CHAPTER FIVE

LYSANDER WOKE TO THE SOUND of sizzling bacon and a woman singing. He stretched and realized with a start that he was clothed. He never slept clothed. His mind cleared the fog from it and he remembered he was at Mendra’s. He sat up slowly and saw her in the kitchen. The morning light cast a halo around her golden hair as she danced around in the kitchen, flipping a pancake in a pan and singing along to a song on the radio. She was wearing a baggy shirt and short shorts that showed off her long, beautiful legs.

“Good morning,” he called to her.

She spun around and smiled warmly at him. “Morning, Lysander.”

“You didn’t have to cook me breakfast,” he said as he walked to stand at the bar top behind her.

She smirked. “Who said this was for you?”

He laughed and she returned to cooking, but she no longer danced or sang. He wished he had been quiet and let her continue. Something was different about her though, the darkness wasn’t as strong as it had been when they met. Had what happened somehow helped her? How could being kidnapped help cure her?

“I hope you eat meat,” she said and stopped, spatula raised in the air as she turned to face him. “Do you?”

He nodded. “I do.”

She exhaled and lowered the spatula, her shoulders sagging forward slightly. “Phew. Okay.”

“Mendra?”

“Hm?”

“I don’t mean to ruin the mood, but I’m curious about your upbeat attitude this morning.”

She smiled. “I had some good dreams last night. That’s all.”

Good dreams?

She knew they were more than dreams, but she didn’t want to admit that to him. It had been years since she had had visions. Last night, those had definitely been visions. Visions of her getting the horn and delivering it to Lysander. Visions of Lysander kissing her.

Okay, the kissing one may not have been a vision, though she wouldn’t mind it coming true.

She was going this weekend to get the horn and then Lysander could go home and she could start her rescue. She tried very hard to ignore the ping of pain she felt thinking about his departure. They didn’t know each other well, but she felt connected to him. The way he had protected her last night and been so protective of her had added to it. And really turned her on.

Lysander hadn’t said anything since she had told him she had had good dreams. He was staring at the oven, but his mind was obviously elsewhere, since he wasn’t focused on anything. What could he be thinking about?

She set his plate of food on the counter in front of him, getting syrup and a glass of milk as well.

He blinked a few times and came back to reality. “Thank you.”

She nodded in response and began cleaning the dishes in the sink. Last night she had the best sleep she had had in years. Lysander’s presence in her house had been a huge reason for that. It still surprised her that he had been able to defeat the Demon, Quinn. Even more surprising was the fact that Daewon had been scared of Lysander. Just how much power did he have?

“Lysander?” she asked to get his attention.

He was about to take a bite of pancake, but set his fork down. “Yes?”

“Are you a Centaur?” She had wanted to ask him about it since Quinn brought it up, but there really hadn’t been a good time.

“Yes,” he replied immediately and without any hesitation.

She blinked in silence, unable to form thoughts or words.

“Want to see?” he asked her with a smirk.

She nodded.

He stood up and walked to the center of her living room, which had enough room for a full-sized horse to stand in. His body rippled and then he stood before her, his waist up as his human form, but below his waist he had a black horse’s body.

He really was a Centaur!

She walked over to him with her mouth slack. She poked his human stomach and then the center of his equine back. His back muscles twitched at the contact and she started giggling. A Centaur. Of all of the things she had expected, a Centaur was not one of them. Her giggling turned into laughing and she clutched at her stomach, unable to stop laughing.

“Mendra, are you alright?” Lysander asked her, his body reverting to human form.

“I’m sorry,” she gasped, finally able to get herself under control. “I’m not laughing at you. It’s just…a Centaur? I never expected that.”

“How did you know, then?” he asked with a quirked eyebrow.

“Quinn. When he came here, he asked if I knew a Centaur.”

Lysander frowned and then sighed. “Of course he did.”

“So, the Centaur is your true form then?” she asked.

He nodded. “Yes. Just like the Pegasus is yours.”

How could they even work if he would be a Centaur while she was a Pegasus? Yes, they could switch into human forms, but if she could stay in her true form, she would love to do just that.

“You’re scowling,” he whispered. “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing,” she lied quickly and turned away from him, hoping her cheeks weren’t red. “I need to get dressed.”

“You can talk to me,” he said in a soothing voice. “If you need to talk about something, I’m willing to listen.”

“I appreciate the offer,” she mumbled and hurried into her room to grab clothes. She did not want to talk about the hypothetical of them being together. He would think she was a crazy, clingy girl. The tenderness in his voice was nice though.

Lysander left shortly thereafter and Mendra took the opportunity to head back to where they had found the horn. Her vision hadn’t been too specific, but she knew that she would be invited into the house and then she could grab the horn while inside.

It took her a lot longer than she planned to find the house, since it had been dark and she hadn’t really paid attention to where they went. She was grumbling curse words as she drove, trying to find anything that looked familiar. An hour later, she located the house and walked up to the guard.

“Hello,” she said in greeting to him.

He looked her over and smiled. “Hello.”

“I’d like to speak to the home owner, please.”

“And you are?”

“Mendra,” she replied in a sultry tone and batted her eyelashes at him, thankful for her mother’s genetics giving her thick and beautiful eyelashes.

He typed something on a tablet and then looked up at her with a smirk. “Right this way, Mendra.”

He pushed open the door for her and she walked inside. Why did they have a guard if the guard just let anyone in? What was the point of him being there?

“How can I help you?” an older gentleman asked her. He was short, hunched over with the weight of age, and completely human.

“This house is lovely,” she commented as she tried to figure out what to do. There were a ton of items all along the walls and in glass cases. “Is this a museum?”

He smiled, his eyes lighting up as he engaged with her. “No, but these are a few of the items I’ve discovered over the years.”

“I used to go with my parents to archeological digs,” she lied. “We never found anything as spectacular as what you have. May I look around?”

“Why did you come here, again?” he asked her.

“Someone told me that you had the most incredible collection of items and I should come talk to you. They said you have quite the stories to go along with some of the rarest items,” she lied, feeding off of his aura and the happiness he radiated while talking about his collection.

“Has anything caught your eye?” he asked.

She picked up the first thing she found. It was a ball that was mostly silver, but right in the center was a slice of purple. “What is this?”

She spent two hours with the old man, walking around his house and listening to his stories. She almost forgot what she was there to do, becoming so engrossed in the items and their histories.

When he left to get drinks, she went into the room she had seen in the vision. There, on the mantel was the horn. It was tiny, only a few inches long, which made it convenient to slip into her pocket. It looked more like a whistle than a horn. Was this really the item? Had she not had the vision, she would have doubted herself even more. She quickly put it in her pocket and went out into a different room to wait for Bernard, the old man, to come back.

“Here’s some lemon water,” he said and offered her a glass.

She drank from it and smiled warmly at him. “Thank you for your time today. I hope I didn’t waste too much of it.”

He waved her words away. “Not a waste at all, dear. I would love to talk more, but I am getting tired. Perhaps you could return another day?”

She smiled wide and nodded. “I would like that. Thank you.”

He walked her to the front door and the guard snapped to attention.

“Have a wonderful day, Mendra,” Bernard called as she walked down the steps.

Her heart was pounding and her palms were sweaty. Could she really get away with the horn? She knew the vision showed her doing it, but could she really do it?

“You as well, Bernard!” She called back to him and waved with a cheerful smile.

The guard smiled at her as well and then went inside the house with Bernard.

Mendra immediately began running, making her way around the block to where she had parked her car. She hopped into the car and raced off, heading to the opposite side of town, but not going to her house.

“Lysander,” he answered as she called him.

“I need you to meet me somewhere private and safe,” she told him urgently, her heart still pounding.

“Are you alright? What’s going on? Is it Quinn again?”

“No. Just…where can we meet?”

He gave her an address and she drove to it, listening to the directions from the map app on her phone. The city gave way to country, which then led her to giant estates. She triple-checked the address and then drove up the mile-long driveway to the location Lysander had told her to meet him.

She stared up at the estate in awe. There had to be at least ten bedrooms and yet there were no cars in the driveway. Perhaps they were all in the garage?

A familiar car sped up the driveway and parked behind hers. Lysander climbed out, dressed in a suit and sporting a serious frown.

“What’s going on?” he asked her again.

“Is this your house?” she guessed.

He nodded.

“Wow.”

“Mendra,” he said in exasperation.

“Let’s talk inside,” she suggested.

He nodded and with a hand on her lower back, propelled her up the steps to the wood and iron door, which he unlocked and pushed open for her. The interior was just as lavish as the exterior and it took her breath away. How much money did he have? No wonder he didn’t bat an eyelash at offering her the amount of money that he had.

He shut and locked the front door and turned to her expectantly.

Slowly, she pulled out the horn and held it out to him. “Here.”

His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. “Wh…” He reached for it, but then stopped. “Prove that you’re really Mendra,” he snapped.

“Um, how am I supposed to do that?” she asked with a scowl. And what had gotten into him all of a sudden? Shouldn’t he be ecstatic and thanking her profusely for getting him the horn?

“What happened last night?” he asked.

“After we found the house, we went back to my place and you stayed the night to protect me.”

He sighed and then carefully took the horn from her hand and examined it. The horn transformed, turning into a one foot long curved horn, much more like what she had expected it to look like. There were carvings in the wood, Greek alphabet from what she could tell.

“It’s real. It’s the real one. You found it. You found it!” He whooped for joy and spun around in a circle once before setting the horn on a table near him and wrapping her up in a big hug. “Thank you,” he whispered into her hair as he hugged her.

She melted into his hug and nodded, her words unable to process through her overheated brain. Lysander smelled amazing and her hormones went into overdrive. Plus, this was the first time she had been hugged in years. There were so many emotions swirling around in her, that it was hard to hold onto just one.

Lysander leaned back. He searched her face, his eyes landing on her lips for a second before he kissed her.

His lips were incredibly soft and gentle, yet she could feel his need and want. Sparks flared behind her closed eyelids and her heart beat harder and stronger as they kissed. Her heart, which she had kept locked up behind a thick shield, opened to Lysander as they become connected in a way only possible through magic.

Lysander broke their kiss and stared into her eyes. “You’re my mate,” he whispered. “You’re my soulmate. I knew it!”

Mendra had always wanted to find a soulmate, but hearing those words only made her nervous. They were soulmates, but they were so different. Plus, he would be leaving back to the other side of the rift.

“No,” she whispered and tried to pull away from him.

“Mendra,” he whispered. “You are my soulmate. You can feel it too. I know it’s scary, but don’t run away. Please.”

“You’re leaving,” she reminded him with trembling lips. “It doesn’t matter if I’m your mate.”

“Mendra,” he whispered again and kissed her cheek. “I won’t abandon you.” He kissed her lips softly, being tender and reassuring.

She didn’t believe him, but her hormones were in high gear and she decided that even one night with Lysander would be worth the heartbreak when he left. She wrapped her arms around his neck, shoved down her worry, and pulled him down into a deep and long kiss. She wanted to find out what it was like to be under him. His arms wrapped around her and he held her tightly.

She started to tug up his shirt, but he stopped her. “Are you sure? You don’t need to do this just because we’re soulmates. We can wait and take as much time as you need.”

“I want you,” she gasped and leaned into him. “I’ve wanted you since the night at the bar. Take me. Please.”

He didn’t need any more prompting. He scooped her up in his arms and her legs instinctually wrapped tightly around his waist. They started moving up stairs she hadn’t even realized were there, kissing deeply and passionately, utterly lost in the taste of one another for the first time. He only set her on her feet long enough to quickly strip her nude, and then he was lifting her and lay her across the bed to view her completely before going further. As he stood back and gazed down upon her, his face lit with awe and joy. “You’re gorgeous.”

She smiled and propped up on her elbows. “I want you to take me, I need you to claim me. Get rid of the suit and come to me.” His jacket and shirt hit the floor with a scattering off buttons as he rushed to strip and join her on the bed. He had finally found his soulmate and he couldn’t unite their bodies fast enough. He was rock hard by the time he managed to rip himself out of his pants and kick them across the floor. The heat and hunger in her eyes as he climbed onto the bed to join her echoed his own desires. He leaned down to kiss her again, shifting her legs open with his knees so that he could feel the already wet and ready core of her body practically begging for his touch.

He pulled back from the kiss, their eyes meeting mere inches apart. She raised and lowered her hips rubbing herself against his aching need, taunting and teasing them both. He knew she was wet and ready for him, but he didn’t want to hurt her and he didn’t know how many others had come before him. He pinned her hands over head with one hand, while with the other he slid a long finger into her and began to work her body more open. He kissed his way down the side of her throat, and across her collarbone, letting go of her arms to mound one breast and take it torturously slow into his mouth as he used his tongue and teeth to tease the sensitive flesh. Another digit slipped into core, and he knew she was ready for him.

He came back to take her in another deep kiss as he thrust into her for the first time. Her eyes fluttered closed and her finger nail dug into his shoulders. He started a slow and steady rhythm that managed to stroke across that sweet spot just inside and still hit the sharper spot deeper in. “You’re perfect,” he grunted as he grabbed her hips and began to drive himself in and out of her faster and harder. “You feel so good.”

She would have tried to respond, but in that moment, they both hit the peak of their pleasure, calling out each other’s names, and collapsing into a sweaty puddle of euphoria. It wasn’t nearly as long as either of them had hoped for, but it was definitely enough to leave smiles on their faces.

Mendra felt happiness fill her and a feeling of rightness that she had never experienced before. She knew he was right, they were soulmates.

“Come with me,” he requested as he ran his fingertips along her arms.

“Where?” she asked, food did sound good right now.

“Olympus. Across the rift,” he explained.

She tensed, imagining a world equivalent to medieval times. Could she live like that? Perhaps if she was in equine form most of the time, but to be with Lysander would require her to be in human form. She was so used to her two-legged form that she wasn’t sure she would be okay to stay on four forever.

“I don’t know,” she whispered in reply.

He raised himself up on his elbow to look down at her. “They don’t have electronics, but they do have magic.”

“What about bathrooms?” she asked skeptically.

He chuckled and began tracing a design on her stomach. She tried to follow the pattern to figure out what it was, but his touch made it difficult to focus. “They have indoor plumbing. One of the demigods went across the rift and came back with a lot of knowledge and set it up.”

“What if I don’t fit in there?” she asked. What if she went there and still didn’t have a herd?

“You’re my mate,” he reminded her. “My family will be overjoyed to meet you. I know they will love you. The Pegasus will welcome you with open arms as well. They’re a very compassionate herd.”

Would her father be there?

“I won’t be separated from you,” he told her sternly. “Either we go together, or we stay here together. Either way is fine with me.”

“You’ve been trying to go back for decades. You can’t stay,” she said with a scowl. How could he even think that?

He rested his hand against her cheek. “My place is by your side. No matter where you are.”

The love sparkling in his eyes brought tears to her eyes. He kissed the tears away gently.

“I’ll go,” she agreed. They were mates and he had been trying to return longer than she had been alive. It wasn’t fair for her to hold him back because of her shortcomings and worry.

“Think about it overnight,” he offered. “I have some things to take care of here.”

“No, I’m sure,” she told him and leaned up to kiss him. “I can’t wait to see your world and meet your family.” It wasn’t every day that you were offered a trip to a magical world. She would be a moron not to go.

She didn’t know that he could sense her fear through their new bond. He smiled at her and kissed her back. She was perfect. His mate. It still felt surreal, like he would wake up at any moment and find himself alone in his bed. She had been scared when they both realized that they were soulmates, but she had tamped the fear down and mated with him. Had she seemed hesitant at all right before they mated, he would not have done it. She had no hesitation when it came to them mating though. Once their bond was sealed, she had fully accepted him and a happy smile had stayed on her face. At least until he had brought up Olympus. He knew it would be a huge culture shock for her, but he would stay by her side the entire time and ensure she was well received. He had not lied at all, his family and the Pegasi would love her. Relief filled him since they were mated and that meant the others would not try to steal her.

Her stomach rumbled and he chuckled. “I guess that means it is time for me to cook for you.”

She smiled, her eyes lighting up. “Really?”

He nodded. “Let’s shower and get dressed. Then, I will make us food.”

She got up and he admired the view. She was perfect. Something on her back caught his attention. “What’s that?” he asked, getting up and lightly touching a scar on her back. Up close, he could see there were several of them.

She blushed and her body tensed. “It’s from the Hunters.”

Fury consumed him, tinting his vision red. “What happened?”

“It doesn’t matter. I escaped and…”

“Mendra…”

She spun around and snapped. “No! I won’t talk about it!”

He raised his hands in the air in surrender. “Okay. I’m sorry.” The sooner he got her to his mother, the better.

She went into the bathroom and turned on the water. They might be mated, but he still had a lot to learn about her.

Mendra washed her hair quickly, sadness and grief consumed her so much, that she didn’t hear Lysander open and close the shower door. It wasn’t until he wrapped his arms around her waist that she realized he had joined her.

She leaned back into him, letting her head fall against his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. She knew she should not have snapped at him like that. He didn’t deserve it.

He kissed her temple and said, “No, I’m sorry.” He took the bar of soap from her and began washing her back. She had never been washed by anyone in her adult life. As he washed her, she felt the sadness leak away. His touch and presence made her feel happy and calm. It had been a long time since she had felt calm.

“I’ll protect you from anything or anyone who tries to harm you,” he whispered against her neck just before kissing her wet skin.

She turned around and wrapped her arms around him, emotions spiraling out of control, and buried her face in his neck. He held her tightly and continue to whisper reassuring things in her ear. For the first time, she believed the words of a man. She truly believed him.

She slid down his body to kneel in front of him. The hot water of the shower running down her body, covering her in shroud of mist as she took him slowly into her mouth. She went slowly at first tasting his clean skin and the faint traces of soap left on his body. Tracing her tongue along his length before taking him fully her in mouth. She gripped his muscled thighs as she worked him faster and harder with her mouth, using her agile tongue and just the teasing edge of teeth to bring him the greatest amount of pleasure. He started to lose his balance as she went and leaned against the shower wall for support until she finished him. She carefully stood up and smiled at him with a knowing grin.

“You okay?” she asked, with a smirk.

He gently turned around so that she was facing away from him, pushing her forward to that she was bent over, and spreading her legs as far as the shower would allow. She opened her mouth to ask what he planned on doing, but the answer came before she had a chance to ask. His tongue swept from the front of her core to her depths, and back again. She gasped and cried out, bracing her arms on the wall in front of her, her legs already shaking with pleasure. He worked her body with his mouth, bringing her closer and closer to that explosion of ecstasy. It wasn’t long before she climaxed and her legs turned to jelly. The only thing that kept her from collapsing was his strong grip around her waist. They finished cleaning up together and allowed their bond to deepen even further.