Rebirth

The ends of her hair tickling her chin, Mac stood outside the cabin, her eyes trained on the white scenery but not seeing it. The snow fall stopped some time during the night and the sun was attempting to make an appearance, its light bouncing like crystals off the snow. A calm breeze blew through, barely moving the snow-laden trees.

After a tense breakfast, she retreated here to gather her thoughts and sort through the confusing array of feelings that churned in her heart.

I love you.

His three words still echoed in her head. One part of her heart rejoiced, telling her to grab onto that something so infinitely precious with both hands. The other part told her run in the other direction and never look back. The panicky emotion surprised her. Only that morning the thought that this might be more than a series of one-nightstands made her happy. So why was the voicing of the sentiment so scary to her?

Did she return his feelings? Was it love that made her heart swell with longing and tighten with apprehension of the mysterious, uncharted territory? It was daunting the way she needed him. Hardly a simple matter of want, she was being overwhelmed by desire for him. Desire to be close to him and inhale his heady scent. Desire to hear him speak, to listen to the deep tones of his voice, to see him laugh. Desire to have his body locked within hers as they moved so sweetly together.

Had he cast some sort of spell over her?

She shook her head. That made no sense. Why would he, a fine specimen of male deliciousness by anyone's standards, come to the middle of nowhere to hypnotize a plain Jane like herself when he could probably get any woman he wanted without the use of magic?

There were so many differences between them that spelt doom for their budding relationship. He was immortal. She was not. He had a dangerous job in keeping an entire species safe. She was not sure she could handle knowing he went into dangerous situations. He was not only the great mythical bird but had a dark force invading him that could mean the end of the world as humans knew it.

The list was long but the similarities between them railroaded the depressing log. They both had demons to deal with. There was a loneliness they both harbored and understood. They were dynamite together, the lust exploding whenever they were within each other's reach. Even now, it was all she could do not to rush back into his arms and drown in the passion that was sure to ignite.

Ironically the possibility of him losing control of whatever ailed him was less intimidating than her being in love him and vice versa.

Why?

The question barely trailed off before memories she tried to forget gripped her mind. The disapproving stares of her parents mixed in with Grayson standing over her, the latest beating leaving her comatose and aching all over. But as much as she hurt, it was the way her body reacted to his repulsive touch that hurt the most, his words adding insult to injury. Your whore's body is only of use to sinful men who've lost their way. No man can love a slut like you.

His words had weaved themselves into her thought patterns, dominating her actions, diminished her perception of herself and what she was worth. She never realized just how her parents' aloof treatment traumatized her or how thoroughly a dead man controlled her. But another man's face and words rose to overpower the toxic recollections.

I love you.

Aiden's words echoed once more like a ghost's whisper. He'd seen her at her worst, seen her cry, bared the brunt of her temper without provocation yet he made her laugh when she thought she never would again, made her embrace the sexuality a crazed man used against her and because of him she wanted to face the future as more than just a broken woman hiding atop a mountain. Because of him she wanted to be more, to be better. Because of him she already was.

Doubt still crowded in though. She was afraid of losing control of her emotions. Her past showed how ill-equipped she was at handling them. What if she loved only to lose him? Could she deal with another crippling emotional journey?

But avoiding love did not make it go away. Neither did it make the feeling any less intense. She was determined to break the mold of fearful recluse and if this was step one on the path of freeing herself, she would face it head on, glory in the happy, passion filled times and deal with whatever emotional hurdles were thrown her way.

She did not know when they welled up but a tear rolled down her cheek and froze before it hit the ground. A next followed close behind. Then another. She had cried many, many times over the last few years but this time was different. It was freeing. With every tear that fell, a little more of her hurt vanished. With every tear she took back a little more of herself.

With sudden clarity she realized that her retreat to the isolated cabin was a punishment of sorts. Until that moment, she did not realized how much she blamed herself for the events that led to her capture and subsequent torture. Her molester's face crept up like it always did but this time she did not cower. This time she faced it, challenged it, dared it. This time she defeated it. She faced the years of pain and accepted what had been and with a strength she did not know she possessed, she determined what would be.

There would be no more hiding.

The sounds of the mountain soothed her as warmth hit her cheek. She looked up to see the sun break through a particularly heavy cloud, its warm rays caressing her. The young woman she had been smiled as her essence dissolved and a new stronger Mackenzie rose from the ashes.

****

Aiden paced the cabin. Though they were separated, he could feel Mac's emotional turmoil. Thinking that he was the cause was killing him and the effort of respecting her wish for privacy made sweat break out over his skin.

He told her he loved.

The moment the words left his mouth, the stiffening of her body and the shuttered look in in her eyes told him he spoke too early but he could not muster any regret at voicing his love. What he felt could not be summarized in a four-letter word and given a lifetime, he was sure he would never be able to completely express what she meant to him. He was damned near obsessed with her, her scent, her taste, the way her face lit up every time she smile, the way her body devoured his when she climaxed. Everything she did was so mysterious and enhancing and if that was not love, he did not want to be consumed by an emotion greater than this. He would not survive.

He was scaring her with his intensity and he was sure the incident that morning was far from helpful to his cause. How could he ask her to accept so much on such a short acquaintance? He accepted the darkness as part of himself a long time ago and it was his mission to contain it, his role as humanity's protector standing true. He'd debated whether he should confide his biggest secret in her but in the end the decision had already been made. He needed her total acceptance of him, the good and the bad. The two were inseparable.

She had been gone for quite some time and the walls were closing in on him. It was the reason why he never stayed indoors for long periods. Even in his former life, his main residence had been remote, hours form the nearest road and surrounded by miles and miles of forest. The wildness in him longed to break free and he knew that only her soothing touch, only gazing upon her splendor would calm the raging beast.

A flash of white on the rocking chair caught his attention and he picked up the sketch of himself, humbled by the way she portrayed him. It was like a window to his soul. Most of him was covered in shadows, emotions that he wanted to protect her from depicted with painful clarity. The darkness of his nature was not something he was proud of but she made it beautiful and had he not known it was he in the drawing, he would have sympathized with the poor soul.

Other parts of him were drawn in startling clarity. His eyes blazed with heat and he remembered watching her, pencil in hand, fingers moving with a confidence he found sexy, wishing that they played on his cock with the same dedication. His nose could only be described as stubborn but she added a softness he would not have described as part of his nature but was unlocked in her presence. It was alarming how much of him she saw. He'd never been this vulnerable, this exposed.

Her art studio called to him and, replacing the sketch, he pushed the door open, again hit with her true aura. Restless energy concentrated here and he could picture her, focused and in her element, paint splattered on her cheek and clothes. He hoped to watch her create one of these emotion capturing portraits one day. His cock twitched at the thought. Was there anything she did he did not find sexy?

He went to the piece he'd been most attracted to yesterday and touched the edge of the painting, feeling the helpless anger coming off the piece. It was dominated by reds and blacks, their ribbons wrapping around the focus of the work who was clearly female even though her face remained hidden. Shadows covered her body with only the barest hints of flesh, elusive lines swathing her like scars. There was beauty, grief, weakness and strength, the masterpiece making his eyes itch to shed a tear yet he admired the strength of the faceless woman who was undoubtedly a representation of the artist, wanting to celebrate her magnificence with a smile. The volatile mix of emotion revealed called to him and only reaffirmed that this woman belonged at his side, in his bed, in his life, in his heart.

The front door slammed only a millisecond before her fragrance wafted around him. Her pussy was hot and inviting and he comforted himself in the fact that despite whatever doubts afflicted her, she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. Soon her figure was outlined in the studio's entrance, golden light attracted to her. Her hair was windblown, her cheeks pink, giving her just loved look even though he could tell she'd being crying. Her gloves and coat were gone, only jeans, sweater and socks obscuring the view he wished to gaze upon. The fierce expression on her face made him cringe internally, for the first time thinking that she may not appreciate him entering her art domain without permission. Angry-looking steps closed the distance between them.

Oh shit, he thought, the mighty phoenix fearful of this tiny woman's wrath.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn-" The rest of his words were cut off as she grabbed the back of his neck and pulled his head down to fused their lips in a kiss that left him confused and aroused. Her tongue pushed into his mouth and commanded his into the sensual play. Blood drained to his cock in a rush that made him dizzy. To steady himself and just to feel her body against his, his hands captured her hips and pulled her closer, grinding his throbbing hardness into her soft haven.

She released his lips just as suddenly as she grabbed him and her eyes trapped his. "I don't know where this is going but I want make the most of our time together."

He opened his mouth to speak, to reassure her of his intentions, but her finger at his lips stopped him. "No talking. Just feel."

She stepped away and still holding his gaze, she lifted the hem of her sweater. It dropped to the floor with a careless flicker of her wrist. His breath caught as he watched her shimmy out of the jeans, her flesh jiggling in all the right areas. Her socks followed its trek off her legs and landed next to the sweater. The plain white underwear beneath had no frilly designs, no lace and was not meant for seduction but was far sexier than anything out of a Victoria Secret catalog. He knew it was the woman beneath that made it so and clenched his fingers against the need to tear the scrapes away from her body. "You have no idea what you do to me. So fucking sexy!"

He did not mean to be crude but every ounce of discipline and proper decorum he learned went out the window at the sight of her silken globes pushing at the confines of her bra. Tongue feeling swollen, he imaged the organ drawing circles over the distended tips before he sucked each into his mouth.

Her eyes dilated like she sensed his thoughts. Or it may have been from the heated way his eyes scorched her length. Tongue wetting her lips, he followed the movement, indecent thoughts involving the pink tip running through his head, and almost missed what she said. "Tell me. What do I do to you?"

She walked up to him slowly, an extra swagger in her hips, her eyes burning with an internal light. Boldly she cupped him through the sweats, squeezing in a way that made him shoot to his toes, descending with a shaky exhale. "Is your cock hard for me? Tell me, Aiden, is this what I do to you?"

This sexual siren before him was foreign but he already loved her. He searched her gaze to find determination and lust partnering to darken the soulful stare. She needed to dominate this session. He could only guess at her motivation but whatever inner demon pushed this outcome, the control she sought was hers to claim. Instinctively he knew just handing it over would not do. He was in for a seduction and was more than prepared to enjoy the ride.

His head over her exposed neck, he licked. Her slightly salty tang made his tongue itch for another taste. He did not deny his desire and groaned at the next swipe. Close to her ear, voice lowered, he answered her question. "So much more than you will ever realize." He touched her parted lips with his, their labored breaths mixing. "I see these luscious lips and I picture them talking dirty to me, saying how much you want me, want you'd like me to do you and you to me and it's all I can do not to come on the spot."

He rasped the nipple that pushed at the cotton, gently cupping the lovely weight. She shivered, her scent intensifying. "I remember the taste of these and I want to push my cock between as you squeeze me with all that softness. Will you let me fuck those sweet tits?"

The need to push her boundaries made him reckless. Her body stiffened slightly and he wondered if he'd gone too far but her head shifted until she ensnared him in her gaze and yet again he came to the conclusion that he did not need to coddle this woman. She was strong enough to handle him. Strong enough to handle them.

"How would you like it, Aiden?" Her husky whisper washed over him and sent another rush of blood to his cock. "Fast or slow? Would you come on my chest? Or would you finish in my mouth instead? My pussy? I can give it all to you. Anyhow you'd like it, anytime, anywhere."

His body froze with shock only to shudder in the aftermath. The only reason he did not come right then and there was because the thought of not being joined with her in that moment of bliss was deplorable. A slow smile stretched his lips. "You give as good as you get, don't you, babe?"

She answered his smile with the age old way females lowered their lids, hiding secrets that always kept men coming back for more. They lifted to mesmerize him. "Always," she said.

He cupped her sex and mimicked her action on his cock, flicking her bean with his thumb and pushing at the entrance guarded by slick, wet cotton. "Such a pretty pussy!"

A fresh surge of moisture warmed his hand and seeped out of the edges of her panties. "I want to spread those pussy lips and eat you until you beg for my cock. Then I'll fuck you so hard, so deep you will never be satisfied with any man but me."

His answer made her eyes darken further even as a blush lit her cheeks, shy Mac still lurking behind this fiery vixen. She was the perfect mix of naughty and sweet. Her hand continued the sensual caress that only made him grow harder and harder with every second. He pushed a finger past the barrier of her panties, rubbing along the center of her slit, sliding along her drenched nub with every upward motion. She moaned and her eyes closed on a sigh, hips straining for more. Her reaction was all he could hope for so when her hands slapped against his chest, he stumbled back in surprise. "This is my show, Aiden. Hands off until I say otherwise."

He brought his wet fingers to his mouth and sucked them clean. "Sure, honey."

He lost his cocky grin when she stepped up to him and eyes on his, licked a flat brown nipple, her teeth grazing him. The bite of pain made his eyes narrow. She released him, licking its twin, gracing it with the same treatment. A kiss landed in the center and she licked a path over his chin and tasted his lips, pressing her curves against him. Breath whispering over his lips, she stated in a no nonsense tone, "My game. My rules. Understood?"

He liked this femme fatale. Very much. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good." Hooking her fingers in the waistband, she dragged the pants over his hips, lifting the material off his begging cock. With his help, she shucked them. Holding him by his jutting cock, she led him to a lone wooden stool and sat him down. "Don't move until I say. I'm going to blow your mind, my dear phoenix."

With a naughty grin, she descended. Making space for herself between his thighs, she knelt at his feet and if he'd seen anything more erotic, he could not remember. Head bent backward, her hair swept her back like golden threads. From her position he made out a few freckles on her nose and chest that he'd not noticed before. Like sprinkles of sugar they called to him, a sweet tooth he'd never known suddenly making an appearance. At the thought of sweet his mind immediate conjured the image of dripping melted chocolate all over her naked body, into every crack and crevice. He would start at her lips and lick his way down her length, giving her breasts special attention.

His cock jumped thinking that would be a good time to collect of that promise to slide between those globes and spill his load over her porcelain skin. In gratitude, and because he was a greedy bastard unable to get enough of his favorite treat, he'd make sure he got that chocolate high in her crease and make her meal put of her. It would take out hours and hours but he'd ensure he got every bit of the sweetened delight out.

At the first swipe of her tongue he shuddered, his broken sigh echoing. Tiny licks teased his mushroom head before it was engulfed. He was helpless to prevent the jerk of his hips, his cock pushing deeper into her mouth. He grabbed the edges of the stool to keep his fingers from tangling in her hair, the wood crumbling with the tight grip. Her fingers grabbed his hips, controlling the tempo that built. He threw his head back on a harsh hiss of pleasure as his cock hit the back of her throat. Her cheeks hollowed, torturing him with the tight suction as her tongue swirled on the underside of his pulsing hard-on.

His eyes closed on a prayer as she slowly withdrew, the warm, wet pull tempered by the light scrape of tiny teeth at his sensitive tip. He swallowed a curse but could not stop his praise. "Damn, baby. Your mouth feels so good."

He looked back down in time to see her swallow his flesh once more, her saliva making his cock glisten. A flush heated his skin as she repeated her action. Staring into his eyes, she worked his length, both her hands moving in tight rotating actions that had him trembling, groans and growls rumbling in his chest. Her tongue licked and swirled, exploring with lazy abandon. Slowly she learned the blood-swollen topography, pausing to suck on his uncircumcised head, her hands following the direction of her mouth. Occasionally she popped his penis free to lick him up and down, his testicles getting a piece of the action.

"Please, baby," he panted as the cock-hugging, moist clasp of her mouth engulfed him again, the fight to keep his hands off her ending as the cadence picked up, the sight of her lips stretched around him too much. His fingers tangled in her hair with the first helpless pump of his hips. His muscles clenched and his body temperature spiked, the approach of his climax imminent. Thighs shaking, pressure built at the base of his cock and his testicles tightened and rose like a bow being drawn, ready to launch. His vision tunneled and all he saw was her, all he heard was the slurping sound of her mouth surrounding him, all he smelt was the aroma of her pussy mixed with his precum and all he felt was pure, unadulterated heaven.