Bringing his lips back to hers, he deepened his kiss, and her body burned. Some in pleasure. Some in pain. As Kyden’s kiss intensified, so did the pressure between her thighs. He lowered his hand to her side and tightened his fingers against her hipbone, when he gave one steady push.
Hissing against the pain, she had no doubt her nails would leave an imprint on his arms, not that he seemed to mind. He stayed still, staring at her with an obvious battle raging inside of him: he disliked hurting her, but he loved being joined.
When the sharp sting settled and she relaxed, he shifted his h*ps slowly, allowing her body to become accustomed to him. With each withdrawal, she moaned. With each insertion, she gasped.
He no longer kissed her. His face remained inches from hers and his hand cradled the back of her head. Gazing at her with heady emotion in his eyes, he handled her body like he dealt with everything else in his life, with care, but also with arrogance. Every slide of his body against hers marked her as if he stamped himself on her soul, and she wanted more.
Soon, her body didn’t fight his intrusion and she accepted him easily. Wetness increased between her thighs, and Kyden moaned, dropping his head to rest in her neck. The pain gave way to a new sensation, consuming her and setting her aflame.
Raising his head, Kyden increased his speed—still gentle, only faster. Nexi’s moans deepened as she drank in the flexing muscles beneath her hands, the sweat coating his skin, and the sounds of his pleasure.
She rose up and lightly ran her tongue up the length of a bulging vein, tasting salty flesh and inhaling his spicy scent, which made him grunt. Lifting himself onto his hands, he peered down at her while he shifted his h*ps harder, faster, until she was gasping from his strength. She wrapped her legs around his thighs, angling her h*ps to meet him thrust for thrust, while sweet satisfaction drifted over her.
“Harder?” he grunted.
“Yes…” she arched up into him. “More.”
He increased his speed and groaned delicious masculine sounds with each rock against her, leaving her breathless. Pumping into her, he created a force inside her, teetering on near insanity. His pelvis brushing against her, mixed with watching all his muscles flex, as well as the primal look he offered her now, took her over the edge. Unable to do anything else, she closed her eyes as he took her higher than she dreamed possible.
“Look at me.”
His demand for her to see him, plus the feral sound of his voice, made her inner muscles spasm and her eyes snapped open. At the sight of Kyden, knowing they belonged only to each other, and at the raw affection she spotted in the depths of his eyes, her entire body, and the world around her, for a few seconds, froze.
No noise. No breath. No Kyden.
Then she was crashing into waves of sensations, washing over her in brutal force. Intense pleasure skyrocketed into every nerve ending in her body, and above her, Kyden pumped in rapid speed as his eyes widened.
At her final scream of satisfaction ripping from her throat, and with a harsh thrust forward, he roared and dropped down on top of her. His deep moans filled her ear and his breath tickled her neck as her body massaged his, eagerly drawing out his release.
When she no longer quivered and her body was, yet again, the equivalent to a jellyfish—something he seemed good at achieving—she shook her head, breathless. “I should not have waited so long to do that.”
Kyden rose up onto his hands, staring down at her with his hair dangling over his face. “Of course you should have.” His brows drew together with his frown. “Your virginity was mine to take.”
She laughed, cupping his cheeks, bringing his face down to hers. “You’re never going to change, are you? You’ll always be my guardian who acts like a total caveman.”
His mouth curved. “And you’ll always be the spitfire who can handle me.”
Epilogue
Three weeks had gone by in a blur. Nexi enjoyed the rest she’d been granted, and that the Council had given her some time to grieve. Although, right now, she wanted to be at home, in bed snuggled up with Kyden, and not standing in the middle of a circle of witches in the Witches’ Meadow.
However, as Zia had bluntly pointed out, she needed to listen to the Council’s orders, since she had disregarded Talon’s order to stay behind the night Kyden had been taken. Not that the Council wasn’t happy it had all worked out, but Nexi needed to be a good girl for a while. Regardless that she wanted to say no, she joined Zia tonight without argument.
Now she wished she’d put up more of a stink.
Zia smiled at Nexi before she turned to the witches. “We have a new witch among us.” She stepped forward, wrapping her warms hands around Nexi’s. “One who has been lost for some time. Will you join us, Nexi, and accept us as your Sisterhood?”
She hadn’t realized she’d have to talk, and muttered, “Yes,” even if she didn’t at this point truly understand what it meant to accept them. While all the witches looked nice and most smiled at her, this moment could not get any weirder.
Haven’s soft giggle sounded behind Nexi. She looked over her shoulder to give her soul-sister a you’re so dead look, as Haven’s amusement seeped into their bond. Of course, Haven would understand Nexi’s discomfort.
Zia squeezed Nexi’s hand, commanding her focus, and when Nexi turned to her again, Zia added, “Witches, do you accept Nexi into the Sisterhood of the Otherworld?”
“Yes,” they said in unison.
Releasing Nexi’s hands, Zia backed away, and she raised her arms to the sky. In the same manner Nexi had seen before at the circle, Air, Water, Fire and Earth, awakened through Zia and made their presence known.
Energy flowed around Nexi in giant waves, warming her skin with the magic pulsating like a heartbeat around her, something she definitely didn’t feel before, not to this level. Drawing in a long, steady breath, and shivering from the sensation, she also noticed an odd sense of happiness spreading through her, more than the presence of magic— the feeling of unity.
Here, she belonged.
On her even longer exhale, the Elements were sucked away with a loud whoosh before the blue ribbon-like energy rushed around the witches. The sparks of energy off the ribbon hadn’t been something Nexi had seen at the last circle, telling her this is what Haven had meant when she’d explained the purpose of the circle. Until she had her witch abilities, she wouldn’t understand the meaning behind why Zia gathered the witches together.
Now she got it.
It did unite the witches.
Nexi watched the ribbon circle each witch before it moved on to the next in impressive speed. Soaring past Haven, the ribbon encased Zia, then slipped along Nexi’s body. She gasped as the sensation tickled, causing goose bumps to pimple across her skin.
The intensity in the energy forced her eyes closed and she basked in its warmth. She bowed her head as the heat of sisterly love simmered through her veins. More so, she relished the heady sensation as if the Elements greeted her. Almost as if they touched her soul, welcomed her to use them, as if they offered to guide and protect her.
A sizzle followed by a bang opened Nexi’s eyes, snapping her head up to Zia. She blinked at the view in front of her, but the shimmering light dancing around the witches remained. “Um…why are you glowing?”
Haven pounced forward, wrapping Nexi in a death hug. “You’re one of us now. I feel you in the Sisterhood.” She bounced up and down, nearly taking Nexi to the grass. “I mean, I didn’t care when you weren’t in the Sisterhood, but now that you are, everything is just as it should be.”
Zia stared at Nexi as a mother would. Loving. Protective. Appreciating. “Tonight, your mother would be so happy. I know she’s not here with us now, but I can feel her all around you. I can see her in your eyes. I hear her in your voice.” Zia touched the side of Nexi’s mouth. “She’s there in your smile.”
Tears welled in Nexi’s eyes. “Oh, no, I’m not going there again.” Inhaling a sharp breath, she clamped down on her emotions. “I’ve cried enough to last me a few years. Onward and upward.” Shaking out her hands to rid herself any sadness, she asked Zia, “So, what happens now?”
“You trained as a guardian.” Determination shone heavy in the depths of Zia’s eyes, and her smile became all too wise. “Now you train as witch.”