Time of the Draig (28 page)

Faolan’s grip tightened on her shoulder as he spoke to Boomer. “My wife is done with her tasks for the day.” A soft kiss brushed her temple. “My wife needs to realize that fact.”

Samantha shook the tangle of thoughts from her mind and smiled up at the man who had no subtlety. A sigh escaped as his gaze held hers with none of its usual mirth. Her lack of concentration on the events at the evening meal had clearly upset him.

“Thanks, but no thanks, Boomer,” Samantha said with her eyes locked on Faolan. “Tomorrow is soon enough.” Her head turned to smile at her friend, the one who hadn’t asked about her minor temper tantrum when UNK005 had mentally kicked her out that afternoon.

With herculean effort, she followed the conversation at the table, laughed when appropriate, and leaned into Faolan’s strong body. Her body savored the near gravitational pull of his hold, as if it were something she could not escape. The moment was one she wished to never escape from, an evening surrounded by family, and friends who had become family. Rank had no meaning when emotions were involved.

The word
escape
chilled the warmth in her heart. While she would never try to escape from Faolan, the fate she didn’t believe in had her back to the proverbial wall. She had already escaped her lab once. Theoretically, escape would not happen a second time.

As if sensing her drifting, Faolan rose to his feet and pulled her up to stand by his side. “Gran, thank you for the fine meal and the better tales. If you would all excuse us, I have waited all day to have time alone with my wife.”

Samantha stepped to the stairs with Faolan’s hand resting on her back. She laughed when Jeff called out, “You paid for her, and there are no returns.”

Tears again threatened to fall as Faolan called back, “‘Tis fine. I would keep her for all of time.”

“You can’t say things like that, Faolan. It kills me when you do,” she whispered as they reached the top of the stairs. He only growled in response and led her into their chamber.

The tear fell as she saw the small bouquet of wildflowers on the table in front of the fireplace. She paused and stared at the soft blues and whites in the clay cup. Even with all he had to accomplish to ensure the survival of his people, he had thought of her.

Faolan wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. “Does it please you?”

“You please me,” was the whispered reply.

“I spend my days working to make certain the clan is fed, safe, and secure. My wife spends her days attempting to leave my side,” Faolan growled in her ear after he untied her braided hair. “I ken you are saving our clan, yet your goal is to be away from me. Do you ken how this kills me? And I must allow it to happen or our people die.” His fingers combed through her hair, and still he whispered what she did not want to hear. “My sweat is honest when I come back to bathe. All I want at the end of each day is you. How many days do we have, my heart? Each morn I wake wondering if it ‘tis the last one with you in our bed. I need to ken how much longer will I sleep with your soft flesh against mine.”

Tears flowed unchecked down her cheeks, and she stared at the flowers, refusing to face him. “I don’t know. I can’t seem to find the answer I need. But it needs to happen soon, or this all ends.”

Faolan’s hands shifted to the laces on the front of her dress. “My fear is nay in death, but in my certainty that you will succeed.”

Her body turned to face his, and she buried her face in his chest, not wanting to see the moisture in his eyes. When she was able to speak, she vowed, “You will know first when I have found a way to save time.”

His hands soothed her back with steady strokes. “Before you go, you will give me one day alone with you.”

The choked sob came at the command in his tone.
There is no force strong enough to prevent me from having one last day with him.
The nod had barely come when Faolan pulled her back enough to see her face and then kissed her as if it were the last time. Strong arms lifted her to meet his harsh demands, and her arms wrapped around his neck.

The kiss scared her. It was too demanding, almost violent with need, and brought home how much she would be missed. She couldn’t return the ferocity enough to be certain he felt her want of him. Tongues battled for dominance, lips meshed, and teeth bumped as he walked them to the bed.

Frantic hands all but tore the dress from her body and threw it on the floor. Faolan didn’t fumble in removing her undergarments. The man from the dark ages had no issue releasing the hooks on her bra while he ravaged her mouth.

Curses flew from his lips as he stared at her naked body and removed his clothing before she could move fast enough to do it for him. Again he lifted her, and her limbs wrapped tightly around him as he lowered them to the bed.

As soon as her back hit the cool linens, he removed her hands from his neck and untangled her legs from his waist. His ragged breathing filled her ears and brown eyes stared down at her with raw determination glittering behind them.

“You are mine, Samantha. I dinna care where or when you are, but you are mine. Do you hear me?” Faolan’s question spit out from between clenched teeth.

She raised her hand to cup his face, and he lifted her hand to place a surprisingly gentle kiss to her palm. He whispered, “Mine.”

With no warning, he used her hand to flip her over onto her stomach. The gasp flew from her lips at the sudden and unexpected movement. She cried out, “Faolan!” in shock.

Soft lips kissed the head of her tattoo on her shoulder before he answered. “If you feel a touch on any part of you, ‘tis from only me. You are mine alone, my heart. Your beast kens me and waits for me to make us whole.” Faolan dragged open-mouthed, warm kisses down her dragon and stopped where the beast twisted just above her behind. “Only together are we whole, my heart.”

“I love you so much,” she whimpered as he kissed down to the beast’s head on her thigh.

“Then say you are mine for all time,” Faolan demanded, and his hands held her thighs in place.

There was no denying the request. Her body hummed everywhere his lips had touched, and the rest of her wanted the same powerful attention. She craved him on a level that defied description. She whispered, “No matter where or when, I am yours. We were meant for each other. Everything I am means nothing without you.”

His groan answered for him as his body shifted to cover her bare back. Though she couldn’t see it, she swore she could feel his dragon resting against hers, each a perfect mirror of the other.

His thighs nudged hers apart, and she felt him press against her. Immediately, her body shifted to allow his entry. Though he only teased her by barely entering her, she whimpered at the sensation. It was different from any other night they had shared. In the two weeks they had shared his bed, time had always been taken to explore and build anticipation. She was to experience the exception.

The only warning she had was his hand gripping hers before he plunged deep inside her. Her breath caught at the different sensations the position brought. She was trapped beneath his weight and the hands that held hers down. Lost within his rough embrace, her mind emptied.

There were no soft kisses and no sweet words. He took her with a rough passion. Yet her body reveled at the new sensation, and her hips lifted enough to ensure he knew she needed him.

His voice was ragged in her ear. “Can you feel our beasts, my heart? Even now they are one, as are we. Nothing will ever change that. Distance will never change that. We are connected now and for all time. We will always be one.” She had no opportunity to reply as he filled her over and over.

Sparks lit in her belly while he took her with abandon; it was no tender lovemaking. The wave threatened to overtake her and wash her away in pleasure until everything he growled in her ear connected in her mind. Her mind screamed in victory as her body convulsed from the intense pleasure that ripped through every fiber of her being. She screamed his name at the combination of ecstasy and discovery.

Floating in a sea of exhaustion, she felt him shift off her back and pull her into his arms. Soft kisses covered her head and cheeks while tears slipped down her face at the emotional and physical overload.

“Forgive me, my heart,” Faolan whispered against her hair while his hands softly roamed her sides. “I lost myself.”

A soft laugh escaped her lips along with a heavy sigh. “I always lose myself when you touch me.”

Faolan shifted them so they faced one another on the rumpled bedding. His fingers wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Did I hurt you?”

“No,” Samantha whispered and raised her head to place a kiss to his lips. She had missed his kisses even as she had relished his possessiveness. “You gave me the answer I needed.” The irony wasn’t lost at the realization the person who wanted her to stay the most was the one who helped her find the way back to her own time. “The two UNK005s are still connected, just like us. Time and place have no meaning to them either. If I let them, they will find each other as we found one another. The door between them could never close and block their endless stream of energy. They are bound like we are bound, for all time.”

He stared into her eyes as the meaning took hold. His arms reached to crush her body against his. He whispered, “How long?”

“It will still take a bit of time, but not much,” Samantha said and gripped him tightly. With a kiss to his neck, she pleaded, “Don’t let me go, Faolan.”

He clung to her and wrapped his legs around hers. Faolan pressed his lips to her head and whispered, “Never.”

Chapter 19

Per Samantha’s wishes, Faolan stood in the hall and watched all eight of her men sit at the table as she commanded. His role was to watch and see if her men reacted as expected. His head fell forward and dread settled in his belly when all eight men stopped talking and looked around as if they expected an attack. Each man had raised a hand to the back of his neck.

He cursed how her success came as a result of his need to claim her body and soul. In only five days, she had succeeded.

Faolan yelled up the stairs, “Aye, Boomer!” It was all he could say, given the results.

Before the men could panic, he said, “Wait, and Samantha will be here to speak. What you felt was her doing.”

He heard the soft voice from his right. “So she managed to get it done.” Faolan nodded at his grandmother and listened as her sigh echoed in the hollow in his chest. “Faolan, don’t spend the last moments you have with that look on your face. Be proud that she is saving these people the only way she can. Have hope, even if small, that she will return.”

Faolan nodded but only watched the stairs as Samantha came into the hall. Her expression was serious. No smile crossed her lips when she walked to stand before him. She held out her hand and silently asked for his.

“I’d like you to be with me while I do this.”

As if he would be anywhere but at her side, Faolan swallowed her hand in his and led her to her men. The table erupted into questions as they all spoke at once.

Her empty hand rose to ask for quiet. She noted each man with her eyes before she spoke. “I’m assuming everyone felt the tracker re-engage. Don’t worry, the door hasn’t been opened by the United Forces. I localized the connection.”

Samantha explained to the men how she had found the path needed to take her and Boomer back to complete their mission. The plan was to ride close to where they had entered the time of the Draig and leave through a door she would open into her lab. Faolan understood little of the complexity of her explanation. Quantum doors meant naught, but he understood the concept of the link between the two orbs of power. Some things were never meant to be apart, that he knew.

It was Jensen who spoke after the explanation was finished. “Count me in, Major. I owe you and am happy to face the United Forces with you.” Each man at the table echoed the sentiment, except for Efraim. He sat quietly with a peaceful smile on his face that mocked the pain in Faolan’s chest.

“While Boomer and I appreciate the offers, we go alone. The lab will be on lockdown given the gunshot when we left, which means the base will also be on red alert within two minutes. The only goal is to disengage UNK005, the larger, and have the two orbs contained together.”

Efraim lost his air of contentment. “If the two orbs are there, will we lose integrity here?”

Samantha shook her head. “In effect, string theory goes from theory to reality. A parallel time stream or bubble will be allowed to grow without interference. UNK005 being together is the only fact that matters. Their being parted results in matter deteriorating in an attempt to rejoin them. All you need to know is that this bubble will survive and develop. Enjoy it.”

Faolan understood the need of the orbs to be joined. He would tear the world apart to be next to her, to hold her hand again.

Weiler nodded. “So you pop in the lab and pop back here, right?”

“The major has her duty and will do everything in her power to return,” Jeff said.

“I did not hear an affirmative, Captain,” Jensen said with hostility in his voice.

Faolan could feel Samantha’s grip tighten on his hand. She answered, “The probability of our return is low. While that is priority number two, the integrity of time and space needs to come first.”

Shouts and arguments came from the men. None of them knew her absence was the price for life.

Boomer stood and slammed his hand into the table to gather the attention of all. “Have no fear that I have the major’s back. While we are walking into a completely FUBAR situation, nothing is impossible.” The mountain looked across the table at Faolan and offered a weak smile. He silently cursed the lack of conviction in Boomer’s eyes.

Samantha added, “Boomer and I can handle the two armed guards and the colonel with no issue. As for the rest, we don’t know how much time we have before more guards arrive. Hopefully there is time to retreat via the way we enter.”

Miller challenged her. “And if you run out of time?”

The question hung in the air for a long moment before she answered. “Then live your lives.”

“The United Forces will—” Miller started to say before Boomer again slammed his fist to the table.

“I have her back. That’s all you need to know,” Boomer said as he glared at Miller.

It was Faolan’s grandmother who asked the question he was afraid to vocalize. “If you are unable to make it back and are captured, what will the United Forces do to you?”

Only the crackle of wood burning in the massive fireplace could be heard as the hall stayed eerily quiet. No words were needed as all the men hung their heads and Samantha closed her eyes. Rage filled his soul at the realization that his sweet wife and the mountain would willingly go to die. His eyes fell to stare at their joined hands.

Dana broke the silence. “Samantha and Boomer, you need to know that I am proud of you for saving my people.”

Faolan whipped his head to stare at his grandmother in disbelief.
How could she say such things?
Given that his wife was preparing to sacrifice her life, there should be horror and outrage. The old woman should have tears running down her face at the very idea.

His grip tightened on her hand and forced her to look up at him. Samantha gave him a squeeze and mouthed, “Now.”

Faolan dropped her hand and paced the length of the hall. He said to the room, “There has to be another way.” He stopped his erratic motion to stare at his wife across the chamber. Her brilliant green gaze locked on his. “You never said . . .”

With a step in his direction, she said, “No, I never said it before. However, there isn’t any other viable option.”

“Couldn’t you just throw UNK005 into the door? Why do you need to be there?” Weiler asked.

Faolan nodded at the fine question.
If the two orbs only need to be in the same time, that’s the solution.

Samantha sighed. “Then I leave massive amounts of power with the very people I sought to keep it from in the first place. Yes, time would stand as a whole here and there. However, Captain Chandler would eventually be able to use UNK005 in some manner. While he would most likely never have the control I do, he would find a way to initialize some type of a reaction. UNK005 believes he could potentially destroy what I have tried to save. The United Forces would perhaps use UNK005 and destroy everything, potentially even this time.”

Jeff asked the next question. “If you are captured by the United Forces, given the base will be on lockdown, what happens? In effect, the two UNK005s will still be in the hands of the enemy.”

Samantha nodded and stood in quiet contemplation. Faolan knew she sought the words all would understand. She answered, “The orb in my hands will be programmed with a self-destruct sequence that it will share with the one in the lab. However, first the larger UNK005 needs to be disconnected from the mainframe to remove the interference in the connection between the larger and smaller orb. Once that is done, UNK005 will initiate that program should anyone other than myself attempt to activate it. Which again is why I can’t simply throw it into that time.”

The brief hope that had breathed in the room ended quickly. He knew Samantha would have thought every aspect through completely. Her wisdom awed him.

Weiler shifted in his seat and asked the question Faolan needed to ask but never would, “When do you two leave?”

Samantha held only Faolan’s gaze as she answered her man. “The day after tomorrow. So tomorrow is officially a day of rest. I’d like to spend a bit of time with each of you, as there are things I would like to say privately. Then Faolan and I are going to disappear for the remainder of the day. The next day, at first light, Boomer and I will leave to complete our mission.”

Jeff stood. “Faolan and I will ride with them to where we entered this time. With luck, we will all ride back the as soon as the mission is completed.”

Samantha smiled broadly. “While I don’t remember agreeing to that, it sounds like a perfect addition.” She turned to gaze at the men sitting at the table. “Now, it’s late, and we’re done for the night. Get out of the hall before Dana chases you out.”

Miller tried to argue the plan more with Samantha, but she held out her hand to stop the discussion. There was no mistaking the moisture that had pooled in her emerald eyes. “This is goodnight. I’ll see you all in the morning.”

Faolan couldn’t remember moving but found himself standing in front of his wife with her face cupped in his hands. He knew he could stay that way for hours, simply absorbing her beauty.

Jeff broke the uneasy silence. “Major, I still don’t think we’ve evaluated every option.”

“Doesn’t matter what you think, Captain,” Samantha interrupted. “UNK005 is certain our course is correct, and I now know better than to argue with condensed dark matter that contains a neural interface.”

It was Faolan’s grandmother who prevented Jeff from continuing. “While I don’t like it, we need to respect that every angle and every option has been considered.”

Samantha nodded within Faolan’s hold and heard his grandmother’s sigh of resignation. He reluctantly let go of her at his grandmother’s request.

“Samantha, I am proud to call you my granddaughter and always will be,” Dana said as she took her hands.

Though the whispered words were not meant for his ears, he heard Samantha say, “Take care of him for me.”

As the women embraced, Faolan glared at Jeff and Boomer, disgusted at how no better plan was made. His fear had been that she would live her life away from him in another time and that someday another man would seek to claim the beautiful woman who should have stayed by his side. Jealousy was preferable to the ache that threatened to become a scream with the knowledge she would die if she could not return. His hand bellowed for a weapon to kill the threat even as he knew there was nothing he could do to save her and no physical enemy to save her from.

Dana released Samantha and wiped a tear from her eye. “That’s as close to goodbye as we get.” With no grace, she pushed her back into Faolan’s arms. “Jeff and Boomer, go away. Let’s leave my grandchildren in peace for the night.”

For the first time, he was grateful Samantha had closed her eyes. Her pain would only be a mirror for his. He glanced at his grandmother and saw the meaning written on her features. They could have the moments time would allow, or they could have sorrow.

Faolan kissed Samantha’s forehead. His voice was a hoarse whisper. “What would you have us do on the morrow, my heart?”

“Take me back to the glade, Faolan.” Samantha said without looking at him.

I will spend a day filled with sunshine and surrounded by the beauty of our lands with my wife and pretend we will have a lifetime to share.
“We will spend the whole of the day there, my heart.”

Emerald eyes opened for him, and he smiled despite the sensation of a knife in his chest. He leaned down and brushed his lips softly against hers until she silently requested a more heated passion. “What would you have us do this night, my heart?”

“Love me until all I can see is you.”

“Forever,” he whispered as he took her hand and led them up the stairs.