There was a potion made by jaguars that crossed Lero’s mind. He’d have some trouble getting his paws on it but he was almost ready to try because push had come to shove.
“Thank you,” I whispered and kissed him again.
Our bodies ground together, seeking union and pleasure between us. I lost myself for real then as Lero’s pleasure rained down on me over that half-opened claiming vows link. He was happy in this moment and that was the feeling I wanted to carry with me forever – his mirth and pleasure. How much he loved me. Love. The word thudded around my skull as Lero moved over me. I held onto his firm ass cheeks and dug my heels into the floor, thrusting up hard to meet his movements.
“Vallis,” he whispered my name over and over as everything in his sexy body drew up tight. He was so fucking close to cumming and that made my dick throb harder inside of him. I thrust up, sinking as deep into him as I could. He trembled and called out my name again. I could’ve died listening to him speak it. His lips crushed against mine and then pulled away as a roar escaped his mouth. He came hard, making a glorious mess of us both. I kept thrusting up into the warm, slick sanctuary of his body, chasing down the pleasure that only he could give me now. Keeping my eyes on his face, still contorted in pleasure, head thrown back. He was a fucking sight to behold. I couldn’t hold back a second longer. Everything I held back since meeting him reeled through my body and I came hard inside him. He kissed me over and over, clinging to me until the thrill and energy snatched me from his body and his arms.
“Lero, I love you,” I whispered as it happened, praying he heard me.
“I love you too, Vallis,” he said, his voice more warm and sleepy than sad.
Good. I didn’t want him to be sad. No matter what happened, I didn’t want him to be sad because my own happiness dwelt within the bear that magic kept snatching me away from.
CHAPTER NINE
Lero
Nightshade Bear Territory
I took a nap and ate some leftovers before getting out the salt and my favorite knit blanket. It was the alternating colors of the ocean and a sunset. Dad had knitted it when I was a kid when he was first learning the craft. I treasured each and every little ‘mis-stitch’ that showed through.
In the kitchen, I drew a salt circle on the floor, because I didn’t know how long I’d be gone and had no one to call on to watch my body while I searched for my mate. Sure, plenty of people would’ve rushed to my rescue but some things you had to do on your own. Besides, explaining this to any of my relatives would’ve taken too long and I was tired of waiting. Tired of playing this silly game with a grieving and mad elf.
I stretched out on the kitchen floor much like I had the day I researched what I was about to do. I covered myself with the knit blanket, imagining it was like a shield that would protect me from all the malevolent things that liked to creep around empty bodies. Xenos wasn’t my grandpa by blood, but I liked to think I was somehow still linked to his ancestors and that they’d help me out in a pinch. Surely, spirits know more than blood ties.
I closed my eyes and let my body get heavy. I imagined that I was so heavy that the kitchen floor sagged under my weight. Then I was with my bear again upon the hill he liked to watchthe world from. He stared at me with kind eyes for a long moment and I reached out to run my hands through his thick fur. Was I merely two of the same comforting myself? Perhaps, but self-soothing has long been in the survivor’s toolbox. Mere seconds later, I was once again one with my bear and we made that same journey to the cave and then through its veins and arteries searching out the opening we’d found before. This walk was longer than before and we had to sniff each opening we found along the way because they’d all rearranged themselves. We were careful not to poke too hard at any one opening. Getting Grandpa’s or Mori’s attention wouldn’t be a great thing to do right now. Getting any of our parents’ attention would be detrimental.
When I’d just about given up hope of finding the cave that would lead to our Vallis a light shined ahead of us. It glowed with a red orange warmth. It was him! This was the one. My bear gave it a quick sniff to be sure and then we were off. This cave ran longer than it had before too. Of course it did! He was further away this time.
I braced to come out of the cave underground with him but instead I found myself standing on a grassy field. A heartbeat sounded under my feet so I started digging. I dug and dug until my paws and claws found wood. My bear reared up on his thick, furry hindlegs and brought down all his weight on the boards. They didn’t budge or crack. Not to be dissuaded he reared up and proceeded to crash down against the boards again. My teeth shook from the force but yet the boards did not give. I wasn’t sure what Vallis was thinking below ground but I prayed he knew nothing would turn us aside from helping him. The rearing back and pouncing down continued on and on and after what must’ve been the umpteenth time, soft, feminine laughter sounded from nearby.
We turned with a snarl. I’d never laid eyes on Pami before but I knew it was her. Evil had a distinct look and despite how protective my parents were, I’d seen it before. It was the look in someone’s eyes when they enjoyed cruelty – whether inflicting or observing. This was Pami and she could see me.
“Are you his pathetic little mate?” she laughed, walking closer.
I sniffed the air. She didn’t smell like anything except elf. Maybe I missed something. I knew a lot of the elves here locked away their inner beast until they met their true-mate but still you’d think something would be there if she had something to smell at all. But there was nothing.
Pami was tall but not taller than the elves I’d met on Earthside. She had spring-leaf colored hair that flowed around her body as if an unseen wind always rustled through it. Her eyes were as blue as a clear winter stream and I would’ve placed good money on her soul being just as icy.
“You can’t get to him. This is the price he must pay for getting in my way. I’m saving you trouble, really,” she said, her voice climbing higher to a sickly-sweet tone. “He was so adorable. Vallis has always been so naive. True-mate, smhoe-mate. Who cares? Isn’t a girl allowed to change her mind?”
My bear wanted to roar but I clamped my mouth shut. I needed to hear what she wanted to tell me because assholes often gave themselves away and brought their weaknesses to light while they boasted about their fantastic misdeeds.
“Anyway,” she said, her pitch rising higher yet as if she planned to exploded my brain like a sound rod tinked too close to weak glass. “Broug was in my way. Thought too much powerwas evil. Of course, your poor naïve mate believed that my idiot mate tried to do this big ole spell all by himself. Broug wasn’t stupid. Nowhere near that stupid. It was hilarious how little he thought of his best friend! Pity for you but now you’re in my way too.”
The sun reflected, glinting off the edge of a near ethereal dagger. She lunged at me, dagger out like a hot poker. I jumped back, the tip of the dagger swiping through my fur but missing my astral skin. Pami laughed, throwing her head back, and lunged again. I was already moving. I needed to get behind her. My best chance was getting on her back and removing her head that way once I was out of the reach of the dagger. That’s why my sort of cousin by friendship, Star, would land on his enemies shoulders and rip off their heads. I needed to do that – but in astral form. In bear astral form at that.
Sweat ran down my head despite my furry form but I ignored it. I didn’t know what happened if she cut my astral form with that knife but I had a feeling deep in my gut that I didn’t want to find out either. She followed me until she circled me circling her. She slashed again but this time another bear jumped over me and landed half on me, half between us. The newcomer was weightless and for half a second I thought my sire had found me. Only my sire wasn’t old enough to have streaks of grey down his back.
“GHOST!”my bear roared into my thoughts.
He was right. This bear wasn’t ethereal. He was spectral. My heart thumped against ribs that were still back in my kitchen. If I didn’t contain my vitals, I’d soon find myself back in my body while my mate was left at the mercy of a pissed off Pami. I skirted away from the ass of the ghost bear and made my way tostand on the boards that hid my mate. The bear could fight Pami while I tried to figure out how to pry them up.
“OUT OF MY WAY!” she keened at the ghost bear who was now between she and I, but the stubborn bear didn’t budge.
If a bear can be counted on to be anything, it can be counted on to be stubborn. So instead of standing again, the bear roared, showing all its teeth and shaking its massive head so that spectral spit flew this way and that. She lunged with the knife outstretched and her arm sank into the bear. His energy-filled body sparkled like I always imagine one might in the Grove of Souls.
The bear’s eyes lit up, hungry for blood or justice, I wasn’t sure which. Would it come after me once it devoured her?
