chapter Four
Linc watched the chatar usher Cami to her room at the inn where they’d stopped for the night. His eyes dropped to the enticing sway of her hips even as he studied the two people. Vin kept up a steady flow of talk. Most of it didn’t require any reply by her, but occasionally he’d ask her a question or try to draw her out a little. Cami listened and for once seemed almost comfortable around the other man. Vin really made an effort with her. He sat with her and Avan whenever they stopped to eat. When they were traveling, he stayed near her. That made Linc even more curious about her than ever. What made her so important?
Not that he hadn’t been more than curious from the first. The pull to get closer to her was enough on its own to get his attention. He’d felt attraction to women before and he was attracted to her, but he felt drawn to her. He wanted to know everything about her. Although she masked her scent and kept her distance from them, he didn’t think that it was simply that mystery. The feeling was too intense. He wanted her with them.
“Vin still trying to get her to talk?” Colm came up the stairs behind him.
“Yes. Still not sure exactly what he’s trying to get her to tell him or to see. I asked, but he didn’t tell me anything.” Linc frowned. “He’s protective of her, though.”
“Maybe he’s trying to get her to see that we’re not the false Ardin. You can tell by the look in her eyes that she doesn’t trust us.” Colm’s hand flattened against his back, urging him down the inn’s hallway.
“If I’d gone through what she’s gone through, I’d probably still be in the forest. I would have tried to kill them first. I don’t think I’d ever be able to trust someone else having any power over me again. She’s stronger than she thinks.” Linc exhaled heavily, but continued to their room two doors down from Cami’s. Fully gaining her trust wasn’t going to be easy. “But there’s something more to it.”
“Vin always has a reason. If it was important to the Thent, he’d tell us.” Colm shrugged.
“If it was danger or could lead to danger, he would, but you know him, he’s not the type to hint or give us clues if he thinks it something we should already know or see. If he thinks it’s obvious, then we’re missing something.” Linc shook his head and opened the door to their room.
It was very plain. Everything was brown from floor to the walls and the furniture didn’t look as though it would take much activity. The bed appeared in even worse condition than the rickety dresser. It rested at a slight angle even without weight on it. The blanket spread across the mattress appeared thin, but he’d seen worse.
“Something obvious that involves her and keeping her with us.” Colm shook his head. “Maybe we’re supposed to help her learn to trust Ardin or simply someone in authority.”
“I don’t think it’s anything that simple. I think that it might be directly related to us. You’ve seen the way she’s acted. She’s relaxed around some of the other men, but with us, she’s still wary.” Linc frowned as he sat on the bed. It sagged and groaned, but didn’t collapse beneath him.
“She was beaten and cut by men who called themselves the Ardin of her old Thent. That probably has more than a little to do with it.” Colm shut the door and leaned against the wall next to it. He pulled the leather tie from his black hair and tossed it onto the dresser.
Linc shook his head. Colm was trying to avoid thinking deeper about this. Linc knew why, but he couldn’t let him hide from it. Colm needed to begin to see the truth, because getting through to her wasn’t going to be easy.
“That’s not the only reason. If it was, she’s seen enough of our behavior to relax a little. She watches us, though, and keeps a careful distance between us.” Linc met Colm’s golden eyes. “We both know she has things she’s holding back from us.”
“She wants to keep her distance. She doesn’t want any ties with a Thent. You know that.” Colm came away from the wall and paced over to the bed, but the glare he slashed over at Linc spoke of his agitation even more than the movement.
Linc could feel Colm’s frustration and knew it had to be high. Their bond as tierna, bond brothers tied with magic and blood, was extraordinarily strong, but only occasionally were they able to sense feelings from each other. Most often, it was focused thoughts. When they did feel something, it was sure to be intense.
“Colm, her behavior and Vin’s attention to her both point to something different. She doesn’t want to be close to us and I’m certain that it’s not only because we’re Ardin.” Linc scowled, but remained seated as his remark had Colm swinging around to pace the length of the room again.
“You know the list of what she could be to us isn’t that long. The question is, do we let her keep the secrets or work to strip them away and reveal it? Are we prepared to face the truth?” Colm gave Linc a long, hard look.
Linc knew that list and he knew exactly why Colm didn’t want to give it much thought. She could be a mate to one of their men or someone they knew and they were supposed to keep her safe. There was also the possibility that she was their mate. As well as one or two others that were much less likely to apply considering the circumstances and that Vin had said nothing to hint that it would be something beyond what would be obvious.
“No, that isn’t the question. Regardless of what we do, she won’t be able to keep those secrets for long. Maybe if it doesn’t take long, she’d be able to make it through the time to bring these men to justice. Do you really intend to let her walk away and disappear as you know she means to do? It’s obvious she doesn’t want to be with a Thent. Who would? But that fear isn’t going to resolve on its own.” Linc rose and paced over to the rickety dresser the inn provided for its patrons.
It would probably break apart if he leaned against it. She’d fight having her defenses stripped away and the truth revealed. Doing it could destroy any trust she had in them. It wasn’t that damn easy and his bond brother was part of the reason that it wasn’t simply about revealing her secrets.
“You’re right. She wants to walk away from everything to do with life in a Thent and especially anything to do with Ardin.” Colm looked down at his boots. The muscles along his shoulders bunched, stretching the white material of his shirt.
“Colm, I know you don’t want to lose a mate, but you’re more likely to lose me than you are a female mate. She’ll have the haven we create for her as protection. Anyone coming after her will have to go through our men and us. I’ll be out there fighting right beside you.” Linc knew logic wasn’t going to make him suddenly see that a mate could be a good thing. Colm had seen firsthand the torment the loss of a mate could cause when it happened to his brother. Colm’s brother had fallen apart at his mate’s death.
“I know that.” Colm’s voice roughened.
Linc knew Colm was trying to think everything out and come up with the best solution for everyone. He was trying to work it out rationally and that was last thing that Linc wanted. Colm needed to trust his instincts on this, not his head.
“Colm, don’t shut down on me here.” Linc walked over and grabbed Colm by the arms. With a sharp shake, he drew Colm’s focus back to him. He knew it would get a reaction out of the other man and would prevent cold logic from ruling.
“You’ve made your decision. Why are you making an issue of this? You know I’ll go along with you on this.” Colm stalked over to the window and looked out at the city beyond. Linc was fairly sure he didn’t see anything though.
“Do you want to have to pay for every piece of furniture in this room? Don’t give me that ‘I don’t care’ attitude. It’s your decision too and I’m not going to make it for you so you can resent both me and her.” Linc stalked over and stood beside him. “Do you think that would be good for any of us? Not to mention the fact that she’s gone through enough without having to deal with your foul moods and being treated as if she’s anything but what you want.”
“So what do you suggest, Linc? We have to make a decision. And she’ll have to deal with my foul moods regardless. Do you really think that I can be nice the entire time she’s with us, even if it’s only a short time? Someone’s going to make me angry.” Colm turned his head and narrowed his eyes at Linc.
Linc ruefully acknowledged that that was true. While Colm was even-tempered for the most part, when he did get angry, there was no hiding it. She’d see it at some point.
“I suggest that we get to know her. We don’t have to decide what we’re going to do about her just yet, but we watch and learn. You aren’t the only one with issues here. She’s hiding, Colm, from everyone and everything. She has scars that need to heal and I’m not talking about the marks on her body.” Linc put a hand on Colm’s shoulder and tugged him around to face him.
“And you have no problems of your own?” Colm brushed Linc’s hand on his shoulder aside and took a step forward.
“Not with trusting or the mate bond.” Linc shrugged, but Colm was right. They all had their own particular troubles. “But gaining her trust isn’t going to be easy. It will probably be impossible if we don’t both want it. So we take it slow with her.”
“Why is this so important to you?” Colm laced his fingers into Linc’s hair and tugged lightly.
“Because if we’re right, she’s meant to be with us. You know I’m possessive and the thought of my mate in another man’s arms makes me angry enough to kill. Regardless of your feelings about true mates, how would you feel if you saw the woman you suspected of being your mate in the arms of someone other than me?” Linc watched as that penetrated Colm’s thoughts.
“She doesn’t want to be near anyone though.” Colm shook his head. “She doesn’t trust anyone.”
“Eventually she’ll want to get close to someone if for no other reason than sex. You know how highly sexual our kind is. Just let your mind play out those images for a while and tell me how you feel about it.” Linc felt his heartbeat increase and his muscles tightening simply from thinking about it.
Colm’s eyes hardened and his jaw clenched. “F*ck, why did you have to put that in my head? Now, I can practically see her and some other man. It makes me want to rip the other man apart. And the only thing I really know about her is that she might be my mate. It makes no sense.”
“Yes, it does. For all the trouble you have thinking about mates up here.” Linc tapped his head. “There’s part of you that wouldn’t settle for anything less. Why do you think you hadn’t picked one of the women from our Thent when they were willing and well-suited for the position tempermentally? They’d fit perfectly with your plan, but you never even broached the subject.”
“You knew I was looking at some of the women from our Thent as possible wives, but you never said anything.” Colm frowned and his hand slid from Linc’s hair to cup the back of his neck. “I looked at them, but none of them ever seemed right, even though I couldn’t find anything outwardly wrong. You’re right. They would have suited the position.”
“They weren’t right because they weren’t your mate.” Linc didn’t see the need to add any more to that. Colm had looked, but inside he’d known that he wouldn’t find what he wanted in any of the women at their Thent.
“You think so. I couldn’t have just wanted something more than what I’d found?” Colm shook his head. “Do you think that I wouldn’t find a suitable woman ever?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you’d have found a woman to settle on, but do you think she wouldn’t know that she was second best to you and me, just as we would be to her.” Linc knew he wouldn’t be happy with that. He had a feeling that Colm wouldn’t have been happy for long in spite of his doubts and concerns over finding a true mate.
“Second best. Well, the woman would always have to wonder and think about something such as that, because the bond with you is so solid.” Colm leaned in and nipped at Linc’s lip.
Linc inhaled sharply at the stinging bite. The move sent a sharp spike of hunger through him as well as a surge of aggression in return. He moved forward and pushed Colm back against the wall. His lips crushed against Colm’s in a hungry kiss.
Colm’s laugh rolled over his lips. Linc knew he’d just been goaded, but it didn’t matter. Now that he had his hands on Colm, he wasn’t letting go until they were hot, sweaty and sated. He gripped Colm’s shirt and steered him around and to the bed.
They tumbled onto the slightly lumpy mattress and began rolling and wrestling for dominance. Linc couldn’t keep the smile off his face. He loved the struggle. Colm gave a heave and sent him sprawling onto his back at the edge of the bed.
Colm didn’t waste any time. He lunged at him. Linc grabbed Colm’s shirt and shoulder. He used the other man’s momentum to carry them both to the floor and ended up on top of his bond brother. He smiled in satisfaction as he pinned the man’s shoulders to the floor.
“This time is mine.” Linc began unbuttoning Colm’s shirt. He wanted to see and feel everything.
“And next time is mine.” Colm growled. He threaded his hand into Linc’s hair and kissed him hard. “Are we doing this on the floor?”
“Do you think the bed would survive much more?” Linc looked at the bed.
“I think if it breaks, it will give some poor patron a sturdier option and be well worth the cost of replacing it.” Colm glanced at the bed beside them significantly. “Want to give it a try?”
Linc looked at the bed and then grinned. Colm was right. It would be worth it for the pleasure and time together. Aside from that, it survived their tussle, so there was hope. He rose from the floor, but he didn’t take his eyes off Colm. He didn’t want to stop looking at him.
“You grab what we’ll need and I’ll get ready.” Colm let his eyes sweep over Linc’s body and he definitely looked hungry.
“Now don’t go getting any ideas. This time’s mine.” Linc pointed a finger at his friend, but did go get the bottle of lube from their bag.
“You can have this time, but no one said how long it would be before next time.” Colm’s voice held laughter and anticipation.
Linc turned and watched as Colm stripped out of his shirt and stepped out of his black leather pants. Linc tossed the bottle onto the covers and quickly tugged at his own clothing. He couldn’t get out of them fast enough. He wanted to be skin to skin with his lover now.
“How do you want me, Linc?” Colm stood on the side of the bed and eyed Linc speculatively.
“On your back. I want to see your face as I f*ck you.” Linc climbed onto the bed and waited as Colm lay down on his back in the middle.
“I like that. I get to see your face as well.” Colm brought a hand up to stroke along Linc’s jaw. “Then I can picture just how you’ll look as I take you.”
Linc laughed and reached down to circle Colm’s cock with his fingers. “You’re not focused enough on me. I’ll have to see what I can do about that.”
He leaned down and kissed Colm aggressively. Colm didn’t let him lead long. Their tongues dueled and played. All the while, Linc drew his hand up and down Colm’s cock. They were both breathing hard when he drew back. Linc drew in a ragged breath and tried to concentrate, but the ache in his balls was pushing away all rational thought beyond the need to f*ck.
He grabbed the bottle of lube, lifted one of Colm’s legs onto his shoulder and began preparing his lover. He worked one of his oil-slick fingers between the taut cheeks of Colm’s buttocks and drew his fingers around the muscular ring. Even though his body burned with the need to drive deep, he took his time working the oil into the tight channel. While he spread the lubricant, his hand trailed occasionally up to Colm’s balls and cock, teasing and tormenting to keep the heat high.
“You are so going to pay when it’s my turn.” Colm gritted through clenched teeth. His hips lifted as Linc’s hand pumped his cock.
“That’s supposed to make me stop? All it does is encourage me to enjoy this even more.” Linc smiled wickedly and drew his thumb over the head of Colm’s shaft, smoothing the bead of pre-cum there into the skin. He looked up and saw the strain on his friend’s face. He knew that he needed to stop teasing so much if he didn’t want Colm to come before he was inside him.
Linc moved between Colm’s thighs. He hooked his lover’s knees over his shoulders. He drew in a slow breath when his cock brushed against Colm’s buttocks. Linc was close to coming and didn’t know how long he’d be able to hold on to his control. The head of his shaft pressed at the tight ring. He clenched his jaw as Colm’s muscles slowly stretched, giving him access.
The clenching heat surrounding him felt so good. He began pumping slowly into Colm. Colm’s hips lifted into the strokes. Colm’s fingers gripped a handful of his hair and pulled him down. Sharp teeth nipped along his shoulder, drawing a hissing breath from Linc. Linc’s hips slammed down involuntarily, driving deep. Colm drew Linc closer for a fierce kiss.
His tongue drove deep and Linc felt his control slipping away with every breath. Colm used his teeth and tongue to pull away every shred of restraint. The stinging little nips along his lips and jaw sent sharp pulses straight to his balls. Colm didn’t give him a chance to even take a deep breath. His hips punched up and the flexing muscles pushed Linc right over the edge.
Linc pulled almost completely out and then drove deep. His mouth claimed Colm’s as his hips thrust forward. Colm met each stroke. His grip tightened and his body lifted. Linc could tell Colm was close. Colm stiffened and groaned. His body shook and Linc barely felt the warm semen hit his stomach. He continued to grind into Colm. His balls pulled tight, aching with the need to release. A sharp nip on his shoulder threw him over the edge. His hips ground hard against Colm as he came. The aching tightness exploded, rushing over him in a blinding rush of tingling pleasure.
He pulled back and let Colm’s legs fall to the bed before he lay down on the bed beside his lover. He let his hand rest on Colm’s stomach and just enjoyed the lingering pleasure.
“We’ll go slowly. I’m not saying I agree to your whole plan, but we’ll get to know her and see if we can help her. She does need some training for the magic inside of her now. While we’re doing that, we’ll see. Even though I don’t want to see her in someone else’s arms, I don’t know if I can get past my own problems about true mates.” Colm’s fingers tangled in Linc’s hair.
“I’m not asking you to instantly agree. Even if you did, we’d still have the problem of unmasking her without losing any trust she’s given us. That’s not going to be an easy problem to solve if we decide to do it.” Linc grimaced. Getting Colm’s cooperation was the least of his worries. In spite of his fears, Colm would realize that it was the way it was supposed to be. Eventually.
“Not easy, it will be nearly impossible.” Colm shook his head.
“I think we’re up to the challenge. If nothing else comes to us, we can try bargaining it away piece by piece.” Linc grimaced. Not that he could see that working. They didn’t have anything that she wanted that much or if they did, they didn’t know about it at this point.
They would find some way through her barriers. He wasn’t prepared to accept anything else. Once Colm stopped letting fear push at him, Colm wouldn’t tolerate it, either. The mating attraction would help them a little. He’d felt it before with Colm and knew the pull was too strong to be ignored. She might fight it, but would be drawn closer to them with each passing day. Hopefully, with that closeness, she’d learn to trust them.