"What is it? What aren"t you telling me?"
"You promise not to get mad?"
Jac shook her head. "No."
Rachel took a breath and let it out. "Fair enough. I think the markings are permanent."
"What?" Jac"s voice rose, drawing everyone"s attention to her. "You"ve got to be s.h.i.tting me."
Rachel"s eyes bugged out of her head as she mouthed for Jac to shut up.
The meal continued in silence and eventually drew to a close, a fire crackled and blazed in the center of the compound. The stars were starting to poke their twinkling heads out from behind the canopy of trees. Locusts droned and rasped, lending song to the hushed jungle. The Atlanteans broke off into various groups, positioning themselves around the growing flame. They told stories and jokes, like children do when they"re sitting around a campfire.
Jac took in the simplicity of the sight. Something inside her swelled and threatened to burst. She didn"t like Hallmark moments or anything else that brought out sentimentality, but for a few minutes she gave herself permission to just sit back and enjoy the company. Feast her senses on the night.
Rachel had been of little help when it came to explaining the markings Ares had put on Jac"s body. With tattooing not being a common sight in the tribe, that explained why so many curious eyes sought her out.
"I"m the freak in the freak show," Jac murmured to herself and laughed.
She tried to ignore the stares, but it was rather like attempting to ignore a buzzing mosquito in the dead of night. No matter what you did, you still heard him. Ares had made his way over to Eros"s side. Their heads were together like co-conspirators, planning their next caper. Coridan sat alone, off to the side, away from the group, staring in her direction. She really couldn"t tell if he looked at her or watched the flames. Jac glanced over her shoulder to make sure Ares remained engrossed, then made her way to the other side of the fire.
As she approached, Coridan rose to his knees and grabbed her hips. His fingers were light upon her skin, yet his grip was unbreakable. His eyes glanced to the tattoo around her waist, then grew dark for a moment, before returning to their natural fire. Jac knew what he was about to do, but couldn"t keep her body from flinching under his touch. Coridan"s lips were firm as they latched onto her left nipple. From what Jac could gather, there only should have been kissing, but what Coridan did, went far beyond that. He swirled his tongue around her areola, bringing it to point. His white teeth flashed into a devilish smile the second before he nipped her.
Jac bit back a groan, but her stomach rolled as if his touch were repulsive.
With an unhurried slowness he moved to her other nipple. He waited for a hairsbreadth, before dropping upon her pink bud. Jac"s body responded eagerly. His lips enclosed, sucking in the protruding nubbin, teasing, tasting, and longing for more. She fought the urge to push him away. The voices around them died out. Jac glanced around in time to see everyone staring at them. She felt heat rise in her face. Her eyes immediately sought Ares. Muscles tense, hands fisted, his jaw set, he glared at her, fire shooting from his jade eyes, singeing her to her toes.
Jac gulped, but met his gaze straight on. She gave him a bright smile, then allowed Coridan to pull her to the ground, until she sat beside him. She watched as Eros placed a hand on Ares"s shoulder preventing him from joining her and Coridan. Jac let out an uneasy breath, then turned to face Coridan. Chest tight, heart racing, she proceeded with her plan. She had to let Ares know he didn"t own her. She belonged to no man. In the end it would make it easier to walk away...at least she hoped.
"So," Jac tilted her head and glanced up into Coridan"s aqua eyes. "How goes the challenge?"
His lips thinned, but he managed a smile before answering. "As you know, I won the gold test. Unfortunately Ares took the lead for the anaconda. But I"m sure I can best him tomorrow," he added with enthusiasm.
"I"m sure you will." She patted his hand.
Jac didn"t know how she felt about his boast. One side of her would love to see Ares brought down a peg or two, but the other, well the other was beginning to get used to those flashing green eyes and that great big muscled body of his lying beneath her after hours of lovemaking.
There was that word again...love. Jac had never believed it possible before, because she"d never experienced anything close to that emotion with the men she"d dated. Yet she found it popping up again and again surrounding thoughts of Ares like bees to honey.
Of their own volition her eyes sought out Ares. He stood across the compound like a proud warrior. His body looked more relaxed, as if Eros had done something to calm him down. Jac exhaled, releasing the pent up tension that had been building up inside. Once again she turned her attention to Coridan. He appeared wounded, betrayed. Had she been that obvious? Jac decided whatever brought on the mood swing, she had to do something to sooth his ruffled feathers until she could get some information out of him.
She cursed the need to seek Ares with her gaze. In a few days dark warrior had managed to burrow under her skin to the point where her change in behavior became apparent, even to strangers. She really needed to knock this s.h.i.t off right now. She decided to start by practicing on the man in front of her.
"Maybe you could help me..." Jac batted her eyes, something she"d never bothered with in New York, but found effective nonetheless.
Coridan smiled and leaned in. "What is it you wish to know?"
It was Jac"s turn to smile. Men were so easy. She shook her head.
"Would you happen to know what these funny markings mean?" Jac pointed down at the tattoo Ares had applied earlier.
Coridan"s gaze dropped to her waist and instantly hardened again. His jaw worked from side to side as if he fought to control his anger and his nostrils flared. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then shot a quick glance to Ares. Jac followed his gaze and saw what looked like a gleam of satisfaction on Ares"s face. She shrugged it off as a play of the firelight. She"d seen enough p.i.s.sing contests in her day to recognize one when she saw it. Jac chose to ignore the testosterone.
"Do you know what they mean or not?" Jac implored, her voice harder than she"d intended.
Coridan looked back to her and gave a short nod.
"Are you going to tell me or do I have to guess?" her sarcasm was unmistakable.
""Tis a claiming chain."
"What?"
He ran his finger along the symbols as if by doing so would erase them. Coridan"s lips pursed. ""Tis what a warrior from Ares"s people uses to identify their mate after she"s been tamed."
Jac"s eyes widened, but she said nothing. The fire beside her was nothing compared to the one beginning to build inside her gut.
""Tis what Ares uses to warn other warriors away from his claim, it states that your channel is his alone. And should he find any man trying to enter his domain, he reserves the right to kill him."
She swallowed hard, torn between outrage and excitement. Jac went with what was familiar. "If you"ll excuse me, I need to speak with Ares. You won"t have to worry about the warning, because I"m going to kill him." She rose before Coridan could even move and started around the fire to where Ares had been standing earlier.
Eros stood with Rachel, nuzzling her neck and rubbing her pregnant belly. Jac cursed. Where in the h.e.l.l had Ares gone? She scanned the crowd, searching for the one dark-haired man in a sea of light. She found him standing next to the tree line, talking with Ariel.
Jac"s gut clenched as the seer stepped closer, placing her slender hand upon Ares"s chest. She stroked across his skin, clasping his bicep. He flexed beneath her fingertips. Jac"s hands balled up into fists. She would throttle that blow up doll if she didn"t back off. Rage seethed inside her, pushing out with an intensity that d.a.m.n near blinded her.
Jac realized the ludicrousness of her thoughts and feelings, but didn"t care. He"d painted the d.a.m.n belt of symbols on her, not the bimbo, and it was high time he remembered. The seer"s laughter floated on the air as she tossed her head back sending waves of blonde falling over her slender shoulder onto her rounded bottom. She leaned in closer until her ample b.r.e.a.s.t.s brushed against Ares"s arm.
That was it!
"Do you see this f.u.c.king belt around my waist, lady?" Jac shouted, stopping all activity in the camp. Her fingers were pointed down at the tattoo for emphasis.
Ariel turned, her hand still clasping Ares, a sensuous smile pulling at her pouty full lips. Her eyes sparkled in the firelight, then she arched one sculpted brow.
"I see no claim upon this warrior," the seer said, pulling back from Ares enough to look him over from head to toe. "He has no mate."
The words stung, but Jac ignored them. She didn"t want to think about the fact she had no actual claim on Ares. He was free to do what he wanted and be with whom he wanted. She didn"t have the right to say a word. h.e.l.l, a minute ago she"d been thinking about leaving him. But this was different. He didn"t need a blonde Barbie b.i.t.c.h from h.e.l.l for a mate, even if Jac went back to New York City. Ares could do far better than Ariel. Jac"s gaze scanned the camp, but none of the women fit her definition of what Ares needed in a mate.
She glared at Ariel once again. The seer waited for a response.
"You"re right, he has no mate. So if you want him, you"re welcome to him. Oh, and one more thing, f.u.c.k you!" Jac knew it wouldn"t be the most mature thing to say, but it was how she felt. With that said, she turned on her heel and marched into the jungle.
Jac stumbled over lianas in the dark, unsure of the direction she traveled. She thought Ares"s hut was somewhere around here, but after ten minutes of scrambling over logs and through bushes, she wasn"t so sure anymore. Not that it mattered. Ariel"s intentions had been clear, and Jac would have to be blind not to see them. Ariel wanted Ares. End of story. The seer had done everything short of f.u.c.king him in the clearing to let him know. She was probably s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g him now.
Jac stubbed her toe. "s.h.i.t!" She bounced a couple of times before continuing on.
Her whole plan had blown off course. Somehow a simple rescue mission had turned into the Poseidon Adventure and there wasn"t a d.a.m.n thing Jac could do to stop it. She was stuck here for another four days at least, until the challenge ended. Coridan was a good man and she had little doubt she"d have a problem controlling him, but when it came right down to it, Jac only had eyes for Ares. And it p.i.s.sed her off to no end. Why me?
Men, they"re all b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, every last one of them. One minute they want you as their mate, the next they"re whispering sweet nothings in a bimbo"s ear. Typical.
Jac walked for twenty minutes more, slowly coming to the realization that she was lost. She should have arrived at the hut by now and with the growth and darkness, she doubted very much she"d be able to find her way back to the village. So she found a stump and sat down. There was no use going any further. Hopefully when dawn struck, she"d be able to spot a trail and make her way back. Jac didn"t even want to think about the fact she was returning to Ares"s hut willingly. He"d pay for that too, she vowed.
It had taken every fiber of Ares"s being to keep from going after Jac. He"d started to do so, when Ariel stopped him.
She needs to sort out her emotions, she"d said. Let her go. Give her time. The seer had left him after imparting her words and joined Coridan by the fire. Ares had considered it unusual but his mind was elsewhere.
Time had pa.s.sed and Ares felt no closer to relaxing. He wanted Jac in his arms. He"d only flirted with Ariel to show Jac how it felt to him when she"d sat with Coridan. Well the plan had worked, better than he"d antic.i.p.ated. In a few short minutes he"d probably destroyed everything he"d spent the last three days building.
Guilt and anger pushed vise-like against his chest. His warrior woman had pointed out the tattoo on her body to remind him of his claim, yet he did not answer her pained call. Instead he allowed her to escape into the jungle.
Ares cursed beneath his breath. He had to find Jac, explain, apologize, and if need be, beg. He wasn"t beyond doing so at this point. When he"d seen Coridan"s mouth linger upon Jac"s b.r.e.a.s.t.s he"d felt rage unlike anything he"d ever experienced, a beast reared its ugly head, demanding blood. His body had shook with such intensity, it had taken all of Eros"s strength to hold him back, although he doubted anyone but the two of them realized it.
What had started out as a game between potential mates had turned into who could inflict the most pain. In the end, they"d both lost.
Chapter Twelve.
Ares found Jac deep in the jungle curled up in a ball. He lifted her limp body from the ground and carried her back to his hut. It had taken him several hours to locate her amongst the dense shrubbery. For a moment his heart stopped when he"d come upon her still body. He"d feared the worst until she"d taken a deep breath. Only then did he allow his muscles to relax and his heart to continue to beat. It had been the longest fifteen seconds of his life.
He took his time, working his way over the trail, trying not to wake her during the journey.
Now, with Jac tucked safely beneath his furs, Ares waited for the first tentacles of dawn to reach across the sky. The energy burst challenge would be starting within an hour and he"d yet to rest a wink. Instead he"d spent the hours watching Jac sleep, her pale face gleaming in the soft glow of the fire pot. She hadn"t awoken, not even when he"d placed her on the bed, her lithe body limp from exhaustion.
It was his fault she"d spent the night unprotected in the jungle. Anything could have happened to her in those hours and he wouldn"t have been close enough to help her in time. The thought of that sent shards of guilt lancing through his body, slicing deep enough to haunt him for a lifetime.
Releasing a heavy breath, Ares readied himself for the challenge, knowing his strength waned greatly from last night"s events. He strapped on his blade, even though it would not be used during the combat. Giving Jac one last glance over his shoulder, Ares pushed the hide away from the door and slipped out. His senses were sluggish as he made his way to the village clearing. He"d traveled about a hundred yards when a subtle shift in the energy field caught his attention.
Ares stilled. He scanned the area around him, trying to determine the direction the disturbance came from. It was never exact, but he could get a fair idea of the general location. His body tightened, going into full alert as he realized the intruder was male. The man wasn"t yet close, perhaps a day or two away, but drew nearer from the north. Ares"s jaw clenched as the red-haired devil came into his mind. Was he the cause of the disturbance? He"d been unable to pursue the Professor since the taming ritual had started. Not content with Jac and Rachel, it seemed the danger had come looking for his people, too.
Ares was torn. If he did not hurry and reach the clearing he"d forfeit his chance to win Jac. But if he didn"t pursue this new threat, there was a chance he would not be able to locate it again, by the time the energy battle ended.
Ares shook with fury at the thought of allowing the male to escape, but without Jac there would be no future for him. So with regret, he set aside his anger and pushed on, entering the clearing right before the seer raised her hands to give the victory to Coridan.
Ares broke through the trees. I am here. He announced to the gathering crowd. The entire village had turned out to see this part of the challenge. Part of Ares wished Jac was here, but thought it best that she wasn"t. He couldn"t afford the distraction. Coridan was younger and faster, but Ares had experience and patience on his side. As long as he kept the young warrior running, eventually he"d wear him out and finish him off with no one getting harmed in the process.
The men stood thirty feet apart, facing each other. With hands at their sides, they waited for Ariel to give the signal to begin. Ares flexed his fingers, preparing for the first strike. The seer announced the challenge and then signaled to begin. Ares had barely raised his hand before Coridan"s energy burst struck him in the chest. Knocked from his feet, Ares flew through the air, wind whistling past his head, a second before he landed hard, flat on his back.
The hard ground was unyielding, as his lungs labored to get the air back that had been knocked away. Ares struggled to sit up. Rising up on one elbow, Ares caught the satisfied expression on Coridan"s youthful face. The warrior was more of a threat than he"d antic.i.p.ated. Ares scrambled to his knees and then stood. He brushed at the burning muscles in his chest as if the pain had been nothing, then positioned himself for the next round.
The signal dropped again and another burst rang out, this time catching Ares in the shoulder. His lips curled as his eyes met Coridan"s face. I see you"ve been practicing, young one. He growled in his challenger"s head.
The warrior"s smile widened, then he shot back. Jac will be mine, Ares. Soon I will sink between her welcoming thighs and plant my seed deep within her womb. Coridan"s eyes flared in warning. And there is naught you can do to stop it.
That is where you are wrong, young one. I will not willingly give up what is mine while there is breath left in my body.
The smile Coridan gave him was lethal.
Jac woke to an empty bed. Her head throbbed like a ba.s.s drum in bra.s.s band. She couldn"t remember how she got here. Jac swallowed, trying to get down whatever had died in her mouth the night before. She squinted, scanning the hut for Ares"s presence even though she knew he wasn"t there.
It had to be morning by now, but it was impossible to tell with only dim light illuminating the area. She pushed herself up, brushing the hair from her eyes, then threw her legs over the side of the bed and padded to the water bucket.
After splashing water on her face, Jac"s head cleared. She strode over to the door and threw the hide back. The sun shone bright in the sky, dappling the floor of the jungle with gentle light. Creatures scurried and dashed, performing their normal daily dance. Jac yawned and scratched her stomach before stepping back inside to retrieve her black skirt. She glanced at her hiking boots. A part of Jac rebelled, the part that refused to be dictated to, the part that relished her freedom and would be controlled by no man. With firm resolve she slipped them on.
Not exactly a fashion statement, but down here, who cared. It would be weird strolling into the compound in broad daylight with only a skirt and shoes on, but she didn"t have much choice in the matter.
When in Rome, flashed in her mind.
Jac proceeded toward the village, looking forward to seeing Ares getting dropped on his arrogant a.s.s once or twice. She"d made it about a hundred and fifty yards or so when she heard shouts coming from the clearing up ahead. Her heart slammed against her ribs, knocking the breath from her lungs. Her mind scrambled as she tried to recall what the rules of the challenge were. Jac took off running, her booted feet squashing several ferns as she made a mad dash to reach the action.
She pushed through the brush as Coridan raised his hand and sent a bolt of energy sailing toward Ares"s face. Ares twisted at the last second but the blast still clipped him on the cheek, jerking his head back, sending his ebony hair flying across his face.
Jac"s hands flew to her mouth, smothering the shocked cry threatening to come out. She"d wanted to see her proud warrior a little embarra.s.sed, but the thought of Ares actually being injured scared her more than she"d like to admit. This challenge was nothing like she"d imagined. Ares"s body lay covered in bruises from his thighs to his head. It looked as if a crowd had ganged up on him and all taken a whack. Jac stood frozen at the edge of the trees afraid to continue watching and yet too terrified to turn away.
Ariel raised her hands and the battle began again. This time Ares caught Coridan unaware. He struck a fierce blow to the younger man"s ribcage, knocking him to the ground. Ares glanced in Jac"s direction, his eyes flicking from her skirt to her boots, and scowled, obviously not happy she was here. Well that was too d.a.m.n bad. He"d have to get over it, because she wasn"t going anywhere.
Coridan picked himself up off the dirt, holding his side, blood oozing from his split lip. He, too turned to look at Jac, but the seer dropped the signal before Coridan returned to position.
Ares fired two bolts at the young warrior, one landing on Coridan"s rump and the other boxing his ear. He let out a yelp as a third shot hit him in the same spot on the ribcage. Bones cracked. A final lesser blow soared toward his lower abdomen. The young warrior moved at the last second and the shot caught him in the groin instead. Coridan fell to the ground rolling from side to side, attempting to soothe the injuries. Tribal members snickered, while a few laughed, before attempting to help him up.
Coridan pushed their hands away, fury blazing behind his aqua eyes. He struggled to his feet, his gaze not leaving Ares"s face. "You will pay for this Ares. Mark my words."
Ares blinked, ignoring Coridan"s heated words.
The seer walked to the center of the clearing and held up her hands. "The ruling is clear. I declare Ares the winner of the energy burst challenge."
Cheers rang out around them.
Jac took a step forward, then hesitated. The tension from the two men was so thick, almost oppressive. Coridan looked as if he"d meant every word he"d said. Jac"s stomach flipped. She had a bad feeling about this whole situation.
The seer hushed the crowd. "There is one final trial to be overcome. When the warriors have completed the river challenge, then I will announce the winner. Until then, I suggest we get back to the tasks at hand. Warriors take your rest."
Rachel appeared at Jac"s side, her eyes like saucers. The people of Atlantis gathered around Ares to congratulate him. Jac took that moment to speak with her friend.
"Why do they insist on going through with this stupid challenge?" She snarled under her breath. "Someone could have been killed today."
Rachel smirked and looked at Jac as if she had a hole in the middle of her forehead. "Have you and Ares been talking at all?"
Jac set her jaw, her blue eyes leveling on Rachel. "We talk. Not a lot, but we talk."
Rachel burst out laughing. "I"d suspected as much with Ares, he"s more of an action kind of guy." She winked.