Riley's Paradox, page 49
part #9 of Hearts of ICARUS Series
Wilder watched their berezi as she threw her head back, baring the long line of her throat, her breasts rising and falling with each breath. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen and it took every ounce of will he possessed to simply stand and hold her while Win prepared her.
When her hips began to writhe and her scalding wetness soaked his stomach, he had to lock his joints into place to keep himself from jumping ahead of things. When she moaned and gasped in pleasure, he very nearly came.
“I’m ready,” Win said, his voice a low growl that Wilder had begun to think would never come.
Wilder could only nod, keeping hold of Riley while he knelt beside the bed in tandem with Win. Once they were both on their knees, Win carefully pressed Riley’s shoulders forward so she was upright between them. He then wrapped one arm around her waist to help hold her so Wilder could free one hand.
Grasping his rock hard cock firmly, Wilder placed himself at her entrance and pressed forward with a long drawn out groan that didn’t stop until he was fully seated inside of her. He opened his eyes, panted for a few moments until he caught his breath, then gestured to West.
While both of his brothers knelt on the floor with Riley impaled between them, West stepped forward, placing his groin at the perfect height for her. Without having to be told, Riley raised her right arm, bent at the elbow, and lowered her wrist behind her head so that Win could reach it, then she raised her left arm straight up so that West could reach her wrist. When they were ready she turned her head and took West’s large cock into her mouth. With one hard swallow it slid straight down her throat.
“Now,” Wilder grunted as soon as he saw the bulge in Riley’s slender throat. He immediately sank his fangs into her neck for the last time, releasing the remainder of his mating serum while his brother’s did the same at her wrists.
The moment they withdrew their fangs, the magic of the soul-link triad raced through and around all four of them. First, it allowed Riley to breathe even though West’s cock was lodged deeply in her throat. Then it began moving their bodies in a rhythm they had no control over, and which brought them all so much pleasure it was almost more than they could stand.
They raced toward one simultaneous orgasm and exploded together, muscles straining as they fought to plunge deeper and press closer against each other. Then they all went still as a higher level of magic kicked in. Their movements resumed, still directed by forces outside their control. The magic pulled the essences of Riley’s Rami into and through her body until all three met somewhere deep within her very soul. In return, Riley’s essence flew into them, taking the place of what they’d given to her.
Wilder, Win, and West thrust faster and harder, the bright turquoise light of Riley’s soul growing brighter and bigger with each harsh and rasping breath. When the light reached its apex, it burst into a million shimmering fragments, causing all four of them to scream in pleasure as their bodies clenched in an orgasm that was more than physical. It literally sealed the shared pieces of their souls into each other, linking them together as one for eternity.
***
When Wilder’s senses began to return to him, the first thing he noticed was the soft warmth of Riley’s cheek against his shoulder. He turned his head to smile down at her, then gently slipped free of her body as West had already done. He turned his head to find his youngest brother lying across the bed, his legs hanging off of it.
“That was…indescribable,” Win said after carefully disengaging his body from Riley’s.
“It really was,” Wilder said. “I thought I understood what to expect after reading so many descriptions of it, but I didn’t. I think this is one of those things that is truly beyond words to describe.”
“What should we do now?” West asked.
“I’m torn,” Win said. “Nearly fifteen hours start to finish has me wanting nothing more than to fall on that bed and sleep for a few days. At the same time, I want a shower desperately.”
“I bet Riley will too,” Wilder said before pressing his lips against her hair in a gentle kiss.
“Riley does,” she said, surprising them.
“We thought you were asleep,” Wilder said.
“I want to say that I’ve had enough sleep these past few months, thanks, but I can’t because I’m worn out too,” she said without moving a muscle. “But I need a shower more than I need to breathe. Worse than that, I can feel how stiff my hair is and it has my scalp crawling. I won’t be sleeping till it’s clean.”
Win chuckled softly. “We aren’t the least bit surprised by that, Jamila. Which is why there’s a tub of steaming water waiting just beyond that door.”
“I have very smart Rami,” she said smugly. “In just about a minute here I’m going to find the energy to raise my head. Then I’ll try to walk, or maybe crawl, toward the shower. Once I’m clean, I intend to soak in that tub for as long as I can without drowning.”
Wilder smiled against her hair. “That sounds like an excellent plan, except for the part where you crawl into the bathroom. How about one of us carries you instead?”
“I think I can live with that,” she said with a grin. “You want to know what the strangest thing is to me right now?”
“Yes,” Win answered simply, earning a little laugh from her.
“The strangest thing is that the lau-lotu I’m looking at on my left arm right now is the first and only glimpse I’ve ever had of your alter forms.”
Win’s eyes widened as he raised his right arm. “I’d forgotten about those,” he said sheepishly. “You’re katrenca will look the same, which is wonderful since she’s stunning. I think she might be bigger now, though.”
Riley’s head came up and she twisted around enough to see his arm when he held it out. “How can you tell?”
Win laughed. “I can’t tell from this. I just think she’s going to be bigger now because, like you, her DNA is all new.”
“Oh. Well, either way, I’m just happy that she’s relaxed. It’s been a really long time.”
West pushed himself up and off the bed, then walked around Win before bending down and lifting Riley straight up and into his arms. “Come on, love, let’s get your hair washed so we can get into that tub and soak for a while.”
“Sounds delicious,” Riley said, wrapping her arms around his neck with a soft sigh of pure contentment.
Epilogue
“It’s time to awaken, Perseus.”
Percy opened his eyes slowly and stood up, surprised when he saw nothing but fog, misty white and thick. He turned in a slow circle, but while the fog swirled around in his passing, he saw nothing else.
“Perseus,” the voice called softly. It was familiar. Deep. Feminine.
“Sekhmet?” he asked uncertainly.
“Yes, it is I.”
The fog swirled again and the face of the sphinx appeared before him, but much smaller than when he’d seen her before. He looked down, then up again in surprise. She was no longer a sphinx. She was a humanoid, but with the same face and voice as the sphinx.
“Do you remember?” Sekhmet asked, a gentle smile on her face.
“Yes, I remember. I don’t know if it worked.”
“It did indeed work,” Sekhmet said, her smile changing into one of pride. “You drank deeply from destiny’s small pool after all, young Lonyx. In doing so, you saved countless lives and prevented the paradox from being fulfilled in an instant.”
“I was not alone, Sekhmet,” Percy argued politely. “Without High Princess Salene Dracon, I would not have succeeded.”
“That is true. It is equally true that without you, she would not have succeeded.”
Percy thought about that, but couldn’t see what difference it made. They had succeeded. That was all that mattered in the end. “Are Riley and her daughter safe?”
“They are both safe and well,” Sekhmet replied. “Her Katre-Laus have just completed the ritual of linking their souls with hers, and her body has been recreated into what it should be.”
“That is wonderful news, Sekhmet. Thank you for telling me.”
“You are welcome, Perseus.”
“Is the threat of the paradox over?” he asked hesitantly.
“Not quite yet, no, but most of the greatest dangers have passed,” Sekhmet replied. “I will not say there is nothing to stop it, as that would be an untruth. But the goal is closer to hand.”
Dipping his head in a short nod, Percy looked around again. “What is this place?”
“It has many names but I have always thought that the void was the most accurate.”
“Am I dead, Sekhmet?”
“Now that’s a good question,” she said with that familiar hint of humor. “However, it is not for me to answer since the choice is yours to make.”
Percy thought about that for a few moments, then gave up with a little huff. “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand.”
Sekhmet nodded. “Despite the best efforts of the Basulor, and later the High Druids of the Klanaren, the injuries your brain suffered before they could get you back inside the ship were too severe to be healed. Though your heart still beats, your brain is incapable of returning to what it once was.”
Percy sighed, but he wasn’t particularly surprised. “I am happy to know that Riley is now well and with her men, who love her with all that they are. I have no regrets.”
Sekhmet nodded sagely. “You’ve done a fine job of living up to your name, Perseus. Your courageous and selfless sacrifice has not gone unnoticed. Which brings us to your choice.
“You may choose to travel to the Beyond, and rejoin the souls of your family and your tribe. I know that you’ve feared they would resent you for surviving when they did not, but your fears are groundless. Should you join them, they will welcome you with open arms and happy hearts.”
“I am happy and relieved to know that, Sekhmet. Thank you.” He took a deep breath and let it out, an exercise he’d learned from Riley that helped him relax more than he expected. “What is my other choice?”
“You may choose to become a Guardian.”
“A Guardian of what?”
“The answers to that question are as numerous as the Guardians themselves,” Sekhmet said. “In your case, and providing that the paradox is averted, you would be Guardian to she who is Chosen of Lehoia.”
“You mean either Layla or Zia.”
“Yes, that is who I mean.”
“Are you certain I am capable of protecting someone so important?”
“You doubt yourself?”
“Not as I once did, no, but I am realistic, Sekhmet. I am not very large, or overly strong. I am fast and I have several defenses, most of which are poison. Will that be enough?”
“It will not,” Sekhmet replied. “Do not worry, Perseus. If you agree to be Guardian, you will be granted defenses more than adequate to perform your job. You will also be taught how to use them, as well as other matters. But all of that is for later. First, you must decide.”
“Can you tell me if the Chosen is Zia or Layla?”
“That will not be known until Riley attempts to claim the legacy on behalf of her daughter. If the claim is answered by the powers that wait within the Prism Halls of the Gloried, then we will know she is Lehoia’s Chosen.
“If not, then we must wait for Rose Bearen to be soul-linked so that she can make the claim on behalf of her daughter, Layla.”
Percy sighed. “While rejoining my family and tribe is tempting, I am not yet ready for eternal rest. I would prefer to be a Guardian, but I am torn, Sekhmet. I would like Zia to be the Chosen because I’d like to be near Riley, who is my best and only friend. That is selfish of me though, because I also think it would be better for Riley if her daughter were simply her daughter, without such high expectations.
“If the Chosen is Layla…,” Percy trailed off for a long moment, then sighed again. “If the Chosen is Layla, I don’t think I could refuse to be her Guardian. I don’t know Rose, but I know how much Riley loves her sisters, so how could I abandon one?”
“I see that there is much confusion for you,” Sekhmet said. “I hope you will be able to sort through it in time to make your decision.”
“On the contrary, Sekhmet. The confusion has allowed me to see my way more clearly. I have already made my decision.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Laura Jo lives in the Arizona desert with her loving husband, their two children, one very large dog and two interesting cats. Laura Jo loves to hear from her readers.
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Laura Jo Phillips, Riley's Paradox
