed to perform the ceremony. To protect even unto his own life. For if one should die then all would be lost.

***** Bram followed Reanna back through the woods and into the village. He wanted to mark her now, to place the eagle on her, but knew that he shouldn’t without his brothers present. He could, but somehow it wouldn’t be right, not for him. And honestly, who would dare try to take her from him? No warrior that he knew would even try. As they walked through the village he nodded as both warriors and women stopped and bowed his way. Word of his new title had preceded him as more than a few addressed him as, “my Prince”. It was a heavy mantle that he and his brothers now wore, one of an entire island of people. The safety and overall well-being of all the people of the Isle of Altair were now their duty. And the most important of those duties was to watch over the guardians and the mystic, all of whom would restore peace and prosperity to their lands. “Where are we headed?” he questioned Reanna. He was having difficulty keeping his hand from her. He needed to feel her skin as much to reassure himself that he wasn’t dreaming as to forewarn others that she was claimed. He finally ceded defeat and placed his hand on the small of her back. She was his and it was best that all knew it.

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She looked at him and the twinkle in her eyes stated that she knew of his struggle and found it funny. It also showed him that he was just as firmly hers. Only this woman would ever hold the power to know what he felt, thought. Only this woman would hold the power to truly bring him to his knees. He stopped, tugged her into his arms and kissed her there for all to see, claiming her before even speaking with her fathers, something that should never be done so publicly. But she just laughed and reached up to run her fingers down his cheek. “I was taking you to meet my mother and fathers,” she murmured with a wicked grin. “But I fear that they will have already heard of your arrival and our very public display before we get there.” “What you do to me,” he whispered stroking his hand down her arm until they clasped hands. “Take me to them. They may hear, but it will calm them to see us together and know that you not unwilling.” She smiled and nodded and for a moment he glimpsed the girl she had been before she’d awoken with a Mystic’s powers and responsibilities. When this was all over he prayed that they would see more of the girl inside the woman. When this was all over he prayed that they would all still be here, alive and whole.

***** Tanner rode from the camp confident that his orders would be carried out to the letter. He’d had to do some fast thinking and creative storytelling to explain the sudden disappearance of Prince Micah’s body. He’d stated that his family had ordered it sent to the palace to be prepared for burial. And in doing so he had helped to ensure that even those who didn’t want to abandon their homes for the palace would at least do so temporarily to pay their respects to their fallen prince and to welcome their new prince. Bram would officially hold the title as firstborn and that was okay with Tanner, and he suspected with Finn as well. Bram was the most analytical of them, the most structured and organized. It was fitting that he serve their people now. And Tanner and

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Finn would stand beside him or in front of him if it was required. Bram would be protected at all costs as well now, though Tanner would never tell his brother that. He was headed toward Bram now. And their mate. He was anxious to see her, to finally know the woman the goddess had selected for him and his brothers. She would be the Mystic. His mother had already told them that. She would hold powers even greater than the Guardians. And she would be his to protect but most importantly his to love. He had often dreamed of her though he’d never shared that with his family. Just as he had dreamed of his death. He would love her, this he knew though he had yet to meet her in person. He had loved her since he was a child and first dreamed of her. She had been a child then as well, younger, smaller. He had often wondered if she had shared his dreams or if they were his alone, a solitary gift from the Goddess of Altair for one of her blood. He’d mentioned it once to his mother, once when he was much younger and she had urged him to share them with no one. She said that his dreams were his alone and that they were often a way of seeing what was to come. He had dreamed of two things all his life. His mate. And his death. And if they were a vision of what was to come then he could be assured of only one thing. That with the coming of his mate, his death was not far behind.

***** Reanna sat in the clearing at peace with what lay ahead for her. Soon Tanner would arrive, the man of her dreams. She smiled as she thought of him. She had most assuredly known him the longest of all of her mates. But their shared dreams were their own and she knew that he would never mention them, not even to her. He was a warrior, a man of strength and brawn. He was the one who would throw himself in the way to save another without thought or concern for his own personal safety. It was a character flaw in her opinion. One that would worry her to no end.

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Bram would always be the one to look at things from all angles searching for the best way. He would analyze and decide what was best for the majority. And Finn would be the organizer. He would be the one to ensure that everything was carried out to the letter. But Tanner was the very heart of the warriors. He was the one who they all trusted and believed in. He trained with them, fought with them and bled with them. And if the time came none doubted that he would die for them. And that thought made her blood run cold. Awakening as the Mystic she had memories not her own, answers to questions that she’d never known to ask. And she had knowledge of more than she’d ever thought possible. Now she was no longer Reanna, another pretty girl from one of the villages. Now she was Reanna, Mystic and chosen mate of the Verbani warriors, the new Princes of Altair. She felt the weight of the world on her shoulders and knew that her mates felt the same. As did each of the four Island Guardians. Erika, Farrah, Willow and Alea. Earth, fire, water and air. Soon they would all unite. Soon the ceremony would begin. Within days it would begin. A new beginning for them all. An ending for someone. It frustrated her that she didn’t know who would die, only that another would fall. It scared her that it might be someone very close to her. It was hell on the nerves to feel so much power at her fingertips and yet feel so powerless. Dusk was falling around her casting a shadow across the water before her. Bram would be returning to her parents’ house soon and asking for her. He would find her eventually, but not before Tanner arrived and found her first. Now it was their time, the two of them. As tomorrow would be her time with Finn. Then they would bond and she would wear the eagle of the Verbani with pride. But a more formal ceremony would have to wait until this was all over. Until the hand fate and the goddess had dealt them had been played out and peace restored. She only prayed that they all survived the next few days.

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A rustle behind her had her heartbeat increasing, though not with fear but with anticipation. Tanner was here. She turned her head and watched as he approached her. He was the exact replica of Bram and yet he wasn’t. To the casual observer they would appear the same. But she could tell the difference. It was in the very way they walked. It was in the eyes, the breadth of Tanner’s shoulders. They were all warriors, all fighters. But they were all different in their abilities, in the way they fought. He stopped beside her and it was a long way to look up at him. Power and strength. Lust shot through her veins and had her pussy clenching with hunger. Her second mate had arrived and she wanted him. He fell to his knees, one to each side of her extended legs so that she was caged by him. “I thought you were just a dream,” he whispered as he reached one large hand out to touch her face, to stroke over her hair. “No,” she whispered back bringing his attention to her lips. She flicked her tongue out to wet them and with a groan he bent to lick them as well. And that easily the spell was broken and they were both reaching for each other. His tongue moved past her lips and forged into her mouth exploring, devouring, owning. She was his and in that moment she wanted nothing less. His hands were everywhere awakening nerves, making her body scream for his touch. And she reciprocated. Her hands explored every hard curve and angle of his body that she could reach. He was hard and solid and his flesh was burning as hot as hers was. Too many clothes. They had on way too many clothes and she couldn’t seem to get her fingers to work fast enough to get them off. But he was not so limited and he quickly had her naked beneath him. It was erotic. The feel of him clothed while she was naked. She could feel the bulge of his cock and wantonly rubbed against him. She wanted him naked and she wanted it now. But he had other plans and for the moment she let him have the upper hand. 26

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He moved his lips over her placing kisses down her throat and over her chest. He stopped for several long moments sucking her nipples into harder points. And she loved it, loved the feel of his mouth on her breasts. He laved and sucked moving back and forth between her nipples until they both rose shiny and red. And she begged for more. He nipped with his teeth bringing her so close to orgasm that she curled her hands into the earth and cried out. His tongue and mouth were pure heaven, but oh goddess, his teeth nipping at her flesh was an ecstasy she’d never known. But he moved on, moved lower so that his tongued danced a path over her abdomen. Stopping to flick in and out of her bellybutton he moved on to the curve of her hips showering each side with attention before moving to the center. She was more than wet and ready for him. She was dripping with excitement, with need and desire. But he just held his head there and inhaled her scent closing his eyes, his face making her feel like she was the best thing he’d smelled in a long time. Then his eyes opened and the aqua blue was almost glowing such was the intensity in his gaze. His hands moved, lifting her legs up and in front of him so that he could slide down between them, his belly on the grass. Then his mouth was there, the brush of his lips over her cunt making her pulse race even faster. Her eyes closed only to fly open with the first slow flick of his tongue. He took her pussy much like he had her mouth earlier. No slow, sweet exploration, but raw and powerful and consuming. His tongue flicked out and wrapped around her clit drawing the turgid morsel into his mouth and sucking on it as he had her nipples. And she exploded, fire shooting through her veins and flowing like lava inside her. He sucked and sucked until she finally went limp and then he let go and moved his mouth lower to her opening. Now he was slow. He ran his tongue over her lips darting inside for more of her taste as he wanted to. He used his fingers to spread her and then slowly fucked his tongue in and out of her. Slowly he built her back up. She reached up to take her breasts in her hands and ply her

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nipples with her fingers. She was on fire again only it was different this time, more molten. He lifted from her moving up to his knees and holding her gaze as he worked on releasing the fastenings on his pants. His weapons belt was gone though she didn’t remember him removing it. Then his pants were open and the engorged head of his cock was right there a shiny drop of fluid glistening on it. Without a thought she leaned up and while his hands were still on his pants she took him in her hands, and then in her mouth. They both groaned as she sucked the head, running her tongue over the top and then flicking it in the tiny notch just below. His was big, swollen with lust and need for her. But she wanted to taste him as he had tasted her. Wanted another drop of fluid like the one that had beckoned her to start with. So she sucked and licked while letting her hands caress the length of him, fondle the hard globes beneath him. And he groaned, his fingers wrapping in her hair as he helped guide her untrained movements. His hips were moving and his cock was stroking in and out of her mouth. Slow and easy he let her take as much as she wanted of him before pulling back and entering again. Goddess, it was good. So unbelievably good. If he had enjoyed her half as much as she was enjoying him, well then they were both happy and had yet to fully bond with each other. “So good,” he whispered above her and then he was pulling away. She tried to protest but he only shook his head as he took them both back down to the grass. “I won’t last much longer,” he rumbled, “and when I come with you for the first time, I plan to be deep inside you.” He came over her and she lifted her legs to wrap alongside his hips opening her wider for his touch. He took one hand and used it to place his cock at her pussy and then he caught her gaze with his and held it. One hard thrust and he was buried. One more and she was arched up, fingers wrapped around his shoulders holding on for 28

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dear life. One more and what little control he had seemed to disintegrate so that he was pounding into her with a speed that had them both gasping for air. And she was flying, higher and faster than she could have imagined. She held tight to him her fingers leaving marks as she tried to hold on, afraid to let go. He was her anchor, her portal in the storm ripping through her body. And she had a feeling that by the way he was holding her in return that she was his as well. She felt him join her, the heat of his release. She heard his cry of pleasure and wondered that they didn’t have the entire village rushing to make sure they were okay. And then with a smile for her mate she closed her eyes and let her body rest. Soon Bram would arrive and she had little doubt they would all end up in this same condition before the night was over. Maybe several times.

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Chapter Three She awoke to the gentle feel of the warm water washing over her. She was in the pond, in Tanner’s arms, safe and secure. He was holding her close, her head on his chest with her lower body floating in the water. It felt heavenly there in his arms. No war. No death. No destiny. Just them. She felt other hands behind her, caressing her shoulders, running through her hair. So Bram had arrived while she slept. Now it would be the three of them. They would prepare her for having two lovers at once, which would occur often when mated to three warriors. She knew of the fire oil that they would use to arouse her anally, that would prepare her to take a lover there. She had seen it in the homes of her friends and when they had refused to tell her of it, she had sought out those in the village who would. She purred as their hands stroked over her, caressing and arousing at the same time. Bram was massaging her shoulders and back while Tanner’s hands had dipped down to stroke over her buttocks and the back of her thighs. She could feel both men’s erections brushing against her as the water moved around them. It was a moment she never wanted to end and yet one that she was eager to take forward. “In the water?” she breathed and both men chuckled. “Nay, Reanna,” Bram whispered into her ear. “When the time is right, when you are ready, we will move back to the shore and make love on the blanket I brought with me.” She glanced over and saw the blanket and other things scattered about. It was a seductive scene indeed. She could see the food laid out as well as the wine. And the bottle. She could see the bottle that she knew would hold fire oil. And she wanted to feel it, to experience it. Now. 30

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“I’m ready,” she told them her gaze bouncing between them. “I’ve been waiting for this moment.” “Have you now?” Tanner questioned with a grin. “Best not to keep you waiting then.” Bram chuckled and both men moved toward shore with her still wrapped around Tanner. Once their legs were free of the water Tanner swung her up into his arms and carried her the rest of the way to the blanket. Bram reached for the plate of fruit, cheese and bread while Tanner sat her down. “We should eat first.” His eyes blazed with sexual desire as he held a piece of cheese up to her lips. “You’ll need your energy.” “Yes,” she agreed and opened wide for the morsel he fed her. Bram faced her staring into her eyes as he gave her bites of the bounty he had brought for them. He continued feeding her the food while his eyes devoured the sight of her naked body. She could see the fire growing in his eyes, could see the barely veiled hunger he was struggling to keep leashed. And she wanted to push him, wanted to break that control just to see if she could. Perhaps even because she knew that she could and wanted him to know it as well. The next bite had her lips wrapping around his fingers and sucking the fruit free. His eyes flared as he met her gaze and then he groaned when she nipped just the tips with her teeth. “It is a dangerous game you play,” he warned her. But Reanna only smiled. It wasn’t a game at all. Another bite. Another slow glide of tongue and tug of teeth. The look in his eyes made her desire shoot higher. He brought a bit of succulent fruit to her and she took it letting the juice run down her chin and over his fingers. Holding his gaze she cleaned his digits, bathing them with her tongue before sucking each deep into her mouth as she had done earlier with Tanner’s cock.

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Tanner slipped to the blanket behind her and it was as if he could read her thoughts. “She is very talented with that tongue and mouth of hers.” Bram groaned, his eyes flickering shut for a second before flaring open again and she knew that he was close, so close to losing that control. Tanner seemed to know what she was about and from his chuckle he was enjoying it. He moved her hair to the side and soon it was his mouth moving over her shoulder and up the column of her neck. He used his whole mouth to savor her skin and she loved every second of it. She arched into it and when his hands moved around to cup her breasts, fingers tweaking her nipples, her moan filled the air. She let her head fall back on Tanner’s shoulder, let her eyes drift closed, trusting her men to see to her pleasure.

Bram saw the wicked gleam in his brother’s eyes and then followed Tanner’s gaze down to the gorgeous breasts he held on display. His brother pinched both of Reanna’s nipples making her cry out before moving his hands so that they cupped her mounds in an offering to him. And Bram was more than willing. Bending low he wrapped his lips around one tight red bud and sucked hard. Her cry rose and her body pressed toward him urging him to take more into his mouth. He sucked and worked her nipple against the roof of his mouth using his teeth to tug and bite at it. She was sheer perfection, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was fire and ice, thunder and lightning, soft skin and a hard bite of lust. She was his entire world in that moment and he vowed once again to protect her to the death, this time with the full clarity of what and who he was taking the oath for. At some point Tanner had moved so that she sank to the blanket and Bram had naturally followed her down, his mouth never leaving her breasts. Back and forth he worked loathe to leave one mound and yet eager to reach the other. She was delicious, the taste of her skin the greatest aphrodisiac he’d ever known. More potent than any wine he’d ever tasted. And she was his. His woman. His mate. 32

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He glanced up and watched as his brother kissed her, mouths open, tongues touching and tasting. And he wanted that kiss, needed it for his own. Needed it with the hunger of a starving man. He released her nipple with a loud pop and moved up toward them. Tanner just grinned and with one last deep kiss that had Reanna panting for breath he pulled away and reached for the bottle of fire oil that Bram had brought with him. There was a question in Tanner’s eyes and Bram nodded. Bram had been the first to claim her, to take her virginity. It was only right to give Tanner the joy of taking her first anally. Tanner gave a slow grin. But before Bram could grin back Reanna pulled his face to hers and claimed his lips. She nipped at his lips, slicked them with her tongue and then ran her lips over his cheeks and chin. She nipped his chin in several places almost as if she had to, as if her desire was too hot to contain. And that was exactly how he wanted her. He rolled pulling her so that she straddled his hips, her legs braced on either side of him. His cock notched in her slick pussy folds and it was sheer torture to keep from parting that flesh and thrusting into the heaven he knew awaited him. But Tanner needed the time to get in place and work her flesh for a joining that she was not familiar with. And Bram needed to taste her, to touch her, to love her.

Tanner moved into place behind Reanna. He lifted her hips up a bit making her slide up his brother’s cock, pulling groans from both of them. Tanner just grinned. Soon they would all be groaning, lost in a pleasure so deep, so intense that it would claim them all. He poured some of the oil along the crack of her ass knowing that it would slip to her sweet cunt and from there to his brother’s cock. Soon they would all burn. But first he had to make sure she was ready for the claiming that was to come. He ran his fingers through the oil rubbing it into the small pink pucker of her anus. She was so tight, so incredibly tight that he thought his cock would explode at just the thought of taking her there. He pushed one finger against her until it popped in and just

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held it there as she cried out and automatically pushed back against him. He drizzled more oil, making sure it coated that finger and began working it in and out of her. With each stroke, each coating of oil her cries grew louder and fiercer. One finger became two and now she was slick with not just the oil but from the juices of her wet pussy. He worked her adding a third finger and spearing inside her, spreading her to prepare her for the much larger breadth of his cock. She was wild, undulating between him and Bram. Her hair was a heavy mass of curls and when she glanced back at him her aqua blue eyes seemed to glow. “Now,” she screamed at him. “Take me now, Tanner, before I die.” He wanted to grin, wanted to draw the moment out just a little longer but the look in her eyes was like a match igniting a flame. He moved in closer popping his fingers free and wrapping them around his cock. He drizzled a little more fire oil on himself making sure his entire length was slick with it before placing the flared head at her anus and pushing. He watched as she flared and opened for him. Watched as the head of his cock disappeared inside, felt the give of that tight ring of muscles and groaned with the intensity of his pleasure. Hot. So fucking hot that he would be burned alive. Tight. So damn tight that she might crush him. And slick. So slick that it was far easier than it should have been to work his length inside her. Sweat gathered on his brow, dripped over his chest and down his back. His muscles were tensed and ready. He was all the way in and it was going to kill him to wait for Bram to get his cock inside her so that they could start fucking.

Reanna’s head was moving back and forth, not in a demand to stop but in denial of how intense the pleasure already felt. Tanner was buried in her ass and she was so full. She wanted to move, to feel his cock moving in and out of her but his firm grip on her hips kept her from seeking that pleasure just yet. She felt Bram move his hands to her pussy, the slide of his fingers inside, the way they filled her and brushed against the wall that separated him from his brother. And 34

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she wanted to hit him, wanted to bite and scratch and claw. She didn’t want his fingers. She wanted the rock-hard cock she could feel against her, wanted it inside her and wanted them taking her, taking them to the heights that she could only imagine. “Damn it, Bram,” she cried. “I’m ready. I’m so ready that I could scream.” His eyes locked with hers and she felt the fingers move and then the rounded tip of his cock at her entrance. “Then let’s make you scream,” he said and pushed inside her. And she did scream. She let her head fall back and felt the scrape of Tanner’s teeth along her shoulder while Bram worked his cock into her pussy. Inch by inch he pushed his way in and with each there was a slow burn that flared all the way to her clit, all the way to her womb. The fire oil had done its job. She was burning alive. She needed. Goddess how she needed. Craved that burn and the pleasure she knew that it would bring with it. Bram gripped the back of her thighs and with one last powerful surge buried his length deep inside her. Her back arched forcing Tanner even deeper and they all held perfectly still for one timeless moment. It was the most lucid moment in her memory. She could hear the flow of the water, the rustle of the breeze, the tiny sounds of insects and noises that often went unnoticed. It was as if every sense in her body came alive and took over. And then it was gone, evaporating in a rush of pleasure as they finally began to move. Tanner pulled back letting his cock slide almost free before surging forward while Bram pulled out. Back and forth they went one filling her while the other retreated and it was diabolical torture. The burn, the pleasure, the lines were so blurred that she didn’t know just what she was feeling. Only that she wanted more, now. She wanted faster and harder and she must have voiced her wishes because they were giving her just that. Faster and faster their cocks stroked in and out. Each stroke landed harder and deeper. And still she wanted more. Her nails dug into Bram. She turned her head to where Tanner’s was by her shoulder and nipped him where she could reach with her 35

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teeth. The air seemed to shimmer around them. Water roared behind them. The trees swayed. Their skin seemed to catch fire, the flames of desire burning hot in them all. It was all right there, so close that all she had to do was reach out and take it. Bram and Tanner seemed to know what she needed, what it would take to send her that final inch over. Now they fucked her as one. Both cocks slamming into her at the same time and then withdrawing as one. Within three strokes she was exploding. She could feel her muscles tightening around both of them and knew they would be joining her. She could feel her nails sinking deeper into Bram’s chest and when Tanner moved one arm up to clasp her shoulder she turned and sank her teeth into the space between thumb and forefinger. Her orgasm blasted through her like a sudden storm. Moving through her and leaving chaos in its wake. Her vision began to fade so that black spots floated around her. Nothing should be this good, this consuming. She let her eyes flicker shut. She would just rest for a moment, catch her breath. And wonder how much better it would be on the morrow when she had all three of her warriors. Would she survive? A smile graced her lips as she let her body drift down to cover Bram’s chest. She’d survive or die trying.

Tanner slowly withdrew from the still pulsing grasp of her ass. He glanced at his hand, the one that she had bitten to the point that it bled. It stung like hell but in all honesty it had been that little bite that had pushed him the rest of the way over into orgasm. Damn but his mate was an incredible woman. He had dreamed of her for years but the reality was much sweeter. He glanced down at her cuddled against his brother’s chest and almost laughed at the claw marks he saw there. So the little hellcat had gotten him too. Yeah, she was something else. “We need to talk,” he whispered to Bram not wanting to wake Reanna. She looked peaceful, a look he knew wouldn’t last long with what they had coming their way. 36

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He helped Bram to shift her so that she lay on her side on the blanket and then both men dressed as quickly and quietly as possible in their pants. They moved a few feet away and sat on the grass facing Reanna. Neither was willing to let her out of their sight just yet. “So how did everything go?” Bram asked Tanner. “Did you run into any problems?” “None that I couldn’t handle,” Tanner grunted. “Father’s body disappearing worked to our advantage. I told everyone that he had been removed to the palace for burial. So even if they didn’t want to go before, they all agreed to go now for the ceremony.” “Genius, brother,” Bram smiled. “But do we actually know yet where his body is?” “Unless Finn found him and Mother at the palace when he arrived,” Tanner stated, “I have no idea. When I left I headed straight here knowing that Finn would follow in a few days.” He looked around taking in the trees surrounding the pond, seeing it with a knowledge that was new. “This is it. This is where it will all take place.” “What are you talking about?” Bram asked looking around trying to see what his brother saw. “This is the Valley of Elms,” Reanna said drawing both men’s attention back to her. “This is where it all ends. This is where it all begins.”

***** Althea stood to the side, trembling with emotions that she should have never have let cloud her judgment. She had failed her goddess, herself and her people. She had sacrificed the good of all to save one. And now she must do whatever she could to right the wrong. A life would be sacrificed. Just not the one the goddess had chosen. She took a deep breath and moved from the altar to the table with the water basin and cloths. She took her time washing the blood from her hands before she took the

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dagger and cleaned it as well. Blood had spilled, so much. And yet more would fall before all was said and done.

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Chapter Four Reanna stood, comfortable in her nudity and empowered by the way her men ate her with their eyes. She stretched and almost laughed at the twin groans that filled the air. They wanted her again and she could so easily give in. But for now they all needed to talk. There were things that needed to be discussed, plans that needed to be made. She slipped into her skirt and top quickly before they could approach and stop her. It would be easy to let them become distracted again with the passion that filled them. But sex was not what would set their people free from the war that tore their home apart, that caused the shedding of both blood and tears. Now was the time to finish what had begun so many years ago. Now was the time for an ending, a merging, and a new beginning. “Soon, within mere days, all the Guardians will gather her within the circle of these sacred trees and together we will reinvoke the blessing of the Goddess of Altair.” Reanna looked about, picturing how things would look when that day arrived. “It will be an ending to all the chaos that surrounds this island,” Bram said as he joined her. He stood at her side, his arm brushing hers as he took her hand. “But was the cost really worth the lesson we were all to learn?” Tanner asked taking a stand at her other side and sliding his arm around her waist. “So much death. So much blood. So much loss.” “Everything happens for a reason,” Reanna reminded him. “We have gone through what we went through to bring us to this point with the knowledge we need to change. For the better.” “Tell that to the men and women who have lost children, to the women who have lost husbands. Tell that to the children who no longer have fathers.” Tanner looked down at her, his eyes fierce with a rage barely concealed. “Explain to the people of this 39

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island why they should pledge their allegiance and love to a goddess who has allowed such pain and torment to fill their lives for years without once interceding on their behalf.” “Tanner,” Reanna began as she turned to him but another voice cut over hers before she could answer. “It was your father who desecrated the Temple of the Goddess. Your father who set this curse in place, not me.” The woman was there but not there. Vision? Ghost? They couldn’t tell. “In ignorance,” Tanner said. “He did not understand what he was doing. And yet you feel just in forcing an entire people to suffer for it?” “I am justified in whatever I choose to do,” her voice thundered. “You would do well to remember that, Tanner.” “Or what?” he demanded and both Bram and Reanna tried to silence him with looks and touches. “Only two sacrifices have been made,” she said as if a thought were occurring to her. “The last one was denied me. Saved by a mother’s love. Such a powerful gift that love.” She glanced at Tanner then, capturing his gaze with hers and holding it. “Or a great-great-grandmother’s gift.” “I know whose blood runs through my veins,” he assured her. “And are you willing to spill that blood?” she asked him. He reached down and unsheathed a blade from its spot on his weapons’ belt and with a quick move sliced his palm down the center so that blood flowed to the surface and dripped down his fingers to soak the ground. “In an instant,” he assured her. She smiled and with a slow lift of her hand in front of her body his palm was healed as was the love bite from Reanna. He glanced over and immediately noted that the fingernail scratches on Bram’s chest were healed as well. His gaze went back to her.

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“My will to do what I choose to do,” she said with a smile. “I had to know, had to assure myself that you would be prepared for the next few days.” Her smile vanished and her aqua eyes seemed to glow brighter by the second. A wind seemed to appear out of nowhere to blow in a circle around them blocking them apart from their surroundings. “The next few days will bring both joy and pain. You will love and you will lose. And someone will die. The end of the curse is near and a new beginning waits just ahead. But first the final blood will spill to feed the Island of Altair.” Her gaze zeroed in on them, focusing on Reanna now. “Mark my words. Five shall gather, each with their own. Four shall gather around the stone. The Mystic will rise, signaling the call. Stand together, let none fall. Words spoken in love, in pain and in need. Will find treasure within the goddess indeed.” And with that she faded away as if she had never been there. Reanna pulled free of both men and walked down to the shore of the pond her gaze darting everywhere at once. “What are you looking for?” Bram asked. “The stone,” she stated. “Or what might be constituted as the stone. This is the place. I have the plan figured out. Now all I need is to make sure that I know the exact spot within this place that we are to gather and invoke the blessing.” “In love, in pain and in need,” Tanner repeated the last words of the goddess. He glanced down at his healed palm and shook his head. “I pray the end result is what we hope.” “I believe,” Reanna said turning back to him and wrapping her arms around him. “I’ll believe for both of us.” Bram joined them placing his hands on her shoulders, his gaze meeting his brother’s over her head. “For all of us,” he said. “Believe for all of us.”

*****

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Bram and Tanner had gone out once they had seen Reanna back to her parents’ home. It was funny the way everyone just accepted that she was their mate though she didn’t wear the mark of their family yet. This evening she would, when Finn finally arrived. They would go back to the sacred valley and love one another before they marked her. It was a link that needed to be complete before they joined with the Guardians. Reanna felt a weight upon her shoulders and a need for rest. Unusual normally but she had been through a lot in the last few days. She headed up to her room and the big bed that was there. It would be soft and inviting and just what she needed for a few hours of rest. She gave a big yawn as she stripped out of her clothes and snuggled down. Sleep couldn’t come soon enough to suit her. But sleep came with the dream, the dream of the woman she knew and yet had never met. The woman she would one day call mother as well. “Why do you come to me in this dream?” she asked. They were in the valley sitting on the bank of the pond. Though both were nude they sat close together as if in deep conversation. “I walk in shadow right now,” Asme answered, one set of turquoise eyes meeting another. “This is the only way that I can share with you.” “In shadow?” Reanna queried. “What does that mean? Tell me you are not dead!” “I am neither dead nor alive at the moment,” Asme smiled at her. “I am in shadow and mist.” “What has happened?” Reanna wanted to know. She would need to tell her mates of this and they would demand to know. “There is no time for that,” Asme said as she gazed around them. “Even now time grows late. Finn will be here soon to take you from a sleeping dream into a waking one.” Reanna blushed at hearing such words from his mother but Asme only laughed. “I was once young and in love as well. One died to save us all and the other betrayed all in 42

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hopes of having one.” Asme looked sad and suddenly very tired. “But it has all played out as it was destined to. And now the final stand is upon us.” “Yes,” Reanna agreed. “The Guardians and I must join here in this valley and invoke the goddess once more.” “You will each stand alone, and yet not alone. You will each stand complete and yet uncovered. You will each speak though none shall hear. You will be as one and yet the fate of all rest upon your shoulders.” Asme reached over and brushed her hand through Reanna’s hair, a mother’s touch. “Look to the center and see the stone. Kneel to the goddess and arise on the throne. The heart’s journey will soon be done, and in the end the battle won.” She leaned close and placed a soft kiss on Reanna’s brow. “Be safe. Be strong. Be brave. And remember that the very power of life and death resides in your hands.” And with that Asme disappeared blending into the shadow and mist that suddenly rose around them. Reanna remained seated as the valley became lost in the darkness. She could feel death around her, smell the scent of spilled blood in the air. There was the stench of rotting flesh, the slither of evil in the grass. A cold vise seemed to wrap around her heart and lungs as her stomach climbed higher and higher into her throat. Death was all around her, clawing its way to her. And Reanna was very afraid. She woke from the dream in a cold sweat with a scream of terror lingering on her lips and filling the air around her. Strong arms reached for her and she was pulled against a warm, naked chest. Slowly the shaking stopped as he ran his hands up and down her spine. She snuggled closer to him, wanting nothing more than to crawl into his skin and be one with him. He smelled of musk and man but most importantly of life and mate. She knew who he was without asking. “Finn,” she breathed his name into his neck and nuzzled there like a greedy kitten. “Looks like I arrived just in time,” he spoke into her hair his hand still stroking over her back and hair. “Must have been some dream you were having.”

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“Yes,” she murmured but was reluctant to speak of it just yet. She would go over it, but when they were all four together. “Want to tell me about it?” he asked her. “No,” she whispered finally, pulling back enough to look into his eyes. “No?” he asked. “Not yet,” she added. “Right now I want to be with my mate.” “I’m here for you,” Finn said and she knew that he would be content to just hold her if that was what she wanted. But it wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted to know this final mate as well as she was starting to know the other two. She wanted to let her body love him while her heart followed more slowly. “Are you?” she queried and leaned in to place her lips against his. Just that soft touch had his body tensing. She leaned closer letting her full breasts rub against his chest, the rigid nipples growing harder. His mouth opened on a breath of surprise and she took advantage to dip her tongue in to taste him. He tasted of wine and fruit, of sex and pleasure and she wanted to gorge herself on him. But too quickly control went to him and she found herself drowning under his carnal assault.

Finn moved them being sure to keep the flesh to flesh contact until they were both lying on the bed. He kept his weight propped up not wanting to crush her smaller frame beneath his. Reanna was everything he had dreamed of and so much more. She was all woman with her lush body and sensual eyes. Eyes that promised everything. He might be the last of the three to claim her, but he planned to take his time and gorge all of his senses on her. He took her mouth again simply because he could and the need was too strong. She tasted of everything and yet there was nothing in his mind that could compare. He could grow drunk on her taste alone. He was glad that he had taken the extra few minutes upon entering the room to divest himself of both shoes and weapons’ belt. Now all that lay between them were his warrior’s pants and at the moment he felt that 44

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was a good thing. Her cunt was so hot and wet where she rode his thigh that if not for the cloth barrier he would already be in her, close to spilling his seed. He pulled slowly from her lips and worked his way just as slowly down her jaw and neck. Soft sucking bites, tiny nibbles and wet licks from his tongue left a path on her skin. She was soft and warm and sweet. He licked over the tops of her breasts working his way around and around growing closer and closer to the rigid nipples in the center of each. Finally he pushed both lush breasts together and took the twin points into his mouth sucking greedily on them. Reanna thrashed and moaned beneath him prompting him to suck harder with strong pulls of his mouth. He lavished her breasts with his unwavering attention until both nipples were wet, red and tight. She shuddered and went limp and Finn raised his head with a smile and a question on his lips. “Did you just find your pleasure Reanna?” He grinned in triumph while she nodded her head. He could smell the musk of her, see the sweet cream coating her cunt and inner thighs. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “I’m going to lick you clean. Every drop. Then I’m going to make you give me more.” She shuddered again as he moved lower until his body was wedged between her sprawled thighs. He lifted her legs and pushed them so that her feet were flat against the covers with her knees bent and spread wide. He inhaled again and then slowly worked his tongue from her anus to her clit. She cried out beneath him and her hands clenched in the cover they were lying on. He licked the plump lips of her pussy before spreading them and doing the same to the inside. Over and over he worked his tongue until she glistened from his saliva instead of her juices. He brushed her clit with every upward stroke but didn’t stop to give the tight bud the attention that he wanted to. Not yet. Every downward stroke had him flicking over her opening denying both of them the penetration they wanted. Back and forth he went until she was bucking her pussy up to him begging with incoherent sounds for what

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she wanted, for what he wanted. Finally he stopped with his mouth poised over her clitoris. He gripped her thighs in his palms and began his assault. He stabbed and flicked the pearl with his tongue before leaning closer and placing hard suctioning kisses on it. She screamed and bucked beneath him trying in vain to close her legs against the pleasure he knew he was giving her. Her cries and begging assured him of that. He took one hand and slid the fingers down to her opening. Two big fingers slid home and he began pumping them inside her in rhythm with his tongue on her clit. She arched her hips higher pressing her dripping cunt more snugly against his mouth as he brought her to orgasm. He kept licking, kept sucking and kept her right in the thrall of her pleasure for as long as he dared before gentling his touch and pulling back to allow her to come down. While she lay panting for breath, limp with ecstasy, he spared the few seconds necessary to remove his pants. When he moved back into the space between her thighs his naked cock bobbed away from his body. Reanna reached forward and wrapped her fingers around it making Finn groan and tense. He was so close to the edge that just the touch of her hand might set him off if he didn’t maintain control. She ran her fingers lightly from crest to root taking a moment to fondle his tight ball sac before moving back up and swiping her finger over the tip of his cock and the drop of semen already beaded there. She took the drop on her finger and carried it up to her mouth. He was mesmerized by the sight of her tongue darting out to taste him before she stuck the finger into her mouth. He watched her cheeks flex inward and knew she was sucking his taste. The pleasure that filled her eyes said that she liked it. He couldn’t take it anymore. He pushed her thighs wider and, holding her gaze, moved so that the bulbous head of his cock rested at her opening. Slowly he pressed inside, doing his best to take his time. This first time he wanted to enjoy every facet of making love with her. He wanted to always remember this time. He wanted to recall with perfect clarity the way her pussy clenched and squeezed him as he worked his

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length into her. Wanted to remember the way her breasts lifted and fell as she breathed through the pleasure spiraling between them. The bright red cherries that were her aroused nipples. The way her eyes held his sharing with him exactly how she was feeling, how she was enjoying what they were sharing. He buried his cock as deep as it would go and held still. Their pubic bones pressed against each other, her sheath a constant ripple around his engorged cock. He leaned down so that her nipples stabbed into his chest and, holding her eyes with his, kissed her, softly, slowly and with the love he felt growing inside him already. This was his woman. His mate for life. The one woman who was destined for him and his brothers, to complete them and enhance them. This was the first moment of forever. He smiled. Reanna smiled back at him and it was a moment in time. Just one moment in time. But it was their moment and one that he would treasure until the day he ceased to be. He rocked his hips pressing just that tiny bit deeper before pulling back and sliding home again. She lifted her legs and clasped them tightly around his hips while her hands moved from his chest to his shoulders and finally down to clasp his hands with hers. He took her slowly, gently, making love to her body with his. And the entire time her eyes never wavered from his. As he lost himself in her body he could see that she was right there with him every step of the way. It was all in her eyes—the pleasure, the joy and the beginning of what would be between them. She came again and he followed closely behind her. And when they finally fell asleep their hands were still joined as were their bodies.

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Chapter Five Reanna woke with a slow stretch. Her body was deliciously sore in places it had never been before. And the day was far from over. She had no doubts that when she next slept it would be with all three of her mates. And she would be wearing the mark of her warriors on her abdomen. It would be tonight. Their ceremony wouldn’t be the same as others, but then that was to be expected when the Mystic mated with the new island princes. It would be perfect for them though. And she was eager to experience all of them at once. But first she had a riddle to work out. She had to go back to the valley and find the stone. She knew the placement of the four Guardians. Alea who was Guardian of Air, and the only one that Reanna had not met yet, would stand to the East and be the first to invoke. Farrah, Guardian of Fire, would stand to the South and go second. Willow, Guardian of Water, would stand to the West and go next. Then Erika, Guardian of Earth and a very close friend of Reanna’s, would stand in the North and cast the final invocation to complete the circle. Reanna of course would begin the ceremony. They would call upon the goddess, asking for her blessing. They would unleash the power in order to cleanse the island. And then when all was said and done they would close themselves within the circle, withdrawing power one at a time starting with Erika and working back to Reanna, who would then open the circle to the goddess. It all seemed so easy in thought. But a million things could happen between now and then. And it only took one to end it for all of them. She took her time washing and dressing, going over and over possibilities in her mind. But she couldn’t make it click, not without going back and looking more closely at the valley. The Guardians would be around the small pond. Leaving Reanna where? How did she find the stone? She heard voices outside her door just as she was slipping

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into her sandals. At the discreet knock on the door she invited them in and was delighted to see three of the Guardians standing before her. Erika was a friend who had grown up in the same village with Reanna. She stood five feet eight inches in height with long brown hair and green eyes. The height and eye color were a trait that all three of the Guardians Reanna had met shared in common. So she had little doubt that Alea would be five eight as well with green eyes. The only physical difference was their hair color. And they each had unique personalities. Farrah had reddish-gold hair while Willow had long black hair. Alea’s was said to be a fiery red. “Come in,” she urged her friends. Erika walked right up to her and wrapped her in a big hug. “I always knew that there was something special about you.” “Thank you,” Reanna said. Part of her had been nervous of her friend’s reaction to her being the Mystic. But she should have known that when it came to these women she had little to fear. They were her friends and they took friendship very seriously. Just as they took exception to anyone who hurt, or even tried to harm, one of them. They were a unique force unto themselves. Reanna grinned as each of the woman perched on a different spot around the bed. They each had incredible power and the only people they could not use it against were their mates and each other. But they had found a way around the mates part. They just had another guardian use her power on their mates. No law broken there and their point got across. No, these were definitely not women you wanted to mess with. “The time is at hand,” Erika said and all eyes went to her. “With your awakening Reanna, the journey is complete and the end is near.” Farrah smiled and reached over to grip Reanna’s hand in hers. “We have waited for your arrival just as the island has waited for ours. I can feel the ripple of fire under my skin, so close to the surface, closer and stronger than it has ever been.”

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“It is the same for me,” Willow added. “The call of the water is louder and more demanding than ever before. My soul yearns for what it knows must come and the words of invocation want to fall from my tongue.” “It is the same for all of us,” Erika agreed. “I’m sure that you can feel it inside you as well,” she said to Reanna. Reanna nodded and squeezed Farrah’s hand. Farrah had just recently announced her pregnancy and proudly displayed the rounding mound of her belly now that she was six months along. Erika had recently given birth to her twins, the first set born on the island where there was one of each sex. Rarely were there a set of twins born that were not male and never a set of triplets. It was a first for them as well, a sign from the goddess of the change in the air. Reanna knew that the other two Guardians would soon be pregnant as well, if they weren’t already. It was a sign of rebirth. A gift from the goddess to those she had chosen by her own hand. “Yes, I can feel the change in the air,” Reanna said. “But what is more, I’ve spoken with the goddess.” They all looked at her, not exactly with surprise but with awe. “What did she say?” Erika asked. “Five shall gather, each with their own. Four shall gather around the stone. The Mystic will rise, signaling the call. Stand together, let none fall. Words spoken in love, in pain and in need. Will find treasure within the goddess indeed.” Reanna repeated the words that the goddess had spoken in the valley. “The stone?” Farrah questioned. “Where is the stone?” “I don’t remember there being a stone anywhere there in the Valley of Elms,” Erika agreed. “That is not all,” Reanna stated to the group. “I had a dream vision with the Mahiki.”

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“Princess Asme visited you in your dreams?” Farrah asked. “That usually only happens when…” She paused and looked up with dread in her eyes. “It can’t be.” “She can’t have passed on.” Erika shook her head as well. Willow shook hers as well. “Wouldn’t we know if she was gone? Wouldn’t your mates?” she asked Reanna. “What do they say?” “I haven’t spoken with them about it yet,” Reanna admitted. “I just had it today before you got here.” No need to share what else had happened between that time and now. “She said that she was in shadow. That she was neither dead nor alive but walked in shadow and mist.” “Okay,” Erika said. “That could mean many things then. But she did say that she wasn’t dead.” “She also said that she wasn’t alive,” Farrah added. “But somewhere in between, in shadow,” Willow stated. “So there is a possibility that wherever she is she could come back.” “Yes,” Reanna agreed and they all nodded in turn. “In the dream we were in the valley sitting by the water.” “What else did she say?” Farrah queried. As goddaughter of the princess, Farrah had grown up in the palace with Asme and her sons and viewed them as family, as they all did her. “You will each stand alone, and yet not alone. You will each stand complete and yet uncovered. You will each speak though none shall hear. As one and yet the fate of all rest upon your shoulders.” “Alone but not alone?” Farrah pondered. “Well that is easy. None of us is going anywhere without our mates.” They all laughed at that. The men were very protective of them so that was a given for them all.

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“Complete and yet uncovered?” Willow ventured. “I’m guessing that means that we will commune with the goddess as she made us.” When they all looked at her she laughed and wiggled her eyebrows. “Naked.” They all laughed and agreed. “And I’m guessing that the none can hear must mean some outside force that doesn’t want us to invoke the goddess’s blessing,” Erika stated. “So we must have this planned down to the last second. Everyone must know their part as well as everyone else’s. We can’t miss anything.” They all nodded in agreement. “There was more,” Reanna said before continuing. “Look to the center and see the stone. Kneel to the goddess and arise on the throne. The heart’s journey will soon be done, and in the end the battle won.” “I’ve been pondering where the stone can be,” Reanna admitted. “I think I’ve got that one as well,” Willow nodded her head her eyes growing excited. “If we each take a stand around the water, each invoking once the circle is cast, then the only place it makes sense for you to be is in the middle—of us and the circle.” “But that’s…” Reanna’s eyes sparkled too as Erika and Farrah joined her to say, “in the water.” “Exactly,” Willow said. “Once the circle is cast Alea will call upon the air, which might be why we won’t be able to be heard as well. Then fire. I’ll call upon the water and the stone should be revealed beneath. Then Erika calls upon earth and it should rise taking you with it.” “But how do I get there to begin with?” Reanna asked. “Swim?” “I’m not sure,” Willow admitted. “We need Alea to hurry and get here so that we can all go over this together. No surprises that way.” “Well, at least none that we can help prepare for,” Erika added. “So when will she be here?” Reanna asked.

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“According to what your mates said to ours within the next twenty-four hours,” Farrah said. “Haven’t you talked to them about her?” Reanna blushed and all the women laughed. “Aww, been busy with other endeavors,” Farrah said with a smile. She was the only guardian with three mates as well. And Farrah always had a big smile on her face. Reanna could and would learn a lot from Farrah about bonding with three men. They just had to get through the next few days. Once that was behind them they could go back to being women without the fate of their entire people on their shoulders. “I’m so glad you guys stopped by,” Reanna stated with a smile. “We’re always here for you,” Erika assured her as the other two women nodded in agreement. “No matter what comes or goes, our circle of friendship never ends.” She placed her hand on top of Reanna’s. “Never,” Farrah agreed adding her hand on top. “Never,” Willow smiled placing hers atop. “Forever.” Reanna nodded.

***** With her mind still thinking and pondering what was to come it was no wonder that Reanna found herself at the water’s edge shedding her clothes to go for a swim. That she shouldn’t be here alone didn’t faze her. Her mates would be here soon enough, of that she was sure. And in the meantime she could do a little exploring underwater and see if the stone was there as Willow thought. The water was warm against her skin, lapping at it like one of her lovers’ tongues. She waded as far as she could before she began to swim toward the area she considered the center of the pond. She looked around at each side judging just where each guardian would be when the time for the ceremony came. The full moon would be tomorrow. The ceremony would take place that evening, in the late night when the moon was brightest. 53

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After moving a little to equal the distance from shore to shore, Reanna took a deep breath, filling her lungs with air before diving deep under the water. It wasn’t that deep, maybe only fifteen or twenty feet at most but Reanna didn’t have to go far before she saw what she was looking for. A silver cast lay just beneath her. The stone. It was smooth with no moss or substance growing on it or marring its perfection. There was a slight lip around the edges giving it a slight bowl shape, a pedestal to stand on. This was exactly what she was looking for and it was exactly where Willow had thought it would be. Now she just had to figure out how she was to position herself on it during the ceremony. She’d have to be on it before Erika shifted the earth and raised it. She’d have to discuss it with the Guardians and see what they thought would work best. She had no doubt that together they would come up with the perfect plan. The water rippled around her and she realized that she had been under longer than she realized. Her lungs were burning with the need for fresh air. Strong hands grabbed her and she found herself propelled almost violently to the surface. She inhaled deeply almost choking on the oxygen-rich air. She was hugged tightly and then pushed back and shaken. “Are you okay?” It was Tanner in front of her and at her nod he pulled her close again. “I saw you go under and then you didn’t come up. You just scared a thousand years off my life. Don’t ever do that again, Reanna.” She smiled and snuggled as close to him as she could. She loved the feel of his hard muscular body against hers. Especially with both of them naked and just the soft flow of water between them. “I didn’t mean to scare you, Tanner,” she told him. “I was looking for something and got so lost in the moment that I didn’t realize how long I’d been down. I’m very lucky that you showed up when you did.” “What were you looking for?” he demanded. “And why were you here alone? You know better than that.” 54

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She laughed. She just couldn’t help it. “I know. Honestly I do, but this was important and I just wasn’t thinking.” “You always need to think,” he whispered against her hair. “If anything happened to you it would destroy all of us, not just you.” She pulled back and brushed a kiss over his lips. “I’m sorry, Tanner. You’re right. I promise I’ll think from now on.” “Good,” he agreed before taking over the kiss and plundering her mouth with passion and fire. She lost her self in him. His touch, his taste, the feel of him, all converged on her and stole her senses. So lost was she that she hadn’t even realized that they were moving through the water until suddenly they were no longer in it. She felt other hands as she was lifted and carried to a blanket that had been placed on the grass. She peered up at them and was awed by the sheer beauty of her three warriors. All appeared like bronzed gods. Their seven-foot-frames rippled with muscle and made her mouth water. All exact images of each other and yet she could tell them apart easily. Bram, Finn and Tanner. Her warriors. Her mates. She could already feel the swell of love deep within her for them. Their ebony black hair and deeply tanned skin was the perfect foil to her creamy skin and golden-blonde hair. They stood above her naked and very aroused. And she couldn’t just lie there looking up at them. Smoothly she rolled up to her knees, lifting up to align her mouth with the pulsing flesh jutting out toward her. She started to her left with Finn, licking over the crest and catching the drop of fluid there with her tongue. He groaned and she laughed letting the sound travel from her mouth up his shaft. But when he moved to reach for her she moved away to her right and Tanner. She glanced up at him and while holding his gaze swirled her tongue around his cock head. He didn’t groan like his brother. No. Tanner just grinned and with a quick move he had her head in his hand and thrust his cock into the back of her throat. She was unprepared, caught by surprise and couldn’t master the gag reflex. He pulled back 55

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a little just until she was comfortable and began to shallowly thrust in and out of her mouth. “No teasing me,” he warned her but the grin was still on his lips and she knew that she could move away at any time. Yet she was enjoying it just as much as he was. She lapped and sucked at his flesh trying in vain to keep him from pulling it out. Then finally he did pull out and with his hand turned her toward his brother. Bram was in the middle watching her and there was no misreading the hunger in his eyes. She didn’t disappoint. She was as hungry as they were at this point. She wrapped her lips around his cock and sucked him as far in as she could. He was delicious and more than her mouth could handle. She was on fire, burning with unquenchable desire and she wanted to pull them all into the flames with her. Hands were behind her, whose she didn’t know or care. She just craved the stroke of the fingers on her flesh. Her buttocks were spread and she felt the wash of the fire oil just before the first finger breached her anus. She cried out around the cock in her mouth inciting the lust higher in all of them. The oil dripped lower and she felt it wash into her cunt. Two fingers were working in and out of her ass now and her pussy was clenching on air. She wanted it filled, wanted them to take her and fuck her now. But hands held her and the only cock she had was the one in her mouth. So she ate it, ravaged it with her full mouth using teeth and tongue to work him into a lather of desire to challenge her own. She wanted to smash his control, to push him into what she wanted. But he never relented, never lost rhythm or changed his pace of slow strokes. And she realized that he already possessed the control of a prince. It awed her and annoyed her at the same time. And then he opened his mouth and said the words that were destined to set her free. “I can’t last much longer,” he panted. “Is she ready?” She nipped him, catching him by surprise and pulled back letting his cock slip free. “Hell yes I’m ready. I’ve been ready.” 56

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He grinned and she heard Tanner chuckle behind her. She was on her knees and she wondered how they would arrange themselves and her. Who would take her where? And how would they decide? But it was as if they had already decided and had it planned out. She felt movement behind her and turned to see Tanner stretched out on his back one hand wrapped around the shaft of his cock. “Want to bring that pretty little ass over here and have a seat,” he said with his grin still in place. “I’m not sure how to do that,” she answered. “We’ll help you,” Finn stated. And they did. With Bram and Finn to help support her she straddled Tanner’s thighs and slowly lowered over him taking his cock slowly into her ass. Finally when she was flush against his abdomen with his cock so deep inside her that she swore she could feel it in her stomach, they helped her so that she lay atop Tanner. He wrapped his feet inside hers and spread her legs incredibly wide making room for one of his brothers there. His breath in her ear was jagged and she knew that he was close to the edge, overcome by the pleasure just as she was. Then Bram was there, kneeling between their legs and lining his cock up with her pussy. He caught her gaze and held it while he worked inside her clenching cunt. In and out he pushed giving her another inch or more with every inward stroke. Finally he was all the way in and she was so full of cock that she felt like she would burst. But there was one more that she needed. And turning her head slightly to the right she found it. Finn knelt right there beside them his rigid cock in his hand as he stroked up and down his shaft. “Mine,” she said and he slowly moved closer so that she could reach him with her mouth. Tanner’s head was on the other side so that when she turned to Finn, Tanner began to lick and suck along the column of her neck.

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Bram was sucking at her nipples while Tanner’s hands were holding her hips, desperate to keep her in place on his cock as his brothers’ movements had her moving on him. It was the most euphoric moment of her life. Never had she been so consumed with a pleasure like this. Never had she even dreamed that such pleasure existed. Tanner’s cock buried in her ass, pulsing and throbbing. Bram fucking in and out of her pussy rocking her on Tanner’s cock while he took her. And Finn in her mouth filling her with his girth and length. Nothing could be better than this. Nothing. She was on fire with hunger and need stronger than she had ever known. She wanted more and yet getting more just might kill her. It was a pleasure that was painful in its totality. It overtook her, stripped her of everything and yet gave her everything. It was glorious and yet terrifying. She felt Tanner stiffen first. Heard his breathing change just before he told them that he was going to come. Bram breathed harder above her, his strokes came harder and faster. She shattered. She would swear that in that moment she ceased to exist that she flew off into the nothingness as waves of pleasure crashed inside her like water against the shore. Harder and faster they came carrying her with them. Bram cried out above her while Tanner flexed his hips and lifted them all with the intensity of his orgasm. She could feel the heat of their cum wash inside her. Tanner’s in her ass and Bram’s in her cunt. And she loved it. With a harsh sigh Bram pulled away and she wanted to reach for him until Finn popped out of her mouth and with a harsh cry sank into the spot Bram had just left. He thrust into her quickly taking her hard and fast, making both her and Tanner cry out as the sensations became almost unbearable. But within a few strokes Finn was joining them, his cum joining with Bram’s inside her. As they stilled around her finally spent, she couldn’t help but smile. This was only the beginning for them. There would be many more nights just like this one in her future. “She is smiling at least,” Finn stated but Reanna couldn’t manage to open her eyes. 58

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“Do it now,” she told them and everyone knew what she was asking. Finn moved from her and Tanner wrapped his arms over her, taking her hands in his and wrapping them across her chest. She felt the slide of cold metal over her skin, just over her right lower abdomen and slowly let her breath out. “Do you willingly agree to join with us? To proudly wear the eagle as a symbol of your union with the house of Verbani?” It was Bram’s voice that asked but she knew that he spoke for all of them. “Yes,’’ she breathed more sure of this than she had ever been of anything else in her life. “Then we claim you,” Bram said. “From this day forth you will be known as the mate of the Verbani warriors,” Finn added. “And we will give you all that we are, guard and protect you with all that we have, and love you with every breath we take,” Tanner stated. There was a flash of pain, almost like a burning and then she did open her eyes and glanced down to see the eagle so beautifully displayed on her. Its wings were widespread as if in full flight and she knew that this was how she would be from now on. With these three men she would be allowed to spread her wings and fly free knowing that they would always be right beside her. Content and thoroughly sated she closed her eyes again and relaxed fully against Tanner’s chest. His cock was still inside her but not as hard as it had once been. She turned her face and kissed his jaw as he was the only one she could reach. She turned up and briefly opened her eyes to capture both Bram and Finn. “I am proud to be your mate, your lover, and your friend. I will give you all I am and be fiercely protective of you. And I will love you with everything inside me until the day that I no longer walk beside you but wait with the goddess for you.” And with that she let her eyes slip closed again and gave in to the pull of sleep.

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Chapter Six She awoke to total darkness lying in her bed with three men all piled around her. She would have smiled, would have gloried in the delicious sensation of waking that way if not for what had awoken her. A hum in her blood, a calling for aid from one of their own. Alea. She and her warriors were so close and had fallen under attack. One of them was hurt but who was not clear. Alea was a guardian and her warrior mates, the Xandova, were warriors in a class all their own. But they were surrounded, outnumbered by odds of at least twenty to one. And they needed help quickly. “Awake,” Reanna cried as she moved to leave the bed. Bram stayed her with his hand. It amazed her how quickly all three men came awake around her, tensed and poised for a fight. “What is wrong?” Bram asked of her. “It is Alea and her mates,” Reanna said quickly tugging free and moving to pull on her clothes. “They are under attack. Someone is hurt but Alea’s fear and pain is blocking me from seeing if it is her or one of her mates.” All three men moved silently to don their clothes as well beating her though she had started first. It was Tanner who spoke next. “Where are they? How far? Will we reach them in time?” The questions flew from his lips as she finished tying her top in place and stepped into her sandals. “We must alert the others,” Bram added. “They know,” Reanna stated. “The Guardians received the same call that I did. Even now they rush to aid them.” “We must go,” Finn said turning to her. “Lead the way.”

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“All the women must be protected at all times,” Bram reminded them though Reanna thought it was more for his brothers than for her. “Even unto my life,” Tanner stated as Finn nodded. And for some reason those words sent a chill of extreme cold up her spine. There was still one blood sacrifice required before all could be set right again.

Reanna could hear the battle long before they arrived on the scene. Only a guardian and her mates could have held the enemy off for so long. Plus it helped that Alea had her bird of prey, the aqua-phoen, Reanna’s mates said she called Vulcan. And the Xandova warriors had their animal companion, a lion they had named Caspian. So even on their own they were a formidable group. But still they could not stand fully alone. So it was with this thought that the others had all met on the edge of the village and headed as one unit to the aid of the Xandova clan. Together there was a group of fourteen, still not great odds for most battles. Except for the fact that the women all came with an arsenal that none other possessed. Erika, and her power of earth. Farrah with flames at her disposal. Willow who could pull water from anywhere or anything. And Reanna whose powers were just beginning to show themselves to her. They would all join with Alea, who controlled the very air that flowed over the island. Yes, together they could do anything. And would. With shared looks and few words they made their plan and hurried to where the team of three was still standing their ground. Even at this close range it was hard for Reanna to connect with just who was injured. But she could feel the power at her fingertips and was eager to use it at last. They were there. The sounds of battle were louder. A clash of weapons, cries of pain or injury. The flapping of wings and the call of the bird of prey that was so obviously attacking. The roar of the lion. They split up, surrounded and then converged as one coming at those who still fought to spill the blood of the Xandova. But not this time. 61

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Erika gave a sharp cry and the earth trembled beneath them causing many of the enemy before them to fall or lose their balance. Luckily a guardian’s power had no effect on her fellow Guardians or her own mates and only on the mates of the others when desired. But each guardian would protect their mates in battle. In response the air swirled around them, gaining speed, knocking weapons from hands and lifting some into the air and sending them flying out of the circle they had now created. The ones who remained standing were given a hell of another kind. There was Willow who so easily pulled water from beneath their skin leaving them dehydrated and weak. Or even worse was Farrah who could either burn them with flames that she created or just make them think that they were on fire. And that was when Reanna stepped within the circle and a sudden hush seemed to settle over the group. The sounds of battle faded for her until all she could hear was silence. The earth no longer moved beneath her. The air was still. No fire or water was upon her. Only silence in the void where she was. She lifted her hands to the sky and spoke the words of her people, ancient words that few still recalled. But she had the wisdom of the Mystic and in that moment all was revealed to her. She embraced it all and stood tall and proud as she invoked the power of the elements. Lightning flashed around them. Thunder rumbled in the sky above them. And then it all came back to her in a rush. The shudder and rumble of the earth beneath her, the wild breeze that circled them. Rain began to fall and yet the flames went untouched as they blazed in the darkness. Her eyes took it all in. And it clicked. This was the prequel to what they would all be doing in just another night. This was the trial run before the show. And while this was all clicking into place for her it was as if everything went into slow motion. She could see everything. Her friends fighting alongside their men, or perhaps it was the other way around. And they were beating back the enemy even though the numbers were on their enemies’ side.

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They were the Guardians, the ones chosen to protect the Isle of Altair. They were the ones granted powers by the goddess herself. And she was the Mystic. She held power over the elements and even life and death. She took it all in and was awed and amazed at what she witnessed. Then she heard the shout, watched as the man broke through the circle and ran toward her. He seemed fixated on her, as if spilling her blood would save him. He wore the mantle of a man who was no stranger to power, as if he expected all to bow and obey his every command. His weapon was high in the air, ready to plunge toward her. And she was ready for it, ready to let him see the full extent of what she was capable of. And then one of her mates came, and stood between them, taking her place and leaving her without a clear shot. Tanner. She cried out in fear and felt shame at the very human emotion. For it brought his gaze to her leaving him unprotected for just a brief moment. But it was all that was needed. The sword plunged low and embedded in Tanner’s chest. He fell with a cry but not before plunging a dagger into the man’s chest, into his heart and taking him down as well. She threw her head back and bellowed her rage to the world. Her legs moved as she spoke the words that came into her mind. There was an explosion, a pulsing in the air and then there was nothing but silence and the only ones remaining were the Guardians and all the warriors who stood with them. But she was focused only on Tanner and the dark red of his blood as it soaked into the ground beneath where he lay. She knelt beside him, ignoring the hands that pulled at her. She grabbed the sword form his chest and screamed her rage to the sky. He cried out as the cold steel pulled free and looked up into her eyes. And his words made her anger crackle and surround her like a mantle. “If I must die, then I will,” he whispered. “As long as you and the Guardians remain unharmed.” “No!” she screamed. 63

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He smiled and she could see the weakness as his blood continued to flow, as he continued to keep her from what she needed to do. “One last sacrifice to meet the goddess’s decree.” “No,” she screamed once more. “Not you.” She laid her hands upon his flesh and closed her eyes beginning the chant that flew through her mind. She could feel the power leaving her hands and filling his body, could feel as the muscle and tissue began to repair within him. Power of life and death. That is what she held and that is what she wielded now. She would not let him die. As long as there was breath in her body she would protect them all. The heat of her touch filled his chest making it glow. And she kept her gaze there until the hole sealed and no more blood spilled free. There was silence around her when she stood, silence as they all took in just what she was capable of. “Now who else is hurt?” she asked. Alea pushed her mate Drew forward. His right arm hung weak at his side and she could tell that his shoulder was ripped free. Already it was swollen and changing color. With little effort she placed her hands on him and shifted the joint back into place. Her heat and power filled him until his arm was as it was before. But the anger still resonated through her. She felt the presence of her mates behind her and took a deep breath when Tanner stood before her. She thought she was okay, thought she was calm, until he spoke. “If my life is required to save yours, to save our people, then I will gladly give it.” His eyes were filled with conviction but that only made her madder. “Do you not realize that your life is no longer your own? Do you not care who is harmed if something happens to you?” She was gaining momentum as she spoke. “What is my life if you are not a part of it?” She turned to face all three of her mates. “Any of you.” She pointed to her abdomen and the mark she wore on her right side. “Am I any less important to you? Should I be required to give my life to save you would you not be angry to see me go?” 64

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“You will not—” Tanner began but she just interrupted. “And neither will any of you. Not while I hold breath in my body.” And with that she threw her head back and screamed it to the skies hoping the goddess would hear her and not ask her to sacrifice what she loved most. Her family and friends. “Not my family!” And as she cried out the words she felt hands bind with her own and looked down to see her friends had joined her, had formed a circle. The power that they held separately flowed through the circle and filled them all. “Not our own,” she stated and one by one all the Guardians repeated her words. They would stand together or fall together but they would not give up one of their own without a fight.

***** They each went their separate ways, each group of mates needing time alone. What they all faced had just been shown to them in a new way, a way that none could deny or try to diminish. It was a wake-up call to some and a reminder to others. For Reanna it was a lesson learned and a confrontation in the making. One between her and her mates. And she waited only until they were finally alone in the bedroom they shared. “Never,” she began and the anger had her body trembling. “Never step between me and the enemy again.” It was Bram who turned to her and there was a cold fire in his eyes. “You dare ask that of us? You dare think that we will not do everything in our power to protect our woman?” “I am more than a woman,” Reanna stated. “And still no less our mate,” Finn said. “Our life,” Tanner added. “I have power that even I don’t know yet,” Reanna tried to explain. “I could have taken him until you moved between us. I couldn’t risk hitting you instead.” “But Guardians can’t hurt their mates,” Bram said. 65

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“But I am not a guardian. I am more,” Reanna fired back. “And I don’t know if I could hurt you or not. I only knew that something held me back from firing the spell that came to mind.” “And are you sure that you could have taken him?” Finn questioned. “You have to admit that you have powers that even you don’t know the full extent of,” added Tanner. “Yes,” she cried out and she could feel the fire in her eyes again. “I have no doubt that I could have killed him with no problem.” She turned to Tanner then and the fear finally released in a wash of tears down her cheeks. Tears that she couldn’t seem to stop once they started. “Don’t you realize how it will kill me if something happens to one of you? If you die, then a part of me dies with you, a part that I will never get back.” Her tears were blurring her vision but still she felt her men surround her, each touching her in some way offering comfort and love. “Can you not have faith in me?” “Reanna it is not a lack of faith that places us in front of you,” Finn whispered. “It is a conditioning that has begun from our birth,” Bram stated. “We have always known of the Guardians and that we are to protect them even unto our own deaths.” “But I am not a guardian,” she tried once more. “No you are more,” Tanner said. “And as such all the more important to protect.” “And you are ours,” Finn added. “A warrior will not leave his woman unprotected. Not as long as there is breath in his body.” “That is a decree that goes back further than all of us, to a time when our people weren’t on this island. It is a call in our blood. A reflex that cannot be controlled,” Tanner said. “It is not a lack of trust, Reanna,” Bram said. “We would all trust you. But nothing will prevent us from doing everything we can to protect you.” “Even if it means we die,” Tanner whispered.

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“But I can stand alone,” Reanna said. “And I would die if I lost you.” “None should ever stand alone,” Finn said. “And just because you feel that you can doesn’t mean that you should,” Tanner added. “Alone we are all still strong,” Bram said. “But together, our power is undefeatable.” “I can‘t lose you,” she whispered. “I’ve only just found you.” “The same goes for us,” Bram replied. “So we will have to learn to trust and accept,” Tanner said. “We can’t change who we are, can’t curb instincts where you are concerned,” Bram stated. “You must trust us to know when to help,” Finn said. “And you must trust me to be able to stand and fight as well,” Reanna said. Slowly her warriors nodded in agreement with her. It would be hard for them. They were taught from birth to shelter and protect their mates at all costs. “Now,” Tanner grinned and pulled her from the others to snuggle against his chest. “Where exactly did you send those attacking? You spoke words and then they all disappeared.” She looked up at him and then turned to place her back against him so that she could face the other two. “To hell.” She had destroyed them, made it so they didn’t exist. She should feel remorse for the taking of so many lives. Should feel guilt for saying the words to invoke the deaths of so many while she was angry. But she could still see Tanner lying there with his blood soaking into the earth. And try as she might the guilt wouldn’t come. She was the Mystic now, growing more powerful as every minute passed. Tonight she had saved a life and taken many. And if it came to it she would do it all over again. But for tonight she needed one more moment with all three of her men. One more

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moment to spend in their arms and share the love that grew stronger inside her with every breath she took. The rest of this night was just for them. For tomorrow things would end. One way or another.

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Chapter Seven She reached slowly for the tie around her neck and pulled it free so that her top fell down exposing her breasts. Both Bram and Finn let their eyes fall to the full mounds of her breasts and she watched as their gazes flared with lust. This was what she needed, what they all needed. A reaffirmation of life, of love, of them. Tanner’s hands moved behind her releasing the tie behind her back so that her top fluttered to the ground at their feet. Then his large hands moved around to cup and fondle her flesh and she leaned back into him letting her eyes close. His hands were wonderful. The long fingers tweaking and pinching at her nipples making them tighter, harder. She could feel the thick length of his cock against her back and rubbed eagerly into it. Finn moved forward kneeling to remove her sandals before helping to slide her skirt slowly down her legs. Bram stood gazing at her his hands busy taking off his clothing as he watched his brothers stripping her of hers. When he was as naked as she was he came toward her. Finn came to his feet and moved out of the way but Tanner continued to fondle her breasts. No words were said. None were needed. Bram bent and took her mouth in a kiss that screamed of possession. She was his, theirs, and they belonged to her. At some point during the kiss Tanner had stepped away. Her arms were around Bram burrowing into him as his kiss pulled her deeper into the consuming desire that flooded her body. Her pussy clenched with need. Her breasts tingled wanting their hands, their mouths. Even her ass felt empty. She wanted. She needed. Bram turned her toward the bed and there was Finn lying there naked waiting for her. His hand was wrapped around his cock stroking up and down its length as he awaited her. She licked her lips wanting that cock deep inside her. She moved forward

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with no prompting, as eager as they were. She crawled up the bed straddling his legs and rubbing her cunt against him as she moved closer and closer to that mouthwatering cock. And when she was just close enough it was second nature to open wide and suck the head. Long hard pulls at his flesh that had his free hand clenching in her hair as his other held the length still for her to devour. He tasted salty and sweet with a flavor that was so uniquely his own. She loved the way her warriors tasted, each just a little different but still delicious. She could stay here for hours and still not get enough of them. But Finn wanted more and one of her warriors already has his hands on her ass urging her forward. She could feel the slick oil of the fingers on her ass and knew what was coming. Anticipated it. Wanted it with every breath. She straddled Finn’s hips as he guided his cock to her pussy. The head lodged at the opening and she sank down with a fast hard thrust of her hips. He bucked up into her surprised at her movement. She could tell that he had expected her to be slow and easy. But that wasn’t what she wanted this time. She wanted hard and fast and deep. So deep that it was as if they were all one unit, unbroken. When she had him fully inside her she leaned over him pressing her torso high so that her breasts were close enough to his mouth for him to suck and bite. And Finn didn’t disappoint her. His lips latched onto one of her nipples and sucked hard enough to have her bucking against him. His hands moved down to hold her steady, keeping her hips in place while the oil was worked into her anus. She didn’t need to look to know whose hands those were. Tanner. It would be his cock that stroked her ass, filling it with a pleasure that burned as it thrilled. Finn moved to her other nipple and nipped and tugged playfully with his teeth. She moaned thrusting her hips back at Tanner. “Now,” she begged. “Now,” she cried out again, demanding what she wanted.

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And finally he did. Not slow and easy for him either. But one long hard thrust that had her screaming with lust. The burn was incredible. The feel of being so full was like an aphrodisiac. She was consumed with desire as if she could see and feel nothing but them, their bodies buried in hers. She couldn’t hold still, couldn’t wait for them to begin. She rocked fighting the hands that tried to hold her steady. “Take me now,” she screamed. And they were all rocking. The movement was natural, so natural that she wondered if she would ever feel the same with just one of them at a time. She was burning a fire in her veins that seemed unquenchable. As they stroked in and out filling her with their length and girth she felt wild, animalistic. It was as if some wild beast came alive inside her and took over. She moved back and forth with them trying to force their cocks deep, deeper than ever before. She could feel her fingers digging into Finn, knew she would leave marks. And she had the overwhelming desire to bite down, to mark them. She could feel her body tightening, could feel the rush of her orgasm as it drew closer and closer. And then it was upon her. She screamed throwing her head back as it crashed over her. Her fingers were clenched so tightly in Finn’s skin that she was afraid that she would draw blood. But she couldn’t loosen her grip. She could feel Finn clenching beneath her and knew he was close to his own release. Tanner surprised her. He bent his head to her exposed neck and bit down on the base where her shoulder met the column of her throat. It sent her spiraling higher, faster, deeper into the whorl of pleasure that already felt like it was swallowing her whole. He shuddered behind her and she could feel the hot spurts of his cum inside her ass. Finn joined them and the heat of his seed launched her again. Her body was at the point where she felt like she would splinter into pieces if they didn’t stop. It was too much. Too much pleasure for one woman to survive.

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Slowly they moved until she found herself lying on her back on the bed. With Bram over her. Bram, who hadn’t joined them. His cock was hard and thick against his abdomen, the head wet with the spill of his desire. She didn’t think she could take any more, but she could never deny one of her men. The love for them was already growing too strong inside her. But he surprised her. Slow and easy he entered her, taking his time and only working a few inches in at a time. He smiled at her bending low to take her mouth in another of his consuming kisses. This time with him was the opposite of the wild passion she had just shared with Finn and Tanner. This was soft and gentle, a loving of a different kind. His touch slowly built flames within her again. They didn’t burn as bright or as fast, but they were just as hot. She lifted her legs to clasp them against his hips, her hands lifted to his shoulders. He smiled at her and she was captivated by the beauty of it, of him. She reached for him again, needing his kiss once more. And he gave it to her without hesitation. Her passion built with every soft touch, every slow stroke, every gentle brush of flesh on flesh. And then she felt the tension, felt the pull in her womb, the tightening of her nipples that preceded every orgasm. It was no less powerful, no less consuming. In some ways it was even sharper making her realize that no matter what she felt when they were all together she would still find pleasure with each alone. Bram clenched his jaw and groaned as he joined her. He was the most beautiful in that moment, more beautiful than she had ever seen him. Unguarded and fulfilled. Hers. Hers and hers alone in this one moment in time. This man, the eldest, the one who would be prince. As Tanner and Finn joined them once more on the bed she felt her heart swell to overflowing with love. Here before her was the greatest gift that the goddess had bestowed upon her. Not her powers. Not being the Mystic. But these three men and the

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love that they shared, the love that grew stronger with every moment of every day. She was truly a blessed woman.

***** Asme was stuck in the void. Here but not. She wasn’t sure just what her mother had done to her, only that it wasn’t what was supposed to happen. Otherwise she wouldn’t be stuck in this void, feeling useless during a time of great need for her people. At least she was still able to feel and know the things that were happening in her world. She had been lucky enough to speak with the Mystic in her dreams. Reanna. She was a beautiful girl, the perfect mate for Asme’s sons. Strength and honor resided within the girl. She would fight for what was important to her, and Asme’s sons were important to Reanna. Asme longed for the time she would be able to speak with her outside of dreams. There was much they could share with one another. She had felt the power growing inside Reanna, had felt it when she had used it. It had unfolded like a dream. Asme relived the moment of horror when Tanner had stepped in front of the Mystic, obeying what she had told them from birth. His death would have killed her. It wasn’t his fate to be the final blood sacrifice. That fate belonged to her, a duty her mother should have already carried out. Instead she was elsewhere. Not dead and yet unable to live. It was as if she were trapped in-between somewhere. But she was grateful that she could still see what was taking place in her world. She had screamed her own rage when Tanner’s blood had soaked the earth. Had rejoiced at the power that flowed from Reanna to heal Tanner. Had taken the vow with them all that not one of her own should pay the final price that was hers alone to give. And she had marveled at the powerful unit they had all made. It was as she had always imagined. The Guardians were a powerful force. Her niece, Alea. Her goddaughter Farrah. And the unconquerable spirits of Erika and Willow, sisters now themselves. They worked well together as if they had done it for

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years. Her breath had caught in her chest as she had watched them fight for the first time all together. They were exactly what the goddess had promised the people. They were the island’s salvation. And Reanna, her daughter now, was a force all her own. She handled the elements as if she had controlled them all her life. There had been no awkward moment as she learned what she was capable of. No, it had all seemed to come naturally to her. Perhaps that was why Asme was here, in this void. To watch and witness, whispering the words in Reanna’s mind that would bring about what was needed. But she wanted more than to witness. She needed more than this fate allowed. She needed to see this through. She needed to know that her mates had not died in vain. And more than anything she desired to join their fate. Her time here was done. She had helped prepare the way and now it was their time. The Guardians and the Mystic. And yet she could not find a way out. And that filled her with a fear she had never truly known. If she were not there to provide the final sacrifice, just who would the goddess claim?

***** They slept in until the sun was at its highest point. They had needed the rest after the past night’s battle, to prepare for the battle that would come this eve. Tonight the moon was at its fullest point, the night when the ceremony was destined to take place. Her mates were up and dressed before her which didn’t surprise her. They would be late if they had all lingered together. But the thought of that made her smile. She prayed they would have many moments to linger in their future. First they had to ensure that there was a future. She took a few moments to wash up before dressing and heading down. Everyone was already gathered there. All the Guardians were present with their mates and her mates were all there as well. Food and wine sat on the low table before them but she

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could tell that none had sampled what her mother had prepared yet. It seemed that they had all been waiting for her. She stepped forward and began pouring drinks and passing them to everyone. By the time she was finished all the Guardians were helping and the men were making plates of the breads, cheeses and fruits. It was almost like a party only there was no laughter involved. All faces were serious and set with the only smiles passed those between mates. It made Reanna sad, and yet filled her with purpose as well. Once this was past she vowed that they would meet like this again. And the next time there would be joy and laughter. “I wish to thank you all for coming to our aid last eve.” Alea broke the silence. Reanna smiled at her and reached forward to squeeze her hand. “It is what we do,” she answered. “We should discuss just what happened last night before we begin to plan for this eve,” Erika stated and all agreed. “We worked well together,” Farrah said and none could deny it. “Yes, it was truly amazing to see the Guardians in action,” Reanna agreed. “You seemed as if you had worked together for years.” “Yes, we did,” Willow agreed. “I think our powers complement one another just as they were planned to.” She turned to Reanna. “But your powers are like none I have ever seen before.” Reanna had known this was coming, had wondered what they would ask and just how she would explain. She still wasn’t sure. “The way you controlled the elements,” Alea breathed in awe. “The lightning and the thunder. It was amazing. But what stands out most for me is the way you saved your mate and then healed mine. I can never repay the debt that is owed for that.” Reanna shook her head. “There is no debt. What is mine is yours.” She closed her eyes and shook her head back and forth. “It was as if the words were whispered to me

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in my head just as I needed them. I knew what to say, knew what to do without thought.” “And the others? The enemy that still fought with us,” Willow asked. “What happened to them? Where did you send them?” “And how?” Erika asked. “I was angry,” Reanna admitted. “It consumed me and for that I am sorry. I might have endangered any of you.” “But you didn’t,” Erika said. “And I find it hard to believe that you ever could.” “None of us can hurt one another,” Willow added. “But you are Guardians,” Reanna whispered. “And I am not.” “No you are the Mystic with powers even greater than our own,” Farrah added. “If we are unable to hurt each other, than with your powers how could the goddess do any less?” “I pray you are right,” Reanna stated. “For I would not want to live if I hurt any of you in this room.” “You could never hurt us.” It was Bram who spoke this time. And he spoke with such authority that she wanted to believe him. “So what did happen?” Alea asked Willow’s earlier question again. “Once again the words just came to me and I said them without hesitation even though I knew what they would do.” She took a moment to look each guardian in the eye before continuing. “I killed them. Every single one that was left. With the words that came to me I sent them to hell so that it was as if they never existed on this earth. And try as I may, I feel no sorrow for what I have done.” “And you shouldn’t,” Erika stated emphatically. “For all they have taken from us, for all they have stolen and killed, they deserve no mercy.” Her mates reached for her and held her close. They all knew she thought of her former sister-in-law who had been

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kidnapped by the enemy and had died in their captivity during an attempt to rescue her. Reanna nodded. “All I know for sure is that I will do all within my power to ensure the safety of us all.” “As we all will,” Farrah said. A moment of silence followed. Reanna could only imagine that everyone was thinking of what had occurred on their island home. What their people had endured and how they held the key to salvation in their hands. At least it was all that she could concentrate on at the moment. “So now we plan,” she said and they all nodded in agreement. The sun was already lowering in the sky. There wasn’t much time before the final stand was upon them. And still the final blood sacrifice was unmet. It sent chills of fear up her spine. Only one thing was she sure of. Not one of her own. Not while she lived and breathed.

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Chapter Eight Althea stood back and watched as the women took their places around the water, each with their mates close beside them. The time was upon them. And she had one final task to see to. One last sacrifice before all was said, before they invoked the goddess, before they cast the circle. She closed her eyes and let the image of her daughter fill her mind. Asme. She had not been able to protect her as a mother should. Instead she had been forced to stand back and watch as her daughter fought her own battles, watch as her daughter endured the worst kind of pain and betrayal. And she had died a little more inside as she watched, and did nothing. So it was with calm resolve that she stood here now and held the knife high in the air. She knew exactly who should fulfill the last blood sacrifice required by the goddess, knew exactly whose blood would suffice. With the knife held high, she whispered a final prayer and let the knife plunge deep into flesh. This was her final bow, her final deed in the name of the goddess she was descended from. Her final sacrifice.

***** A shimmer of light filled the area around the water, sparkles falling from the sky and Reanna caught her breath reaching out and bracing her hand against one of her mates. It was Bram. “What is it?” Tanner asked before the others as both he and Finn moved to her. “The final sacrifice is met,” she breathed out, and it was as if she could feel the blood flowing from the person as if it were her. “Who?” Bram demanded and she knew that he feared it was his mother. “I don’t know,” Reanna said. “I only know that it has been met.” 78

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He nodded but she could still feel their fear that it was their mother. She wished that she could assure them otherwise. But she couldn’t and she didn’t have time to strive to find the answer they wanted. They had planned this down to the wire, each having a certain amount of time to get in place and say their part before the next started. It had to go like clockwork. No exceptions. She moved to the water’s edge taking her place. She stopped as she glanced around to see the others all in their spots disrobing. The ceremony would be performed with no barrier between them and the Goddess of Altair, not even clothing. Her clothes quickly fell to the ground before her so that she was unfettered by this realm. “I ask the blessing of the goddess on this circle we now cast, creating a boundary between the world of Altair and the realm of the divine goddess.” She stepped forward into the water knowing that she must be in place before Erika spoke. Alea stepped to the edge of the water from where she stood to the east. “I call upon the goddess here in this hour. Hear my call and grant my power. The rush of air, a call of wind. Divine guidance from deep within. Guardian of Air, power of the East. I praise your gift and unleash my beast.” With that her head was thrown back and Vulcan entered the tornado of air that seemed to surround them all blocking off their ability to hear one another. He disappeared into the center of the stormy air and was lost to sight. And though it hurt not to know the fate of her best friend, Alea stood tall and proud holding her part of the circle. Farrah waited the allocated amount of time before stepping to the edge of the water. “I call upon the Goddess of Altair. I claim the very fire of the air. In my hands a gentle flame becomes the torch by your name. Guardian of Fire standing to the South, I praise your gift by word of mouth.” And the flames caught in the wind becoming part of the tornado that seemed to flow around them, though it touched none. 79

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Next was Willow who took her stand as her sisters before her. She checked the middle of the pond to make sure that Reanna floated in the water and would not be hurt when she called to it, invoking her gift. “I call to the goddess, hear my plea. Let the waters flow through me. Fill me with thy icy cold, embrace me with the warmth untold. Guardian of Water here in the West. I praise your gift, I fulfill your quest.” And with her words the waters rose and parted so that there were huge walls of water around the pond and the middle lay empty allowing Reanna to walk quickly to the stone that was her post for this ceremony. Now they could neither hear nor see one another. She could only pray that all went as planned. Erika took her place before the bank of water that seemed ready to wash over her at any moment. But she had faith in her sisters and knew that what they controlled could not hurt her. So it was with unfaltering faith that she took her place and completed the casting of the circle. “I call upon the Goddess of Altair, the power of Earth I wish to share. No rock untouched, no tree unbent. I thank you for the gift you sent. Guardian of Earth, power of the North. I call to the goddess, may your blessing come forth.”

Reanna stood upon the stone, her mates in a circle around the edge of the stone. Her circle within the circle. She could tell when Erika’s words were said. Her stone began to rise in the air with her atop it. Higher and higher she went until she was in the center of the storm they had called forth. And now was her part. “I call upon the goddess, here at this hour. I ask your blessing, grant us your power. I cast this circle, your protection I request, standing tall beside us on this final test.” She could see the glow, feel the change in the air and thought herself prepared for what was next. But nothing could have prepared her for the way it felt as if she were ripped out of her own body and flung into the heart of the storm. When she could open her eyes and gain her feet she saw that all the Guardians were there as well. 80

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“You have done well, my daughters,” the voice spoke and they were all awed by the presence of the Goddess of Altair. Each knelt. None had seen her before except Reanna and she had been too shocked to pay proper tribute that time. “Rise,” the goddess commanded and she smiled at them. “All of this because of ignorance and arrogance.” And she repeated the words that had started it all so many years ago. “Because you take instead of seek “Because you cause the goddess to weep. “In this take heed my words to hear, “For a time of reckoning soon will near. “In five times five the Guardians will arise “Five women marked by the goddess’s eyes. “Of fire, earth, water and air “Four will become the Guardians of Altair. “The fifth shall ply the mystic realms “And draw them together in the Valley of Elms. “When the five are united in this mystic place “Only then will the curse be lifted I place. “Cursed to battle to hold what you take “This is the hand dealt you by fate. “Warriors, fierce with muscles and brawn “Shall pray for the day of the Guardians to dawn. “For only through them will peace come at last “The Guardians united shall atone for your past. “So protect and serve when once they appear, 81

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“Or be cursed to live forever in fear.” The goddess’s eyes touched each of them in turn before adding the last line. “For if one shall die, all will be lost.” “I suffered beside you. I felt every death as if it were my own. I cried a thousand tears as I watched and waited. And I chose well. I watched you grow, watched you gain your powers, watched you slowly find each other. I watched you find love. And my pride in you grew more each day. You have fulfilled the task set to you before you were even born. Arise my daughters.” Slowly they all came to their feet and one by one she walked to them and embraced them placing a motherly kiss upon each brow. “But your journey has only begun. Your powers are yours, my gift to you and to your children. Together with your mates you will form a new Altair, one of equality and peace. One by one your children shall come into powers greater than even you know. And one by one you will watch them leave to conquer new worlds in my name. Know that I go before them, that I travel with them and that I will protect them. They are my children as well.” She turned and took a few steps away before facing them once more. Her smile was radiant and they could each feel the warmth of it on their skin. “Use your gifts wisely. Do not abuse or take them for granted. Remember this moment and heed my words.” She nodded at them probably reading what she needed from each in turn. They would not waste their gifts or forget where they came from. “It is not the same world that you return to. Much has changed in but a moment. You have my blessing, as does all of Altair. Go in peace daughters.” And with those words Reanna was jerked back into her body, back onto the rock only now it was beneath the water. She was already pushing her legs against the rock to gain the surface when hands grabbed her and someone was helping her. Only when their heads broke the surface did she see that it was Tanner. “You saved me once again,” she murmured and cuddled against his frame. 82

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“As you saved me, my love,” he answered and took her lips in a gentle kiss before propelling them toward shore. Bram and Finn stood with the other warriors speaking with someone she didn’t know, a man who was not of their people. “Who is that?” she asked. “He is the son of the man killed in the fight last eve,” Tanner said and she nodded. The man she had killed. “Why is he here?” she asked as they reached shore and Tanner kept her secure behind his large frame while he found her clothes and handed them to her so that she might dress. “He seeks peace and an end to the war that rages on our shores,” Tanner said. Reanna smiled. The goddess’s blessing was once more upon them. “And?” She smiled and Tanner’s lips pulled into a grin. “Bram has agreed and offered aid in helping them to find a home of their own. The Xandova have only just returned from exploring and have information they could use.” “And our home is once more ours and filled with peace,” Reanna breathed and closed her eyes leaning into Tanner’s chest. He wrapped his arms around her and it felt so good, so natural. “And though few will truly know just how that occurred none here will forget what you and the Guardians have done for us, for all of Altair.” Reanna knew he was right. The warriors who had never truly believed in the curse, in the Guardians would see Bram and his brothers as the heroes who had saved the island. And that was okay with her. The important thing was that the island was safe once more under the protection of the goddess.

Althea stood in the veil watching as one by one the Guardians and their mates all joined Reanna and her mates as peace was made with the enemy. She rejoiced when she

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saw Alea’s bird of prey on the girl’s arm. It was finally over. Her people were saved and her daughter would know no more pain. Soon the herb she had given to Asme would wear off and her daughter would awaken. “You disappoint me daughter.” The words came from behind her and Althea took a breath before turning to face her mother, the Goddess of Altair. “Your tasks were met. Did I not do as I was told?” Althea asked. Fire sparkled in the Goddess’s eyes and then was gone. “The tasks were met but not as I told you. Did I not tell you what I expected of you? Did I not make my wishes clear to you?” “She has suffered enough. She has paid a price greater than any woman ever should,” Althea whispered emotion choking her up. “And that is why I wished her to be the final sacrifice. I wished to release her from her earthly pain. And instead you do this.” “I only took her place,” Althea stated. “My daughter deserves the right to see her sons’ happiness, to watch her grandchildren flourish and grow. She can help them in ways no one else can. And she can help the Guardians and the Mystic as they step into the new world they are even now creating.” “Perhaps you are right.” The Goddess nodded and peered through the veil as well. An ending…and a beginning.

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About the Author Lacey Thorn spends her days in small-town Indiana, the proud mother of three. When she is not busy with one of them, she can be found typing away on her computer keyboard or burying her nose in a good book. Like every woman, she knows just how chaotic life can be and how appealing that great escape can look. So toss aside the stress and tension of the never-ending to-do list. For now, sit back, relax and enjoy the ride with Lacey as she helps you to unlace and unleash the woman inside.

The author welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and e-mail address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

Tell Us What You Think We appreciate hearing reader opinions about our books. You can e-mail us at [email protected].

Also by Lacey Thorn Bare Love 1: His Bare Obsession Bare Love 2: Bare Confessions Bare Love 3: Bare Seduction Bare Love 4: Bare Devotion Bare Love 5: Running Bare Ellora’s Cavemen: Jewels of the Nile III anthology Island Guardians 1: Earth Moves Island Guardians 2: Fanning Her Flames Island Guardians 3: Washed Away Island Guardians 4: Breathing Her Air Merciful Angel One Good Man with Cindy Spencer Pape Seducing Sampson

Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.

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