Ride the Wave

27

“Kira, this is Opea, the High Priestess of the Water God,” Doran said.

Opea bowed low before me. “It is an honor to meet you, and all of the ascendants. We’ve waited so long for this day.”

“The honor is ours,” I said.

She turned to my father. “It’s good to see you again, Doran.”

“You too. How’s little Wella?”

“Walking now and a real nuisance,” Opea said with a laugh. “Please, come inside. We have food and refreshments and have prepared some rooms for you.” We stepped into a large entry room with walls the color of pale sand and shiny sea green tiles on the floor. Four handsome men waited for us, and Opea introduced us to her priests. One of them held a squirming toddler with the same round face as Opea but lighter hair, who I guessed was Wella.

Opea escorted me to a bedroom, while the priests took the men in a different direction. As soon as the door to the room opened, I gasped. Inside was a bed larger than any I had seen before, easily wide enough for me and all my mates.

“Does this meet your needs?” Opea asked.

“It does. I’ve never seen such a grand bed before. How long have you been waiting for us?”

“We’ve been ready for months now, ever since Doran informed us it was time to abandon the old temple. We weren’t sure how soon you would visit us, but we’ve been prepared.” She gave me a calm, pleasant smile. “Now please, rest and relax as much as you need. There’s a washroom attached to this room for your convenience, and I’ll have food sent up for you. Your mates are staying in rooms down the hall. The bonding room is ready for you, but there’s no rush. You’re welcome to take a few days to recover first, if you’d like. We’re quite safe down here.”

“Thank you,” I said. Rest sounded nice. I felt like I could sleep for days, but then I remember Reven’s heated kiss. “I’d prefer to do the bonding sooner than later.”

“Of course,” she said, with a knowing wink. “When you’re ready, you can proceed to the bonding room from the door in the back of the great hall.”

She bowed once and then left me alone in the large, elegant room. The same curved lines from the temple were reflected here in the furniture, and the fabrics were soft and luxurious in colors of white, gray, and aqua blue. Glittering seashells and dried starfish served as decorations, along with a fern that looked like it should be growing off the ocean floor.

I moved to the washroom, where I found a large round pool with clear blue water, which I realized was a natural spring that fed in from outside the temple. The water was cooler than I liked, but I used my fire magic to warm it up, and then stripped off my clothes and settled inside. The pool was big enough that my mates and I could all sit in it, and I allowed myself to stretch out and float on my back as the warm water melted away all the dirt and tension from traveling over the last few days.

For the first time in ages, I felt safe. No one could find us here, deep beneath the waves. I didn’t have to constantly look over my shoulder and prepare for a possible attack. The temple wasn’t in ruins or filled with death, and we didn’t have to hurry.

I only wished this peace could last.

19

Reven

A

fter washing up and changing into fresh clothes, I sought out Kira’s bedroom. I knocked sharply and she called for me to enter. When I stepped inside, I caught a glimpse of her pulling a light green robe around her body. Memories of the last time I’d seen her naked came rushing back. Her skin glistening with sweat as she was pressed between Jasin and Auric. Her soft curves as they ran their hands over her. Her full lips as they opened for me…

“Are you ready?” she asked. Her hair was still damp, making it a darker red than normal, and her face was flushed with life. She looked too damn beautiful to be real.

I’d been resistant to this bonding thing from the beginning. I hadn’t wanted to be one of Kira’s mates, or the next Azure Dragon, or the Water’s God’s chosen one. Even once I’d accepted my fate and grown to care for Kira, the idea of having s*x with her in some ritual felt so…forced. Everyone in the temple would be waiting for us to get on with it, knowing exactly what we were doing the entire time. We might as well be on display. But now that she was standing in front of me, her eyes full of hope and desire, her body naked under that robe?

I was ready.

I yanked her toward me and took her mouth, hard. She let out a little noise of surprise as my lips moved across hers and my tongue slipped inside. She melted against me immediately as we kissed, the perfect size and shape to fit against me, and my hands couldn’t help but seek out her bare skin. I tugged open her robe and gripped her hip, holding her in place as I angled her head to kiss her deeper. Gods, she tasted good. Before Kira, kissing had never been something I cared about. Now I could do it for hours and never grow tired of feeling her lips against mine.

She drew back slightly and met my eyes. “We’re supposed to do this in the bonding room.”

“I’ve never been good at following rules.”

I dragged her mouth back to mine, pulling her tight against me, so that her hard n*****s brushed against the fabric of my shirt and the bulge of my c**k pressed between her thighs. She let out a throaty hum of desire, and I ground myself against her, driving us both a little mad with need.