Time to heal, p.24
Time to Heal, page 24
Oh! Oh God, feels so good…so good! Almost too much pleasure, she thought almost incoherently and was surprised to hear an answer in her mind.
“Your pleasure is my pleasure, delora. Gods, I could come myself just from tasting you—your honey is so sweet!”
“Skahr?” Her eyes, which had been tightly shut in pleasure, flew open and she looked down at him. There was no way he could have spoken to her—his mouth was very definitely otherwise occupied. So how…?
“Through the bond we now share,” he informed her. “I can speak into your mind and you can speak into mine. Try it.”
“I…I hardly know what to say. You’re driving me wild!” Emmeline sent to him.
He lapped her again, running his tongue slowly over her still quivering pussy.
“That was exactly my intention. And now that we are bonded, I will be driving you wild much more often, I hope.”
“I like the sound of that,” Emmeline admitted. “But now I’d like to feel more than just your tongue inside me.”
She shocked herself with her naughty talk but it seemed easier to say such things through the new intimacy of their bond. Now that she and the big warrior were bound together for life, nothing seemed off-limits.
“You are right—there are no limits or barriers between us now,” Skahr told her as he pulled aside his loincloth and repositioned her so that her pussy was directly over his pulsing shaft. “Are you ready to have me in you again, delora? Are you ready to ride me as you did the other night?”
Once that question—and the idea of having a male member inside her—would have frightened Emmeline to death. But she trusted Skahr and knew that he would never hurt her. She felt his love and devotion, his desire to only bring her pleasure right to the bottom of her soul. And feeling that allowed her to push aside her past and love and trust her new mate wholeheartedly.
As she nodded and took him deep within her, she knew it was because Skahr was so gentle and patient that she could be with him.
“I love you!” she moaned aloud as he thrust deep inside her, filling her to the core. “Oh God, Skahr—I love you so much!”
“I love you too, Emmeline. Stay still with me a moment, I just want to feel you—feel connected to you like this.”
He stilled inside her and, tangling a hand in her hair, he pulled her down for a long, loving kiss. Emmeline tasted her own secret flavor on his lips and her desire flared again. Somehow she knew they were going to be making love for a long, long time because she couldn’t get enough of the big Kindred.
“Can’t get enough of you either, delora. But that’s all right— we’ve got our whole lives ahead of us. And I will be proud to call you my mate.”
“I feel the same way,” she sent back. “But where will we live? I don’t want to go back to my own world—the Earl will never stop hunting for Jamie and besides, I hate it there!”
“We could go back and live in the world your kin, Richard, has chosen,” he offered.
Emmeline thought of it—thought of living in the white and silver metal world which Kat had told her was actually a kind of ship floating in space.
Then she imagined raising Jamie in this world instead—in the mossy forests and wide-open plains where Skahr himself had grown to manhood. She thought of her son laughing and running and playing with the other children in the sunshine and she knew she had made her choice.
“We’ll stay here,” she decided, looking into Skahr’s eyes. “Here where you grew up is where I want to raise my son.”
“Our son, delora,” he murmured. “I claim the boy as I claim you—the two of you are mine to protect and love from now on.”
Emmeline felt tears sting her eyes.
“I never thought I’d find a real father for Jamie,” she whispered. “I never thought any man would want to raise the illegitimate son of another.”
“He is not illegitimate,” Skahr growled. “He is mine now, just as you are. And together we will be a family. But right now, I simply want to claim you as my mate.”
And with a long slow stroke, he pulled almost all the way out of her and thrust in deep again, making Emmeline throw back her head and moan with pleasure.
As they moved together, Emmeline felt like the luckiest woman in the world. She had a man who loved her and who loved and valued Jamie too. And she had a whole new world to explore—one that wouldn’t judge her for her past and which promised a beautiful future.
Her life was forever changed and she and Skahr would spend the rest of their days together all because he had given her… Time to Heal.
Epilogue
“Are you ready for the ceremony? It should be starting soon,” Caroline said.
“I’m ready.” Richard sighed. “I just wish we could attend it in person.”
“I do too but you know the PORTAL won’t work for us anymore. Besides, it’s better for Skahr’s people not to have a whole hoard of strangers from another world descending on them out of the blue,” Caroline pointed out. “And this way Sophie and Kat and Liv can all share in the moment with us.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Richard ran a hand through his hair. “I just miss my cousin. She was always like a little sister to me.”
“I know she was, honey.” Caroline kissed his cheek consolingly. “But think about it—now she’s with a good man who loves her and is going to care for her and her son forever. Isn’t that what you always wanted for her?”
He nodded. “Yes. I suppose I just wish they had chosen to come live in our world instead of staying in Skahr’s.”
“Well, Emmeline would have adapted pretty well here but you have to admit, Skahr really wouldn’t fit—not in the long run,” Caroline said. “I mean, he’s like Conan the Barbarian and his whole world is all swords and sorcery. He’s built for riding across the wide-open planes. I’m sure he would have agreed to stay here if Emmeline wanted to, but he would have been miserable in the long run, living inside a spaceship. Even one as big as the Mother Ship.”
“I do not know who ‘Conan the Barbarian’ is but I must agree with you.” Richard nodded grudgingly. “He is better off in his own world. And I think Emmeline will do well there as well.”
“She’s going to love it,” Caroline assured him. “His society is so much less repressive and sexist than the one you two came from.”
Richard snorted. “Well, I can’t argue with that. Come on—are you ready?”
“Yes, let’s go.” Caroline took his arm and they left their suite and started down the hall towards her lab where they were going to view Emmeline and Skahr’s Joining ceremony through the PORTAL’s window.
There was already a crowd when they came in. Liv and Sophie and Kat were seated on a temp couch—a Kindred invention with was a bit like blow-up furniture but much firmer and more supportive. It was a semi-sentient creature which had been genetically modified to enjoy holding humans. Once it was inflated, it could be coaxed into any shape or size to seat as many people as necessary.
“Oh, there you two are!” Kat waved them over and patted the gray hide of the temp couch encouragingly. “Come on, buddy,” she said to it. “Make room for two more, would you?”
At once, the temp couch grew five feet longer and formed two inviting cushions for Caroline and Richard to sit on.
“I see you brought popcorn,” Caroline said as she sat down beside her friend. Indeed, Kat had a big bowl of it which she at once offered to share.
“I wouldn’t bring it to a wedding I was attending in person, you know, doll,” she remarked. “But since they can’t hear or see us I figured, why not?”
“I guess.” Caroline settled down.
“You two are late,” Liv called from further down the couch. “You missed seeing Emmeline heal the Peace Crystal.”
“Oh, did we?” Caroline couldn’t hide her disappointment. “That’s too bad—I really wanted to see that!”
“You didn’t miss much,” Sophie said consolingly. “Emmeline just put her hands on it and it healed right up. I bet it didn’t take half a minute.”
“It was that fast?” Richard shook his head. “I always knew my little cousin had hidden depths in her.”
“I think the Old One is going to train her to be the healer of the Clan after he’s gone,” Liv told him. “She’s got a natural talent for it. Oh look—they’re all assembling.”
Indeed they were. It was evening now in Skahr’s world and the whole Clan was assembled around a bonfire which cast a golden, magical glow over the proceedings. At the head of the fire stood the Old One and Emmeline and Skahr stood on either side of him.
“I wonder how elaborate their ceremony is?” Kat whispered to Caroline. “It seems to be different with every branch of the Kindred.”
“Shhh—it’s starting!” Sophie hushed her.
“Sons and daughters—children of the Goddess—we are gathered to witness the Joining of these two in her holy light,” the Old One intoned. He turned to Skahr. “Will you love and cherish this female always? Will you lay down your life to protect her if need be and keep only unto her for as long as your days are numbered in the sky?”
Skahr nodded gravely.
“I will, with a joyful heart.”
“And you, daughter,” the Old One said, turning to Emmeline. “Will you love and respect this male? Will you bear him children and keep only unto him for as long as your days are numbered in the sky?”
Emmeline’s eyes were shining.
“I will, with a joyful heart,” she whispered, her soft voice overflowing with happiness.
The Old One spread his arms wide.
“Then I now pronounce that you are one in the eyes of the Goddess. But before I conclude this ceremony, there is another, smaller ceremony which Skahr has asked me to perform.” He looked out into the audience of seated Clan members. “Talli? Bring me the babe.”
Talli stood up and walked forward, carrying baby Jamie in her arms. As he cooed and waved his chubby fists in the air, Emmeline automatically reached for him. But the Old One shook his head.
“No daughter—for this part of the ceremony your new mate must hold the child.”
Skahr put out his arms and Talli handed him Jamie, who looked at him with wide eyes. Skahr made a funny face at him and the baby broke into a sudden toothless grin and chortled with laughter.
The big Kindred laughed with him.
“That’s right, my son—this is a happy day for us both,” he told Jamie. Gently he cradled the baby to his broad chest and looked at the Old One. “Go on.”
“Thank you.” The Old One smiled and looked out into the crowd. “As part of their Joining ceremony, Skahr would like to formally adopt Emmeline’s son as his own. From now on, he will be as a natural born son to Skahr and he will raise the boy in our ways as the Goddess wills it.” He looked at Emmeline. “Is this well with you, my daughter?”
There was a breathless silence and for a moment it seemed as though Emmeline was having trouble answering. When she turned her face, Caroline could see the tear tracks running down her cheeks, shining in the firelight.
“Oh, Skahr,” she whispered, choking back a little sob.
“Delora, are you not pleased? Have I hurt you in some way?” Skahr asked anxiously.
She shook her head. “No, of course you haven’t hurt me. I…I’m crying because you’ve made me happy. So happy, Skahr! Of course I want you for Jamie’s father—I just didn’t expect a whole ceremony about it!”
“I wanted it to be a surprise.” He smiled at her. “A ceremony of true adoption is rare among our people—most men who take a wife who already had a child simply call them the son or daughter of their mate. But I wish to name Jamie as my natural son and raise him in the ways of our Clan.”
“I’d love that—and I love you!” Apparently Emmeline couldn’t hold herself back any longer. She reached for Skahr and hugged him, her eyes still streaming with happy tears.
The big Kindred wrapped a long arm around her and hugged her back. Jamie, who was still cradled in Skahr’s other muscular arm, looked up at his parents with wide eyes. Then suddenly he cooed loudly, causing the Clan members who were watching—as well as everyone in Caroline’s lab—to laugh.
“I think the young one likes his new father—and his new family,” the Old One said, smiling. “I pronounce this Joining and Adoption to be sealed in the sight of the Goddess. May she bless these three and let them walk in her light all of their days.”
There was clapping and cheers and the Clan got up to congratulate the new couple. Caroline blinked back tears of her own and from the corner of her eye, she saw that Richard’s eyes were suspiciously bright too.
“Honey, are you all right?” she murmured, squeezing his hand.
Richard squeezed back and sniffed deeply.
“You were right, darling,” he murmured to Caroline. “She is where she belongs. As much as I’m going to miss her, I’m happy for Emmeline—she has a wonderful future ahead of her and so does her son.”
“So do we,” Caroline pointed out to him. “And speaking of sons, I thought you wanted one of your own?”
Richard’s eyes gleamed. “As a matter of fact, I do.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Caroline got off the couch and pulled him up with her. “Emmeline and Skahr aren’t the only ones celebrating tonight. Let’s go.”
As they left Liv and Sophie and Kat comparing notes and the Clan celebrating in the window of the PORTAL, Caroline reflected on how glad she was that Emmeline had found her happily ever after.
Truly the Goddess was good and she loved all of her children, especially her Brides of the Kindred.
Leave a Review
If you have enjoyed Time to Heal, please take a moment to leave a review HERE. Good reviews are like gold for an author in the crazy-crowded e-book market. They let new readers know that it’s okay to take a chance on a new author. Plus, they give me the warm fuzzies. : ) Thanks for being such an awesome reader!
And read on for a sneak peek at Pairing with the Protector, the next Kindred Tales novel, hopefully coming before Halloween!
Hugs and Happy Reading to you All!
Evangeline
Pairing with the Protector
Dr. Whitney Washington is a Xeno-zoologist living on the Kindred Mother Ship and she has a big problem—she has a crush on her bodyguard. Unfortunately, the big Beast Kindred who comes with her to dangerous planets to protect her clearly doesn't return her interest...or does he?
Rafe is a warrior with a past—a bad one. He has been hurt before when dealing with females and he doesn't intend to repeat the experience. But it's hard to ignore Whitney's beauty and bubbly personality. Still, he's determined to try until an unexpected turn in their latest trip to a new planet for research changes everything.
Forced to land on an unknown world, Whitney and Rafe find themselves among a group of feral humanoids who seem to be about as smart as house cats. Soon they are mistaken for pets by the huge aliens who live on the planet and taken into captivity as a "mating pair." But what will happen when Rafe and Whitney actually have to mate in order to escape?
You'll have to read, Pairing with the Protector to find out...
One
Dr. Whitney Washington hummed under her breath as she followed the make-up tutorial on her cell phone. Well, it wasn’t really a cell phone per se—the Kindred Mother Ship didn’t have a cell tower. But its new communications grid did allow for hand-held devices that made watching vids and talking with people on Earth possible.
It was a recent change and long overdue, as far as Whitney was concerned. She couldn’t count how many times she’d scared her poor mom to death contacting her with a Think-me—the thin metal circlet which allowed the user to project their thoughts directly into the receiver’s head. This way was much better. Plus she could watch the how-to Halloween cat make-up tutorial she was currently following.
Experimentally, she drew a thin gold line from the corner of her mouth outward. Then another and another—cat whiskers! The girl in the tutorial was using a black eyeliner to do the same thing, but the gold showed up much better on Whitney’s chocolate-brown skin.
As she drew, adding a little cat nose and some flourishes around her eyes, she sang under her breath.
“You give good love to me, baaaaby! So good, take this heart of mine, into your hand. You give good love…”
Her mom had been a big fan of Whitney Houston back in the day—hence Whitney’s name and the fact that her whole childhood had been lived to a constant soundtrack of 80s music. When she was a teenager she’d rebelled, refusing to listen to her mom’s favorite tunes but after growing up and getting a PhD in Xeno-zoology she’d admitted to herself—if not to her mom—that they were her favorite songs as well.
It didn’t hurt that she had a voice her mom swore sounded just like the fabled singer’s either. She’d been in church choir all her life and had even gotten a scholarship to college for her vocal talent.
It had about broken her mama’s heart when Whitney had decided she would rather study alien animals than debut on Broadway but what could you do? She’s always loved learning new things and she’d always adored animals—when the University of South Florida, which was renowned for its research—had opened its new Xeno-zoology program, Whitney had been the first to sign up.
And that was how she’d ended up on the Mother Ship, in partnership with the Kindred in a brand new program that sent Earth scientists out to find new creatures for their Bio-Genetic-Engineering Initiative.
The Kindred were famous for taking living creatures and engineering them to be useful in everyday life. The tharps of Tranq Prime were a good example—they were living blankets which could form themselves into clothing and which bonded with their human host. But once they had simply been symbiotic creatures who fed off body heat. Then the Kindred had modified them to be more intelligent and much more useful—not to mention breeding many colorful varieties. Now they were almost all anyone on Traq Prime wore and they had spread to other parts of the Kindred territory as well. In fact, one of Whitney’s friends, Sophie, had one.
