Earth's Blood (Earth Reclaimed) by Ann Gimpel Read Free Book Online

hard over and over again. Her body liquefied around him as her orgasm pounded through her. She cried his name and told him she loved him while her pussy contracted around him. Because he didn’t expect it, his second climax took him by surprise. Carried on the wave of her arousal, he pumped into her, draining himself.
    Fionn collapsed on top of her and covered her face with kisses in between crooning to her in Gaelic.
    “Watch it,” she murmured, voice still thick with passion. “I understand most of that.”
    He rolled off her onto his back. “Good. Then ye know I think ye are the most wonderful, the most beautiful, the most amazing—”
    “You can stop now.” She reached for his hand and squeezed it. “I get the picture.”
    “Most women like to hear their virtues extolled.”
    “Fionn.” She repositioned herself so she was on her side, facing him. “This is not the sixteen hundreds. I am not a pampered female whose self-image rises and falls on the basis of some man’s opinion of me.”
    “What would ye like to hear from me?” Truly curious, he turned so he could watch her face.
    “Only that you will treat me as an equal partner in all things. That we will stand together. Make our decisions as a team.” She held up a hand. “Think carefully. I am not certain your fellow Celtic gods would approve of including me in what they probably see as men’s business.”
    Fionn opened his mouth and then closed it. She was right. While the occasional goddess was included in critical things like strategizing a war against the Lemurians, he was fairly certain it would be an uphill battle to get Aislinn a permanent seat at the table. Then he remembered Dewi. The dragon regarded herself as bonded to the MacLochlainn as surely as the wolf did. It was why Rune hated her. He saw her as competition for Aislinn’s affections.
    Dewi was sacred to the Celts.
    “It may not be as difficult as ye think,” he began, picking his words carefully. She furled her brows, and he said, “Now stop that. I will always support you, Aislinn. I do not see you as less than me because ye are a woman. I canna control how the others react to you, but Dewi will be your ally.”
    The wolf growled.
    Fionn got off the bed and walked over to him. He hunkered on his haunches so they were at eye level with one another. “Ye stop it, too. I know ye doona trust Dewi and that ye see her as a threat to your bond with Aislinn.”
    The snarling rose in volume.
    Fionn laid a hand on Rune’s muzzle. “Ye willna like to hear this, but Dewi’s claim to Aislinn predates yours by a thousand years or better. That dragon has always been linked to a MacLochlainn woman—if one was alive for her to bond with. There were a good many years without any MacLochlainn females. If Aislinn and I have a daughter—which isn’t likely, since males run in the MacCumhaill line—Dewi will be bound to protect her, too.”
    “If that’s true,” Rune said huffily, “why didn’t Aislinn know about her?”
    “Because Mother hated the dragon,” Aislinn replied. “She fled to America and spent the rest of her life hiding from Dewi. I don’t think Dewi even knew I existed until she found me in the tunnels beneath Taltos.”
    “Oh.” There was a protracted silence before the wolf added. “Would you rather be bonded to her?”
    Aislinn sprang off the bed in a flash. She knelt next to Fionn and Rune. “No. Don’t ever think that.” She sank a hand into his neck ruff. “I know I made a fuss about not having Hunter magic when you and I first met, but I have accepted the bond. You and I are bond mates. Until death.”
    The wolf whined and licked her knees. “That is how it should be. Thank you. I will try to tolerate the dragon.”
    Fionn thought it enough of a concession. And a good place to stop. “Thank you,” he told the wolf. Turning to Aislinn, he said, “How about that bath?”
    She yawned. “Not sure. I’m pretty tired…”
    “I already drew the water.