Authors: Kiki Howell
Mystical Mayhem (6 page)
Her nipples tightened under his palms. As he bit, something between a kiss and a nip at her throat, his hand traveled lower. She loved the weight of him pressing against her skin, running his hand over her stomach, which coiled in anticipation, a tight drum ready to vibrate with a low but resounding noise.
Seconds later, he hugged her around her hips, burying his face between her thighs, nipping and kissing her wet and sensitive flesh there. The music in her head built in rhythm and tone. His tongue dipped in between her folds, pushing into her opening, making her scream, the notes still playing, humming through her body, not just a drum but a whole tribe playing to a crescendo. When he sucked her clit into his mouth, she opened her eyes, strained to watch his mouth on her. She let Xander stick his tongue inside her a few more times, burying his face in between her folds, an animal feeding from her, before she pushed at his shoulders.
“Sorry, did I hurt you?”
“No, I just wanted more.” She gave him a slanted, wicked grin.
“Thank you. Thank you for being so open and giving, my Mate.”
She moved up as far as she could on the mattress, leaving her legs wide open for Xander to enter her. Again, she was in control for a brief second, getting lightheaded with the rush of it, having him follow her before she relinquished and allowed him to dominate her. She liked it both ways.
Xander, with a glint in his eye, thrust into her wetness, pushing all of himself inside her in one thrust. As she cried out, glorying in the feeling of her inner walls stretching around him, hot blood roared through her veins. Xander pulled out, then moved inside her so swiftly, so far, that she felt for one magnificent second, her body so full of him, she was complete.
Xander kept himself up on his arms, elbows locked, holding most of his weight off of her. Yet, with each thrust of her Mate, Aiyanna felt the pressure grow inside her, wanting more of him still, an insatiable hunger even with his body crushing down onto hers. She was getting greedy as they moved fast, but in sync. With his blood still in her system, she could feel her Mate on a different level, more than just sex. They were one animal. Their Dragons, while different in nature, mingled too. His pleasure escalated her own. The contractions built so her inner walls gripped him, milked him. She could feel a new connection between them, one where she understood what he felt, what he thought, what he was. Because of this gift, she knew he was as overwhelmed by the experience as she was. It was a comfort to be able to experience some of her Mate’s feelings. Pushing up, she threw her arms around his neck and held on for dear life as her orgasm neared. She came, pulsing, waves of tightening and releasing, fire coursing through her. When he finally came, their combined cries had to have scared the whole damn forest below them.
Of course, this just may have been the case, as only minutes later they heard a voice at the mouth of the cave speak his name.
Chapter Four
“Who is that?” Aiyanna started.
“One second,” Xander yelled to the voice. “It’s Brandon,” he said to her quietly, “a vampire, from that special ops group. Here, put on this dress.” He was out of the bed and scurrying about for his clothes already.
Once they were dressed, he grabbed her hand, and yelled, “Come in.”
As soon as a man, followed by a few others entered the cave, Xander said, “This is Aiyanna, my Mate.”
Just as the words Xander had spoken this morning jumpstarted her heart, she was soon overwhelmed by the congratulations of several strangers and smiling like a silly schoolgirl. All the good feeling ended in a moment as the first guy who’d walked into the cave spoke in a completely different tone. From the pale skin accompanying his tall graceful frame, she could only assume he was Brandon, the vampire.
“We had trouble tonight on her reservation.” He looked at her quickly, putting up both of his hands to indicate stop, “But we prevented the group from hurting anyone. They got away, but not without a beating. We left a few of our men there to guard, but I’m sure the shifters aren’t going to go back there. Besides, the shifter leading them made a statement to his group as they left that the Dragon woman wasn’t there.”
“They are looking for me!” She shouted, a bit louder and higher in pitch than she’d meant to. It wasn’t for concern over her own welfare, but for those of her tribe.
“They are fine, well protected, as you heard, Aiyanna,” Xander said, pulling her into him.
“We came to tell you that,” Brandon continued, “and to see if you’ve reached a decision about our job offer. Now that you have a Mate, she is obviously welcome too. Actually, her reputation precedes her, and she would be a welcome addition in her own right.”
“How do you know about me? Xander?” she asked, shocked once again to learn so many knew of her and her gifts, when all her life she’d been deluded into thinking only those close to her knew.
“No, Aiyanna,” Brandon continued. We are CIA. We know many things. It’s our job. Let’s take a moment to talk, if that’s okay, and we’ll fill you in on who we are and what we do. Okay?”
“Sure,” Aiyanna answered, looking at Xander for assurance, even though she could feel it was alright with him. That aspect of their Mating was going to take some getting used to.
“My name is Alexx,” the woman who’d been standing beside Brandon said as she put her hand on Aiyanna’s shoulder and they all settled in around the fire.
Aiyanna could feel his reluctance as Xander let go of her and Alexx sat down right beside her. A moment of separation anxiety gripped her lungs, but she admonished herself, and gave Alexx her undivided attention. She took an instant liking to the woman, and that was strange for her as well. But, her life in the past few days had made strange and different into normal. Might as well deal.
“I know how you feel, Aiyanna. Well to some extent anyway,” Alexx continued, placing her hand over Aiyanna’s like they were old friends. She got the premonition that someday, they would be. “I remember when the CIA approached me to be part of the group. But, I came alone and found my Mate actually working in the group. I’m a witch. Let me tell you a story; maybe it will help explain a little of who the others and I are – what we do – woman-to-woman. Okay?” She had asked not only Aiyanna, but Brandon’s permission as well with a quick glance his way. They had to be Mates. There was no mistaking such a glance, one filled with love and devotion, bringing warmth to everyone around them.
“I can only imagine that meeting your Darius was given the motivation he needed. He saw her beautiful, voluptuous body. For a woman that just turned forty, she had a body that was a work of art. What he admired most of her body was her beautiful curves. Her body was delicious enough to eat.
Mate, right before meeting all of us, would be overwhelming,” Alexx continued after a smile from Brandon. “It is life-altering enough to learn about this group, and then to have them include you in it. It is a whole other ball of wax to meet and fall in love with another gifted creature, one with whom you share – in that you are both separate from mere mortals, but still differ in the ways that you are … well, different. Yeah, I’m probably not making much sense here.” Alexx sighed and laughed. The woman sparkled from the inside out, Aiyanna swore. She could feel her Dragon close, on guard, but at ease with these new people.
“Actually, I think I followed you completely,” Aiyanna tilted her head and shrugged.
“I’m a witch who is in love with a vampire – Brandon here. We met on the job. I already knew him from assignments, but still, it is hard to get it all into your head straight – your differences – while the heart begs for you to be together. Your Mating, while more immediate, more instinctual, couldn’t have been much different. I know Xander was torn about the whole thing at first. Glad to see it didn’t take you guys as long as it did Brandon and me to hook up.”
“Thankfully, some things can’t be so easily denied.” She smiled at Xander, wishing she could run into his arms, but forced herself to stay and listen to her new friend.
“I remember the day Brandon and I got together like it was yesterday. I remember the words he said to me as we started our mission – his gruff, baritone voice sort of hissing in my ear, trying to prove a point. To me, his tone still sounds as menacing as it does seductive. His voice sometimes stops my breath.”
“Oh, come on!” said a voice from behind Alexx.
“Seriously, can we not be here for hours with the girly talk?” came another male voice, but one distinctly older.
Alexx only looked at Brandon for him to say, “Xander, my boy, you better get used to this now – all the girl talk.”
“But we don’t have to,” came the older voice again.
“Stuff it, Sorcerer,” huffed Alexx. “Traveling with all of you men, I get very little girl talk. I intend to make the most of it. So, deal with it!”
There were sighs, groans and grunts, but the men quieted after a little more of their, now half-hearted, grumbling.
“That day we were after the infamous Richard Vosslar,” Alexx continued. “Missions with Brandon had become real catch twenty-two situations for me. If I caught Mr. Vosslar, then Brandon would be denied the victory. Our work over the past year had been intimate, dangerous, but such is the nature of the beast when you work in close confines on deadly missions with men in a Special Activities Division of the CIA. Let me back up here a bit and tell you about the group.
“The two of us, along with seven others, are referred to as a Special Ops Group and we’re trained to carry out the deniable covert missions of this branch of the government. The group consisted of me, a hereditary witch able to manipulate energy; two vampires with power and speed; a very diversified shifter who can practically become anything; two other shifters – one an ancient Bird and one true Werewolf; a psychic trained to be a killer by the Marines; an actual Mothman whose skills with mind control and prophesy have proven invaluable; and an old Sorcerer whose varied magick keeps him equally useful. The Mothman psychic and the other vampire are on different assignment currently.”
“So, you can see why a Chimera and a woman with a Dragon Spirit would be invaluable additions to such a strong team.” Brandon added.
“I have to be honest though, the competition within this group is fierce. We battle for each victory like it is a prize, day in and day out, whatever our mission. Despite this, we are a tight group – always have each other’s backs. I think I can speak for all of us when I make the claim that we would each die to save any other in a heartbeat. A crazy dynamic, but it works, and is so amazing to be a part of.”
“I see,” Aiyanna said, forcing her voice back to confident, because she was afraid her shock at what she’d just heard would sound like weakness or fear to the group. She wanted to be a part of it, knowing what an asset Xander would be to them, and herself as well. It would be good to finally put her gifts to better use.
“You see, but do you want to join?” Brandon asked, inching closer to where Aiyanna sat, sandwiched between Xander and Alexx.
She looked to Xander. Obviously he could sense her excitement because his matched her own, and all traces of his doubt seemed to have disappeared. He smiled at her, and Dragon help her, she wanted to jump his bones then and there. They were not only going to be Mates, but also partners in fighting crime. Well, so to speak.
Xander turned to Brandon, “You got us, man.”
Aiyanna grinned and shook her head at Alexx, who then hugged her as sounds and words of celebration filled the cave.
When the guys sort of grouped themselves together, Aiyanna pulled Alexx aside, over to the bed, and asked, “So tell me more about how you and Brandon got together – now that the guys are preoccupied.”
“Glad to. But first, let me just say how thrilled I am to have another female in the group. I have been with this motley crew for close to three years now, the only female in this division, and while I love each of them, I so miss girl talk!” Her smile was warm and open. “So, right to it, back to the night Vosslar had to ‘disappear.’
“We were on foreign soil to kidnap him – a man deemed ‘a threat’ to plans for a Marine Force Recon unit stationed in the Middle East. Over the past two years, I’d seen Brandon in differing ways, through various states of peril and affliction. In all of them, he appealed to me. His physical abilities were unparalleled, and his character was impeccable. The things he’d done for others never ceased to amaze and fluster me. Who am I kidding; I couldn’t think a rational thought around him. Yet, my feelings for him were my weight to bear alone. The man was as silent and deadly as they came, and as dedicated and caring as I’d ever met at the same time. Trying to keep up with him was not the only thing making me hot, if you know what I mean!”
“I think I do,” Aiyanna laughed like a co-conspirator. “So, tell me more!” She looked over her shoulder to see Xander watching her. For the moment, they were both absorbed in the other; butterflies in stomach, lust curling around them, in love, and shaking from head to toe – ready to begin their new life together.
“Okay!” Interrupting them, Alexx giggled a little. A nice soft touch, to a woman who seemed formidable. “Well, as we moved through this oddly designed building that night, I knew there was no more denying to myself how I felt about the man. Telling Brandon, on the other hand, was a completely different story. He was a vampire; one of the undead, and I was a witch and very much alive. But, yet again, on a delicate and critical mission my partner was Brandon; not that I was complaining at the time. Well, much.
“I remember all the little things like trying to deny my body’s responses, yet being acutely aware of his hand on the small of my back as we halted our run to squeeze through a door. Then, once in another room, I stiffened as Brandon’s hands grabbed my waist to make me crouch behind a stack of dilapidated boxes. He was always doing that – touching me – helping me with his generous nature, not knowing he was impairing me at the same time.”
Alexx went on about that night and others, her stories giving Aiyanna a little insight into the Sorcerer and the Mothman and a few of the others she would soon be working with. She was mesmerized by the moments of fear, the angry fights, Brandon’s confession of love for Alexx and their first kiss; all of the tales, to the very last words.
After everyone finally left, as Aiyanna and Xander cuddled together in his bed, spent, beyond happy, her world had never felt more perfect or more complete as the sun gently rose on another day, and her eyes closed.