Chapter One
The Lovers
Millennia in the past, in a mythic land longforgotten
She knelt ina field of lavender, the sun shining down upon her. Aveta felt as though this was what eternity should be like. A sea of beautiful flowers, warm summer wind, and the golden light of the sun touching every surface of the land. The afterlife should be this simple and beautiful.
Humming softly beneath her breath, she used her knife to cut another handful of stalks. The scent of the blooms surrounded her and brought her joy. She wanted to plant lavender next to her little stone house, but it would take over the herb garden she grew. It was too strong, too wild to be controlled. Much like the man she loved.
As she continued to harvest the herbs she used for fragrance and healing, Aveta knew he was watching her, moving closer, and she smiled. He often tried to sneak up on her, but never knew that she always sensed him. His presence only made the sweetness of the afternoon more precious.
“You make an enchanting picture,” he murmured, lying down next to her. His body crushed the flowers beneath him, releasing even more of their luxurious fragrance. He reached out and toyed with a long, curling strand of her golden hair. “In the sunlight, your hair is like a shimmering gem.”
Aveta looked over at him. “Sweet words trip too easily off your tongue. Sometimes I wonder if you truly mean them.” Though her tone was teasing, there was an underlying honesty beneath it, for she had often questioned why the favored son of the chieftain would seek her out, a widow and outcast. Though they were the same age, she often felt decades older in experience.
Alaunus leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers. When he ended the kiss, he stared into her eyes without blinking. “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes upon. Every time I gaze upon you, it takes my breath away. I doubt that will ever change.”
Aveta smiled, her insecurities fading. “It is easy to say that now, while we are still young. Someday, I will no longer look like this.”
He tugged her hair gently. “You will always look like this to me.”
As always, Aveta could not resist him when he spoke so many lovely things and looked at her with eyes of gold and green. She closed the distance between them and kissed him, her eyes drifting shut as she lost herself in the magic they wove together.
Alaunus reached back and tugged the thin band of fabric she used to tie her hair back, cradling her head in his hands. His tongue swept into her mouth, tangling with hers.
Moaning softly, she slid her hands beneath his tunic, running her palms up his side. His skin was hot and the lean muscles of his torso rippled beneath her touch. Aveta loved to feel the flesh and bone that housed the other half of her soul. When they were like this together, she forgot the world existed.
Alaunus removed the tunic, pulling it over his head. He spread the fabric on the ground and positioned Aveta on top of it. She smiled as he lifted her hair and fanned it around her head.
Leaning over her, he slipped his hand beneath the hem of her dress. The material bunched around his wrist as his fingers traced over her knee and up her thigh.
Aveta sucked in a breath as he touched her, her entire body quaking beneath his sure fingers. “How can you make me feel this way?”
She had not meant to share that aloud, but it was too late to snatch the words from her lips.
Alaunus kissed her again, his fingers pressing inside her slowly. Then he pressed the heel of his hand to the most sensitive part of her body. When she hovered on the edge of release, he lifted his head and answered, “The goddess created you for me and me for you. Whatever you feel for me, I feel for you as well.” He watched her arch into his caress, her back curving as she reached for the promise of bliss. “And this is when you are completely mine. All other times, you keep a part of yourself hidden. But when you let pleasure overtake you, you belong to me.”
As he spoke, Alaunus pushed her over the edge. The breath caught in Aveta’s throat and her entire body convulsed as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her. She was flying, completely out of control.
Alaunus had no idea how true his words were. It was in these moments that she felt the full strength of her bond to him. Not just the connection, but also his emotions. Knowing how he felt about her made it impossible for Aveta to keep her heart closed to him.
Alaunus refused to allow her to drift back to earth. He dragged the hem of her dress up and over her head. Then she was lying among the lavender, clothed in only sunshine.
His mouth closed hotly over the tip of her breast, tugging and licking, and Aveta moaned. She trailed her fingers from his chest down to his trousers, sliding beneath the material. Alaunus groaned against her breast as she stroked him.
He pulled away from her seeking hands. “You make me feel like a boy with his first woman,” he complained, shoving his trousers down.
Aveta reached out and wrapped her fingers around his length. “Is that so bad?”
Alaunus laughed, lunging forward so that he stretched over her. She made a soft sound as his bare skin came into contact with hers. She reached between them, guiding his shaft to her entrance. He did not make her wait, merging his body with hers with a slow, single thrust. “Only if you want me to last longer than a few moments.”
She could not reply. Every time they came together, it overwhelmed her and today was no different. As Aveta gave herself over to the ecstasy his body created within her, Alaunus laced their hands together, pressing them into the fragrant blossoms above her head.
He moved inside her, and the slide of his body and his scent mingled with the lavender was intoxicating. As he pushed her closer and closer to the crest once again, Aveta wound her arms around his back and her legs around his hips, clinging to him.
“I love you,” she whispered. “I will love you forever.”
He kissed her, his own release following on the heels of hers, making him shudder. In that moment, though he didn’t speak the words, Aveta could feel what was in his heart. His love for her was as strong and deep as what she offered him.
