Page 38 of Magic Claimed
“It was the golden ball inside me. I saw it when…” I cleared my throat, seeing no reason not to tell him. I didn’t know how much more my cheeks could heat, but I was sure they were bright red. “When…touched me…like that… all of this power zipped into me from the golden ball of magic locked inside me. I tried to free it, but it’s stuck.”
Alerick rubbed his chin. The stubble made a rasping sound while he thought. “It sounds like the ancient magic Anise sensed in you. It’s true when she said that it’s the magic of our bond that will free it, if your reaction is anything to go by.” He levelled a look at me, seriousness replacing the humor, although his gaze was no less warm. “Like it or not, Little Mate. We need each other for the sake of this magic. I can see you don’t believe me. It will give us more opportunity to persuade you and if it will be as amusing and fulfilling as it is this morning, it’s a challenge I look forward to. Now I’ll leave you in Eike’s most impressive hands and return with your breakfast and Anise to begin your training. Relax while you can now, Little Mate. You have more work to do now we know what’s possible.”
Alerick wanted the magic, not me, climaxes and flattery aside. He stood, cupped my cheek and pressed a kiss to my forehead before he exited the bathing room and I was left alone with Eike. Two could play at this game. Alerick wasn’t the only person to want this magic. This magic was the key to my freedom. I’d work with them. I’d train with Anise and then when I got this collar off, I would go. I’d leave them and run and never look back.
Eike’s fingers brushed the collar. I stilled, and every sense locked where his fingers touched me. “Does this hurt?”
“Only when Esoti tightens it.” I licked my lips. “I can’t remember a day when it wasn’t around my neck. I remember the day he first tightened it. I was eight.”
Eike sucked in a breath and his finger trembled. “What happened?”
I shrugged as though I didn’t care, whilst the storm inside me raged. I licked dry lips. “I brought him the wrong cup. He didn’t want the red glass. He wanted the blue. Somehow I should have known that.”
A silence that was filled with thick intent filled the air. “I’ll kill him,” Eike snarled, his words infused with a low growl that made my heart skip.
“Get in line.” A day didn’t go past when I didn’t fantasize about Esoti’s death in the most gruesome of ways, adding to my helpless frustration because I knew it would never happen. He would torture me until the end of my days and he would go on living while he had the pleasure of making my life a living hell.
Darkness settled around my heart. Whatever happened to me with the wolves would not change a thing, no matter how angry it made them. It would only make them dead when Esoti killed them.
“I can feel the wheels turning in your mind, Serafine. Relax and let me show you what it is like to be touched gently,” Eike said. “Scoot forward and tilt your head back.
I tensed, wondering what he was doing behind my back when he dipped a jug into the water and wet my hair before he massaged a sweet smelling soap through my tangled strands. He cleaned my hair many times, washing the dirt and grime away. Then he worked in another substance and massaged my scalp with sure, tender swirls. My mind stuttered to a halt with a touch that seeped into my bones.
His fingers felt so good. As good as Alerick’s had, but now in a different, non-sexual way. I wondered how many types of touches there were to be experienced.
The scrape of a comb along my scalp sent a shiver through my body. Eike worked the snags and tangles out until there was nothing more than the smooth glide of the comb from the top of my head to the ends of my strands half way down my back. My hair had never felt softer or more luxurious. I couldn’t help my deep sigh when he stroked my clean hair, his knuckles tickling my bare back.
“Like moonlight,” Eike said.
The sudden sound of his voice woke me up from my state of semi-sleep. I jolted, giving myself a mental shake. “My hair has never been so clean. Thank you.”
“There is nothing to thank. It gives me pleasure to touch you like this,” Eike said.
I scoffed. “You’d be the only one.” And Alerick, if I was honest. If Jarom was my mate, he had yet to touch me again after that one, disastrous touch days ago in the forest. He was probably dreading it.
Eike rubbed sweet-smelling soap onto a soft cloth and rubbed my arm, leaving a trail of white, bubbly lather. “The three of us will always want to touch you.”
I was used to no touch. Having three men who wanted to touch me was too much. “I can do that.”
I moved to take the cloth from his hand, but he moved it out of my reach, cleaning my back with long, languid strokes before bringing me against him.
I slipped into the part of his thighs thanks to the amount of soap in the water and he held me against him. The hard length of his shaft hadn’t relaxed after washing my hair. “Relax Serafine. I know you can clean yourself, but it’s my pleasure to do this for you.”
“Against my will,” I said, ignoring the slither of unease that slipped through me. I shouldn’t care that I hurt his feelings. I really shouldn’t.
“You’ll soon see that you’re wrong. You’re our mate. It’s a privilege to touch you,” Eike said.
“You’re a golden-tongued liar. Nobody wants to touch me.” I tried to ignore the smooth glide of the cloth along my arms. Eike slid the cloth from my shoulder to my fingers. One arm and then the other before gliding it across my neck and collarbone.
“I would touch you all day and night if you let me.” The cloth dipped lower, swirling around my breasts and damn it my nipples beaded into tight buds as a thrill shot from them to my swelling core. I’d already climaxed twice, and my body was priming for another release.
“You’ll change your mind. Everyone does.” My eyelids slid half way closed as I lost myself in his skillful caresses.
“I will never change my mind.” He sounded so fierce I almost believed him. If it wasn’t for the magic they ultimately wanted from me, I might almost think he was being truthful, but I wasn’t that stupid.
Time to work on their weakest link. “And what of Jarom? He’s yet to want to touch me. I disgust him.”
Eike chuckled as he worked the cloth across my stomach, hips and outer thighs. My core tingled, my legs parting of their own accord for him to touch me where I wanted him to, but he continued down my leg to clean my foot and between my toes before moving to the other leg. The only part of my body left for him to clean was my most intimate of places.
