TITLE: Marked
AUTHOR: LOTSlove®
CHARACTERS: Richard / Kahlan / Cara / Zedd / Original Characters
RATING: PG-16 / R later
WARNINGS: Author Chooses Not to Use Warnings
TIMELINE: Anything up through S2
DISCLAIMER: I'm completely obsessed with the show Legend of the Seeker and all things Richard and Kahlan. I love to write about them even though they cancelled my show and now I'm fighting to get it back!
SUMMARY: Sequel to my fic Revenge, Richard finally has Kahlan safely back with him, but does he really?
Chapter 29
Demos screamed until he was hoarse, the thrilling release mixed with pain setting every nerve-ending in his body on fire as Lucinda pressed the agiel a little harder against his skin. He could hear his bones beginning to crack under the strain of the magical weapon, but it only seemed to heighten his release even more.
He collapsed weakly onto the bed, shuddering and shivering, Lucinda following him. Both were panting hard, sweat creating a sheen on their bodies. Demos clawed at the blood-stained sheets beneath him, fisting them in his hands against the pain that still racked his body.
He pressed his forehead against the mattress, the sensation of the sheets against his skin almost too much to withstand. He had definitely pushed himself to his limits this time, allowing Lucinda to do the insane to him.
Looking to his side, he gazed into Lucinda's eyes still hazy with rapture, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. He leaned in, his tongue sneaking out to lick the red fluid from her skin, his lips following. She sighed contentedly, groaning as she rolled onto her side to face him.
Staring into his eyes, Lucinda reached out, gently erasing the tears that had collected on his eyelashes. It had been the most intense, most erotic session yet, drawing them even closer through the pain as well as the pleasure in a bond so powerful nothing could break it.
"Do you need me to get the healer for you?" she murmured, her fingertips caressing his cheekbone before finding his hair.
"No, not yet," he rasped, his voice still rough from his screams. "I just want to lay here with you for a while. Besides, I'm sure we're far from done for the night."
A smile spread across Lucinda's face as she stroked his hair. "I am more than up for round two…" she leaned in, kissing him seductively. "Three…" she kissed him again. "And four…" she purred as she bit down on his bottom lip, drawing blood.
He growled low in his chest, his body tensing with the pain that shot through him. She dragged her tongue over his lip, sucking hard and erasing the blood that she had just drawn. He smashed his mouth against hers, his tongue suddenly probing her mouth and tasting his own blood, arousing him all over again.
Before Demos knew it, Lucinda was crawling on top of him, rolling him onto his back and pinning him to the mattress. He cried out from the pain that jolted through him, the fractured bones he'd already received from her causing his body to spasm painfully, taking his breath away.
She leaned down over him, rubbing her chest against his and eliciting a husky moan. She ran her tongue along his throat, over his chin to his mouth. Her fingers dug into the agiel burns that already marked his body, pressing into the wounds and bringing tears to his eyes once more.
"What would like me to do next for you, my Lord?" she purred against his lips, interlacing their fingers and pinning his hands above his head.
Demos grunted his satisfaction, bucking his hips against hers. He watched as her eyes fell closed, a sharp intake of breath filling his ears as her mouth fell open. His hungry gaze wondered over her face, taking in the purple bruise that was already taking shape on her cheek from where he had hit her with his fist.
"Break me…if you think you can…" he taunted. "Take me to my limits, Mistress. Don't stop…even if I beg you to."
Lucinda stared at him, her lips still parted in stunned disbelief. "Are you serious?" she whispered, her eyes roaming his face searching for the truth.
Many of their sessions had to her dominating, breaking him down within certain limits, but never had he ever asked her to break him to the very bounds of his limits. A couple of times she had been certain she'd come close, but she had immediately pulled back out of fear for him.
"Yes, break me," he said again, his voice firm with resolve.
She stared at him for several long moments, her mind racing with ways to talk him out of it, but finding none. She knew she would always give him anything that he wanted or asked. She was helpless when it came to him.
At last she spoke, her voice soft and gentle, surprising even herself. "What did your mother do to you?"
The words had slipped out before she could stop them as she brushed her lips tenderly against his, still keeping him pinned to the bed beneath her. She wished that she could take it back, fearing his anger with her for asking him about his mother.
Instead, his eyes seemed to soften ever so subtly, stunning her with the tenderness she suddenly saw there. "She saved me…showed me more love than any mother could," he softly replied. "She taught me passion as well as pain, strength as well as what it was like to be weak, powerless. And I will never be weak again."
Lucinda could have sworn she saw a tear forming in his eye before it suddenly disappeared as quickly as it had appeared and the moment was gone. Releasing his hands, she pressed her body fully against the length of his, her fingers find his hair. She kissed him deeply, possessively as if he was all hers and no one else's.
And he would be no one else's as long as there was breath in her lungs. He was hers to have, to dominate, to love. The Mother Confessor was as good as dead and she couldn't have been happier about it.
Demos's body immediately tensed, his muscles contracting in response to the Mord'Sith's personal attention. He gritted his teeth against the searing pain of the agiel as she reached down and pressed it into his inner thigh. He clutched as the sheets, twisting it in his fists and swallowing back the scream of agony that lodged in his throat as Lucinda kissed him hard.
Pleasure suddenly washed through him like a calming flood as she took him inside of her. The ecstasy quickly evaporated as the agile found his hip, the death grip she had on his body quickly pushing him to the edge already.
Thoughts of Kahlan quickly filled his mind as he bucked up into her, silently begging her to take him even further. He wanted the Mother Confessor here with him now, riding him instead of the Mord'Sith on top of him now. He would dominate her like nothing she'd ever known before.
"Just let go, Kahlan," he silently thought. "It'll be so much easier for you if you just give in and come to me. Forget your past and come be my future…"
Lucinda smiled against his throat as she scraped her teeth against his skin before biting down and sucking hard. He began to squirm and write beneath her as she moved. It gave her great joy giving her Lord Rahl such intense pleasure.
The strangled cry of Kahlan's name on his lips caused her blood to suddenly run cold, her rage flaring hotly in her core. She pulled back, staring at him in confused hurt.
"What did you just say?" she panted heavily, sweat trickling down her body as she glared hotly at him.
Demos looked up at her through hooded eyes hazy with the rapture she had been building within him, stunned that she had stopped so soon. "What?" he growled, angered that she had stopped.
Without thinking, Lucinda leaned down with a sneer on her lips, her agiel coming within a breath of his throat just below his chin as she clutched a handful of hair tightly in her fist. "You called out for Kahlan," she hissed, her green eyes flashing with hot jealousy.
"The link…with her mind…must be intensifying," he grinned widely, dragging his tongue along his bottom lip as he fought to catch his breath.
Enraged, Lucinda smashed her lips against his, the agiel slamming up beneath his chin. She held it there as she kissed him until she could taste blood in his mouth, his body seizing beneath her. She finally pulled back, releasing him from the agiel. She watched in satisfaction as his eyes rolled back into his head, his body suddenly going limp as he hung precariously between awareness and unconsciousness.
Lucinda leaned in close, dragging her tongue across his ear before finally whispering into it. "I'm going to break you until you won't even remember her name. All you'll know is me."
Before he could even form a response, the Mord'Sith was tying his arms above his head to the headboard. She began to ride him again with wild abandon, a wicked gleam in her eyes as the agiel slammed hard against his body.
XXX
Richard rolled onto his side, his hand instinctively searching for her even in his sleepy state, needing to feel her skin melded against his. He opened his eyes, his heart stopping at the feel of nothing beside him.
He growled angrily to himself as he leapt to his feet in panic, terrified that Kahlan had left him again. He searched for his pants in the dim light the smoldering remains of their fire allowed within the confines of the wayward pine when he suddenly felt someone watching him.
Pausing, he was stunned to find Kahlan sitting on the far side of the pine, as far away from him as she could possibly get and still be sheltered by the heavy pine boughs. She sat with her legs drawn up, her knees tucked under her chin and a dagger gripped tightly in her hand.
She was already dressed in her traveling clothes, her pack resting next to her on the ground. Her eyes were closed, her hair still somewhat tousled from making love with him during the night.
"Kahlan," he gently called as she slowly approached her, not wanting to frighten her.
Her eyes instantly flew open, her face filled with wild panic as she stared at him. She tried to inch further away from him, but there was no place to go. She lifted her dagger, pointing it directly at him in warning.
"Stay back," she hissed, her eyes clouded with confusion as she stared at him.
"Kahlan," he frowned, holding his hands up before him, not that he could have done much at that moment standing before her naked. "What's the matter? What's wrong?"
"Kahlan…" she softly repeated her name in wonderment as if testing it out to see if it was truly hers. "Is that my name?"
"Yes, you're name is Kahlan Amnell," he gently said, his pulse beginning to race with worry.
He watched as the furrowed lines in her forehead deepened as she considered his words, her eyes suspiciously roaming over his body in obvious curiosity. He willingly let her take in as much of him as she wanted, hoping that it might spark memories of the passion that they had shared together.
A rosy glow suddenly touched her cheeks as she openly stared at him, a sense of peace momentarily filling her eyes as if she might have remembered something for a brief flicking moment. "Why aren't you wearing any clothes?"
An amused smile unexpectedly tugged at the corners of his mouth as he lowered his hands and sat down in front of her, keeping a good distance between them when all he wanted was to hold her, reassure her as well as himself that she was going to be alright.
"We made love last night…remember?" he softly smiled, the memories still fresh in his mind, so fiery and sensual and erotic.
"We did?" she replied, tilting her head to the side as she stared at him, her dagger lowering a little as she continued to stare at his muscular body.
Richard nodded his head, doing his best to keep his voice calm and even despite the fear that was making his heart thump wildly in his chest. "A couple of times," he told her, the thrill of their union suddenly filling his voice. "It was amazing, Kahlan."
"Who are you?" she murmured, fighting to remember what her brain wouldn't allow her to at that moment.
She wanted so desperately to remember this handsome man sitting naked before her. The site of him sitting there across from her without any clothes on was setting her blood on fire and awakening a desire deep within her that confused her. She felt so drawn to him, suddenly so safe with him and she couldn't figure out why.
"I'm Richard, remember?" he asked. "I'm the Seeker and you're the Mother Confessor."
"Mother Confessor…" she softly repeated the title.
She abruptly shifted closer to him, the dagger still in her hand, but seemed to be temporarily forgotten. "Are we in love?"
Richard smiled softly at her question, his warm brown eyes sparkling. "Very much so," he told her, slowly reaching out to her.
His heart sank as she flinched, the forgotten dagger coming up again in warning. She paused then as he gently slipped a lock of hair behind her ear, his hand coming to rest against her cheek, his thumb caressing her cheekbone.
"You're my Kahlan…my perfect love," he softly said, his eyes suddenly moist with tears. "Please remember…come back to me."
Kahlan stared into his chocolate eyes, losing herself in the love and longing that shined so brightly there. It took her breath away as he seemed to reach right in and unlock her mind, her memories slowly returning to her once more.
"Richard?" she softly gasped in realization.
She dropped her dagger and threw herself into his arms, burying herself in his welcoming embrace. "I'm so sorry," she cried. "I…I woke up and I didn't know where I was at or who you were. I was so scared."
"It's alright, Kahlan," he told her, rubbing her back. "I'm just glad that you remember me now. I'd be more than happy to remind you of what we did together the last few nights if you'd like."
He was trying to lighten the mood not only for her, but for him as well. He was quickly losing her and it terrified him to the core of his being. When he had awoken and she didn't recognize him it had scared the life out of him. He feared that it had finally happened.
Kahlan chuckled softly through her tears as she pulled back to look at him. "I remember it very well now," she replied, kissing him deeply and relishing his nearness. "You can always help me remember again though."
"I need to get your better before we make love again," he regretfully told her as his hand came to rest on the nape of her neck. "Once the rift is sealed and you are finally safe, I plan on making love to you every morning and every night for the rest of your life, Kahlan Amnell."
"I love that thought," she smiled his special smile.
"It's not just a thought," he told her, nuzzling his nose against hers. "It's a promise."
Kahlan swiftly leaned in, connecting their lips again, her need for him never dying. She dragged her fingernails over his chest as her tongue slipped inside the warm cavern of his mouth, tasting him all over again.
Richard groaned at the feel of her tongue stroking his mouth, the way she had crawled into his lap as if she couldn't get nearly close enough to him. She was quickly driving him wild, but he knew that he had to stop this before he couldn't.
"Kahlan…Spirits," he gasped as he broke the kiss. "We can't…not until I know you're you again."
"I am me," she lightly nipped at his lower lip, teasing him even further.
"Kahlan," he moaned as she kissed behind his ear, his hands gripping her waist tightly. "I…I don't want to take advantage of you when you keep losing yourself."
"I want you to take advantage of me," she purred seductively in his ear. "Don't you want me anymore?"
"Spirits, Kahlan," he hissed as she reached between them to take him in her hand. "I will always want you. Nothing will ever change that."
He grabbed her face and kissed her hard, reaching deep down inside of him to stop her when all he wanted was so much more of her. He reluctantly grabbed hold of her wrist and forced her to let go of him. He pressed his forehead against hers, fighting to control the arousal thrumming through him.
Opening his eyes, he found himself staring into her blue eyes filled with hurt. She quickly averted her gaze, biting her bottom lip in embarrassment. "I'm sorry…" she whispered as she tried to disengage herself from his hold on her.
Richard tightened his hold on her, forcing her to stay where she was. "Never apologize for wanting to make love with me, Kahlan," he firmly said, gazing deep into her eyes. "I want you more you can possibly know right now, but I want to wait to be with you again until I know for sure you're going to be alright."
Kahlan pulled herself free from his hold on her, wrapping her arms around herself. "You got what you wanted and now you're done with me," she growled, fury replacing the hurt. "Now that you've had me, you're ready to move onto someone else."
"Kahlan, you know that's not true," he firmly stated as he leapt to his feet, his arousal quickly forgotten in the wake of the sudden change in his Confessor again. "I love you and want to marry you someday."
"You're just saying that out of guilt because I figured you out," she accused him, her blue eyes burning with rage now. "You stole my virtue and now you're bored with me. The excitement is gone for you now."
Richard knew that this wasn't his Kahlan talking now, but it didn't ease the sting of her words or assuage his anger any. He strode towards her, grabbing hold of her arms and keeping her in front of him.
"You know that I have loved you since the day I met you in Hartland," he angrily ground out. "What I feel for you is not just some physical, superficial love. I love you so much that your magic can't touch me, Kahlan."
"And now that you've had what you've always wanted, you're ready to move on to someone else, someone prettier? Sexier?" she snapped. "Maybe you'd prefer I wear red leather and dye my hair blond."
Richard stared in stunned disbelief, her delusion of him wanting her to look like Cara the most absurd thing he'd ever heard. "I can't believe that you would ever think something like that," he said with a deadly calm, doing his best to rein in his anger.
He turned away from her, hiding the hurt that she had just caused him. He knew deep down that this wasn't his Kahlan talking, but he couldn't help the tiny voice inside that kept telling him that she truly believed it some way. Why would she say it if a small part of her didn't truly think this way?
Finding his clothes, he quickly began to dress. "I'm taking you back to the Aku," he coldly stated. "Hopefully they've found Zedd and Cara by now."
"I said I'm not going back there," she declared as she grabbed her pack. "I'm going to the People's Palace and there is nothing you can do to stop me."
"Kahlan, you're sick, you're not thinking right," he tried again as he buckled his scabbard around his waist. "You need to trust me. I'm doing what is best for you right now."
"Or what's best for you," she shot back. "Want to go back and discover what it's like to be with an Aku woman? Wonder if she will be better than me?"
Richard ground his teeth, gathering his things and shoving them into his pack. "We're going to back to the Aku so that Zedd can help you, nothing more. I'm losing you Kahlan and I won't stop until I get you back."
"I said I'm not going with you," she yelled at him.
"Kahlan, I don't want to force you, but I will if I have to," he said, standing to his feet.
"What are you going to do?" she asked. "Bind me with rope like my father did?"
Richard released a ragged, furious breath in an attempt to soothe the hurt inside. "I'm not going to hurt you, but you have to trust me."
"I'm going after Demos with or without you," she told him making her way out of the wayward pine and out into dawn's early morning light. "You can either come with me or go back to the Aku. It's up to you, Seeker."
