CHAPTER 30

Lis placed the phial she held back within her satchel, creating a firm clank. Tears of frustration and exhaustion welled up in her eyes and she wiped at them angrily. No matter what she did for Adda, she could not get her to wake.

She sat back on her heels, unsure what to do now. She had little else that she even knew to try. She wasn't even supposed to be awake. Cillumn stood outside of the door, keeping watch so that she could sleep, but after a short time, Lis had awoke, plagued with worries for her sister. She frowned at her satchel. Nothing at all was working, though, and it was scaring her a little.

The cabin was dark, save for the fire that flickered weakly in the hearth, heating the room and chasing away the night's drafts. In the darkness, Adda nearly looked dead, only a hand on her chest to feel her breathing assured Lis otherwise.

She studied the door for a moment. It had been crafted out of a roughly worked single plank, but it appeared that might have been a hundred years ago. Real hinges, one of the only modern and metal pieces to the construction of the cabin, sagged with the rotted wood of the frame.

Cillumn waited out there, maybe she should go and take watch. At least one of them should be resting. She hesitated to leave Adda's side. Being useless to her after all she had went through to retrieve her left a bitter taste in Lis' mouth.

She stood anyway and made her way outside. She had managed to find a torn old piece of material tucked between two of the logs near the hearth. It was stained with moss growth and dirt, but it was big enough to wrap around her breasts and hang down to cover her rear.

“Finished sleeping already?” Cillumn murmured. The night was actually brighter than the cabin interior and it took a moment for Lis' eyes to adjust. Once they did, it took her mind some time to adjust.

Cillumn stood, leaning against the cabin exterior. Smooth silvery light cast down from a partial moon and the bright points of the stars surrounding it and landed on his male perfection. His chest bulged where he crossed his arms and, even in the relaxed stance he had taken, each muscle along his side stood out from the other. His legs were just as impressive, as was, if Lis were to admit it to herself, what hung heavily between them. His member twitched a little, alerting her to the fact that he knew she was staring.

It struck her how physically dangerous this Lord could be, yet, not once, had he forced himself upon her. It stood to reason, then, that not everything she had learned from the pack relating to the Lords was true. In fact, from her recent experiences, nearly nothing the pack taught about the Lords was true.

Oblivious to her internal revelations Cillumn pushed off of the wall and strode toward her, his body had tightened, but there was nothing but concern upon his face.

“You need to sleep, Lis,” he reached for her and gathered her to him. Oddly, it felt incredibly right, so right that she couldn't allow herself to pull away. She found her face pressed against those firm muscles she had just been admiring, while his strong fingers massaged the back of her head and neck.

“You need to sleep, too,” her words slurred, the pleasure of his fingers doing funny things to her speech.

“I have been meditating, it has helped me to recover somewhat. I believe I can remain on guard until Scet arrives.” He pulled her away slightly so that he could look down at her. “You, however, need true sleep. What are you doing out here?”

“I awoke and couldn't get back to sleep.”

“Still no progress with your sister?”

Lis shook her head, happy that he guessed her worries and she didn't have to explain her failure out loud.

“It is not your fault, Lis. Whatever Grim was doing to them, that is what drove her unconscious.”

His words were true, she knew that they were, but she hated the feeling of inadequacy.

She couldn't really focus on it, though, because his strong fingers began working their way lower, down and along her back. He might have been trying to help her, but the presence of his heat at her front and his touch at her back was awakening her more and stirring desire that had no right being so strong.

She moaned with pleasure and rubbed her forehead into his chest, the little hairs there tickling her nose.

“I can help you relax,” Cillumn offered.

Lis grimaced, remembering when they first met and how he had crushed her to his chest and caused her to sleep. It was tempting to fall so quickly to slumber, but she didn't remember waking feeling refreshed, and she disliked very much the thought that trouble might strike and she wouldn't be able to wake at all. She wasn't wearing it, but if they were discovered by possessed Shifters, or even the Quatori on their own, her dart launcher was ready and would provide some damage. She could be useful.

“I do not wish to be hypnotized.”

Cillumn chuckled softly. “I suppose that would work, too, but I was thinking along other lines.”

He was?

Instantly, her body tensed, each nerve alerted and sensitive. The brush of his fingers sent sparks of intensity toward her core and, pressing against him, she recognized his heat and the now solid bulge of his manhood against her thigh.

“Are you averse to the idea?”

Couldn't he tell that she wasn't? Or was this one of those moments where he insisted she admit such things out loud? It would be so much easier if she didn't have to speak, if she could just close her eyes and enjoy his touch. Why did he have to insist on her focus and awareness?

But he did. His fingers had stopped their downward trailing and hovered along her lower back, waiting. Her inner voice tried to warn her, Cillumn was a Lord, he was not a casual lover. They would lay together and then he would move on, seeking a mate his dragon approved of. And she would be left unwanted by any Shifter with pride. She would be mateless forever.

She didn't care. She needed him now with an intensity she had never yet felt for any man, Shifter or not. If it was to be the last time a man accepted her as a lover, then at least it would be worth it.

“No,” she managed, “I am not averse.”

Instantly, his hands clutched at her buttocks. He squeezed gently and kneaded them, at the same time drawing her to him and grinding his hips against her. He dropped his head to her neck, shuddering slightly. He, too, obviously longed for this intensely. His naked skin against the patches of hers was nearly too much to handle. The heat that emanated from him burned deliciously, a pleasurable and arousing pain that drove her insides to twisting.

His lips found the skin of her collar and he tasted her there, leaving a hint of moisture that cooled in the night air as he moved up her neck toward her jaw. Her lips parted and she tilted her head back, exposing more flesh to his mouth.

Beneath the fabric, her nipples purled, tightening to a painful hardness, though he had yet to near them, or even attempt to remove her make-shift dress.

Now that she had made her decision, she was eager to embrace the moment. She turned her face to him, expecting a kiss, at the same time running her hand down along his side and over his hip toward the part she wanted to feel the most.

“Oh, no,” Cillumn scolded, twisting his body away and denying her access. “I haven't even started with you yet.”

She thought about protesting, for a single breath, until he turned her around and firmly pressed her back up against the cabin wall, pinning her so that she could not move. She reached out her arms toward him, intent on encircling his neck and drawing him nearer for that kiss that she wanted. He did not cooperate. Instead, he took them and placed them firmly at her side.

“Do not make me restrain you, woman, stay still,” he growled.

Lis inhaled sharply, the intensity on his face so severe. His dark eyebrows furrowed and the muscles along his jaw stood out vividly. His breathing, too, had shifted, an excited panting he seemed to be trying to control. She met his gaze, lost for long moments in the hypnotic burning of his Amber eyes.

It should have scared her, perhaps, the intensity of his desire, the obvious restraint he had to use, but she found herself flattered...and excited by it. Had anyone ever desired her in such a way? It confirmed the decision in her mind and she obeyed, laying her hands against the log wall at her side and waiting for what he would do next.

He sensed her capitulation, a low rumble of satisfaction grew within his throat. His hands moved instantly to her breasts, and the material she had tied there...and shredded it. Then his mouth was upon her. Again at her collar, but this time moving lower. With painful slowness, he kissed and licked his way toward her cleavage, hesitating between each movement just long enough for Lis to feel the drive of impatience.

At last, he reached her right peak, it stood, jutting out from her breast, as if waiting for him, begging. He hovered above it, his breath tingling against it and licked his lips.

Six he was torturing her and she couldn't stand it. She swayed forward, catching him off guard and managed to press herself against his lips.

He chuckled, taking her hips in his hands and pressing her back once more. “Ever responsive, Lis. I have wanted this for a very long time. I intend to savor you.”

He returned to his position, so close to where she wanted him, and yet not. She wasn't sure she would survive the slow pace. She wanted his mouth on her. Now.

Just as she thought the words, his tongue shot out, laving her peak, bathing first in heat and then the cool night breeze accentuated by his breath. Her thoughts evaporated and she shivered, little bumps of awareness raising along her skin. Every single aspect of her being felt highlighted and focused. The wall at her back, the night air, the soft moss beneath her feet.

He licked again, burning and then cooling, a wave of yearning that increased the ache between her thighs as easily as if he touched her there. Amber eyes flicked up toward her face, a slight amusement within.

He was teasing her. She didn't know whether to be amused herself, or exasperated by it. She tried swaying forward once again, perhaps this time...

It seemed he had his own share of impatience, for when her nipple neared him again, he attacked it, taking the entire peak into his mouth and suckling. Hard.

Lis cried out at the sensation, a tingling shock that drove straight through her. Her back hit the wall and he released her breast, only to lick wildly and then suckle again.

A deep, desperate groan escaped him and he moved to the other breast, offering it the same attention.

Lis was lost. Her head fell back against the wall. Pleasure built inside and she panted, overwhelmed by sensation. Her hair, too, added to the stimulation, she had done so little with it since meeting Cillumn. Most of her life she had kept it strictly tied back, but now it tumbled down her back, tickling and brushing against her skin as his mouth nibbled upon her front. She managed a whimper and sucked in a deep breath.

It wasn't what he had wanted from her, but her hands moved on their own accord, reaching forward and running through his hair, pulling it from its bindings. His gaze flashed up to hers, triumphant, as she pressed him harder to her chest.

He released her, leaving her breast with a little lick, and a nip.

“I need to taste more of you,” he whispered hoarsely. His tongue, that perfect tongue, ran over his lips.

Then he knelt.

One hand held her hips in place against the wall, the other cupped a breast, as if he couldn't quite bare to leave them without attention. His lips pressed beneath her breasts, a surprisingly sensitive area, and then along her ribs. He licked and nipped at her waist, where her flesh caved inward before expanding at her hips once more. Her stomach clenched expectantly and he kissed it, before moving lower.

The hand upon her breast released, much to her disappointment, and took hold of the other side of her hips, so that they were held, firm and still, by Cillumn's large hands.

Intense pleasure shot through her, heat and moisture along her folds and up toward the sensitive nub at the top of her opening. Never had a man kissed her there, it felt as though the stars had collided in her center and she was about to explode. Would it disappoint him if she were to have the best orgasm of her life before they even joined?

He laved at her again, a long hot stroke finishing with a flick at the most sensitive place, pushing her higher, closer to the edge.

She panted and growled loudly, the embarrassment she should feel at such a display simply gone. Any thoughts gone, as well, or vanished, except those that concentrated on this man, on this moment. So close, she was so close to the finish. Her breaths heaved and she tossed wildly against the wall, unable to do anything else. And then he stopped.

He pulled back and watched her, satisfaction evident across his face.

“Now,” he commanded. “Beg me.”

Wait...a small insurgence of indignity prickled at her. She was allowing his touch, allowing anything that he wanted, if only he would keep going. But now he wanted...

She fought with her pride. She couldn't do it, couldn't beg. Why would he want such a thing anyway?

“I have wanted you from the moment I opened my eyes to find you above me, and every step you have fought and insulted me.” He spoke as though he had heard her question. “Now you will admit you have wanted me as deeply. That I am the only one who can give you what you seek. You desire me and you will admit it. Beg.”

Lis' teeth pressed together until they hurt. She wanted this, more than she had ever wanted anything sexual in her life. Even the few times she had allowed a quick affair in the pack, it had never been like this. Even now, she had a hard time believing that this man, this model of perfection, wanted her. But to beg him, it hurt her pride.

Until she looked at him. Really looked. He knelt still, face only an arms-length from where he had been providing her with more pleasure than she had ever felt before. He had done nothing but attempt to aid her since he awoke; despite being a Lord, he was a good and honorable man. He had strength enough for a hundred. Yet there was something else, a hint of vulnerability, and it grew as she hesitated.

It nearly undid her, to see him defenseless like that, and it shot the pride she battled clear in the heart.

“Cillumn, please,” she whispered.

Amber eyes flared and, lower, his erection twitched visibly.

What had she been hesitating for? Cillumn's desire was possibly the most incredible and empowering thing she had ever encountered. A new surge of wetness grew against her thighs.

“Please,” she begged again. “I want all of you...here.” she pointed.

Cillumn lunged upward. Like an animal, his mouth crushed to hers, his body pinned her hard. He devoured her mouth, tongue pumping in and out, demanding, claiming. She was helpless to do anything but to hold on. His hips ground against hers, his erection sliding up and down between them, rubbing hard enough against her folds to send waves of pleasure growing once more. Was there anything this man could do that wouldn't push her to orgasm?

She whimpered into his mouth and bucked back, encouraging.

And then she felt him, positioned at her entrance, just a light touch, and it was what she wanted more than anything else.

“I will not be able to stop from here...Hells, I probably can't stop now,” he warned through gritted teeth.

“Good.” What was he waiting for? She had already asked, begged even. If he didn't....

She screamed as he pushed inside. His enlarged head rubbing divinely, followed by a release and then another ridge. Her body tightened, prepared for release. Just a little bit farther.

Cillumn hissed. “Do not be frightened, Lis, it is just me.”

What?

She cracked her eyes open, there, in front of her was the man she had come to desire above all else...with wings emerging from his back.

For once, it didn't matter. What might have terrified her at one time did little to move her now. Not with his cock so deeply buried, and he was still pressing in. It felt as though she was filled to capacity and yet he kept going. How much of him could she take?

The third ridge was what set it off.

Her pleasure spiked, sending intense waves across her body, up her back and even down to her very toes. She writhed against him, his length no longer a problem as she fought to take him deeper. She rose and fell, wrapping her legs around his waist, unable to control the grinding motion of her hips. The pleasure kept coming; if he hadn't been holding her she would have toppled to the ground. Wave after wave that had her squirming and pressing, seeking even more from him.

Cillumn panted, small little groans escaping his lips as he attempted to allow her to ride out her pleasure, but the waves just kept coming, a second peak hitting just as the first began to fade.

He lost it then, a cry, nearly inhuman, and he pumped ferociously, kissing her neck, his head next to hers on the wall. His breath panted in her ear, coupled with a new sound that reminded her of a raging fire.

His cry of ecstasy met with her own. Their limbs and bodies matching cadence. She could feel his release inside of her and that, in itself, set off another peak, and she lost all coherence.

When she finally recovered enough to become slightly aware once more, they were collapsing to the moss below. He pulled her atop, protecting her from the damp, and they lay there panting and holding one another. Just breathing.

Eventually, his wings retracted, and Lis found herself pleased. Surely he had worked hard to temper his emotion and pull them back, simply so that she could be at ease. She sighed and closed her eyes, her cheek against his chest. Some emotion she wasn't ready to name worked its way through her.

“It is you,” he murmured, stroking fingers through her hair.

Lis was lost in a pleasant haze, peace, for once, settling upon her. Such pleasure, she hadn't known it was even possible. She had the strength left to grunt a questioning sound.

“My dragon, he has chosen. We are mated Lis.”