Alistair’s Bed (15 page)

“What?” Keri tried to sit up and found herself held fast in Alistair’s arms. “Say that again. Slowly.”

“You. Are. Not. Human.” Alistair sounded out each word as he visibly struggled not to laugh out loud at her confusion. “According to my mother, you’re a cambion.”

“Oh.” Keri uttered that single syllable and then went silent for a few minutes. “I sure hope we’re not related.”

He gave in at last and burst out laughing. When he finally stopped he cupped her cheek and said, “I tell you that you’re not human, and the first worry you have is that we’re kin? My Beauty, you amaze me. No, we’re not related. My family pay great attention to our children and their lineage, you are not from my house. “

“Well that’s good.” She laid her hand on his bare chest, over his heart. “You still haven’t answered my question though. Why did you come back?”

“A better question might be, why did I leave you at all.” He replied, his voice soft and tinged with regret.

“I know the answer to that one though. I lied to you about the medallion. I wanted one more day with you, one perfect memory I could hold onto after you had gone. It was wrong of me, and I’m sorry.”

“That’s not the whole answer Love. You lied, and I was angry. But when saw how brave you’d been, refusing to tell Cora anything, I should have realized you would never be like her. The real reason I left was because I didn’t want to admit I was in love with a mortal.”

Keri’s eyes widened and her lip reappeared as she smiled. “You are huh?”

“Yes minx, I am. And it’s my great hope that she’s in love with me too, because if not, things are going to get rather awkward.”

“She is! I mean I am!” She laughed and kissed him. “I have no idea how this is all going to work, but I love you too. I realized today that I wanted to be with you, no matter what the risks. I’m tired of being afraid to live my life the way I want it to be.”

“Thank Styx for that.” He held her close and kissed her again before adding, “It seems we both had some decisions to make it.”

“Decisions!” Keri gasped. “Samantha said I’d need to make choices soon, and my life would change once I made them. And then today on the beach I turned around and tried to get back home, to find a way to tell you what I wanted. It was just like my nightmares Alistair, but this time I was running the other way, and the wave missed me. I changed the outcome! I’ve never been able to do that before.”

“I’m glad you did. If I had lost you I don’t know if I could have survived it.” He laid his hand over hers where it still rested over his heart.

“But you didn’t lose her.” Keri nearly leapt out of Alistair’s arms as another woman’s voice joined their conversation.

“Mother! Will you stop doing that!” Alistair snapped as Molla stepped into the room. “Why can’t you use the door, just once?”

“Where would the fun be in that?” Anoch asked as he followed his wife into the room. “Get dressed boy, I don’t need to see that!”

Alistair conjured his clothing and smoothed Keri’s dress back over her legs, his hand holding her in place when she tried to get up from his lap. “If you used the door like everyone else, you wouldn’t have to see it.”

“Point taken.” Anoch seated his wife and himself and then grinned at the young couple. “Keri, it’s good to see you again. Molla and I were starting to wonder if our son was ever going to get himself sorted out.” He gave a snort of laughter. “My mate has informed me he takes after me in such matters.”

Molla shook her head. “Not nearly so hopeless as you were as it turns out. He claimed his mate within a month. You took a year.”

Keri frowned, confused. “Mate?”

Anoch saw her expression and chuckled long and hard before asking, “You didn’t ask her first? Have you not told her what you have done?”

“I was getting to it.” Alistair glowered at his parents. “But someone interrupted us.”

“What are you all talking about?” Keri asked firmly.

“When we were, uh, busy a moment ago, I did something I hadn’t intended to do before asking.”

Molla elbowed her mate in the ribs as he chuckled again. “Hush you, let him finish.”

Keri gave Alistair her best narrow eyed stare. “What did you do?”

“I claimed you as my mate.”

“What? How? Why does every conversation we have today start with me asking you to explain something! Alistair, what does that mean?”

He silenced her with a kiss and then gestured to his parents. “The reason they are here is because they heard my claim. My whole family did.” He drew a deep breath and then grinned. “In human terms, we’re married.”

“You’re kidding,” Keri let that information sink in. “So that’s it? I’m yours? Don’t I get a say?”

“Of course you do Keri.” Molla chimed in softly. “If you don’t want this then all you have to do is say so. He’s claimed you as his own, but you do not have to agree to it.” Molla arched a brow. “He seems to have gotten ahead of himself, another trait he got from his father.”

“I see.” Keri turned her hand and wove her fingers with Alistair’s, squeezing them tight. “That was the worst proposal I have ever heard of. I hope you intend to make it up to me later.”

“Is that a yes?” Alistair asked.

“That’s a yes.” She laughed, her heart nearly overflowing with happiness. She glanced over at Anoch and Molla. “So long as you do not mind that your son is mated to a mortal.”

“Oh, you’re not mortal my daughter.” Molla beamed at them. “Not so long as you’re wearing that torque I gave you.”

Keri’s free hand reached up to touch the gold band around her neck. “I don’t understand.”

“That torque was the source of Cora’s youth and vitality. How she came to possess it I am not sure, but it’s a very powerful bit of jewelry. It allows the wearer to absorb the sexual energy of others and use it to sustain their own life force.”

“You mean she can...” Alistair blinked and stared at Keri, hope glowing in his golden eyes.

“She can.” Molla nodded. “Keri has latent powers of her own, enough that she can use the necklace even without training. Keri, that torque will let you live as long as you wish, so long as you do not remove it. Like Cora, you will need to feed on sexual energy from time to time, but given that you are now mated to my son, I do not think that will be an issue.”

Keri blushed at Molla’s pointed observation. “Um, thank you.”

Her arms lifted and wound around Alistair’s neck. “So I’m now a married, part daemon without an expiry date. Does that sum up what just happened here?”

Alistair bowed his head until his lips were nearly brushing hers and smiled. “That about covers it Love.”

She kissed him then, a tender kiss full of hope as her new in-laws laughed in approval.

“I believe that’s our cue to leave.” Anoch stood, drawing his mate up and then scooping her into his arms. “You can thank me for this later. If I don’t take her out now, she’ll be here all day helping your new mate settle in.” He nodded to Keri. “Welcome to the family little one.”

“Dinner! You’re both invited to dinner!” Molla called as she was carried out.

As they heard the door close Alistair chuckled ruefully, his breath tickling Keri’s ear. “My parents are always like that. I’m sorry.”

“Are you kidding? That went much better than the last time I met my in-laws.” Keri grinned and then gave him a lascivious kiss that had sent all the blood to his groin. “Since we just got married, that means we’re on our honeymoon.” She whispered the words into his mouth. “So, why aren’t we in bed yet?”

***

CHAPTER 12

“I’ll give you the tour later.” He informed his new mate as he carried her through the house at a near run, his hands already tearing off her dress and bra, his mouth slanted over hers as he kissed her nearly senseless. He lowered her gently into his bed, immensely satisfied to see her there at last; his mate, his home, his bed. He followed her down to the mattress, relishing the touch of her soft body against his.

As he laid her on his bed Alistair couldn’t stop grinning. He had gained everything he been denied during his long captivity, and more besides. Keri was his, for now and always. His mate, his world, the reason he would wake every day until time ended. He deftly removed her bra and buried his face into the glorious valley between her breasts, inhaling her scent. “All mine, forever.”

He felt her breath catch, a faint tension hardening her soft body.

“Are you sure forever is what you want? You said daemons didn’t often take permanent mates.”

He lifted his head and gave her a look that was a mix of disbelief and laughter. “Am I sure I wish to spend my life with the woman I can’t seem to stop thinking about? By Styx woman, yes I’m sure!”

I couldn’t even feed after you freed me. Not once. All I wanted was you.”

“Not once?” Relief gleamed in her eyes and he watched the tension fade away again as her fingers curled gently into his hair. “I thought you would have by now... I’m glad you didn’t.”

“I didn’t, and I won’t. No one is coming between us again. You are my mate, now and always.” His golden eyes gleamed as he lowered his lips to one nipple, planting a soft kiss on it. “The only one I’m going to feed off is you, and you better not feed off anyone but me or I’ll spank your newly immortal arse.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” She challenged him, wide eyed and laughing.

“I’m tempted to give you a demonstration right here and now, just to prove it.” The image of Keri lying over his thighs sent a flare of heat straight to his groin and his already hard cock turned to steel.

“No!” She yelped as she caught the look in his eyes. “Not a chance daemon boy!”

“Now you’re calling me a boy? That’s it.” He grinned and moved with preternatural speed, rolling them both over and hauling her playfully across his lap, face down.

Keri protested loudly as she tried to wriggle free, every movement sliding their bodies together as she struggled. She finally gave up the fight, panting as her head hung down in defeat. “I’m going to get even with you for this.”

“Oh, I hope so.” Alistair laughed as his large hand smoothed over one cheek before lifting it and slapping her bare skin. “That is for lying to me about the medallion.”

He swatted her again as she started to growl and thrash. “And that is for not believing I would have come back for you after I was freed.”

Keri went still. “You said you wanted to go home, that you didn’t belong in my world. You were pretty clear about it.”

“That was before I got to know you. By Styx woman, give a man a chance to change his mind! Up on the roof, just before the fireworks started I was going to tell you how I felt, but then it was too noisy and before we had another chance to talk you were handing me your phone and all hell broke loose.”

His hand stroked over the curve of her ass, soothing the slightly reddened skin where he’d spanked her. “You can spank me for that later, alright?”

“Deal.” She twisted her head back to look up at him. “So, can I get up now?”

He swatted her rump once more for good measure and then helped her up as she sputtered at him, loving the fire that glittered in the depths of her eyes when she was riled. The moment she was free she turned and tackled him, landing on top of his chest and pinning him down to the bed as he stared up at her, clearly amused by her actions.

“You are magnificent when you’re angry.”

Keri just tossed her hair back over her shoulder and glared at him. “Didn’t anyone ever warn you about red heads and their tempers?” Without waiting for an answer she turned away from him and twisted herself around until her thighs rested atop his broad chest and she was lying on him, her face resting along the top of his thigh. She bent her knees, lifting her feet into the air and hooking her ankles together, denying him the sight of her sex as she clamped her thighs shut.

“And what are you going to do—” His voice choked off to a strangled groan as she wrapped her fingers around his cock and lowered her mouth to the tip. She began to pump his cock with her fingers, her tongue swirling over the tip, lapping at the pre-cum that appeared almost instantly. When she felt his hands trying to gently pry her knees apart she resisted.

“Uh-uh.” she let the denial vibrate through his rock hard shaft as she took him deep into her mouth.

The same warm sensation washed over her just like before; her senses were filled with the taste and smell of him, spicy and sweet.
His sexual essence,
she realized this was the gift of the torque she wore. She experimented, laving his cock quickly with her tongue, her head bobbing in time to the rhythm of her fingers. A shudder passed through Alistair’s body and he groaned loudly, panting now as her mouth edged him closer to the breaking point. Another flood of warmth washed through her and she reveled in the knowledge she was truly taking a measure of his energy into herself.

“Keri, please.” His voice was a raspy groan. “Let me touch you.”

She relented at last, unlocking her ankles and letting her legs slide down his ribs. Her mouth kept working him over, lapping and sucking at his cock as her thighs parted and revealed her labia nearly hidden beneath the trim border of downy red curls

His fingers traced down her seam, resting there lightly as he slid his thumb into her tight passage. “You’re so wet, so ready for me.” He murmured, moving his thumb in slow circles within her, stretching and teasing.

Keri shuddered with pleasure as he touched her, fighting to keep her mind on what she was doing to him. It was hard to remember anything at all when he was inside her. His thumb pressed deeper and she moaned around his cock, her fingers loosening of their own accord as her control slipped another notch.

She felt his hands move and then he was holding her hips, pulling her back up his body. Before she could resist his head was between her legs and his tongue was stroking over every inch of her tender flesh. He licked and suckled, drawing her deep into his mouth. He matched the movement of his tongue to hers as she devoured his cock, and the two of them moaned in unison at the pleasures they unleashed in each other.

As though he sensed how close she was, he shifted his hands and entered her with two fingers.. His fingers and tongue drove her higher and higher up the scales of passion and Keri knew she was lost. She laved his glans one last time and lifted her head, drawing a ragged breath into her burning lungs. He arched his fingers and closed his teeth gently around her hardened nub and she was flying, crying out in ecstasy as her orgasm hit with shattering intensity.