Untamed Hawaiian Heat (Rift Hunters) (12 page)

TIAKI STEPPED TOWARD Kiana. “Kiana, wait—”

Mateo grabbed his shoulder. “Where the hell do you think you’re going, Hunter?”

Tiaki eyed the hand on his shoulder. His magic tingled beneath his skin, yearning to join with Mateo’s again, but he kept a tight rein on it. He lifted his head and met the other man’s eyes. “I’m letting my mate know she hasn’t done anything wrong.” He glanced to see Kiana standing completely still in front of the door, the fabric affording them privacy clenched in her fist.

Mateo tightened his fingers, digging into the muscle hard enough to leave a bruise. “Your
mate?
She was about to fuck a virtual stranger in the bed we share. Her and
me
. You don’t figure into that equation. I’d say that’s pretty fucking wrong,” he whispered, his voice hard and unyielding.

Tiaki inhaled sharply. The need to connect with Mateo grew stronger by the second. “You don’t even realize what was begun two nights ago when the three of us joined hands, do you?”

“We saved Kiana’s life with whatever the hell it is we command.”

Tiaki gaped at Mateo. He’d gleaned enough knowledge about Mateo from his energy patterns when he’d healed him to know a close relative, a parent, or maybe a grandparent had been a Rift Hunter who’d most likely traveled here somehow and had been unable to return home. He couldn’t believe that the knowledge of who and what they were hadn’t been passed down for their descendants.

Tiaki let his gaze flicker between Mateo and Kiana for a moment. “Our magic acknowledged the soul bond,” he said softly.

Mateo looked at him expectantly, and he thought he saw Kiana’s eyes light with recognition when she turned to face them.

Tiaki took a deep breath. “The soul bond is what happens when a Rift Hunter encounters his soul mate. Their magic reaches out to one another to join. Especially when they’re intimate.” He waited for them to process that before continuing. “When I healed you, Mateo, our magic made a connection despite my best effort to keep the contact to a minimum. I was also given a glimpse into your memories. Not much. Vague images, really, but the impressions, combined with a scan of your energy patterns, were enough for me to discern you are the descendant of a Rift Hunter.”

Mateo advanced on him, his eyes blazing with fury. “You invaded my mind?”

Tiaki held his ground. He shook his head. “No. I was able to catch a brief look through the link of our magic. That link was also how I was able to communicate telepathically with you and Kiana.”

“But you said when the three of us clasped hands. Not when you healed Mateo,” Kiana said softly, drawing both of their attention.

“Yes, I did. When the three of us joined our magic to create the energy shield, there was a subtle shifting in our magic that triggered the soul bond. I’ve known a few Rift Hunters whose soul bond formed a tribus, with three people instead of a
coniugibus
with two. Even rarer is the
quattuor
with four souls; in fact, I’ve only ever heard of one of those.” Tiaki smiled at the thought of Arthur, Gwen, Lance, and Merlin.

Mateo looked back at the bed he and Kiana shared, then returned his gaze to Tiaki. “So let me get this straight. You think I’m a descendant of one of these Rift Hunters, and Kiana and I are a part of some soul bond with you?”

“Yes.”

“And just how is the completion of this bond achieved?”

Tiaki looked at him and slid his gaze down Mateo’s body. He returned his gaze to Mateo’s face, not bothering to hide the desire that was surely evident. “The bond is sealed when the two forming the coniugibus—or in this case, the three forming the tribus—speak the binding vows and then…consummate the bond.” His voice had grown husky with barely leashed desire at the thought of the three of them together.

Mateo blinked.

Tiaki could feel the shock crash through Mateo when he realized what he meant. Though Mateo tried to ignore the slow burn of anticipation that ignited in his soul, he couldn’t hide it. Tiaki could tell. Kiana could as well.

“You are fucking out of your mind if you think I want anything to do with you or your soul bond.” He stepped closer. “I thank you for helping me save Kiana the other night, but stay the hell away from her! I’ll let what happened here this morning go, because of what you did for her and for the Resistance.” Mateo moved to step past him. It took a moment for Tiaki to realize Mateo didn’t know he could still hear his thoughts and feel his emotions through the connection their magic had forged when they’d saved Kiana. He even caught a glimpse of a memory…Mateo locked in a passionate embrace with a man.

Aware of Kiana watching the byplay between him and Mateo, Tiaki sensed the need to meld with both of them rising inside her. The knowledge of her hunger sparked the fire inside his blood once more. Gathering his renewed energy, Tiaki sent a pulse of energy through the ground to bring up a shield in front of Mateo at the entrance. He couldn’t let him leave.

Mateo slammed his hand into the invisible wall and cursed. He spun around. “Lower whatever the hell you put up,” he said, his tone low and menacing.

“Let him go, Tiaki. He’s not going to listen right now.” Kiana’s whisper was barely audible.

Tiaki held his ground. “No. He needs this.” He watched as Mateo stalked toward him. “Just as much as we do, Kiana. Even if he won’t admit it.”

Mateo swung a fist at his face, but it never connected.

Tiaki stopped his balled hand with the palm of his, which was engulfed in golden flames. Instead of burning Mateo, though, as it would have anyone else, the flames licked greedily at his skin before sinking beneath it. “You really don’t want to do this.”

Kiana headed for the door again. She glanced over her shoulder. “I refuse to watch you two fight over me like I’m a possession.”

Mateo shuddered visibly in response to Tiaki’s magic. He grabbed hold of Tiaki’s arm with his other hand and twisted it behind him. “Like hell I don’t. You’ve been begging to be taught a lesson since the moment you showed up.” He wrenched the arm higher.

Tiaki winced in pain as his muscles protested the movement. It had been quite some time since he’d sparred with anyone. Calling to Earth for a surge of power, Tiaki poured the energy into his strength, turned, and reversed their places, twisting Mateo’s arm up against his back. Tiaki pulled Mateo to him, Mateo’s back flush with his chest.

He brushed his lips along the outer rim of Mateo’s ear. “Are you running because you don’t believe you and I are meant to share Kiana?” He nipped at Mateo’s earlobe. “Or is it because you’re too scared to admit you’re as attracted to me as you are to her?” The words came out more strained then he’d intended when his cock rubbed against Mateo’s ass.

He had to make Mateo understand the importance of the soul bond. Having known people who had completed the bond, he’d seen how it increased not only the strength of the intimacy between the soul mates but their connection with the planets as well. Tiaki felt Mateo’s muscles bunch as his magic fought to reach Mateo’s.

Mateo twisted, throwing his other elbow into the side of Tiaki’s head.

Tiaki immediately loosened his grip.

Mateo took the opportunity and spun about to face him. “I’m not attracted to you, Hunter,” he roared.

Chapter Ten

Kiana had had enough. She had no desire to listen to two grown men fight over her as though she were an object.

When Mateo had wrenched Tiaki’s arm behind his back, she’d headed for the door again. She’d come back and talk to them once they’d cooled down. She had just grabbed the door flap when a wave of lust had blazed through her link with Mateo. The intensity of it froze her to the spot.

When she felt the phantom glide of a hard cock brush against her ass, she gasped and turned to face her mates.

Her mates?

She shook her head, unsure where that thought had come from. She focused on the men.

Mateo had broken Tiaki’s hold—she hadn’t even known that Tiaki had reversed their positions—and was saying something about not being attracted to him.

Tiaki took a step back and rubbed the side of his head. “Like hell you’re not. I can sense the heat building inside you. Your magic is rising to a fever pitch. Just like it did when you and I held Kiana between us at the Com Center…stroking her skin.” He moved forward. “You yearned to feel my touch and hers…teasing you…tasting you.”

Kiana felt a response to Tiaki’s words spark to life inside Mateo even as he drove his fist into Tiaki’s jaw.

The sound of crunching bone echoed through the room. “Shut the fuck up!” Mateo roared.

Tiaki ducked the next blow and landed one of his own on Mateo’s cheek, splitting the skin. “There is only one way for the Resistance to gain the upper hand. Control!”

Mateo wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Those who can wield the magic must learn to control it.” He ducked Mateo’s right jab and pushed him backward. “Then and only then will you have a chance to eradicate the Syndicate from your home.” He gestured to the three of them with a wave of his hand. “The pull of the ‘soul bond’ we have going on? That’s just going to make things harder.” He swung at Mateo, catching him in the stomach.

Mateo grunted. “Not if it means I have to bond with you. Whatever you think you sense in me is merely a remnant of the desire Kiana sent through our emotion link.” He caught Tiaki in the brow with a left hook. Blood spilled across his knuckles. “She and I can feel what the other is experiencing. The desire you sense is hers. Not mine.”

Kiana was startled out of her shock from the emotions Mateo was trying to deny. “Bullshit, Mateo! You’re lying. I can feel it boiling inside you too.”

Mateo turned to her, his expression hard and angry.

Tiaki took advantage of Mateo’s distraction, lowered his shoulder, and rammed it into Mateo’s stomach.

Mateo grunted at the force of the impact as they crashed into the sparse furnishings inside the tent before rolling to a stop. Tiaki pinned him to the floor.

“Stop it! You are grown men. We can settle this like civilized…” Kiana stopped midthought when she felt Tiaki’s magic ripple through him as he straddled Mateo’s hips, using his hands to trap Mateo’s above his head.

Mateo’s eyes blazed with fury. “Get off me, asshole!” He struggled to release his hands.

Tiaki pressed his body more firmly against Mateo until he paused in his struggling.

Kiana moved to break them up. She paused when her magic tingled across her skin, pulsing in response as Tiaki gathered his. She felt Tiaki as he wove tight bands of his magic together and pinned Mateo’s wrists to the ground. Then he loosened his grip.

Mateo’s eyes widened in surprise as realization of Tiaki’s intention dawned too late.

Tiaki held Mateo’s face and captured his mouth.

Kiana gasped as an onslaught of lust spiked through Mateo at the possessiveness of Tiaki’s actions.

Mateo tried to fight the kiss, but Kiana saw his body relax when Tiaki swiped his tongue over Mateo’s lips. They parted slightly in silent invitation.

Kiana could feel her magic stretching, searching for her men. Needing to unite with them. When she imagined it curling around them, Tiaki groaned deep in his throat. She shivered when their magic responded and began to intertwine with hers.

Silently she urged Tiaki to seek a deeper connection. She sensed the whisper of satisfaction in their combined magic as Tiaki pressed his tongue into Mateo’s mouth.

Mateo sucked Tiaki’s lip between his. Tiaki reared back at the sudden pain.

Mateo smiled in satisfaction.

Damn men, playing like boys. It would be just like Mateo to bite Tiaki. Kiana knelt down beside them and turned Tiaki to face her. She had to taste him. Them. Leaning close, she flicked her tongue across the slight hurt and shuddered at the combined taste of their magic as it knit the injury together.

Kiana felt the heat flare inside Mateo, and she watched as Tiaki’s cock stiffened against his stomach.

Tiaki shifted his legs so his body came into full contact with Mateo and bucked his hips. He never broke the kiss with her.

Ecstasy raced down Kiana’s spine when Tiaki rubbed his cock against Mateo.

Mateo twisted under Tiaki, causing him to pull away from her.

Kiana glanced down at Mateo. She gasped in surprise to see his eyes were full black, the edges rimmed in burnished sapphire and the centers glittering with sapphire flecks. She looked up to see Tiaki’s eyes were solid burnished gold just as he bent down to taste Mateo’s lips a second time.

Mateo tried to twist his head away to avoid Tiaki’s kiss. Even as he fought, Kiana felt desire spiral through him, driven higher by their combined magic.

Tiaki crushed his mouth to Mateo’s, thrusting his tongue inside. Kiana could feel the need to conquer him burning inside Tiaki.

“Tiaki,” she called out when she realized Mateo had broken free of the invisible bonds. He grabbed a fistful of Tiaki’s hair.

Anger and sadness rose in the back of Mateo’s mind and seeped through Kiana’s emotion link when Tiaki pressed his hips more firmly against his cock. “
No! Never again.”
The thought flitted through Kiana’s mind, only to be lost on the groan that filled the stillness of the room.

Kiana couldn’t say for sure who had emitted the sound.

Tiaki ground his cock into Mateo. More of Tiaki’s magic swelled around them. He sighed in what, to Kiana, appeared to be pleasure.

Something loosened inside Kiana as she felt Mateo relinquish a measure of control. Whether he’d intended to or not, she couldn’t discern. Nor did she care.

Mateo loosened his hold on Tiaki’s hair. A strangled gasp left Kiana at the sight of her lover kissing another man. It awakened a carnal hunger more intense than any she’d ever experienced. The feel of hard lips devouring each other swept across her emotion link, though she couldn’t tell if the sensations were coming from Mateo or Tiaki; she was experiencing what both of them felt.

They broke apart and turned their attention to her. The predatory gleam in the burnished depths of both men’s eyes was her only warning of their intent as they rolled to their knees and shed their clothes as they closed the small distance separating them from her. The voracious need roiling off them filled the hale noho with a palpable lust, intensifying hers to a fever pitch.