"You're so beautiful," he whispered, only half aware of himself.

"As are you, my wayward pirate." I mounted his hips and momentarily savored the feel of his c.o.c.k against me. He shivered with the contact and I couldn't help but thrust my hips against him. Once more I took a moment for selfish pleasure, running the length of him back and forth against my c.l.i.t. His silky skin swept against me, bringing me mounting waves of pa.s.sion that swelled like a tsunami inside me. Chris groaned and wrapped his hands tight around my hips, digging his fingers in and spurring me on as I stroked myself against him.

I nearly forgot myself then, my sacred duty, but I could still feel his pain as my own and I had to force myself back on task. I laid my hands against his chest, where open wounds seeped blood in time with our heartbeat. As I ran my fingers over each cut, the ragged edges slowly mended. I closed my eyes and focused the magick of my arousal into him, visualizing the healing breaks and bruises. His hands found my b.r.e.a.s.t.s again and one slid down to caress my belly and thighs. I whimpered-his attentions were sweet and true, altogether different from the usual selfish f.u.c.k of a cutthroat.

"What manner of pirate were you?" I had to know how such a lovely young man had wound up in such an ugly profession.

"A bad one," he said with sadness in his voice. "I just wanted to see the world. You were right. I am soft."

A tear formed in the corner of his eye, but I wiped it away, mesmerized. This wasn't the frantic crying of a whimpering boy, but the true emotion of a man who had lost his way. I thought he might have been willing to find a new way, if someone would show him. "Softness may be a weakness on land, but here your gentle touch is prized above any hardened cruelty you could perform. I admire a kind man, not an evil one."

He grinned a sunny grin and dropped his head back, sliding his hands over me with abandon. The gift of empathy let me see what he saw, my light green hair floating around my reddened face, the blush of arousal that had spread into my chest and quickened my breath. I saw his gaze on the dip of my belly b.u.t.ton and upswell of my b.r.e.a.s.t.s, made more sensual by the blur of water all around us.

More magickal energy poured into Chris as his touch became more sensual. He dropped both hands to my thighs, kneading the muscles there and coming ever closer to my engorged p.u.s.s.y. At last he found my slit and ran one thumb over the opening-the wetness there was slick and hot, unlike the cool water that surrounded us. He probed further, running his fingers up and down until I was gasping for breath. I wanted more, wanted his c.o.c.k inside me right, then, but I held back. The process had to be a slow one or the healing wouldn't be complete.

I raised my buoyancy a bit and floated off him, using the current of the water we had stirred up to float toward his gorgeous c.o.c.k. I licked the tip, tasting his essence. He thrust his hips upward forcing himself into my face. Shoving his a.r.s.e back on to the bed, I lowered my mouth to him. A low moan escaped his lips and he fought to stay still-empathic desire flowed through me like the strongest tidal wave. I traced the head of his c.o.c.k with my tongue, slowly letting energy leak into him as I coaxed him into a frenzy of pleasure. He could not control the bucking of his hips as I sucked and licked, drawing him deep into my throat and releasing again, clutching his thighs tightly to keep him still. I could sense his release approaching and drew him right to the edge before I stopped, withdrawing. He let out a small cry of frustration. I grinned. I did love this part-the teasing. But now time had come to finish the job.

By now every bit of me was quivering with need. I had to have this man, had to give him my magick and my body. I wanted him to be well, to live. I pulled him upward, increasing his buoyancy along with mine until we floated above my bed. I put my arms around him and guided one hand to my p.u.s.s.y once more. Using his thumb he sought out my c.l.i.t and traced circles over the engorged spot. I gasped and shuddered, as did he. Locking my legs around his waist, I lowered myself on to his waiting c.o.c.k, every hardened inch of it was a gift as I plunged downward. He filled me completely and I held myself still, savoring the heat of our combination.

"G.o.d you feel good, my lady."

"G.o.d has little to do with it," I managed as I pulled back and thrust again, a burst of magick flowing into Chris as we moved.

At some point, he took over, thrusting deeper and faster inside me, all the while stroking that place, so sensitive that a jolt of energy followed each brush of his fingers. Flesh slammed into flesh until we sent waves of water away from us in all directions. The scent of our l.u.s.t was that of land and sea mixed together in a salty, redolent flavor. I could feel his release upon us alongside my own until all became a blur of magick and s.e.x.

We spent ourselves, in one whooping cry between us that unleashed all my magickal power. As he emptied his seed inside me I emptied my energy into him, in pulsing jets until I had nothing left to give. I collapsed against him, all but lost to the pleasure and intensity of it all. I couldn't speak or move, just floated in the embrace of my now-healed lover. Just as the G.o.ddess willed.

One hundred and one nights later, we floated above my bed once more. Our naked limbs were entangled and Chris supported my spent form. This time though, I was not helpless as I had my full strength back. We floated down until we were laying side by side in my soft bed, surrounded by the gauzy seaweed curtains I had hung for privacy. It was a very busy hundred nights.

"Well my wayward pirate. Did I make good on my promise to heal you?"

"And you showed me wonders that I have never seen before, my lady."

He was so enchanting, never called me anything but his lady, like a prayer. I lay my head upon his chest, listening to the beating of our hearts as one. Despite knowing this night would come, I was sad. I had always tolerated my charges, but I never truly missed them when they left. Now, with Chris, my heart ached. I had fallen for this one, hard. I had made a young Sister's mistake, one I hadn't made in fifty years or more. Silently I chastised my own foolishness. No twenty year old boy would want to live at the bottom of the sea. "When you leave Atlantis, you can never return. You must be more careful with this lovely body of yours, Chris. Find happiness on land, a safer trade and a woman who can appreciate your gentle soul."

"Leave?"

That was all he said. I held my breath, willing myself not to cry.

"My lady," his voice was barely there at all.

"Chris."

"I should like to stay." All at once the words came out, as if he was afraid I'd say no.

I sat up and gazed into his warm, earnest eyes. "Are you certain? Leave the life of humanity behind?"

"I escaped the boredom of a farm life only to find myself abandoned on some sandy shoal. All I wanted was adventure. I've found that, and more, here with you. Every day I awake thanking your G.o.ddess this isn't some wonderful dream. I want to stay."

"This is no dream, my wayward pirate. I want you to stay." I could hardly get the words out. The G.o.ddess had rewarded me, at long last, for my years of service with this lovely gentle soul. My thanks go to her every night he slept by my side. We might not have been a perfect match, him being from land and so very young. But I had no doubt our life would be an interesting one.

ATLANTEAN WOLVES - Alphas Tianna Xander and Bonnie Rose Leigh Tara Morgan sat upright in bed, gasping in the darkness. Putting her hand to her racing heart, she looked wildly around the darkened room. There were no monsters lurking in the shadows. No were-beings trying to eat her up. She shook her head and ran a trembling hand through her hair, knowing she'd never get back to sleep after a fright like that.

Standing, she made her way to the window to look out over the excavation of the property next door to her home. The old house was gone now. There was nothing left of it, but a pile of rotted, worm eaten wood and an empty dirt hole that had once been the foundation. Construction equipment sat idle next to the hole. Quiet and unmoving it seemed sinister in the dark of night.

The nightmares started as soon as they began tearing down the old house. It was almost as though it was haunted and the spirits blamed her for the intrusion on their solitude. She'd talked with her grandmother, asked her why the destruction should affect her the way it had. The old woman knew something, she could tell. But she wouldn't say. She just shook her head and told Tara not to worry about it. Then she'd done the strangest thing. Laying a trembling hand on Tara's arm, she'd practically begged her to leave town for a few days.

"Go away, Tara. Leave the house." Her grandmother's cloudy eyes filled with tears. "Please promise me you'll go away. Quickly."

Tara shook her head. "I can't, Gram. I have a deadline looming for the new art project. Silman and Silman want it for the lobby in the new hospital next week. I can't leave." She patted the older woman's hand. "Maybe after I finish." She smiled. "I know! Why don't we both take a trip then?"

"By then it will be too late," her grandmother groaned as she rocked back and forth in her chair. "They will come for you before the end of the week." She shook her head. "Don't you understand? They can smell you. You must leave this place!"

A shiver of apprehension skittered up her spine at her grandmother's expression. It wasn't as if she hadn't believed any of her gram's prattle. She just couldn't leave now. Silman and Silman were her best customers. She couldn't afford to alienate them. They kept her business afloat almost single-handedly.

A glimmer of soft light caught her eye and she stared down into the cavity left by the construction workers. The light from the moon shone down upon something. Something big. She frowned, thinking. Had someone driven their car into the unprotected hole? Was that what woke her up?

Donning her robe and slippers, she rushed down the stairs, grabbed a flashlight and headed through the back door. She ran to the backhoe and slowed. The last thing she wanted was to fall into its darkened depths. Turning on her flashlight, she shined the light down into it and gasped.

Something was in there, half buried and covered with dirt. She stared down into the pit. The light from her flashlight reflected off the surface. Her hand trembled as she stared at the cylindrical shaped object. What was it? A strange noise came from below her. She watched the thing shudder and pitch as though trying to free itself from the soil. Tara bit her lip and leaned forward to get a better look when her foot slipped on the soft dirt and the ground gave way. Before she could call for help, she fell head over heels into the cavity.

Soft, moist earth cushioned her fall on the way down. She landed a bit haphazardly on top of the large, silvery shaped object. It was hard, obviously made of some kind of metal. Her landing on the cool, shining surface would most likely cause bruises. Scrambling to her feet, she hurried away from it, attempting to climb back up to the solid ground above. Clods of moist clay crumbled in her hands as she repeatedly attempted to pull herself up into her back yard.

Tears of frustration wet her eyes as she thought of how much she wanted-needed-to get away from the strange coffin-like thing, which was way too close for comfort, especially since it still continued to pitch and rattle next to her. She screeched with fright as the thing made a G.o.d-awful noise and the top suddenly came apart. Her mouth opened on a silent scream as one of the monsters from her nightmares emerged.

"Tyne githa du brag?" The creature spoke.

Impossible. She tried to convince herself that what she saw couldn't possibly be real, even as colorful spots danced before her eyes and the blessedly soft ground rose up to greet her.

Rhyne Calama sighed when the woman slumped to the ground. It figures he'd finally break free of his prison to meet a non-Shial human. Jamming his fingers through his hair, he glanced around, trying to get his bearings. Where the h.e.l.l was he? He finished changing his form back into that of a full-looking human.

Glancing up at the sky, he frowned. Where did the extra stars come from? They reminded him of the satellites surrounding Shialal just before they'd left. He turned, and for the first time, noticed the beam of the light she'd carried with her. When the h.e.l.l was he? He'd been stuck in that pod longer than a few years, he'd known that. He reached up to rub the back of his neck, trying to remember the circ.u.mstances of his crash. It had been that major land shift the elders had talked so much about. Shock waves from the ensuing earthquakes were strong enough to knock his craft to the ground. He bent to examine his ship and determined it was still capable of flight. Even after...he paused, his hands shaking.

"Impossible," he murmured. Turning he glanced up at the large machinery circling the outer edges of the hole and sighed. "I guess I should be thankful to be alive." It shouldn't matter that so much time had pa.s.sed. He should be glad he was still able to draw breath. Otherwise, his family line would have ended when his craft crashed into the river that had been here.

Bending down, he picked the female up and carried her to the craft, tucking her in the small cargo s.p.a.ce behind the pilot's seat. He couldn't leave her until he knew how much the Earth people knew. His last memories of them were of a barbaric race barely able to stand upright. The last thing he needed was to have to do major damage control his first day back. Better to take her with him. Besides, he thought as he climbed into his seat and prepared for flight, there was something about the way she smelled...

The flight back to his home was uneventful, right up to the time he reached the coordinates and found the island missing. He could have sworn his heart sank to his feet when he reached his destination, only to meet countless miles of churning, white crested waves. Where was his home? Had the turmoil from the large continent breaking up caused its destruction as so many of them had feared? Certainly he couldn't be the last of his kind?

"Atlantis, this is Rhyne Calama please respond." Silence greeted his call and his stomach began to roil. Everyone, every thing he had ever known was gone. A lump formed in his throat and he swallowed thickly as he flew over the gravesite of his lost world.

"Atlantis, please respond. This is Rhyne Calama. I have been trapped below the surface of the Earth in my pod. I require coordinates. Please respond." He sounded desperate now, he knew. What would he do, where would he go? And how would he ever explain his existence to the woman behind him? If she reported her find, he could very well end up in a real prison. They would look upon him as a human animal hybrid and use his body for experiments. How did he know the rest of his people weren't already in such a predicament? A bit of static broke over the COM and he jumped.

"Rhyne Calama, This is Atlantis. Please find your coordinates embedded within this message."

He sighed with relief at the familiar language. The response had been given in oddly accented Atlantean, but the reply still came in his native tongue. Rhyne extracted the coordinates and frowned.

"I hope my craft is still waterproof," he replied to the nameless voice as he began his descent. Water closed over the pod as he made his dive. Strong currents attempted to pull him from his course, but he held fast to the controls. He would leave nothing to chance. This time he would make it home. Ten-thousand years in stasis was enough for him. He only hoped some of his loved ones survived the upheaval so many years before.

His vessel dove deeper and deeper through the water. He programmed the coordinates into the computer and let it take him home on autopilot. He had no idea where he was, or where he was going for that matter. He didn't want to make any mistakes.

The craft weaved through an underwater cavern, taking him ever lower until he was sure even the technology of his people wouldn't keep him safe from the pressure of the water. Then, as he pa.s.sed a large underwater volcano, he saw it-Atlantis-glowing light blue from the use of the shield generator. Everything within the shield took on a blue cast. He'd forgotten how beautiful it could be. Modulating the shields of the pod to match that of Atlantis, he pa.s.sed through the blue bubble and steered toward a docking bay. Just seeing his home again made him sigh with relief and he smiled.

"Welcome home, warrior," the Atlantean voice whispered. "We have missed you."

A greeting party met him when he emerged from the craft. People he didn't know rushed to him, touching him. They treated him like some sort of royalty.

"Hurry. You must hurry to the council chambers. There isn't much time." A short balding man rushed him from the pod, directing the others to care for his things. Things, he noted, that were very old and probably obsolete.

"Not much time for what?" he asked, pulling free of the man's grasp to turn and remove the human from his craft. He gave her a long look. Was she human? Long platinum hair framed her heart shaped face. Full, pink lips pouted, even in her state of unconsciousness. Her delicate brows arched over her closed eyes and he wondered what color her irises were. Blue, brown? He would bet on blue. Too many humans with her coloring had blue eyes. He would prefer green or even brown over something so common as blue. Nearly all of his people had blue eyes. It was too common and mates with uncommon characteristics were prized.

He made a face and moved to follow the strange little man through the hangar bay and into the rest of the city. Why did he even care? He wasn't on a mate hunt. And even if he was, the only way he would take a human to mate was if his betrothed was dead and he had no choice. He looked back down at the woman and tried to discern why she looked so familiar to him. She didn't look anything like any of his people. In fact, he thought suddenly, looking around, none of these people looked familiar. They didn't even look like Atlanteans. His people didn't lose their hair and the men were rarely shorter than six feet tall. The men surrounding him were short and the tallest member of the group barely reached his chin. What had happened here?

Had he missed being a part of the normal happenings in Atlantis so much over the years before his crash that he hadn't noticed a change? But still...he was sure he'd have noticed everyone getting shorter. Had they interbred with humans?

The stranger led him through the city as he droned on about things he didn't understand and didn't care to. He'd said something about diluted blood and needing an infusion of the perfect DNA for something. He shook his head, uncaring. He merely wished to go to his quarters, take a long sonic shower and forget that he'd missed out on ten millennia of change.

Tara woke in a strange bed in an even stranger place. The mattress beneath her kept changing, moving as she moved. She rolled over and it shifted beneath her, almost as if it antic.i.p.ated her every desire. She stayed still for a moment. It wasn't possible, she knew it wasn't, yet it still got harder and softer as she repositioned herself.

She rolled from the bed and stood up, barely able to keep from screaming and fainting dead away. She watched, mesmerized as the bed shrank and stored itself in a small closet.

"This is sooo not happening," she said, shaking her head and looking around. The room wasn't large, though it appeared much larger now that the bed was gone. A small sofa sat against the far wall flanked by two end tables with strange looking statues sitting on their tops. She moved closer to examine them. "Very bizarre." She shook her head at the half-animal half-man statues and moved to examine the large aquarium to her right. The wall was made up of one large piece of thick gla.s.s. The mural someone painted inside-or outside-of the large tank was perfect. If she didn't know better, she'd think she was underwater.

A large fish swam by and she blinked. Maybe it wasn't a tank at all. Maybe it was some sort of giant television screen. She jumped when the door opened behind her and turned to face the man standing in the door.

Light from behind him spilled into the room and she squinted, trying to see if she recognized him. Her eyes widened when her mind finally made the connection and she put her hand to her throat. "Where am I?" She asked, finally finding her voice. "I know you took me from my home. Where am I?"

He tilted his head as though he didn't understand a word she said. She wanted to rush to him and pound on his muscular chest, demanding he take her home, but she was a coward. Instead, she glowered at him, mad at herself that she'd even thought about the size of his chest. What did she care? Turning, she looked at the large screen and tapped the front playfully. If she didn't goof around, she just might lose her mind. It wasn't as if she got kidnapped every day. She had to do something to keep her sanity. She froze when the dolphin on the screen looked her way and swam closer, pressing its face up to the gla.s.s.

"This is not happening." She pinched herself and winced. "This cannot be happening." Turning, she looked at the man and placed her hands on her hips. "Where am I, what am I doing here and when do you plan to take me home?" And he would take her home. She refused to spend any more time here than necessary. This place was not conducive to her keeping her sanity. He moved closer and she backed up, pressing her shoulder blades against the cool gla.s.s behind her.

"You needn't fear me, little one. I will not harm you." He held his hand out, palm up, and she did little more than stare at it.

"Like I'm going to trust you," she mocked. "You've kidnapped me. I want to go home."

"I have removed you from a place where you would no longer have been safe."

"Safe? I was at my home. Inside, I was safe. Outside my house, on the other hand...not so much, apparently." She turned to stare at the large screen, marveling that the fish seemed so lifelike.

"You were no longer safe there. Your scent was all over the area. They would have followed it back to your home. And there, of course, they would have found you."

"Who are you talking about?" she asked. "Are you seriously saying I stink?" She resisted the urge to raise her arm and smell her armpit.

He chuckled. "No, you do not stink. You have a certain...scent that would have drawn them to you after they picked up the energy signature from my craft."

She shook her head, moved across the room and sank down onto the couch. "I know you're not talking about a bunch of science fiction mumbo jumbo." She waved her arms. "What craft and what certain scent?" She sniffed delicately, trying to figure out just what the h.e.l.l he meant.

Closing her eyes, she savored a luscious aroma coming from his direction and wondered what kind of cologne he wore. The man smelled delicious, decadent, and she wanted nothing more than to sidle up to him and rub herself all over his lean body. She snapped her eyes open and glared at him. "What did you do to me while I was unconscious? So help me G.o.d, if you gave me some sort of date rape drug while I was out, I'm going to beat the c.r.a.p out of you when it wears off."

"I gave you no drug." He shifted. "Tell me your name and I will explain."

Why did he seem so nervous? She was the one who'd been kidnapped, not him, for crying out loud. She crossed her arms over her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "You mean to tell me you don't even know who I am?" Her heart stuttered anew. There was only a few reasons why someone would kidnap a person whom they had no information on and none of them were good. Her throat closed off with the sudden terror she felt. "Why have you taken me? I mean nothing to anyone." That was true. It was also stupid to tell him that, she realized too late. Idiot. Moron. What did you tell him that for? Gritting her teeth, she fought the urge to kneel before him and beg for her life. That was probably exactly what the man wanted. Unable to remain seated, she stood and made her way back toward the gla.s.s wall.

Rhyne inhaled deeply, savoring her scent. She was brave, he'd give her that. He blinked slowly, clenching his fists by his sides. She was also in heat. But he was sure that was the last thing she wanted to hear. Concentrating on keeping his raging hormones under control, he moved closer. He almost smiled when she closed her eyes, obviously taking great delight in his own, unique male scent. His body hardened. It took every ounce of his control to not strip both of their clothes off and have his way with her delectable flesh.

She was his mate. There was no doubt in his mind about that. It was strange how after all these years he would find her when he'd long ago settled for nothing more than l.u.s.t with his fiancee. He'd puzzle out the strange circ.u.mstances of their meeting at a later date. His first priority now must be to get her back into his bed and mated before her first change and he took her rough, like the h.o.r.n.y alpha wolf he was. It wasn't any wonder he'd felt so strange, so different upon awakening. With the death of the elders came power to those of pure blood. He glanced at the woman before him. She wasn't pure blood, but she would be before they mated. He would gift her with his blood before her first change. As alpha, his mate must also be pure.

Her scent became stronger by the minute as her body prepared itself to accept one of their kind. How she'd managed to remain of such strong blood stayed a mystery. Perhaps there were others. He hoped there were-for his people's sake. Only those with such strong wolf DNA could take the blood of a pure Atlantean and survive. Others may try, but they would turn into something they all abhorred-the half-man, half-wolf beast of human legend. Werewolf.

Rhyne knew without others to carry on the pure bloodline, their species would perish and that was unacceptable.

He'd already been to the lab and given them as much of his blood as they'd dared to take. Even now, those with a pure enough lineage lined up to receive a portion of his blood to change them back to the purest breed possible. He watched her as she bit her lip and looked through the force field, her gaze intent on dolphin on the other side.

"Will you look at me?" He wanted to know what she looked like. Temptation spurred him on to peer under her lids while she remained unconscious, but he couldn't bring himself to look. Instead, he dreamed her eyes would be the color of Amber or emeralds-anything, but the same common blue of his own irises. She turned keeping her face down. He frowned, wondering why her feet held her in such thrall.

He nearly lost his breath when she looked up at him. Eyes of the purest, deepest brown greeted him and he nearly laughed with joy. His smile widened as he watched her bite her bottom lip nervously. "You are a very beautiful woman. Will you tell me your name?"

"Tara. Tara Morgan. You're never going to take me home, are you?" she cried, her eyes gla.s.sy with tears.

He moved closer, pulled her into his arms and tried to comfort her. "I cannot. At least not for a few more days...your scent is strong." He couldn't take her back, not until they mated and her body's need to procreate subsided.

"What...what are you?" She pulled back to look up at him. "When you first opened the...thing you were in, you weren't..." she looked away and started to tremble.

"I wasn't quite human," he finished for her. "No. I wasn't. Our people aren't what you would call humans. Humanoid, perhaps." He sighed, wishing all this could wait. The scent of her was driving him mad. And as the new alpha, he needed to have a mate and produce heirs as quickly as possible before someone challenged him. With the infusion of his blood, they wouldn't need him anymore if he couldn't produce heirs. It was survival of the fittest. As a pureblood, born and bred, he would win any challenge, of course. But as alpha, he wanted what was best for his people, and right now, they needed as many pure bloods as they could get. Still, it was his blood that must be used to make other pure bloods. None of them were born pure as he was. It would be at least a generation before anyone could challenge him. By then, they would be used to his leadership.

"I am of an ancient race, Tara. One that even outdates that of man and you are one of us. You may not realize this or believe me, but I know you are. I can smell it on you. Even now, your body demands a union with mine. Soon, you will be overcome with the need to mate with me. When I opened the pod and stepped out, your system began to change. Just being near a male in his prime has sent you into a cycle that will last at least a week, perhaps two."

"You're crazy," she breathed the words as she backed into the force field, pressing herself against it as though she would fall if she didn't have the solidness of it at her back.

He shook his head. "I wish I could take you home. I see how this frightens you." He paced the room, knowing the only way to reach her was to tell her how she felt. Perhaps then, she would believe him. "Even now your body reaches out for mine." Her eyes widened and he continued. "Your skin itches and it won't go away. It feels as though something is inside you, beneath your skin, demanding to get out. You want me as you have wanted no other man. Your body stands rigid because you are upset that you want nothing more than to fling yourself into my arms and make love with me."

"How...how do you know all of that?" She slid to the floor, her whole body quaking with the need to have him inside her. How could he know that? He was right. She wanted to go to him, run to him and rip his clothes off, demanding that he make her his. Virgins didn't have urges like that. It just wasn't done!

Still, she felt it. What he said was true. Something crawled beneath her skin, making her itch. Something, some instinct she never knew she possessed, demanded she go to this man and make love with him. Wild, mad, pa.s.sionate love. Every breath he took made her want him more-need him more. She longed to reach out and run her fingers over his taught muscles, through his thick, blond hair. Her palms itched to grasp his hard shaft in her hands and guide him- Stop!

"Because I feel it, too. My people-" he stopped. "Our people know our mates the minute we scent them."

She shook her head. "I'm not one of you. I've never changed into another animal in my life. You'd think I'd know something like that."