Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Cameron

She woke to darkness. Laying there for several moments, Cam assessed her body. There was no pain. Her head didn't hurt. She didn't feel weak. She felt… warm. Safe. That's when she realized Reb was in bed beside her. Her nose was against his chest. His arm was around her waist. She sighed happily. He smelled… amazing. The spicy scent always made her smile.

Cammy moved just a little, and his arm pulled her closer.

"How do you feel?" he whispered.

"Good. Healed. How long was I asleep?"

"It's been almost a full day. There is something I need to tell you."

Her breath hitched. That didn't sound good. What if she was still sick? Or he didn't want her as a mate? Or something was wrong with Casey? She wiggled again, wanting to sit up.

But the hard strength of his arm prevented it. "Hold on. It's something about the mating bands."

She stilled. "They didn't work?"

Reb chuckled. "Oh, they worked. I scanned you a few hours ago. The bleeding stopped. Your brain is back where it belongs and there's no blood. But I forgot to explain something."

Pursing her lips, Cammy tried to guess what he meant. She just couldn't come up with anything. Or at least with anything that wasn't horrible. Finally, she sighed. "Just tell me. I know I was so sick you had to leave out a lot." How bad could it be?

Slowly, he moved his hand along her arm. Linking her fingers with his, he rolled onto his back a few inches. Giving her room to breathe. "Shades down, fifty percent."

The shades opened, letting in the sunlight. That would have been a nifty skill to have when she was locked in here alone. Programming her access to the door and window shade went to the top of Cammy's list for the day.

Reb pulled her hand upward. "Look at your wrist, Cammy."

She rolled her eyes up to see their joined hands. There were marks around her wrist. She tugged, getting him to let go so she could move her hand closer. The marks were on both wrists. Not just marks, but smaller versions of Reb's tattoo.

Shifting onto her back, she brought her other hand up and rubbed over the mark. Reb gasped and shuddered beside her. She frowned. What was wrong with him? "The little tattoos don't bother me. Will they fade?"

He took a deep breath and shook his head. "No. The marks won't fade. But they move."

She turned back to her side so she could see his face. "What do you mean, they move?"

Reb lowered his arm and stroked the mark on her wrist. Cammy felt it vibrate, and then it disappeared. This time, she shuddered. Holy Hell! What was that?

Her eyes widened. "Reb?" her voice shook. "The little band disappeared." She gasped at the sensation of the bands traveling through her body. It should have freaked her out. But it felt fantastic. All warm and... sexy.

She curled closer to his side and found that her nose was just a few inches from his bicep. From his mating bands. When he stroked hers, it felt great. What would happen if … instead of wondering, Cam leaned in and stuck her tongue out to taste his flesh, right over the black marks. And felt his muscles spasm. His deep groan made her grin. Curling his much taller body around her, Reb put a finger under her chin, tilted her head back, and leaned over to capture her lips.

That first kiss unraveled her. Cammy's tension disappeared. The kiss continued for a long moment. As he kissed her, she could feel the bands settle at her breast. Pulling away, she panted. "Oh, my God. Those bands. I feel them inside." She palmed her breast. "One is right here. It feels... amazing." She panted.

Reb frowned at her. Then he moved his hand down to her thighs. He tugged the tee-shirt up and off her body, dropping it to the floor. "Let me see," he murmured and bent his head to her chest.

She didn't stop him. Her body tensed when his hand came up and cupped her breast. It felt incredible. Desperate for more. She ached for this touch. Moaned and shifted, pressing into his palm. Then the bonds vibrated. Moved as Reb feathered a thumb over her nipple. The mating bonds responded to his touch, making her crazy.

Cammy's eyelashes dropped, and she sighed with delight when he bent his head down and laved her breast. The bands moved again, this time heading south. But she didn't care. Her entire focus was on his mouth.

After a few mind-blowing moments, Reb pulled away. Shuddering, she opened her eyes and met his gaze.

"I should explain…" he started.

"After." Cammy quickly assured him. Her body wouldn't let her stop now. Reaching up, she teased her fingers over the tatted black ribbons on his bicep before tugging him down.

Reb didn't need more encouragement. He kissed her, touched her… everywhere. Cammy squirmed in his arms. The bands kept moving, discovering erogenous zones she didn't know she had. She tightened her grip on him and screamed with frustration when he pulled away and stood.

But Reb quickly stripped off his pants and came back to her. Leaning in, he feathered his lips over hers. A flicker of the bands inside made her gasp, and Reb explored every inch of her body with his fingers and tongue.

It seemed as if the bands inside her... communicated with him. These living tattoos amplified each caress of his flesh against hers.

She had no idea this much pleasure existed. It was addicting. "More," she pleaded.

The living tattoos pulsed, vibrated, and teased her from both inside her body and out. Cammy felt them, and when she looked down, she could see a smaller shadow of the band surrounding her nipples. Reb's mouth suckled one breast while his fingertips and the black wavy lines tormented the other.

Together they pushed her to peak and then stopped. Keeping her from climaxing, waiting just long enough for her pulse to settle and her body to cool... then they started again. Torturing her with pleasure. Her body caught fire, and she burned, needed.

Desperately needed. "Fuck me," she begged.

By this time the fire created by the bonds only eased when Reb's mouth soothed, or the slide of his flesh alleviated the ache for his touch. The bands created a need that only ReBOrB could fill.

"I need more," she begged again. Frantic for his touch.

ReBOrB

Watching Cammy with heavy lids, deep emotion overcame Reb. For whatever reason, Cameron didn't have a painful reaction to the healing power of his marks. Not like her sister did. He hadn't been there when the Father explained why Casey had been in so much pain, but he listened to the recording.

The Father noted that, "Once your mate's life was joined to yours, the marks started running through her body. Healing… everything." Then he said, "The marks aren't designed to cause pain and agony. They are meant to revive and refresh. To make her the healthiest she's ever been. To tie her life span to yours. If I'd given it any thought, I would have said that the natural process would be to push impurities through her skin. At the most, she would vomit or have diarrhea."

ReBOrB sighed. Thankfully, he'd expected that and was prepared. Or last night would have been much worse. But then the Father admitted, "It was short-sighted of me, but I didn't consider what it would mean if the women chosen by the bands were truly sick." Evidently, Casey's wasting disease, the cancer, was truly sick and Cameron's head injury didn't qualify.

He frowned. Reb kept his mate's hand in contact with the mating bands on his arm the entire night. Brode hadn't discovered that helped until Casey had already gone through most of her healing. Wondering if that made a difference was worth exploration. But it would have to wait for another time. When he had the chance, he would let his brothers know, as it might be important for someone else's mate.

Part of him couldn't believe this was happening. His beautiful mate was lying beside him. She was healthy and craving all that he could give her.

Her cries and demands let Reb know she wanted him. Needed him. Needed more. He grinned and promised, " I'll give you more! "

It became his mission in life. To find every place on her body that made Cammy shudder and beg. To discover how hard or fast she liked his touch. She was his. Now and forever. Love was there—it just needed feeding. The first step was to get her addicted to his touch. Addicted to the mating bands and his body.

Leaning down, he flicked her nipples with his tongue. After a long moment, he tore his mouth away. The silky smoothness of her flesh mesmerized Reb. He saw a deep blush bloom across her face and breasts. Breasts crowned with dark pink areolas and temptingly puckered nipples. He licked and suckled, taking pleasure in forcing her hips to dance underneath him.

Setting a hand on her thigh, he pulled her leg up, opening her wide enough he could move between her thighs and rub the tip of his cock through her slick folds.

She panted beneath him. Thrashed her head from side to side. Her body strained upward. Her demands delighted Reb.

Suddenly Reb's mind was flooded with information about their mating. It was as if the knowledge had always been there, but this moment unlocked all the secrets that would ensure their happiness. In order for Cammy to become his true mate, their minds needed to connect. They needed to entwine their souls and hearts together. His life span was much longer than hers and to keep her with him forever, Reb needed to tie her life and health to his.

There was no hesitation. He needed to claim her body and create that bond. Leaning down, he trailed his lips, teeth, and tongue over her skin—exploring the bounty of her flesh. Smoothing his hand down her belly, he wrapped his fingers around his cock, slid the tip over the trim curls at her mound, and dipped into the sweet warmth between her thighs. Each time her breath hitched—his mind reached for hers. Getting closer.

Her mewling cries and seeking hands told him just how badly she wanted him. Flexing his hips, he played the tip of his cock over her clit. Teasing.

"Please, Reb. Oh, God, do it!" she demanded.

With his body over hers, he kept her locked in place. Open to him. Depending on his every touch and stroke. Placing his lips at her ear, he whispered, "Feel me, Cammy. Feel me claim you. See how good we are together. You're mine now."

And Reb punctuated his possession with a powerful thrust and buried his thick shaft to the hilt. His pubic bone rubbed her clit, sending shockwaves of unimaginable pleasure jolting through her body. He withdrew, only to plunge repeatedly into her tight sheath. As he moved inside her, the mating bonds aroused her flesh even more.

"Mine!" he growled. Then demanded, "Look at me, Cammy. Tell me you are mine!"

Her gaze snapped to his. Bright blue eyes wide, she gasped for breath... answered his demand, and made one of her own. "Yours. As you are mine."

Yes… he was hers. Now and forever. Hers.

Cammy's acceptance of his claim allowed the mating bands to cross the shields in her mind. Her eyes widened, and she groaned at the surge of pleasure. Words were beyond them both. Reb was thrilled, knowing once the connection was forged, it couldn't be broken. They could only feel this level of closeness during sex. But he would always know when she was in pain, or deeply afraid. He had truly become a part of her.

He felt the shift and shimmer of his bond markings as they reacted to the joining.

The dark bands held that connection, a link from one to the other. Because of that link, he could always find her. In times of stress and pain, he could share her burden. Reb grinned. And he could make her scream and beg. Which made him happier than she would ever imagine.

Moving inside her, the bonds discovered areas only they could touch. One of her bands shifted into his flesh and circled his cock. It created bumps and tiny appendages that would stimulate pleasure points and trigger a stronger release in his mate.

Others rubbed across her nipples and clit, joining his fingers to drive her wild. She would always crave this. The fierce, unmatched pleasure only Reb could give her.

Cammy screamed and exploded around him, but he wasn't finished.

No, not yet… he'd waited so long for his mate. Hadn't known he wanted one. How could he dream what it would mean to him? The pleasure, the feeling of being complete. No. Reb wasn't close to being finished with her.