"James?" Richard said, rounding the corner of the servants corridors. "What are you doing out here?"

"My mistress is upset, she told me to return to my room."

The Seeker grabbed his arm and stopped him from moving on, instantly making the man fear he was disappointing his mistress. "What happened?"

"She asked me the same questions you did," James told him quickly, not wanting to waste any more time. "She told me to show her how I had been with my wife and I did. I pleased her, but it was not enough. She started to cry and I thought I had hurt her, but she... She told me to return to my room, please let me go."

Richard let to of the other man's arm and instantly made up his mind, walking directly to her bedroom. The walk took longer than ever before and he grew more and more concerned with each step. He was almost running as he turned down the final hallway and when he reached her door way, he froze. James' words echoed in his mind, "I pleased her, but it wasn't enough." She had laid with him and the Seeker couldn't help but feel angry as his hand touched the doorknob. Pushing back his own feelings, he opened the door, surprised that it had been left unlocked, but after a moment he realized that the thought wouldn't have entered her mind.

She wasn't in the bed like he thought she would be, but he didn't stop moving inside. With a quick look around, he stopped suddenly. Kahlan was laying on the floor beside her bed, curled up almost in a ball as she clung to his shirt. Her tears fell like the hardest rain, telling him why she didn't hear him coming and as slowly as possible, he knelt down beside her and laid his hand on her shoulder. His touch made her cry harder, something he had previously thought to be impossible.

"Kahlan?"

"Please leave me alone."

"No."

"He loved his wife," she whispered painfully.

Sitting down, Richard stretched out his legs and sighed. "It's alright if you enjoyed it, Kahlan. You have every right to be with someone that way."

"I am not his wife," she said just as quietly. "I took him from her. He truly loved her, in every way and I destroyed them. I took him from his wife." Blinking through another wave of tears, Kahlan tightened her hold on his shirt. "I never thought anyone could love someone so much."

"Your magic is love remember? It is possible to love someone that much without being confessed. What did he do to you?"

She almost didn't answer him, but something in the way he asked, made her feel like he wanted to know for another reason other than what was in her mind. "He held me," she said a little louder than her previous words. "For a while, I forgot about everything else and what I am."

"Why did you send him away?"

"Because I didn't feel the release of my magic. I didn't know it was there and then..." Her voice cracked, pained with every word. "I was imagining you," she admitted shamefully. "I thought I had lost you."

"You didn't," he whispered, his hand squeezing her shoulder in reassurance. "I'm right here."

"How could I have-" She stopped herself, suddenly sitting up as she realized she was naked before him. Holding his shirt to her chest, she inched away, doing her best to shield herself from his eyes. "I hoped that I was strong enough."

"Strong enough for what?"

The confusion on his face made her nervous. She had hoped that he would understand, that she wouldn't have to say it aloud, but she did. "If I could hold in my magic..."

The expression on his face was a mix between pity, disappointment and sadness, holding them all beautifully. "You shouldn't have to hold it in, Kahlan. When you're with someone, you should be- What you felt with him, what he gave you, that was it. That is how it should have been. Kahlan, you deserved to experience it that way, to have someone- to have someone love you."

"It's not me he loves."

"It is now. Kahlan, I know that it is hard for you, I do, but you can't think about it that way. Everyone cares about someone before another, some even love them, but then we find someone and those other people no longer matter."

"His wife should always matter to him. The way he- His wife should have that every minute of every day and I've taken it from her."

"I feel the same way about you."

She didn't know when she had stopped crying, but tears no longer dripped down her cheeks. He always had that effect, making her feel calm and as though everything was right in the world. "He hasn't taken me from you."

"He's made love to you."

"It's not the same thing."

"Yes it is. Kahlan, I- I wish that I had been the one to give that to you, been the one who helped you to feel the way you should."

"You'd be lost."

He gave her a weak smile, finding it easier to speak when they were partly at ease. "It doesn't make me want it any less. I wish it had been me who touched you that way."

"Me too." Her words surprised them both, but she didn't hurry to take them back.

"If you hadn't let go of your magic, would you have let me-"

"I don't know," she whispered, not wanting him to finish his sentence. "I thought that maybe- I don't know."

"Yes you do."

Her eyes lowered to the floor, her mind returning to the thoughts she had before she allowed the other man to touch her. "I didn't say the thought never occurred to me."

"Kahlan-"

"I didn't want to be with him, Richard."

"I know," he told her quickly. "But you don't have to feel guilty for what happened." He meant his words, she could see the truth of them in his eyes and though she couldn't understand, she allowed him to continue. "Kahlan, I'm glad for what he gave you. You should never experience anything less." He tore his eyes from her as the desire to see her began to grow, making his body tighten. "Do you want a blanket?" Richard could see her move out of the corner of his eye, but she didn't reach onto the bed or come to her feet. Instead, she pulled his shirt over her head, letting fully cover body. "He wore it, didn't he?"

"Yes," she whispered. "I don't think I could have gone through with it he hadn't." Kahlan closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the bed table. "When he was close, I could almost imagine he was you."

"You don't have to imagine."

"I can't hurt you if you're not with me." Blinking up a set of courage, she swallowed. "If I had been with you, would you have-"

"Everything," he whispered quickly.

She was on her knees before him within moments, her hands cupping his face as she leaned forward. He wasn't sure what she was going to do, but when her lips touched his, he didn't hesitate. His arms circled her waist at once, bringing her against him as his head lifted to hold her kiss. There was a passion within her, seeping out and into his skin with each second and he couldn't help but feel that it was her letting go. There wasn't the heavy fear that lingered in her kiss and she held onto him firmly, unlike every other time they had been so close. If she felt her magic, she didn't show it and until she asked him to, he wasn't going to move away.

There was no holding back with her kiss, no hesitation between them and each time she pushed into him, they were lost a little bit more. He was laying beneath her now, his back pressed firmly against the cool wood as she leaned forward. Her body was so close, they nearly shared a single one. He wondered when she would stop, when she would realize what they were doing and run away, but with each kiss, he began to believe she never would. His hands slipped over her thighs, gently caressing her soft skin before snaking up her sides. She pulled back for a moment, making him groan in disappointment, but the view before him silenced it quickly. She pulled his shirt over her head, and before he had long enough to examine her, she was pressed against him again.

Her hair danced around his face, a comforting tickle that he swore to commit to memory, the smell alone had always driven him to madness. Slower than before, she sat up above him, her hair falling over her shoulders to shield her breasts. She was panting, her body fighting the urge to rock as their eyes met and her fingers grabbed the the bottom of his shirt. Her eyes held his, waiting to see a sign that he wanted her to stop, but there was none. When she dropped his shirt at their side, he sat forward and crashed his chest against hers.

She allowed him to hold her that way, his lips lightly brushing hers. The feel of her body against his was intoxicating, making him cling tighter for fear of losing her. Her hands dropped between them and skillfully unlaced his pants. Her eyes flew open as he laid his hands over hers, stopping her from doing anything more.

"You don't- We don't have to do this, Kahlan."

She didn't understand why he stopped her, she could feel him beneath her, his body calling out for hers. "I want to," she whispered in a voice that said more than her words.

Keeping her hands from him, he leaned his face close to hers. "How do you want me?"

Blinking, she thought about his question, wondering what he meant and then she understood. "The way we've always imagined."

With a grin, he pulled her into his arms and lifted her from the ground. "Then we should move to the bed." He had her on the bed in seconds.

She laid before him, naked, a sight he had longed to see for as long as he could remember and he couldn't help but notice how much more beautiful she was than he imagined. He hovered above her, a knee on both sides just below her hips, giving him a perfect view of her body. Her eyes fell closed, focusing on the feel of his hand on her stomach. He pushed gently against the skin, marveling at the softness and vibration he felt as she let out a low moan.

He spent half an hour discovering her body, something the other man had not done and brought far more pleasure. She clung to the headboard above her, her hips pushing up as he ran his tongue from one side to the other. Her skin was occasionally sucked into his mouth, pulling until it began to burn and then released and rewarded with the graze of his tongue to sooth away the soft pain. His head disappeared between her legs, just as the other man had done, but the feeling was entirely different. His name instantly left her lips and before she could take a breath, she sat forward and pushed him from her, knocking him onto the floor as her magic flew free.

Her eyes were still dark when she reached down for him and he could feel her body shaking as he took her hand. She pulled him back onto the bed, cupping his face as she looked into his eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to hurt you."

"It's alright," he whispered, unsure as to what to do next.

"You don't have to- I'll understand if you wanted to leave now."

"I don't want to leave, Kahlan. I want to be with you."

She smiled quickly, nodding as she reached back to his pants. "Then we should hurry before it builds back up."

"Kahlan-"

"I know," she whispered, laying herself over him.

She captured his lower lip between hers, as his hand slipped behind her back. The warm breath from his nose flowed down the middle of her chest and her heart started to hammer. Though she had been enjoying nibbling his lower lip, her tongue quickly found his upper lip. As he drew in a sharp breath, his lips finally parted. She felt as though she could devour him and she realized his other arm had gone under her and he was pulling her closer.

Their bodies came together, his arousal hard between them. It dug into her abdomen as she pressed herself against his granite-like thigh. Her hand flew to his bottom, kneading it, bringing it to her as she tried to maneuver into position. Unable to wait, she pulled him as she rolled onto her back. Suddenly, he was on top.

He was heavy and air rushed out of her lungs with a grunt but he quickly propped himself on his elbows and looked down at her.

"I mean it, Kahlan. We don't have to do this. I don't want you to feel like I pushed you- I love you." He smiled that shy little smile of his and it was irresistible.

Her hands went to his hips. She moved him sideways as she moved out from under him. He watched her intently as she sat up and turned to him. She began to swing one leg over him and, when he understood her intent, he quickly rolled to his back. As she straddled him, his hands went around her waist. Though his arousal had waned, she felt it throb once beneath her, directly on the sweet spot.

Her breath caught and she let her full weight sit against him. Again, it throbbed.

Both his hands moved to her breasts. For such large, strong hands, they were still soft. He gently squeezed and she suddenly felt his hips jerk upward as his arousal flared underneath her. She rode it, not wanting to lose contact with him. His hardness squirmed beneath her but she let her hips find the sweet spot over and over.

He began to thrust and, as he rubbed against her, she moaned at the feeling; he bucked convulsively. He cried out and she felt a long overdue clenching radiate up from their connection. It sped through her abdomen and fueled her hips as she ground against him. Something she hadn't even known was coiled was suddenly unwinding inside her. She closed her eyes and luxuriated in the warmth of it.

As her hips finally slowed, she opened her eyes and looked down at him and he was looking at her, his eyes completely unfocused.

The muscles of his neck were taut and his chest was heaving. His abdomen was rippling, as if he were trying to sit up and she realized he was still jerking his hips but spasmodically now and his entire midriff gleamed with the wetness that had shot from him.

As she unmounted him, his head fell back with a grunt and his arms sank into the bed. Although what she really wanted to do was nuzzle into him, she slowly got to her feet. Unsteady at first, she went to her wash station and fetched a cloth. When she came back to him, his eyes were closed but his diaphragm was still working hard. As she wiped him off, he seemed completely oblivious except for the small jerks that his pelvis made in response to her touch.

She tossed the cloth over her shoulder and quickly laid down beside him, embracing him the way she always imagined she would after they made love. She could feel his heart pounding beneath her touch, racing with hers in a way that made her body quake, quickly demanding more of him.

"Richard?"

His eyes opened and he turned his head toward her, meeting her eyes as she took in another breath. "I don't want him to touch you again." The raw emotion in his voice surprised her, but he didn't give her a chance to respond.

His hands moved with an urgency, pulling her against him. Although his arousal pushed into her, he didn't stop kissing her. His hands were all over her, the back of her neck, her lower back, her bottom, and her thighs. And then his hips moved.

As she struggled for a breath, she realized her hips were meeting his and she needed more. She pushed his chest with both hands and, as they separated, his mouth was still reaching for her.

They rolled together and she sat up on his midsection. His hands immediately found her breasts as she maneuvered backward. Slowly, carefully, she slid down to his arousal. As she touched him, he suddenly looked down as if he could see what was happening. Then she leaned forward, pressed into his hands, as she took part of him in.

The muscles in his neck went taut and his eyes opened wide. His mouth formed a perfect "O" but he didn't make a sound. He seemed frozen, his entire body gone rigid.

She continued her downward slide and closed her eyes, feeling only the fullness inside her, the stiffness of it, the pressure of it, and how her own body completely engulfed it. She slid back up again and she felt his hands around her waist, helping her. She was nearly to the very top when she started back down. His hands moved to her hips, pushing her down. She opened her eyes and found him still staring at the place where they were joined. She rose up again and his eyebrows worked furiously as several emotions flashed across his face–surprise, pleasure, and even pain. As she rose again and reached the top, she nearly went too far and there was a moment of panic as he nearly slipped out, but she was already moving back down when his hands firmly pushed.

She sank all the way to his groin and her back immediately arched. She sat up straight and pressed into him with her full weight. He groaned and suddenly thrust, lifting her with his pelvis as his abs quickly contracted.

Unable to slide up and down his length, her hips began to rock. He lowered her and then thrust again, quicker this time. She groaned as his hands went back to her breasts, squeezing. She leaned into him, pumping her hips now, feeling a familiar tightening.

Suddenly, he tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and arched his back incredibly high. She felt him thicken and knew that his climax was close. The sudden movement rocked her forward and she lay on top of his chest. As she slid back down the incline of his abdomen, she ground against him and she gasped. She clenched and he cried out.

He jerked beneath her, as his shoulders and hips rose together, but he was only there a moment before he suddenly lay back again and thrust. His arousal thudded into her and her hips began to move at a frenetic pace. Her abdomen clenched against her will and the heat spread outward like an explosion. His hips continued to thrust and she felt his rhythmic throbs deep inside her.

He grunted with the effort as his hands gripped her hips. She was riding him now and opening her eyes, she looking down. His chest was heaving and his head was thrown back, pressed into the white pillow. He was gorgeous, glistening, and, as she raked her fingers over his chest, she felt herself clench down hard.

His giant hands pinned her hips to his. He kept thrusting, propelling her prone body along his. His hips jerked, and thrust, and rocked as his breath came in ragged gasps. Still she hung on as her own climax unwound and then he started to relax. Slowly, she collapsed onto his chest and his hips jerked beneath her. Though he kept his hands on her hips, he didn't push down, knowing that soon she would hurry away and as the thought completed in his mind, she threw herself from his chest and nearly flew into the air as he magic tore free. She fell onto the bed beside him, her body shaking forcefully as she gasped for air, her eyes squeezed shut. She wanted to see him again, but she found she couldn't move.

Richard pulled her into his arms, smiling widely as he let his mind wrap around what they had just done. "Was that-"

"Yes," she said breathlessly. "Spirits, yes."

"You didn't lose-"

"I nearly did," she said quietly. "Richard, I-"

"You can tell me, Kahlan."

Pushing him onto his back, she rolled into his side, her hand coming to rest on his chest. "It took nearly everything within me to hold on as long as I did and I- I think that I did because I knew it was you. When I was with him, I didn't try as hard, because I knew it wasn't you."

Her words made sense and after a moment, they made him feel better. "I'm sorry, I-"

"I know."

"Richard?"

He jumped from his thoughts, dropping his spoon into the bowl, splashing its full contents onto the table. "Spirits, Zedd. How long have you been standing there?"

"Not long. I was looking for Kahlan."

"I haven't seen her since she went to meet with the council." Wiping the mess he made with the sleeve of his shirt, he frowned. "She's been in there for hours."

"She wasn't in the meeting, Richard."

The Seeker stood up at once, abandoning all other thoughts and actions as he turned to face his grandfather. "That's not possible. I saw her-"

"They waited over an hour before starting without her. She was to confirm-"

"That she spent last night with her mate," Richard finished the older man's sentence as he began walking past him and into the hallway. "I know. Zedd, she wouldn't have missed that meeting. We both know how important that was to her. She wouldn't have- We have to find her."

Hurrying after his grandson, Zedd struggled to keep up. "I've searched the palace-"

"Not well enough."

Richard turned down a hallway most never went, confusing the other man, but he knew something more. Before the couple had separated that morning, she had confided in him on her intentions to release the man she had claimed to be her mate. The thought pleased him more than he could express, but he knew the problem it would cause with the council. He didn't bother to knock as he came to James' room, stopping dead as he entered.

"I don't understand," he whispered as his grandfather stepped forward. "He's not supposed to leave this room unless she sends for him, right?"

"What makes you think she hasn't?"

"She wouldn't. Zedd, you have to gather the guards. Something's wrong."

"Richard-"

"Now, Zedd!" Pushing past him, Richard ran down the hallway, disappearing before he could be stopped.

He ran out into the garden, it being the only other place he could think to find her, calling her name again and again. He was greeted with silence, making his heart pound harder and stop at the same time. He knew her, knew she would never take another man and then disappear and there was only one thought that refused to leave his mind. Only one person would take them both and he would kill her for it.