A Taste of Oblivion Read online

  A Taste of Oblivion

  Aubrey Ross

  All rights reserved.

  Copyright ©2006 Aubrey Ross

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  ISBN (10) 1-59596-619-6

  ISBN (13) 978-1-59596-619-3

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  Editor: Maryam Salim

  Cover Artist: Sahara Kelly

  This e-book file contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language which some may find offensive and which is not appropriate for a young audience. Changeling Press E-Books are for sale to adults, only, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

  Prologue

  Froswick Dimension

  A balmy night wind stroked Kylie’s skin as she danced. Her hair whipped around her face in a silken flurry and each provocative movement outlined her body against the sheer fabric of her robe. A massive fire sat at the center of the clearing, bathing the area in heat and wavering light. The scene swelled in and out of focus as she undulated and twirled. Smoke stung her eyes and teased her nostrils, overpowering the sweet scent of flower petals crushed beneath her bare feet.

  Nac O’te warriors stood in the shadows, watching her, scanning her -- judging her. She raised her arms above her head and focused on the music, letting the primal rhythm drive all thoughts from her mind. Drums pounded. Flutes trilled, evocative, yet sad. Her spirit longed for the Dawning, ached for the soul-deep awakening that would prove her worth and readiness.

  The invasion had been insidious, their enemy both patient and sly. Without the Dawning her people were trapped in their solar trance, helpless and unaware, as more and more of the enemy found their way through the tear in the Veil. But so few were ever found worthy. With a desperate little gasp, she ran her hands down her sides and spun faster and faster. She had to be among the chosen. It was her destiny! She just knew it was.

  Her toes touched a searing hot stone, bringing her wild spinning to an abrupt stop. She yelped and jumped back, panting, but determined still. Refocusing her mind, she twisted her hair into a long coil and piled it on top of her head, offering her exposed skin to the fire’s glow.

  Consume me. Awaken me. I am ready. Take me!

  Her nipples hardened and tension gathered between her thighs. She wiggled, accenting the tingle, absorbing the heat.

  Shaking out her hair, Kylie lifted her face to the starry sky. The Nac O’te warriors began the ancient chant. Kylie echoed each syllable with the other women surrounding the fire. When the women reached the end of the first repetition, they shed their robes. Kylie shrugged out of her garment, then stood naked and still.

  “Linro inet ict etar Dato,” Arabel called out from the darkness. Kylie knew her sister would be here. Arabel was Prime Nac O’te. She attended the Awakening ceremony every month. Still, it had been jarring to hear her voice in the midst of the sensual haze. May you awaken the Day. It was part challenge, part blessing.

  Responding to the evocation, the women turned and faced the warriors. They raised their arms and repeated the chant, their voices ringing with conviction and determination. That’s where the formal structure ended. Some of the women boldly touched themselves, quickly and expertly bringing themselves to rather dramatic orgasms. Others surrounded themselves with “supporters,” friends or lovers who had willingly undergone the seven day purification required of participants in the Awakening ceremony.

  Warm bodies pressed in around Kylie. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the chant. Her supporters were allowed to touch her with their hands and their mouths. If her mystic power surged in response to this ceremony, then the Nac O’te warriors would find her worthy and one might…

  Concentrate! The rest was irrelevant if her power never surged.

  Hands, so many hands stroked her, caressing her skin, squeezing her breasts and easing her legs apart. Heat washed over her flesh in a slow, tingling wave. The warriors could see all of her. She wasn’t tall and full-breasted like Arabel. Her figure was average, her tummy rounded. Opening her eyes just a bit, she snuck a look at the warriors hidden in the shadows. Why would any of them want to attempt the Dawning with her? Even if she could…

  “Relax,” Olav whispered into her ear. “You’ve talked about nothing but your Awakening for the past two months. Some of those purification techniques were downright barbaric.” He chuckled. “You better make us proud.”

  A smile bowed her lips and she closed her eyes again, leaning against Olav’s chest. Her friends cared about her and she trusted them. They were here to help her through this crucial testing. It didn’t matter that she’d grown up with these four men. She couldn’t let it matter. They’d touch her body, arouse her passion, and hopefully trigger her Awakening, launch her along a new life path, an exciting -- Olav’s chuckle interrupted her rambling thoughts.

  He turned her head until their gazes locked in the moonlight. “If you want this as badly as you claim, you’re going to have to turn it off.”

  “Turn what off?” she whispered.

  “The part of your brain that overanalyzes everything. Feel our hands, feel our lips. This is about instinct and energy. Concentrate on the sensations awakening inside you. Block out tomorrow and yesterday. Live in this moment and surrender yourself to these feelings.”

  He angled her torso so he could reach her mouth without turning her around. This trapped one of her arms against his chest, but she raised her other hand to his hair, needing to touch as well as be touched. She’d never kissed Olav before, never thought of him in a sexual way, at least not seriously. He was a handsome rascal, never lacking for companionship. Still, they were part of the mystic military, members of the same covert team. It was always better not to mix business with pleasure. The Awakening ceremony was different. Though undeniably sexual, it was strategic, and far more important than physical release.

  His mouth slid against hers, but his tongue never ventured past her lips. It was forbidden for any part of his body to penetrate any part of hers, regardless of how badly she ached. Penetration was now reserved for the actual Dawning and the warrior who would be her mate -- if she was chosen by one of the Nac O’te warriors.

  Her other supporters caressed her skin and rubbed against her. Someone closed his mouth around one of her nipples and suckled with firm pressure. Sensation burst through her chest at the unexpected force. Fangs scraped without biting -- oh! Another mouth joined the first and her nipples were suckled in tandem. Needing to see who was doing what, she tried to drag her mouth away from Olav.

  He held her face firmly to the side and growled inside her mind. Just feel.

  Fingers parted her folds and warm breath wafted across her clit, sending shivers up her spine.

  “I can’t even slip a finger into this soft pussy?” Trint’s faint accent identified him as the one kneeling in front of her. He was the youngest member of their team, with an infectious smile and a tireless sense of humor.

  “Nothing goes in,” Nas insisted, his mouth still pressed against her left breast. “She’ll be disqualified.”

  That meant Trom was caressing her oth
er breast.

  Damn it! She was doing it again. Thinking. Letting unimportant details overshadow the experience, the purpose. She arched, settling her head against Olav’s shoulder as the other men returned to their various tasks.

  “Then tongue fucking her is out of the question?” The others only growled, so Trint licked her slit from back to front. “Just thought I’d ask.” He circled her opening with his fingertips, obviously preoccupied with the restriction. Licking up along one side of her clit, he paused to flick the top of the sensitive nub before sliding down the other side. The maneuver was surprisingly effective. She murmured her approval and he did it again and again. Her pussy tingled and she clenched her inner muscles, needing something inside her to squeeze.

  A sharp cry intruded on Kylie’s building arousal. If Olav hadn’t had her head angled so far to the side, she might have ignored the sound. Before she could stop herself, she opened her eyes and found the woman on her left pulsing with energy. The woman’s hair streamed out around her shoulders in ribbons of light, her face literally glowing. Her supporters looked on in wonder, their hands hovering over her trembling body.

  Kylie closed her eyes and dragged her mouth away from Olav’s but the damage was done. The image was imprinted on her brain. Trint closed his lips around her clit, drawing on the knot with tender pressure. Olav scraped his fangs along her neck and shoulder, careful not to puncture her skin. She wanted him to bite her! She wanted all of them to bite her. How the hell was she supposed to come if they didn’t bite?

  Trom and Nas synchronized their sucking, every touch, every lick a specific attempt to awaken her latent abilities.

  Heat pooled low in her belly. Sensation rippled in her core. The other woman’s image flared within her mind, vivid and glowing. Kylie’s hair fluttered, her back arched, and she moaned. She heard gasps and felt their mouths leave her flesh as pleasure exploded through her body. Hot. Vibrant. She could feel the energy radiating off her body even as her mind admitted the source.

  Savoring the last heated echo of her orgasm, Kylie waited a long time before she opened her eyes. Olav helped her into her robe, his expression a curious mixture of admiration and uneasiness. Did he realize what she had done or was this how people reacted after a genuine Awakening?

  “That was amazing,” Trint said and kissed her on the cheek. “I have never wanted to be a Nac O’te warrior so much in my whole life.”

  “What happens now?” Olav asked. “Will one of those brutes stomp over here and…”

  His words trailed away as Arabel emerged from the shadows. Standing taller than most men, Kylie’s sister was a formidable figure even without the molded armor she wore in battle. Everyone had expected her to step down when her bonded mate had been killed nine years before. Instead, she challenged the first warrior who openly defied her to single combat. After a bloody battle with magic enhanced weapons, Arabel emerged the victor. Three other challenges had followed in the ensuing years, but she was a shrewd leader as well as a fierce warrior and she had long since earned the respect of her men.

  Her dark hair had been swept straight back from her face and secured at the nape of her neck. Glittering dark eyes dominated her angular features. Her full lips and lush figure only added a sensual threat to her physical strength.

  “Leave us,” she said, and the men didn’t hesitate.

  Kylie glanced beyond her sister and realized the warriors had departed as well. “Nine participated in the ceremony. How many Awakened?”

  “Walk with me,” Arabel said. “There are still curious creatures lurking in the darkness.”

  Kylie’s heart sank at Arabel’s terse tone. She knew. Somehow Arabel knew that all Kylie had experienced was a delightful orgasm. Welcoming the discomfort of the forest floor digging into her bare feet, Kylie fell into step beside her sister. Arabel’s stride was long and fluid, her posture relaxed, yet watchful.

  “In the two hundred years since the Dawning rites were resurrected not one female in our bloodline has been deemed worthy of attempting the ritual,” Arabel reminded her once they had left the clearing far behind. “What made you think you’d be different?”

  “I didn’t set out to deceive the warriors.”

  “That’s not what I asked.” Arabel paused on the path and faced Kylie.

  “If you aren’t worthy to be a Day Warrior, why in the universe did I think I might be?”

  Arabel ignored the provocation. “You’re a Mimic, one of the best I’ve ever seen. What happened tonight only proves how effortlessly you take on the characteristics of others. It really was a spectacular demonstration. I had three different warriors ask me how you did it.”

  “If the ‘demonstration’ was so convincing, how did they know it wasn’t real?”

  “All Nac O’te warriors are connected. We can sense a genuine Awakening.”

  After a long pause, Kylie whispered, “I just wanted it so badly.”

  Arabel offered her a rare smile. “There are many ways to serve the resistance and six paths by which to become a full fledged Nac O’te. Why is this so important to you?”

  “Becoming a Day Warrior is the rarest and most important of all Nac O’te gifts.”

  “Each female in our dimension is allowed to participate in the Awakening ceremony three times. I wasn’t satisfied until I’d humiliated myself all three times. I’d spare you the same humiliation. It’s not going to happen, Kylie. We’re not Day Warriors. It’s simply not in our blood. I’m a Phantom and you’re a damn fine Mimic. Why can’t that be enough?”

  “Almost everyone on Froswick is some sort of Mimic. It’s the most common gift.” She sighed and glanced into the trees. “I really wanted this.”

  “I know you did.”

  They said nothing for a long time. Reassurance of any sort was out of character for Arabel. Kylie should thank her for the effort and move on with her mediocre life.

  “You’re not mediocre.” Arabel’s skillful telepathy only proved Kylie’s point. “I know you’ll never take my word for it, so we might as well get started. I need a recon Mimic and you’re the best I’ve got. I’d ordinarily choose an operative with more experience for this sort of mission, but the current crisis has limited my options. Report to Commander Sihngal as soon as you get dressed. You’re about to undertake your first interdimensional assignment.”

  Chapter One

  Jessie Curtis wrapped her fingers around the cool metal headboard and gently rocked her hips. Gripping her butt with both hands, her soul bonded mate, Rafe Steele, pulled her closer to his eager mouth. She shifted her weight, easing her legs further apart and bringing her pussy within reach of his waiting tongue. He’d do this for hours if she let him, arouse her again and again and feast on the cream her body produced so readily.

  Vampire, rock star -- she still couldn’t decide which was more unbelievable. And Rafe was both. His tongue swiped her slit from back to front and dragged a soft groan from her throat. Tension already gathered in her core, tingling with the promise of a fabulous orgasm. She was such a slut when it came to Rafe. She couldn’t resist his sexy smile, his smoldering eyes, or his talented tongue.

  As if to illustrate her thoughts, he circled her clit, then pushed into her core. More. She’d become a greedy wanton in the ten months they’d been together, thinking about him night and day, always longing for his touch. She arched her neck, her hair teasing her back as he became more aggressive. His lips moved against her folds while his tongue thrust in and out. His low growl of pleasure vibrated her clit and Jessie went wild. Unable to remain still as sensations tore through her body, she wiggled and shook.

  With preternatural strength and agility, he lifted her off his face and laid her back across the bed, her legs hooked over his arms. Violet light erupted in the depths of his dark eyes with the first thrust of his cock. She gasped and dragged his face down to hers. He tasted of her arousal. She smiled against his lips. He always seemed to taste like that.

  He filled her with deep, steady
movements, building upon the pleasure already begun. His mouth drifted from her lips to the underside of her jaw and Jessie turned her head, exposing her throat. The strong thrusting of his hips never faltered as he shifted her legs to his waist and slipped one arm beneath her neck.

  His lips teased her skin, then his fangs scraped in silent warning. She never resisted his need. She understood his nature. He cupped her breast and sent dizzying heat spiraling through her body. Opening his mouth wide against her throat, he sank his fangs deep in one sharp drive. She clutched his back as firm spasms tightened her core around his thick cock.

  She abandoned herself to the pleasure, holding nothing back. Her senses took on the rhythm of his vampiric kiss. Her nipples tingled and her pussy throbbed each time his mouth drew from her throat. Intoxicating and surreal, this portion of their lovemaking always left her dazed.

  Images swam through her mind. Naked bodies undulated, grasped, and thrust. She absorbed the mental stimulation, accepting it as part of the sexual frenzy that claimed her each time Rafe took her in his arms. Then the vision focused. The shapes took on detail. Blond hair and rugged features, familiar blue eyes. She fought against the intrusion. This was no random impression.

  Rafe withdrew his fangs and meticulously closed the wounds with his tongue. “What’s the matter?”

  Still in the grip of the vision, Jessie wasn’t able to reply. Rafe rocked back on his knees, taking the majority of his weight off her without separating their bodies. Long moments passed as she stared through him, her body lax and unresponsive while she searched the jumbled rush of information for meaning, some warning or specific premonition.

  “Welcome back.” He kissed her brow and brushed her hair off her forehead. “What did you see?”

  Though she’d always had visions, Jessie’s abilities had increased greatly since bonding with Rafe. “You don’t want to know.”

  “I always want to know, so just spill it.”