Enlightened (Love and Light Series) (30 page)

“No.” She stopped him with a gentle hand on his stomach.

His heated eyes wavered—tender and exposed. He eased back as she gathered her legs under her.

 “Lay down,” she whispered. He raised one eyebrow and she laughed. He didn’t say anything, didn’t need to do anything but smile that heart-breaking smile. As he complied with her command, he watched her with precarious eyes. Kneeling beside him, her round, bare backside resting on her heels, her eyes wandered over his thighs to his groin that twitched at her attention. Anticipation, trepidation, and that damn hope in her heart, she traced a finger along a scar from his thigh to just below his rib cage. When she found his eyes again, she held her breath at the wonder in them. In one liquid movement, her backside rose from her heels and a knee swept across his waist.

He cupped her hips with warm hands as she settled her sex on top of his. Closing his eyes, he moved against her, holding her still. She moaned, her chin dropping to her chest as she caught her breath, trying not to lose herself. To keep her head above the waves, she focused on the glide of his warm skin under her palms as she slid her hands over his arms. Pausing, she rolled her hips to the side in half a figure eight. His lips parted. She finished the move, and he groaned. There were no thoughts in his head, but she felt him holding onto what she wanted
.
She leaned down, her lips brushing his nipple.

Please.

His eyes widened, and his hands climbed her ribs until his palms held the soft mounds of her, thumbs rolling peaked nipples. She arched her neck, her open mouth surrendering sighs. He held her in a determined and unshakeable way as he sat up. Lifting her knees to balance herself as he moved, her feet slid around and under his backside. He wrapped himself around her, holding her, claiming her, needing her . . .

That.

Under the lust, under his careful control, she found what she was looking for. He turned his eyes away as his chin slid down her chest, kissing a line between her breasts. Her eyes fluttered as she lifted her head, panting; her soft belly quivered against his firm one.

“I can’t get close enough to you,” he whispered. His mouth found a nipple, and he took his time rolling it around his tongue, drawing gently. Sliding his hands back down to her hips, he ground himself against her swollen lips.

“Wolf,” she moaned, dropping her cheek to the top of his head.

“You are completely mine,” he breathed. Not what he really wanted to say, she knew. She could feel it.

Please.

He pressed his thighs against her back, bracing himself as he lifted her hips at the same time, his shaft sliding against everything. Squeezing her hip bones tighter and lowering her onto him, he slid exquisitely inside, inch by inch until she thought he was as far as he could go. As he relaxed his grip, however, she gasped as he pressed against the deepest places. She put her arms around his neck and lifted up, her belly clenching. When she lowered herself down, just as deliberately, he shuddered.

“Loti,” he murmured. “Faster.”

“No,” she exhaled. Everything touched. Everything warm. Everything wet. Everything full. She moved so slow, she almost couldn’t stand it herself. He held her so close her ribs ached.

Let me feel it, Wolf.

He growled into her chest, letting her draw it out—her legs trembling with each slow lift, each careful push. Her soul and body trembled together, and she closed her eyes against the crash of the wave—
I love you. I love you. I love you.

How it could be, she didn’t know. One shuddering sob escaped her throat. He held her tighter, tighter against the building pressure. Warm love spilled over her as the orgasm rolled through them.
He
couldn’t say it, couldn’t even think, but he could feel it.

“We need to find him.” Calisto sat across from Katie, tapping his fingers on the table. Margarite covered his hand with hers, and he glanced up at her with a small, grateful smile.

“Yes. I still don’t think he’s behind this. At least he’s not a willing participant, Calisto.” Katie stood up. “I wish we’d been able to break through that Faraday cage. I know we’re missing something. I just don’t know what.” She cleared the glasses from her kitchen table with a practiced sweep as Margarite helped her load the dishwasher.

“Katie, I know you don’t want to believe—” The gray-haired man at the table started.

“Richard, I’m warning you. Just drop it.” Glass clanked against glass. “Until I have irrefutable proof, I do not believe Patrick would hurt Loti. He’s known her as long as I have, loves her like a granddaughter.” Katie slammed the dishwasher shut.

Richard averted his eyes as he stood up, a proud tilt to his chin. “Well, I’m heading home. We’re going to need every ounce of our energy before this is all said and done.” Richard walked stiffly in his wide-wale cords to the foyer, gathering his jacket and fedora.

“Richard, I’m sorry,” Katie trotted after him, one hand twisting her earring.

“We need to get back, Margarite. Loti and Wolf should be there.”

“You’re dying to know what’s happened with them.” Margarite came up behind him and kissed his cheek as she slipped a hand down the front of his shirt. He grabbed it.

“Yes, I am, love. Do you know what this could mean?” He floated out of the chair.

“Yes.” Her whisper spoke of hope and fear.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Loti settled into her camp chair, agitated feet rocking her back and forth. Mitch had made a celebratory gift of the chair, presenting it like an award while most of the tribe gathered around. A few were out looking for some plant that would just be starting to grow because for some reason Loti didn’t understand, it was best when gathered at night. Wolf sat next to her on the ground, staring into the fire, worry buzzing in her solar plexus. She stroked his arm, and he gave her half of a smile.

Stop.

“Help!” A woman’s shrill scream penetrated the forest. “Somebody help us! Oh god! Help!” Wolf leapt out of his chair and streaked away, Guided and several tribesmen ran after him. Loti scrambled to her feet, Mitch beside her.

“Who was that?” Loti asked Mitch as they jogged through the woods together.

“Peacepipe.” And Mitch picked up her pace.

Professor’s partner. The wide, well-used path led them to a crashing waterfall. Peacepipe knelt by a small boy on the ground by the boulders at the edge of the water. Loti pushed through the men to where Wolf and Hammer squatted by the child. His prana gathered in his head.

“No, no, no, no,” Peacepipe whined, reaching out to touch her son.

“Don’t touch his head, Peacepipe,” Wolf murmured.

She clutched her helpless hands against her throat and rocked. Guided put an arm around Professor, who squatted on jumpy toes. Loti knelt beside Wolf.

“His prana,” she whispered in his ear.

He closed his eyes, so he could see what she saw.

“Hold his energy.” Fiamette’s voice startled Loti.

“How?”

“Here, like this.” She grabbed Loti’s hand, and Loti felt like she was falling as a candlelit room surrounded them. Fiamette, dressed in a full skirt, held an old man’s head in her lap. His energy caught in Fiamette’s mind, and when Loti blinked, she was back by the roaring waterfall.

“Just do it,” Fiamette barked.

Loti shoved herself between Guided and Wolf to the boys head, drawing it into her lap.

“Loti, don’t. His neck could be broken.” Guided squeezed her arm.

“It’s not, but his skull is.” Warm blood soaked her jeans as she settled his head in her lap. His broken skull shifted under her trembling hands as she took a deep breath and pushed. With a meaty slide, the bone clicked into place. His prana coalesced in his head. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on shutting the door so his life force couldn’t leave. It wasn’t hard, just awkward, like writing with the wrong hand.

“What are you doing?” Peacepipe’s voice shook.

“I’m keeping his soul in his body until we can figure out what to do.”

“Loti,” Wolf was behind her.

“Hold me, Wolf,” she said. She didn’t know how she knew, but she felt it was very important.

As soon as his arms were around her, her spine vibrated like an unbalanced washing machine. Holding onto the boy’s prana with all her might, she gritted her teeth, and she and Wolf lit up like an incandescent spotlight from the inside out. The crowd gasped.

Loti couldn’t see. Wolf’s presence engulfed her—his heart, his mind, his soul touching every part of her. Stunned by the rawness, she forgot what they were doing. They vibrated in harmony, one moving the other into a newer, stronger entrainment where there were no thoughts, no images, just a naked revelation. Something pure and good poured through their heart center, down her arms, and out of her hands. It soaked into the boy, filling him from the inside out. His skull knitted back together, the broken capillaries and damaged brain tissue repairing themselves. Her body shuddered with the unbearable voltage and her teeth chattered, but as long as Wolf held on, she thought she could take it. The light whooshed out of her and Wolf, bleaching the boy’s doll-face, and her body hummed with relief. For a moment he glowed phosphorescent, and then the light shrank away from the surface until it winked out. The boy stirred in her lap.

“Momma?” he whimpered.

“Buddy? Oh, my god, Buddy?” Peacepipe held her face too close to his, squeezing his cheeks between her hands.

His eyes fluttered open, and he blinked rapidly at his mother. “What happened?”

“You fell, little lion man, you fell,” she sobbed, her voice shaking with relief.

“Hey, guy.” Professor looked at Loti with grateful eyes, his goatee soaked with tears. “Thank you.”

Loti’s chest trembled. “You’re welcome,” she whispered.

“Hold on a second, Prof,” Wolf said softly. He reached around Loti to touch Buddy’s head.

Buddy looked up at Loti with a grave face. “Can I get up?”

“Not yet. Let’s make sure you’re all in one piece.” Wolf smiled, his deft hands examined Buddy’s head as he took note of Loti’s blood-drenched jeans.

“He looks okay. Feels okay.” He looked around at Hammer. “What do you think?”

Hammer hunkered down and slid his hands over Buddy’s crew cut, feeling and looking. He closed his eyes, concentrating. “Loti, what do you see?”

His prana flowed steadily and everything felt right, although the colors were a little dull. “I think he’s lost a lot of blood and needs a transfusion, or anything you can do healer-wise to build his blood.”

“We can build his blood, but it takes time.” He rubbed his chin. “But I think you and Wolf could take care of it much quicker.”

Loti hesitated, staring at Hammer with uneasy eyes, and then nodded through the fog of fear. Wolf’s chin rested on her shoulder, and he raised an eyebrow, but no thoughts or words passed between them, just a resigned resolve.

“We’ll try.” She wrapped her hands around Buddy’s head, and he rolled his eyes up, trying to look at her.

“Relax,” Wolf said with an attempt at cheery that sort of worked.

 “I’ve got you. It’s okay.” Peacepipe held his hand between both of hers, kissing it.

“Okay, mom.” He pursed his lips. “Would you, uh, stop kissing me?” The crowd chuckled.

Prof held up his three middle fingers, holding the pinky down with his thumb, like some sort of boy scout thing. Buddy’s face broke out in a beautiful smile as Prof poked his son’s arm with the three fingers. Buddy made the same gesture, and the two grinned like silly monkeys.

Loti didn’t know where to focus.
How did you build someone’s blood?

“The heart or the bones—the marrow,” Wolf said.

She tensed as Wolf folded his arms around her waist and tucked her between his knees. Even under the humming contentment of his presence, she couldn’t help bristling at the naked rawness of it. The glow bloomed slowly and more controlled this time. The vibrations didn’t rattle her bones, but she had to consciously avoid steeling herself against the merger. Beyond thought, beyond feeling, this new aberration of their bond shook their carefully crafted truce. As they came together, love and light slid from her hands into the boy, flowing to his green heart center and threading through the meridians to the center of his bones.