Jac shook her head as she considered the magnitude of what she was about to do, but a promise was a promise. Besides, she really didn"t want to go back on her word. When she"d almost lost Ares yesterday her scattered, self-centered life and the priorities in it had clarified, becoming crystal clear in a nanosecond.
She glanced around, luxuriating in the warm air and the mild day. She had gotten so used to the jungle that she didn"t notice the animals chattering, even though truth be told they never really shut up. Jac thought about the preparation ritual she"d been through, unfortunately her mind jumped to the next logical conclusion.
"Does Ares go through a preparation?"
Eros glanced down at her and smiled. "Not like you"re thinking."
She arched a brow. "What then?"
"Ariel chants over him."
"And?" Jac"s gaze leveled.
""Tis all. I swear." Eros put his hand on his heart.
Jac considered asking again, but before she got a chance, they reached the clearing. A crowd had gathered in the center of the compound, their eager voices murmuring in hushed tones. Jac and Eros left the cover of the trees a second before all eyes fell upon them. Ares stood next to the seer, draped in a jade loincloth, his tanned chest bared, showing his impressive muscles. His ebony hair had been plaited at the sides, with the back hanging free. It gleamed in the dappled sunlight, a striking shade of midnight blue.
Jac"s breath caught as their eyes met and held for a second. Rachel stood off to the side, dabbing at her tear filled eyes with an aqua cloth. Jac immediately looked away from her friend. There was no way she would cry again. She"d done enough of that yesterday. Eros brought her forward until she stood beside Ares. Eros dropped to his knees and kissed her nipples, his aqua eyes glittering with amus.e.m.e.nt as he rose.
"Good luck," he whispered to Ares.
"I heard that." Jac shot him a censoring look that she hoped said I"ll get you later. Eros strode to Rachel"s side. He slid his arm around his wife"s shoulders, lending her his strength, and gazed on in innocence.
Jac"s attention returned to Ares. He grabbed her hand, giving it a quick squeeze. Ariel stood before them with her hands in the air. The crowd quieted.
"We are here to witness the joining ceremony of Ares and Jac." The words came out strong and clear as she spoke. ""Tis been a long time coming."
There were m.u.f.fled giggles from the crowd behind them. Jac fought the urge to turn and glare. She knew the added comment had been aimed at her. She wasn"t going to give them the satisfaction today. Jac kept her gaze forward, ignoring the fact she was so close to her rival for Ares"s affections. As soon as the thought left her mind, in the peripheral Jac saw Ariel"s lips twitch, as if she were fighting back a smile.
The seer bade them both to step forward and face her. She placed her hands on both their heads and began to chant. Jac heard a loud pop in her ears. Her palms immediately flew to her head, covering her ears. She waited for pain to appear, but there was none. The seer continued to speak about the love and bonds of the joining. Jac blinked, when she realized Ariel"s lips no longer moved, yet she would swear she could hear every word. She glanced at Ares in confusion. He smiled and grabbed her hand again.
Do you hear me, Jac?
"Yes."
Good, then the ceremony is complete.
"Are you some kind of ventriloquist or something too?"
The seer laughed. Not exactly.
"Then how can I hear you?" Jac glanced around at the villagers, but no one seemed to think anything was amiss from the gleeful expressions on their faces.
"Tis the same way you were able to hear Ares, when he spoke to you. Your mind has been opened-expanded.
Everything they"d been saying was true, the planet, Atlantis-everything. Jac tried to smile, but the thought of anyone messing with her head without asking, really p.i.s.sed her off. She felt heat surging in her face, as confusion vied with anger. Ares must have sensed her turbulent emotions, for he gave Jac a quick brush of his thumb along the back of her hand, as if to remind her of what was important here. The innocent move created a fire all its own within Jac.
She turned back to Ariel, her jaw set with impatience. "Aren"t you going to say, kiss the bride or anything?"
Ariel"s lips curled up in a smile. If you wish...
"I do."
You may now kiss the bride.
It"s about time. Jac heard Ariel laughing in her head. She frowned. Can you hear my thoughts?
The laugh came again. Of course I can hear you thoughts, we all can.
Jac glared at Ares. You"ve known what I"ve been thinking the whole time. It wasn"t a question.
My fierceness, "twas for your own good, I meant no harm. I only sought your happiness.
She took a step forward. It"s a d.a.m.n good thing I love you. But just so you know, this conversation isn"t over by a long shot. Jac opened her mouth to reiterate her stance.
We can fight about it later, my fierceness. Ares held his hands up in surrender. I believe the seer said I may now kiss the bride.
Without preamble, Ares pulled Jac into his arms, sliding one hand low on her waist and the other to the back of her neck. He felt the crush of Jac"s b.r.e.a.s.t.s, the erotic sc.r.a.pe of her nipples, as she melded against his muscled chest. His lips were firm and insistent as they pressed against hers, coaxing her into opening for him. She did and he slipped inside, tasting, tempting, and luxuriating in the fact she was now his mate. He would not lose her to another. And best of all, his family name would live on. Ares pulled back and smiled. Jac"s face held a soft glow to it, while her blue eyes shone bright in the afternoon sun.
He searched her face, taking in her expression, looking for any sign of regret. There were exactly two dark spots on her flawless skin and absolutely no second thoughts. Her ears were small and delicately curved, in contrast to her above average height. The clear hair on her arms was soft as silk against his rough hands. Ares glanced down at her perfect body, admiring her pert b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Long and lithe, muscled and fierce, smart and strong, she was the perfect mate for a warrior such as him. His chest swelled with pride.
Ares"s smile grew impossibly wider as he imagined her flat belly expanding with their child. He had the overwhelming urge to drag her back to the hut, so they could start right away on a family. But he tamped down his enthusiasm when he considered the looks he"d receive from Ariel and King Eros. He"d have to wait a respectable amount of time, perhaps right after the healing feast, then slip away.
Jac"s lips were still swollen from the kiss. His eyes fixed on her sensual mouth. All right maybe not so respectable.
"Your fate is sealed. Now go forth with your new mate," Ariel announced to the crowd, but her eyes were on Ares.
The crowd erupted into cheers and well wishes. Ares and Jac turned to face the onslaught. Rachel raced forward and gave Jac a bear hug, tears of happiness streaming down her face.
"I"m so glad you changed your mind," Rachel hiccupped out.
Jac felt her eyes growing misty. Probably allergies, she thought, because there was absolutely no way she was crying. She never cried-yesterday had been an exception to a very long standing rule in her life.
And, well, today was like any other, except she"d gotten married to a warrior from another planet. The man she loved. No reason to cry about that. Jac swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, before pulling out of Rachel"s firm grip.
"Stop that right now," Jac pointed to Rachel"s watery eyes, attempting to scold.
Rachel laughed and hugged her again. Jac felt her own grip tightening on her friend"s shoulders.
"Boy, wouldn"t Brigit freak if she could see us now," Jac whispered against Rachel"s hair, then she pulled back.
The women stared at each other, sudden sadness coming upon them.
Rachel sighed. "It"s your wedding day. We shouldn"t be thinking about sad things today."
Jac nodded, but her mind continued to wander over the miles, to Brigit. She"d be waiting for news of Jac"s progress in finding Rachel. How could Jac leave her without explanation, head off to another planet and not let her know that she and Rachel were fine? Jac"s heart squeezed, fresh tears filled Rachel"s brown eyes. Jac didn"t have to be telepathic to know they were thinking the same thing.
"What are we going to do?" Rachel asked.
Jac let out a worried breath. "I"m not sure, but we can"t leave without a word. That wouldn"t be right."
Rachel frowned. "I know, but we can"t go back to New York. It would draw too much attention to this place. It"s bad enough Rumsinger"s slinking around down here, like the weasel he is."
Jac"s expression hardened. "I should have shot that b.a.s.t.a.r.d when I had a chance."
Rachel nodded. "He"ll get what"s coming to him. I have no doubt in my mind, even if we have to come back to Earth to do it." She smiled, confidence radiating from her.
"Tomorrow I"m going to try to open the portal." Rachel"s hands went to her mostly flat belly. "Well the baby and I are going to."
Excited whispers raced through the crowd.
Jac squeezed her friend"s hand, and then glanced around at the Atlanteans" smiling faces. In the back of her mind, Jac still had doubts that the transport would work, but for now she"d at least show her support for Rachel. "I never thought I"d be going into s.p.a.ce, always figured it was Brigit"s job."
They both cracked up again, thinking about their friend"s love of science fiction and her desire to experience s.p.a.ce travel firsthand.
Rachel led Jac to where Ares stood chatting with Eros. She handed Jac into Ares"s waiting arms and then snuggled against Eros"s side.
""Tis time to feast," Eros announced and led the procession over to the great table, which had already been laid out with fresh fruits, breads, and exotic orchids.
Ares and Jac sat side by side to Eros"s right, while Rachel took a seat on the left. They were at the head of the table with Ariel positioned at the opposite end. The Atlanteans" pa.s.sed food to the newly mated couple first, then on to the rest of the guests at the table. Conversations varied from excitement over leaving, to what they were going to miss the most. Some even discussed the prospects of finding their true mates.
Jac still didn"t quite understand the whole true mate business, but she recognized true love. In the end the decision had been simple, there was only one man for her-Ares. She continued to listen to the conversations with one ear, enjoying the fresh slices of mango on her plate. It seemed like no matter where you were from, problems in life were all the same. At some point or another, all people had to contend with moving, loss, and love. She smiled, rea.s.sured by the normalcy thrown into an otherwise abnormal situation.
Ares"s hand rested protectively on her knee, as if he were trying to rea.s.sure himself that she was really there and not going anywhere. The air surrounding the table seemed to spark with a life of its own. It felt as if the temperature had risen by ten degrees within the last few minutes. Jac would have attributed the warmth to body heat, but they were outdoors, so it couldn"t have made that much of a difference. If she"d had a shirt on, Jac would have tugged at the collar. She ran her hand over her neck in an attempt to soothe her p.r.i.c.kling skin.
Jac"s gaze darted along the table, searching to see if anyone else noted the change, but no one seemed to be paying attention. Rachel continued to pick at the bread and fruit on her plate. Every time she looked at Eros, a goofy expression crossed her face. Jac hoped she didn"t look like that when she looked at Ares. If so, someone needed to shoot her now and put her out of her misery.
Ares laughed, sending her a sideways glance. "There will be no shooting today."
"Keep out of my mind. It"s not a seven-eleven." Jac glared, but knew her bark sounded much worse than her bite right now.
He grinned at her, his jade eyes sparking. "I know not what you speak of, but I understand the meaning nonetheless." Ares gave her knee a squeeze under the table.
Jac stared at him and couldn"t help but smile. He was so handsome. And right now the light in his eyes made him look like a mischievous little boy up to no good. She snorted and turned back to her food, amazed by the circ.u.mstance that brought her here and how strange a curve life had thrown at her.
The sun set a few hours later and everyone moved away from the table, gathering around a fire that had been built earlier in the center of the compound. The mood was buoyant as plans were made for tomorrow"s journey. Ares stood behind Jac, cradling her against his chest, his arms about her waist. His chin rested atop her head, as if they"d been made for each other.
The bruises that had marred his body yesterday were all but faded. His peoples" ability to heal was impressive. Jac sank back into his warmth, relishing his returning strength. The river had been a close call, too close for Jac. She didn"t want him putting himself in anywhere near that kind of danger again. Even though logically she knew it had been out of his control.
Are you happy? he whispered in her mind.
Jac thought for a moment and realized she actually was surprisingly ecstatic. Very...and you?
More than I thought possible, now that I have you in my life to stay.
Are you trying to sweet talk me?
He purred. Maybe...
Jac playfully jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow and laughed. Well it"s working.
The dancing is about to start. Do you want to join in?
Jac smiled. She had other things on her mind and it didn"t have anything to do with dancing. Ares rubbed his hardening c.o.c.k against her backside.
If you"re not careful...I may take you back to the hut right now.
Jac swayed her hips, suggestively. Who"s stopping you?
Ares let out a growl and picked Jac up, tossing her over his shoulder, caveman style. Jac squealed, her hands coming down to pretend to beat on his back. With one arm he clasped her, holding her in place, while the other playfully slapped her on the bottom. Jac choked with laughter, only Ares heard the moan she tried to conceal. His smile widened as he strode off into the jungle, leaving the others to pair up for the night. He had plans for his mate and they didn"t include watching an orgy.
Ares strode down the trail toward his hut, his hands resting on Jac"s long legs. He imagined the myriad of ways in which he would give her pleasure tonight. He"d take her slow and easy, hard and fast, and every way in between. His c.o.c.k hardened to the point of pain as he thought about her long legs draped over his shoulders as he lapped her folds. He would hear her scream of release at least seven times before he"d let her seek rest. There would be nothing he would not give her, nothing he would not do. Tonight was for fantasies, his, hers, and theirs. And they"d start the second the flap covering the door dropped.
He picked up the pace, the sudden urgency too intense to ignore. Ares slid his fingers under the jade skirt covering Jac"s s.e.x. His hand found her bottom and he began to ma.s.sage. He traced her crack, trailing one finger down its length. Ares felt Jac tense as she recalled exactly what he"d done to her earlier today. He followed the line all the way around until he encountered her already moist s.e.x. Jac shuddered as he circled her entrance a couple of times then continued down her thighs.
Ares grinned. He liked teasing Jac. She would willingly play any game he put forth, adventurous enough to take said game and turn it into her own. Tonight they"d test each other limits, discover boundaries to pa.s.s. His blood heated at the thought of her resting upon his face as he drove his tongue inside her awaiting channel, spearing her.
They reached the hut and Ares released Jac, setting her upon her feet. He stepped through the door holding up the hides so that she could enter. He turned a palm to the fire pot on the table and sent an energy burst out, the flames leapt to life. A soft glow illuminated the hut. Ares moved to the hidden compartment in the side wall, opened it and began removing the items he planned on using tonight. There were oils, similar to the ones Eros had prepared Jac with, brushes of various sizes, and a couple of scarves.
"What are you doing?" Her eyes narrowed, but her voice held a playful lilt.
Ares waggled his eyebrows at her. "Preparing..."
He juggled the items in his hands, careful not to drop any of them as he made his way to the table. He placed the items out, then began to examine the fruit. He picked out bananas and several camu camu, since they were similar in size to a plum and set them aside. Ares opened up a container of oil, poured some in his palm, and then began to rub his hands together. He didn"t want to think about the fact that Eros had done the same thing when he"d come to prepare Jac for the mating ceremony.
Anger rose in Ares, at the thought of any man, including his friend, laying their hands upon his mate. The seer had come close to restraining him, to keep Ares from returning to his hut to stop the preparation. He"d gone mad as jealousy ate at his insides.
Ares took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. It was over and done. The ceremony had been completed, the healing performed. His eyes sought Jac. She stood near the door where he"d left her, watching him with hunger burning in her blue depths. The thought of stoking that fire had Ares hurrying with his task.
Ares approached Jac, his hands dripping with oil. Her eyes widened and her breathing hitched. He reached out and gently took her palm in his, twining his fingers through hers, locking her to him. Ares gave her a slight tug and she stepped forward.
I wish I could say that I promise not to bite, but it would be a lie, I"m afraid.
Nervous laughter bubbled from Jac. You don"t have to make that promise on my account. I love a good nip or two. Jac licked her lips suggestively.
Instead of leading her to the bed, Ares walked Jac to one of the chairs situated around the table. The air was warmer there, near the fire pot, and he could easily reach the items he needed. Before allowing her to sit down, he slid the skirt over her hips, letting it drop to the floor. It made a slight rustle before settling on the ground. He held up her hand to help her step from the material, then guided her to the seat. Jac"s breathing had deepened, causing her nipples to quiver. Ares focused on her face, trying to ignore the tempting morsels so near his heated mouth.
Once she"d sat down, he dropped to his knees. His hands came to rest on her thighs. Ares"s eyes locked with Jac a second before he spread her wide, opening her for his perusal. When he had her positioned like he wanted, Ares sat back on his heels and stared. Jac"s p.u.s.s.y was total perfection, pink and puffy, lightly furred, and held an odor of spicy musk that was enough to drive him insane. He licked his lips in antic.i.p.ation. Mirroring him, Jac did the same.
Have I told you how beautiful I find you?
No, she whispered in his mind.
Ares stroked her a couple times, teasing the flesh with his callused fingers.
So soft...so sweet...so wet. And it"s all for me.
"For you," she groaned. Jac closed her eyes and bit her lip. Before she opened them again, Ares picked up the camu camu fruit. The plum like fruit although sweet to the taste, came loaded enough stimulants to keep a bull elephant awake for a month. Not that the fruit affected Ares that way. His people were immune to the plants indigenous to this planet.