Gift (Enchanted Ardor #2)

Chapter Twenty-One

Olivia brought the last of her baskets to the cart.

Sweat beaded on her forehead as she gripped the edge of the cart to catch her breath, body trembling. Each day she awoke feeling weaker.

Still, she was determined to be of service while she was in this realm.

They’d set out to work in the last pocket of the grove needing care.

All day everyone worked until Sleipnir decided it was time.

On alert, they were also watchful for Dolph’s return. No one knew where he’d disappeared to and she could no longer sense his presence, as she and Gena had together.

Not knowing his location kept her on edge.

What will he do? Anything?

All day her thoughts bounced between worries over Dolph and heartache over Nick.

These last days with him felt like none she’d ever experienced in her life.

And yet he made it clear she didn’t belong here.

The weakness in her body confirmed it.

But her heart didn’t hurt any less.

Nick belonged here.

She belonged in her lonely Ottawa apartment, job searching and spending Sunday nights on the phone with Gena while she had her bath.

Olivia loved her best friend, and Gena needed her.

But the ache persisted. Her heart beat Nick’s name.

Drawing a deep breath, she returned her thoughts to the king of horses.

The Portal Master.

Sleipnir was the key, the one to determine the absolute timing.

Olivia was determined to set aside her fear of the great magical warhorse, with his wicked hooves and intimidating teeth. He was her only way home, now that she’d sent Gena back through the communication portal.

He could still bite or crush me…

I could call Gena back… somehow?

She dismissed the thought and returned her attention to the cart.

There weren’t any other baskets, and nothing else to gather seedlings into.

Extracting a flask of water, she turned, listening for the thud of Nick’s ax, then started toward the direction of the sound.

She found him working at the base of an ancient oak, surrounded by a vast ring of saplings. The Aurora Borealis was strong above the saplings, a wall of light in the sky around the grove, anchored to the bright seeds filling their lush branches. Despite its thinned crown, the oak still stood, testament to its sacredness, filling her with awe.

Loath to disturb his steady pace, she settled on one of the fallen logs, content to watch unnoticed.

His skin glistened under the rainbow of brilliant light as he drew the ax up and dropped it with the full power of his body, splitting the remnants of dead branches. Over and over again, Nick worked ceaselessly, lost in his rhythm. He’d tied his long pale hair up off his neck, though several tendrils clung to his moist shoulders.

Olivia licked her lips as the sight of his bunching muscles reminded her of their bed play. Her gaze traveled down his back to the perfection of his behind. The heat of his body made his pants cling to the encased muscles, clearly defining every inch of him.

She crossed her legs as her body reacted, making her as slick as he was and pulsing with the need to have him fill her. Clenching her fists, she crossed her arms, resting her elbows on her knee to lock herself in place, lest she approach him.

Swoosh, thump. Swoosh, thump. Swoosh, thump.

His arms arced over head as he brought the ax down, splitting the wood to tumble down to the waiting pile. Placing a new log, he kept going.

Olivia didn’t know how long she watched, but the need didn’t abate. It fueled her memories and fantasies for new encounters that she knew would never happen.

With nothing else to do but wait, she allowed it, soaking up the sight of him while she could.

She squirmed on the log, unwilling to give up these moments, no matter how uncomfortable her body became, wanting all of the visions of him seared into her memory as possible.

Finally, when the last dropped bough had been split, Nick straightened, face turned to the sky eyes closed, ax loose in his grasp as he caught his breath.

Olivia shot to her feet, flask in hand, approaching before she realized she was moving.

Before him, her eyes drank in the sweating sight, his skin flushed, muscles taut.

She whispered his name.

Turning his face down to hers as he opened his eyes, she held the flask up for him.

He took it, chest still rising and falling with his efforts and drank deep of the cool water.

Her full attention fell to his throat as he drank.

When Nick held out the flask, his dark eyes sparked as he read her face.

Her nipples pebbled under this assessing gaze.

She made no effort to hide her desire for him.

“Olivia, I—,” he sighed.

“I can’t stay away, Nick.” Her fingertips smoothed over his hand holding the flask, taking it from him.

The contact seemed to be enough as he growled, reaching for her. “I can’t either, Liv. You’re all I can think about.” His hand slid around her nape, pulling her closer as his lips descended over hers.

She moaned into his mouth, pressing herself to him as he arched around her. He was hard against her belly, so very hard, inciting her to rub against him.

As much as she wanted this, she hadn’t expected it.

If he wanted to touch her, she’d take all she could get.

Nick dropped the ax, freeing his hand to grasp her bottom, crushing her to him. The flask fell beside it.

She panted as she slid her hand into the front his pants to grasp and stroke his hard length.

He groaned, breaking the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers as she worked him. “Liv.” He warned, voice tight.

“Nick, I need you.” The words worked their way up from her core, squeezed her heart and tumbled from her lips, reverberating back through her chest.

More than just desire.

I need you.

She’d never needed anyone before.

But the longing for him tore through her.

When they parted, she’d never be the same.

She already wasn’t.

“Now.”

Before our time runs out…

Consuming her mouth, he backed her up to the Oak’s trunk, mindful of the massive, upturned roots. When she did stumble, he caught her, pulled her up into his arms so that she could wrap her legs around his slim hips. The second her back hit the rough bark, his hips pinned her in place, his hard length pressed to her moist heat through their pants, rocking against her, inciting sparks of pleasure.

Her hands roamed over his back and down to his bottom, squeezing as his lips and teeth grazed the sensitive flesh of her throat. His hands slid up her sides, taking her shirt up until he cupped her breasts.

Liv couldn’t get close enough, though there wasn’t a speck of wasted space between them. She shoved at his pants, frustrated by the belt and button.

Growling, she dropped her feet so that she could rid herself of this problem, then tore at her own. Nick pulled her shirt up over her head and she made quick work of her bra.

They stood, panting, drinking in one another’s naked bodies dappled in the magical light reflected from above.

He was long and hard and ready, a pearl glistened on his tip.

Her need renewed in a flood, setting her flesh afire as she looked up into his face. His desire, his attention, was focused on her. He didn’t speak, but the emotions were clear in his eyes.

This is it.

They both knew it.

Her heart pounded in her chest, she was hot and ready, their urgency just under the surface.

Yet, here, now, the moment suddenly felt as sacred as the oak itself, opening their hearts.

They were about to consummate what was in their hearts, though neither breathed a word of it.

This would be all, forever, once they parted ways.

She back to her life among the mortals, and he tending his duties here in this nether realm.

Their one night a year, could not be. It would destroy them both.

You don’t belong here…

She wasn’t one of them, whatever that meant in this place.

This time with him was a gift and she would accept it and cherish it with every fiber of her existence.

Attraction brought them together, magic made it meaningful.

This knowledge was reflected in his eyes.

There was no doubt that he cared for her as his fingers traced the contours of her face, memorizing. With both hands cupping her cheeks he leaned, touching his lips to hers.

Olivia’s heart twisted with the utter tenderness in how he reached for her.

Her hands retraced their journey along his ribs and back. She leaned into the tree, gently pulling Nick closer, renewing the contact.

Need pulsed through both of them, her right hand slid between their bodies, grasping and stroking his rigid length until he nipped her chin.

Guiding him to her entrance, she claimed his lips.

She cried out as he filled her to her sweet spot. Pinned to the tree, her muscles clenched around him so hard she took his breath away. Unable to stop herself, she moved against him, weakening his control and inciting him to thrust.

Resting her head against the tree as he worked in and out of her, she opened her eyes to its crown above.

The lights overhead glowed brighter.

She blinked, surely it was just her?

But it wasn’t. The ring of trees surrounding the grove dazzled the entire space.

The magic.

The magic was cresting. The seeds in the trees blazed under the wavering magic dust in the sky.

Olivia could barely think for the rising haze taking over her body. “Nick, look.” She panted, knowing that he needed to see it too.

He searched her face, then looked up without stopping, he couldn’t, the drive had taken over as she clung to him.

Everything fell away as he realized what was happening over head. The raw emotion in his expression when he looked at Olivia ripped her heart open, sending her over the edge, dragging him with her.

Every pin prick of light surged along with them.

Nick’s strained whisper drew her attention. “I’ve just found you. I can’t stay away from you, I don’t know how I’m going to let you go, Liv.” Bracing himself with one hand on the trunk by her head, with his free hand he gently lifted one of hers from his shoulders, kissed her fingers and placed her palm over his heart. “I can’t keep you.”

“I know.” She leaned up to kiss his lip. “We have right now.”

“It isn’t enough.”

“It has to be.”

He drew her to him, carefully laying her down on the mossy ground at a junction between two of the oak’s massive roots. The ground was soft and spongy beneath them as they continued to explore one another’s bodies, while admiring the fluctuating light dance overhead.

They made love again before they dressed, collected the results of their day’s work and headed back to Nick’s hamlet.

Dolph crept among the shadows, following the human through the woods as she collected the seeds, singing and talking to herself as she went.

She was comely. As comely has Hedi had been, though she lacked the warrior’s ferocity that Hedi had possessed.

It was easy to see why Nick was interested in this one. It was easy to see how he could forget Hedi and let go of her memory.

Hedi had chosen Nick over Dolph; why, he’d never understand. He’d concluded that it was because she didn’t fully appreciate the Alfar qualities that Nick lacked, preferring Nick’s pasty hue to Dolph’s rich indigo. But Dolph had been the one to remain steadfast, during her life—and her death.

Dolph had been the one to declare absolute vengeance to honor her and her children with Nick.

Not Nick.

He refused to complete the task of annihilating their enemies. And had stopped Dolph from doing it as well.

Nick never deserved Hedi.

And he was the reason they were all trapped here. Not enjoying the afterlife in Valhalla, or even returning for a new lifetime.

Because of his guilt.

Because he hadn’t honored Hedi and their children as he should have.

Because he had stopped Dolph from doing the task and the children of their enemy have since thrived, even though their own people withered.

Dolph was sure of it. He was sure it was Nick’s shortcomings as a warrior and leader that plucked them from that battlefield and dropped them into this place, like flies in amber coalescing around them.

But at least, here, Dolph could still hamper Nick’s work.

The veil was thinning. The festering ooze that filled his heart whispered the time was coming.

Then he could act, redeem himself for failing to properly avenge Hedi and punish Nick for it. For every wrong Nick had ever flung at Dolph. For existing when he should never have been created by their mother and that human she’d taken to her bed.

For bringing Hedi into their family and then making her reject Dolph for Nick.

And for imprisoning them in this desolate place full of the trees they tended and the unending stream of light in the darkened sky. No sun, no moon, nothing more.

Dolph remained to the shadows as Olivia approached Nick, chopping the deadwood.

He observed as she watched Nick, hungrily squirming. He’d barely finished when she’d leapt to her feet, offering water.

Had they even exchanged any words before they were pawing at each other?

The way she looked at him, with clinging hands and needy eyes, sent daggers of jealousy ripping through Dolph.

Anger ripped through him. Disgust rent him as he continued to watch, unable to turn away as Nick backed the human woman up against the tree and fucked her.

Unable to resist, as he watched, imagining he was the one burying himself in her body. He’d have worked her much harder and faster, regardless if she enjoyed it or not. He couldn’t decide which would be better.

She wasn’t Hedi, but he couldn’t help casting Hedi’s face on her—imagining himself inside of her.

That was what he’d wanted. Always. To claim her and use her as much as he enshrined her memory.

Even though, she too was a human.

Dolph loved her and hated her.

He couldn’t tear his gaze away as he watched his half brother pump into her. They were almost there, he could hear her gasps and moans.

Then the sky brightened. They all paused, looking up.

The lights, the seeds that Dolph could never touch without killing them, the trees, the grove itself brightened, expanding with color so brilliant over the canopy of the oak that it hurt his sensitive Alfar eyes.

It seemed to react to their coupling.

They continued, with a slower, measured pace as they paid more attention to each other.

It was easier watching Cupid and Vixen. They didn’t usually complicate things with the need to linger and caress. When they were in the woods, they just fucked. Like everyone else in this damned place.

But the magic never reacted to them like it did now.

Not even the Nisse, when they mated.

The human moaned. She was nearly there.

Nick brought her over the edge, going taut as he filled her.

The overhead lights surged, a gentle shower of glittering dust floated around the couple, panting against the tree.

Had they seen it? Had they noticed?

What did it mean? Anything?

He’d have to report this unexpected change in the grove and see if it affected the plan or not.

Then, he just needed to decide if he was going to destroy this watered-down version of Hedi that Nick had found to replace her with—as he’d been ordered to do.

Or keep her for himself?

For now, there was work to do.

Dolph had relayed the meeting point to his dark voiced wizard so she could fulfill her mission and grant Dolph his extraction from this place.

He’d already left a cluster of dead seeds, soaked in his blood, stuffed into the crevices of the cave where the new portal appeared. She had said it would strengthen the connection. Now he needed to do the same around the tower portal before Sleipnir and Nick opened theirs.

Excitement twisted through him.

It’s almost time.