Untamed Hawaiian Heat (Rift Hunters) (14 page)

“Now, Tiaki. Please take me.” Kiana gasped when Mateo finally sheathed himself inside her.

Mateo pulled her down and devoured her lips as Tiaki slid his fingers free. They captured each other’s groans in the kiss. Mateo flexed his hips, pushing just a little farther into her heated depths. “
God, you feel so good, Kiana.”

“Yes, you do,”
Tiaki said as he leaned forward and nipped at her neck. He positioned his cock against her ass and slowly pressed forward.

They all cried out as the untamed bliss from one another spread like wildfire across their link.

Tiaki froze for a moment while Kiana adjusted to his cock buried deep inside her ass.

Mateo met his gaze over Kiana’s shoulder. Though Tiaki’s eyes had become like burnished gold, he could still see the questions burning in their depths. Questions Mateo wasn’t ready to face. The pressure building inside his body demanded he move, and he began a slow, thrusting rhythm in and out of Kiana, her pussy tightly gripping his dick.

Soon Tiaki fell into a rhythm that complemented his so that they alternated between one of them entering while the other retreated.

Kiana went mindless as Mateo suckled her breasts. Tiaki reached around and squeezed his hand between her and Mateo’s bodies so he could toy with her clit.

Mateo shuddered with each thrust of their cocks within Kiana. Their hard lengths intimately rubbed together, separated by only the thinnest barrier of skin. He’d missed this. More than he cared to admit. He damn sure wasn’t going to let the Hunter know how he felt. That he craved the feel of his cock in any way he could get it. While they fucked Kiana, while they sucked each other. And the thought of fucking Tiaki’s tight ass nearly had him spilling in Kiana before she’d reached her climax.

“That’s it, Mateo. Fuck her hard.” Tiaki groaned.

Mateo opened his eyes to find Tiaki staring at him, and he was surprised to realize he was thrusting hard into Kiana while holding on to Tiaki’s hips. His hands pulled on them, increasing the intensity of Tiaki’s movements.

Kiana bit into his shoulder. “Yes. Please. Fuck me hard.” She gasped. “I want to feel both of you come inside me.”

Mateo moaned. His magic amplified the intensity of his climax. It reached out to his lovers, seeking to join with their energy. Somehow he knew that when finally…no
if
…that were to happen, it would be irrevocable. He used all the willpower at his disposal and caged it before it could cement that connection.

And then his orgasm crashed over him, followed in quickly by Kiana falling over the precipice. Before either of theirs had died down, Tiaki cried out as he spilled deep inside Kiana’s ass.

Tiaki rolled them so that they lay on their sides. They lay there for several long moments, each trying to still the beating of their racing hearts and catch their breath.

Mateo finally released his hold on Tiaki and moved his hand to cup Kiana’s cheek. He brushed his thumb across her lower lip. He marveled at the depth of his love for this woman. He’d never felt anything this intense for anyone else.

Mateo heard his magic howl inside, calling him a liar. He looked up to find Tiaki watching him, his lips pressing soft kisses against Kiana’s hair while she dozed in their arms. Everything inside him cried out to connect with the man who had been giving his body such intense pleasure.

No
. He couldn’t do that to Remi. He’d made a promise to himself the day he’d laid his lover to rest that he’d never allow another man to hold his heart again.

Kiana stirred in their embrace, stretching as much as she could with them both still buried in the softness of her body.

Tiaki stilled her movements with a hand on her hip and slowly pulled out of her, causing a residual pulse of pleasure to ripple across their link.

Mateo started to ease her onto her back and do the same.

“Mateo, who was the man we saw through our link when Tiaki was—”

“No one.” He pushed her away a little more roughly than he’d intended and moved to get his pants.

Kiana and Tiaki sat up on the bed as he shoved his legs into them.

“Mateo, you can tell us. I got the feeling he meant a lot to you,” Kiana whispered as she rose from the bed and closed the distance between them.

Mateo held up a hand to stop her from touching him. “I don’t want to talk about him.” He glanced between her and Tiaki. “Not now. Not ever.” He grabbed his boots and spun around. He didn’t care how they reacted to his statement. What had just happened was never going to happen again.

Chapter Twelve

Thanos watched Mordred pace to the window overlooking the grounds of ‘Iolani Palace. The landscape and palace reminded Thanos of his home on Mākutu. The only real difference he’d noticed was that the palace was much larger than his home had been.

Mordred suddenly pivoted, stalked over to him, and grabbed his throat, slowly increasing the pressure. “What the fuck do you mean, one of your men was captured?”

Thanos opened and closed his mouth in an attempt to take a breath deep enough to answer, and failed.

“You’re going to have to release him so he can answer you, dearest.” A sultry feminine voice drifted from the shadows near the curtained doorway to the right of the dais where the Hawaiian kings used to sit upon the throne.

Thanos glanced out the corner of his eye to find an incredibly gorgeous woman gliding toward them. She moved with a grace he’d seen only once before. When he’d met Eris. This woman’s lithe form was sleekly muscled and luscious at the same time. Her perfectly tanned skin made his hands itch to caress it every time he saw her. Her lips were full and red, the lower one plump, as though she’d just been thoroughly kissed. Her flame-red hair contrasted with the brightness of her emerald-green eyes.

“Did I ask for your advice, Atê?”

She stopped beside them, reached out a hand, and traced a fingertip down the side of Mordred’s face. “No, you didn’t. Although I wouldn’t classify that as advice. More like common sense.” A smile curved her lush, dark red lips. “After all, if he can’t breathe, he can’t talk.” She turned her head and speared Mordred with her gaze, a hard coldness dousing any warmth Thanos had seen in them a moment before. “Now release him. I won’t have you ruining Mother’s plans because you can’t control your temper.”

Thanos collapsed to his knees when Mordred released him, gasping and coughing at the sudden rush of air into his crushed windpipe. His lungs burned with each inhalation. What the fuck did the bitch mean by her ‘mother’? He shuddered to think of how much worse Eris would be if crossed.

The boots of two guards appeared in his line of vision where he stared at the hardwood floor. The guards reached down and dragged him to his feet.

Atê approached, cupped his cheek, and lifted his head so that he looked directly into her eyes. “Now tell us, dear Thanos, how did your man get captured?”

Thanos glanced over at Mordred where he sprawled on one of the thrones as though he deserved to be there, then back at her. “When I realized the Resistance had a Rift Hunter in their ranks, I opened a couple of portals to get my men out.” He swallowed hard. His voice sounded like sandpaper being dragged across a piece of wood. “While the incubi have no problem fighting the Resistance Forces, going up against the power a fully trained Rift Hunter wields is a different story. Most of them still struggle to control their own.”

“A Rift Hunter in their ranks?” She shoved his face as she moved her hand away. She glared at Mordred. “How is that possible? My sisters and I thoroughly cleaned up this godforsaken planet before bringing you through the rift from the Phoenix Galaxy.”

Mordred set down the goblet he’d been drinking from and shrugged. “How would I know? Maybe it has something to do with that freak weather near their valley a week ago.”

“Take him out as soon as possible. The first thing he’s going to do is try to contact the Citadel on Asmerya. The last thing we need at this stage of the operation is for Cacus to bring an entire cohort of Rift Hunters here.” She returned her attention to Thanos. “Finish telling me how your man was captured. And most importantly, how much does he know about this place?” She gestured to the palace as she walked in a circle around him and the guards still holding on to him.

Thanos shook off their hands and fought the urge to turn around so she wasn’t at his back. “There were several who didn’t make it through the portal in time. By the time I was made aware of this, the Resistance was already tracking them across the island as they attempted to make their way back on foot. I went back to retrieve them and got everyone but Ferran. As I was opening the gate to transport us, Mateo Castillo took him down.”

“Mateo?” Atê cocked her head toward Mordred. “Why does that name sound familiar?”

Mordred laughed. The sound echoed eerily off the walls. “I do believe that is the name of the Akadios you had tortured in Spain a few years ago…what was his name…ah yes, Remigius Delgado, cried out with his dying breath.”

Thanos inhaled sharply. If he wasn’t mistaken, Mateo had been the one he’d seen Tiaki start to heal before he’d disappeared. How that was possible, he wasn’t sure. Tiaki wasn’t a member of the healing order of Rift Hunters. He knew that from the time he’d spent with his elder brother when he’d come home for vacation from the Citadel.

A prickling crawled across the back of his neck. He paused. He thought back to Spain. He vaguely remembered some of his buddies talking about some powerful prisoner they’d helped torture and mumbling about a prophecy. What had they said? Shit. He should have listened more closely. He’d have to go talk to… He thought for a moment, trying to remember who he’d heard talking. Ah, it had been Vidar and Othmar.

“Hmm. I’m not sure I remember him,” Atê said, drawing his attention back to the present. She walked over to the throne beside Mordred and sat down. “In any case, you’ll have to go rescue Ferran, Thanos. You will both receive your punishment when you return. Kill the Hunter if you get the chance.” She sat back in the chair.

Thanos refrained from letting the relief he felt at the reprieve cross his face. And he sure as hell wasn’t going to remind her about her wanting to know how much Ferran knew about the palace. There was no telling what she’d do if he told her Ferran was one of the newest incubi and could barely control Earth’s energy, much less shield his mind. No. Better Thanos get to him before Tiaki had a chance to try to read his mind. “Yes, mistress.” He turned and started for the door. As he reached for the handle, her voice stopped him.

“Palioxis and Proioxis will be accompanying you to make sure you don’t mess up this time.”

Thanos glanced over his shoulder and saw Atê’s sisters. He swore they could pass for identical twins if not for the drastic difference in their coloring.
Shit
. He’d been hoping to avoid having to deal with them again.

* * * *

Kiana rushed along the shaded path toward the Com Center, cursing Pearce for not alerting her the minute her father had arrived. The mere thought of his ship taking part in a firefight that had crippled it enough to warrant repairs terrified her. It brought up memories of what her mom had gone through when the OS had tried to force her to tell them where the soldiers who opposed them had retreated to. She had no doubt they wouldn’t hesitate to torture anyone they captured in the same manner. Worse if they were military like her dad.

Closing her eyes, she could still see the carnage as the Syndicate had finally showed their true colors when they’d torn through the defenses at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and Kaneohe Bay five years ago. They’d lost so many wonderful soldiers during those first few weeks. The OS hadn’t stopped there either. They’d frightened the locals into giving up the run of their stores and businesses. Those still in control of their places had cowered in fear of what the OS was capable of. She’d seen the results of resisting firsthand when her mom had refused to talk.

She shook her head. No. She wasn’t going to think about the day they’d murdered her mother. She preferred to remember the vibrant woman she’d been rather than the empty shell they’d turned her into. She hadn’t lasted long after they’d finished interrogating her.

She and her dad had made it their mission ever since to wipe the OS, if not from the face of the earth, then at least from their home. At the thought of her dad, Kiana felt her chest tighten. Had he been hurt?

She finally reached the Com Center. Kiana pushed the door open and raced through the corridors to the conference room where Pearce had told her the meeting was to be held. She walked through the door and released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding at the sight of her dad coming toward her. She threw herself into his arms.

“Daddy,” she whispered, her voice trembling with more emotion than she cared to show. Her dad squeezed her tight.

“It’s okay,
nani
.” He smoothed her hair. “I’m fine, and so is most of the crew.” He pulled back and looked into her eyes. “My ship, however, didn’t fare so well. And from what Pearce has told me, you had a near miss recently yourself.”

Kiana started to explain what had happened when she felt a tingling along the faint connection her magic had formed with Tiaki and Mateo. She glanced over her shoulder to see Mateo walk into the room, followed by the rest of her team. Tiaki was the last to enter. It had been two weeks since she’d been with them. They’d been avoiding each other, despite Pearce’s orders that everyone who showed signs of possessing the magic was to begin training with Tiaki. Her entire body tensed as her magic exploded at the close proximity of her mates.

She struggled to breathe as a fog enveloped her mind, warning her of an impending vision, and she fell to her knees. Why now? She hadn’t had one in years.
Breathe, Kia
. Startled to hear her mother’s voice, Kiana closed her eyes and focused on following her breath. After a few slow, deep breaths, she opened her eyes to find the fog dissipating into a gentle mist.

Staring through the mist, she was astonished to see herself and Mateo lying on a blanket on the beach like they had so many times before the OS had taken over. Then the image shifted.