Page 22 of War Mage (The War Brides of Adrik #4)
Adara
I t has been a long time since I have kissed anyone, the intimacy of the act is something that generally makes me uncomfortable. But with Urim, it somehow feels right, especially in light of everything we’ve gone through. I kiss him gently, teasingly, but he doesn’t allow me to keep control of the kiss for long. With a hunger that startles me, he kisses me back, his tongue dancing with mine, fire and passion sparking in its wake.
This is no practiced game of pleasure. This is hunger and desperation for touch, for intimacy. His sibilance spills forth, igniting sensation across my skin. My hands come up to the stays of my kirtle, undoing the sturdy ribbons with clumsy, eager fingers. I want to feel my skin against his. His arms come around me, helping me undress with sure, deft hands. The bond is alive with feeling, that normal calm that he projects nowhere to be found. Lust and deep possession flows into me, the burgeoning emotion of love. Everything that he’s been feeling and keeping from me bursts forward like a dam breaking. It almost scares me in its intensity, but I find that my feelings answer his, more than I would have suspected.
I . . . I . . . respect this orc. Care for him. Maybe something deeper. One doesn’t go through the crucible that we have, bound together as we are, without developing some feelings. Normally, I might be afraid of these emotions, the speed with which they’ve developed, and who they’ve developed for, but life is short. We may die in scant days’ time, our future uncertain. It makes sense to grab onto what makes me feel alive and hold on to it with both hands.
My clothes are thrown to the floor, my naked skin pressed against his bare chest. He winces and I pull back. I forgot about his brands, even though they are looking more healed than they were. “I’m sorry,” I say, chagrined.
“No apologies,” Urim growls back, his normal emotionless demeanor completely gone. He drags me back to him, his lips devouring mine again, though I keep a hairsbreadth of distance between us to avoid hurting him again.
Suddenly Urim stands, his strong hands under my rump, lifting me easily with him. He carries me to the far wall and presses me up against it, my body sandwiched between him and the cool stone wall.
“I cannot wait for you, hellion,” he rumbles. “So you’ll take my cock like a good female, won’t you? And tell me how much you like it.”
I gasp at his words, feeling myself getting wetter. Who is this orc and what has he done with Urim? But I like this primal side of him, stripped away of his emotionless training, leaving just the unfettered truth between us. His hand spanks my thigh, surprising me and I moan.
“How do you reply to me, hellion?” he asks.
“Yes, commander,” I breathe out. “I’ll take you like a good female.”
“Good,” he purrs, his thrum strong, before taking my lips again. I hear the clank of his belt as he drops his trousers, freeing his hardness between us. He notches himself at my entrance and thrusts up in one brutal movement, seating himself in me entirely. I choke out a cry, but it’s smothered by his kiss. Then he moves away from my lips and kisses down my neck.
“Good female,” he croons, soothing me against the sudden intrusion. One of his hands comes up and starts tracing lightly round my left nipple, sending little shocks of pleasure coursing through my system. “You take my cock so well. But you want more, don’t you?”
“Yes, commander,” I breathe out, moving my hips, eager to feel him in me. But he grabs my hips, stilling my actions.
“This is my pussy,” he says sternly, some vestiges of his stoicism coming back. “I will take it how I want and you’ll take it, won’t you? Or are you going to be a hellion?”
The words are a challenge and at that moment I want to answer him. Very deliberately I start bucking my hips again, moving him within me. The friction is delicious, but the little narrowing of his eyes and the promise within them are even more so.
Without warning he steps away from the wall, leaving me for a moment without support, and I think he’s going to drop me. But instead, he expertly swings me around so that I’m facing the wall and he’s taking me from behind. Then, without a word, he surges forward again and at the same time brings his hand down on my flank in a stinging rebuke.
“Do not come without my permission,” he reminds me darkly, before picking up his rhythm. His cock within me vibrates with the force of his sibilance and I cry out in pleasure as my orgasm builds. He spanks me again, that little bit of pain heightening my pleasure and I groan, squeezing down on his cock.
“How am I supposed to keep from coming when it feels so good?” I moan.
“You’ll do it or you’ll be punished,” he promises, his words a delicious threat. Then his hand comes down on my rump again.
Over and over he drives into me, occasionally spanking me, keeping me guessing. My climax builds with brutal force, but I try to hold onto it. Still, somewhere in the back of my mind, I wonder what his punishment will be and anticipation grows. My desire to behave wars with my desire to rebel and my climax steadily climbs higher, almost reaching its peak.
“Can I come, commander?” I whine out breathlessly.
“No,” he growls coldly. “Hold on until I say.”
But then the bastard increases his pace, pounding into me mercilessly. And gods, the decision goes out of my hands because I come without realizing it. My back bows with the force of my orgasm, my channel bearing down on his cock and I cry out.
“Naughty hellion,” he says, though he doesn’t sound too angry. “Now you’ll take your punishment like a good female and prove that you can behave.”
I’m about to choke out a sassy retort when his thrum increases, making my words choke off and his hips still drive into me with that merciless rhythm. I come again. Then again. Then again. Soon it’s too much.
“Please!” I gasp out. “I just came! I need to rest!”
“Since you like coming so much, you’ll come as many times as I want you to, until you’ve learned your lesson,” Urim tells me, not stopping his rhythm.
I cry out as another climax rolls through me. It’s too much and tears start rolling down my face. “Please! Rest!”
“If it ever becomes too much, hellion, just remember; you can make it all stop by saying ‘surrender,’” Urim reminds me.
I shake my head desperately, even as I come again. “Never!”
“Then take your punishment, hellion,” the orc says. “You’ll stop coming when I’m finished.”
Soon I’m just a ball of nerve endings, unaware of myself. I can’t stop coming as he thrums and pushes into me. At one point I think he lifts me so that my back is leaning against his chest and pistons up into me, his hand snaking around to my front and teases around my clit. It’s too much and I sob out as another climax takes me. I’m not even sure how many times I climax and I think I even black out for a moment from the pleasure-pain of it all, because before I know it, I’m laying on one of the cots, Urim behind me, spooning me. His cock is out of me and his hands are stroking up and down my arms and sides, more soothing than arousing. His touch helps me center myself, even as my still throbbing pussy winds down.
Urim kisses my neck and temples, murmuring praises. “You did so well, Adara. Such a good female. Took your punishment so well. You were perfect, sweet girl.”
An involuntary smile grows on my face and I lay my head back on his shoulder, accepting his praises and care as I come down from the intense sensation of being made to come so many times.
“You have remade me,” Urim is saying, kissing my hair. “With your passion and fire. You are the mate of my spirit.”
I sigh in contentment at his words. “Did I do well then?”
“You were everything I could have ever dreamed of and been too afraid to have,” he says, stroking my arm again. “A mix of angel and hellion, just right for me.”
Suddenly the warm feelings of the bond are soured with a feeling of apprehension and fear.
“What is it?” I ask, turning in his arms so that I am facing him. “What’s wrong?”
“I . . .” he begins before trailing off. He starts again, “. . . I am afraid of losing you. Of what is coming. Of facing Grazrath. I have never been this afraid on a mission before. Part of me wishes to spirit you away to safety, even as I know that that would doom the whole world. My duty wars with my heart and I’ve never experienced that before.”
I stretch up my face to kiss his lips softly, comfortingly. “I must carry out this mission, Urim,” I say. “Not only to save the world, but for the freedom of my friends at the Mage’s Tower. My life is not worth the expense of so many lives.”
“It is to me,” Urim replies solemnly. “If I could, I would allow a hundred worlds to burn to keep you safe.”
“But it is not up to you,” I say firmly. “It is my decision and being your mate doesn’t change that. For all the gods’ sakes, that is why we became mates in the first place.”
“Do you not feel that things have changed?” Urim asks, still serious.
I shake my head. “Not enough to risk being selfish and allowing a demon to destroy the world and the mages of the Tower to stay little more than indentured servants to the Crown that never gave a damn about them. You are an orc, with your vaunted ideals of freedom and personal choice. Shouldn’t my brothers and sisters have the same rights as you?”
Urim looks at me gravely and I can feel his sorrow in the bond.
“Hey,” I say soothingly. “You’re acting like it’s a sure thing that I’ll die. We need to plan for success, remember? Luck and preparation. You taught me that.”
The orc closes his eyes and shakes his head ruefully. “You are right, Adara. But I do not know what to do with this fear. It is new to me. I have never wanted to put anything before a mission before.”
I kiss his lips again, a little longer this time. “Thank you for worrying about me. But it’ll be alright. I have better ideas of what we can do with our time than worrying about a future we can’t change.”
“Oh?” Urim asks, his eyes darkening and his hands stilling on my body. “What did you have in mind?”
“Oh, a few things,” I say, smiling impishly. “But we’ll need my manacles.”