Her Loyal Seal (29 page)

Most of them stayed back from the broken ice but a foolish one went closer and almost fell through. The others pulled him to safety as their leader appeared and began shouting and gesturing. After a few moments they turned and began leaving the area but the leader stopped and sniffed the air and Skye knew he'd caught her scent and the scent of the warrior's blood. He roared with anger at the loss of an easy meal then followed his men.

She dismissed them and looked at the male she'd rescued while she wondered if this meant he belonged to her. Wasn't there something about saving a person's life that meant they owed you a life debt? She leaned toward him and whispered, "If you owe me a life debt I wouldn't mind if you woke up and was the kind of warrior who could save my life."

Her only answer was the rising and falling of his chest as he fought to live. His clothes were soaked with blood so she conjured a krystal knife and used it to cut them away.

Once he was naked, she ran her hands over him, carefully cataloguing each injury. His right wrist and both legs were broken. A massive bruise was forming over his chest and belly where he'd broken several ribs and had internal injuries.

Krystal enchantresses needed the love and companionship of their family or mate to remain strong but she'd been alone for the last two moon phases. The last time Berit had visited her it had been hard to tell him that her death was drawing near. Saddened by the memory and his reaction she moved her palms over the warrior's body and began trying to heal him. Where his internal organs were damaged and bleeding she lingered and felt them begin to function again. Little by little she healed the most critical injuries then even though she was exhausted she went back and tried to heal more of his wounds, determined that he would live.

While she worked some of his memories flooded into her mind. She learned his name but more importantly she discovered that he needed a mate as much as she did. As the connection between them grew stronger she saw the many battles he'd fought and that he was a warrior whose honor was his life. Knowing she'd found a worthy mate too late she continued to work until she collapsed against him.

Lying there, hearing his heartbeat slow she knew he would die this cycle but he would not die alone. She used the last of her strength to clean his body of all traces of blood then she decorated the inside of their shelter, now their tomb, with swirls of precious gems. On the outside she wrote their names and what had happened so her brother would know that she'd found her mate before she died. She removed her clothes, laid down next to him with her head on his shoulder and allowed her tears to fall as she grew colder and he grew hotter.

He struggled for another breath and his eyes opened revealing the most beautiful aqua eyes she'd ever seen even though they were filled with pain. Skye brushed her fingers over his cheek. "Hello, Soren."

"Little heart." He stared at her then grimaced with pain when he drew in another breath.

She not only saw his struggle to live but felt it and something inside her leapt to life. She couldn't let him die. She sat up and held his face between her palms while she looked into his eyes. "Soren, say you want me."

He groaned with pain and his eyes began to close.

She tapped his cheek. "No, stay awake." He struggled to open his eyes and succeeded. "Your mating fever is killing you. My need for a worthy mate is killing me. I can save us but you have to say you want me." By coercing him into accepting her claim she was breaking the first law. The penalty if she was caught was death.

"Want you," he said, his voice weak as he struggled to pull in another breath.

She held his head and forced him to meet her eyes. "I claim you, Soren. My heart is yours to cherish. My life is yours to protect. I willingly give my powers to you for all time." She opened his mouth then breathed her life force into his body before she moved back and waited to see if she was in time to save them.

Slowly his body began to heal itself. The bruises and scars on his body faded until his bronze flesh was unblemished. A blue mist with black swirls flowed from his body toward hers.

He opened his eyes and with a roar came up into a crouch and leapt toward her, taking her down to the soft mat she'd made for him earlier. His huge body caged her as one of his hands curved around her nape and lifted her mouth to his. His lips blazed hot against hers, forcing them open so his tongue could sweep inside. He explored her mouth, learning her taste. The kiss went on and on until she was breathless and burning. She wiggled and pulled him closer, spreading her legs and giving him room to move between them. Joyfully, she stroked his body, touching as much of him as she could reach, encouraging him to complete the bond between them. Wave after wave of her power slid through the mist of his desire and pushed them toward a burning need for each other.

He slid kisses over her cheeks and neck then down her body, over soft breasts with hard nipples and onto her bare mound where he breathed in and tasted her scent before he moved to her feet. Each kiss he left on her skin as he moved back up her body branded her as his. She claimed them just as she'd claimed him.

She wrapped her legs around his back and felt him place the head of his cock against her and thrust. She welcomed him and he kissed her, hard, his tongue stroking hers while he withdrew then pressed in again. Skye kissed his neck, his cheeks, and his lips. His mouth covered hers and he kissed her deeply pushing their arousal higher and higher.

She moved her hands to his shoulders and caressed him, urging him on. "Please, oh, oh, yes." She gasped his name when an unbearable rush of pleasure exploded through her, shaking her.

He groaned, tightened his arms around her then shuddered as he came. A moment later he collapsed and his weight pressed her into the soft mat beneath them. She kissed his cheek and he lifted up far enough that their eyes met. Skye smiled, brushed her hand over his head and heard him moan with pleasure. A sense of joy filled her. They were alive and she'd found her mate. She raised up onto her elbows and kissed him. "Soren," she breathed his name in wonder. "My Soren. My mate."

He kissed her then moved to the side but kept his arms around her before he rested his head on her breast and with a sigh fell asleep. While he rested she thought about their situation. Claiming him without his informed consent was a risky move on her part.

She could only hope that when she told him she'd done it to save their lives he'd understand and accept their mating.

It was the way of her people that once a mate was chosen love quickly followed. Even now her love for him blazed inside her. If he objected to her claim he had the right to go to the Krystali Kouncil and lodge a complaint. Something she definitely wanted to avoid although in her experience warriors were unpredictable and difficult to deal with at the best of times.

She'd talk to him in the morning. He would have to accept her once he understood that only he could give her the life force she needed to survive. Satisfied with her decision she curled her body around his and fell asleep.

Biography

Mardi Maxwell loves the quirky and the unique. She believes in UFOs, ghosts, and that we have a space station on the dark side of the moon. She likes books that put the reader "through the wringer" so expect a lot of drama and laughter in her books along with a happy ending.

She writes contemporary erotic romance and steamy sci-fi romance. Her first two books were banished to the garage for a very long time (they've finally been rescued and published as the Zarronian Warriors series). A third book was written on a dare from her best friend. It was sent to a publisher in 2012 and accepted. It's been joined by five more books in that series.

When she isn’t not writing you can find her in her garden or spending time with family and friends. She loves cooking, traveling, movies and spontaneous trips to wherever the road takes her.

You can follow her at

www.MardiMaxwell.com

www.facebook.com/MardiMaxwellRomance

www.twitter.com/MardiMaxwellRom
.

http://www.mardismentionables.blogspot.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7790271.Mardi_Maxwell

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7790271.Mardi_Maxwell

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mardi-maxwell

Blog:
http://www.mardismentionables.blogspot.com/

Excerpt from Jett’s Wild Wolf

Mystic Wolves, Book 3

By Elle Boon

Prologue

Taryn Cole felt the first skitter of fear slither down her spine as Keith pinned her with his black eyes. The man who claimed her as his daughter, or as one of his possessions, gave her one of his death stares. Others in the great room either dropped to their knees, or showed him their throats, but she did neither, barely resisting the urge.

“Where have you been, little girl?” Keith’s voice grated like nails against concrete.

She’d learned at a very young age not to allow him to see how he affected her. A deep inhale helped steady her nerves. “My truck broke down.” As long as she stayed close to the truth, Keith wouldn’t scent a lie. Another thing she’d learned at his knee, fists, and claws.

Keith cleared the ten or so feet separating them in one leap, startling a gasp out of her. “Don’t lie to me, you little bitch. I know there was more to it than that. You were in the woods up in Mystic again. Which one of those bastards were you sniffing after?”

His face had contorted into his half-beast. A cross between wolf and whatever he could be. Even Taryn had no clue what all he was, but he was mean.

Her head tilted toward the two wolves standing off to the side. “I followed those two, yes.” Again, half truths.

His chest expanded with his deep inhale. She was sure he’d give her some mundane chore, or take away her privileges like a child. At twenty-five years old, being treated like a five year old on a weekly basis was nothing new.

As his large arm raised with its muscles and veins covered by fur, she didn’t flinch as he ran the back of his knuckles down her cheek. “Your skin is so smooth, and soft. Unblemished from time and age. Do you know how lucky you are to have my genes coursing through your veins?”

She swallowed. “Yes, alpha.” Nobody could accuse her of being a stupid wolf. Her eyes stayed below his chin, yet she never gave him the respect due his status.

“When will you learn your place?” His voice didn’t raise. One claw scraped down, lifting her chin to meet his eyes.

The hate and loathing staring back at her made her gut clench. Whether it was directed at her or the Mystic Wolves didn’t matter. Alpha Keith was angry, or suspicious.

Her voice came out a croak. “I don’t have a place. I’m the lowest member of your pack, below even that.”

The blow that knocked her across the room shocked her, then the pain hit, blood filling her mouth. Before she could get to her feet, he was on her, his hand gripped her by the shirt and lifted her up, dangling her feet off the ground.

The scary beast in front of her drew his arm back, the shifted paw of the wolf was larger than a full grown bear, and he flashed his black claws like they were knives. They reminded Taryn of the movie
Nightmare
On Elm Street
, when the killer would taunt his victims before he’d slice the razor sharp talons, gutting them. Some days she wondered if he’d actually kill her. Had silently prayed for death on more than one occasion.

He laughed. “Oh, you are truly smart. Too smart maybe.”

A rake of those too sharp claws swiped across her cheek, burning her flesh like liquid acid pouring down on her. Silently she screamed, knowing he fed off the pain and anguish of others. Oh, he loved to see his handy work, too. She watched satisfaction flare in his unholy black orbs at the blood running down her face, ruining one of her favorite shirts.

Still, she hung several feet off the ground. His grip on her shirt never loosening while he held her at his height of over six feet four, give or take, in human form, but in his beast mode he was closer to seven.

His next blow broke several ribs, a gasp escaping before she could control it.

“Ah, let’s see how much more you can stand. Hmm?” Keith asked, dropping her from his grasp.

Taryn tried to protect her head, knowing it was the most important part of her body. Everything else would heal itself within hours with no outward sign of damage. However, a head injury could take days.

The sound of the pack cheering Keith on became background noise as he continued to kick and hit her. She tried to curl into a ball, focusing all her energy on keeping her head from taking any of his abuse. Every now and again he’d give a grunt, but even that was for show. By the time he was finished, Taryn couldn’t count the number of broken bones in her body on both hands.

Excruciating pain radiated out of every pore of her being. Both eyes had swollen to slits from the kicks to her face. Whatever had angered him, Keith had decided she was going to be his punching bag tonight. Not an uncommon occurrence, but this was one of the worst beatings she’d suffered in years. This time she didn’t have a mother figure willing to crawl over and help her back to their rooms.

“Someone help the whelp up before I kill her this time. It’s not her day to die, yet.” He growled, sounding more beast than man.

She wanted to tell whoever came to drag her up to leave her alone, but the gentle touch and sweet scents of her friends washed over her. They hadn’t been in the space when Taryn had been summoned by Keith, otherwise her friends would’ve tried to intervene. They’d have been hurt even worse than her, only their injuries wouldn’t have healed as fast, nor as completely.