I wouldnt change it for the world. I tried to . . . I wrote a reverse fantasy in the Doomsday Diary to see if your feelings for me were all magically manufactured.
Theyre not. I swear.
She sent him an impish smile. I know. The diary told me.
With a growl, he pulled her against him. Dont you have an answer for me? Do you know the words?
She nodded. Bram and Sabelle have a great library. Happiness broke over her face, like the sun from behind storm clouds, illuminating everything in joy. As I become a part of you, you become a part of me. I will be honest, good, and true. I heed your call. Tis you I seek. From this moment on, there is no other for me but you.
A powerful jolt slammed into Cadens body, and his sense of Sydney as his mate jumped into the foreground of his consciousness, fusing into his heart. She had been important; now she was his everything. She gasped, clearly feeling it as well.
But with the sealing of their bond came another crashing needto test her, taste her, claim herall of her.
Without a thought, he dragged the baggy shirt off one shoulder to reveal a bare breast, then he cupped it.
Caden! Theyre going to come back. We should focus on
He cut her speech off with a kiss, deep, blistering, the kind that sent sizzle all the way through his body. Slowly, she melted against him.
Caden eased back until he sat on the rooms lone bed, bringing her down to straddle his lap. Narrow and squat, the little bed wasnt the haven he wanted the first time he loved his mate, but he wasnt going to quibble. She was in his arms. The future was coming, he knew. But hed face it stronger if he joined with her first.
This might be our last chance, he whispered against her mouth. Our only chance. Let me love you.
Sydney didnt hesitate. She grabbed Cadens sweater, tugging and pulling until she managed to yank it over his head. Rapaciously, she ran her hands over his hands and shoulders, and he thanked his years of daily running and training in the Marines and beyond that kept him in shape.
But he wasnt content to just have her hands on him; he wanted her open to him. Lifting her off his lap, he dragged the large sweatpants down one thigh. Another adjustment, and his own pants rested south of his hips.
As he brought her back to his lap, he captured her mouth again, brushed his knuckles over her collarbone, across her nipple, skipped the shirt covering her abdomen, then delved into the red curls between her pale thighs. Slick, steamy ready. Hed missed her so, so much, trying to separate her from him, and thus from danger. Keep himself safe from the whims of magic. But hed been foolish, wasting time. If they managed to escape this place in one piece, hed never waste another second together. If they didnt . . . he didnt regret their mating in the least.
Raking his fingertips over her clit, he basked in her sighs and moans. She melted, all delicious and sweet, around his hand as he plunged his fingers inside her and rubbed her sweet spot.
Her fingernails found their way into his shoulders, and he smiled when she dusted his neck with urgent kisses. The smile turned to desperate hunger when she caught his mouth in a searing kiss, grabbed his aching erection, and pushed her hips down to it.
Slowly, she sank over him, and the tight clasp of her body was both a homecoming and a pleasure unlike any hed ever known. His mate. His. No matter what.
Their time was short, but their love unlimited. Grabbing her hips, he tutored her in a long, slow stroke as he brushed his lips over hers again, then settled deep, mating with her body, her mouthher heart.
Gripping his biceps, she stroked her way up and down his cock, and the inferno-hot pleasure singed him. She tightened around him. Her cheeks grew pink, then flushed a darker rose. Her nipples swelled, her head tipped back, and she looked like the ultimate goddess of pleasure. Smart, brave, loving. His.
Cadens heart swelled with need, with love. His body did the same. Grimacing, he tried to stave off the orgasm about to overwhelm. But Sydneys pace quickened. She dug her fingers deeper into him as she bounced on him, chanting his name. Caden curled his arms around her and fused his mouth to hers as her sex clamped down on him. He swallowed her scream of pleasure and joined her over the abyss, in an ecstasy that not only suffused him with a warm satiationbut a jolt of power so intense, it nearly overpowered his system. And love. God, so much of it. That love gave him a new dimension of strength. He was determined that, while that may have been their first time making love as mates, it damn well wouldnt be their last.
Quietly, they dressed, pausing to kiss. He touched her, wrapped her in his embrace to reassure her, then sat on the bed to cuddle her in his lap.
Caden? she turned worried brown eyes on him.
He knew everything on her mind. It was on his too. But damn it, he hadnt come this far, been born with the sort of magic that his mother, as a good seer, had praised, and found this amazing woman, only to have her ripped from him.
Time to fight.
Shh. Its not over.
Your time alone is. A mans voice intruded on their intimate cocoon. Shock. Then he opened the cell and motioned to Sydney. Come with me.
CHAPTER TWENTY
SYDNEY TREMBLED AS SHOCK HELD her by the elbow and dragged her toward the middle of the house. Where are you taking me?
Where Mathias asked me to.
His complete lack of inflection, of guilt, incensed her. Rage bottled up inside her, then she wondered why she was keeping a cork on it. She was going to die, regardless. Why not tell Shock what toilet scum she thought he was?
So you enjoy watching innocent people be tortured to death? Or you just dont care?
He glared down his shoulder at her, his expression unreadable. Youre playing games you dont understand.
Youre betraying people who count on you.
More than you know, he muttered, then tugged on her elbow and dragged her behind him.
As she feared, Shock lugged her back to the cold sitting room of black, glass, and chrome in which shed been earlier. There, Mathias sat, waiting, his expression cool but impatient. She had the distinct impression he was concealing the depth of his rage. And it scared the hell out of her. The Doomsday Diary sat on the table in front of him. The half-dressed witch whod taken the book from Sydney slept in a corner. At least she hoped the woman was asleep.
Shock shoved her into a chair across from Mathias.
These meetings are too frequent, my dear, he said.
Rhea is unable to use the book. Everything she writes disappears. I cannot see the words at all. Care to explain?
Sydney glanced at Shock. As long as the traitor was here, she stood no chance of keeping her thoughts to herself. I just wrote what I wanted in the book and . . . poof.
It came true immediately?
No. It took a few days.
Mathias glanced at Shock.
Shes telling the truth as she knows it. Shock supplied.
Mathias relaxed against the back of the sofa. Its possible that larger magic takes time to collect and organize.
Shock nodded. She was looking only for a shag. Hardly difficult magic, but shes not a witch . . .
A feral grin stretched across the evil wizards mouth as he turned to her. If you need a man in your bed, Im more than happy to oblige.
Ewww. I dont.
I can change your mind . . . whether you want it changed or not. Regardless of whether your new mate is languishing in the cell downstairs or not.
How did he know?
Your magical signature, Shock said. You now have one that brands you as Cadens. Most anyone magical can see it.
Sydney liked that idea, and hoped that shed have years and years with this signatureand a happy life to go with it. But she had to get out of here first.
Shock merely raised a brow at her, but thankfully kept commentary to himself.
You used the book twice with success. Rhea could not use it at all, Mathias mused as if solving a puzzle aloud. Of course, youre a smart girl, and shes a stupid slut. But shes magical and youre not. I know it works for witches, or Morganna le Fay would have never created it. There is something Im missing. What?
Sydney wasnt even certain herself, but Sabelle and Olivias theory that the woman using the book had to be wishing for her hearts desire made sense. She had when shed wished for Caden. Who knows what Mathiass witch whore had wished for?
She doesnt know. Shocks tone was both annoyed and dismissive. Shes human. She stumbled into magic and got lucky. Thats all.
Sydney frowned. If Shock could read her mind, why hadnt he regurgitated her every thought to Mathias?
Any chance shes able to mask her thoughts from you?
Shock snorted in answer.
Take her to my bed. I think Ill enjoy finding out how much energy this feisty human can give me before she dies.
Zipping her gaze up to Shocks face, Sydneys heart beat triple time. Oh, dear God. The last thing in the world she wanted was to endure a moment of Mathiass touch. But to die in his bed . . . she shivered.
Now Shock was the only thing standing between her and death. His bland expression didnt give her much hope.
In order to bed her, youll have to break her mate bond. That will likely kill her. Let me spend a little time with her. I have ways of getting deeper into a womans mind.
Unpleasant ones, I hope? Mathias perked up.
Absolutely.
Mathias paused, then smiled. Take her, then. Dont bring her back unless youve extracted everything from her mindor shes dead.
As soon as Shock magically shoved him back in the cell and locked him in again, taking Sydney away with him, Caden broke out in a cold sweat. Damn it, now what? He doubted he could break Shocks magical seal on this cell. But he couldnt sit here while the traitor and mate thief took Sydney to his boss like a lamb to slaughter. Even the thought made him want to roar the entire house down.
He knew more than a little martial arts, but every attempt to kick at the walls or bars proved fruitless. Hed looked around the cell for a trapdoor, back exit, ceiling vent . . . nothing.
He was going to have to get creative with magic. Damn it, he scarcely knew enough to be dangerous. He had the instincts to complete simple tasks, and had been so foolishly adamant about not learning more.
Swallowing hard, Caden forced his recriminations away and willed himself to think. He had to know something that would help her. Sitting trapped while his mate died at Mathiass hands was not an option. But hed never done big magic.
Except at transition. His one special power.
Hope soared, but he tempered it. He had to be logical. The fact was, hed been almost high on magic when hed cloned himself, he really had no idea how hed done it. Common wisdom said that a witch or wizard should not reveal their special power unless it meant the difference between life and death.
Saving Sydney was his life or death.
Vaguely, Caden recalled fusing his clone back to his body by visualizing the event. He hoped, prayed, the reverse worked.
Sitting on the cot on which hed so recently loved Sydney, he squeezed his eyes shut. In his mind, he pictured his clone morphing separately from himon the other side of these bars. His entire body tensed as he clutched the bed frame.
His arms shook, and he could feel the veins swelling as he concentrated. Seconds became a minute. A minute became three. But nothing happened. He cursed under his breath.
Then he felt his insides ripping in half.
Caden clenched his teeth against the horrific sensation of someone opening his chest and sucking out his insides. His whole body trembled. His head exploded with pain.
Suddenly, it ended, and he slumped back against the wall, utterly drained, wishing he had something to show for his effort.
Ill come back with help. The voice sounded eerily like his own.
His eyes flew open wide, and he saw himselfhis other selfstanding outside the cell.
Thank God. Hed done it.
Save her, he rasped in exhaustion.
His clone nodded and disappeared. And he bloody hated it, but now all he could do was wait.
At Shocks urging, Sydney rose on wobbly legs. Shed never imagined he was a good guy, but now shed find out exactly how bad he was. Even if Shock didnt lay a hand on her, she had no doubt he could think of a hundred magical ways to torture her.
Faster, he snapped. Youre keeping me from my fun, and Mathias from valuable information.
The cold calculation of his command pissed her off. If she was going to die, she might as well let the bastard know how much she loathed him.
How inconsiderate of me not to run to my death. Must be a real bitch for you.
Mathias laughed, the sound scratching an icy path up her spine before his expression fell into pure menace. Youll give her extra pain for that, I hope?
With pleasure.
Wait! Mathias barked. A disturbance in the security. I think the Doomsday Brethren have arrived. With them out of the way, we wont need this chit anymore. If we kill all the warriors, Olivia Gray and Sabelle Rion will be alone, unprotected. Certainly one of them can be persuaded to help our cause.
Dont touch my friends! she screamed.
Youre in no position to issue orders. Mathias smiled tightly, then looked at Shock. Why dont you go greet our company? Take the Anarki with you. Ill stay with our lovely guest.