Bliss (22 page)

“Thank you. I trust he will be, but until I see him with my own eyes, I won’t be able to stop thinking about him. I thought, we thought...” Jamie, gulped, a tear trickling down unheeded
down her cheek.

Kassandra watched Jamie fight to regain her composure to
continue. “We thought that sending him from the north seas would keep him safe from the plague, and when Seth realized his first awakening could happen at any moment, we realized our options were limited. When Darius finally made contact with us, we viewed that as a sign and proceeded with our plans. Now, I’m wondering if we did the right thing.”

“You did what you thought was best. I should tell you, Jamie, Darius never left his side. He sat with him through that long night and used his healing powers to help him. Even when they didn’t seem to work, he wouldn’t budge. If he could have he would have traded places with your son
in a heartbeat. That’s how much he loves him,” said Kassandra, awed at her own speech.

“He stayed with him through the awakening?” Jamie asked, clearly confused.

Kassandra nodded.

“But, Seth said... it doesn’t matter, thank you, once again. It seems, Darius is constantly surprising us with his actions,” said Jamie, a small fleeting smile awakening her weary face.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to wait until tomorrow or maybe even another day to go to the reflection pool. I’m not up to anymore surprises,” Kassandra admitted sheepishly.

Jamie nodded sympathetically.
“Actually, I think that’s best. I should be going anyway. I don’t like to leave Seth too long, and I’d like to share with him what you told me Darius did to help our son. It will mean a lot to him,” said Jamie, making her way to the door.

“Ahh, Jamie, before you go
…I was wondering, do you happen to know if there’s a way for Darius to reverse what he did to me?”

Jamie slowly thought about it. “The only thing I can think of is the ritual blood oath but that might
not work since he gave you the kiss of life. To be truthful I don’t think it can be reversed.”

“Thanks anyway,” replied Kassandra
as Jamie closed the door behind her.

Left alone with much to think about Kassandra realized she felt exhausted.
She wandered back into Darius’ bedroom. Eyeing the strange bed, she approached it warily. Then, overcome with fatigue, she swam into it only to discover it was surprisingly soft and comfortable. Her tail curled up alongside her, and in no time she was asleep. Since she’d always done some of her best thinking during REM sleep she prayed that would be the case now. Nothing would make her happier than to wake up knowing she’d found a way to break free from Darius for once and all. She hoped it turned out to be an easy, uncomplicated formula.

Sweat poured off him. He wielded the large double-edged Triton and plunged in again into the hot coals of the underground fissure. The heat almost blinded his sensitive infra-rayed eyesight. Once heated, he then pounded the sharp edges into sharp points and then dipped them into a pile of crystallized oblats that would reinforce the specialized metal. Then he grabbed a large piece of dead reef he could use to carefully sand the sharp edge of the triton until they gleamed. Two down, only twenty more to go. He eyed the large rusted Triton pile and grimaced.

“Though
t I’d find you here, son.”

Darius didn’t even bother to turn his h
ead to acknowledge his father. His father looked at the Tritons.

“I hadn’t realized they weren’t being taken care of,”
King Sadok admitted.

“Well, you should have,” snap
ped Darius, picking up a third triton to repeat the task.

His father’s large hand on his shoulder stopped him. “When you disappeared
, we searched for you. It wasn’t easy. I knew you weren’t dead but your mother couldn’t find a trace of you. We had no idea you were involved with Zeus’ half-nephew. If we had…well, let’s just say things would have been different. Now, that you’re back I can rest assured you will make everything right,” said King Sadok.

Darius plunged the rusted weapon
into the heated fissure. “You shouldn’t,” he grumbled.

“Shouldn’t what? Trust you
? You are my son, and you are our only hope. I sense the Fates’ hands at play so I wanted to warn you,” declared his father, moving away from him as he pulled out the glowing Triton.

“The Fates can go to
Tartarus,” Darius said, eyeing the glowing edge of the Triton.

“Yes, well some would say that is where they originated from.”

Turning the weapon over, Darius plunged it back into the fissure, his arm muscles bulging as heat danced up his arm. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wasn’t sure at first, but it wouldn’t have mattered…she is your
Sokhan
,” said his father, turning to leave. “Darius, if I were you, I’d claim all of her. Love her like a Titan. It will make it easier for her to accept her fate.”

“I don’t need…” Darius didn’t bother to continue, his father was gone as quick
ly as he had come.
Claim her like a Titan. Love her.
He ached to do that, but could he…or should he? What if his father was right? If the Fates were playing them, maybe all this was pre-ordained. That notion didn’t sit well with him.

But f
irst things first, he’d finish getting all of these Tritons back to their top shape. Then he’d seek out a member of his father’s personal guard, a warrior he could trust, and have him oversee the picking of a bunch of new trainees. The last thing his kingdom needed was to become completely defenseless.

* * * * *

A high warm tide washed through the kingdom. Every muscle in Darius’ body ached. He could barely glide to his own dwelling. He had avoided Kassandra all day
, but that didn’t mean one minute went by when he wasn’t thinking of her. He figured giving her time alone was the right thing to do. The last thing he expected was to see when he finally dragged himself into his dwelling was her curvaceous form cuddled up in his bed.

She looked incredibly sweet, innocent
, and vulnerable. Her long brown hair was draped around her front. Her hands were folded prayer-like under her head. Then his eyes caught sight of the red swimming bra.

His breath hitched, he hardened painfully
, and the beast that simmered below the surface broke free. She was his. This was his mate. This was the other half of his soul and he wanted all of her. Not just a piece, but all of her. And, by the gods, he was going to have her.

He had no
realization of moving to the bed until his fingers touched her warm, velvety smooth tail. Heat spiraled from her skin to the tips of his fingertips.

“Darius
…? Sorry, I fell asleep,” muttered Kassandra, attempting to sit up in his bed. That he couldn’t allow. She looked tussled. Her raw beauty was a beacon to his soul.

Swimming over her he positioned his body by holding most of his weight on his arms so he could angle his lower half over hers. He didn’t want to scare her
, but he wanted to assert his control and need for dominance.

“What are you doing?” she squeaked, squirming under him, which only excited him more. The feel of her breasts brushing his chest caused him to see stars.

“You are mine,” he whispered the words into her ear and then swirled his tongue in her earlobe. She shivered and arched her back up. “And I intended to make all of you mine.”

“What…
?”

He didn’t bother letting her finish her sentence
. Instead, his mouth devoured hers. He molded his lips to hers until she caved and parted them of her own accord. A soft mewl of acceptance greeted him, and it was the best sound he’d heard in decades. Taking control, he let his tongue plunge into her wet mouth and grinned when she greeted him. She tasted like an orange, tangy and sharp, but sweet to the core. And he planned to eat her all up.

With one arm he repositioned their bodies so that he was lying next to her. He yanked the red swimming bra off her in one swift motion, causing her eyes to flare uncertainly. He liked that. He sensed
that she did, too.

Her heartbeat matched his, and when he trailed a line of kisses and nips with his teeth from her mouth
to her long pale neck and down to her chest, he felt her indrawn breath. She wanted him as much as he did her. The knowledge tore through any lingering doubts he’d had about claiming all of her, and the beast within him growled low in triumph.

“I’m going to make you scream in pleasure. I’m going to brand you so that you’ll always know you need my touch.”

“Show me,” she taunted, tilting her chin up at him. Her chocolate brown eyes were drenched with a heated need, and her challenge spurred him on.

“With pleasure,” he said, claiming a peaked nipple. He brought the dark colored nipple deep into his mouth and then flicked it with his tongue while his other hand tweaked and pinched the other. Her moans of pleasure were a delight he’d
never tire of hearing.

But it wasn’t enough.

“Place your arms above your head and don’t move them. Or else,” he commanded, moving so he could lie directly on top of her. His weight settled into her curves. They were a perfect fit.

“Or else what?” she asked saucily doing as he instructed.

“Or else…I won’t kiss you here.” He dipped his head lower, hating to leave her lush breasts but knowing her midsection would be highly sensitive.

“
Ohh,” she breathed when his tongue licked the hard ridge. He placed both of his hands on the swell of her sleek bottom to hold her in place and then he moved lower.

“Or here,” he said, lazily parting her opening so he could taste her sweet nectar. Again her innocence wrapped a
round him, reminding him he’d be her first and last. The notion caused his erection to jump proudly in eager anticipation of what he planned to do.

“Darius I don’t know…”

He moved his lips lower and licked her opened folds, loving how she stilled for him as her head lolled back in ecstasy. “This, sweetlips, is all you need to know.” He plunged his tongue into her sweet opening, loving how she squirmed in pleasure as he licked her with a need to absorb all of her taste. Again his senses were overwhelmed by her heady taste of innocence—a deadly combination of fresh water dew, sun kissed apples and roses. She was tangy and he lapped at her like there was no tomorrow.

She arched into his mouth
. Her hands kept his head in place as pleasure crested inside her. Her folds swelled more as her opening grew wet and slick with desire.

He could barely control himself
. His muscles bunched as the Titan roared through his cells.

Without words he spun her around so her sleek bottom was positioned where his mouth had been. She tensed but didn’t say anything. He liked
that she trusted him in their love making, and he fully intended to use that to his advantage.

Pushing her up on the scallop-shaped bed he told her again to keep her hands up. Then he smacked her bottom. She bucked under the assault but he knew she had liked it. He kissed the hurt away
and then smacked her again, applying enough heat to cause her to squirm with need. Again he repeated his actions. A smack, kiss and nip.

“Darius I need
…” she wriggled lower, trying to position herself against his bulging erection.

“Yes, sweetlips, what is it that you need
?” he asked, his voice sounding breathless with barely controlled need to his own ears.

He took out his painful erection, letting the weight of it settle
on her rump, and then he rubbed it over her wet opening, loving how she inherently knew to position her bottom higher. She panted with need, and he took delight in the fact she was barely managing to keep her hands over her head. Her need for him was that great.

“You didn’t answer me,” he said, smacking her exposed bottom and then nipping her hard. He suckled
the pain away, loving the feel of her skin.

“Darius, I can’t breathe…I need…o
h for god sakes, just do it,” she said, bucking wildly against him, trying to aim for his erection.

“This is going to hurt,” he said, wishing he could edge the pain away from her.

“What…?”

The large tip of him entered her tight sheath. She stilled. He moved his hands under her, forcing her bottom up higher, allowing him more room for penetration. He was large
, even by Titan standards, so he tried to go slowly, allowing her muscles to get used to the fullness of him.

The last thing he expected was for her to push back with her hands
, forcing all of him to penetrate her barrier. She screamed. Her agony quickened his heart. Immediately he used his powers to ebb the sting of his penetration.

“I didn’t realize it would hurt so much,” she said softly.

“Only the first time,” he said, pulling out slowly. He felt her muscles relax and then grip him. He pushed back in, giving a little and then pulling out, going slow with his pace, letting the rhythm be set by her need.

“More,” she commanded, grasping his bottom tight to her.

“With pleasure,” he said, pounding into her.

She was a
Siren, and when she pushed back against him, her muscles clenched around his shaft. The friction of movement and her clenches almost caused him to spill his life-seed then and there, but he fought it, wanting her to climax with him.

Moving his hand around to her front he found her nub
and pebbled it until she bucked like a wild shark, grinding her bottom into him as need for release screamed through her. But it wasn’t enough. He wanted and needed to claim all of her.

Still pounding into her, the ancient words spilled forth. “I claim thee. You are mine for all of time. Neither sea nor land shall separate me from thee.” The simplicity of the ancient binding words crashed into him and spiraled in awareness into her. They merged fully, two souls as one, two heartbeats as one, two minds as one. Intense pleasure
, the likes of which he’d never experienced before, washed through him like a tsunami, claiming him and her in one final sweep.

Wisps of ancient energy expanded around them and time seemed to stand still as pleasure after pleasure crested through them. He no longer knew where he began or ended. Her memories seeped into him. Glimpses of her life, her father, mother and her brother poured into his mind, as he experienced her pleasure. With one final thrust
, he filled her to the hilt and let his life-seed spill, knowing he’d claimed his mate for life. He clamped down hard on her neck, biting her, as was his right, to mark her as his.

He felt the moment when she relaxed into his hold, blissfully exhausted. He hated to withdraw, but he knew
in a moment she’d sense a change within her body. Moving to her side he gently stroked her back, loving the soft lines of her.

Then he felt her awareness that all was not right. She turned, her face pale and drawn.

“Darius, I don’t feel well. In fact, I think I’m going to be sick,” she said, trying to sit up.

“Lie still. That feeling should pass in a minute,” he said, forcing her back into the bed.

“No, really…this is so embarrassing. I really feel like I’m going to be sick,” she said, and then she gasped. Pain caused her to double over. “Darius, there’s something wrong with me! There’s something…
moving
…within me.”

Panic was tightening up her muscles
. It would be better if she relaxed. He flicked his eyes to her belly and sure enough, a tennis ball sized bulge appeared to be moving around in her stomach.

He reached out and touched it, willed the pain away
, and watched it settle.

“What was that?” she demanded, her eyes
once again clear and focused.