Suvi's Revenge: Rowan Sisters' Trilogy Book 3 (11 page)

*****

Caine gazed at his Fated Mate, unable to believe that he was about to complete the final phase of his mating. It had taken every ounce of his will-power to hold back during the ceremony. He appreciated the need for the blessings, but the dress Suvi wore fit like a second skin and he’d wanted to peel it from her body the second she’d walked out of the backdoor with her father. All he could do was watch the hypnotic sway of her hips as she walked toward him. Desire, hot and hard, exploded throughout his entire body.

The moment her father had placed her hand in his, the electrical current that passed between them had turned him into a creature made up solely of base needs. His saving grace had been that he had something else to focus on and that was their mating ceremony. Even now, he still felt like he was in a dream. He couldn’t believe that he had found his Fated Mate and was about to complete the blood exchange to fully make her his for eternity.

He finished unzipping her dress and slid it off her body. It fell to the floor in a pool at her feet. He ran a finger down her spine, enjoying the way she shivered under his touch. She wasn’t wearing a bra and he had her stepping out of her white, lace thong in the next breath. His witch was standing before him naked as the day she was born, but for her remarkable shoes, and she was nothing short of exquisite. He turned her to face him and she looked up at him through her thick, black lashes.

He reached up and took the silver combs from her hair, letting the long, black tresses cascade in waves down her back. His gaze traveled over her and stopped on her lush breasts which jutted invitingly. He cupped one in his hand and gave it a squeeze.

“I need you naked, mate,” she murmured as she reached for the buttons on his shirt.

He let go of her breast and opened his pants while she worked on removing his shirt. The second his zipper was down, his erect cock sprang free, aching and full. Her eyes dipped to his shaft and she licked her lips and groaned aloud. Impatient, she yanked his shirt open, causing buttons to fly in every direction. He let the ruined cloth slide off his arms.

Her fingers sank into the flesh of his chest as he explored her breasts, tweaking and teasing her nipples. The way she arched into his touch was so uninhibited and raw that it robbed him of breath. She had no problem taking what she wanted from him or letting him know what she liked. It was rare in his experience for a female to be so bold with her desires and it was one more thing he loved about her.

She pushed his pants down and before he could step out of them, her hands were all over his body. He chuckled and pulled her close, meshing their bodies together.

“Is there something you want, love?” he asked, teasing her.

“Yes. I want all of you…inside me,” she hissed. “Don’t you want to taste my blood again?” She knew exactly how to bring him to his proverbial knees. His fangs filled his mouth and he hungered for a taste of her melon-sweet blood.

“More than anything,” he answered honestly as she twined her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her mouth.

He went willingly and at the first touch of their lips, he lost all thought. She traced her tongue along his lower lip and took advantage when he opened at the request. Suvi ran her tongue along his teeth, exploring, learning him. She paused at one of his fangs and ran her tongue along its length. His beast was rising and his groan of pleasure was ripped from him as the sensation went straight to his cock. It felt like she was licking his shaft. She shifted her attention to his other fang and he felt them lengthen with her strokes until they were at fully extended. He had never been so close to orgasm from someone licking his fangs. Of course, he had never experienced half of what she was putting his body through.

He took command of the kiss and slid his tongue along the rim of her lips, sucking on the bottom lip. Her moan of pleasure echoed his and arousal intensified her melon scent. She was ready for him. He hoped she was always this affected by him after they’d been together for centuries.

He reached between them and found her moist center. She was so fucking wet and hot and needy. She whimpered as he fingered her bundle of nerves and cupped one breast. Her moans were the sweetest sound, and the knowledge that he was the musician made his cock throb with frantic need. He wanted to savor this experience. After all, they would never have another blood exchange like this one, but when he slid one finger into her wet pussy, the only coherent thought he had was to sink into her tight sheath and take her blood.

With single minded determination, he guided her toward the bed. Their silhouettes danced across the wall of the candle-lit room. He lowered her onto the soft mattress and followed her down. Leaning on one elbow, he looked down, pausing long enough to appreciate the site before him. He caught a glimpse of her glistening flesh before he plunged home in one fierce stroke.

“Fuck!” he groaned. She was so tight and hot that he had to grit his teeth or lose control. She writhed under him and he had to grab her hips to still them. “Give me a minute, love. I want this to last longer than a handful of minutes. You feel too good.” He pulled out slowly and thrust back in to her welcoming sheath.

“You don’t have to worry about lasting that long,” she moaned. “From the moment I saw you tonight, I’ve been aching for you. I won’t last long, either,” she panted. He gave into her demands and slowly pulled out, shoving harder and deeper this time.

“Damn, baby.” That fast, he felt her muscles clench and ripple around his length. He increased his pace and the power behind his strokes. “We do the blood exchange now. I can’t wait, and after this, I plan to have you all night long,” he said against the pounding pulse in her neck.

“You have me forever,” she promised.

His teeth sank into her artery and she detonated around him. His balls drew up tight, ready to explode. Her blunt little teeth ravaged his neck and the sharp pain was eclipsed by the ecstasy of his own orgasm. The sensation of his blood joining hers to make her fully his, set off another release before the first had even waned.

She took advantage of his bliss and flipped him onto his back. She lifted his hands and muttered, “
Go ceangal
.” Instantly, his wrists were magically bound to the bed posts. As she took over their love making, he was consumed with the thought that if he died and went to
Annwyn
at that moment, he would die a happy male.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Caine stood with Braeden and Ronan in a remote section of the woods on the east side of the lake. Suvi and her sisters were bathed in the powerful light of the moon. After having swept the area with a besom, the witches placed several items on the cherry wood table that served as their altar. A trio of white candles carved with runes, along with a ceremonial athame, were precisely positioned. A scattering of colored crystals followed suit. Each of the sisters lit one of the candles and then Pema grabbed the bowl of salt and dried lavender from Suvi. Snakes writhed in Caine’s gut…they were ready to cast the circle. He’d never witnessed the intricacies of doing extensive magic and he had been entranced until he realized they were going to begin.

He hadn’t agreed with calling Cele to them so soon. He wanted to wait another century. They had only been mated the night before and he found it impossible to remain calm, but there was no backing out now. He silently cursed that he kept allowing his thoughts to go down that particular rabbit hole. He had been lectured that any negative energy would only taint the space and could alter their spell. The last thing he wanted was for them to call the hordes of hell to them. He reminded himself that he appreciated taking the offensive with Cele and they were doing this on their terms. It was the best way of facing her without her archdemon and sorceress cohorts.

Caine came to attention when Suvi grabbed his hand and moved him south of the altar. “Okay, babe. We are going to cast our circle now and then it will be show time. I need you with me,” Suvi informed him with a smile and the turned to her sisters. “Ready?”

“It’s now or never,” Isis replied with determination. Each of the sisters took their mates’ hands. Caine could feel the power build and gazed around their circle, noting the sisters were confident and competent which set him more at ease.

“Now remember, this is how we will be most powerful, so don’t get any ideas about funny business,” Pema teased her mate.

“Mate, I never stop having naughty thoughts about you. Now will be no different,” Ronan growled. Caine happened to agree with the male. It was going to be difficult to watch Suvi perform this ritual naked and not ravage her. Unfortunately, there was nothing that was going to stop the fantasies.

Suvi smiled at him knowingly as she removed her green, silk robe. Caine was captivated by his mate as her nudity hit him like a punch in the gut. Suvi had explained that witches performed magic best when sky-clad to draw energy from the moon. She had also told him that they performed strong magic when sexual elements were involved and that she needed him to send that energy her way. He felt like he was throwing off so much sexual energy at the moment that they should be able to bring back that dead chick, Claire.

He found himself praying that they needed to act out his fantasies to add even more power to this ritual. He had never been an exhibitionist and believed what he and his mate did should stay between them, but he wouldn’t hesitate to take her right there in front of her family.

He barely noticed the others remove their robes, but once they had all shed their respective robes, Pema began casting the circle. He watched in fascination as she took the salt mixture and walked deosil in a perfect circle. After she had completed her first circuit, white light emanated from the salt. On her second circuit, she began chanting, “I cast this circle to keep us free of all energies that are not of the Light,” she glanced back and winked at Ronan.

Pema resumed her chant, “I allow within this circle only the energies that are of the Light. So mote it be.” On her third walk around Caine listened as she consecrated the space and marveled at how powerful their witchcraft was. As a vampire, he had powers and abilities that were tied to the blood and the moon whereas his mate’s was tied to the earth and the moon. He thought they complimented one another perfectly.

Isis proceeded to scribe the pentacle in salt, and invoked the element in each direction as she went. “Hear me, Sentinels of the East, We summon the powers of Air! Hear me, Sentinels of the South, We summon the powers of Fire! Hear me, Sentinels of the West, We summon the powers of Water! Hear me, Sentinels of the North, We summon the powers of Earth! As above, so below. As within, so without. Four stars in this place be, Combined to call the fifth to we! So mote it be.”

The white light that had begun earlier brightened and was infused with the light bursting from each of the witches palms. The colors of blue, green and golden brown danced around the circle in an intricate pattern and the sudden influx of power within the circle nearly sent Caine to his knees. He glanced to the side and noticed the other males had widened their stance and were standing their ground and he did the same.

His concern about summoning Cele was melting under the evidence of the power his mate and her sisters wielded. The pride he had in that moment for his mate and her abilities awed him. His mate was bad ass and he knew they could do this. He sent that belief and his love to her through their mental link.

The females reclaimed their hands and closed their own small circle. Strong winds whipped through the clearing, sending his hair flying into his eyes. Caine felt a connection to each of the other members of the circle through their clasped hands. It amazed him how his spike in adrenaline was turned into energy for his mate and her sisters. He guessed it was the same for the other males who stood there as slack-jawed and wide-eyed as he was. A fine mist filled the circle and a buzzing built in his ears as the witches chanted a summoning spell. The words were lost on him and he closed his eyes as he struggled to keep up with translating what Suvi and her sisters were saying.

Suddenly the wind stopped and everything went silent.

Caine blinked his eyes open to see Cele crouching in the middle of the circle and the witches now wore full-leather-battle-gear from head-to-toe. He glanced down and saw that Suvi had on six-inch knee-high black boots. Of course, he smiled. The High Priestess, on the other hand, was bedraggled with her hair loose and tangled about her gaunt face. Her skin was pale and her lips chapped and bleeding. Whatever dark magic she was wielding was killing her from the inside out and he wondered if she had any idea of how bad she looked. “How dare you call me to you!” she spat indignantly.

Pema lifted her chin and addressed the angry female. “We dare because we cannot allow you to walk free with that demon’s power. You have gone Dark and we will expunge that power from you.”

“There is not a thing you can do to me. I am the High Priestess and you three are nothing more than lowly peasants!” Cele shrieked and tried to escape the circle. Caine tensed to move, not prepared for her to hit an invisible barrier and bounce off. He looked down and realized the witch was caught in the pentacle Isis had scribed.

“You failed to stop our power. We are now the power of three to the next fucking level. There is nothing to stop us from stripping you of all power,” Isis snapped and stepped forward. The wind had picked up again and lightning flashed around them as Pema and Braeden pulled Isis back.

“What have you done with Claire?” Cele demanded, clearly not intimidated that she was surrounded by the six of them.

“The council is deciding her fate. My vote is to burn the poor thing. No one should be brought back from the dead,” Suvi supplied. His mate smiled when Cele began yelling and pounding at the invisible wall. Caine was convinced the former High Priestess had finally lost her mind.

“You harm one hair on her head and I will drag you to the ninth circle of hell myself!” Cele shouted at them. “Angeica! Kadir! Come to me,” Cele screamed out. She knew she was in trouble and needed assistance. Caine and the others looked around as he braced himself for the feel of dark magic. Nothing happened and he knew the moment Cele realized her allies weren’t coming to her aide. Caine breathed a sigh of relief that their gamble to get Cele alone had paid off.

“What happened? Your friends aren’t here to save you. Guess they aren’t really your allies, after all,” Isis taunted.

“You won’t get away with this,” Cele retorted, still trying to remain confident.

Braeden was the next one to jump into the mix. “Really? I bet we do. You’re the one who will pay for what you’ve done. You kidnapped and tortured my son, making sure he experienced every painful moment. You slit his throat and he almost died. You are a vile creature who should be cast into hell to suffer for eternity,” he roared. Caine felt a waver in their magic and wondered if the witch was finding a way through.

“I should have killed that little bastard the first time you failed me. You are weak and pathetic. One day I will find your son alone and unprotected and make him pay like my Claire has had to pay,” Cele promised.

Braeden and Isis both thundered their rage to the sky. Braeden let go of the hands he was holding, breaking their circle and charging forward.

“Shit,” Isis muttered and Caine felt the vibration of their magic falter. He knew the barrier was no longer surrounding Cele and she must have felt it, too, as she made a dash for the break in their circle.

Everything seemed to happen at once after that. Braeden charged Cele and plunged his hand right through her vulnerable throat. Blood spurted from the vicious wound and Cele was opening and closing her mouth, like a fish gasping for air. Braeden yelled out as he pulled his hand free and wrapped his arm around what was left of her neck.

Isis rushed forward as Braeden twisted his torso, brutally ripping the witch’s head from her neck. With one final yank, he decapitated Cele, ending her life.

Isis was sobbing and pulled him into her arms. “It’s over. You and Donovan are safe now,” Braeden crooned. “She will never hurt anyone again.” Caine understood why Braeden had reacted the way he did. Everyone in that circle had a reason to hate Cele. She was everyone’s nightmare, but it was fitting that Braeden was the one to exact revenge on Cele. His son had suffered unspeakable torture at her hands and it was his right as the boy’s father.

The reality that they had eliminated this threat sank in. Cele was dead, and they were responsible. Would they face a backlash for killing Cele? It was in the witch elders’ hands now, he supposed. He prayed to the Goddess they would see it as justified.

*****

Suvi paced the meeting room at Cailleach Academy. The image of Braeden ripping Cele’s head from her shoulders had haunted her for two days. They had barely slept from worrying that Braeden may be put to death for killing the High Priestess. Not that any of them believed he should be punished for his actions, but that didn’t mean the elders would agree. Suvi laid her hands on top of Caine’s where they were wrapped around her stomach. Having him close brought comfort and calmed her frayed nerves.

The loud thump of heavy footsteps echoed from the hall. They were coming to give the verdict. Suddenly, Suvi felt as if she may be sick. She crossed to Isis and pulled her into a hug. If anyone knew how her sister felt, she did. She recalled, all too well, how it had felt to have Caine facing a death sentence. Pema came up on Isis’ other side and they stood as a unit with their mates close behind.

Zander strode into the room first, his face a blank mask. Behind him followed the rest of the Dark Alliance council. She was unable to read their faces either. Ezra, Beatrice, and Livia strode in behind the males. The trio of elder witches weren’t what you’d think of when you thought elders. Considering they were centuries old, they all appeared to be young, beautiful females in their early thirties. Suvi’s nerves were twisted in knots and she held her breath, waiting in anticipation.

Zander fastened his eyes on Braeden. “First, lad, I want to thank you for eliminating a threat to the realm. No’ only had this witch harmed our precious
bairns
, she had turned evil and partnered with Kadir. Had she succeeded in her plans, nothing on earth would be safe.”

Beatrice cleared her throat and stepped forward. “Normally, the punishment for killing a High Priestess is death, but not in this instance. You did what any male would do to protect his Fated Mate and son. The realm is blessed to have you amongst its ranks and we plan to keep it that way for centuries to come.” Suvi let out the breath she had been holding and felt Isis’ relief wash over her, it was that enormous.

Zander briefly looked around the room and then back at their group. “We didna only discuss the situation involving Cele’s death. We also discussed the three of you,” he relayed, nodding to Suvi and her sisters in turn. His words set the butterflies in Suvi’s stomach in motion once again. What was he talking about?

Ezra joined the conversation. “As you know, leadership in the realm is passed down in families. We are faced with an unprecedented situation right now. Cele’s only child was Claire who is deceased and there are no other members of her line. After much debate, we feel that there isn’t one person appropriate to take on the role. The decision had been made to appoint the three of you to the positions of High Priestesses.”