The First Spell Weaver of Airendell: Book Two of the Airendell Chronicles (29 page)

Morna drops out of the tree onto its back.  She grabs its snout in her hands, and clamps the mouth shut with one hand, and stuns the massive, thrashing creature with a backhand blow to the head.  She impulsively grabs the bristly fur at its neck and rips it away to expose the flesh there.  She bites and removes a large chunk of flesh and then starts sucking the blood as the terrified animal’s heart rapidly pumps it out through the artery she severed.  The taste is not as unpleasant as she expected.  In fact, she relishes the salty, iron-like flavor.  All too soon she has drained it completely, and still wants more.  She wipes her mouth and looks around, sniffing the air for more prey.

She feels movement behind her and turns in a defensive crouch and hisses lowly.  Suddenly, the tension leaves her body, it is Luca that she detects approaching her.  Now she is torn, she wants to hunt again, but her desire to be with her mate is even stronger.  Her thirst is thoroughly slaked.  The desire to hunt again is born out of excitement and not need, so she dismisses it easily, and seeks out her mate instead.  She feels another kind of need.  A much more familiar need rising in her body.  She sprints toward her mate joyfully.

As she glides through the brush towards him, she sees that he has assumed a semi-defensive posture.  Morna pulls herself up short and chuckles.  She can smell the blood of the stag he fed upon, and it causes her excitement to rise even more.  The pair of lovers are about twenty five feet from each other when she whispers, “Love, would you think that I am a total beast if I admitted that right now I want you, as a man.  Right here?”

He has her in his arms in a split second.  He is kissing her passionately and growling very low in his throat.  “Keep that damn iron-lion spell on your body, woman!”  He pulls her top off quickly and shreds the bra with his teeth.  He takes a breast into his mouth and nips it none too gently with his venomous teeth.  Morna is disappointed that the barrier of the spell prevents her from feeling the effects of the nip.  She growls softly and then decides to get rid of the rest of her clothes.  She pushes him back roughly and quickly kicks her shoes off and undoes her jeans simultaneously.

Luca follows her lead and quickly removes his own clothing and then takes her into his arms again, and nips her shoulder.  His passion for her has never been stronger, or more animalistic.  She kisses him again, roughly and pulls him down to the ground with her.  He quickly enters her and she moans as her first orgasm rips through her overly excited body.  Luca growls, “Good girl!”  Then he continues to seek his own release.  They quickly achieve their mutual climax and cling to each other fiercely as the violent waves of ecstasy wash over their bodies.               

The lovers continue to hold each other tightly, and share caresses as Morna’s breathing and heart rate gradually return to normal.  Luca suddenly chuckles and says, “Baby, please tell me you didn’t drop the iron-lion.”

“No, I told you I wouldn’t take chances with our son.”  Morna says somewhat crossly.  “Why would you even ask?”

Luca laughs again and says, “We are lying in poison ivy.  If I recall correctly, you are very allergic to it.”

Morna jumps up quickly and sends Luca tumbling off of her in the process.  “Oh hell!” she wails unhappily.

Luca laughs at her reaction and says, “The spell will protect you until you can wash it off.  But I should go get you some different clothes to wear home.  There is a small lake over that rise, you can wash off there.”  By now he is nearly dressed again.  He walks over to her and takes her into his arms.  He kisses her passionately, and reaches down to cup her buttocks as he roughly pulls her into him.  “Damn woman, you are amazing!  Let’s get you to that lake while I go find you some clothes.  Or I will have you back in the poison ivy to have my way with you again.”  He laughs happily.

Morna giggles as he scoops her up into his arms and carries her to the lake.  He sets her down at the water’s edge and kisses her again.  “I’ll be right back.  Go enjoy a swim.”  He swats her rump playfully and disappears. 

Morna stands frozen in place for a few seconds, and then muses, “Damn, did we really just do that?”  She starts as she hears a low rumble of laughter from a copse of mighty oaks on the other side of the small lake.  She immediately assumes a defensive posture, even though she recognizes the laughter.

“It‘s just me, Baby Girl.”  Thunders Thor.  “I was heading to the lake for a swim when I heard you two.  I started to turn around and go back, but it sounded like you were wrapping it up, so I waited.”

Morna quickly dives into the water, seeking cover for her nakedness.  “I can’t believe I didn’t know you were there.” Morna admits as she recalls how distracted she was.

Thor laughs thunderously again.  “Morna, the four horsemen of the Apocalypse could have descended on you and you would not have known.  Besides, I was upwind of you, and I am perfectly capable of being silent in the woods.  I was surprised that you were here though.  I thought you would be home tonight with your family.”  Morna has swam out into the middle of the lake by now and Thor has reached the water’s edge where he sits on a rock.

“Well it seems I have new nutritional needs with this pregnancy.” Morna admits reluctantly.  “I came here to hunt.”

“Hunting?  Like Luca hunts you mean?” Thor asks thoughtfully.  “I guess that explains that mating I overheard.  I have heard that vampires who hunt in pairs of males and females tend to get excited and their instincts lead to mating afterwards.  Interesting.”

“I guess interesting might cover it,” Morna chuckles.  “Why are you out here tonight?”

“I often come here to swim at night.”  Thor admits.  “I enjoy the solitude.”

“I am sorry we interrupted your solitude then.” Morna says self-consciously.  “We thought Heimdall had called everyone out of the park.”

“I am sure that he did.  But I wasn’t here when he did it, so I didn’t know the park was occupied tonight.” Thor says.  “Can I ask a personal question?”

“Sure, but I can’t guarantee that I will answer,” laughs Morna as she continues to swim.

“What was it like?  Hunting that way, I mean.”

“It’s all instinct.  There was very little conscious thought involved.  It certainly served a purpose.  I feel physically stronger than I ever have.  And that insane craving is finally gone, for now at least.”  Morna says thoughtfully.

“How are you taking this, uh, new development?”  Thor asks, genuinely curious.

“If my child needs blood to be strong, he will get blood.  I didn’t like feeling like I wanted to feed on my own godson though.  I will have to be very careful not to let the craving, the thirst get that strong again though.”  Morna admits.  “It has really opened my eyes to what my mate has had to endure on my behalf for centuries.”

Thor laughs thunderously and says, “That man would wade through the pits of Niflheim for you Morna, you know that.”

“I do Thor.  But it saddens me to know what kind of pain I have inflicted on him for all those years.  He has always found the scent of my blood particularly appealing.  I am grateful that since my change I don’t affect him that way as badly.  I still appeal to him in that way, but he says it is not nearly as strong as it was before I was exposed to his venom.” Morna admits openly.  “I am not sure any woman has ever deserved that kind of devotion.”

“Your mate is a rare man indeed.  But you are a rare woman, you deserve such a man.  Don’t ever doubt that, Baby Girl.”  Thor says confidently.

“Speaking of the man in question, I hear him returning with some clothes for me.  I got into some poison ivy.  I needed clean clothes before I could drop the iron-lion spell.”  Morna admits.

Thor laughs uproariously again.  “The mighty demigoddess, and vampire is susceptible to a tiny plant?”

“Yes, I am.”  Morna says laughing at the absurdity of it.  “That rash itches like crazy too.  I assume I would still be allergic to it, and I would definitely want to avoid it.”

“I understand, I got in that stuff once myself.  Nasty little plant!” Chuckles Thor.

Just then Luca arrives with Morna’s clothes.  Thor greets Luca happily.  “I have been chatting with your mate,” Thor informs him.  “How are you taking this newest development of hers?”

“We are both willing to do whatever is necessary to keep our child and Morna healthy.”  Luca says calmly.  “I was sure it was you that I sensed before I left.  I hope we didn’t interfere with your activities.  Do you come out often to the park at night to swim? 

“I like the solitude the park normally offers this time of night.  But no, you did not interfere with my evening.  I will take my swim after you two leave.  I have enjoyed this quiet time with Baby Girl.  I heard you two are leaving tomorrow for Chicago and then Airendell to wrap up Weaver business.  Do you plan to come back before she gives birth?  We would all be overjoyed if the blessed event took place here in Asgard.”  Thor says conversationally.

“We plan to renew our wedding vows on our anniversary in Airendell, and then return here.  Morna plans to train Aideen to be a Warrior of Airendell and Protector of the Gateways.  I plan to start training Kyle in Spell Weaver lore, in preparation for his ascension.”  Luca says.  Then he adds softly, “Would you mind turning around so Morna can come out of that lake.  She is doing a remarkable job not letting her teeth chatter, but she is getting cold.”

Thor laughs uproariously and says, “Sorry, I forget about ‘human’ modesty.  I have trained and fought beside Morna so many times, and there is no modesty in that setting.  I don’t see her that way, and I forgot she might be modest around me in this particular setting.”

Luca chuckles, “Yes, I know what you mean.  She doesn’t see herself as a woman when she is in her warrior persona.  But tonight, she is just my mate who has been washing poison ivy off her skin.”

Thor turns around and Morna walks slowly out of the lake.  Luca is overwhelmed with wanting her.  And wishes mightily that Thor hadn’t come to the park tonight.  He wraps her in the towel he brought for that purpose and whispers, “Have you kept the spell on?”  She nods and he says, “Good, because the sap is still on my clothes.  I think you should maintain the spell until we have both bathed and burned the clothing.”  Morna nods again and steps away to dry off and dress.  She too wishes Thor wasn’t here right now.  When Luca hands her the clothes he brought her, he apologizes quietly.  “I should have went back to get some of your own clothing, but I was eager to get back to you.  I am afraid, however, that this dress might be a little snug on you.” 

Morna chuckles after she dons the dress and looks down at herself.  The dress is a deep gold colored silk affair with a halter top and narrow skirt.  Her breasts are pushing out of the material of the halter top and her rounded belly and beautiful hips are clearly revealed by the clingy fabric of the short, narrow skirt.  The moonlight shimmers off the golden silk and emphasizes her contours and curves even more.  Luca groans quietly and leans down and whispers in his mate’s ear, “We should excuse ourselves and go home quickly.”  Morna gulps when she sees the desire in her mate’s eyes as he nods silently.

“I’m decent Thor.  You can turn around.”  Morna calls softly.

Thor turns around and chuckles, “Not exactly decent, girl!  But you are lovely.  Lucian, you are a lucky man indeed.  My sister is ravishing!  You two should scoot along, I am sure you have other things you would rather do than chat with the god of thunder tonight.  And I would really like to get to my swim and go see if my mate has returned to Asgard.”  Having said that Thor stands and quickly drops his breech cloth before diving into the water.

Morna turns with a blush on her cheeks and takes her mate’s hand and starts running through the woods.  She had seen Thor unclothed many times before but she had never noticed what a beautiful man he is.  “My hormones are running amuck with me!” she muses to herself as they run.  But her attention is instantly consumed by the beautiful man that is running alongside of her and she eagerly picks up speed as they clear the park and head for their home.

Luca chuckles as he processes the changes in her heart rate and respirations.  He too muses about her overly active hormones, and can’t wait until they are both bathed and back in the privacy of their suite.

When they arrive home they stealthily slip into their suite and head for the bathroom.  Luca starts the shower and disrobes quickly.  Morna is standing a few feet away watching with a look on her face that he knows well from centuries as her mate.  He comes to her and takes her into his arms.  “Thor was right, you are indeed lovely.” Luca breathes into her hair as he runs his hands along her silk clad curves. 

He holds her out at arm’s length and drinks in her curves, her prominent breasts with the erect nipples straining against the silk.  The rounded belly and curvaceous hips.  He moves his hands to her backside and firmly grips her fleshy buttocks as he pulls her body snugly against his own.  He growls softly as the animalistic excitement he experienced while mating with her in the woods returns.  “Woman, you drive me wild!”  He reluctantly releases his grip on her butt as he slides his hands up to untie the dress at her neck, and slowly shimmies the silk garment down her body.  He growls again and nips her hip and then buries his face between her legs.

Now it is Morna’s turn to growl.  She entwines her hands in his hair and tries to pull his face back.  “Luca, please let’s wash off so I can drop this damned spell and really feel what you are doing to me!” She wails impassionedly.  Luca looks up and meets her eyes and sees the plea clearly there, and her own raw need that equally matches his own.