Obsessed (57 page)

A roar seemed to swell around them, like the Mairi Sea, churning, louder and louder.

Renn broke away from her and smiled. “I love you, denai.”

Dazed, Tierra could only look up at him. She wanted to reach up to kiss him again, but then she realized what the roar around them actually was.

People applauding and cheering.

Warmth flushed through Tierra. Renn took her hand in his and they both turned to face the enthusiastic crowd.

“As many of you know,” he said, his voice rumbling over the crowd that quickly silenced. “I never believed that there was truly such a thing as finding one’s heartmate. Fantasy and Elvin tales.” His gaze dropped to Tierra, and he gave her that sensual smile that made her knees weak. “But I was wrong. And I will spend the rest of my days thanking the gods that I found my heartmate. Tierra.”

His heart swelling with love for his woman, Renn raised their joined hands and said, “I present you with my wife, my love, my denai…Tierra.”

More applause broke out from all those in attendance. Nordain, Tanzinites, Elves, Dwarves, and Human…all mixed and mingled, not segregated by race. All united as one, as all should be. Even the black-eyed Evvan of the Devline and Chrys of the Seraphine Elves sat side-by-side…although from the glares they tossed one another, neither looked too pleased with the seating arrangements.

Many of their loved ones, their brothers and sisters had been lost in the battle. It saddened Renn’s heart, but he knew that his kinsmen had gladly given their lives to protect the freedom of all peoples of their world. He was grateful for those who had survived, including Jalen’s sisters.

And he was most grateful that he and Tierra were able to stand before their peoples, to be united as one.

From the midst of the crowd appeared Yanea, Queen of the Seraphine Elves wearing a sheer gown. She carried the sacred ruby and gold goblet that had been used in joining ceremonies of L’tiercel royalty for centuries. The amethyst-eyed Queen’s enrli symbol glittered upon her forehead and between her thighs as she came to a stop before them.

The Queen inclined her head, her golden tresses glimmering in the sunlight. “Thank you for this honor in presiding at your joining.”

“You do us a great honor,” Renn responded with a bow of his own.

At Tierra’s concerned look at the contents of the goblet, Yanea said in mind-speak,
The elixir will not enter your womb nor affect your daughters.

Daughters?
Tierra said to Renn in thought. Her emerald eyes sparkled as she looked to Renn and he smiled.

Renn had no doubt his daughters would be as lovely as his wife. And likely just as feisty.

And dear gods, they might have wings.

What if they each had two sets? Faerie and Nordain?

Oh, lords. They would never be able to catch them…

He would certainly have his hands full…and he looked forward to it.

Yanea lifted the chalice to Renn’s lips and repeated the ceremonial words, “Drink of the Nordain joining elixir and share with your mate.”

Renn gladly sipped from the cup that he had never believed he would drink from. His cock hardened as the heady fluid rolled into his mouth. The taste of raspberries settled upon his tongue as he held the liquid for his mate.

Tierra tipped her head up. Renn pressed his lips to hers and released the elixir into her mouth.

The moment the warm fluid flowed over her tongue, Tierra’s head grew light and she feared she might fall. As though reading her thoughts, Renn clasped his hands at her waist, holding her steady. Her nipples grew hard, pressing against the filmy fabric of her dress, and she ached to be tasted and touched by her man.

When he ended the kiss, Yanea brought the cup to Tierra’s lips and said, “’Tis your turn, child of Fae.”

Tierra took the elixir in her mouth and held it, warming the fluid as she waited for her husband’s kiss. She reached up on her toes as he brought his head down to meet her. Gently she released the elixir as he sucked it from her mouth.

She felt him trembling with lust as he held her close in an endless kiss. Barely leashed desire radiated from him in waves.

When they parted the crowd again cheered.

Yanea had retreated back to her seat of honor, leaving the couple alone before the joining ceremony attendees.

Renn opened his mouth to speak, but the crowd gasped and murmured. Renn’s eyes fixed on the crowd. Tierra turned her gaze to where he looked—and her belly fluttered.

Down the center aisle came two ethereal beings—Elinni and Ibella, the dark Faerie twins…both completely naked.

Elinni’s iridescent ebony wings glimmered in the sunlight as she slowly fluttered down the aisle. Ibella walked beside her flying sister, carrying what appeared to be a gold and crystal box.

Everyone present appeared to be mesmerized by the beautiful Faeries—by their long black hair that reached below their slender hips, heavenly breasts, burgundy nipples and naked mounds—and by the fact the Faeries came at all. This was heady business indeed, for Anistana to bother with affairs outside of Astral.

The Faerie twins’ almond-shaped amber eyes appeared both mischievous and intriguing. Tierra could not help but recall the first and only time she had seen the twins—when Elinni had licked her clit and Ibella had suckled her breast while Renn thrust his cock into Tierra’s mouth.

As the pair approached, Tierra felt a sense of misgiving. Her sister, the Faerie Queen, had been invited to the ceremony, but had elected not to attend. Why had she sent the twins in her stead?

When Ibella and Elinni reached Renn and Tierra, the crowd fell completely silent. The only sound that could be heard was the fountain splashing at the center of the gardens. Elinni’s wings continued to flutter, pushing the scent of lilies over Tierra.

“To what do we owe this pleasure?” Renn asked with a wary gaze on the two Faeries.

Ibella handed the crystal box to Renn as she said, “Anistana asked us to present her sister and her sister’s mate with this joining gift.”

“What is it?” Tierra asked, trusting nothing from Anistana’s duplicitous hand.

Elinni ran her tongue along her bottom lip and gave them both a teasing smile. “For you to discover in the privacy of your bedchamber.”

The Faeries gave a quick bow and vanished…leaving only a few silver sparkles in their wake.

Renn and Tierra exchanged a wordless glance. With great care and trepidation, they placed the box on the ground, fearful of disturbing its contents.

The damn celebration and feasting lasted too long, as far as Renn was concerned. By the time he and Tierra had finished the sharing part of the ceremony, Renn’s cock was so hard it would surely burst through his breeches.

As soon as they had finished the chocolatyl, Renn gave a roar and stood, throwing a laughing Tierra over his shoulder in the same moment. The table they had been sitting behind upturned, spilling fruits, pastries and goblets of wine across the grass.

“Enough,” he bellowed to the crowd. “It is time for me to claim my mate.”

Tierra, still tipsy from the elixir, giggled as she hung over her shoulder, her ringlets falling into her eyes. “Renn!” She slapped his ass with the flat of her palm. “You made my dress slip off my breasts.”

With that mental image, Renn strode even faster down the center of the aisle toward the castle with his woman.

After they passed the cheering crowd, Liana and Aric, and Ranelle and Jalen, met the newly joined couple at the garden gates.

Damn.
Renn groaned to himself. More niceties before he could make love to his wife.

He pulled the still giggling Tierra from his shoulder and gently set her on the ground. Her hair was in complete disarray and she quickly pulled up her bodice to hide her naked breasts. She flipped her hair out of her eyes and smiled at Renn, then turned her tipsy gaze on her friends.

Renn grinned. She looked adorable.

“Welcome to our family, sister.” Aric took Tierra’s hand and pressed his lips to it. “It has taken a fine woman to win my brother’s warrior heart.”

“Thank you, Aric.” She smiled as her handsome brother-in-law released her hand. “This does not let you off the hook, by any means. I will be making sure you keep Liana happy.”

He bowed, his expression serious. “To my dying days.”

Tierra turned her gaze on the equally gorgeous Elvin man who was also now her brother-in-law through marriage. “That goes for you, too, Jalen.”

“Aye.” Jalen stepped forward, clasped Tierra’s hand and kissed the back, then released it with a small bow. “To see my brother-at-arms so filled with joy pleases my heart.”

Tierra gave Renn a quick grin. “Don’t think I am going to make things easy on him.”

“I am counting on that, denai,” Renn murmured and the look in his eyes made Tierra wish they were alone.

“Heart-sister coming through.” Ranelle wiggled in front of Jalen and threw her arms around Tierra’s neck. “I am so happy. So thrilled. I love you, Tierra.”

Ranelle’s perfume of exotic spice and vanilla filled Tierra’s senses as she hugged her halia just as tightly. “I love you, Ranelle.”

Tierra felt a caress around her shoulder and looked up to see Liana standing beside her. Tears filled Liana’s sea green eyes and her moonlit tresses were sliding around Tierra, hugging her.

With one last quick squeeze, Tierra released Ranelle and wrapped her arms around Liana. “Everything is perfect now,” Tierra murmured. “We are together and with men we love.”

Liana’s smile trembled as they pulled away and she wiped tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. “To think,” she said, “I am a seer and yet all of this was hidden from me.”

“Probably because this was one of many possible futures,” Ranelle said as she laid her hand on Liana’s arm. “Together we made this future happen.”

Liana nodded. “And thank the gods that Tierra made the final choice she did, or the terror that has ruled our lives since we were children would not have ended.”

“Thanks to us all.” Tierra wrapped her arms around her friends and hugged them both at once. “Without any one of us, including our men, our destinies would have been far different.”

Smiling through her happy tears, Liana pulled away and held up her hands—she was holding the crystal and gold box that had been gifted to Tierra and Renn from the Faerie Queen.

“Do we dare take that?” Tierra stepped back and Renn slid his hands around her waist. “It could be a curse just as soon as a blessing.”

“We did not open it,” Ranelle said. “But we joined our senses together, and we do not feel that its contents are harmful.”

“On the contrary.” Liana gave a mischievous smile as she glanced at the crystal box she still held. “I believe Anistana’s gift will give you great pleasure in the privacy of your bedchamber.”

“For which we are far overdue.” Renn’s cock throbbed at the thought of burying himself in his woman. He took Tierra by the hand and started to drag her to the castle, only to find To’en blocking his way.

The large muscled man stood with his arms folded and a stern expression on his face.

Renn was ready to kill him.

To’en’s gaze moved from Renn and Tierra to Aric and Liana, and settled on Jalen and Ranelle. “As you may know, Yanea, Queen of the Seraphine Elves, bestowed a long Elvin life upon Ranelle and all of hers and Jalen’s offspring.”

To’en’s eyes met Tierra’s. “As Fae, Tierra, you are destined to live an equally lengthy life.”

Tierra’s stomach clenched at the thought of living far beyond her husband. No. She could not bear to live without him.

“For your valiant efforts in ridding Dair of such unspeakable evil,” To’en continued as his gaze moved to Renn and then on to Aric and Liana, “The Overseers have come to a decision.” He paused as his blue eyes conveyed the seriousness of his words. “You three—Renn, Aric, and Liana—have been granted equally long lives.”

Before any one of his stunned audience had the opportunity to reply, To’en shifted into his white nordai form and took to the skies.

The moment To’en took flight, Renn’s hands tightened around Tierra’s waist and she squealed with laughter as he again flipped her over his shoulder. He held her with one arm while retrieving Anistana’s crystal and gold box from Liana with his free hand.

After giving the four grinning family members a quick nod, Renn strode toward the castle. Nothing would stop him now.

“Hurry,” Tierra urged him, and just the need in her voice caused him to quicken his pace and his cock to grow impossibly harder.

“Mayhap I should take you here on the stairs,” he murmured as he carried his bride up the winding staircase toward their bedchamber.

“Mmmm.” She ran her palms over his buttocks. “You have such a fine muscled ass.”

Still balancing the crystal box under one arm as he walked, Renn slid his other hand beneath her gown and slipped his fingers into her wet folds.

Tierra moaned and squirmed. “I cannot wait any longer.”

Renn found himself practically running the remainder of the way to their room.

When he finally arrived, he shoved the door open and slammed it shut behind him. He set the crystal and gold box on the table beside the bed, then drew Tierra from his shoulder.

Slowly he slid her down his length, feeling her body brushing against his as he said, “I feel as though I have waited all my days for you.”

“Forever,” she murmured.

Her bodice slipped, revealing her perfect breasts. Renn swooped to capture one beautiful nipple in his mouth, flicking his tongue over the hard nub. He pressed her hips against his, letting her feel the hardness, the strength of his arousal for her. He would never get enough of this woman, his wife.

Renn lifted his head to gaze upon her beautiful face. No matter his urgency to feel her from the inside, he wanted to take his time, to show his bride how much he loved her. He raised his hands to her hair and pulled out the clip, releasing all her fiery locks so that they tumbled over her shoulders and to her waist.

“Such beauty,” he murmured, running his fingers through the strands.